LWCF Teachings

Pastor Shane shares a message reminding us that worry adds nothing to our lives. Instead, when worry knocks, we’re invited to answer with faith, choosing to rest in God’s promises rather than give in to fear. This kind of faith isn’t passive—it’s an active, intentional trust that God knows our needs and cares for us deeply.

Pastor Shane’s message today challenges believers to view political engagement as an expression of their faithfulness to God, using their influence to bring godly values into society while remaining anchored in the hope of Christ’s return. https://www.christianvoterguide.com

Amidst the chaos in our world, Christians are called to persevere by staying grounded in faith, inspiring one another to love and good deeds, and gathering for mutual encouragement. In the series How Then Should We Live?, Pastor Shane brings a message from Hebrews that guides us on living faithfully in these times.

The Bible list things that will take place in the ends times as the return of Christ draws near. Some of the events that are listed include wars, rumors or wars, and varying natural disasters. As we continue to see such types of events unfold in our world today, Pastor David encourages believers to have expectant hope in Christ and remain encouraged as we cling to His promises.

We are all familiar with the current events plaguing our news and social media outlets every day. As believers we know that our days here on earth are numbered and the day of the Lord's return draws closer and closer each day. During such uncertain times, Pastor Shane encourages believers on how we should live with hopeful expectation as we continue to put our faith in God's plans.

Pastor Shane piggy backs off of last weeks message instructing on different types of earthly relationships by emphasizing the importance of prayer in our daily lives. Intimate prayer and yielding to the Lord are essential to growth in the Christian life but can often times be put on the back burner. Christian's should find hope in walking closely with the Lord.

Paul tells the Colossians what the Christian life looks like in a marriage relationship, a parent-child relationship, a master-servant relationship, and a Christian-non-Christian relationship. This passage highlights the importance of living our relationships in a way that brings honor and glory to the Lord.

In Paul's letter to Collosae, he instructs them how they should live their lives after coming into relationship with Jesus. As believers we are called to live different from the world, putting off our old ways of thinking and taking on the character of Jesus.

Paul urges believers who have been raised with Christ to seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. This implies a shift in focus from earthly concerns to heavenly priorities.

Jesus set believers free from man-made rules and regulations. Paul reminded the church at Colossae of this as they wrapped their minds around Jesus’ divine nature and complete work on the cross. Through his letter, Paul warns the church against any philosophy of life that is based solely on human ideas. No matter how good it sounds or how harmless it seems, it will eventually leave us empty.

Trials and suffering are not foreign for anyone, including believers. Through Paul's letter to the church in Colossae, he reminds them of God's faithfulness even in the midst of our suffering. We are not guaranteed and easy life, but God reveals his perfect plan & character to us even when things seem upside down.

In Paul's letter to the Colossians church, he reminds them of the impact Jesus’ sacrifice has had on their lives. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, he is the head of the church, and we are reconciled to God through his accomplishment on the cross.

Pastor Shane kicks off a new series entitled "Rooted in Christ". Today's message encourages believers to deepen their relationship with Christ, bear spiritual fruit, and live lives worthy of the Lord, reflecting His love and wisdom in all things.

Psalm 32 follows pivotal events that took place in King David's life hinted at in Psalm 31. After his affair and murder, David lived in his guilt for many months before he finally found forgiveness with the Lord. He described the physical anguish he was in during this wait. After seeking out the Lord for forgiveness, he experienced peace and joy in the Lord again. We can learn from the life of David the joy that comes in surrendering to the Lord and choosing forgiveness instead of living in our failures.

King David, who is credited with writing several Psalms, went through several highs and lows in life. One of his greatest follies was an affair that resulted in an innocent man being murdered. Psalm 51 is layered with repentance attributed to this act of adultery, including his need for God's love and compassion.

After an extended season of suffering, David wrote a Psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord. Despite the hardship he faced, he gave his gratitude to God for sustaining him and being his hope.

Asaph, a church leader, wrote the 73rd Psalm, expressing his bitterness and envy he felt toward others. He was disheartened by watching the wicked prosper, having all of the desires of their heart met. Meanwhile he, a faithful servant, suffered. This reality almost made Asaph lose trust in God, but through his careful consideration of the character of God, it ended up growing his faith instead.

Psalm 23 is a powerful expression of trust in God's care and protection, using the metaphor of a shepherd caring for his sheep to illustrate God's relationship with the faithful. Through the Psalm we see emphasis of divine guidance, protection, provision, and eternal security, offering comfort and hope to believers

Psalm 42 & 43 speak deeply of spiritual depression. Even as believers it is not foreign for us to find ourselves in a pit of sadness, anxiety, and depression. Through these Psalms we can take courage that we are not alone in our struggle, and our hope in God will carry us through.

Pastor Shane kicks off a new sermon series entitled Summer in the Psalms where we will spend the next few weeks diving into different Psalms. Psalm 1 digs into happiness, what produces it, and what deters it. Through scripture we learn that there is no earthly thing that will bring us lasting happiness, but we can find it through the pursuit of God.

Being a father involves carrying the weight of many responsibilities on your shoulders. Sometimes as humans we screw up and do the wrong things and often ask ourselves if we are doing right by those around us. Through the parable Jesus tells of the prodigal son, we are reminded of God's graciousness toward us: in that no matter how far we wander from Him, he is always waiting with open arms for our return. Just like a good father.

After our series diving into the attributes of God, Pastor Shane takes a look at the overall encompassment of these characteristics through Jesus Christ.

Everyone encounters unforeseen circumstances in their life and we are often find ourselves asking "why?" Although things often times feel out of control, we can take courage in the fact that God is sovereign over all things and promises to work all things together for those who love Him.

God's faithfulness is a profound attribute that reassures, comforts, and guides us as believers. It teaches us to trust deeply in God’s promises, remain hopeful in difficult times, and emulate His faithfulness in their own lives. By embracing and reflecting on God's unwavering faithfulness, we can navigate life’s challenges with confidence and peace, knowing that we are upheld by a steadfast and loving God.

One of the greatest attributes of God is His holiness. In our world today, and even in our own lives, we tend to bring God down to our level and strip him of his holiness. Pastor Shane teaches of the reverence of God as seen through the revelation of the prophet Isaiah.

The greatest attribute discussed in scripture is the attribute of love: love toward our brother's and sisters in Christ, love for our family, and love for God. The greatest example of love is what Christ did for each of us on the cross. Scripture teaches that as followers of Christ we are called to selflessly love those around us.

Pastor David continues our series through the greatness of God by honing in on His presence in our lives. Psalm 139 focuses on God's knowledge of his creation and his overwhelming presence in our lives. There is no where we can go to escape His presence, but we have the choice to accept or ignore his gift of knowing us personally.

Psalm 139 is a song of praise written by David thanking Him for his presence and his intimate knowledge of us. Throughout life we all experience different highs and lows, but through it all God is with us and knows every detail of our lives.

In our study on the attributes of God, today we focus on His power. Isaiah 40 outlines God's power and authority throughout the entire universe. Be encouraged with this message focusing on the awesomeness of God's power.

With all the current events of our day, it's important to ask ourselves, "How big is our God?" Pastor Shane kicks off a new sermon looking into the attributes of God. When the world around us gets shaky, it's important to have a firm understanding of the true character of God so we are not blown by the wind.

After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus walked the earth for a few more days and gave instruction to his disciples before He departed to heaven. Before Jesus ascended, He promised to return some day and the Holy Spirit descended upon His believers. Jesus charged us with a mission while we wait: to make disciples of all nations.

On the day Jesus was crucified he was put on the cross between two criminals who were justifiably in trouble. The two criminals on the cross had different responses to Jesus: one of mockery and one of repentance. Through this small glimpse into the story of the crucifixion we see the patience and genuine love of Jesus, reminding us that we're never too far gone to accept the grace of God.

As the crucifixion drew nearer, Jesus reclined with his disciples for a meal which ended in Him washing the disciples feet. This act was one of humility and a symbolic reminder about His authority to forgive sins.

In a unique encounter with Jesus, he is tempted in the wilderness by Satan. This encounter emphasizes the humanity and deity of Jesus. Because of his time on earth, Jesus is able to relate with us in suffering and temptation. He also promises to provide a way out when we are tempted, and he himself never fell into temptation.

In today's message, Pastor David dives into the story Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was not one who was thought of highly due to his social status and career. Despite these facts, Jesus chose to dwell with him and Zacchaeus' life was changed from that day forward.

Through the encounter with Jesus studied in today's message we see a rich young ruler inquiring of Jesus about who goes to heaven. In the context of those days, social status dictated a lot to do with who they believed would make it to heaven. The teaching of Jesus goes beyond social status and takes a deep look at the heart behind those who are truly in relationship with Him.

The story of the man born blind is one that illustrates spiritual illumination: coming out of darkness and into the light offered only by Christ. Pastor Shane teaches that through this encounter of Jesus, a man formerly blind is now able to see due to his obedience and faith in Christ. Scripture teaches that faith without works is dead, and this story is one that illustrates what faith along with works looks like. Not that the works are what healed the man, but his obedience and trust in God.

In one encounter that Jesus has, a group of men bring an adulteress woman to Jesus asking how they should punish her for her sins. While the intent of the persecutors was to trap Jesus by quoting Mosaic law to him, he remarkably disputes their arguments by allowing the first one without sin to throw the first stone, which none of the persecutors were able to do. We see through this story the forgiveness that comes from Jesus, not the condemnation. For Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17).

Pastor David continues our series studying the Encounters with Jesus with the story of Nicodemus, a Pharisee leader and ruler of the Jews. Jesus tells Nicodemus how we can be saved through a spiritual birth, and we all are able to choose whether we accept this gift of God or not.

As believers we have been called to be in community with one another as we walk with God. Pastor Shane emphasizes the importance of Christian community such as that we see illustrated in Mark 2. The community that we surround ourselves with should be one that encourages us to walk closer with Jesus.

Many of us approach the Bible with our own preconceived notions of who Jesus is. Pastor Shane kicks off a new series diving into the encounters Jesus had with people and the cultural barriers he overcame to be relatable and personable with those he came to save.

Pastor David shares a message exploring the different responses to the birth of Jesus and urges listeners to emulate the wisdom, determination, and worshipful attitude of the wise men.

The birth of Jesus involves stories of multiple individuals, most notably Mary and Joseph. Through this story we see a mother's great faith and a father's honorability. Despite their unconventional situation, their response to Jesus was "yes". What is your response to Jesus this Christmas season?

As we enter into the Christmas season it can be easy to feel forgotten and unseen in our day to day lives. Pastor Shane encourages us with the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth being blessed with a child in their old age as a result of their faithfulness to God. God does not always answer our prayers the way we might like, but he does take good care of his children and we have lots to be thankful for this holiday season.

As humans we get used to our routines and sometimes forget the value of spending time with God. Through the story of Malachi we learn the importance of having an appropriate position of the heart when entering the presence of God for worship.

As believers we have been given the manuscript of God's Word as a tool to learn more about His character and how we can have life through Him. But how can we know that what is written is true? Pastor Shane goes into historical and Biblical records to discuss the legitimacy of the Bible that we hold in our hands today.

A Thanksgiving celebration reminding us of all the blessings God has given us!

Pastor David wraps up our series through Ephesians with the armor of God. Throughout Ephesians we see encouragement to believers on how to live in such a way that reflect Christs love, and in today's part of the letter to Ephesus we read how to prepare for spiritual battle so that we might be victorious through it.

God has a unique design for every relationship a believer has. We all have our roles in how each of these are intended to play out. In today's message Pastor Shane takes a closer look at what our God-driven purpose should be in relationships and how that plays a deeper role in God's grand design.

In light of the current events going on in the world, Pastor Shane shares a timely message to the church.

David Kaya with Empower One shares with us an encouraging message about remaining vigilant in the pursuit of truth. Not every spirit is to be trusted, and as believers we are called to test the spirit to be sure they are from God. Take a listen to hear from Pastor David and his heart for missions.

As believers we have been called to imitate Christ. Pastor Shane dives into what it looks like for Christians to imitate someone they admire while discerning actions that act in obedience to God's design.

Followers of Christ have been called to walk differently by turning away from our fleshly ways of living full of lust, anger, and foul language. Through the renewal of our minds we are called to kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiving others as Christ forgave us. Find encouragement through the words of Paul as he instructed the church at Ephesus how to live holy lives.

As believers we have been charged with being part of the body of Christ. The body cannot operate well without all of its parts operating in their gifting. To find out the areas God has equipped you, take this quiz: https://gifts.churchgrowth.org

Paul calls believers to live a life worthy of the many blessings and gift God has given us. While it is difficult for us in our worldly nature to measure up, Christ took the ultimate sacrifice for us, calling us to live in unity with one another.

During Pauls imprisonment for the sake of the Gospel, he encouraged believers to not fret because of his suffering, but to spread the great mystery of the Gospel to those who do not know. As believers we have been united into one body and we are called to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ.

As believers we have been unified with Christ despite all of our worldly differences. The only way to be unified is through the blood of Christ, and there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ.

Pastor Shane highlights the transformational power of God's grace through faith in Christ, revealing how we are saved from spiritual death and sin, not by our own efforts, but by God's mercy. This salvation leads to a life of good works, reflecting our new identity in Christ.

Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus is one of encouragement. He offered up a prayer for them that establishes vision for their identity and reassert the nature of the faith-life into which they have been called.

Pastor Shane starts a new series of messages through the book of Ephesians, which is Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus. He begins the letter with praise to God for his many blessings here on earth and in heaven. We have been adopted, chosen, sealed and given the Holy Spirit as confirmation of our inheritance waiting for us in heaven.

Pastor Shane wraps up this series on the questions of Jesus by focusing on the restoration of Peter. Peter made a huge life altering decision when he denied Christ 3 times before Jesus went to the cross. In this story of redemption found in John 21, we see Jesus asking Peter a very important question three times: "Peter, do you love me?" Even though Peter had betrayed the Son of God, Jesus offered redemption and assured Peter that He is still valued by Christ, and He offers us the same love today.

Trials and tribulations are part of life. Often they leave us questioning God and even our faith. During a literal dangerous storm the disciples sought the help of Jesus when they thought they had met their doom, and Jesus responded with an important question: "Where is your faith?" Jesus has the power to calm to wind and waves in our life, but do we truly trust Him when we are no longer in control of our circumstances?

Everyone has questions for Jesus, even the most seasoned believers. Not everything this side of heaven will make sense to us. But what if we flipped the roll and let Jesus ask the questions? Who is Jesus to us? Do we live our lives fully devoted to him trusting that he is the Messiah?

God's plan from the beginning was for people to live together in unity with each other and with Him. In the world we live in today we don't find much of this unity, but in the book of Revelation we see this unity being restored because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Lance uses these scriptures to remind us that the greatest form of unity we can have in our life is being close to the heart of God.

Pastor David continues "The Final Countdown" with the events that Jesus prophesied would happen leading up to the return of Christ and the tribulation to follow. In the scriptures Jesus described in detail the antichrist and the false prophet that would rise up in the end days to distract people from following the one true God. As believers we should be encouraged to long for the return of Christ and keep our eyes focused on Him because when Christ comes, He comes on a white horse with the armies of heaven behind Him!

Jesus reminds his followers to stay alert for no one knows when the coming of the Lord will be. Pastor David encourages us to remain vigilant as we wait for the Lord, and not to lust after the things of this world as they are all fleeting.

As Jesus was preparing for the end of his time here on earth he warned the disciples of things to come. He described for them events that would take place from earthquakes to famines, wars and false prophets. Dive into Matthew 24 with us as we recognize the events that God prophesied would happen and learn how we as believers can handle these trying times.

Pastor David kicks off a new series of messages looking at how to live with confidence in the "last days". The rapture is the next main event on God's prophetic calendar where Jesus fulfills his prophecy from John 14 that he is preparing a place for us and will return to take us home with him when the time is right. Paul shares with the believers in Thessalonica what this event will look like and what we can look forward to as followers of Christ.

Pastor Shane wraps up the series on The Helper talking about spiritual gifts. God gives believers different gifts of the spirit that all work together to further the kingdom of God. Spiritual gifts are intended to point others to Christ and reveal His love. Take this quiz to find out what your gifts may be: https://gifts.churchgrowth.org

As followers of Christ, we have been given the presence and the ministry of The Holy Spirit. Pastor Shane reminds us of our need for the Holy Spirit's guidance in our lives and our role to keep in step with His leading.

Pastor Shane continues with Jesus' introduction to the Holy Spirit and His role of conviction in the world.

Pastor Shane kicks off a new series on the Holy Spirit diving into its role in our life and how it is demonstrated through Christians. As believers we have the Holy Spirit living in us and can build our relationship with him as our friend.

On this Mother's Day weekend Pastor David encourages each believer to reflect on their priorities and see how they align with God's calling on our lives. God has equipped each of us in our own ways to make more disciples of Christ and it is important that we remain clinging to God and focusing on the things He has called us to do to further His kingdom.

Pastor David continues our post-Easter conversation about making disciples and what that looks like in the life of a believer. He encourages us that if God can change our life, he can change the life of others too, even those that seem hopeless. God has called and equipped each of us to share His love with others, and what a great commission that is!

Jesus gave his disciples the greatest commission of all-time: to go and make disciples. Throughout Jesus' ministry he modeled how we were to do this with the original 12 disciples. We learn through His life that we can achieve this commission by knowing Jesus, following Jesus, and allowing Him to transform our lives as a testimony to others.

With life getting back to normal after the high of Easter Sunday, Pastor David challenges believers with the question of "what now?" So often we allow Jesus to become another item on a checklist of things we need to do, but Jesus teaches his disciples to make Him the priority of their lives by letting everyone know about the risen Savior, and we are to follow their example.

All of the disciples, except John, deserted Jesus at the cross. They misunderstood and doubted Jesus, but Thomas is singled out in the gospels because he put his doubt into words. We are encouraged through Thomas's story to trust God and know that Jesus saved us with his torture, death and Resurrection. Blessed are those who believe though they do not see.

Happy Easter, He is risen indeed! Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross our sins are forgiven and we can live with purpose. Our fulfillment no long comes from the temporary pleasures of the world. Don't miss out on the joy the comes from trusting in Jesus!

On this Palm Sunday Pastor Shane dives into the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The King didn't come in the way people expected a king to come, but instead came in on a borrowed donkey. This day leading into Holy Week is a good reflection on the humble kinghood of Jesus leading to the series of events that would have him killed later that week.

Pastor Shane continues the series on "Crucible" with a message about sacrifice. David, during a crucible moment could have chosen to accept Araunah's free offer for the land to offer a sacrifice but instead he sacrificially pays for the land. "I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing." Sacrifice, not entitlement, is a virtue in the Kingdom of God.

Every decision we make has consequences, good or bad. In today's message Pastor David talks about the redemption that came after King David's disappointing actions regarding Bathsheba and Uriah. God was able to redeem the mess that David had made, and He can redeem our story too.

Today in the story of David and Bathsheba, Pastor Shane points out that good people are capable of doing some really bad things. He also shares the destructive pattern of giving into our desires as well as the promise of God to always provide an exit ramp.

Pastor Shane continues in our series focusing on the choices that change our life forever with continued application from the life of David. David faced difficult decisions in his life despite the anointing God had placed on him. Despite the dreadful situation David found himself in when he was threatened to be stoned, he chose to be confident in the Lord rather than choosing to live a life of despair.

After the slay of Goliath, King Saul became intimidated by David and set out to kill him. David had the opportunity to kill his opponent on several occasions but he chose to leave the vengeance to the Lord. Through this story of David, Pastor Shane reminds us to place our faith in the Lord and allow his will to prevail.

As we continue to dive deeper into our core values as a church and as individuals, Pastor Shane focuses on the importance of teaching biblical truths in a practical manner. According to 2 Timothy, the word of God has many useful purposes, one of which being to equip its hearers. As believers it is important that we fix our eyes on the practical truths written in scripture so we can be prepared and ready for the work God has for us.

Pastor Shane continues the series talking about our core values and as a church and as individuals with the topic of authenticity. A life committed to authenticity must be Gospel-centered, model humility and be sincere. Vulnerability and authenticity provide the fertile soil for God to work in and through us.

Pastor Shane kicks off a new series focusing on our core values as individuals and as a church. Today's focus is on hospitality; what it looks like in the world we live in today and how we can demonstrate it as followers of Christ.

Pastor Shane kicks off the new year with a very encouraging message on using the time we have been given wisely. Be encouraged with this gentle reminder of how we can have a healthy relation with our time involving God, family, and work.

Pastor Shane shares an encouraging and challenging reminder on this Christmas morning: God is love. Love is a verb, and God showed us His love by sending us Jesus in a miraculous way. How do we show love to the people in our lives?

Pastor Shane shares the story of Mary and Joseph being told they would be parents to baby Jesus. During the shock and confusion of how this could happen, Mary still chose to say, "I am your servant". God's interruption brought Jesus to us, and we should not fear the disturbances God has planned for our lives.

Pastor David continues the wait for Christmas by looking into two important characters in the Christmas story that don't get very much recognition. The stories of Simeon and Anna are examples of waiting in expectation and never loosing faith in what God has spoken. Even though there were long seasons of waiting and the world around them was in desperation, they never doubted that the Messiah was sent in the form of a newborn baby.

What are you waiting for this Christmas season? As we take a look into Luke chapter 1, we see the start of the Christmas story that takes place after 400 years of silence. After this time of waiting, the silence was broken and the Christmas story begins with the promise of new life.

Lance shares a challenging reminder of our need to be thankful in all things.

Pastor David wraps up our series, #Blessed, with an encouraging message on being grateful at all times. Through a story in the Bible about several severely ill men we are reminded of the blessings that come when we recognize the work of God in our lives. We are indeed #blessed.

Pastor David shares a good reminder that those of us who know Christ are secure in Him and nothing can pluck us away. As followers of Jesus, we are eternally secure in our salvation and our eternal life that we will live with Him.

Pastor Shane continues our series looking closer at a few of the many blessings we have as children of God. As His children, we are justified through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are blessed because we are forgiven.

As children of God we have been chosen to be part of the family of God. We are blessed to be called his children and should never forget and take for granted the eternal separation he has saved us from.

Pastor David kicks off a new series focusing on the blessings we inherit as believers in Christ. God is love - agape love, and because of how he loves us we are called to love others.

Pastor David continues our Greater Than series focusing on the call believers have to live our lives with purpose, focusing on Jesus and finishing our race well. God has set a path before each of us and it is important that we remain focused on the purpose God has for our lives rather than being weighed down by the things of this world.