Hillside Foursquare Church

Keeping the Sabbath #3 - CELEBRATE

Jesus said that one of the reasons He came was so that “…we would have life, & have it in abundance; that we would live life to the fullest... “(John 10:10b w/paraphrase) This kind of life doesn’t just happen to us - it comes from following Him. Living life differently; not just adding God to our list of things to do, but recognizing that He IS the list that life’s happenings are written on. A big part of experiencing life in all of its fullness is discovering God’s gift to us: The Sabbath. This designated, set apart “holy time” helps to put our life in perspective, reminding us of our worth to God, not just for what we do or accomplish, but because we’re His loved sons & daughters… Something that I’ve found very helpful for me in this Sabbath discovery is breaking it into 4 distinct & significant parts: STOP - REST - CELEBRATE - REFLECT Today, we’re exploring CELEBRATE - the part of the Sabbath where we Celebrate God, Celebrate Life, & Celebrate Relationships with others Our text for the message today is Isaiah 58.

Keeping the Sabbath #2 - REST

Jesus said that one of the reasons He came was so that "...we would have life, & have it in abundance; that we would live life to the fullest... "(John 10:10b w/paraphrase) This kind of life doesn't just happen to us - it comes from following Him. Living life differently; not just adding God to our list of things to do, but recognizing that He IS the list that life's happenings are written on. A big part of experiencing life in all of its fullness is discovering God's gift to us: The Sabbath. This designated, set apart "holy time" helps to put our life in perspective, reminding us of our worth to God, not just for what we do or accomplish, but because we're His loved sons & daughters... Something that I've found very helpful for me in this Sabbath discovery is breaking it into 4 distinct & significant parts: STOP - REST - CELEBRATE - REFLECT Today, we’re exploring REST - what it is, where it comes from, why we need it, & our role in doing whatever it takes to make sure we enter His rest... Our text for the message today is Matthew 11:28,29 & Hebrews 4:9-13

Keeping the Sabbath #1 - STOP

Ever read a passage in the Bible that made you frustrated? I have - a while ago, I was reading in the Gospel of John & came across the part where Jesus tells His purpose for coming:

"I have come that you would have life in all its fullness."

One of the reasons that that scripture bugged me so much was that I wasn't even experiencing a 'tolerable' life, let alone 'life in all its fullness.' I was busy, harried, rushed, overburdened, & headed for burnout. My relationships were strained from me always going & going - & worse, the very things that I thought would be a help to me in living life in fullness (praying MORE, reading MORE, doing MORE,) did nothing to help me out of my funk. Worse, they left me with a feeling of despair. And then I discovered a gift that God has given to us: the Sabbath. Today, we're exploring one of the most essential parts of the Sabbath, something that is absolutely imperative for us to enter into God's rest; the Sabbath begins when we STOP. Our text for the message today is John 10:10 & Deuteronomy 5:12-15

GOD - the Holy Spirit #12 - Making Room

Too busy? Sometimes the pace at which we live can keep us from taking the time to stop, look, & listen to what the Holy Spirit is doing in & around us.  This week we conclude our series "GOD - The Holy Spirit,"  by talking about 'Making Room' for the Holy Spirit in our lives. Our main text is Luke 10 & the story of Mary & Martha. Also, at the beginning of the message, Adrian Clifton shares his story of God's healing & transformation.