"And the Crowd Goes Wild!" - a Message from Acts 19:21-41

Hello Friends!

How is the church suppose to react to the dialog about moral issues when the world bases its arguments primarily on emotion, not facts?

I love Acts 19.  Paul spends two years in Ephesus ministering in one of the most pagan cities of his day.  The Gospel is being heard. People's lives are changing, and this sets the scene for a riot rooted in greed, lies, and defensiveness.  How was Paul and his teammates suppose to effectively dialog when the majority have no intellectual integrity, reverting to name calling, emotionalism, and lies.

I don't want to give it all away, but this message may be one of the most relevant I've preached in the recent few weeks. I hope you will hear the connection between Paul's context and our experience, today. If you like this, please share it with others.  And let me know what you think.

May God bless you and his church as we stand for Truth in our world of chaos and confusion.  - Kirk McCormick

 “The Crowd Goes Wild”

** I want to speak with you today about Ochlocracy…

…you may know it better as Mob Rule.

Point: The problem with the Mob is that it is usually empowered by emotion, not fact…

…to the point that many in the mob do not even know why they are there.

…such was the situation in Ephesus…

Acts 19:32b - “Most of the people did not even know why they were there.”

General Tactics of Satan to Confuse… 

1. Deceive

Revelation 12:9 - “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil

"Powerful Signs" - A Message from Acts 19:8-20

Hello Friends,

It's nice to share this message with you today as I believe that God has more of himself and his kingdom to give than we often receive.

In Acts 19, God has directed Paul to Ephesus, one of the most "sophisticated" cities of Biblical times.  There were many who dabbled in one form of spirituality or another. There was a thriving Jewish synagogue, too. But God had plans to bless those who would listen and respond to the Gospel.

In order to get their attention, though, God ratcheted up his witness through Paul by increasing His power.  You will hear how God does this and the results...but they are wonderful.

My wish and prayer for the church, today, is that we would believe God for this kind of transformative power. Especially in the mainline denominations, we have lots of "power loss" because we do not believe.

So may God bless you as you respond to Holy Spirit's moving in your heart.  He is able to do so much more than we ask!  God bless, Kirk McCormick

 “Powerful Signs”

Acts 19:8-20

2 Premises about God’s Power:

Premise 1 - Power is a means to the end called evangelism = Sharing the Gospel of Jesus.

Premise 2 - Power is given in proportion to the task at hand.

Acts 1:8 - “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the

"The Mystery of God's Will" - A Message from John 21

Hello all!

A question we all have from time to time is, "Is this God's will for me?"  Sometimes the "this" has to do with a job, sometimes a relationship, sometimes the purchasing of a new car.  Thankfully, God has revealed much of his will to us in the Bible. But what about that which we must deduce?

In this message from John 20, I share three insights into the Mystery of God's Will.  I know it will be helpful to you as Holy Spirit guides your heart into his Word.  Let me know what you think...and may God bless you as you discover and experience his perfect will for your life.

Peace, Kirk McCormick

The Mystery of God’s Will

A Message from John 21

Scene 1 - John 21:4-24

Insight 1 - The Mystery of God’s Will is revealed in my daily endeavors.

John 21:6 - “Jesus said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will

Hello Friends!

I'm back with a word about Doubt.

Following the Resurrection, the disciples were greeted by Jesus for the first time that first Easter Sunday evening...all of the disciples but Thomas, who was absent.  When the others told Thomas that they had seen the Lord, he doubted. In fact, he did not believe them.  Thus, the legend of "Doubting Thomas" began.

All of us have doubted from one degree to another.  And that doubt can either discourage us from seeking the Lord or encourage us to seek him more intently.  I define "doubt" like this:

Doubt is a crisis of Faith precipitated by a wavering belief that God is able or willing to fulfill his promises in our lives.

If you will listen to this message, I am confident that God will bless you.  And if you are blessed, I ask you one favor...tell your Christian friends for they will be blessed, too, with this common challenge in the life of every believer at one time or another.  Below is an outline, for your convenience.

Let me know what you think.  God bless, Kirk McCormick

 “A Bout with Doubt”

John 20:24-31

4 Concepts of “Doubt” in the New Testament

Concept/Word/Cause # 1 - Wavering

Matthew 14:31 - “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and

"Generous Beyond Measure" - Will you Grow? Series (Week 3 of 3) - 2 Corinthians 9:6-12)

Hello Friends,

This is it!...the last installment in this mini-series entitled, "Will you Grow?"  It is inspired by my desire to help the members of our church to grow beyond the infancy stages of faith so that we might live mature lives for Jesus Christ.

Without a doubt, the last aspect of life that is submitted to God, for most of us, is our checkbook.  Finances seem to have a control over the deepest parts of who we are.  Some preaches lay guilt trips to bully parishioners into tithing.  Yet, tithing is not God's goal for stewardship...it is a benchmark to show us where we are on the path.

God's hope for you and me is generosity...that we would emulate him in dealing with the needs of others.  God has richly blessed us beyond what we deserve or need, then we hoard God's "stuff" for that rainy day that we might need that 15th pair of shoes we have in our closets.

What if we were generous beyond measure?  What if we gave to help others meet their needs?  What if the material world didn't control us but we controlled it?

I hope you'll listen to the Lord as Holy Spirit speaks in this message.  By the way, we are starting an Endowment Legacy program at our church, which is part of the impetus for this message.

Be well!... be generous! - Kirk McCormick

Developing a Life of Generosity

Principle 1 - Generosity does not happen magically.

2 Corinthians 9:6 - “Remember this - a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a

"Doing is Believing" - Part 2 of our "Will You Grow" Series (Joshua 24:14-24)

Hello friends,

Here is the second installment in a three-part series entitled, "Will you Grow?"

Growth is a proactive, exciting adventure with Holy Spirit.  In this message I challenge the listener to choose to grow in service.  The mature believer lives not just for himself or herself, but to help others to be all that God wants them to be.

I hope you'll be blessed by this message as we echo Joshua's sentiments, "Choose this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

May God bless you as you respond to his guidance in his Word. - Kirk McCormick

“Doing is Believing”

Joshua 24:14-24

Bumper Sticker: If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you.

Observations about Growth and Choice

Observation 1 – Life is full of choices.

Joshua 24:15a - “If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose

New Fellowship Hall Moving Ahead

Hello friends,

We are excited that our new fellowship hall and office building is moving ahead. Take a look at the pictures of the new flooring just installed by Roy Wickersham.  They are beautiful!  More information to go.

Let's pray for a quick completion.  God bless, Kirk McCormick