Connections Church

Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Luke 6:43-49, titled “Hypocrisy.” What’s the solution to hypocrisy? How do we get our actions, words, and feeling all in sync? This Sunday we conclude our series on the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6:43-49. Jesus’ solution is to raise all our actions, words, and feelings to a higher level. What a challenge and joy to follow Jesus. Want to learn more a...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Luke 6:37-42, titled “Judging Others.” You’re not allowed to judge,” many will say as they defend their immoral actions. That’s what Jesus seems to say in Luke 6:37-42. But we’re also told by Jesus and in other parts of Scripture that we must judge immoral behavior. As we look at this passage, it will help us to...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Luke 6:27-36, titled “Love for Enemies.” Is there anyone you don’t like? Anyone you can’t stand to be with? In Luke 6:27-36 Jesus calls us to love these people, to do what’s best for them. We’ll also find out how to carry out this virtually impossible mandate. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Luke 6:17-26, titled “How Are You Really?” How are you really? Jesus answers that for us in his “sermon on the plain,” similar to his “sermon on the mount.” As we start this series, we see in Luke 6:20-26 that our true situation may be different that we’re going through right now. If we follow Jesus, we are bless...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Job 19:25-27, titled “My Redeemer Lives.” Is it OK to desire honor? To be well-thought-of in the community and respected by family, classmates, coworkers, and others? But there are times in our lives when we lose our honor: rejection by family or friends, failure in a school or work project, false rumors spread,...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Matthew 16:27, titled “Jesus’ Return to Judge.” A final court date has been set for all of us. Matthew 16:27 and other passages show that we all will stand before Jesus as judge. This is the third of our series on Jesus’ return to earth. We will see what the Bible says about that sobering final day of human histo...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Revelation 22:7-21, titled “When Will Jesus Come Again?” When is Jesus coming again? Christians celebrate Jesus’ first Advent (coming) as a baby. Christians also look forward to Jesus’ second Advent. We will go through a short series on the second coming of Jesus. We begin by looking at Revelation 22:20, reflecti...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Psalm 121, titled “Where Our Help Comes From.” What are your deepest fears about the future? As we reflect on this past year and we look ahead to the New Year, what - or who - do we ultimately rely on to take care of us? Psalm 121 points us the eternal Creator as our personal security. Visit our website: https://...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Matthew 1:1-17, titled “Jesus’ Roots.” Ashamed of someone in your family? In Jesus’ ancestry see a number of failures and scandals. In this passage we notice that God unashamedly uses all these ancestors to prepare for Jesus’ birth. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Luke 2:1-3, titled “Governments Prepare for Jesus’ Birth.” How do we know what events today will be in the history books later? How are government leaders used to bring in God’s kingdom? Lukde 2:1-3 illustrates how God uses governments to prepare for Jesus’ birth. And it shows what God’s people do in preparation...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor Paul Jorden joins us with a message from Galatians 4:4-7, titled “The Hopes and Fears of All the Years.” What does it mean that Christmas fulfills the hopes and fears of all the years? Paul’s letter to the Galatians offers a glimpse into how God’s perfect timing, remarkable plan, and profound purpose came together in the birth of His Son. Could this mom...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Micah 5:1-5a, titled “The Savior in Bethlehem.” Where do we look to find someone to make things better? We all live by the hope that someone somewhere will fix life for us. This Sunday we start an Advent series seeing how God prepared for the birth of his son. Micah 5:1-5a points to where we are to look. Visit ou...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Esther 8:3 – 10:3, titled “Let’s Celebrate!” How do we celebrate the holidays as Christians? We do enjoy the food, people, and festivities as others do. But we especially direct our joyful hearts and gratitude to God, the source of all our blessings. In these final chapters of Esther (8-10) we see how God’s peopl...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Esther 6:1 – 8:2, titled “Sweet Victory.” Do we trust God to make things right? Do we trust God’s timing? When events in life are the bleakest, God delights in suddenly turning it all around. We see how God does this in Esther 6:1 – 8:2. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Esther 4-5, titled “Willing to Be Used.” Ever wonder why God placed you where you are—in your family, school, career path, or community? Even if that place feels dark or difficult, Esther 4-5 (especially 4:15) reminds us of God’s call to be used by Him in any situation. Visit our website: https://myconnections.ch...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Esther 2:19 – 3:15, titled “Two World Views”. What is a worldview? How we look at reality and live it out affects the way we respond to God and how we treat others. In Esther 2:19 – 3:15 we will see very different worldviews and how they clash. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Esther 1:1 – 2:18, titled “A New Queen.” We may wonder at times if there are any true Christians in government. Are there Christians in leadership of educational institutions, the entertainment industry, or large corporations? As we begin going through Esther (1:1 - 2:18) we see that God does plant his people in...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Philippians 4:14-20, titled “Offerings.” Why do we give offerings and financial gifts at church and elsewhere? Why does God tell us to give financially? As we conclude our series in Philippians (4:14-20) we see the value of our giving. Not only are causes we give to helped. But we ourselves also receive a benefit...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Philippians 4:10-13, titled “Contentment.” How can a rich person be content? How can a poor person be content? We are told the secret to contentment in Philippians 4:10-13, no matter how great life is for us or how terrible life is for us. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Philippians 4:8-9, titled “Noble Thoughts.” How do we manage our thoughts so they are God-honoring? And how do we cultivate healthy thought patterns? The Bible has a lot to say about our thought life. This includes Philippians 4:8-9, which we will carefully review Sunday morning. Visit our website: https://myconn...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Philippians 4:4-7, titled “Rejoice in the Lord.” How can we rejoice when there is little to be happy about? Christians turn to the loving heavenly Father. In this passage we see that God does something better than take away our problems and heartaches. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor Rob Byker joins us with a message from Psalm 16, titled “Taking Christ as Your Portion and Your Cup.” Sometimes evangelists sharing Christ on the street will cry out, "Have you taken Christ as your personal Savior?" It's an unsettling question and a blunt approach. And yet, it is also a key question every heart must wrestle with. But there is second que...

Welcome to Connections Church Online! What are your goals in life? What are our goals as a church? And how do we achieve them? In this passage we see God revealing through Paul lofty goals, how to pursue them, and who they are focused on. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Philippians 3:1-11, titled “Losing, Gaining.” Have you ever bragged on how religious you are? Have you ever wanted to? In Philippians 3:1-11 we see how this kind of religion sucks out our joy. We’re reminded how Christ alone makes us good and gives us his joy. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Proverbs 6:6-11, titled “Call to Work.” Where does our work ethic come from? Christians derive their work ethic from the Bible. We will scan Scripture to see what God is telling us about our approach to work. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/