Arlington United Pentecostal Church

A queen and two prisoners, separated in circumstance by half a millennium and half a continent, each find themselves perfectly positioned for a miracle-- they have an impossible circumstance, a God who doesn't acknowledge impossibility as real, and a faith in that God that shakes the foundations of politics and prisons.  Through their deliverance, everyone around them was changed.  What is God pre...

Have you noticed the rising sense of instability that characterizes our culture today? Don't fear, friend-- God's Word not only foretold the uncertainty of our time, but offers a strong encouragement to those of us who will look to the Rock that is Christ.  He is a firm and sure foundation, on Whom we can always depend, no matter our circumstance!

Some people just seem to have it all together-- while the rest of us realize that if we ever did get it all together, we'd likely forget where we put it!  Our text today reveals a couple who were doing everything they knew to do in life, but had a challenge that only God could fix.  Good news-- Jesus' coming is not just for those with perfect stories.  Christmas is for the rest of us, too.  He is...

Have you ever considered that you were created for more?  In our continued consideration of the story from Luke 17.11-19, Pastor Ellingsworth encourages us to move from the healing power that Jesus offers to stop sin and sickness, on to the fullness of wholeness that He calls us to, in righteousness, obedience, and gratitude.  That's the path that's open to all who are willing to identify with the...

Augustus. Herod. Jesus. Three kings whose stories collided two millenia ago.  Two wore crowns of metal; one would wear a crown of thorns. Two would be lauded and fawned over during their lives, but death would come to them because of the curse of sin. One would be mocked and railed on during His life, but would come to death to overthrow the curse of sin. Oh, what a King we serve--this matchless L...

In the kingdom of man, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  But in the kingdom of God, things that sound too good to be true--mercy, grace, healing, and reconciliation-- are actually too good to be untrue, because they flow directly from the Author of goodness Himself, our gracious King.  Living in light of that reality, with gratitude, transforms the tone of our existence, and bring...

Have you ever wanted to be a better 'pray-er?'  There's no secret formula for getting God to do what we want all the time--that would be sorcery, not sanctification.  But the Bible does reveal an approach to God that ensures that we are petitioning for His best to come into our world, to transform all things small and great.  In this episode, we unpack the story of Elijah (and the commentary on it...

What if gratitude wasn't just enshrined in a holiday, but made its way into our everyday?  What if thanksgiving became thanksliving?  Paul stated unequivocally that it's the will of God for every Christian to be thankful in every situation.  That places gratitude outside the realm of circumstance, and into the reality of providence; it moves our thanksgiving from the tyranny of our scarcity to the...

In this inspiring conclusion to our four-sermon series on the the Kingdom of God, Dr. Jackson explores three illustrations that Jesus uses to challenge our system of value.  When we see life through the lens of God's riches that are made available to us through identification with the new covenant in Christ, it all begins to add up.

A farmer plants seeds and falls to sleep, weary but hopeful.  A mustard seed is planted, barely visible to the naked eye, but destined for greatness.  A lady hides a pinch of yeast in measures of dough, and presto!  Everything rises.  Don't you see the pattern?  Our efforts, small and feeble in our estimation, come to fruition in Christ with a weight of glory.  His kingdom is rising-- don't you wa...

Jesus came to inaugurate the kingdom of God on earth, and was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to allow you and me to be citizens of that kingdom.  His teachings of the kingdom of heaven, not surprisingly, point us to a stark reality-- no sacrifice that we make to become and remain a joint-heir in that new reality is too great.  When we receive Communion together, we are acknowledging the pr...

In this final segment of our expository exploration of the book of James, the apostle brings his practical wisdom to bear on truth-telling, worship, overcoming spiritual challenges, dealing with physical illness, and helping others to be restored.  Listen and be changed for the better!

Why are we so fascinated with royalty?  Could it be that we find behind the hereditary and the heraldry shadows of something more real, and more important, than human kingdoms?  In this inspiring message, Dr. Jackson unpacks how Jesus' ministry brought the kingship of God into reality into the everyday life of all humanity, and allows us, through obeying His gospel, to become citizens of that king...

Jesus prophesied that in our era, people's hearts would fail them-- because of fear.  In this timely message, Dr. Jackson unpacks the ways in which fear robs us of the abundant way of living, and reduces us to an existence God never intended.  The good news?  Another prophecy of the last days tells us that the infilling of God's Spirit can empower us to live with a new heart-- one dedicated to exa...

In this challenging section of the letter of James, the apostle warns us against 9 presumptions which are spiritually dangerous, because they are sins against God's sovereignty.  You'll be convicted as James, the faithful pastor, gets down to where we live and brings the royal law of love to bear.

There's great news for you, friend-- God has a family, and He wants you to be part of it!  When we are baptized into Christ, we take on the family name that all of heaven and earth are named after-- the only salvific name, the name of Jesus!  Listen as Pastor Jackson shares an inspiring message about how baptism joins us to God and to each other in an inseparable bond of identity and unity.

It's a logical, but devastating progression:  personal pride, a lack of humility, internal conflict, expressed in external discord.  Sound familiar?  James' text speaks across two millennia directly into our contemporary situation, and offers the only solution:  humility before God, which leads to right relationship with Him and consequently with each other.

In this poignant reflection on the life of Moses--a flawed hero, but a hero nonetheless--Pastor Doug Ellingsworth challenges us to hear the voice of God calling us out of disappointment and discouragement, and to rise to receive fresh vision of God's purpose in our lives.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed at the sheer number and volume of the voices of those who claim to be 'experts' in life?  Newsflash--not everyone is qualified to give you the kind of wisdom that you need to succeed according to God's criteria.  James gives us a way of sorting through the teaching--and the teachers--in this insightful passage of his letter.

Anticipation-- it's exhilaration sprinkled with a bit of exasperation, isn't it?  Waiting can be a challenge, especially when we know the moment we're looking forward to holds such promise.  Here's another miracle of the gospel-- the perfection and glory we are anticipating with the return of Christ can begin in us today, if we will turn to Jesus in faith and obedience!

James challenges us as Christians to lead for the right reasons, and to have the entirety of our lives ruled by the Spirit of God, particularly our speech.  What does your tongue accomplish-- damage at a distance, or giving life to those who hear it?  Once again, James insists that personal piety must be reflected in righteous relationships.

It's not just a 3-day weekend-- God modeled rest and refreshing for us from the very first Sabbath, and led Isaiah to prophesy that His Spirit would be that kind of rest for us.  Fast forward to the incarnation, and we hear Jesus offer an unconditional invitation-- those of us who are weary can find rest in Him.  What are you waiting for?

Faith vs. Works?  In this expository exploration of the second chapter of James, Dr. Jackson explains how that's a false dichotomy, introduced by a five-century-old pretext.  The true, Biblical doctrine is that when we have faith, we will be faithful-- belief will result in obedience, and justification will be demonstrated by sanctification.

It began in Eden, and ends in a new Jerusalem-- the project of God transforming the world through those who are willing to partner with Him.  The first Adam failed to cooperate fully, but the Last Adam succeeded spectacularly, opening a portal for a whole new type of humanity.  As new creatures in Christ, we are little tabernacles-- temples of the Holy Spirit-- who are meant to bring Kingdom value...

In this challenging segment of the text, James makes it plain:  as new creatures in Christ, there is no such thing as personal piety that does not result in righteous relationships.  The new values of living in covenant with God are necessarily and supernaturally expressed in how we see and value people, in new behaviors.  Listen and be encouraged to bring those Kingdom values to bear in your worl...