BRAVE Church

This week we discussed what God calls a man to be and to do. So many men in our culture are confused and have a difficult time understanding what they need to be doing. Regardless of vocation, a man is designed by God to serve God. As we have studied the life of Moses we have seen how he was God's chosen instrument by design and what the Lord was requiring of him. Through a study of his life we le...

This week we covered quite a bit of ground from Exodus 21:1-23:9. We learned and discovered God's love and justice in His Law. These chapters cover Case Law for the nation of Israel. In other words, God demonstrates how to apply His law using different scenarios that may occur within His covenant community. Although Christ is the fulfillment of the law and these laws do not specifically apply to u...

This week as a church we ended our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. It was such a joy to know that so many different people had participated in a variety of ways. Seeking the Lord is such a blessing, but as we know, for every spiritual high there can be an equal spiritual low. The more you desire to see the face of the Lord the more opposition, resistance and temptation you will experience. For thes...

This week we studied the Ten Commands and the uniqueness of God's holiness in relationship to that of sinful man. We learned that the law is good and useful for us in our lives if we understand the purpose of the law. God uses the law to define His holiness, our sinfulness and a need for forgiveness. In the Old Testament the sacrificial system was established so that blood could be shed to cover s...

This week we discussed the holiness of God and why it is so important that we know His character if we are going to approach Him. In Exodus 19 we see the nation of Israel being introduced to the God who performed all the amazing works and wonders to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians. Here at Mt. Sinai, Moses is summoned to the top of the mountain to receive instructions for how this meet...

This week we discussed how we can strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ and how we can become a leader of leaders. Once a person is saved there is a strong desire to serve the Lord, but often we don't feel like we are doing a good enough job. Books, leadership conferences, podcasts attempt to help us gain the confidence we need but often leave us feeling inept and believing that we are jus...

This week we kicked off the 2023 calendar year with a message from Mark 9 about Jesus' healing of a young possessed boy. As Jesus returns from the mountain with Peter, James and John he sees a crowd of people arguing with His other 9 disciples. When he questions what is taking place, a father brings his son to Jesus and explains that he came for help but that Jesus' disciples were inept. Jesus is...

Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub

This week we talked about expectations that we can have when we lead for the Lord. In any venue being a spiritual leader comes with responsibilities and expectations. Often, we think we can do better than the people who are leading us until we receive that same mantle of responsibility. We then learn that leading is far more comprehensive and that the ways we are leading actually cause some proble...

This week we studied the beginning of Israel's journey with God through the wilderness. Following an amazing spiritual victory on the banks of the Red Sea, Israel celebrated with praise to the Lord lead by the men. However, it only took three days until Israel was frustrated again with the fact that they were thirsty and there was nothing to drink. They grumbled against Moses for being a poor lead...

This week we studied the Victory Song that Moses and the Sons of Israel sang after God crushed Pharoah and his men. Once the battle was complete, the men sang praise to God for delivering them from their enemies. Understanding what took place in chapter 15 is essential for us to understand why God asks us to praise Him and why praise should be so natural. Everyone was created in the image of God a...

This week we discussed how we can trust God in our trials. Jesus told us that in this world we would have tribulation. It's a promise that when we walk with the Lord there are going to be challenges that we did not expect. How we respond to these challenges will make a huge difference in our walk with the Lord and the impact we will have on other people. In Exodus 14 we learn of five musts for tru...

This week we discussed the need to pass the spiritual baton to the next generation. Our salvation is very important to the Lord, but He wants to use us to build up our children and their children so that they can go further than we ever dreamed. God created the family and wants parents to model and champion His values so that the next generation will live for Christ. Even those who have no childre...

This week we discussed how we can truly be set free in Christ and no longer remain a slave to our sin. In the book of Exodus, God sent the first 9 plagues to punish Egypt for their disobedience to Him. After the Pharoah and Egypt refused to repent God sent the tenth plague which was the death of the first-born in every home. In order to protect Israel God prescribed the blood of a lamb to be appli...

Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub

This week we discussed how long-term obedience in the same direction transforms our lives. In chapter 11 of the book of Exodus we read about a different Moses than when he was called by God. He went from a wishy-washy, nominal follower of God to becoming a passionate, bold representative of the Lord. This was not an accident because when a man or a woman decides to give Jesus Christ their all, He...

This week we discussed the courage it takes to respond to the Gospel and the courage it takes to share it with others. Throughout the Old and New Testament God calls His people to not only live the Gospel but to share it. Jesus Christ is Lord and wants us to bow our knee to Him in submission and serve Him only. This study of Exodus shows us how we can share with the unrepentant and how we can make...

This week we addressed two consistent themes that pervade the Scriptures: The glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom. God wants to make Himself known throughout the whole world and chooses to use His servants to advance kingdom. Even as we pray The Lord's Prayer, we initially discuss the holiness and glory of God followed by asking for His kingdom to come. In the book of Exodus, we see ho...

There is nothing quite so painful and disappointing as unmet expectations. Some of life's greatest challenges arise in areas of our lives when we are expecting something that does not materialize. This can happen on a micro-scale when somebody does not show up on time for a meeting or on a macro-scale when we are overlooked for a position that is handed to someone less qualified. Throughout our li...

When someone is trying to get our attention, we can respond in a myriad of different ways. We can choose to ignore the call, we can have them leave a message, or we can immediately answer and engage. When God calls us for His purposes, He desires that we immediately respond and continue to journey with him by faith. God is the one who does the work, but faith is what is required of us. If we have...

This week we discussed how when God sees a problem and has a solution, he goes looking for that man in order to make him a worshipper. Often when we consider the notion of worship our thoughts wander to liturgy and style rather than to the person of Jesus Christ. Worship is when a person gives their full allegiance in all areas of their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants us to seek Him firs...

This week we discussed God's sovereign orchestration for every single person's life. We learned in the Word of God that every human being is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139) and that we are God's masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). He has set the times and locations for us to live (Acts 17) and desires to use our lives for His glory. As believers in Christ, we often ask the question, "What is...

Difficulties occur all the time in the Christian life because we live in a sinful and broken world that is hostile to the Lord. When these trying circumstances occur, we sometimes understand that this is a normal part of the Christian life. The challenges mount when these situations escalate and no matter how hard we pray, worship or read our Bibles our situation goes from bad to worse. During sea...

Speaker: Larry Stockstill

This week we finished the book of Hebrews by addressing five diagnostic questions for every believer. As the author of Hebrews finishes his exhortation to his audience, he urges them to continue with faith in Jesus Christ. Instead of simply spelling out the exhortations, this week Pastor Jeff formed five questions for every believer to ask of themselves. These questions should be questions that ev...