New Life Church - Fort Smith

Abraham is known for one major quality:  faith.  His faith was counted unto him as righteousness.  But Abraham was not without tests of faith.  Learn how he handled tests in life and how his faith persevered. Sermon Review Notes:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Llvcmq9Dnmeur0EaXHgc8YTlQ2KaZj3q/view?ts=640f5c65

In our world today, millions of people suffer from anxiety or depression.  And if we're being honest, we may put on a front on the outside, but our souls can sometimes be fragile.  The Bible is no stranger to the dark night of the soul.  Today, we address indicators of a fragile soul and how the Bible leads us to a more secure soul in Christ.

In a world consumed with instant gratification, we are called, as followers of Christ, to be generous.  God gives us a divine ability to wait and handle the things He has given us in a way that honors and glorifies Him, ultimately affecting not only our lives but those who are around us.     Sermon Review Notes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W3ygIX1iQw5qy8JGlakGn_3p1mgVrlgF/...

As humans, there is no coasting or neutral zone - we are all being formed in one direction or the other. And if everything you do in your life is forming you, the question should be “What am I being formed into?” Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This means we need to change the way we think. We must see this life differently th...

The world has a lot of advice on relationships. Culture tells us many things about what we should do in regard to our relationships that directly oppose Scripture. Anything resembling holiness is going to feel legalistic in a culture that permits everything. God has a design for the family that’s better than anything the world has to offer. God created the family, and as the Creator, He designed h...

We've all come across people in our lives that we've found hard to love.  For whatever reason, whether they have done things to hurt you or made decisions you didn't approve of, these relationships happen.  Jesus shows us consistently how He would approach people deemed unlovable, especially with Zacchaeus.  This story reminds us of the beautiful reality that God loves people even w...

The longer you live, the more you understand that life isn’t all about money, hobbies, pleasures, etc.  As good as those things can sometimes be, we learn more and more that life is more about the people in our lives. And sometimes, relationships are broken.  No greater biblical example of this than Jacob and Esau.  Through their story, we learn WHAT leads to broken relationships an...

Having strong roots of faith in our lives help us navigate the weighty things in life and help us not get blown away.  Better roots must be planted, nurtured, and connected.   Sermon Review Notes:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OS03um91b9ZGENP1Ki0-Lo2d0P2dQF03/view?usp=share_link

Bitter roots lead to bitter fruit. Many of us have experienced pain, betrayal, and disappointment which often lead to a negative response, such as anger that results in bitterness. This “poison fruit” can end up destroying our lives, which is why the Bible is so clear about avoiding bitterness, tossing it aside, getting rid of it, and walking in forgiveness. Ultimately, bitterness will affect the...

God expects His followers to be fruitful with their lives, to advance His Kingdom on Earth.  However, we often look on the outside of our lives to assess our fruitfulness rather than the root of it.  Thankfully, God is full of grace and continues to invite us into more relationship with Him and how to become more fruitful.     Find sermon review life group notes here: &nbs...

Have you ever had the thought that there is more to life than what you care currently experiencing?  Even with fame and fortune and experiences, we can be left wondering if this is all life has to offer.  Jesus teaches us not only what matters most in the life but also how we store it up.

Throughout all of the stories we read in the book of Acts, the underlying power behind all of them is the Holy Spirit.  From the front page until the last of the book, we see the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the early church.

We all face times of trials and difficult situations.  Leaders respond in a godly not react in the moment.  Paul facing a nasty storm and subsequent shipwreck demonstrates to us just how to lead in hard times.

In our world today, we can become easily discouraged.  Whether it's from comparison, situations, or fatigue, we will be presented with chances allow ourselves to be discouraged.  Barnabas found himself with plenty of reasons to be discouraged, but the "son of encouragement" did just the opposite.

Everyone goes through adversity in life.  Sometimes it comes in the form of relational adversity.  Other times it comes as vocational or maybe physical adversity.  When faced with adversity, we must control how we respond.  Paul and Silas were faced with major adversity in Acts 16. See how their response can inform us how to respond in hard times.

The Bible gives examples of great success as well as great failure.  We see this clearly in Acts 4-5 within the early church.  We see stories of unity, grace, God's power at work and radical generosity.  We also see great calamity within the church around Ananias and Sapphira.  Keeping our lives centered on Jesus and not ourselves ensures we don't get off track.

While preaching, Jesus sees that people need to eat.  The only food available is five loaves of bread and two fish.  Jesus blesses it and gives it to the disciples to distribute.  At the end of feeding 5,000 men plus women and children, twelve baskets of food are left.  Jesus does impossible things in impossible circumstances.

We've all made mistakes in life.  Because of our past mistakes and shortcomings, we can easily disqualify ourselves from being around God.  If anyone was too far gone to be used by God, it was Saul.  Yet God saved him and called him to something great for the kingdom of God.

Everyone faces criticism.  It comes through different channels and different people, but we have and will all face it critics in our lives, especially the follower of Jesus.  The question becomes "how do I biblically handle criticism?"

In our last weekend of our Vision series, we look at how our love towards others shows the love of the Father.  

We believe in the next generation.  Not only do we believe in seeing students becoming fully devoted followers of Christ but also that they contribute to the Kingdom of God moving forward today.  Today, we had the opportunity to hear from students and leaders about how they see this generation and the difference they can make.

Too often in life and even in our relationship with God, we want to take control and direction of our lives.  We place our faith in God then begin deciding for ourselves the best course of action.  We miss one the biggest blessings, that is the Holy Spirit's guidance of our lives.  Join us as we break down what that looks like on a practical day-to-day level.

In our relationship with God, we are either moving closer or farther away.  In times when we are moving away from Him, we no longer have a firm foundation allowing us to be more vulnerable in our lives.  However, fully devoted followers of Christ don't settle for prolonged times of distance from God but practice certain habits to stay close.

To accomplish everything God has for our church, not only do we need to be a family but also an army.  Paul tells us in Ephesians that we don't war against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers.  We do our part by being a church that faithfully makes disciples.

How is your vision? Is it blurry or do you see clearly the way of Jesus and which direction you should go? What about your vision for your family and for your church?    Pastor Brandon talked this week about us having a picture for our future and how to begin to see our life from God’sviewpoint. We were also challenged to settle what needs to be settled for personal vision, as well...