Here is a recap of our message from this weekend...

The Elephant in the Church: Messy House

In the grand finale of our series, Pastor Jared addresses the often-hidden issues within churches, comparing them to the mess we hide in our homes. He discussed how churches, like households, might appear pristine publicly while chaos sits behind closed doors. Through the biblical story of David and Nathan, the sermon emphasizes the importance of transparency, accountability, and the dangers of drifting from our spiritual devotion.

The sermon uses the analogy of hurriedly cleaning a house when expecting visitors to illustrate how churches often only address visible issues such as ensuring worship sounds great, seats are straight and volunteers are smiling while ignoring deeper, hidden problems. Pastor Jared worked through the biblical story of David's confrontation in 2 Samuel 12, to highlight the personal and collective consequences of hidden sins and corruption within a church setting. Pastor challenged us all to evaluate what we're allowing into our lives, our minds, and our hearts.

Weekly Bible Study List

1. 2 Samuel 12:1-15 - Nathan's rebuke to David, highlighting the consequences of sin and deception.
2. Proverbs 4:25 - "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you."
3. Proverbs 12:20 - "Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil."
4. Galatians 5:16 - "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

3 Behaviors that can Lead to Corruption:

1. Drifting from Devotion: It is dangerous when we become fixated on things other than God. Small compromises can lead us away from our commitment to God.
2. Drunk with Deception: The dangers of leaders becoming deceitful, thinking they are beyond accountability. Who you have around you, matters.
3. Dabbling in Disobedience: Minor acts of disobedience can spiral into significant moral failures. The more we allow sin into our life, the more normalized disobedience becomes.

From Sermon to Action

The message concludes by urging the congregation to maintain integrity and devotion, emphasizing that God’s love should lead us to reject sin and embrace righteousness.

Worship Setlist

1. Glorious Day
2. Rest on Us
3. Holy Spirit
4. Thank You Jesus for the Blood

Notable Sermon Quotes to Repost on Social Media

1. "Sometimes churches are busy cleaning up the parts of the church that everyone sees on Sunday, while keeping a mess hidden behind closed doors."
2. "God will expose when there's corruption in the church."
3. "What are you letting into your mind? What are you letting into your life from your phone, or television, or friends?"
4. "Deception is not a spontaneous act, it's a premeditated plan."
5. "It's dangerous to deceive others, but it's even more dangerous to deceive yourself."
6. "Small acts of disobedience, once given a foothold, can lead to a cascade of sin."
7. "Disobedience, no matter how it's dressed up, always leads to the destruction of something or someone."
8. "God's love is not a license to sin, but rather, it's the very thing that compels us to turn away from our sinful ways."

WATCH SERMON