Santa Maria Foursquare Church

The Power of Perception

The world pressures us to create the "perfect" image of ourselves. But the stress we feel often comes from focusing on the wrong things — trying to perfect things that matter very little. In this message we discover what the Bible says actually matters when it comes to how others perceive us. The Apostle Paul gives us five things to focus on as followers of Jesus — areas of life that help share the story of what God is doing in our lives.

Women in Ministry

What do we do when a Scripture seems to be in conflict with other truth in the Bible? Do we just ignore it? Pick what works best for us personally? Or do the harder work of deep study? Taking this more challenging path is what Jennifer Thigpenn encourages us to do in this message as she unpacks the Apostle Paul's words to Timothy about women staying quiet and not teaching men. Was this a blanket statement providing direction to the church for all time — or was something else going on in Timothy's ministry that Paul was addressing? Let's see what we can discover in this important conversation.

What Does it Mean to Please God

Have you ever wondered the true meaning of pleasing God? Pastor Mike shares with us today, how important it is to have an ambition to accomplish the desire of God’s heart in order to please Him.

Balancing Visons& Weaknesses

Today, Pastor Gary shares on how God gives us visions, dreams and revelations to enable us to follow His will and plan with our lives. But, there may come attacks on us to both keep us humble, but more importantly to help us put into practice the insights God has given to us; so that we know how to apply what we are learning.

Ambassador Training

God always includes people in his plan — ordinary, broken people like you and me! We're actually called "ambassadors of Christ," and speak on God's behalf. The question isn't whether or not we're representing God — but how well we're representing him! Today we discover how we can become stronger ambassadors for Jesus to the world around us.

A Crash Course on the Gospel

What is the gospel? Why is it so important? And how are we to respond to it? All of these questions are answered by the Apostle Paul as he's writing to his friends in Corinth. Whether you're exploring what it means to be a Christian, or you want to understand the gospel better so you can share it with others, today we're all growing in understanding the "good news" Jesus brought to our world.

Life in the Spirit

The Bible promises that the Holy Spirit is not only in us, but we're called to share his grace, love, and power with the world around us. We do this not in our own smarts or strength, but through his gifting. But because of ignorance or immaturity, some followers of Jesus hurt others in their attempts at "ministry." How can we become spiritually mature so that our ministry is a blessing and healing force in the lives of others? That's what we discover in 1 Corinthians 12-14.

Taming Temptation

Today, Pastor Mike teaches us how temptation occurs a lot in our lives, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. We are not tempted by God, but temptation can turn into a bad thing when it leads us to committing a sin.

Defend the Faith

In the book of Jude we read that we are to defend the faith that God has entrusted us with. Today, Pastor Kaelyn shares with us how we can be ready to defend our faith and how we can live out that faith that we have been entrusted with.

The Power of Truth

Often times we hear voices speaking to us, in our minds and sometimes through other people. Now, what do you do with the words of those voices, because those thoughts can either be for good or evil. Today, Pastor Gary explains how we can overcome those lies that we hear.

Not of this World

So, what's up with "the world?" Why does the Bible tell us not to fall in love with it and all it offers? It actually has to do with God's love for us, and the mission he has for his people. 

Our Mission

In John 15, Jesus not only gives us our mission (being wildly fruitful) but tells us how to accomplish it (staying connected to him). In this message, we explore what it means to be fruitful, and how this mission is the same for us individually and as a church. Pastor Tim also shares the new way we're describing our shared mission at SM4: Gather, Grow, Go!

The Jesus Mantra: John 12 | Pastor Tim Mossholder

What we repeat matters. It not only sticks in our minds, but it can change the direction of our lives. And the ideas we repeat about Jesus are of the greatest importance. Today we look at three truths that are at the core of our faith and are worth affirming again and again: Jesus is here, Jesus is good, Jesus is Lord.

Debunking the Lies

Our world is filled with lies that cause havoc in our lives: "You are not enough." "You'll never succeed." "You're too far gone — God would never forgive you." We can't turn to Snopes.com to debunk these lies, so where do we turn? Jesus gives us insight into how to break free from lies and live in the truth.

Why Follow Jesus

John 3:16 is likely the most widely known verse in the entire Bible. But do you know what comes right before it? Jesus references one of the least-known stories — about Moses and snakes! Why did Jesus choose this obscure story, and what can we learn from it to help us level up our understanding of the gospel?

A Slave of God

When we hear the idea about being a "slave of God," it's difficult to comprehend. For most of us it's such a counterintuitive, and even negative, concept. But in Scripture, James and others talk about it in a very positive way. Today, Pastor Mike unpacks this idea and shares the importance behind Jame's words.

Love In Action

God has given you gifts — and he expects you to use them! That's the message from Romans 12, and today Pastor Ken helps us discover why God's gifts are so important for us to understand and use in our day-to-day lives.

Facing Opposition

In one of the most iconic passages from the book of Romans, we're hit with several non-rhetorical questions. It starts off with, "If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" And the answer is simple: lots of people! The reality is we face all kinds of opposition from different directions. But while it's good to understand our opposition, it's even more important to know where Jesus is in all of this — and with each question, the Apostle Paul gives us solid truth about Jesus for us to consider in times of opposition.

Not Ashamed: A Bible Study in Romans 1

Today, Pastor Joel Arreola, our missionary to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, speaks from Romans chapter one about being unashamed of the gospel of Jesus. It is a powerful word, combined with stories of what God is doing in Mexico today.

Rethinking My Faith: Bible Study in Philippians 3

What you think matters! It has a profound impact on your faith and just about every area of life. The Apostle Paul talks about our thinking in several of his letters — but it's in Philippians 3 that he makes 14 specific references to our minds — what we think, what we know, and what we believe.