What happens when God works?  One pattern that emerges as we study Scripture is that when God works, people repent.  Repentance is a natural and important response to what God is doing.  It is us admitting we have gone our own way instead of God&apos;s way.  It is us turning from our own way and committing to trust him and follow where He leads.  In a sermon called "God&apos;s Work Brings Repentance", we look at Ezra chapters 9 and 10.  We see that Ezra gives us a great model of repentance that we can follow in our own lives.

Orchard Community Church Sermon Audio

God's Work Brings Repentance.

We all want to see God at work in our lives and in our world, but how does this happen?  How can we be used by God for the work he is doing in this world?  As we continue our sermon series on Ezra and Nehemiah called, "God at Work," we look at Ezra chapters 7 and 8 in a sermon called "God&apos;s Word at Work".  Here we are introduced to the author of this book, Ezra.  The number one thing that is emphasized about him is that he is a man who knows the Word of God.  The amazing things God will accomplish through Ezra are made possible by the fact that God&apos;s Word has been powerfully at work in Ezra&apos;s life and now God&apos;s Word is going to be powerfully at work through Ezra&apos;s life. If we want to be used by God in the work he is doing in this world, then the Word of God needs to be at work in us!

God's Word at Work

Have you ever had a feeling that something important is missing?  In a sermon called "Something&apos;s Missing" we look at Ezra 6:13-22.  This is part 3 of our "God at Work" sermon series on Ezra and Nehemiah.  At this point in the book of Ezra, the project of rebuilding the temple is finished and the people have a huge party to celebrate and to dedicate the temple to God.  But something important is missing.  It is this missing thing that helps us to see what might be missing in our own lives and points us to the lifegiving hope and joy found in Jesus Christ.

Something's Missing

Do you ever feel like other people look down on you because of your faith in Christ?  This sermon looks at Ezra 4:1 - 6:15, where people who were trying to be faithful to what God wanted them to do, faced opposition from people who didn&apos;t want them to succeed.  These other people tried everything to stop God&apos;s people from obeying God - and sometimes their opposition worked.  So how can we trust God&apos;s work when it seems like the attacks are overwhelming?  This sermon, called "God&apos;s Work Under Attack", will challenge us to think about our response when people oppose our faith and will help us to see that God&apos;s work never fails, even under the most difficult of circumstances.

God's Work Under Attack

How do you fight fear?  When faced with a situation that causes fear, how do you respond?  Do you shut down?  Do you seek to control everything around you?  Do you blame others?  In a sermon called "Fight Fear With Worship" we look at Ezra chapter 3.  In this chapter we see that a group of Israelites have returned to their homeland to rebuild, but some other people in the area are threatening them.  These Israelites are in no position to defend themselves.  So what do they do?  They make a choice to trust God and worship him.  We see what this looked like for them and how we should fight fear by responding in worship in our lives.

Fight Fear With Worship

 Have you ever wondered what God is doing?  What is he doing when things are going wrong in our lives?  What is he doing when the world seems to be turning upside down?  What is he doing when it seems he is silent?  The answer is that God is at work.  He is working to carry out his perfect plan in this sinful, messed up world through sinful, messed up people.  God is always at work and God&apos;s work is amazing.  This sermon series looks at the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Old Testament.  In these books we see God working in very difficult circumstances.  We see patterns of how God works and how we can join him in that work by trusting what he is doing and by following him in our lives. 

God at Work

At the beginning of each new year, I like to take a Sunday to look at the big picture of Scripture.  We always need a proper perspective when entering a New Year. God&apos;s truth from Genesis to Revelation gives us that proper perspective.  This sermon is called "The Big Picture" and looks at the entire message of the Bible.

The Big Picture

This sermon looks at our church&apos;s mission statement in a sermon called "Fully Devoted Followers."  I am excited to take this moment before we start the new year to look at who we are as a church and what it means to "make and become fully devoted followers of Christ." 

Fully Devoted Followers

This sermon, called "The Light of the World", looks at John 1:1-14 where Jesus is presented by John as the "true light that gives light to everyone".  We are also told "...the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him." Sometimes we are glad when we have light so we can see where we are going.  At other times we recoil when we have been in the dark of a movie theater or waking up in the morning and someone turns on a bright light in the room.  People responded to Jesus in the same way when he came and still respond in mixed ways today.  We look at what it means that Jesus is the light of the world and why we desperately need this light today.

The Light of the World

Happy holidays--Seasons greetings--what??  Its CHRISTmas-- The birth of the Savior and we celebrate.  However, that is not all there is.  How about the rest of the story--From the cradle in the hay to the cross on the hill--The truth and glory of the Christmas story.

But Not By Human Hands

As a dad during this season, I have heard these words over the years, “Dad!  This is what I want.  Just this one thing.”   A deep desire for this one thing.  Have you ever said this?  ”I may not know much, but this one thing I do know.”  How about this?  “No matter what else is going on, this one thing I will do.”  In this sermon we look to God’s word for  “One Thing” in Psalm 27, John 9, and Philippians 3. 

One Thing

The story of Ezra and Nehemiah is an incredible narrative that highlights the rebuilding of the temple, the priesthood, and the walls of Jerusalem.  But when we turn to Nehemiah 8, we see the most important work happen when the entire community comes together around God’s Word.  This gathering around the Word that we read in chapter 8 may remind you of many of the traditions we follow to this day during our church services.  In this sermon titled "A Word From God", we explore this passage and learn how Ezra led others through Scripture and why those listening to God’s Word that day started to cry tears. 

A Word From God

All of scripture is designed to prepare and strengthen the follower of Jesus to live out a life of faith.  Some passages focus in on specific topics and issues.  We desperately need such passages as we navigate a life of faith.  But there are also passages of scripture that are shot with a wide angle lens.  These passages provide us with perspective on a broader scale.  In this sermon we  look at I Thessalonians 5:23-24.  These verse are shot with that wide angle lens.  As such, they provide us with a panoramic view of a life of faith. My hope is that as we examine these verses, they will be of great encouragement to you as they have been for me. 

A View of a Life of Faith

There are some aspects of our walk with Jesus that speak significantly to the reality and depth of that relationship.  There is perhaps no aspect of our walk with Jesus that speaks louder than how we live together in the local church with one another.   As we look at Psalm 133, let it speak into our lives concerning the nature and blessings of unity within a body of believers.  

Unity Within the Body

We all need hope in this world.  We  finish our sermon series "The Cross Changes Everything" by looking at what it means to have "Cross Shaped Hope."  There is no hope stronger than the hope of the cross.  I pray that as we conclude this sermon series we will be in awe and wonder at the incredible hope that we have through the cross of Jesus Christ. 

Cross Shaped Hope

Orchard Community Church is in Rochester, New York. Pastor Dave Daye emphasizes going deep in our understanding and application of God's Word to our lives. Sermons are biblically based and relevant to life.

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Orchard Community Church Sermon Audio

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