The Church Next Door - AZ

Is it really possible for you to know what God has said and to know for certain that He will keep His Word? As Luke begins his account about Jesus, he tells us, “Yes. Yes it is!” 09.28.14

When it’s done right, theology (the study of God) is life changing. You could sum this up as “Because God…I Will”. As we take a panoramic view of where we’ve been in Daniel 1-6, we’ll see what Daniel and his friends believed about God – and how it changed their lives. Along the way, we’ll also discover how God’s faithfulness today can…

The Bible teaches that we should live with a healthy fear of God. So what does a healthy fear of God look like? In this message, we’ll answer that question. We’ll also identify three ways that we sometimes get away from the fear of God Then we’ll close by wrestling with a crazy idea: Is it possible that having a healthy fear of God may…

God is sovereign. You are not. Join guest speaker Pastor Jon Wolfinger in a crazy true story where you’ll see how God drove this home to powerful King Nebuchadnezzar. We’ll also see how obeying the truth in this passage can keep us from learning the hard way today. 07/27/14

In this message, we’ll wrestle with some hard questions: How does mature faith act when it meets a trial? What kind of God do I believe in? Do I find my significance in my kingdom or His? What’s my primary reason for following God: Because I love Him or to get what I want from Him?  The example of 3 young men in the dark heart of Babylon will…

Our apologies for the mic cutting in and out. It happens occasionally throughout this message (especially near the beginning) but you will still be able to catch the majority of it. What comes to mind when you think of wisdom? A person alone on a mountain thinking deep thoughts? Sounds nice. But most of us need some wisdom in the rat race of…

Whether it’s a trial, temptation, or even God’s discipline, we often wrestle with our faith in the dark valleys of life. What we believe at those moments will determine whether or not we remain faithful to God. If we believe He has bailed on us, we will probably bail on Him. But if we believe that God remains our faithful Father, the…

In his song “After the Music Stops” Lecrae asks a poignant question: “After the show, after the set, after the music stops what’s next? Will there be fellowship, prayer, disciples, will you open your bibles after the music stops. After it’s over, after it ends, after the music stops, what then? Will you understand that Christ is King? Or will you just…

In this message we’ll journey with Paul from Fair Havens through the heart of a deadly storm to the safety of an island called Malta. Along the way we’ll see how God encouraged Paul and Paul encouraged those around him. Then we’ll explore how we too can shine God’s light on those who travel life’s road with us; whether we find ourselves…

Need some hope today? Ravi Zacharias said, “The absence of future hope has an amazing capacity to reach into the present and eat away at the structure of life, as termites would a giant foundation.” In other words, hope is kind of important! Check out this message and you’ll see that hope is confidence God will do what he has promised, real…

Ever feel confused? You’re not alone! In this message we’ll join Jesus and his confused disciples on a journey to Jerusalem. We’ll discover that Comfort, Comparing ourselves with others, and Craving Recognition can all leave us confused about Jesus. And along the way, as He teaches them, He will teach us as well: He will show us that there is clarity to be found –…

The answer to this question could forever change the way you look at your community and the world. 04/13/2014

God has laid down a framework for life in His Word: the Bible. There are 3 basic responses to this framework: 1. You can reframe it: change it to your liking or turn to a different story altogether. 2. You can obey it: line up your faith and obedience according to what God has said. Or 3. You can ignore it: drown…

Can you imagine your life without worry? How much could the Holy Spirit do in and through you if worry was not in the way? In this chapter, we see that Paul’s total trust in God enabled him to finish strong. Paul was not afraid to die. Jesus encouraged Paul when he needed it. And God used all the people and situations …

Have you trusted in Jesus? Do you still tap into the passion you had when you began your race? Or has your race become a legalistic list of do’s and don’ts?  In this chapter Paul tells the story of how Jesus met him and changed his whole life. And he shares it with an angry mob that just tried to kill him!…

Acts 20 begins the final decade of Paul’s life. The final lap. The home stretch. At the end he was able to say, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” So as we finish our own marathon in  the book of Acts, we’ll be asking the question: “What does it look like to…

It was Charlie Brown who said “I think there must be something wrong with me Linus. Christmas is coming but I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.” How many of us relate to him? We’re happy that Jesus came but overwhelmed by the weight of the war around us. Disease, death, broken relationships and financial hardship all sabotage our celebration.…

From stingy Scrooge to Get-Whatever-I Want-As Long-As- I’m-Nice Santa Claus, we carry around some warped perceptions of God. The Bible describes our generous God best in Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Check out this short message to learn more…

“It is better to give than to receive.” Do you know who said that? Jesus, the ultimate gift Himself. He said a lot of other things about giving as well. Check out this message to hear what He said about the Heart (God’s giving should lead to our own), the Smart (giving makes good investment sense), and the Start (giving really begins…

Jesus and His Gospel provide the the only ultimate answers to the deepest needs of our world. Unfortunately, there are times that the church tries so hard to blend in that we hide the very One the world needs. In an attempt to be relevant, we sometimes lose the actual relevance of the Gospel. Check out this message to see how God…

Pastor Paul Trout shares that when it comes to making disciples, the enemy often uses discouragement and distraction to get us off mission. In this message, he looks at the way Jesus discipled his own followers through repeated encounters along the way. In the process, we learn that disciple making is not a one and done kind of deal. It takes perseverance.…

It’s easy to look at all God did through guys like Peter and Paul and come away feeling like, “That’s really great. But I’m not an apostle. What can God do through me?” This passage will show you. We’ll look at how the Holy Spirit advanced God’s kingdom in  Ephesus and beyond through three “non-apostles”:  Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos (all while Paul was…

Ever run into that brand of Christianity that says “If you feel weak or desperate, don’t you dare even say it. Put on a plastic smile, pretend like everything’s OK, and it will be?” Aside from being annoying, it’s just not Biblical. When Paul came to Corinth, he was (in his own words) weak, fearful, and trembling. How did he handle it?…

(Audio message at bottom of post) A good carpenter sometimes has to clinch a nail to make it secure. That means after he drives it in, he turns over the two pieces of wood he is connecting and bends the nail with his hammer so it can’t slide out. When it comes to our connection with Jesus,  trials, temptations, emotions, and fears…

As believers, we eagerly wait for Jesus to return. But what do we do while we wait? When we see the moral decline of our culture, it is tempting to hide out and bury our heads in the sand. Athens was a city in decline when Paul was there waiting for Timothy and Silas.  What did he do? He looked around. He…