It seems that energy drinks have become all the rage now. Now instead of drinking a case of Mountain Dew you can kick back a Red Bull, a Monster, or a Rockstar to give you a jolt of energy to get you going. In this series we’re going to be looking at some stuff in the Bible that hopefully you can drink in between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and have it give you a boost at home.

You Found Me… when I was at my worst. In this series we will be looking at people that Jesus found when he was here on earth. We’ll see that you don’t have to get all cleaned up before Jesus will meet with you. Actually many of the people he found were at their worst…

Join us this Sunday at 9:00 or 10:30 for worship. All I can say is, it will be amazing.

Also after the 10:30 service, children birth—5th grade are invited to join in on Essential’s Easter Egg Hunt. Kids are encouraged to bring their Easter Egg Baskets from home to collect their eggs.

Personal Jesus – Without realizing it, it’s easy to want God to do things on our terms and on our schedule. It’s as if we want our own “personal Jesus” to do our bidding for us. In this series we will be looking at some people in the Bible who wanted to personalize Jesus to suit their wants. Join us for this four week series between now and Easter.

The Search. One of the most famous quotes in ancient literature is Socrates’, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This inner drive we have to examine our life’s meaning and purpose sends us on the search. It’s a search for answers that aren’t easily found. But how one answers this question will determine the direction and quality of their life.

This month we will be looking at life through the eyes of a guy who had the means and the power to press this search farther and deeper than anyone has ever attempted to do so. His search is recorded for us in the Book of Ecclesiastes. This is a series you won’t want to miss.

Finding Direction… after something big happens where do you go next? Whenever we come to a new year, we always starting looking ahead to the future and think about what’s next. Pastor Rick will be sharing a two week series that looks at what Jesus’ followers did after the news of Jesus’ resurrection went out.

In week one we looked at how Jesus’ love was poured out and in turn his followers poured out love. See you next week.

We live in a disposable era. There are few things we buy that we keep longer than a few years. We also don’t like anything that carries a long term commitment. Even a 2 year cell phone contract seems like an eternity to have to wait. The same has become true of marriage. Every year one million marriages end in divorce. Most couples that have been together longer than five years have thought about it. Divorce seems like the easy solution to feeling neglected, bored, or frustrated with your mate. Perhaps what we need is not just a new marriage, but a new vision for what marriage ought to be.

You need to be here for this series. You also know someone else who needs to be here too. If you don’t bring them, you’ll miss what God wants to say to you because you’ll be thinking “I really wish they were here to hear all this!!!” So do you and them a favor and call them up right now and invite them to come to Essential Church this weekend with you.

i want a new marriage from Essential Church on Vimeo.

Honest Marriage Vows from Essential Church on Vimeo.

We all have a JOB story and I’m not talking about where you work. Rather I’m talking about that guy from the Bible named “Job” who had his world fall a part almost over night. Everyone has something happen in their life that echos the trials, suffering, and pain that Job experienced. This month we’ll be looking at the book of Job and answering the questions we have in the midst of tough times. This is a series you won’t want to miss. Perhaps you might also know someone who needs to be there for it. Give them a call right now and invite them. They need to be at Essential Church this month.

Here’s some notes from the series so far:

My Job Story Week 1

This series will begin in October. Begin talking to your spouse now and get them to commit to be there for the entire month of October. Is there anything more important than your marriage? Of course not, so put this at the top of your priority list and be there.  Call your friends too. Right now you’re thinking of a firend of yours who really needs to be there. Don’t wait, call them now.

The series is based on 1 Corinthians 12:18, But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the church, just as He desired. You are an essential part of God’s plan for your church. Unfortunately many people feel expendable rather than essential.

I think that is a result of seeing church as being “all about me.”  When it’s all about me, it doesn’t matter if I go to church or not. What I end up doing is making church expendable rather than an essential part of my life. Homer Simpson’s quote regarding church rings true for our generation, “Oh, lets just skip today.” When it’s all about me, I am convinced that I am the only person effected by my decision to go to church.

This approach to church also convinces us that just attending church rather than being a part of the church is ok. God’s plan for the church wasn’t that we would all attend, but rather that we would all be a part of the church. All of 1 Corinthians 12 is centered around the truth that we are meant to be an essential part of a local church. All of us know that when one part of our body doesn’t do it’s part or doesn’t function the way it was intended, life is miserable. Even parts of the body that don’t look like they are doing much have a major impact on the body. God’s plan for church requires that play an essential part.