Jesus' Final Days - Lenten Series 2020

Lent is a time when the church seeks to pause and reflect upon Jesus’ journey to the Cross. Starting Sunday, March 1^st, FPC will take a break from the Genesis series and will spend the next seven Sundays looking at Jesus’ final week on earth. The events of this week, referred to as the Passion Week, are recorded in the Gospels and still have an impact on our world today.

What did these historical events mean to those in that day and age and how are we to view and relate to those conditions today? We will walk chronologically through different Gospel narratives beginning with “Palm Sunday” and concluding with “Easter Sunday.” As we pause and reflect upon Jesus’ journey to the Cross, we hope that you walk away encouraged, informed, thankful, and more in the image of Christ.

                                                                                   Pastor Jason

03/01/2020               Who Is This?                Matthew 21:1-11   

03/08/2020               Mark Sandwich             Mark 11: 12-21      

Finding Christ in The Old Testament

01/05/2020      Introduction

01/12/2020      God Creates                                  Genesis 1:1-2:3

01/19/2020      Paradise Lost                                 Genesis 2:4- 3:24

01/26/2020     Cain and Abel                                 Genesis 4 

02/02/2020      Noah and the Flood                        Genesis 6-9      

02/09/2020      Tower of Babel                               Genesis 11:1-9

02/16/2020      The Call of Abraham                       Genesis 11:27-12:9

02/23/2020      God's Covenant with Abraham         Genesis 17:1-27 

Midnight Clear - Advent Series 2019

“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” is one of the most beloved Christmas hymns ever composed. It was written by pastor Edmund Sears in 1849 who found himself deeply saddened by the sin and the strife that the world was facing. He felt as though people couldn’t even see the joy of Christmas and the fulfilment of the scriptures because they were so blinded by all of the ugliness of humanity. Sadly, as much as things change, they oftentimes seem very much the same. We still find ourselves looking at the world around us asking ourselves, “Does anyone get it? Do I even get it? Do I fully understand what is happening or what we are celebrating this Advent season?”

This year we are using the theme “Midnight Clear” to guide us throughout our Advent preparation. There is a sense in which the world in silent stillness lays, waiting for the promised Messiah – and yet in the midst of that, the darkness seems to still cover the land. We are trapped somewhere between the darkness of humanity and the joy that comes in the morning. I hope you will join us as we venture through the long dark night into the joyous celebration of the birth of our Savior. As we journey throughout the Old Testament, the Prophets, and the Gospels we will hear the story of how Jesus saves us from the dark night of our soul. Midnight Clear is a perfect way to look at our Advent time together – that even in the midnight hour, when the light is all but faded, we can still see clearly the hope that we have in the birth of Jesus Christ. Join us each Sunday as we look at a different aspect of Midnight Clear. If you can’t please join us on our Facebook Live feed or catch up online. However you chose to be involved, we pray you have a blessed Christmas, filled with the hope and the joy of Christ.

Blessings,
Pastor Matt





12/1/2019            The Lord is Our Shepherd          Psalm 23

12/8/2019            Light of the World                     Isaiah 2:2-7; John 8:12

12/22/2019          Live As Children of the Light      Ephesians 5:1-2; 8-14

November 2019

    11/03/2019      Out of the Depths                   Psalm 130

     11/10/2019      To Dwell With the Lord            Psalm 15 

    11/17/2019      Will God Save You?                 Psalm 

    11/24/2019      Whom Shall I Fear?                Psalm 27

Building to Last

10/13/2019        Build Up by Tearing Down                   Deuteronomy 12:1-12

10/20/2019        Count the Cost                                   Luke 14: 25-35

10/27/2019        Build As the World Tears Down      Leviticus 27:30; Luke 12:34

Discipleship Series

In our new sermon series we will be exploring the book of I Timothy and lo oking at it through the lens of “Discipleship.” The word “disciple” may conjure up many ideas in your mind: some good and some not so good. However, a disciple is simply someone who sits under another person for the sole purpose of learning and imitating his life. In I Timothy we learn about a young man named Timothy who sat under Paul’s teaching and as he learned to pastor the church in Ephesus. As we go through the text for the next six weeks we’ll look at how we might become more faithful followers of Christ as we sit under his teaching. My main goal throughout our time together is to encourage us to read scripture, learn to understand scripture and then begin to live that scripture out in our lives. As we involve ourselves in that process of DISCIPLESHIP, our thoughts, words, and actions will begin to more closely reflect the Savior that we follow. I hope you will join us in this exciting journey over the next six weeks.

Pastor Matt

08/25/2019       The Need for Discipleship                     1 Timothy 1:1-2

09/01/2019       The Disciple's Prayer                             1 Timothy 2:1-7

09/08/2019       The Importance of Church                    1 Timothy 3:14-16

09/18/2019       Discipleship Training                             1 Timothy 4

09/22/2019       The Church Family                               1 Timothy 5:1-16

09/29/2019       Slavery and Discipleship                       1 Timothy 6:1-12

Heritage Series

 Do people ever ask you, “Just what does your church believe as Presbyterians?” Let’s be honest, maybe you even ask yourself that same question. Few are the people these days that come to a church because of a certain theology. Most times we attend a church based on certain ministries they offer. Maybe the location or service times attract us. Maybe you wind up at a church because someone invited you and you loved it, but you are a little unsure what it is that this church believes.

Presbyterians have a very long history, one that dates back to the Reformation in the 16^th century. Our particular church has a long history as well, being chartered in 1890. And with such a long history it’s important for us, at different times, to look back and make sure that we understand who we are and why we believe what we believe. In this preaching series we will be looking at many of the things that make us distinct. The easiest way to describe us might be to say that we are a Reformed…Evangelical…Presbyterian Church. Each of those is a distinct marker for us. Our goal over the next few months will be to help us as a church understand our heritage – who we are and what it is that we believe. We will look at many of the great doctrines of the Reformed Faith as well as the practices that make us distinctly Presbyterian.

We hope you will join us for this journey and that you will be encouraged in your faith even as you grow deeper in your understanding of God’s great work in our church. If you miss a sermon you can find it on our Facebook page and on the “Sermons” page of this website.

Blessings,

Matt Mitchell

Pastor

01/27/2019         Evangelical, Reformed & Presbyterian

02/03/2019         Sola Scriptura                                       2 Timothy 3:12-17

02/10/2019         Sola Fide                                              Galatians 2: 15-21

02/17/2019         Sola Gratia                                          Ephesians 2:1-10

02/24/2019         Sola Christus                                       Colossians 1:15-23

04/28/2019         Biblical Elders                                      1 Timothy 3:1-7

05/12/2019        Communion                                          Matthew 26:17-30

05/19/2019        Deacons                                               1 Timothy 3: 8-13

05/26/2019        Baptisms                                            Genesis 17:1-14

06/02/2019        God - Jason Mendoza                           Genesis 1

06/09/2019        The Essentials- Jesus                           Matthew 26      

06/23/2019        The Essentials: Salvation                      Romans 10:5-13

06/30/2019        The Essentials - The Church                  1 Corinthians 1

07/07/2019        The Essentials - Jesus' Return              Mark 13:26-37

07/21/2019        TULIP - Total Depravity                       John 3:1-21

07/28/2019        TULIP - Unconditional Election             Ephesians 1:1-14

08/04/2019        TULIP - Limited Antonement                John 17:1-26

08/11/2019        TULIP - Irresistible Grace                    John 6:35-44

08/18/2019        TULIP - Perseverance of the Saints     Phillippians 1:1-11

The "I AM" Series

03/10/2019         I Am the True Vine                             John 15: 1-5

03/17/2019         The Way, the Truth, and the Life         John 14: 1-6

03/24/2019         I Am: The Light of the World             John 8:12-20

03/31/2019         I Am: The Gate                                John 10: 1-10

04/07/2019         I Am: The Good Shepherd                John 10: 11-21

04/14/2019         I Am: The Bread of Life                    John 6:25-40

Welcome, Jason Mendoza!

We at FPC, are proud to welcome our new  Director of Family Ministries, Jason Mendoza,  to our church family.  This sermon is his first in this position with us, and we could not be more blessed to hear his faith in action.  

01/20/2019               Becoming The Family of God           Acts 2:42-47

January 19, 2019

01/13/2019        Here I Am - Send Someone Else     Exodus 3

Advent 2018

   Our theme for Advent this year is, “Hope Is On The Way.” For thousands of years the people of God had waited for a Messiah. They anxiously waited for the promised one to come so that they could finally proclaim that their Savior was here. And then it happened, on a cold night some 2000 years ago, in a manger fit for only the livestock, Jesus was born. And the sad reality was that most people missed it. They had waited so long, and when the Messiah finally came they were too blind to see. This Advent season we will be reminded once again that Hope came in the person of Jesus Christ. We will look at the unexpected way in which he came and what we need to do to prepare for his coming. Ultimately we will proclaim with all the angels that Hope Has Arrived in the person of Jesus Christ! I hope you will join us for this journey and that your heart will “prepare Him room” as Heaven and nature sing, all proclaiming that “Hope Is On The Way!”

                                                                                                   

12/02/2018    Managing Un-Expectations       Matthew 24:36-44

12/09/2018    We Work While We Wait           Matthew 3:1-12

12/16/2018     Hope Is In The King                 Matthew 11: 2-11

1/06/2019       What Gift Did God Bring?        John 1: 1-18

November 2018

11/11/2018      God-Centered Leadership        2 Timothy 1:1-7

11/18/2018      God-Centered Bravery            2 Timothy 1:8-18

11/25/2018      God-Centered Endurance        2 Timothy 2:1-13

Stewardship Series 2018

10/07/18      Growing in Generosity, Part 1              Malachi 3:1-10

10/14/18     Growing in Generosity: 
                      A Healthy Outlook to Giving             2 Corinthians 8:1-12

10/21/2018  Growing in Generosity, Part 3
                      Obstacles to Generosity 

10/28/2018  Growing in Generosity, Part 4            
                         Keys to Generosity 

September 30, 2018

09/30/2018     "If My People....."            2 Chronicles 7:14

September 23, 2018

09/23/2018         Daring Discipleship                          Matthew 10:1-10

The "Why?" Series 2018

06/03/2018   What if I Don't Have the Fruit of the Spirit?       Galatians 5:16-25

06/17/2018   The Difficult Parts of the Bible                           Matthew 5:17-20

06/24/2018   The Problem with Prayer 

07/01/2018   God and Country                                       1 Chronicles 7:13-22  

07/15/2018   The Fear of God                                         Psalm 34

07/22/2018   Heaven is Real                                          Revelation 21

Mark Series

We spend a lot of time in the church talking about what the church is meant to be or how we’re supposed to act as Christians. And we spend lots of time and money buying books answering those questions. But sometimes we fail to do the easiest thing in the world…go to the source!  This year we are going to be going through the Gospel of Mark verse by verse looking at the source, Jesus. We’ll look at his life, his ministry, his friends, his death, his resurrection – all of it. Every week we will ask the question “So what?” What does this mean for me as a disciple of Jesus or as one who wants to follow him more. So I hope you’ll join us on this long journey through the Gospel of Mark as we seek learn more and more about who Christ by watching him first hand.


03/05/2017     Introduction to Mark                            Mark 1:1-8

03/12/2017     The Baptism and Temptation of Christ   Mark 1:9-13 

03/19/2017     Building a Team                                  Mark 1:14-20

03/26/2017     A Day in the Life of Jesus                     Mark 1:21-34

04/02/2017     The Kingdom of God Marches On          Mark 1:35-45

04/09/2017     Jesus "The God Who Forgives Sin"        Mark 2:1-12

04/16/2017     Jesus: Friend of Sinners                       Mark 2:13-17

04/23/2017     Jesus Makes All Things New                 Mark 2:18-22

04/30/2017    Our Rules, God's Plan                           Mark 2:23-27

05/14/2017    The Purpose of Religion                        Mark 3:1-6

05/21/2017    It's Hard To Do The Right Thing            Mark 3:7-21

05/28/2017    The Unpardonable Sin                          Mark 3:22-30

06/04/2017    The Family of God                                Mark 3:31-35

06/18/2017    Do We Have Ears to Hear?                    Mark 4:1-20

07/02/2017    Parables and the Kingdom of God          Mark 4:21-34

07/09/2017    The One Who Calms the Storm             Mark 4:35-41

07/16/2017     Jesus the Deliverer                             Mark 5:1-20

07/23/2017     Jesus and the Desperate                     Mark 5:21-43

07/30/2017    Jesus: A Prophet Without Honor           Mark 6:1-6

08/06/2017   Advancing the Kingdom of God              Mark 6:7-12

08/13/2017   John the Baptist: Legacy                       Mark 6:14-29
                     (A Sad End to a Great Life)  

08/20/2017   Jesus Feeds the 5000                           Mark 6:30-44 

08/27/2017  Jesus: The One Who Walks on Water      Mark 6:45-56   

09/03/2017  Jesus vs. Legalism                                Mark 7:1-23 

09/10/2017  A Desperate Faith                                 Mark 7:24-30

09/17/2017  Do You Still Not Understand?                 Mark 8:1-21

09/24/2017  Peter's Confession of Christ                   Mark 8:22-9:1

11/12/2017  The Transfiguration                               Mark 9:2-13

11/26/2017  Obstacles to Greatness                         Mark 9: 30-50

01/07/2018  Jesus, The Bible, and Divorce                Mark 10:1-12

01/14/2018  Let the Children Come to Me                 Mark 10:13-16

03/04/2018  Turning the Tables                                Mark 11:15-19

03/11/2018  The Issue of Authority                          Mark 11:27-33

03/25/2018  Palm Sunday                                       Mark 11:12-25

04/08/2018  We Killed Him                                      Mark 12:1-12

04/15/2018  Should Christians Obey the Government? Mark 12:13-17

04/22/2018  What Happens When I Die?                   Mark 12:18-27

04/29/2018  The Greatest Commandment                 Mark 12:28-34

05/06/2018  Seeing is Believing                               Mark 12:35-44

05/13/2018  What About the End Times? Pt. 1          Mark 13:1-23

05/20/2018  What About the End Times? Pt. 2          Mark 13: 24-37

05/27/2018  Extravagant Love                                Mark 14:1-11

08/05/2018  The First Supper                                 Mark 14: 12-25

08/12/2018  The King Who Suffers Alone                 Mark 14:26-52

08/19/2018  When Hope Seemed Lost                     Mark 14:53-72

08/26/2018  The Trial Continues                              Mark 15:1-20

09/09/2018  The Death of a King                             Mark 15:21-47

09/16/2018  The Glorious Resurrection                    Mark 16:1-8

Easter Sunday 2018

04/01/2018    Jesus Is King!       Matthew 28:1-10

Advent Series 2017: Longing

I remember as a child thinking that Christmas could never get here fast enough. Thanksgiving was merely a place holder telling me that it was time to start counting the days until Christmas. There was so much longing. Each day I would tear off the paper loop on the countdown chain and I would open the little doors on the Advent calendar with one thought… “How soon can Christmas get here?” Sadly, as an adult those days have passed. Now it seems that it’s coming so fast and I’m filled with thoughts like, “I can’t wait for the madness of Christmas to be over.” Sad isn’t it? What once was a serious longing has now become something to simply get through. This year I want us to go back to our longing – to a time when we anxiously awaited Christmas Day. And not just for the presents, but for what we actually celebrate – the day when Christ stepped into humanity and fulfilled God’s promise to redeem his people. Over the next 4 weeks we will spend time looking at this idea of “Longing” in scripture and we’ll look at it through the eyes of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph and finally You and Me. We’ll look at our Longing through the lens of the Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love; and when we’re done we will hopefully be reminded of that childlike faith that waits with anticipation for the gift of Jesus’ birth on Christmas day. I hope you’ll join us each week as we prepare our hearts for the Lord to do an amazing work in all of us.

Blessings,

Matt

12/3/2017     Longing: Hope                       Isaiah 9:1-7 

12/17/2017   Longing: Joy                          Luke 2:8-15

12/24/2017   Longing: Love  

12/31/2017   Another Year in the Vineyard   Luke 13:6-9     

Stewardship Series

10/01/2017      Generous                                     Romans 5:6-8

10/29/2017      Generous: Keys to Generosity