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1st Sunday of Advent - Our expectation and hope! - Isaiah 9:2-7 By Pastor Lee Hemen November 27, 2016 Some families keep an advent calendar and countdown the days until Christmas. Christmas is the celebration of the first Advent, the coming of the Savior of the world! As believers, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. But we also wait eagerly for the Second Advent when Jesus returns! A large part of our lives center around anticipation. How much we would lose if we were to wake up one day to the unexpected announcement: “Christmas in 10 minutes!” The enjoyment in many of life’s events is built on the fact that we have time to anticipate them. Whether it is Christmas, vacations, trips, or sporting events, all grow in value because of the hours we spend looking forward to them. Now imagine the anticipation of the salvation of mankind coming to earth. That is what the first Sunday of Advent is all about, our expectation and hope! Let’s discover why… READ: Isaiah 9:2-7 S...

Micah 7 - Where to put your hope! By Pastor Lee Hemen November 20, 2016 The famous line in George Lucas’ movie, A New Hope, is now a classic. Princess Leia pleas for General Kenobi’s help in their struggle against the evil Empire in a holographic message and she utters the line, “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope!” In the face of unspeakable evil people often cry out for a savior, someone who will come and rescue them. In Micah’s prophecy we discover that while the nation of Israel was going to be judged, there was hope. Micah’s pronouncement of Israel’s fate was not well received by the people it was addressed to; bad news usually isn’t well received by anyone. Yet in the midst of his prophetic discourse there is hope. There was hope for Israel and for future followers of the Lord. God will rescue his people but it will not be in the way they imagined it. Let’s discover where we are to place our hope this morning. READ: Micah 7 It is truly sad that so many people a...

Micah 6 – What God requires! By Pastor Lee Hemen November 13, 2016 There hasn’t been a single person when faced with a difficult situation, choice, or hardship who hasn’t at some point asked what either God or life requires from them. This is a normal reaction when faced with life’s difficulties. And when faced with difficult choices how one responds speaks volumes as to what they believe and in what they place their trust. Micah asks this question and answers it for Israel and for us today and in fact gives to his listeners exactly why they are experiencing the difficulties they were. God was going to judge them as a nation and the people began to understand the outcome of their life choices. So here in Micah he asks and answers for us what God requires. Let’s discover what that means for us in our day and age… READ: Micah 6 When you think that your life is going nowhere and it seems as if your prayers are not getting through it is good to take a moment and ask, “What does G...

Micah 5 – The Ruler of Nations will come! By Pastor Lee Hemen November 6, 2016 In the early 1930’s financially strapped Germany was ripe for a charismatic and forceful ruler who seemed to know all the answers and understand the nation’s problems. This is how Hitler and his Brown Shirt movement rose to power; that and he used force, corruption and racism. Some think that America could be ready for such an ungodly ruler if we keep heading in the wrong direction socially, morally, and financially. Most people want leaders who will lead with integrity, devotion, and wisdom. Israel had not had very many leaders with these qualities. There is truth to the saying, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It is part of a quotation by the historian and moralist Lord Acton (1834–1902). His actual quote was: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” Of course this is not always the case and Micah’s words tell us of someone who would ...