Olive Branch
Current Message Series
It's very easy as westerners living in a post-modern age to see idols as part of a primitive - mostly ancient world. And as followers of Jesus? Well, it gets even more interesting. We read the stories of the Israelites and how they kept getting sucked back into idol worship, and we think, "How ridiculous!" See, from our perspective, the first few commandments of the BIG TEN wouldn't even be necessary. "Have no other gods before me... No carved images... I'm not even tempted that way. We could reduce the number to Eight!" But, the truth is - idol worship is alive and well - always has been - always will be. We are worshipping people, and we are always tempted to put something before God - whether it's money, success, power, or love: and whatever it is that we put before God - is a counterfeit god. A Holy Cow. An idol. That's the truth! 
Sunday July 4, 2010
@ 10:00 AM
THE IDOL OF LO VE
We're concluding our HOLY COWS Message Series today by talking about, what else? LOVE. Every single day, the music world is alive with songs about love. Heart-throbbing love. Heart-breaking love. Heart-less love. Love is a wonderful thing -- a good gift from God. In fact, we are told that God is love! We are told to love one another. Men are told to love their wives like Jesus loves -- and gave His life for the church. Some of the most inspiring stories in our world come from acts of sacrifice and bravery -- all the result of love. But in our world -- love -- especially love or attraction between a man and a woman can very easily become an idol.
A counterfeit god. The place of ultimate worth where we make all our sacrifices
-- and our relationship with God gets sacrificed along with everything else.
Sunday July 11, 2010
@ 10:00 AM
It's Your Choice!
Guest Speaker: Nancy Vamvakas
Sunday July 18, 2010
@ 10:00 AM
Bringing Home The Prodigals
Guest Speaker: Laird Crump
Sunday July 25, 2010
@ 10:00 AM
Guest Speaker: Andy Notice
Sunday August 1, 2010
@ 10 AM
MOSES' SN AKE
The bronze snake Moses made shows up in history in a very unexpected way:
700 years later it had become an object of worship - and had to be destroyed. Throughout history, this has been a problem for God's people. God works powerfully in certain ways at certain times - and we latch onto the 'methods'
He uses as a kind of security blanket - a tradition - a sacred cow.
Sunday August 8, 2010
@ 10 AM
R AH AB'S ROPE
Who would ever think that a temple prostitue would become a hero in the Bible - and an ancestor of the Messiah? The symbol of her faith was a simple red rope hanging from a window. Sometimes we grow quite skeptical that the most hardened people can ever change. But they can. God's ways are unexpected; scandalous, really. We call them - Grace.
Sunday August 15, 2010
@ 10 AM
B AL A AM'S DONKEY
God uses some very unusual means to warn people who are off-track. On one occasion, He used a talking donkey, of all things. Two messages come out of this story. First, don't put any limitations on how God may use you; second - when God speaks - LISTEN!
Sunday August 22, 2010
@ 10 AM
The principles of financial and material management are quite simple. If you spend money or give things away - the principle is one minus one equals zero. One plus one equals two. If you save - you have. If you spend or give - you don't.
But God's economics are WAY different.
Sunday August 29, 2010
@ 10 AM
THE BIBLE: Not just a Good Book
Speaker: Nancy Vamvakas
Sunday September 5, 2010
@ 10 AM
SOLOMON'S GOLD SHIELDS
Something we all face and have to deal with is the issue of, "What seems normal - ie. what do others do and expect me to do - and what does God want me to do? And they are different! Solomon was the record-breaking King of Israel - who was renowned throughout the world of that day for his splendor and his wisdom. It would appear that he out-shone everyone - including David, his father. But throughout his life he did something we sometimes do. He drifted from God - to the point that as wise as he was, he didn't really know who he was or what his mission in life was. And his record-setting life is recorded as a warning about setting new records... and missing the point!
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