Illuminate Community Church

Abram sells out his wife…   Have you ever been confronted with a threat that causes you to go into preservation mode? Abram has entered Egypt but he has a unique challenge. He realizes that the beauty of his wife will appeal to the Egyptians and they will kill him to get her. He starts the conversation with his bride something like this…”You know Sarai, you are stunning. You are more beautiful tha...

A couple of weeks ago I talked about the meaning of the word genesis. As you can see, it contains the word gene. Essentially these mean the same thing. So there’s no surprise when the first three verses of chapter 12 give us a major piece of DNA code unlocking the entire Bible.   Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show...

“Science and technology have replaced natural selection in the process of evolution. Thereby bringing the greatest revolution in the history of humanity. History began when humans invented gods and history will end when humans become gods.” - Dr. Yuval Noah Harari Transhumanism is a socio-political movement amongst intellectuals who believe that the next great leap in the advancement of humanity w...

Last week we saw God's man Noah step off the boat with his family. This post flood world was different in many ways. The heart of man however would remain the same. Therefore, in God’s goodness he brought forth a series of commands that were meant to restrain what comes natural to us all; including revenge. When I was a student at ASU, one of my professors read these verses from Leviticus 24:19-21...

Last week we were reminded that the flood is not primarily about Noah, a big boat, deep water or even judgment. The narrative is about what it takes to be saved. When God gave Noah the ark’s blueprints he specifically said to place a door on the side. This door would be the means through which salvation came. Can you hear the sound of that massive wooden structure closing, just as the final animal...

Many are at least somewhat familiar with Noah. We can thank Russell Crow, Emma Watson and director Darren Aronofsky for bringing their version to the big screen in 2014. (Although not very accurate.) Most would remember there was a large boat and judgment along with a flood. But none of these things are the point of the narrative. This account is about how men and women are saved. Jesus compared h...

Last week we looked into the lives of two brothers who lived long ago. Their names are Cain and Abel. Their relationship was cut short because one killed the other. Family dysfunction within the first family to walk the earth. Cain doesn’t show remorse and has no interest in doing the right thing or in doing what God desires. God gives him the opportunity to make things right but he doesn’t take i...

This Sunday we come to Genesis chapter 4. It contains a story of family dysfunction involving worship, pride and murder. This is the first killing of one human by another. It doesn’t take long to see more results of the fall. At the brith of Cain there was pain but there was also joy and wonder at what Adam and Eve created together. There is work and there is worship and there are little boys runn...

As you probably already know, nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. Satan loves to take what is sacred and turn it into something disastrous. He was present with the first married couple and that’s where his diabolic attacks began. His game however can be undone.  Marriage is a journey. In order to be successful on the journey we need God’s wisdom. Remember, marriage was an early creation a...

There they are. Adam and Eve are crouching behind a tree, attempting to hide from God while wearing a scratchy fig leaf. They look ridiculous. The whole scene is sad. What went wrong? Satan came with a one-two temptation punch for Eve (and us today). 1. Doubt God’s goodness. 2. Doubt sin’s badness. Adam’s eyes were wide open the whole time when he and Eve responded to Satan’s offer of “take and ea...

And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 Originally, God created all things perfectly and he did not intend for any of his creatures to die, suffer, be in poverty, go hungry, get sick, or be in any kind of danger. G...

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 So what does it mean that man is...

Last week we gave an overview of the book of Genesis and we said that it is much more than a narrative about creation. It is, as the title specifies, about beginnings. Most importantly, the beginning of God’s relationship with man. This Sunday we’re going to take a deeper dive into the opening lines. We’ll see the carefully crafted narrative starts with God’s introduction of himself. And what an a...

If you asked me for one writing that appeals to all people including the scientist, engineer, philosopher, teacher, laborer, housewife and child; I would have to say it’s the book of Genesis. It answers the three basic questions everyone is asking.  Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? And if there was ever a time our world needed to bring clarity of purpose, meaning and directi...

2021 is almost in the record books and 2022 is right around the corner. What will this upcoming year bring for you? Joy, sorrow, pain, pleasure and sometimes all in the same day. Many of us will make a new start. We’ll put forth the effort to change things in our lives..at least that’s our intention. However, some things never change like our desire to be in meaningful relationships. It’s the desi...

We really need Christ in our Christmas this year. Don’t you agree? Silent Night and Peace On Earth sound pretty good too. How about some Joy To The World? Seems to be a lot of shouting right now but it’s not the sound of joy. Lines are drawn. Hostilities, dissension, anger, violence are at the top of our social media feeds and on every news broadcast…every single day. We need the hope of Jesus who...

Merry Christmas Illuminate Family!!! Don’t forget to share the Christmas Eve invite with your friends and family. Let’s pray that many will hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.  What gifts will you enjoy this year? Can I remind you of the gift already given to you from Jesus? I love the stories of people receiving what Jesus offers. One of my favorites is the woman at the well. Jesus said...

Last night I went over to my in-law’s house to watch the Christmas movie, Elf. This is a tradition in our family that signals the Christmas season is officially upon us! One of the things I love most about this time of year is holiday traditions. One of the longest-running traditions in my home growing up was reading the story of Jesus’ birth in the Bible before opening gifts. When reading from th...

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18 Jesus’ birth brought more to the world than you can imagine. The author of Hebrews tells u...

For many, tomorrow will be a special day of eating and football. Personally, I plan to be at the youth Turkey Bowl. The arm strength is gone, but the mind strength is…kinda still there? Anyway, Advent is upon us. The word “advent” means arrival so this is why Christians celebrate the first coming of Jesus and what it means for us today. In Jesus' time not everyone agreed as to who he was but there...

Are you ready for Thanksgiving next week?! I will exercise an additional 15 minutes and the sweat pants are already laid out! Perhaps above all else, we should take time to thank God for our salvation. Peter gives us a starting point… Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of...

I am so thankful for the unity we have as a church family.  Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Many tables will be fully reunited this year and yet there’s a good chance that you might be facing some family drama. There remains at least a few things in the world that continue to divide. This is supposed to be the occasion when we look forward to family time but what if things are a bit dysfun...

Our church family has many reasons to show our gratitude for what God has done. We celebrated our largest outreach event at Treat Street, we’ve added over 200 people in small groups, over 100 Sunday and midweek volunteers joined the team, and beginning Saturday, the opportunity to serve our city through Serve Week . Oh yeah, and we have a permanent church home through your generosity!  It’s been a...

This Sunday marks an important day in the life of Illuminate. That little commitment card you received over the last two Sundays represents the work of God in our hearts. We are anticipating great things from the Illuminate family as we prayerfully consider what we will offer above and beyond our regular giving. The Bigger, Smaller, Deeper vision will be yet another, “Only God!” moment for us. As...

By now you’ve probably heard me say several times, "Illuminate’s desire is to be a gift to our city,” and “We want to make disciples and take as many people to heaven with us as possible!” This Saturday night we are praying for our biggest outreach event yet at Treat Street. Only God can make this happen. Likewise, our Bigger, Smaller, Deeper future vision is God-sized. To make this happen we need...