Growing and Witnessing

There is no excuse for a Christian to not be generous after we have received the amazing and glorious grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, yet became poor so that we might become rich in his grace. For our congregation to be a biblical congregations, we must respond to God's call for us to be generous beyond measure. It's the only natural and acceptable response to God's grace in our lives...

The Fourth characteristic of a biblical church is dedicated to service. Hearts and acts of service are part of the DNA of a Christian. Jesus taught his disciples on multiple occasions that they were to be servants of one another and of those in the world around them. In doing so, they were following the model he set before them in his life, death, and resurrection. The same is true for us. We must...

The third characteristic that Chester ARP most possess to be a biblically faithful congregation is maintaining a commitment to being Bible-centered in everything. We must make the word of God central to every aspect of our congregational and individual lives. This is why we teach and live the Bible in every ministry we have at our church. The rationale for this commitment is found through out the...

For Chester ARP to be a biblically faithful congregation, we must be committed to worshipping God properly. We believe that is done according the principles he has given us in his word. Specifically, we focus on the three ordinary means of God's grace through which He communicates the benefits of our redemption to us. They are: the reading and preaching of the God's Word, prayer, and the Sacrament...

The first message in our series on the nine characteristics of a biblically faithful Chester ARP identifies our congregation as a congregation that is full of Christians. We are all here because we have trusted Christ with our lives and seek to live a life of devotion to him. Join us as we think about the way in which the biblical faith shows up in our lives.

Anxiety, in some form or another, is a regular companion for most people in America. Everywhere we look we find reason to worry and be concerned about the world around us, our families, and ourselves. Jesus specifically told us not to worry about our lives. Rather, we are to live in faith, trusting God to provide for our every need. It's hard. May this message help us regain our faith in him.

Sarah held onto a sliver of faith and God was pleased to give her the desire of her heart. He is faithful!

When we think about prayer, we don't often think about investing our earthly lives and resources in the kingdom of God so as to build treasure in heaven. However, Jesus connects the the two in his teaching in Matthew 6. We must pray for the grace and strength of God to resist the temptation to store up for ourselves treasures on this earth. Join us as we work through this connection.

The Lord Jesus taught his disciples a proper prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. We commonly know this prayer as the Lord's Prayer, but it is much more than that. It is a prayer that teaches us the proper way to pray and informs us of the everything for which we ought to pray. Its a great model prayer and will have tremendous impact in our lives if we learn to pray prayers like in spirit and truth not just...

In his gospel, Luke emphasizes the importance of the women who surrounded the life and ministry of Jesus. it's a wonderful perspective from which to view the gospel story. Form the very beginning with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna to the very end with the women at the tomb, Luke tells us that Jesus elevates women and brings liberation to them in the same way he brings it to the men. This was a radical...

In the first message of our prayer Emphasis Month sermon series, we discuss Jesus's teaching in Matthew 6:1-18 and how it relates to our prayer lives. Specifically, we think about the primary relationship of prayer. the practice of our righteousness in prayer, and the proper motivation for our prayers. We'd love for you to join us!

Why do we make it a habit of worshipping Jesus each week? Because he's worth it and because we want to be like him in every way. Luke tells us that it was his custom to publicly worship each week on the Sabbath day. He also tells us that Jesus specifically claimed to be the Messiah of God's people, the one sent by God to save the world. He's worth all of our praise and must be worshipped as he rea...

Christmas is a celebration of God's visit to earth that brought redemption to his people. It is also a challenge to us to be full of mercy for other people in the same way God is full of mercy for us all. The story of the nativity demonstrates the marvelous mercy of God and calls us to be merciful in the same way. In fact, Jesus says that his followers must be merciful by definition (Matt. 5:7). I...

What is Christmas? Zechariah answers that question in three ways in his prophecy at the birth of his son, John the Baptist. 1. Christmas is a celebration of God's visit to his people who walked in great darkness. 2. Christmas is a celebration of the establishment of God's eternal kingdom. 3. Christmas is a celebration of our privilege to be holy and righteous like our Heavenly Father.

"Those who walk in darkness have seen a great light." is one of the great prophecies of the Old Testament as it points us to the great Light of the World, Emmanuel. Light shines in the midst of darkness and brings clarity to the confusion of our lives. Join us as we think through the implications of God's light in today's world.

We are commanded to be thankful throughout the Bible. This is because our natural tendency in our sin nature is to be ungrateful and entitled. However, we are dependent upon God for everything. As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, let us respond to God's command to give thanks and remember that for which we have to be most thankful.

One of life's biggest questions is, "Why do the rich and unrighteous people continue to prosper while the righteous suffer hardship?" Psalm 73 takes us through one man's journey to find the answer to this question. Join us as we discover his shocking conclusion -- the answer doesn't really matter.

The Lord Jesus Christ has dominion over all things. At the appointed time, he will have physical dominion over all the earth and eternity. Until then, he exercises his authority and dominion through the ministry of his Spirit in the lives of men and women. Join us as we study Psalm 72 an think through the applications of this great truth.

How do you live your Christian life as you age? Faithfully unto the Lord. You maintain your faith. You continue to praise his name. You testify to the end. You give God thanks for all the ways he has provided for you in his grace throughout your life.

Do you ever ask God to remember his promises to you and his people as David did in Psalm 70. Interestingly, he plead with God to remember his promises to him personally and the nation of Israel not because God needed a reminder but because he needed the affirmation that God would indeed be faithful to fulfill his words. This is the affirmation we all need regularly.

Do you ever feel like you are suffering under the burden of an attack from those who oppose God? Have you ever thought of your struggle to maintain your faith in Christ as a fight for all that holy and virtuous? If so, then you and David are kindred spirits. He suffered unjustly and fought to maintain his faith in the God who saves. Are you willing to fight for your faith?

Psalm 68 takes us on a journey from David leading the procession of the Ark of God's Covenant up the Mountain in Jerusalem to the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. The message is the same in each of those scenes -- worship the ascended the Lord with joy and use the gifts he bestows on his people for his glory and the good of others. Join us as we walk through the Old and New Testaments on our wa...

Why does God bless his people? So that they will be a blessing to other people. What is the purpose for this blessing? So that the glory of God would be known around the world. How do we know this is true? Look to the harvest of the fields. God is as faithful to us as he is to bring an exponential harvest from a single kernel of grain.

Do you ever question whether or not you are actually forgiven, or if you can be forgiven? Do you going to find stability in your life? Jospeh's epic story is a great one to help you find the answers to these questions and the longings of our heart.