Messages of the Orchard Church

It is quite common for people to make resolutions at the first of a year. Losing weight, fixing finances, getting organized, and spending more time with loved ones are at the top of many lists. A physical trainer might suggest better exercise, and a nutritionist might suggest changing your diet from high-fat, high-sugar items to foods that had better health benefits. And, of course, a pastor might...

Have you ever stepped back from the Christmas Story and wondered why God chose to connect with us in the form of a small baby, and as Jesus grew and ministered, to eventually overcome the power of sin … all in the fragile form of a human? He could have done it dozens of different ways, some of which would have been quick, spectacular and miraculous - he could have commanded or imposed it upon us....

Have you ever wondered why the three wise men are included with most manger scenes, even though they visited Jesus and his parents more than a year after his birth. Well, I don't really know the answer, but I have noticed that there is something that ties each element of a manger together, and that thing is God's provision.

Have you really considered what it means for God to be close to you? That's the main thing that we celebrate at Christmas: God being around us. So, that got me to thinking. If God is around me and you - like all the time - then that should start to have some influence on us. His presence is the greatest of presents.

The benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven do not start when we die ... the benefits of eternity begin whenever Jesus becomes our Lord.

Bad news seems to be on every news channel we find. It is exhausting. But there is good news that does not simply make us laugh in the midst of all the bad news ... it lifts us out of the bad news. It changes our life journey.

We all are feeling the emotional drain of the pandemic to some degree - for some it is severe. An Easter Scene on the Road to Emmaus is a helpful reminder of how we can support one another to find hope.

Patience is one of the core strengths that comes from God. Sometimes we need to be patient with a difficult person, and sometimes we need to be patient through a difficult time. Patience helps us to get things "right" rather than merely "right now".

Whenever we have times of difficulty, whether with an individual or to a society as a whole, we wonder if God is angry. We wonder if his wrath coming upon us. God's wrath is a reality, and Paul's letter to the Romans helps us to properly understand it.

The parable of the Good Samaritan could be viewed in a lot of ways, but at the heart of the message is a contrast between a person who was prepared to love, and others who were ill-prepared. Religion should not prepare you to be religious, but it should prepare you to love.

Whenever there is a widespread crisis, people feel that their lives are out of their control. This is understandable. In such a crisis, Christians bear the tangible message of the God who is ultimately in control, who loves lost people, and who compassionately ministers to them. Compassion can't be seen if Christians lock ourselves in our houses.

It is common for us to look at the appearance, history, or facts of a person, and then construct a whole biography. In doing so, we might show preference to one person over another. But the people of the Kingdom of God are all new creations - our past and appearance do not define our value, but rather the beautiful spirit that now dwells in us. Judgment looks at a person's history ... mercy forget...

In our worldly condition, we punish our enemies with retaliation, attacks, condemnation, gossip, shunning, relational fractures, and more as we seek to have them submit. But, something changes after Jesus encounters us with mercy. We become equipped to love our enemies with mercy ... mercy wells up with compassion for the one who falters, continues to engage in the relationship, and withholds puni...

This message is from Brother Yuri Vazari and is based from his personal journey of becoming a follower of Christ.

This is a time the Orchard family comes together and discusses the status of the church and a time of family discussion.

Over the last 80-90 years, a number of church theologians and pastors have been using the Latin term "Missio Dei" (the Mission of God, or the Sending of God) as a phrase to help frame and answer an important question: "Is mission an activity of the church, or is the church an activity of mission?"

This message shows how the Israelites forgot the command God gave them, and they started following the worldly traditions and worshiped a Golden Calf. This message shows how we must completely change to follow God's commands.

This message details how the Israelite's were battling against the Amalek. God gave Israel the strength to win the battle while Moses was holding up his staff. This message details how we are to also fight our battles of spiritual warfare.

We are nearing the end of Exodus. Early Exodus shows how God will make a dwelling among His people, in His tabernacle. At the end, we see how God is with His people wherever they go. This is holiness. But what does that mean?

God commands us to honor the Sabbath Day. What does that mean? What is the Sabbath? This message details what the Sabbath is and the purpose for the Sabbath.

Today's message details the talents, skills, and gifts God gives us. We follow the details in Exodus 31, the story of Bezalel and Ohliab . This message will detail the if we already have the gifts God has given us, why God gives us these abilities, and how do we receive the abilities from God.

This message details how God calls us to change. We need to recognize that we are sinful and we need to change. This message shows how we are to have the motivation for change, recognize we are sick and need our Lord and Savior to save us, we need to show our gratitude and obedience to God, and be compelled to do these things because of love.

This message will show how the Israelites built a Tabernacle to worship God. This message will detail the Tabernacle and the functions and purpose of the Tabernacle and how we can apply this to today.

What are the top 10 commandments that God has for us? This message details the 10 commandments from Exodus and what Jesus' spiritual intent of the 10 commandments are.

Do we complain to God? This message goes through the story of Exodus where the Israelites were complaining and God provided.