First Assembly of God Freehold

12/27/20 | With December 25th behind us, now what? Even though many of us are eager to embrace a new year, Pastor Todd shares the perfect “post-Christmas” story about a man named Simeon, an example for us in Luke 2 about what it means to wait well. Pastor Todd encourages us through looking at Simeon’s example that in order to wait well, we must: 1) Be Active 2) Widen Your View 3) Let Your Heart Be...

12/20/20 |  Join us for Christmas services! It won’t be the same without you and yours, so find a time to attend together!

Pastor Matt quizzes Pastor Jamal & Pastor Todd on some more Christmas Trivia, and then we talk about the Sunday Sermon in more depth. While the sermon emphasized God's holiness and Mankind's sinfulness, we also highlight scriptures that talk about how we are to be holy as a result of what Christ has done for us. We also talk about how even though God's presence is always with us through the Ho...

12/13/20 | Gifts bring us closer to one another. A gift is a sign of love and respect, a symbol of intimacy and connection. This weekend, come experience the gift that will lift your spirits, strengthen your relationships, and bring you closer to your Creator.

Quiz time! Pastor Matt asks Pastor Jamal, Pastor Todd, and Missionary Tara Matthews some questions about the original Christmas Story. We then talk about aspects of the Christmas story that have stood out to us over the years, and then discuss more of the Sunday sermon: myrrh, Jesus' sacrifice, and how he continues to function as our Savior.

12/06/20 | A good gift has value. We cherish what we’ve been given when we know it comes at a high price or a steep cost. But the most valuable gift of all is already paid for—and it was bought for you. Week 1, Pastor Jeff shows how the gift of myrrh represents Jesus as the Suffering Servant, and ultimately, our Savior.

How can someone understand the gospel, yet not be "fluent" in it? Pastor Matt, Pastor Jamal, Pastor Todd & Missionary Tara Matthews discuss this concept in greater detail. We talk about ways that we can unintentionally distort the gospel in our own lives, and having the right perspective when it comes to placing our hope in Jesus versus things in this world.

11/29/2020 | This year, many of us have found clarity when it comes to our how we manage our time and relationships. The most essential point of clarity, however, must be about the gospel. Pastor Jamal talks about how as Christians, we must gain Gospel Clarity so that we can be great at Gospel Fluency; being able to speak the gospel in any and every situation. It's one thing to understand it, but...

Pastor Matt, Pastor Jamal, Pastor Todd, & Missionary Tara Matthews discuss Pastor Jeff's message "Beyond Thanksgiving." Pastor Matt starts off with a History of Thanksgiving Quiz, and then we move the discussion into thankfulness and the Sunday message. We talk about the difference between praise & thanksgiving, and the difference between a "formula" and a "principle," with Pastor Jamal di...

11/22/20 | It’s one thing to say what you’re thankful for; it’s another to answer why you’re thankful for it. Reading from Psalm 100, Pastor Jeff distinguishes between thanksgiving and praise, noting that “Thanksgiving gets our foot in the door, but praise takes us higher and further into God’s presence.” This Thanksgiving, let’s go beyond thanksgiving.

Pastor Matt, Pastor Jamal, Pastor Todd & Missionary Tara Matthews talk about their own personal devotional lives, as Pastor Jeff gave a window into his devotional life for the Sunday message. We talk about how seasons of life affect it, as well as some other tools that we use to enhance our devotions. We also talk about Pastor Jeff's sermon, specifically discussing the part of Acts 27 when the...

11/15/20 | How do you stay calm, confident & courageous during a storm? Pastor Jeff gives a window into what his personal devotional life looks like; how he approaches the scriptures and pulls out spiritual truths for what we face today. Looking at Acts 27, Pastor Jeff reminds us to: Remember God's presence (Acts 27:23) Remember God's purpose (Acts 27:24) Remember God's promises (Acts 27:25) R...

Pastor Matt, Pastor Jamal, and Missionary Tara Matthews try to describe 2020 in one word. We talk about managing vs. solving tension, how Christians are more affected by society than the other way around, and allowing the gospel to pierce through and change us.

11/08/2020 | It's tough to describe what 2020 has been like in just one word: unprecedented, hellacious, even apocalyptic. Considering the state of tension our nation is in right now, Pastor Jeff looks at what the Hebrews writer says about Moses in Hebrews 11:24-27. Moses' life is an example for us to live by in what can feel like a wilderness type of experience. Moses resolved these tensions earl...

Knowing that we are in a tense political climate with Election Day approaching and even a possible waiting period, Pastor Matt, Pastor Jamal, and Missionary Tara Matthews read and discuss key scriptures that talk about Christians, the government, and what our response must be. Scriptures we read: -1 Timothy 2:1-4 -Romans 13:1-7, 14 -1 Peter 2:12-17 We then move the discussion to talk about Greg Hu...

11/01/2020 | Evangelist Greg Hubbard was with us for our Spiritual Emphasis Weekend. For our Sunday morning service, he shared from Ephesians 2:19-22, focusing on where the scripture says that Christ is our cornerstone. Expanding further on the text, Greg shows us that: 1) Jesus is our Cornerstone 2) Jesus is our Keystone 3) Jesus is our Capstone

Pastor Matt, Pastor Jamal, Pastor Todd & Missionary Tara Matthews have some fun nerding out about bible translations, and then move the discussion to the value of having others in your walk with God. We share of times when people have helped us to grow in faith, and about how true Christianity involves a community of faith, not simply an individualistic one.

10/25/2020 | How do we take our relationship with God from the shallows into a deeper place? In Week 4, Pastor Jeff talks about how there are some things that we shouldn't do alone, and our faith is one of them. We > Me. If you want to go deeper, your faith needs a friend. Reading from Hebrews 10:22-24, Pastor Jeff shares three factors that are better as "we" instead of just "me": 1) We draw ne...

Pastor Matt, Pastor Jamal, Pastor Todd & Missionary Tara Matthews talk about the types of experiences we collect as Christians and how to keep them in the appropriate perspective. We also talk about stepping out and growing in our expressions of worship, and being obedient to God when he calls us to do something.

10/18/2020 | How do we take our relationship with God from the shallows into a deeper place? In Week 3, Pastor Matt talks about how going deeper in our faith involves doing something. Just like our physical diet consists of calories in and calories out, our spiritual diet must consist of both calories in and calories out. Reading from Philippians 2:12-16, Pastor Matt challenges us to "Work out wha...

Pastor Matt & Pastor Jamal talk about what Pastor Jeff called, "signs of spiritual infancy" in greater depth. We talk about how & why we can fall prey to being unchanged in a church atmosphere, as well as being unchanged by God's Word. We talk about the mission and purpose of the church, how to know when you're ready to teach someone else, and each of us share something that recently God h...

10/11/2020 | How do we take our relationship with God from the shallows into a deeper place? In Week 2, Pastor Jeff challenges us from Hebrews 5:11-14, where the writer talks about what Pastor Jeff refers to as "symptoms of spiritual infancy": 1) Slow to learn / dull to hear (v. 11) 2) Ought to be teachers instead of being taught (v. 12) 3) Milk over meat (v. 12) 4) Unskilled in the Word (v. 13) P...

Pastor Matt, Pastor Jamal & Pastor Todd talk about "going deeper" in our walk with God. We define what is meant by "deeper", we talk about our need for and dependency on God, and we talk about navigating the tension of trusting in God and his provision when it seems like He isn't providing for us in the tangible ways that we may need.

10/04/2020 | How do we take our relationship with God from the shallows into a deeper place? In this first week, we look at Jesus' personal encounter with Peter in Luke 5:1-11. We see that:  1) Jesus is never too busy to meet with just you, 2) When Jesus meets us, it is to take us from shallow faith to deeper faith, 3) Jesus turns what we are concerned about into what He is concerned about.

Pastor Matt, Pastor Jamal & Pastor Todd talk about the "Better Together" September teaching series. We talk about the dangers of being in isolation, how relationships can take work, humility in community, and knowing that we're working towards unity instead of being self-focused and keeping others from God.