February 15, 2015
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Malachi 1:6-14
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exposition
Pastor Gary Combs continues the sermon series, “A Dialogue with God: An Exposition of Malachi,” with this message from Malachi 1:6-14. In this message three ways are given on how we can offer worship that honors God.
February 8, 2015
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Malachi 1:1-5
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exposition
Pastor Gary Combs begins a new 8-week series through the book of Malachi entitled, “A Dialogue With God.” This first message covers Malachi 1:1-5 and is entitled, “How Have You Loved Us?” In this message, Pastor Gary teaches how God answers our questions about the nature of His love.
December 30, 2014
Do you ever question God’s love? The exiled Jews that had returned to Jerusalem did. They were happy to be home again, yet they were still under Persian rule and the former glory of their city was a mere memory. They wondered, how has God “loved us?” God’s reply through His prophet Malachi is both startling and mysterious: “I loved Jacob,” but hated his twin brother Esau. In other words, God chose to love them with an exclusive love long before they were even born. Like a groom who chooses his bride, rejecting all others, so God chose Jacob (Israel) and rejected Esau. It is God’s choosing to love us that makes it possible for us to respond. God’s love initiates. As Jesus told His disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). When Paul explained how God has loved us to the Romans, he wrote, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). How has God loved us? By choosing to love us when we were unlovable.
December 30, 2012
God was displeased with the priests and people of Israel because their hearts didn’t line up with their worship. He told them to stop bringing blemished offerings and breaking their marriage vows, for these exposed their true idolatrous hearts. Heaven forbid that God would feel this way about our worship, that He would want us to lock the church’s doors until we can enter again in repentance. As 2012 winds down, let us ask God to examine our hearts and strengthen us to live wholeheartedly for Him. Let’s fling the church doors wide open in 2013!