Illuminate Community Church

Last Sunday we covered the first two verses in Romans chapter twelve. Paul exhorted us in this way…   "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the wil...

In Romans chapter 12 there is a noticeable shift in the letter from Paul. He moves from doctrine to application. This is the part where you ask yourself, "What difference does knowing God make in my life?" Paul helps… I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1-2 P...

Our text this week is about the nation of Israel. There is no doubt they are a unique group of people. They have been around a long time despite many efforts aimed at their destruction. Many ancient nations have come and gone yet Israel has stood the test of time. They are second to none in the history of battle.   Think about this - they can trace their lineage back thousands of years to one man,...

Romans 10   There is a recurring argument that Paul confronts in the book of Romans and it goes like this…If the nation of Israel, with all of its tremendous spiritual privileges has not followed God’s plan of redemption through Jesus but still clings to a works oriented view of salvation - does that mean God has failed? Afterall, God chose Israel to be his people and yet they have turned their ba...

In this very special service, Dr. Peter Williams from The University of Cambridge joins us to speak about the trustworthiness of the Gospels. Dr. Williams is an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity in the University of Cambridge, Chair of the International Greek New Testament Project and a member of the Translation Oversight Committee of the English Standard Version of the Bible. He assi...

Happy 8th Birthday Illuminate! Wow, how time goes by! What began as a dream eight years ago has become a movement of God’s people who call Illuminate their home. We couldn’t have imagined all that God would do, but we are not surprised because we believe God is big and he wants to do much more than we could ask or think...   Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or...

In this message, we will be reading from Romans chapter nine. It’s a stark contrast to the end of chapter eight where Paul ends on a high note. He gives a mountain top experience but when you arrive at the summit and look ahead you see storm clouds approaching. After turning the page, you find distress in what Paul writes next. Consider the change in tone... For I am sure that neither death nor li...

In 1660 John Bunyon, the Puritan preacher and author was in deep depression until he began meditating on the words of our text this Sunday. He read this from Romans chapter 8, “If God is for us, who is against us?”    The more he reflected on these words the more the clouds departed. All we have to do is look around us and see what’s happening in the world and it’s easy to become downhearted. Or w...

Have you noticed that Christmas has become the world’s largest secular holiday? Sadly, the story of Jesus’ birth goes unnoticed and yet the story itself is remarkable. It’s like someone who lives in Arizona and yet never visits the Grand Canyon thinking, “It will always be just a few hours away and when I get time, I’ll make it there.” There’s this incredible place of natural beauty and yet never...

Advent - Peace Luke 2:14   You may not speak Hebrew but you know the word shalom. The peace symbol is one of the most recognized in the world. Worldwide recognition is given every year to those who are considered great peacemakers. Meanwhile the 20th century has seen more bloodshed in war than all previous centuries combined. Currently there are two major ongoing conflicts. In reality; peace on ea...

Christian joy is not dependent upon circumstances, it is dependent upon a person. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy th...

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16   The Danish philosopher and theologian Soren Kierkegaard reflected on the reason for the incarnation and said this…   Imagine a prince desiring to get married. Each day his gold carriage traveled through the marketplace on its way to the castle. One day his eye...

This Sunday we start our Advent series in preparation for the most significant event in human history - the birth of Jesus. The word advent means “arrival” and beginning in the fourth century AD Christians have been preparing their hearts, minds and homes with the hope of Christmas. We use the word hope several different ways. We might say, “I hope next summer won’t be as hot as the last one!” The...

Romans 8:18-27   Friends, the Scritpures are honest in describing an inescapable reality: there is pain in human existence.   For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18   Paul is honest in describing a life modeled after Jesus and guided by the Spirit includes suffering. He would know. This is his testimo...

Romans 8:1-17 Last week we heard some brutally honest words from the apostle Paul. He reveals his own personal struggles in Romans chapter 7…   For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. vs.24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Ro...

This is a very poignant description of somebody who cares deeply about people, the Word of God, and what God wants for him. This is the person who desires to obey God’s laws, but is disappointed with himself, because in spite of what he desires he is pulled and pushed away from what he wants to do into the very thing he hates. It is the personal conflict of a soul in turmoil. The struggle is real....

Last week we heard from the apostle Paul as he explained the effects of God’s grace in our lives. Some erroneously believed that because God forgives, they can just go on wilfully sinning. In fact, some made the argument that if we sin more, then God has to give us more grace and when God gives grace that just makes him look better. So we should sin more, therefore revealing God to be good. Paul a...

The message this Sunday is for all those who feel trapped in destructive habits. It is for those who have been living in a cycle of sin, confess, sin, confess, over and over again. It is for those who feel stuck and wonder if thier Christian life will ever move forward. It is also for those who ask, "What did Jesus ever do for me?" The apostle Paul has been writing about the grace of God in Romans...

Sunday’s passage in Romans is widely accepted as one of great significance and also one of the most challenging. Our task is to make it simple but not to simplify it.    Sin came into the world through one man, says Paul. That man is Adam. Paul believed Adam was a real human (and so did Jesus.) Paul reaches back to the Garden of Eden when God said to the man, “Just one restriction, don’t eat the f...

Romans chapter five contains the famous passage commonly referred to as “the chain of salvation.” Imagine Paul linking together five amazing blessings that come into your life as a result of trusting in Jesus. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, a...

"That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,” Romans 4:16 What exactly is the faith of Abraham? Paul explains… In hope he believed against hope, (that’s another way of describing a seemingly impossible situatio...

There is one central theme to Romans chapter 4 and it is this: Salvation comes by faith and not works. This is a timely message for today because there are millions of people practicing some form of religion or self actualization that teaches one must earn his or her way to enlightenment or heaven. Most believe if your good outweighs your bad then God smiles on you and the gates of heaven will be...

We’ve got something special for you church family!   This Sunday we will be stepping out of our study in Romans and bringing you something very important. For the last several months we have been planning a refocus of our priorities and purpose as a church. Our mission was made clear by Jesus when he said this in Matthew 28:19-20… "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in...

This is a rich sentence my friends... For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Romans 3:22-24 All are sinners. You might be familiar with the scene of ancient archers drawing back their bo...

There’s a YouTuber who crashes fashion shows by dressing up unknown elderly people in the most ridiculous costumes. The funny part is that he is able to convince everyone in charge that he is a real designer and that these geriatrics are real fashion models. Sometimes he actually gets them on the runways. The crowd can be seen applauding, taking pictures, asking for interviews and writing reviews....