Shows
2020-12-2723 min
Shartel ChurchGet Tough or Get TrampledAre you prepared for the pain that comes with the promise? Getting the seed of Christ planted in your heart is an incredibly joyful experience. But no sooner do you decide to follow Christ than the problems come. Obstacles. Setbacks. Struggles. Hardships. They are all a part of growing in Christ on this fallen planet. This message looks at how to prepare yourself for the trials and develop the endurance to keep growing, no matter what!
2020-11-2239 min
Shartel ChurchKnow Your EnemyJesus said that the Enemy wants to steal the seed that God is planting. Do we know how he does that? This message will look at the Enemy works. We'll look at the excuses he gives us, the lies he tells us, and the temptations he places before us. Spiritual warfare is real, and if we're going to be successful, we need to know our Enemy!
2020-11-1535 min
Shartel ChurchGod Is Up to Something"The farmer went out to sow some seeds…" That's what God does EVERY DAY! He is sowing seeds of wisdom. He is sowing seeds of conviction. He is sowing seeds of hope. He is sowing seeds of warning. The only question is, "Are we aware of them?" This looks at how to prepare our hearts and minds for the seeds that God is scattering.
2020-11-0834 min
Shartel ChurchJoy Is an Inside JobIn one of his most powerful discourses, Paul talks about what it means to be “content.” It seems that so much of our happiness is dependent on what we think we have to have. Paul reminds us that happiness is an INSIDE job. Contentment can be ours, whether we have a lot or a little. It’s not what you hold in your hand. It’s what you hold in your heart!
2020-11-0137 min
Shartel ChurchIt's All In Your HeadThe key to Paul’s success through his trials was how he THOUGHT. In this passage, Paul gives us some great tips on the power of focusing our minds. What gets your attention gets your emotions, and what gets your emotions takes control of your behavior! If you want to change your life, it all begins by letting God transform the way you THINK. Stinking thinking leads to a smelly life!
2020-10-2535 min
Shartel ChurchDon't Sweat the Small StuffOne of the things that hardship should do is give you a better perspective. So much of what we make a big deal about isn’t really a big deal at all. This is especially true in our relationships. Paul says we should take on that same attitude that Christ had and think of ourselves as servants and helpers instead of rulers. This message looks at how to stop putting our “rights” ahead of our relationships and live more selfless and mature lives.
2020-10-1833 min
Shartel ChurchYour Future Is Not Behind YouGoing through difficulty makes people long for the “good old days.” The problem is, they really weren’t all that great! In fact, the “good old days” were once called “these trying times!” Paul reminds us to let go of the past because it’s not coming back. Fixing our eyes on where God is taking us keeps us reaching for the future and finding the “new things” God has ahead!
2020-10-1136 min
Shartel ChurchYour Outlook Will Determine Your OutcomeMany people would look at prison and see it as a dark cloud. Paul saw the silver lining in that cloud, and it turned out to be a gold mine! Instead of cursing his luck at not being able to preach in the streets, Paul seized the opportunity to preach in prison! This message will look at how we can find opportunities in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Focusing on what you CAN do, instead of what you can’t, opens doors you didn’t even know were there.
2020-10-0434 min
Shartel ChurchI Need a HugPaul begins his letter by sharing how important the Philippians were to him. Knowing that they were there for him helped his heart to be at ease. He may be facing a tough situation, but he knew he wasn’t alone. That makes a world of difference! This message will look at how to keep relationships strong in the midst of social distancing and fears of a viral outbreak.
2020-09-2740 min
Shartel ChurchThe Boomerang BlessingThere are many statements that Jesus makes that seem counterintuitive. This statement is one of them. Generosity brings back blessings. The truth is that people who are generous and giving are also those who feel the most “blessed” and the most content. We think by clinging to what we have, we’ll keep it. Jesus says by learning to give; we MULTIPLY it! Today we’ll focus on the joy that comes when we develop a generous heart.
2020-09-2137 min
Shartel ChurchThe Complete HealerThis great story reminds us of Jesus’ ability to make us WHOLE. Four friends bring a buddy who is paralyzed to be healed by Jesus, and he is! Jesus does more than healing the man’s legs. He heals his SOUL! Jesus is the one who can forgive our sins as well as heal our diseases. This sermon will invite people to experience the wholeness of healing that Jesus offers them: Body, mind, and spirit!
2020-09-1540 min
Shartel ChurchPrecious & PricelessIn a world that treats people as disposable, God considers us to be precious and priceless. Jesus reminds us that God is so caring that not a single bird falls to the ground without His notice. But WE are much more valuable to God than birds! This message will remind our audience of their intrinsic worth that God has given them. We’ll also remind them that God sees them too…no matter what they are going through.
Father's Love Letter is played with permission from fathersloveletter.com
2020-09-0641 min
Shartel ChurchThe Secret to Our SuccessWe are powerless on our own. We don’t have the wisdom or the strength to do God’s work without God’s help. Jesus reminds us in this passage that we are to “abide” in Him. That means we are to stay close, stay connected, and stay tapped into God’s Spirit. This message will look at how we do that and the symptoms of living out an “unrooted faith.”
2020-08-3035 min
Shartel ChurchDivine DiffusersWhat a great challenge! In our passage for today, He reminds us that He’s not just pouring Himself INTO us, but He wants to pour Himself out THROUGH us!
We are His “salt” to this world. We are His “light.” Every day, we get to diffuse the life and love of Jesus to everyone we come into contact with. This message will focus on what that looks like and how we can keep from just keeping all of Jesus to ourselves.
2020-08-2632 min
Shartel ChurchGod's Love LetterThe world’s most recognized verse is one of the most sacred. It’s is Jesus’ declaration of why He came: Because God loves us so very much! This message will focus on the fact that God is not mad at us but is compassionate towards us and wants to lavish His Love on all who will believe. Through the years, lots of great love letters have been written, but none more life-changing than this one.
2020-08-1735 min
Shartel ChurchNever Forsaken Part 2This week, we'll continue exploring the powerful Presence of God! He is our Immanuel, who promises to be with us no matter what we face. He is the difference-maker. He is the steadying hand upon our shoulder. He is our source of strength. No matter what you are facing in your life, God promises to be there with you every step of the way. Let His Presence lift your head and give you what you need to face your life challenges!
2020-08-0932 min
Shartel ChurchNever Forsaken Part 1One of the great themes and promises of scripture is God's powerful Presence. He has no desire to be a distant deity. He wants to be WITH US. It is His Presence that gives us courage. It is His Presence that gives us peace. It is His Presence that gives us hope in the darkest of times. This week, we'll look at how we tap into that Presence and invite God to walk with us each day!
2020-08-0236 min
Shartel ChurchGreater Is HeThis message compares Deuteronomy 20:4 and 1 John 4:4 and how God gives us Victory. We are to claim God's victory instead of fighting for our own victory. He has already won the battle for us.
2020-07-2633 min
Shartel ChurchClear the PathIs the way you live clearing a path for unbelievers to encounter Jesus, or are you becoming a stone in their path? Is the way we are living causing others to stumble? Does our right to do what we think is okay blind us from the negative effects of not living above reproach? This message will seek to help people care more about their pursuit of Jesus than doing what they feel they have the right to do. It is choosing to have self-control where others do not. It’s saying no when the people around you cannot. Ultimately, this is...
2020-07-1937 min
Shartel ChurchGo DeepDeeper, that’s where Jesus always wants to take us: to places within ourselves that we haven’t yet gone; to places of His calling that we haven’t yet followed. Many of us spend our lives in a place of shallow faith. We want just enough Jesus to make us feel safe. But Jesus wants to take us to the “deep waters” where we must cling to Him for survival! Peter teaches us a “must learn” lesson for every believer.
2020-07-1241 min
Shartel ChurchBecoming Great with GracePeter thought he was being noble by asking Jesus if forgiving someone seven times was enough. Seven was a lot. Seven was the perfect number, so it had a bit of a “magic” sound to it. But Jesus challenged Peter to think bigger. “How about 490?” Peter wanted to be good with grace. Jesus wanted Peter to become GREAT with grace! How will YOU do with Jesus' challenge?
2020-07-0537 min
Shartel ChurchStand StrongCan YOU stay put when all others walk away? Can YOU still believe, even when people who matter to you say that they don’t? This was Peter’s challenge in our scripture for this week. Jesus said some hard things that made many of His disciples walk away. Peter, the rock, stood firm. His commitment to Christ over others is a model for us all.
2020-06-2836 min
Shartel ChurchDon't Get a Big HeadPeter was a strong man. But he wasn’t nearly as strong as he thought he was! This message will look at what happens when we overestimate ourselves and put too much trust in OUR strength rather than depending on Jesus. Peter learned the hard way that pride goes before the fall. And sometimes that fall REALLY hurts! This message takes a hard look at how all of us are prone to this temptation. We’ll discover that it’s only when we learn to acknowledge our weakness that God can make us strong!
2020-06-2140 min
Shartel ChurchStep Out of Your BoatIs God calling you out of your comfort zone? When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he wanted to know if HE could walk on water, too. So Jesus told Peter to join Him. Peter learned what faith really is…and how we lose it! This message will challenge all of us to step out of our boats, and to keep our eyes on Jesus!
2020-06-1432 min
Shartel ChurchLife's Most Importat QuestionJesus asked Peter a question that ultimately we ALL have to answer: “Who do YOU say that I am?” It doesn’t matter what the crowd thinks, what the pastor thinks, or what your parents think. Eventually, we will all stand before God and it will be the only important question because THAT questions will decide eternity. Peter’s answer is a great answer for us all to have!
2020-06-0737 min
Shartel ChurchWatch that First StepMany times, we are victims of the systems we have set up with others. We tolerate behavior we need to confront. We let things go until it’s “just the way it is.” This message will look at how to set up relational systems that lead to healthy relationships. We’ll also look at how to confront systems and behaviors that are unacceptable and need to change. If we get the first steps right, the others come a lot more easily!
2020-05-3134 min
Shartel ChurchBe a RedeemerHow do you respond to someone when they have failed you, disappointed you, or not lived up to what they promised you? When people fail, they are often filled with shame. We hold the power in those moments to crush them or to redeem them. Forgiveness often bonds another person’s heart to us and makes them feel indebted and valued. This message will focus on how to redeem those moments—not ignoring or minimizing the failure, but seizing it and seeking to use it to teach, heal, and restore. It’s the art of dealing with others just like God de...
2020-05-2435 min
Shartel ChurchTune In Or Lose OutDefining moments in relationships often happen when there is a lot of emotion involved. When someone is in a crisis. When someone experiences a loss. When someone experiences great success. When someone has been hurt, criticized, or betrayed. How we respond to them in those moments will create bonding or barriers. This message looks at how to do effective emotional responding and give to others what they need at that moment when they need it.
2020-05-1741 min
Shartel ChurchTrust Builders Vs. Trust BustersTrust is a bridge we build or destroy one incident at a time. Often we don't even realize the little things that we're doing that are causing others to lose trust in us. This message we will discover how to be "Trust Builders" instead of "Trust Busters." Come discover how to strengthen the trust bridges in YOUR relationships!
2020-05-1133 min
Shartel ChurchAnger ManagementAnger is like a fire. How you respond to someone who is angry will either help that fire go out, or it will cause it to get hotter and spread. This message will focus on how to keep our cool when someone’s angry and how to respond to them in a way that helps put that fire of anger out!
2020-05-0338 min
Shartel ChurchApologies that Stick/Apologies that StinkJesus makes it clear that we are to apologize for hurts we caused. Some of us are not really good at that. Instead of making someone we hurt feel better, we make them feel worse! This message will look at making the most of our apologies to draw others close and not push them further away.
2020-04-2643 min
Shartel ChurchTough Faith for Trying TimesWe are going through trying times right now. 25 years ago today was another trying time. In this message, we remember what happened with the Murrah Bombing and how we can hold onto the Ledges of Light that give us hope.
2020-04-2036 min
Shartel ChurchHe Still Moves StonesDon’t miss this incredible day as we remember the event that changed history!
2020-04-1231 min
Shartel ChurchA Different Kind of KingToday is Palm Sunday! We are looking at how Jesus is King and was welcomed as a king when he entered Jerusalem. In this message, we look at how Jesus is King, but he didn't come as a normal king would. Jesus came as A Different Kind of King.
2020-04-0535 min
Shartel ChurchWinning Over WorryOne of the canyons we can slip into is the canyon of worry. Worry is spending time, energy, and emotion fretting over circumstances that we can’t control. We let concerns about tomorrow rob us of today as well. David and Paul both challenge us to learn to trust God with our circumstances. This message will help us to discover the power that comes when we do as Paul suggests and “pray about everything and worry about nothing!”
2020-03-3031 min
Shartel ChurchGood GriefGod gave us the ability to grieve as a way of dealing with the losses we experience in life. Grief is good. Grief is healthy. Sometimes we don’t move through our grief. We simply become stuck in our sadness. That’s when we need to be reminded that our God didn’t stay in the grave. He arose! We’ll discover how God can help us in our times of loss to make sure that our grief doesn’t consume us.
2020-03-2233 min
Shartel ChurchFrom Shamed to ChangedWhen David was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his adultery with Bathsheba, God broke his heart. God used the shame to wake David up, turn him around, and make him into the man of God that he had been and wanted to be. The enemy will try to use our shame against us. He will try to make our sin unforgivable and our lives unredeemable. This message will look at the difference between shame that leads to transformation and shame that leads to hopelessness.
2020-03-1729 min
Shartel ChurchDepressedDepression is a darkness that many people struggle with. It’s like quicksand that can drag us down a little bit at a time. It saps our energy. It steals our hope. It’s a cave that the enemy seeks to push us farther and farther into until we can no longer see the light. Some depression is chemical and requires medication, but most depression is our minds dwelling on darkness rather than light. This message will look at how to hold onto hope when those dark nights of depression set in.
2020-03-0933 min
Shartel ChurchAloneIs there any worse feeling than feeling alone? David cries out to the Lord in this Psalm and says, “I am alone and in deep distress.” Sometimes we feel like no one cares. Sometimes we feel like no one even notices. Loneliness is also a tool the enemy uses to make us feel hopeless and defeated. This message will remind us that we have a friend who sticks closer than a brother!
2020-03-0234 min
Shartel ChurchFearFear magnifies our pain and steals away our joy. It is one of the enemy’s greatest tools and one of our greatest of human weaknesses. Fear, in and of itself, is a healthy emotion and a gift from God. In the enemy’s hand, it becomes a tool of self-destruction. This message will help us to discover how to not only face our fears, but how to push through them to victory.
2020-02-2433 min
Shartel ChurchDisappointmentIt may have seemed to many that David lived a charmed life, but he didn’t. He suffered a lot of disappointments along the way, particularly with his children. This message will use Psalm 3 as a backdrop to talk about how God actually uses the disappointments of life to shape us and make us into who He’s called us to be.
2020-02-1733 min
Shartel ChurchYour Verse, SarahThis verse is special. It was Jesus’ life verse. It was the one He quoted in the synagogue when He began His ministry. He came to heal. He came to liberate. He came to bring life and light to a dying and dark world. Then, before He left us, He declared that “As God the Father sent me, so send I you!” Jesus’ life-verse became our mandate. Go do as He did. We are given more than a second chance. We are given a Calling. This message will be about discovering what that calling is for each of us.
2020-02-1037 min
Shartel ChurchYour Verse, RachelIt’s not what you know, it’s who. That’s how you get many of the opportunities in life. It’s also how you get to come into the presence of God. Jesus opened the door for us to have full access to the Father. We can come to Him, talk with Him, listen to Him, and worship Him. We can come with the same assurance of a child who knows their daddy loves them. We can come daily. We can come instantly. We can come BOLDLY. All because of Jesus.
2020-02-0335 min
Shartel ChurchYour Verse, WillWhat is the truth, Is it relative? Not according to God. In fact, God has the market cornered on truth! In this verse, God makes a promise to us, if we abide in His Word, and if we take time to tend to our relationship with Him, then He will let us in on this truth. This message will focus on what it looks like to abide in the Word, and why it matters…that God seeks to use the truth to free us from the lies that can imprison us!
2020-01-2834 min
Shartel ChurchYour Verse, JanetGod has plans for you. When it seems life is against you, God has plans for you. When tragedy strikes or life turns upside down, God has plans for you. When you’ve failed greatly and find yourself in the pig sty of bad decisions, God doesn’t quit on you…and He still has plans for you! This verse will look at the relentless faithfulness of God in the ups and downs of life. No matter where we are on the journey, God has plans for us!
2020-01-2136 min
Shartel ChurchYour Verse - JonathonJesus didn’t come to simply teach us. He came to TRANSFORM us. He wants us to live right side up in an upside-down world. He called us to be HOLY…set apart, consecrated, and uniquely changed by God. It is not an instantaneous process, but a life-long pursuit. This message will be about making our lives “attractively different.”
2020-01-1534 min
Shartel ChurchYour Verse - SteveWe kick off our new series, Your Verse, with Pastor Steve's life verse. This verse reveals to us that God wants more than just a superficial relationship. God wants us to experience Him. He wants us to know Him. This verse will kick off our New Year with a challenge to know God in a more personal and powerful way.
2020-01-0728 min
Shartel ChurchKeeping the Joy AliveThe shepherds kept celebrating long after they left the stable. Their joy wasn’t just in that moment there by the manger. They took it with them! This message will look at how we keep the joy alive. We’ll explore what it takes to keep a sense of that Christmas joy all year long!
2019-12-2935 min
2019-12-2416 min
Shartel ChurchCome See for YourselfCan you imagine after seeing and hearing the angels, the shepherds NOT going to Bethlehem? I wonder if some did. I wonder if there was a shepherd or two that offered to stay behind with the sheep. Sometimes we want just enough of an experience with God to feel “spiritual” but not change. God invites us to see Him, know Him, and touch Him. Joy isn’t knowing about Jesus. It’s knowing Jesus!
2019-12-2230 min
Shartel ChurchDon't Miss the MessengerThe shepherds were tempted to run from the angel. Who could blame them? It was an awesome and frightening experience, but it was a direct message of God. In this message, we’ll look at how we often duck the messages of God in our fear of what He might be saying or fear of what He might want to do through our lives. God has a message for you that you won’t want to miss!
2019-12-1730 min
Shartel ChurchFinding Joy in the Dark TimesThe angels came to lowly shepherds in the darkness of the night. That’s a place that many of us can relate. Painful losses, embarrassing failures, and overwhelming circumstances have shrouded many of us with a thick darkness of loneliness, grief, and shame. God’s joy was sent for just such a time as that! This message will look at reclaiming God’s joy when darkness is all we see.
2019-12-1039 min
Shartel ChurchYour Sign from GodGideon had a hard time believing God. Instead of taking the angel at his word, Gideon asks the angel to do something to prove it was really God. Beneath this “sign from God” was insecurity and doubt. It was another form of hiding. This message will focus on what seeking a “sign” is all about and how we can learn to take God at His Word. That is the essence of faith!
2019-12-0434 min
Shartel ChurchIt's Not About YouGideon had a lot of insecurity. He didn’t have the confidence to believe he could overcome the Midianites and do what God was calling him to do. He forgot something that MANY of us forget. It’s not about us! The angel’s promise was that GOD would be with him, and GOD would be enough to do what needed to be done!
2019-11-2434 min
Shartel ChurchStop HidingGideon was hiding. Afraid the Midianites would steal his grain, he hid like everyone else. The angel of God reminded him that was meant for more than that. It was time for Gideon to stop hiding and reclaim the identity that God had given to him. This message will ask the question, “What are YOU hiding from?” You are “more than conquerors through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
2019-11-1729 min
Shartel ChurchAre You Ready to Listen?The people of God were stuck because of their disobedience. They tried to do it their way rather than God’s way, and now they were being overrun by the Midianites. God sent them a prophet to remind them of a simple lesson: Listen. Listening to God is the beginning of wisdom. It’s also the first step out of the rut we’re in.
2019-11-1433 min
Shartel ChurchFreedom in SlaveryIt’s funny how people think being “free” is being able to do whatever they want to do. They don’t even realize the bondage that they’re experiencing. When we commit our lives to Christ, we shake off the shackles of that bondage. We find in chaining ourselves to Christ that there is a freedom we never knew. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from fear. Freedom from living lives that are meaningless. As “slaves” of Christ, we are “owned” by Him. That ownership allows us to become all that we were meant to be.
2019-11-0336 min
Shartel ChurchBelieving Is SeeingSeeing is believing—except with God. Then, believing is seeing! Faith is such an important part of our connection to God that He asks us to believe Him in advance for things we will later see. Things we can see don’t take faith. That’s why Jesus’ conversation with Thomas is so insightful. Thomas believed when he finally saw it. The ones who are truly “blessed” are the ones who believe without seeing!
2019-10-2835 min
Shartel ChurchStrong When WeakOne of the great temptations in our journey of faith is to believe we can handle life by ourselves. We often set ourselves up for failure by attacking life with nothing more than our own human resources. Paul reminds us that it’s actually when we’re weak that we’re the most powerful. It’s when we realize how dependent we are upon God that we become the most dangerous. When we’re aware that we are weak, we fully lean in to the power of God!
2019-10-2235 min
Shartel ChurchWise by Being FoolishThe cross of Christ doesn’t make sense. The whole gospel doesn’t make sense. That’s because God doesn’t think like we do, and we don’t know what God knows. It is only when we come to terms with how foolish our human thinking really is that we can begin to think as God thinks and see things the way God sees them. We may look foolish to the world, but there is a deep wisdom in our foolishness.
2019-10-1533 min
Shartel ChurchThe Humble Are ExaltedPride is the root of all sin. Humility is the root of all virtue. This message will look at why and how being humble places us in a position to be exalted. Humility in our relationships with others breeds trust, confidence, and adoration. Humility with God allows Him to protect, direct, and empower us. As we bow down, God lifts up!
2019-10-0836 min
Shartel ChurchServe to LeadThis message looks at how Jesus flipped the script on what it means to be a great leader. It’s not about power, image, or the ability to command. Great leaders are servants of a cause. They are servants of a people. They lead by example and not by intimidation. Our families, jobs, churches, and positions in the community are great opportunities to express the model of Jesus’ servant leadership. Upside Down leaders lead with a basin and towel, not a scepter of power.
2019-10-0135 min
Shartel ChurchGive to ReceiveThe most blessed people in the world are the most generous. They are not generous because they are blessed. They are blessed because they are generous! When we give ourselves fully and freely away, it opens the heart of others to us. It also positions us to be blessed by God. “Blessed to be a blessing” is an ancient and ongoing command for us. This message will look at how we put that into practice.
2019-09-2232 min
Shartel ChurchLose Your Life to Save ItThe first four-letter word most of us learn is MINE. Our self-consumption is one of the biggest reasons why we find it difficult to follow Christ. We can’t cling to Him while we’re still clinging to ourselves. Only when we give up all of who we are can we embrace all of who HE is.
2019-09-1731 min
Shartel ChurchDon't Drop the BatonOur race is not a sprint. It’s not even a marathon. It’s a RELAY. That’s why one of our focal points is “Preparing the next generation for faith and leadership.” We can’t take our eyes off this goal. This message will look at the incredible responsibility we have and why we make children, youth, and leadership development priorities. We’ll talk about what that means as a church and what that requires of us as individuals and families to press the baton of faith firmly into their hands.
2019-09-0836 min
Shartel ChurchThe Missing LinkReaching the world for Christ is not a program. It’s a personal responsibility. This week we’ll look at “Sharing our faith through investing and inviting.” God has called us to build bridges of love to people who are far from Him. Instead of withdrawing into our religious fortresses, we are to do what Jesus did: Become friends of sinners. We are to become the light the world is looking for. If you want to know why more people aren’t turning to God, all we have to do is look in the mirror. We are the missing link in God’s c...
2019-09-0344 min
Shartel ChurchWould They Miss Us if We Were Gone?This message looks at “Serving our community at their point of need.” If Shartel mysteriously ceased to exist next week, would the community even know we were gone? Jesus walked among His community. He tended to their needs. He helped them with their troubles. He was a Savior of the people and for the people. That’s why they loved Him so much. That’s how we want to live. We’re our best version of US when we make our ministry about THEM! We want to make an impact that would break people’s hearts if we were no longer aroun
2019-08-2531 min
Shartel ChurchThe Best Version of YOU!We kick off this series by focusing on “Becoming fully committed followers of Jesus Christ.” Jesus never said, “Get saved.” He said, “Follow me!” It only takes a moment to make a commitment to Christ, but it takes a lifetime to be fashioned into His image. This message will look at what it takes to keep “becoming” on the journey and how we’re the best image of us when we’re the best image of Christ!
2019-08-1934 min
Shartel ChurchEverything Happens for a ReasonThis cliché is used A LOT. The underlying thought is that there is a divine plan to everything that happens, but there isn’t. Many of the things that happen are a result of the hand of man, not the hand of God. There is a huge difference between the belief God WORKS in all things and God CAUSES all things. In this message, we will seek to debunk the “everything happens for a reason” myth and it’s twin sister that things are “meant to be.”
2019-08-1241 min
Shartel ChurchYou Can't Question GodSure, you can. David did. Job did. Moses did. Even Jesus did. Questioning God keeps our relationship with Him real and vibrant. Asking God questions gives Him the green light to provide us with answers. We may not always agree with or like His response, but we can always ask God honest questions.
2019-08-0633 min
Shartel ChurchJust Trust Your HeartA lot of times, our feelings and intuitions are spot on, so trusting our hearts is fine. There are many times when desires, fears, or hurts cloud our hearts. In those times, our hearts are not so trustworthy. This message will look at how to test our heart to make sure that what we feel we should do is the right thing to do.
2019-07-3036 min
Shartel ChurchGod Won't Give You More than You can BearThere are two lies in this one! One is the lie that God is the one giving out the burdens. Life does that. The other is that it won’t be more than you can bear. It will be! This message will look at where our struggles come from and how they remind us of how much we need God to get through them.
2019-07-2332 min
Shartel ChurchJust Have Faith, and It'll Work OutSometimes the worst happens. It happens to people who are totally sold out to God. Hebrews 11 tells of wonderful people of faith through whom God did great things. There’s another group of people there who had great faith in God that had horrible things happen to them. Faith may get us through, but it doesn’t always prevent bad things from happening.
2019-07-1638 min
Shartel ChurchAll Roads Lead to HeavenGod’s grace is great. His desire to see people redeemed is great. But people often don’t want to seek God. They want to do what they do and believe God is fine with that. This message we see that Jesus came to make it CLEAR how people can come to God. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
2019-07-0932 min
Shartel ChurchJesus Is All You NeedJesus is all you need. It almost sounds blasphemous to say that it is a cliché, but God created us to need more than Him. He created us to need one another as well. This message will seek to help us understand why God created us to live in community and need more than just Him.
2019-07-0232 min
Shartel ChurchGod Helps Those Who Help ThemselvesDiligence is a noble character trait that God favors. That’s true. He is also a Helper, Provider, and a Savior who helps those who have no ability to help themselves. God blesses those who are diligent and hardworking, but He is our Rescuer who helps those of us who are stuck as well.
2019-06-2536 min
Shartel ChurchBig Boys Don't CryIt’s sad how we sometimes teach our boys that to be a man you can’t show emotion, especially sadness or hurt. We do that in our faith journey as well. We sometimes act as though to show grief, sadness, or frustration is a lack of faith, but it’s not. This message will look at what it means to be a “real man” and “real Christian.” Jesus showed emotion; so can we.
2019-06-1834 min
Shartel ChurchLife is Unfair, God is GoodPastor Sarah shares a summary the first day’s lesson of Vacation Bible School. Life isn’t always fair. In fact, most of the time, it is unfair. It doesn’t make a difference if it’s unfair or not because God is Good! Roar! Life is Wild, God is Good!
2019-06-1133 min
Shartel ChurchVandalism of the HeartPaul calls the church in Corinth “saints.” They were far from perfect, but they had Jesus. It is too easy to let negativity creep in and instead define others and ourselves by our sin and failure. This message will seek to deal with our shame and insecurity, help us to find the confidence with who we are in Christ, and help us to be defined by the grace and love of God.
2019-06-0437 min
Shartel ChurchGallery of the DivineYou are a Masterpiece hanging in the Museum of God, but you are not the only one. This message will focus on how we can not only see the value in others but live in such a way that we help them discover the value in themselves, seeing and celebrating the divine uniqueness in God’s creation.
2019-05-2833 min
Shartel ChurchArtwork of the DivineThere are all kinds of people and expectations that try to label our value, and it is far too difficult not to hear them all. The world, our friends, our parents, our own expectations, and even the dilemma of comparison are all trying to speak into our lives and dictate our value. This message will help us drown out all those voices and to listen in, to listen in for the truth of God and how we can begin helping ourselves believe that we are Masterpieces.
2019-05-2129 min
Shartel ChurchWhen God Doesn't Make SenseSometimes God does things (or doesn’t do things) that we can’t understand. When Jesus got the word that Lazarus was sick, He didn’t rush to his side. He stayed put. He let Lazarus die. He had a plan that His disciples couldn’t possibly understand. God does that a LOT. This message will look at the need we have to trust God when what He does falls outside our understanding. Just because it doesn’t make sense to US, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense.
2019-05-1433 min
Shartel ChurchHope Is a PersonJesus’ declaration, “I am the resurrection and the life,” gives focus to our faith. Our hope is not in an outcome; it is in a person. Jesus wants us to do more than trust what He can do. He wants us to trust Him. Mary and Martha THOUGHT they knew Jesus. Here, in their most trying hour, Jesus invited them to REALLY know Him.
2019-05-0742 min
Shartel ChurchGod Gets YouThe shortest verse in the Bible is one of the most revealing. “Jesus wept.” Those two words tell us of a God who feels what we feel and who cares deeply about the heartaches of His people. In this message, we’ll look at how God truly hears our prayers because He FEELS our prayers. He “gets” us. He understands.
2019-04-3037 min
Shartel ChurchIt's Never Too Late for a New BeginningEveryone thought it was over. Lazarus was dead—four days dead, doornail dead. If he was only sick, then maybe Jesus could do something, not now. But He did! This message will show that Resurrection Day isn’t just about what God did for Jesus but what Jesus can do for US! We’ll discover what Jesus said is true: “All things are possible for him who believes.”
2019-04-2338 min
Shartel ChurchStop Playing GodJonah got mad because God did what God does: He gave grace to the repentant Nineveh. Sadly, it was more important to Jonah to be RIGHT about his prophecy of destruction than for God to spare Nineveh. This message will look at how our desires to be God are really not the desires or attitudes of God at all. When we try to PLAY God, we become hurters rather than healers, judges rather than advocates, and divisive rather than unifying. Sometimes, even when we think we’re on God’s side, we’re actually running the wrong way. Thankfully, God does G...
2019-04-1637 min
Shartel ChurchMaking the Most of Second ChancesJonah came out of the whale and did what God wanted him to do. I don’t think we fully appreciate how rare that is. Many people when given a second chance repeat their earlier mistakes, which is why they keep ending up back in the same place over and over again. This message will look at the preciousness of grace and how we need to treat second chances with sacred regard. If we want to end up someplace DIFFERENT than before, we have to DO something different than we’ve previously done.
2019-04-0935 min
Shartel ChurchDon't Waste a DisasterIs there anything worse than “hitting bottom?” Yes. It’s hitting bottom and not LEARNING from it! In this message, we’ll look at how Jonah became broken and repentant. It took the belly of a whale to get him there, but he got there! We’ll challenge our people not to waste those moments when their lives fall apart. Sometimes it’s broken pieces that God is waiting for to make something new!
2019-04-0238 min
Shartel ChurchWhy Are You Running?All of us tend to run from God for a variety of reasons. In spite of whatever that reason may be, God never gives up on us. He chases us with His love, seeking to redeem and restore. This message will explore the various reasons we run from God and explore God’s relentless pursuit of us.
2019-03-2638 min
Shartel ChurchForgiving Like Jesus“Forgive them, Father, they don’t know what they are doing.” Wow. Have those words ever come out of YOUR mouth? Of all of the traits of Jesus that we’ll consider, I don’t think that any challenges us more than trying to forgive like Him. Not just overlooking the little stuff, but learning to let go of big wounds and deep hurts. This message will cause us to reach deep into the heart of God to reflect Him.
2019-03-1931 min
Shartel ChurchPraying Like JesusIt’s interesting that Jesus’ disciples never asked Him to teach them how to preach, teach, or heal. They did, however, ask Him to teach them how to pray! What was it about Jesus’ prayer life that they found so desirable? This message will look at how Jesus prayed and the emphasis He put upon it for His life and ours. If prayer changes everything, then maybe we need to learn how to pray!
2019-03-1236 min
Shartel ChurchCaring Like Jesus“When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them.” What do YOU see when you look at the crowds? This message will explore how we can cultivate a heart like Jesus that genuinely cares for the “least of these”as He did. Maybe when we SEE people as Jesus saw them, we’ll LOVE them like Jesus loved them!
2019-02-2638 min
Shartel ChurchLiving Like JesusReflecting Jesus means modeling His integrity. Though we will never be perfect people, we should be people whose word can be trusted and whose lives reflect the character of Christ. In this message, we’ll look at how Jesus was tempted like we were, but overcame. We’ll discover how we can be overcomers too!
2019-02-1840 min
Shartel ChurchLoving Like JesusJesus said that love would be the most distinguishable trait that would let people know we were His followers. That love isn’t simply a love for people who love us! It’s a love for those who are our enemies. It’s a love that is more than a feeling; it’s action. It’s also learning to love ourselves. If we ever hope to reflect Jesus, we have to start with love.
2019-02-1236 min
Shartel ChurchTaking Off the ShadesWhat does it take for us to FULLY reflect Jesus to others? That’s the question we’ll pose in this message. Much like a partially reflecting moon, we often have things that are shadowing God’s life and holiness in our lives. We’ll challenge ourselves to face, deal with, and overcome whatever it is in our lives that’s shading the brilliance of Jesus. We want to be full, pure reflections of His Glory.
2019-02-0433 min
Shartel ChurchBe a HeroOne of the ways we have the opportunity to “shine” for Jesus is through serving. Whether as a teacher or greeter, kitchen worker or office helper, whether inside the church or inside a hospital or school, God has a place of each of us! This message will challenge our folks to find at least one or more places to put their gifts and talents to work.
2019-01-2930 min
Shartel ChurchInvading the DarknessJesus has given us the task of being His witnesses in the world. In this message, we’ll explore how to do that in a loving and effective way. We’ll learn how to tell our God-story, which is a story that SOMEONE needs to hear! We’ll also be challenged to be diligent about inviting people to church where they can be exposed to other believers and other stories. Some people are just an invitation away from a changed life!
2019-01-2237 min
Shartel ChurchNinjas of KindnessJesus was described in Acts as being one “who went around doing good.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we, as His followers, were known that way, too? This message will challenge us to be agents of God’s Love—not just loving people with our hearts, but loving them through deeds that demonstrate that love. God came. God gave. God forgave. All action. We’ll discover how to put our love into action as well!
2019-01-1335 min
Shartel ChurchPower Up!You can’t reflect light you are not receiving! This message will challenge you to lean fully into the light of God by studying His Word and applying it to their lives. God has provided His Light in a number of wonderful ways, but WE must take the time and make it a priority for our lives. When we do, His Power works IN us and THROUGH us. Let’s POWER UP!
2019-01-0840 min