Beginning this series, we need to understand what is means to "Live Sent". God designed us to be a part of His plan. He breathed life into us and we are called to be "sent". Our problem today is that we all decided to live for me and have yourself as #1 priority in our lives. However, what we don't realize is with this mentality we are doing everything backwards. Pastor Rick explains to us that God comes first, others come second and then ourselves. When we have this "all about me" attitude, we area really playing tug-of-war with ourselves and going no where. We are stuck in a place where we can't move.

Pastor Rick gives us a diagram that has 3 intertwined circles. The first circle says "Love God". The greatest commandment, according to Jesus, is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." This is where God comes first in your life. Jesus told us that God should be our number one priority. Then he goes on to say, "Love your neighbor as yourself." As we've grown up through this education system we've always been taught to "Treat each other as you'd like to be treated." They got that from the Bible, straight from the mouth of Jesus Christ our Savior. So the second circle is "Love People". Thirdly, we have "Live Out". This is where we, as Christians, began serving. We begin to live out a life of service. Serving the church with our spiritual gifts and serving our community. We must live out the love of God to those around us.

Like I mentioned before, the three circles are intertwined and in the middle we find that we are created to "Live Sent". When we love God, love people and live out we can then realize that we've been created to live sent.

This book of the Bible has always brought so much confusion and controversy into the church and has divided God's church. There are those who want to understand what it meant to it's original readers. Those who want to connect Revelation and its symbols to each generation. We can see this through the Left-Behind series and other books and movies. Then there are those who view it as a road map for the future and want to unlock the symbols that are explained throughout the book of Revelation. Pastor Rick expresses that the big message of Revelation is that things are not what they seem. the main character that we see in each of these symbols is jesus.
1. Jesus is the source of this revelation.
2. Jesus is present throughout
3. Jesus knows and cares
4. Jesus is powerful and victorious
Things were not easy back then. Simply saying your a Christian meant persecution, trials and difficulties. Nowadays, people just turn their shoulder to you if they disagree. This meant so much to them because they knew what was waiting ahead of them. At the end of this message, Pastor Rick asks us a few questions. Write them down, reflect of them and determine whether you will be there amongst the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

We've been going through the life of Paul the last two weeks and diving into the miraculous change from a person who persecutes and kills Christ followers to a man of God who can't be stopped from spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have heard about his journey's with Barnabas and Silas. We have heard about the times he spent in jail, got beaten and flogged, and numerous other ways of persecution. Paul's Final Days were no exception to the story of his journeys. Pastor Rick talks about how Paul's journey hasn't been a "walk-in-the-park." No, his journey has been just the opposite. Yet, through all that, Paul has been faithful and has continued spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to see this as a guide. Though we face trials and problems, we need to remember the life of Paul. We need to faithfully rely on God and trust in His power. We were not told things would be easy once we became Christians. We are promised that at the end of our life we will receive the greatest gift ever to receive and so remaining faithful, like Paul, we can receive that free gift given to us. Will you choose to have faith like Paul? Find strength through the life of Paul and continue to serve faithfully.

Pastor Rocky East looked at Paul's Mission and compares that mission to the mission of the church. He challenges each of us to step out, listen to God and follow that which God has called us to do. Now we begin by seeing Paul and Barnabas called out by the Holy Spirit and they began praying and fasting making sure they were refreshed and filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to take this as an example, we need to be set a part when we go out and be doing this for God, not for selfish intentions. These men traveled for many miles and traveled to many different places. With new places comes new problems. Paul and Barnabas run into a sorcerer who is doing the works of the devil. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, called out Bar-Jesus (the sorcerer) and called him "a child of the devil." Ironically, we read that a mist and darkness came over them and Bar-Jesus became blind, just as Saul had been blind. Paul and Barnabas' next journey had them in a place called Iconium. Here they were still being faced with tribulations and the gentiles and jewish of this area planned on having them stoned. Paul and Barnabas heard of the news and left the city and preached at another place. Afterwards they reached Lystra, where the met a crippled man. With the Holy Spirit, these men told him to stand up and he was healed. Miracles happen with the Holy Spirit. The last story Pastor Rocky gets into the story of Paul and Silas. Here they've met a fortune-teller who has been following them and telling everyone that they were messengers of the most high God. Paul casted the demon from the fortune-teller and her owner had them put into jail after being beaten and flogged. Though these men were beaten and put into the most inner jail cell, they were still worshiping the Lord. they sang and prayed while being captured. The Lord sent an earthquake, the doors flew open, and the chains were broken off. The jailor was going to kill himself because he thought the people had fled. However, Paul stopped him and the jailor, along with is family, asked to be taught how to be saved. Though they were imprisoned, Paul and Silas still presented the Lord to those who had them in captivity. The odds were against them, but they believed in God. Are the odds against you today? Continue listening to learn how God can help you when all odds are against you.

In this message, we learn of the time found between Jesus' ascension and the Festival of Pentecost. During this time, the disciples had been seeking and found a replacement for Judas Iscariot and were continually praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit to come as Jesus had promised. The day of Pentecost had arrived and, sure enough, the Holy Spirit came in an extraordinary way. We read that the Holy Spirit came like a  violent wind from heaven and filled the house where the disciples were. Then there seemed to be tongues of fire hovering over their heads and each of them began speaking in other tongues, enabled to them by the Holy Spirit. People from outside heard them speaking and were amazed because they were hearing others speaking in their native tongues. Pentecost brought in people from all over the world and to have someone speaking in their tongues were astounding. People began accusing them of being drunk. Peter stood up and began telling them about the gospel of Jesus Christ and thousands, after hearing the message, became followers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was a new beginning for the disciples and the church. This was the beginning of a world changing church. As a church, we must begin at the foundation: Prayer, worship and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, Remain true to the focus: which is the gospel, and continue the fellowship of the church. Is today the day for your new beginning?