Abundant Life Church Brookings

In the Christmas story, there are many characters. Almost all the main characters in the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth have lines, but one does not: Joseph, the reluctant dad. What can we learn from this silent character? A lot, it seems. This righteous man, one of the first people to know of God’s plan to save the world, plays a larger role than we sometimes give him credit for.

Miracles do happen, but delayed harvests are more common. Sometimes we run into the "I want what I want when I want it" disease. Jesus spoke in parables not to help people understand, but to hide things from people who didn't have a heart for God.  Pastor Joe breaks down Jesus' parable about seeds on different types of soil in order to help us better prepare the soil of our hearts to produce a bountiful harvest.

Here's what we know: Harvests only come when we plant seed, and harvests only come through rest and trust by remaining in Christ. That brings us to our next question: Are harvests immediate or do they take time? How does forgiveness play into harvests? Why do miracles begin with the gospel? This message brings light to some tough questions about harvests. 

This week, Pastor Joe continues the discussion on things that may be preventing us from receiving a harvest.  Who is in control of the earth? Is it God? Do we really have free will? Is God sovereign? Find out how these questions relate to blocked harvests in this message from Pastor Joe.

This week, Pastor Joe discusses two things that may be preventing us from receiving a harvest.    As God's children, we have a supernatural inheritance that the world doesn't have. God wants you to prosper, however, harvests of prosperity can be blocked. Lack of knowledge and unbelief are two ways harvests can be blocked. Jesus wants to move us from the natural to the supernatural. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, supernatural harvests happen.  

Impossible harvests are only possible when we believe God’s word. Learn about consuming God’s Word, believing God’s Word, speaking God’s Word, and how they all work together to produce a harvest. Pastor Joe speaks about three simple truths: 1) Harvest is near to those who are near to God’s Word. 2) Word brings light to darkness. 3) Word is seed and supernatural harvest is the fruit. What harvest are you believing for?

We live in a physical world in physical bodies… but at the same time, the spiritual world is also real. If we rely on just our physical senses to live, our supernatural harvest will be limited. What does it look like to live a life operating in the supernatural? Let’s see what the Bible has to say!

God wants to do something great in your life! Are you excited to receive that harvest from Him? How does your harvest come? How do the logos and the rhema word work together? What does the rhema word have to do with breakthrough? What should we do while we wait for our harvest? Pastor Joe answers all these questions and more.

What is the difference between the hope of the world and the hope of the Word? The hope of the world is empty, but when the Word of God is planted as a seed, it has the ability to produce unbelievable harvests in our lives. How does hope play into this? How does faith play into this? Let this message change your life as you consider where you put your hope!

It’s hard to describe a place that is truly indescribable. Here’s what we do know about this very real place: 1) The Bible describes three heavens: the atmosphere of the earth, where the stars, moon, and galaxies are, and God’s dwelling place. 2) Earth is a copy and a shadow of heaven. 3) Heaven is a real place – a prepared place for a prepared people. 4) Heaven is “up”, just like hell is “down”. 5) We will put on immortal bodies in heaven. 6) What is in heaven? Our Redeemer, our relationships, our resources, our residence, our riches, and our reservations.

Hell – It’s not something we talk about very often, even in church. Why is it important to talk about? Because Hell is a real place and there’s a good chance that people we know and love are going there. Tune in to learn what the Bible says about Hell.

This week, Pastor Joe steps back to check some facts on the end times. Some of the facts are: 1) We are looking forward to Jesus’ return. 2) The rapture and the second coming are two separate events. 3) The end times are not something to be afraid of, but rather to rejoice in. 4) There are lots of signs pointing to Jesus’ return. 5) Our goal in studying this is Holy Spirit transformation. 6) No one knows the date or time. 7) We have been in the last days since Jesus went to the cross.

The Bible gives many signs of the end times. Pastor Joe leads us in a further study of what the Bible says about the end times. In this message, we discuss that people will hate what is good, betray their friends, and depart from the faith, along with some of the reasons that people will depart from their faith.

Pastor Joe reviews the first signs we discussed, scoffers and people who are disrespectful and disobedient to parents (https://subspla.sh/gbp87k4). Do not be deceived by arguments that sound reasonable - know and follow what God's Word says. In God's Word, we see more signs of the end times: ungratefulness, slander, and unholiness.

Are there signs of the last days? Most definitely. This message explores two signs that we see in God's Word - scoffers and children who are disobedient to parents. Pastor Joe reminds us that the end times are good news to the believer, and we can joyously share the gospel with others in these last days.

Pastor Joe takes time to explain the cup of iniquities. What is the difference between sin, transgression, and iniquity? How do these relate to the last days? There are many signs that we will see before the cup overflows, but today we focus on these three: lovers of self, lovers of money, and boastful and prideful spirits. Stick around to the end to hear the good news.

Perilous times are coming. Are you ready? As we look at the Bible, we see plenty of evidence of signs of the last days. How should we respond to these signs? With faith – not fear. Pastor Joe reminds us that we live in Goshen (which means to draw near) and not Egypt. Trouble is coming and now is the time to prepare. Grace teaches us how to live while we wait for Jesus to return.

In this message, Pastor Joe continues talking about the end times. Pastor Joe begins by reiterating that Holy Spirit transformation is the goal of this sermon series. Our focus is on Christ. Looking to Jesus and being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Joe continues by talking about how the last days are a time of encouragement for believers despite the things that will come to pass. He then talks about some of the signs of the end and how the frequency of the signs shows us that the end is near. Pastor Joe closes the message with reminding us again that the goal is looking to Jesus and seeing Him despite all the signs of the end.

In this message, Pastor Joe outlines the main differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming. Pastor Joe begins by talking about how we are not the only generation to think we are in the last days. He also touches on how fear-based theology is bad theology because it distorts the gospel and makes God into something that He isn’t. Pastor Joe then proceeds to describe the differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus. Pastor Joe then closes by talking about why it is important to know the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming.

This sermon introduces the series: The End. The Bible repeatedly mentions the “end times”. Are we at the beginning of the end? Can anyone truly know when the end times are coming? What does the Bible say about the end times? Are we prepared for the end? What does it look like to be prepared for the end? These questions and more are discussed. Here are two things that we do know for sure: Any theology based in fear is bad theology and believing in Jesus makes you acceptable to God. This series will explore the end times in a way you may never have heard before.