Hillside Community Church Podcast
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Sticks and stones may break my bones, but…Most of us know the rest—words will never hurt me. It would be nice if it were true, but it’s not. Words and gestures do hurt us and Mark wants us to know that Jesus faced a tremendous amount of mockery, scorn and humiliation on His way to and while He was on the cross. Well look at what this has to teach us this morning. Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
We move ahead to the day that Jesus was crucified. In the early hours of the morning, we see Him at prayer, but this is a different kind of prayer than we have seen before. Jesus is in anguish. He is struggling like never before. And as we realize why Jesus is overwhelmed, we begin to see the pain and suffering He will endure for us. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
One of the things that was most difficult for the disciples to understand was why Jesus came. They got that He came to save but they didn’t get HOW He would save and what the Kingdom of God would be like. They just didn’t get it. This morning we’ll watch as once again Jesus tries to help them (and us) “get it.” - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
Summary: We want to follow Jesus because at the end of the day we know that the best life, eternal life, can only be found in following Jesus! So if following Jesus offers us the best eternal destiny, why do we find it to be so difficult to follow Jesus as God’s Word tells us? Usually, it’s because we’re still holding onto something. However, new life in Christ and God’s love can only be found when we let go. - Pastor Arek OConnell Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
It was only two words. Two fairly simple words. But they changed the lives of these fishermen forever. Nothing was the same after Jesus came to them and said these two words. This morning Jesus says the same words to us: . The disciples followed. Will we? - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
Many of us don’t like to think of ourselves as leaders. We’re just followers. But for almost all of us we will be, at least for a time, leaders. If we are parents, we are leaders. If we lead a small group, we are leaders. If we are elders or deacons, we are leaders. This morning we’ll take a look at what Paul said to the leaders of the Church in Ephesus and see what it has to say to us as we lead today. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
The Apostle Paul’s missionary trips are going to come to an end. He’s heading to Jerusalem, and he knows he’s heading for trouble. As Paul begins his trip to Jerusalem, we see him busy with a number of details, putting things in place while he still can. In doing this, Paul teaches us some important lessons about what it means to be in the church. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
Paul’s time in Ephesus ended with a bang! A large number of people are converted, God’s power is on display, and the people in Ephesus show a radical devotion to God upon their conversion. Time and time throughout Acts we keep seeing that the Gospel always transforms, it often divides, and is never compromised. Is our faith in action a walking testimony or rejection of those truths? - Pastor Arek OConnell Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
Paul is going to spend three years in Ephesus planting and growing the church there. The church becomes an important church and plants other churches. What made this church so effective, so dynamic? This morning we’ll look at three marks of this dynamic church. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
We’ve been following the growth of the early church. It’s been exciting to see the movement grow from a small group in an upper room to a large body of believers spread across a good portion of the world. But wherever there is growth, there are also growing pains—there are challenges that come up. This morning we’ll look at some of these challenges and how the Spirit led the church through these challenges. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
Sometimes we just get tired. We’ve been going along and doing okay, but things start to catch up with us. We want to keep going, but it’s not easy. We’re worn out. At times like this, we need help from God—help like God gave the Apostle Paul in Corinth. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
When Paul preaches to the people of Athens, he is dealing with people who do not accept the authority of the Bible. He must find a different point of connection with these folks. As we see what Paul does, we learn important lessons about how we talk about Jesus to our family members, friends and others who do not know Jesus and who do not believe the Bible has authority. Paul ties in to a sense of longing he senses in them and proclaims that Jesus is the One they’ve been looking for. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
As we approach a new year, we tend to do two things. First, we reflect on the past year, and we resolve what to do the following year. As you consider what type of year you want 2024 to look like, our text in Jeremiah will encourage us to remember a faithful group of nomads called the Rekabites. Perhaps they will help us all resolve to be faithful! Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
For many of us, we would rather be on the giving end of gifts than on the receiving end. We like to give to others, and if someone gives us something, we want to be able to give them a gift back. It’s not always easy simply to receive a gift. But at the heart of the Christmas story is a gift from God that we can only receive and never repay—the gift of His Son. The question for us today is this: will we receive the gift of Jesus? - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
At this time of the year, we sing songs that talk about God coming near to us. We sing, “O Come, O Come, Immanuel,” or “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” We look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus. But before we get too excited, we need to hear the prophet Malachi. He reminds us that when Jesus comes, it’s not just angels and stars and happy thoughts. Jesus also comes as a Refining Fire. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
The most difficult circumstances and seasons to have hope in are the ones where nothing seems to go right. We look at the world around us and it feels like everything is falling apart and certain evils, injustices, and suffering don’t seem to have an end in sight. But Isaiah prophecies of one who can put an end to it all, the one that we can put our hope in, the tender plant. - Pastor Arek OConnell Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
This morning we begin getting ready for the arrival (advent) of Jesus on Christmas day. To help us get our hearts ready to welcome Jesus, we’re going to look at four images from the Bible that help us understand who Jesus is. We start with an image from 1,400 years before Jesus was born—He is the bright Morning Star. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
If someone didn’t know much about Christianity and they asked you to tell them about Jesus, what would you say? What words would you use to describe Him? What would you focus on? This morning we’ll listen in to what Paul said about Jesus to people who didn’t know who Jesus was or what Jesus did. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
On this Thanksgiving Day, most of us know we should be grateful. And most of us genuinely want to be grateful. But how do we grow in gratitude? This morning we’ll look at three necessities for growing gratitude. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
Paul and his companions are about to meet some new friends and enemies as they bring the gospel into new territories with new rules. However, God and the gospel message never change. As the gospel begins to challenge and change these new places Paul shows us that even when things get tough, our central commitment is to Christ and the Gospel because the Gospel is central and above everything. - Pastor Arek OConnell Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
If we’re disciples of Jesus, we want to be where God wants us to be. But how do we know where God wants us to be? How do we know if God wants us to stay where we are or move on to some other place? This morning we’ll see Paul, Silas, and Timothy struggle with those questions. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
It’s one thing when we disagree. It happens. But it’s another thing when those disagreements become personal, when we are not talking about an issue or a problem but we are attacking a person. We might wish we could say that such a thing would never happen among Christians, but this morning we’ll see it happen between two amazing Christian leaders. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
How do we as Christians get along? We’re not all the same and sometimes, if we’re honest, other Christians can bug us a little (or a lot). Sometimes they don’t just bug us. Sometimes we think they’re wrong on some things. How do we get along when we don’t always see eye to eye? It’s not always easy, but it is always important that we work at it. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
Paul and Barnabas were extremely excited about what God had done on their mission trip. It seemed like God was clearly at work. But then some of the believers began to ask questions. Is this really from God? Are the changes that are happening the right ones? Luke tells us that a “sharp dispute and debate” broke out. Who was right? What was the real issue? And how will the church decide? This morning we’ll think about these questions. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
Paul and his companions are coming to the end of their missionary journey. Paul has traveled far and wide and witnessed the numerous ‘doors of Faith’ God opened to the Gentiles. At the end of his journey, we’re told the church gathers to hear about all the doors of Faith being opened. This morning we’re going to hear similar testimony from our mission partners around the world. - Pastor Arek OConnell Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
Paul and Barnabas may have gotten whiplash. One moment the crowds want to worship them. The next the crowds are trying to kill them. This morning we’ll look at the amazing story of how Paul and Barnabas went from heroes to villains in just a few minutes. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
One of the hardest things to do is to try to explain something to someone who already thinks they know everything. They don’t tend to listen very well—after all, they already know everything they need to know. This morning we’ll take a look at a sermon Paul preached to people who thought they knew it all. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
We live in a world where we are taught to be tolerant of everyone. There’s something good about that. But there are times when “speaking the truth in love” means that we will confront people in the name of Jesus. This morning we’ll see Saul face one of those times. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
As we kick off a new year of activities and programs, we’ll take some time this morning to listen to what Peter had to say at the end of his second letter. He closes with one final command for all those in the church—Grow! As followers of Jesus, we are not called to simply hang around until we die and go to heaven. We are called to grow and become more and more like Jesus. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
We’ve been talking about the power of hope. We’ve seen that hope in Jesus Christ can be an anchor for our souls and the reason we encourage each other. This morning we’ll see how hope can help us to stay faithful as we follow Jesus. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show https://hillsidegr.churchcenter.com/giving
