Illuminate Community Church

"God will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly His own boundless power and delight and goodness." C.S. Lewis Who Is Jesus? The giver of a new life. The giver of a new family. The giver of a new future.

Who is Jesus? Who did Jesus claim to be? As we begin our new sermon series in the Gospel of John we will explore these questions that John answered. "If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world." - C.S. Lewis Jesus is eternal. Jesus is God. Jesus is the logos. (The reason for life)

Before Jesus left the earth He left us with the Great Commission to go and make disciples. More than 150,000 people die every day, many don't know Jesus. Someone brought the gospel to you. The command in context: 1. Jesus has the authority, so then... 2. Go and make disciples, remembering... 3. Jesus will always be with you. The Roman's road gospel… Romans 3:23 Romans 6:23 Romans 5:8 Romans 10:9-10

Spiritual growth means growing to know how God wants us to live so that we seek to please Him in all things. Agents of growth… God's Spirit. God's Word. Trials. God's People.

Belong, Grow, Go - three simple words keeping us focused on achieving our mission of Knowing Christ and Making Him Known! (Romans 8:15 - the church is a family.) Belonging to a church family helps you understand yourself and God. Belonging to a church family keeps you from falling away. Belonging to a church family helps you stay focused on Jesus. Hebrews 10:24-25 Romans 12:4-5

Fear is one of the greatest hinderances in our walk with God. Fear not is the most common command in the Bible. As we move into 2018 Pastor Jason Fritz speaks on the future of Illuminate Community Church.

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrollment, when Quirin'i-us was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. 7 And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; 11 for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

It's been said that the darkness of hell is a place where you fully know who you need but you will never find. The light of Jesus prevents this darkness from coming to you. "I Am the Light." The Light Is The Messiah. - Isaiah 42:5-6 - Isaiah 49:5-6 - John 1:1-5 Embrace the Light While You Can. - Isaiah 53:1 - Isaiah 6:10

If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: 'God with us.' Christmas from Mary's perspective: Hold your plans loosely. Where God guides, He provides. All you need to come before Jesus is nothing.

John the Disciple, who witnessed the work of the Son of God. And John the Baptist, who foretold of His arrival. "I believe in Christ as I believe in the sun. For I not only see it, but by it I see everything else." - C.S. Lewis LIGHT REVEALS TRUTH. LIGHT GIVES LIFE. John 8:12 Colossians 1:13-14 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Acts 20:28 John 16:33 LIGHT IS LOVE.

The Prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus foretold his birth and his redemption of the world.

"The life of the faithful is not a straight line to blessing, but they do get there." Lessons from of Godly immigrant Grace breaks all barriers. Great friendships transform lives. Better to say you are on God's side than ask Him to be on your side.

If you've really messed up in your life, or if you've been making one stupid mistake after another then congratulations, your sin makes you an excellent candidate for salvation. Lessons from a saved prostitute: - God will go to great lengths to save just one person or one family who trusts in Him. - Rahab's story demonstrates how God's mercy and grace is for everyone. - God still saves through the color scarlet.

As we continue with the book of Job, we see the internal struggle that Job experiences after suffering the loss of everything valuable to him. This picture of suffering is veiled by the misunderstanding of the fullness of God's ultimate plans from His perspective. Our plans are not God's plans, nor do we have anywhere near the understanding of God's goodness and mercy. "God, it's got to be more than this." - 27 year old Tom Brady after winning his third Super Bowl Live for what is below the sun and you will be frustrated. Live for what is above the sun and you will find joy.

From the story of the prolific life of King Solomon who had everything and spoke of the meaninglessness of life without knowing God, we move to another story of a man who also had it all... and lost it. To those who suffer in life, know that there's a much greater purpose behind all of it. Here's the story of Job. "If you want to understand what is happening on earth, you must gain a glimpse into heaven." Lessons from the world leader in suffering... God is under control and He permits suffering to make us greater, to show Satan wrong and to prove His worthiness. There are purposes to our suffering that we cannot fully see. Satan employs the same tactic with us - "God doesn't really love you."