Category: Sermons

Pastor Adam Sellen

“Freedom!”

John 8:31-38

He is Risen! This phrase was highlighted and shared among the early believers as they greeted one another in the street, serving them all a great reminder of the fact that Jesus is alive! May it leave us inspired as well! In John 8, Jesus continues a lengthy discussion with the Pharisees–you remember these Jewish leaders who were enslaved by a false sense of righteousness that they couldn’t see or hear the message of hope that was standing right in front of them–it was here that Jesus spoke of how we could experience the true freedom that comes through Him. The question is, would they? And will we experience the amazing freedom found in Jesus Christ that was won through His death and resurrection?

Pastor Adam Sellen

“A Promise Kept”

Matthew 21:1-11

Palm Sunday is one of the great days in the life of the church. It was here that Jesus made his entry into Jerusalem, kicking off one of his most dynamic weeks of ministry–culminating in his death and resurrection. We celebrate Palm Sunday every year, but have you ever wondered why it took place the way that it did? I must confess it seems odd to wave palm branches and see Jesus riding to Jerusalem on a donkey. Does this have any significance? The answer is a resounding yes; because here we see the fulfillment of promises God has made–and if God fulfills these promises, how much more does He still desire to fulfill to us? I’m excited to celebrate with you all–and invite someone to join you!

Pastor Adam Sellen

“The Father”

Luke15:11-32

As we’ve journeyed through our message series, “Embracing the Prodigal,” we’ve considered the accounts of the two sons–the younger son, who squandered everything he was blessed with (but came home with repentance in his heart); and the older son, who was so consumed with his rights and position in the family that he could not bear or understand the forgiveness offered to the younger son. As we come to the conclusion of our message series, we now look to the Father–how did he respond to each of his sons–and how does parable inform us of God’s desires and heart. At the beginning of this series, I asked you to consider who the real prodigal of the parable is…have you figured it out yet?

Pastor Adam Sellen

“The Older Son”

Luke15:25-30

As we continue in our message series, “Embracing the Prodigal,” we come to the account of the Older Brother. Here we find the firstborn son of the father going about his daily tasks, trying to do a good job for his father, but then comes home after working all day to find that his renegade brother has returned home and now the father is throwing him the party of all parties. Quite naturally, the older son is quite angry–and many people think that he is justified in this response. Yet as we dive deeper into his story, we find a fatal flaw in him that many today struggle with–do I share my father’s heart? I look forward to unpacking the story of the Older Brother with you all this weekend.

Pastor Adam Sellen

“The Younger Son”

Luke15-12-21

One of the amazing blessings of Lent is that it gives us a glimpse of how far God is willing to go to save people. Jesus Christ came to this earth for the express purpose to “seek and save the lost.” In Luke 15, Jesus uses 3 parables to hammer this very point home–and none is quite as famous as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. For the next three weeks we will take a look at the 3 main characters of this parable–the Younger Son, the Older Son, and the Father–and through their stories we will experience the heart of the Father for us. We start this week with the story of the Younger Son–his struggle with identity and control–and how after utterly rejecting his father, the father welcomed him home. I’m excited to worship Jesus with you all this Sunday.

Pastor Adam Sellen

“A Worthwhile Investment”

Colossians 1:24-29

Do you have any investments? You might have an investment in the stock market or a retirement plan. Some have invested heavily in your education or chosen career path, or maybe you’ve made investments in your physical or emotional health. No matter the subject, we’ve all made investments. Let me ask you this–why do you make investments? We invest because we’re looking for a return–growth to take place. Over the past weeks we’ve explored what it means to “Become a Reflection of God’s Truth” and all that God has blessed us with. But why does He invest in us? And how are we to respond to His investment? Join us as we discuss what a worthwhile investment is all about

Pastor Adam Sellen

“A Giving Heart”

Malachai 3:6-12

The prophet Malachi was given a vital task–to speak forth a warning to the Israelites of their need for repentance. To set the scene, there were about 50,000 Israelites who returned from the Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem, but they struggled with the same sin issues that led to the captivity in the first place–namely ignoring the priority of seeking God in their lives. As Malachi is pointing out all issues, God reveals something important to us–His heart for people. As we rejoin our message series, “Becoming a Reflection of God’s Truth,” we join Malachi in chapter 3 and notice that God’s heart is to be outrageously generous, and that we reflect the heart of God when we give like Him.

Pastor Adam Sellen

“One More”

1 Timothy 2:1-4

I was reading through my news app the other day and was overcome with a burden for the world. Friends, the world is lost! Everywhere we look the repercussions of sin and death are all around. We see division and strife, murder and hatred, nations warring against other nations. While this has always been the way of the world, I often hear the question posed, “Is this what God desires?” As we’ve been working through our OGC Vision and Values in our series, “Becoming a Reflection of God’s Truth,” we’ve unpacked what it looks like for a follower of Jesus to reflect the glory of God from a place of deep intimacy. As we rejoin this series, we find the apostle Paul writing to his protege, Timothy, who is the pastor of the church in Ephesus–and it is in here that Paul calls Timothy and us to the very heart of God and what He desires for the world. The question we need to answer is this; do I desire the same thing as God? I look forward to worshipping Jesus with you all.

Pastor Adam Sellen

“Living Life Together”

Acts 2:42-47

One of the highlights in Scripture is found in Acts 2. It was here that the promised Holy Spirit filled the disciples, and through this empowerment, the Apostle Peter gave one of the greatest sermons ever as he proclaimed the gospel of Jesus. Could you imagine seeing this with your own eyes? Picture the tongues of fire overshadowing the faithful? Be amazed at the response of the people to the gospel proclamation. Because of the Holy Spirit empowerment that day, 3,000 men (we estimate 7,000 people in total) came to saving faith that day! How amazing to see God working like this! As we consider such an amazing moment an important question arises–what do we do now? As we continue our message series, “Becoming a Reflection of God’s Truth,” let’s explore God’s desired response is for those who are All About Jesus, Holy Spirit Empowered, and Seeking the Deeper Life to live this life of faith together.

Pastor Adam Sellen

“Empowered”

Romans 8:1-11

As we’ve begun discussing our vision and values, I’ve had two very interesting reactions. First, how great is it that the Almighty God loves us and wants to have relationship with us. God has called us, as a church, to be the reflection of His truth, and this only happens through a deepening relationship with Him! What a blessing. But the second part hit me like a ton of bricks–how can we see this become a reality? I don’t have the power to save people, stop sinning, or even do anything right. In fact, the Apostle Paul refers to this in Romans 7 where he says that the very thing he wants to do he can’t, but the very thing he doesn’t want to do, he does. The question for us is this: is it even possible for me to live the life of faith? As we continue in our message series, “Becoming a Reflection of God’s Truth,” we will explore how God empowers the life of a believer through the person and work of the Holy Spirit. I’m excited to gather with you all this Sunday!