January 27, 2008 - "How To Waste Your Life" | Powerpoint
February 3, 2008 - "A Vision of God That is Worth Living (and Dying) For!" ~ Exodus 19 and Hebrews 12 | Sermon Notes | Powerpoint
February 10, 2008 - "Life is Like a Cigarette. Smoke it to the Butt" ~ 2 Corinthians 4 and 5| Sermon Notes | Powerpoint
February 17, 2008 - "Don't Waste Your Life 9-5" | Powerpoint | Bart Carey - Elder
February 24, 2008 - "Seeking the Welfare of Our City"~ Ephesians 2:1-10 and Jeremiah 29:1-14 | Sermon Notes | Powerpoint
Interview with R.T. Rybak and Pastor Steve in December 2007 asking the question, "How can a church be a blessing to the city of Minneapolis?" PART 1 | PART 2
March 2, 2008 - "Investing in the Kingdom" | Powerpoint | Pastor Cor Chmieleski
March 9, 2008 - "A Plea to Consider Going or Supporting" | Sermon Notes | Powerpoint
March 16, 2008 - "The Reward of Risking Your Neck for Jesus" | Sermon Notes | Powerpoint
March 23, 2008 - "Special EASTER Message: Boasting in the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus ONLY!" | Sermon Notes | Powerpoint
March 30, 2008 - "At the End, Will You Say You've Wasted It?" | Powerpoint | Pastor Cor Chmieleski
April 6, 2008 - SPECIAL MESSAGE: "Dating to the Glory of God" | Sermon Notes | Powerpoint

Messages you may have missed over break!:

January 20th, 2008 - "This Means War" ~ Ephesians 6:10-20 | Powerpoint
January 13th, 2008 - "A Transformed Life" ~ Romans 12:1-2 | Powerpoint | Andy O'Rourke, Church planter through Hope Community Church in North East Minneapolis in Spring 2008
January 6th, 2008 - "The Joy of Prayer" | Powerpoint | Ben Johnson, Elder
December 30th, 2007 -"A Missions Update" | Powerpoint
December 23, 2007 - "The Incarnation: It's Not Just For Christmas Anymore!" | Powerpoint

The Gospel According to Ruth: A Story of Love, Redemption and Faithfulness

"In the Beginning, God Created Them Male and Female... ~ Why?"
A Seven Week Look at What God Was Up to in Creating Us As We Are

Creation of Adam, 1510, Fresco, 280x570cm, Cappella Sistina, Vatican

September 16, 2007 - "The battle of the sexes! How did we get here?"| Powerpoint
September 23, 2007 - "What does it mean to be a real man?" | Powerpoint| Pastor Cor Chmieleski
September 30, 2007 - "Is there more to being woman than being 'hot'?" | Powerpoint | Offering Video
October 7, 2007 - "Singleness, Dating, Marriage: is there any way to live in harmony with the other sex?" Powerpoint
October 14, 2007 - "Sex: God created it! God calls it very good!" | Powerpoint
October 21, 2007 - "Sex: if it is so good, then why are there such issues in enjoying it God's way?" | Powerpoint
November 4, 2007 - "Men and Women in the Church: What did Paul Mean in 1 Timothy 2:8-15?" | Powerpoint

Gospel of John Message Series:

Special Messages

August 5, 2007 - "Where Was God When the 35W Bridge Collapsed?" Powerpoint
April 23, 2007 - Easter Service | Powerpoint | Sermon Notes

Generous Living: Sowing Seeds that Satisfy & Bless Others

The Healing Path of Difficulties (based on Romans 5:2-5)

The Pain of Sexual Immorality ~ why the apostles said to abstain from it in Acts 15

Why is "avoid sexual immorality" there?
In our study of the book of Acts, there was a curious decision made by the apostles. In a letter to the new non-Jewish people who were becoming followers of Jesus, the apostles asked them to observe the following:
"You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things." ~ Acts 15:29, NIV
Now, the whole food issue is obvious - it would be offensive to Jewish Christians if these non-Jewish people "paraded" their freedom from food restrictions in front of them and would put a wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile Christian.
However, why do they include the phrase "from sexual immorality"? Why not greed, or lust, or the worst sin in the bible, pride? What is it about sexual immorality that is so unique that the apostles felt they needed to include this as one of the four things to "avoid"?
During this series we spoke frankly and honestly about God's standards for sexual purity, strategies to avoid immorality, as well as how to receive healing from past mistakes.