ValparaisoFirst Church

Thriving in Dry Seasons: Part 1

June 06, 2017 13:43 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MB

People seem to be unprepared for most difficulties in life. Some may seem overprepared as they prep for any and every disaster which can strike, but they are few. The majority live in the moment and use up whatever resources we've been blessed with in that moment. When difficulty comes we are left unprepared because what was given to us as a supply through the dry season has already been used up. God often invests in us what we will need for the dry seasons of life in our spirit, so let'...

Pass or Fail

May 22, 2017 20:06 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MB

There are so many areas of life where we settle because it is good enough. We don't study too hard because a 'B' is good enough. We don't work on our marriage because it is good enough. Serving God isn't our highest priority because however we are serving is good enough. What if I told you there is no such thing as 'good enough' when it comes to your salvation. Salvation is a matter of being saved or not, but there is no good enough. In this message, we dispel the idea of 'good enough,...

#Momtributes

May 22, 2017 20:02 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

It seems like Mom's can do almost anything. They have so many attributes we can list and applaud, but in reality we sometimes dislike what she does best. Mother's Day isn't meant to be a one-time day of honor. It's the day we are reminded why we should honor her, and we honor her because of the attributes God has created into her nature.

You Do It!

May 10, 2017 21:33 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MB

We all have to admit that it is easier to shrug off responsibility to someone else. It's easier to sit and point than get up, engage, and find your place of involvement. Many times in the church we expect someone....the pastor, a teacher, or a person placed in charge.... to do whatever it is which needs to be done. The problem with that is this: If we are part of a church then each person, each need, each concern, and each challenge presents an opportunity for me to be involved in what G...

The Power: Preparation

April 26, 2017 17:26 - 49 minutes - 45 MB

How do you prepare for an exam? 1. You look over the material just before the exam is given? 2. You study the material in advance? 3. You look through your text book after the exam to get an idea of how well you did? Sure, this a no-brainer, but it is no different if we were to talk about your spiritual readiness as a believer. It is difficult for God to use us in a moment's notice if we have not taken the time to prepare prior. Some may say, "Well, how do I prepare when I have no id...

The Power - Resurrection

April 20, 2017 19:26 - 40 minutes - 37 MB

If you're like anyone else, you probably have a list of what you'd like to change about other people. What you found out is how difficult that can be. What seems like a more impossible task is changing ourselves. We may need to change our thoughts, behavior, and even attitudes which work against us. Our problem is we see what needs to be different about us, but we have a hard time finding the way to make it happen. Fortunately, Jesus can bring the change to our lives we really need beca...

The Power - Purpose

April 10, 2017 16:45 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MB

People are underrated and devalued all the time, and Jesus was no different. He was celebrated when He entered Jerusalem the week He would face the cross, and people cheered for Him but their enthusiasm was limited to what He could do to meet their earthly expectations. Jesus came for more eternal purposes, but they continued to be short-sighted. Jesus would not allow people's limiting expectations to limit His purpose. Jesus knew who He was, why He came, and what He was to do. Do you? ...

The Power - Prayer

April 10, 2017 16:00 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MB

How does a believer experience power or better yet, have the power to live for the Lord? We begin our new series this month understanding the power which comes from prayer. Every person bears a lot of pressure and responsibility on their shoulders. How can we bear that without being crushed? Your own strength is not enough to get you through the multi-faceted challenges you will face throughout your life. This does not mean you have to avoid greater demands, expectations, and responsibi...

But...when God Changes You

March 22, 2017 16:39 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MB

We've all heard how a saved person no longer lives like they used to, but what does that mean? What are the signs in our living that tells us we've moved on from that other life? Should there be something different about me? The truth is, yes, there should be a change in us, but we are not able to manufacture that change. Only God is capable of changing who we were to who we are now. In the second message of our series, we'll discover the qualities we should possess since God has change...

But...when God Claims You

March 08, 2017 16:28 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MB

Our lives are on an expedition of discovery. There is so much to learn and understand about who we are and who the LORD is, and it is a lifelong pursuit. One fact made clear to us is how we once were lost but now we are found. Being lost is not usually a good experience. The fact we may be lost is not always clear or obvious. We may stray from a path, or drive down a wrong road for some time before we are struck with the feeling we may be lost. It is also this way for those spiritually...

Healthy Friendships: A Few Good Friends

February 27, 2017 20:15 - 43 minutes - 40 MB

More is better, right? More money, more food in the fridge, more relationships....., well, not so fast. We may think having many friends will ensure us at least one friend we can trust, depend on, and confide in, but that may not be true. Relationships are all about investment, and each of us has only so much of us to invest in the friendships we have. If we have many, we probably are not investing much into those because we're spread so thin, but if we have a few solid friendships they ...

Healthy Friendships: The Process of Becoming

February 22, 2017 18:40 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MB

The sum of a person is not all you see. In fact, the exterior is generally not the best indicator of what is deep down within us. Unfortunately, many are underestimated, judged, and even forsaken because of what is seen. It's not really about how you look, it just how your actions and your living is interpreted by those watching. People who you have not become one in spirit with, like David and Jonathan, generally only see your exterior. It's unfortunate, but they cannot perceive what G...

Healthy Friendships: Don't Be a Drag

February 15, 2017 18:10 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MB

Have you ever gone to the beach with so much stuff that you wondered if it was even worth it. You had towels, a cooler, an innertube, a pump for the tube, an umbrella, and just the thought of having to carry all of that from your car to the beach made your trip a little less desirable. If you were to have something designed to help you bring all those items to the sandy beach next to the cool waters of the ocean, then it wouldn't be such an ordeal. Most of us don't want to deal with people...