Woodmen Valley Chapel

The Pharisees seek to test Jesus by asking a question on the subject of divorce. Jesus responds by pointing to God’s plan and desire at creation. When marriages struggle, we must remind them of God’s heart for marriage and encourage couples who are seeking to work through their challenges. 1. It’s a trap (vs. 1-4) 2. The purpose of marriage (vs. 5-9) 3. The equality in marriage (vs. 10-12) 4. Our...

Nothing could have prepared Peter, James and John for the radiant and divine Jesus that stood before them, but even then, they fail to grasp who he is in all of his glory. Out of the cloud, the Father speaks and says, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” (Mark 9:7). Still today, to deny the Son is to reject the one that sent him. 1. A Picture of Paradise (Genesis 1-2) 2. A Paradise in Chaos (G...

1 Timothy 3 contains some of the key characteristics and requirements for those who would serve in church leadership. As such, many believers miss the true heart of this passage, in that it identifies some of the qualities and characteristics that are significant and noteworthy in our pursuit of Godliness. 1. The Musts (vs 2) - above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled...

When we think about being a follower of Jesus Christ, we don’t usually think of this in terms of how we handle our money and possessions. And in the context of the church, we commonly think about money in terms of what God wants from us. We will explore God’s foundational perspective on wealth in the OT and NT and how He ultimately wants our hearts. 1. David’s Prayer: Honor God with everything (I...

Too many of us are defined by the opinions of others. God's opinion is the only thing that gives us ultimate worth. His view of our worth and status is demonstrated by the fact that he has made peace with us. 1. We have been justified by faith (v. 1a) 2. We have peace with God (v. 1b) 3. We have access (v. 2a) 4. We rejoice in hope (v. 2b) SONGS Who You Say I Am #7102401 by B Fielding & R Morgan 2...

Jesus foretells his death for a second time and again his disciples fail to understand and instead begin to argue about who was the “greatest” among them. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them about humility, service to others and the gravity of sin. We need pray for the ability to see ourselves and sin clearly. 1. The struggle is real (vs. 30-32) 2. See clearly (vs. 33-50) a. Seek to serve (v...

When the disciples are unable to help a man’s son who is possessed by a demon, Jesus calls upon the father to have faith and believe. The father acknowledges his spiritual weakness and asks Jesus to give him faith. Rather than chide him for his unbelief, Jesus responds to his cry. 1. The absence of faith (vs. 14-19) 2. The object of our faith (vs. 20-24) 3. The power of faith (vs. 25-27) 4. The ke...

Nothing could have prepared Peter, James and John for the radiant and divine Jesus that stood before them, but even then, they fail to grasp who he is in all of his glory. Out of the cloud, the Father speaks and says, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” (Mark 9:7). Still today, to deny the Son is to reject the one that sent him. 1. The glory of Christ (vs. 2-4) 2. The foolishness of people (v...

Isaiah is often called the model prophet - not because of his accomplishments, but because of his faithfulness and obedience. Isaiah’s ministry kicks off with precise model of how to live out the implications of Jesus in our lives. Within Isaiah’s calling in Chapter 6 - our typical definition of success will be challenged and we will gain an understanding for the kind of faithfulness God is lookin...

Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ and Jesus begins to teach them that, contrary to their understanding, the Messiah must suffer and die. Similarly, as we follow Christ we must not expect a life of decadence and ease, but following his example, be willing to deny ourselves, take up his cross and follow him. 1. Answer correctly (vs. 27-30) 2. Understand rightly (vs. 31-33) 3. Live accordingly (v....

The Pharisees demand that Jesus give them a sign from heaven to confirm his identity. However, Jesus has already demonstrated who he is and the one with an open heart should recognize it. When we struggle to believe, we should ask God to soften our hearts and give us faith. 1. The hungry are fed (vs. 1-10) 2. The self-righteous get nothing (vs. 11-13) 3. Do not miss the obvious (vs. 14-21) 4. See...

When people bring Jesus a deaf man with a speech impediment, he curiously “put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue” (Mark 7:33b). Jesus not only heals the man, but by connecting his word with deed, he seeks to address his disciples’ spiritual blindness and deafness. 1. A friend in need (vs. 31-32) 2. People matter to Jesus (v. 33a) 3. Jesus frees people (vs. 33b-35) 4....

Jesus first came for the Jewish people, but he envisioned a day when the gospel would be spread to all nations (Mark 13:10). In this starting passage, we see Jesus respond to the faith of a Gentile woman and in doing so, recognize that we too can be saved. 1. A short break (v. 24) 2. An outsider asks for help (vs. 25-26) 3. Jesus’ response – “Not yet” (v. 27) 4. The outsider understands – Faith &...

This is a prayer of mine for our Rockrimmon congregation this upcoming ministry year. That we would be “salt and light” to those around us. We do this in all areas of life- with families, co-workers, and at Woodmen. As a church want to be salt and light in different parts of our city – one of the driving factors behind launching our SW Campus. We do this by globally, in our neighborhood, and in ou...

God longs to touch our lives so that we can share His touch. We serve an approachable God who loves nothing more than breaking through the isolation and meeting us at our point of greatest need. 1. Is anyone untouchable to Jesus? 2. “And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling…you can make me clean” 3. “If you will, you can make me clean.” 4. Miracle #1: Jesus is Approachable 5. True Spir...

As we get ready for our official kickoff, the book of Nehemiah shows us what it looks like to serve together. Let’s pray that God gives us a heart to serve our neighbors. 1. A Heart for the Hurting 2. A Passion for Prayer 3. A Divine History 4. A Current Calling SONGS Mighty Warrior #7011449 by C Brown, M Ntele, & J Williams 2013 Sony/ATV Tree Publishing and Unknown Praise The King #7032344 by C V...

Paul‘s “case”against us as followers of Christ. SONGS Mighty Warrior #7011449 by C Brown, M Ntele, & J Williams 2013 Sony/ATV Tree Publishing and Unknown Praise The King #7032344 by C Voss, D Smith, M Bryce Jr., & M Farren 2014 © Farren Love And War Publishing Jesus We Love You #7030068 by H McClure, K Heiligenthal, and P McClure 2014 © Bethel Music Publishing Worthy Of Your Name #7052927 by B You...

The road of discipleship can be long and it is not without bumps and valleys. The apostle Paul was well acquainted with hardship, yet they never knocked him off mission. Like Paul, we need to pray more for deep spiritual power in our own lives; power that comes, not from our own doing or effort, but according to the power at work within us. 1. A prayer to the Father. Ephesians 3:14-15 a. For stren...

All too often our prayers can center around ourselves, our loved ones, or those closest to us. The apostle Paul sets a radical example in that he prayed, often, for those he had never even met! We too should work to ensure our prayers are not self-centered but also include lifting up brothers and sisters in Christ, even though we may have no earthly relationship with them at all. It can begin by p...

You need not spend much time on the internet to recognize our world can be a cruel and heartless place. If you do, the question can arise, where is God in all of this? As Paul prays for the Ephesians, he prays they would have understanding as to who God is and what he has done for them through Christ. Keeping this at the forefront, our heart gives us hope as we are met with life’s discouragements....

People often categorize decisions as either “good” or “bad” ones and, sometimes, it is only in hindsight that they can really tell which one it was. In his prayer for the Philippians, Paul encourages them towards not simply “good” decisions, but “excellent” ones. He prays for confidence, that they would know what is excellent and, so informed, be ready for the day of Christ. With so many decisions...

Shame and guilt are driving factors in too many people’s lives. This powerful section declares that Jesus Christ has offered the ultimate sacrifice that takes away the penalty for sin. If that’s true, there is nothing that we need to do make his sacrifice complete. 1. The problem (vs. 1-4) 2. The solution (vs. 5-10) 3. The perfection (vs. 11-14) 4. The covenant (vs. 15-18) SONGS Mighty Warrior #70...

1. Life or death (vs. 12-13) 2. Adopted (vs. 14-15) 3. Heirs of Suffering and Glory (vs. 16-17) SONGS O Praise The Name (Anástasis) #7037787 by B Hastings, D Ussher, and M Sampson 2015 © Hillsong Music Publishing Call Upon The Lord #7051501 by C Brown and S Furtick 2015 © Be Essential Songs Worthy Of Your Name #7052927 by B Younker and S Curran © sixsteps Music God With Us (Torwalt) #7054539 by B...

Worry is not just a Christian thing, it is something that touches everyone’s life.  No matter where we are in our journey with God, we all worry.  We will discover that what Jesus says about worry is very helpful and practical for our everyday life. SONGS Who You Say I Am #7102401 by Be Fielding and R Morgan 2017 Hillsong Music Publishing O Praise The Name (Anástasis) #7037787 by B Hastings, D Uss...

First Things First: Making Christ #1, Part 3 Monument Campus The Apostle Paul laid out an airtight case for believers embracing the importance of making Christ first in their lives (chapter 1), and has warned them about how the threats of worldly philosophies sidetrack believers, he moves on to explain several major steps in the process of how to make Christ first in your life. SONGS Who You Say I...