Shartel Church

Jesus is coming back! Though the disciples didn’t understand what He was talking about at the time, WE DO! This promise gives us hope, no matter what the circumstances. This promise reminds us that we are living for something bigger, something greater than just the here and now. This promise fills our lives with joy even in the face of death. We are people of hope because Jesus is coming back!

Jesus gave his followers a mission as he prepared them for his death, "Go, make disciples." He let them know they are the ones who will take the mission forward. The path forward relies on those who trust Him and go and make those disciples. His disciples held the key to sharing the good news of what was about to happen. And you do to.

The Christian life isn’t for sissies. Jesus didn’t promise an easy road for those who follow Him. He knew not only what was ahead for Himself, He knew the persecution and trouble that was ahead for those who wore His name. Pain and sacrifice were a price we would all have to pay.

Another major thought Jesus tried to communicate before He left was the importance of the disciples staying connected to Him. It’s a major mistake to believe that we can do God’s work out of our own strength. We need His Spirit. We need His Word. It is not OUR talent the world needs. It’s the Presence and Power of God. That comes from abiding in Him.

Throughout history, there have always been things that distinguished the people of God from the rest of the world. Festivals and feasts, holy days and sabbaths, rituals, and even dietary habits. One of the key points of Jesus’ ministry was that all those other things didn’t really matter. What DID matter was one Big Thing. That big thing was love. Love would be the way the world would know we were His.

One of the ongoing arguments that disciples had was probably the most annoying to Jesus. They wanted to know who would be the “greatest.” Jesus called them back to reality with one of the most unbelievable acts He could have done shortly before He died. He washed their feet. That’s how a true leader leads.

Barnabas is one of the quiet, unsung heroes of the early church. He wasn’t famous for much, but he had an incredible impact on untold lives simply by using his main spiritual gift. Encouragement. He was a lifter, not a leaner. His name was actually Joseph, but his helpful nature and generous spirit earned him the nickname, “Barnabas.” That means, “Son of Encouragement.” Maybe, if WE encouraged more, God would pick us to be a Barnabas.

This passage was a strategic shift in how the Kingdom of God would advance. The Church was growing, and the needs were growing with it. When the disciples faced the dilemma of how to keep the widows fed, they challenged the leaders to pick seven who would take on that responsibility. As those seven stepped up to meet the need, the Apostles were released to do their job. And the Kingdom of God ADVANCED!

Many people think they can’t witness because they’re not Bible scholars or trained in evangelism. But the most powerful witness in the world is OUR STORY! When the demoniac was healed by Jesus, he wanted to hang out with Jesus and the other disciples. But Jesus picked him to go back to those who had known him before and let them see what the Lord had done. His story gave God Great Glory!

The people thought Saul would make a great king because he was tall and strong. But God knew that it’s not what’s on the outside but what’s on the INSIDE that really matters! God picked David because of His heart, not his muscles or his smarts. When our hearts are open and submissive to God, we become incredibly powerful for His Kingdom. David knew what others didn’t. Ultimately, the battle belongs to the Lord!

There was a huge crowd following Jesus. Over 5000 people. Maybe as many as 10,000 or 15,000. After a long day of teaching, they were hungry. The disciples had no food, nor enough money to buy food for that many. Then, a young boy offered his lunch. Jesus picked HIM to be the catalyst for a miracle! Jesus reminds us again and again, “Little is much when God is in it!” What’s your “little” that God is waiting for YOU to offer?

It was out of a fresh, new vision of God that Isaiah became passionate about being picked by God. When we really see God, we remember who He is and what He can do. And we renew our passion to be about His work.

In this message, we’ll explore what it is in this past year that we need to leave behind. Paul says that we need to “forget” the past. The word actually means to “set it aside.” This message will help identify those things in our lives that are keeping us from being all God has called us to be and to let them go.

In this message, we’ll explore what it is in this past year that we need to leave behind. Paul says that we need to “forget” the past. The word actually means to “set it aside.” This message will help identify those things in our lives that are keeping us from being all God has called us to be and to let them go.

As we celebrate Christmas Eve, we will reflect on Jesus as our Light. He brings warmth to our lives. He brings hope to our lives. He came as the Light of God’s Welcome to us. And He stays as the Light of God’s Guidance to us. To a people who are prone to wander, He is the Light that shows the way.

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” Truer words have never been spoken. But the love the world needs is not a love that it can create on its own. The Bible reminds us that “GOD is love.” This last Sunday before Christmas, we will celebrate that Jesus came to us as the highest expression of God’s love for us. He came to show us how to BE loved, RECEIVE love, and to GIVE love. It is a gift that can change the world.

The world can be a dark and dangerous place. Life can be hard and overwhelming. It’s easy to forget as we forge our way forward that life wasn’t meant to just be endured. It was meant to be enjoyed! This Sunday of Advent we celebrate Christ’s coming with a reminder that He came to do more than just give us New Life. He came to give us Abundant Life. He came to restore our JOY!

It almost seems funny that in the busiest season of the year, we talk about “peace.” But the peace that Christ brings isn’t the absence of chaos. It’s being anchored in the midst of the chaos. It’s the stability and security that comes when we remember who He is and whose we are. He is our “Prince of Peace.”

Hope—Is there any greater need in the world than that? Hope for healing. Hope for a better tomorrow. Hope for a way out, a way through, a way forward. It was to a world that was utterly hopeless that Jesus came. And He brought to the world on Christmas what He brings to us today—Hope.

Kings come and go. Governments rise and fall. Those who are considered the wealthiest, or the most powerful, or the most invulnerable, will all fade away. But there’s one Kingdom that lasts forever. That’s the Kingdom of God. That’s why our God is our Rock, our Strong Tower, and our Foundation. This message will be about building our lives on something that is UNSHAKABLE.