Eagle Ridge Church of God Sermons

Seeing the Unseen: The Persecuted ChurchWeek 1John 3:2-3If you are following Jesus, you can see what others cannot.Matthew 6:32-34You can see The Kingdom of God, His restoring work happening all around us.Matthew 13:16-17Seeing means I can join Jesus in his work.Matthew 25:44-46Seeing the persecuted Church.1. The persecuted for Christ are already blessed.Matthew 5:10-122. They teach us real faith.Acts 8:1-8(Video from Global Christian Relief…Beginning – 6:26)3. They teach us how to love our enemies.4. Persecution leads to revival and kingdom growth.Revelation 2:8-11How can we join them?Seek to be informed.Directed specific prayer.Enter their stories.Give as God directs.Organization to follow:· Open Doors USA (Add logo and website address)· Global Christian Relief (“)· Voice of the Martyrs (“)

Soul Food Week 8: Recipes for Living Generously: Giving and Telling The Story  “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so thateveryone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16NLT We are set free to experience generous character…1.      Because we know we have been graciously adopted and made heirs.Romans 8:15-17 NLT 2.    Because we give out of the overflow of God’s abundance.From scarcity thinking to abundance thinking.  Philippians 2:4 3.    But generosity must be practiced not just understood if it is to feed our souls.  We practice generosity when we… give what we want possess.Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV), Mark 12:41-44 (NLT)We practice generosity when we…tell our story of Jesus.Matthew 10:11-13 (CEV) Feed your soul:1.    Confess the fear that keeps you from being generous and then entrust it to God. 2.    Ask God to tell you how to act generously from that place of fear.

Recipes for Generosity John 3:16; Proverbs 14:31 NLT 1. Practicing Gratitude Feed your Soul & Develop a Character of GenerosityPractice GratitudePsalm 22:1-10 Psalm it!2. Practicing ForgivenessLuke 23:34 NLTPractice Forgiveness:Forgive in advance.Forgive them again.Try Praying...Out of obedience to God I am choosing to forgive this person for the fact they did to me. And whatever my feelings will not yet allow for, surely the blood of Jesus will cover. Forgive as needed. Pick a story to read this week:1.       Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-372.       Widow of Zarephath, 1 Kings 17:7-243.       The book of Jonah (4 chapters)4.       Story of Joseph, Genesis chapters 37-475.       The book of Job (42 chapters)

Soul Food Week 6: Recipes for Staying Grounded Prayer & FastingPsalm 40, Psalm 18:2 How do I approach prayer properly?  As if God is already close, I just need to reconnect. Psalm 116:9 , Psalm 16:11 Begin with humble gratitude Jonah 4:6 Turn off noise, both externally and internally.   Kings 19:9-13, Psalm 46:10 Imagine then focus on what is real, you in Jesus’ storyMatthew 6:7-13Patterns for prayer that feed your soul ground your life:The Lord’s prayer A.C.T.S: Adoration…Praise God for who he is Confession…Agree with what God already knowsThanksgiving…Praise him for what he has done and continues to doSupplication…Ask him for what you need1.     Quiet your body and focus your mind2.    God how can you be so good?3. Confess your…Desire for a self-directed lifeSins of disobedience 4.    Taking neighbors need to God.   Add a new flavorful satisfying ingredient to your prayer pattern.Fasting: emptying so we can be refilledMatthew 4:1-2 & 11 “It's a voluntary, temporary reduction in comfort, so that we can redirect our spiritual energy to God. It is detaching from over-dependence on any good thing-even the very gifts of God which we are meant to enjoy (food, drink, entertainment, and so on)--so that we can, for a season, refocus the energy spent delighting toward hungering at a deeper level, even for the very presence of God himself.”  Learning to Live and Love like Jesus, Brandon Cook Philippians 2:5-8 Feed your soul & ground your life:1.    Without passing judgement evaluate your approach to prayer.2.    If change is needed, try a new pattern.3.    Open your heart to fasting as a way of grounding your life. 

Soul Food: A Recipe for GroundingWeek 5Psalm 40Grounding only occurs when what I am resting on is solid.Psalm 18:2Solid ground is found only through trusting in Jesus.Matthew 7:24-29Being grounded in Jesus comes primarily through scripture.2 Timothy 3:15-17Scripture can’t ground us in Jesus unless we approach it properly.…As a story of transformation.…God coming close to us"But beyond the specific words she pointed to, I learned a broader lesson: my mom was teaching me that there is a reality beyond and distinct from the one between my ears. She was teaching me that even what I think and feel is not to be entirely trusted she was, ultimately, teaching me how to enter another story, and one in which there is hope, resource, and abundance. She was teaching me that, through scripture, I could learn to become aware of that story." Learning to Live and Love like Jesus, Brandon Cook"Reading in a spiritual way is reading with a desire to let God come closer to us. The purpose of spiritual reading... Is not to master knowledge or information, but to let God's spirit master us. Strange as it may sound, spiritual reading means to let ourselves be read by God!" Here and Now: Living in the Spirit, Henry NouwenJohn 5:39-40…As something that demands persistent practice.…As the foundation from which we can help others.Feed your Soul!Commit to reading the Bible 4 days this week.Practice “Slow Reading”Begin with simple prayer…”Holy Spirit speak to me through the scripture I am about to read. I am listening.”1. Read passage slowly without stopping. After reading the last verse pause and reflect. What do you notice in your mind and in your body.2. Read passage a 2nd time even more slowly. Notice words or phrases that jump off the page for you. Pause again and notice if you sense the presence of the Holy Spirit.3. Read a 3rd time listening for the voice of Jesus speaking into your life.End by capturing anything that you have noticed that is from Jesus for you.

Soul Food Series- Week 4A Recipe for a Slow Life: Sabbath & HospitalitySabbath Genesis 1:31-2:3 “Very simply, God was delighting. God beheld everything He had made, and it was good. The first Sabbath was an act of celebration.” -Brandon Cook, Learning to Live and Love Like Jesus, pg. 211Exodus 20:8 & 11Sabbath is a command. Matthew 12:11-12; Luke 6:3-5Sabbath is for us!Mark 2:27“Sabbath is a period of time dedicated to withdrawing from the normal activities of life and work in order to come back to our spiritual center, which is the place where we connect with God.” -Brandon Cook, Learning to Live and Love Like Jesus, pg. 202Sabbath is trust issue.“We are meant to work from a place of rest, not the other way around.” -Brandon Cook, Learning to Live and Love Like Jesus, pg. 204HospitalityRomans 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9Hospitality is not optional.Hospitality is spending time with others and entering into their stories. To practice hospitality, you have to slow down.Feed your Soul!Confess your disobedience regarding Sabbath and Hospitality. Plan a Sabbath time. I will practice Sabbath this week on this day: _________ 3. Plan to meet with someone with an attitude of hospitality. The person I will make plans to meet with is: __________

Soul Food: A Recipe for a Slow LifeWeek 3“The Slow Life is quite simply, the cornerstone of spiritual life and the foundation for all other spiritual practices. It creates space for us to see and connect with God. That allows Him to do the work of transforming us.” Brandon Cook, Learning to Live and Love Like Jesus, pg. 160"We must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives." Dallas WillardPsalm 37:7a, Proverbs 19:2, Matthew 11:28-29Symptoms of Hurried Sickness include: Plotting your next move (fastest lines at the grocery store or stop light). Increased irritability (especially with minor things). Decline in soul care (time with God in prayer, Bible, church). Decline in self-care (sleep, proper diet, exercise).God is not concerned with what we have done but in what we have become.Jesus’ Solution to Hurried Sickness: He took time to rest, reflect, and seek the Father's direction many times in Scripture.Luke 6:12, Matthew 14:13, Mark 1:35The second ingredient in the recipe for The Slow Life: Silence “Silence is about establishing time and space to encounter the reality of God.” – Brandon Cook, Learning to Live and Love Like Jesus, pg. 184 It should be to us, a time of communion, not a commandment.Habakkuk 2:20, Psalm 46:10aRemember times of silence can be for contemplation and/or conversation. But they always require commitment. Feed Your Soul! 1. The one thing I am going to take off my to-do list this week is _______________. 2. The place and time where I will experience some silent time is ______________. 3. The person I’m going to ask to hold me accountable is _________________.

Soul FoodWeek 2: A Recipe for Dealing with Reality   “When a man is driven to acts of obedience by the dread of God’s wrath revealed in the law and not drawn to them by the belief of His love revealed in the gospel; when he fears God because of His power and justice, and not because of His goodness; when he regards God more as an avenging Judge, than as a compassionate Friend and Father; and when he contemplates God rather as terrible in majesty than as infinite in grace and mercy; he shews that he is under the dominion, or at least under prevalence, of a legal spirit.” 17th century Scottish pastor John Colquhoun  Let’s be clear...1.   Confession is agreeing with what God already knows. 2.   Repentance is changing direction leaving one thing and pursuing something different.I must confess and repent to unleash the power of “Soul Food.”It is about reality not fantasy “The right naming of things is the beginning of wisdom.” Chinese Proverb “We cannot change what we are unaware of.”  Peter Scazzero "Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do insecret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”  Ephesians 5:11-14 “Confession is always stepping out of fantasy and into reality.  Reality, as painful as it may be, is the only place in which freedom may be enjoyed.”  Learning to Live and Love like Jesus Pg. 141God cannot transform what he is not allowed to touch. "Then the Lord said to me, “Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah! Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the Lord says: “O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful.   I will not be angry with you forever. Only acknowledge your guilt.  Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree.  Confess that you refused to listen to my voice.  I, the Lord, have spoken! " Jeremiah 3:11-13 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”  Mark 1:15Confession & repentance are not simply about me. “The end point of discipleship is loving others, so the humility posture of confession and repentance is the same posture by which we love and serve others.”  Learning to Live and Love like Jesus pg. 151  Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.  James 5:16 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in thetruth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.  1 John 1:8-10 Feed your soul:1.    Pray 1 John 1:8-102.    Confess your sins to God right now.3.    _____________ is someone with whom I can begin to be transparent?

Soul Food Week 1: A Recipe for Change Galatians 5:22-23 “A lot of people want to change and would answer yes to these questions, but many of them do not believe it is possible. After years of trying and failing, they lead a Christian life of quiet desperation, longing for change and yet certain it will never happen.  So they sit in their pews each week, sighing silently, resigned to their fate.”  (Good and Beautiful God pg. 19)      Life change is not about trying harder it’s about…The recipe for change includes the following 4 ingredients:1.    Recognizing the wrong storyline & adopting the right one. Romans 12:2 (NLT)The wrong story about God and you:God is an angry judgeGod does not have my best interest at heart (He has another agenda)Love and forgiveness are exchanged for performanceGod only loves us when we are goodGod is mad about sin or simply doesn’t care about it.God will do something for me when I do something for himGod views me as a sinnerStay busy and hurried and you’ll get to where you want to be2.    Training your soul to eat right. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, 1 Timothy 4:7-83.    Pursuing CommunityHebrews 10:24, John 14:264.   Holy Spirit directed & empowered(Triangle diagram from Good and Beautiful God) Feed your soul!The options are keep trying hard, feeling defeated and, give up and live for yourself, or pursue a new pattern that leads to life change.  1.      Commit to tasting the different Soul Food in this series.2.      Prepare to rest in Jesus and sleep.3.      Pursue community in a bridge group or Come & See Class.

Reset 2026: Discipleship Pathway For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘Theywill all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns fromhim comes to me.  John 6:44-45 Wanting more of God means He is drawing you.This demands movement, that demonstrates faith.Moving in the direction of Jesus’ invitation.(Bridge Diagram) Jesus is asking us, “Come & See what I amabout”…Invitation to explorePublic Space  That happens at Sunday Morning Worship Social SpaceJesus is asking us, “Come and follow me”…Invitation to learnPersonal Space  This happens at Bridge Groups  2. Jesus is asking us, “Come & Join me inwhat I’m doing”…Invitation to serve othersThis happens inside our church and outsideOutside the churchCultivateOur partner organizations like: Adoption Option, Young Lives, Reach the Forgotten, Open Door, Warner CampInternational Partners: United for Uganda, Guatemala Mission TripIn the church family Tech/sound, Children, Youth, Greeting/Ushering, Pickle ball, Visiting, Worship, Clerical/financial, Funeral dinners & Soup on Sunday etc., Beaverton Community Dinners Use your imagination... Ephesians 2:9-10  3. Jesus is asking us, “Come and Remain withme”…Invitation to multiply His KingdomIntimate spaceJohn 15:3-5 This happens in Builder Cohorts2 Corinthians 5:19-20 Released to make The Kingdom present for others Ephesians 1:22-23Discovering -> learning -> serving -> multiplying  What is my next step of faith?Commit to our winter teaching series! Attend our Come & See Class beginning next week.Ask Melissa about finding a Bridge Group Allow Tammy to mobilize you for service.   Ask how you can support our mission financially

Christmas Things We Don't Pack Away:JOY Luke 2:10 NIV Joy and happiness are not the same thing. Psalms 21:6 NIV, James 1:2-3 ESV PEACE Know God, Know Peace. No God, No Peace.John 14:27 NLT, Philippians 4:4-7 NIV 1. Rejoice 2. Stop worrying 3. Instead, Pray LIGHT Luke 2:28-32 NIV Jesus is the Light to to shine for you. John 8:12 NLT Jesus is the Light for you to reflect to others. Matthew 5:14-16 NLT Steps of Obedience: Where has Jesus shone His light into your life this past year? Where do you think He may be calling you to reflect His light?

A Nativity StoryThe Wisemen: The gift of the giftWeek 4Recognizing the GiftMatthew 2:1-2 & 10-12 Responding with WorshipPsalm 96:8-9 What is one way I can demonstrate how valuable Jesus is this week?Releasing Our HeartsProverbs 23:26, Matthew 23:23  Reflecting the Gift2 Corinthians 9:15

The Nativity Story The Shepherd: Gathered & CarriedWeek 3The Shepherd who seeks…He comes looking for us.Luke 15:4-7 I’m going to contact _____________ motivated by love. How do think we measure success measure the success of Eagle Ridge?  The Shepherd who lifts…He carries us when we can't walk.Isaiah 40:11 ______________________might need me to carry him/her.   The Shepherd who Unites…He gathers all kinds into one flock.John 10:14-16I need to invite ____________________ to church or my bridge group. Is there someone I need to introduce myself to today?    The Shepherd who holds close…He keeps us near His heart.Deuteronomy 33:27 I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights, and I live in his unshakableKingdom!

A Nativity Story- Mary & Joseph: Saying Yes to GodWeek 2God's Call often comes in unexpected ways.Luke 1:26-38Tell someone and reflect with them.   Encourage someone with an *ICNU conversation.  (I see in you)God's Plan often costs us something. Matthew 1:18-25 Count the cost with trust and courage. God's Promises are worth the risk.Luke 2:1-7“I am perfectly positioned to produce perseverance.”  I need to encourage __________________ to “keep going you are very close.”God's Call Often Comes in Unexpected WaysTell someone and reflect with them.   Encourage someone with an *ICNU conversation.God's Plan Often Costs Us SomethingCount the cost with trust and courage.God's Promises Are Worth the Risk “I am perfectly positioned to produce perseverance.”        I need to encourage ________________ to “keep going you are very close.”

A Nativity Story: Gabriel, God’s Quiet GloryWeek 1The God Who Thunders.Luke 2:8 NIV  I personally experienced God’s thunder like this: ____________________________ As a Church we experience God’s thunder like this: __________________________ The God Who Whispers1 Kings 19:11–12 Where can I add moments of silence this season? _______________________  The God Who Waits2 Peter 3:9 I need to reinterpret_____________ as God’s patience not his denial or rejection.   The God Who Dwells.John 1:14

Redeeming the Holidays: Looking to Serve, Not Be ServedWeek 4Redeem = to gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment.How can I make this season an opportunity to see The Kingdom and make it present for others?Romans 12:1-2, Mark 10:44We serve because Jesus served! Mark 8:33-35 Serve now not just when its sentimental.Matthew 6:1-4Service gets our focus off self and onto God & neighbor.Ephesians 2:9-10I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights, and I live in his unshakable Kingdom.You were designed for this. Matthew 6:31-33Steps toward redeeming the holidays:1. Begin the mobilization process now.2. Set your focus now!Philippians 4:6-8Redeeming the Holiday’s:Am I managing my expectations?Am I choosing gratitude regardless of the circumstances?Am I present with God and the people around me?Am I looking to serve or waiting to be served?

Redeeming the Holidays: Be PresentWeek 3Redeem = To gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment.How can I make this an opportunity to see The Kingdom and make it present for others?Be present with God…Colossians 1:21-231. Be aware of His Presence and Power!2. Believe the truth about our positionHebrews 10:21-23Be present with people.Luke 10:38-42, Philippians 4:6-71. Be aware of our Presence and Power!2. Believe the truth about our positionRedeeming the Holidays begins here:Identify distractions or barriers to being present:1. With God2. With OthersMake and execute a plan for being present:1. With God2. With Others

Redeeming the Holidays: Choose GratitudeWeek 2Redeem = to gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment:How can I make this season an opportunity to see The Kingdom and make it present for others?Choose gratitude. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Genesis 50:19-21)Choose gratitude …By focusing my attention on what God is restoring. (Romans 8:28-29, 1 Timothy 1:12-13)Choose gratitude…By giving God all the credit. (Philippians 2:12-13, Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 6:22-23, Hebrews 12:28-29)Gratitude as a lifestyle only happens when I want to know God better. (Colossians 2:7)Redeeming that holidays begin here:Practicing it together, now.Ending your day gratitude toward God.

First in the series titled, "Redeeming the Holidays"Bible verses: Philippians 4:6-8 & 10-12Sermon notes:Redeem = to gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment.How can I make this season an opportunity to make The Kingdom present for others?...By managing my expectationsJohn 16:31-33Choose peace that isn’t controlled by your circumstancesWhen you worry…start praying…give thanks for God’s goodness…focus your thoughts on what is solid.Choose hope that is properly placed.Matthew 6:31-33Choose to accept how Jesus sees you.This will grow your sense of contentment and allow for Greater Expectations!Here are some “Great Expectations!”· To meet Jesus again.· To refocus my life on King Jesus and his kingdom.· To see his kingdom exploding around me.· “I get to serve and not be served.”· I can influence people because I am slightly less anxious.· Brokenness in others to be revealed so I can be a part of their healing.Start redeeming the holiday season:1. Give it back to God!2. Acknowledge my destructive expectations and pessimism. ________________3. Focus my attention during November on this: Philippians 4:6-8 & Matthew 6:31-33

Final message in the "Different King, Different Kingdom" series.Different King, Different Kingdom: Fork in the RoadWeek 7 in this seriesBible verses: Matthew 7:13-29Sermon notes:The Kingdom of God is a present reality and a future hope!The Kingdom of God is the restoration of God’s loving rule over all things!There is only one entrance to one path that is challenging.Notice the fruit from the messenger who teach truth.Matthew 24:11-12 &24-25, Acts 20:29It’s between allegiance and association and God knows the difference.2 Timothy 2:19It comes down to Jesus or everything else that will eventually fail.Noticing and being amazed is not the same as the choice that Jesus demands.Steps of Obedience:Be honest about what you are choosing.What is one way I need to choose Jesus today?