Santa Maria Foursquare Church

Dumb Things Smart Christians Do: Bad Decisions

Christians aren't immune from making bad decisions. Our old "sin nature" continues urging us to do dumb things — but we can fight back. And part of fighting back has to do with asking smart questions when we're processing decisions. Today we'll discover three helpful questions we can use when making decisions about any matter.

Dumb Things Smart Christians Do: I Can't

Often times we look for a variety of things to say "I Can't" but in order to follow God, we need to be able to give God everything we have and everything we are. It's an all in offer from God to us and from us to God.

In the Presence of My Enemies

When our enemies are present, we can assume it’s because God is absent. When we’re in the middle of troubles, pain, sickness, and mental anguish, we might conclude it’s because God has left us; he’s abandoned us; he no longer cares. But we'd be wrong. That's exactly where God meets us, sustains us, and pours out his grace on us. It's here we find that God doesn’t wait until we’re free from our troubles to minister to our deepest needs.

Dumb Things Smart Christians Do: Being Judgy

Have you ever felt judged? Yep. And it's always painful. Harder question: have we ever judged others? Yep, again! And it's dumb — because it always chases people from our lives and never moves people in the direction we were hoping for! Today we discover what the Bible says about being "judgy," and how it's completely different from having the kind of "spiritual judgment" that God will develop in our lives.

Dumb Things Smart Christians Do: Isolation

There’s something within our human nature that tells us to hide when we're facing trouble. Like Adam and Eve hiding from God and each other, we mistakenly think we can self-protect by running away from community. But God's desire is to move us out of isolation and into community — and today we discover how to begin walking in that direction.

Christian Conduct 1b

Followers of Jesus are to obey the authorities in their lives. We're told this repeatedly and consistently in the New Testament. But is "obedience" an iron-clad rule without exception? The Bible shows us there are times when, like the Apostles, “we must obey God rather than any human authority.” Today we discover when and why would this be the case — and how we can do this while still walking in a spirit of humility.

Christian Conduct 1a

The conduct of those who follow Jesus should be different than how it used to be when we were following our own path. And the Bible is clear that part of that difference is learning to live "under" the authority of others — actually becoming obedient in ways that reflect God's grace in our lives. This is challenging, especially for those of us who were raised to fight for our rights and liberties. But as we see in God's Word, our citizenship changed when we said "yes" to Jesus — and that changes everything about how we're now to live in the world!

Christian Conduct 1.5

"Be ready to do whatever is good." Before we start thinking that statement is a generic Christian throw-away line, we're going to take a deeper look. And what we find is that this idea — of doing good — is woven throughout Scripture and is at the very core of what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus. Get ready to do good!

Finding True Freedom in Christ

On this Fourth of July, Pastor Lisa shares on how we should consider freedom in a spiritual aspect so that we would not be held captive by anything. Jesus came to this world and paid a high price for us to walk in the truth of God’s word. Pastor Lisa discusses important points concerning true freedom - how Jesus was sent by the Father to offer freedom to us and how we are to maintain our freedom by recognizing and resisting the lie of the enemy.

A Seat at the Table

So much of life changes when we discover who we truly are and that we belong. It's the story of God's love for us — that we are not rejected, but accepted as his own. Because of Jesus, there is a seat at the table for you!

Christian Conduct 2.0

How does God expect us to live toward each other — especially during challenging times when we have strongly held positions about everything from politics to vaccinations? We find we're called to a new way of living, radically different from the way we used to be.

Rekindle Part 7

When we're about to rekindle something of God's purposes in our lives, voices can come to discourage us and tell us why we CAN'T do it! How can we cancel out those negative voices? Pastor Sergio explores the three voices David heard before going to battle with Goliath, and how to come out on top.

Rekindle Part 6

Over the last weeks, we've been asking God to "rekindle" an expectation for God's power to be shown in our lives and through our lives. But we need to do more than demonstrate God's power. We need to demonstrate His love. When His love and power are working together in our lives, we become awe-inspiring to those around us!

Rekindle Part 5

Before Jesus left for heaven, he told his followers that he'd be sending the Holy Spirit to baptize them with power. These disciples already had the Spirit IN them, but now the Spirit would be coming UPON them for empowerment. This gift wasn't just for them — it's for US — for all who believe. And of all the power-gifts the Holy Spirit brings, it's the gift of "tongues" that may best be used to rekindle faith in our lives. Today we learn about this interesting gift of a spiritual language.

Rekindle Part 4

God's presence is his power. And he's available at all times — no matter what we're facing — through the Holy Spirit. On this Pentecost Sunday, we discover a simple way of engaging the work of the Spirit by calling on him, acknowledging his presence, then asking him what he wants to do. Get ready for the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you.

Rekindle Part 3

Who is the "kindler" in our lives? It's God, the Holy Spirit! In this message we take a look at who Jesus said he'd be sending to be both WITH us and IN us. The Holy Spirit is an ever-present help, available to us at all times, no matter what we're going through.

Rekindle Part 2

Whenever we face discouragement or despair, we run the risk of losing confidence in the true Jesus. We may still believe he loves and forgives us — but become less certain that he is still the all-powerful, miracle-working God. But he IS the Lord of all, and even today, nothing is too hard for him! His goodness and his power are inseparable! Dive in with us as we allow God to REKINDLE our expectation for God's miracle-working power in our stories.

Rekindle - Part 1

Jesus is described as one who won't break off a bruised reed or put out a flickering flame. In other words, he mends and rekindles. It's what he does. None are too damaged or too far gone for him! Today we look at a miracle rekindling story that reminds us what's happens when we put our trust in the Lord — even when we're at the end of our rope.

When I Can't Take it Any More! - Part 3

When you're stuck — feeling paralyzed and unable to move forward — how can you get free? We've been looking at a story about Paul and his friends who were in just such a place. In today's concluding message, we're looking at a twist in the story. Just when you'd have thought it was over, they went to prayer. And how they prayed for breakthrough informs how we can also pray for God to make a way.

When I Can't Take It! Part 2

When we feel stuck in difficult and stressful situations in life it can be difficult to creatively find ways to get unstuck. In the Bible, Paul goes through something similar, but he is able to find creative workarounds in order to accomplish the goal. These steps to finding creative workarounds can also help us to get unstuck from the difficult situations in our life.