Messages from the podium of Faith Community Fellowship, Ellsworth, Maine
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Message by Bob Crosthwaite, Pastor Emeritus Contentment vs Discontentment Our society doesn't understand the difference between WANTS and NEEDS. Discontentment is the “If Only” disease. It will take you to places that you would never want to go. The Apostle Paul’s Example Philippians 4:11-13 Paul is not a victim of his circumstances, but is literally the master of them. Faith has never looked logical to the world. Noah // Moses // David // the Disciples What God promises — HE always proves in His perfect time. Contentment desires to produce in us: 1) Faith 2) Humility 3) Weaning from the world
Message by Ben Crosthwaite, Creative Arts Director Mark 2:15-16 Mark 7:5-8 Religion gone bad only cares about 3 things: believing the right ideas performing the right actions and abstaining from what is prohibited. Religion can lead us to miss God! Philippians 3:7-8 Everybody is religious - We run on beliefs, crave tradition, and change through practice. The temptation to become a Pharisee vs. The invitation to follow Jesus exclusivity vs. inclusivity Beliefs: What vs. Who John 5:39-40 Tradition: Preferences vs. Connection Pharisees "moralize their preferences" Healthy tradition connects us Is
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor _________________________ PEACE _________________________ ...lack of conflict “Grace and peace to you.” Mark 5:24-34 shalom = wholeness John 16:33 Philippians 4:6-7 Anxiety: a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease excessive uneasiness and apprehension fear takes over your mind How you think influences how you feel. We need to learn to think about what we think about. 2 Corinthians 10:4,5 Philippians 4:8 Matthew 6:25, 34 Galatians 5:22-23 the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives Colossians 3:15-16 How is your peace within? Matthew 11:2
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor _________________________ GRACE _________________________ Grace is the Christian faith’s best gift to the world! Ephesians 2:1,8 Romans 3:21-24 2 Corinthians 5:21 There are no loopholes that disqualify us from God’s grace. Luke 15, lost sheep John 12, Mary’s anointing of Jesus Mark 12, widow’s offering Matthew 20, workers in the vineyard We can only receive grace as a gift from God, not as something we work to earn. In the realm of grace, the word deserve doesn’t even apply. Isaiah 55:8-9 Isaiah 55:6-7 Romans 5:20 Grace means there is nothing we can do
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor _________________________ KINGDOM OF GOD _________________________ Matthew 4:12-25 What on earth is the Kingdom of God? Three key moments: 1, Genesis 1:27-28 2, Abraham > Pharaoh > Moses 3, Covenant with Israel Isaiah 52:7-10 What does it actually mean to live under this King’s reign? Matthew 5, 6 & 7, the Sermon on the Mount: Jesus’ Manifesto for a whole new way to be human in the broken reality of the kingdom of God. “The kingdom is…” An encounter with Jesus compels us to deal with the core issues, the darkest parts of our character… to allow his merc
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor _________________________ TRINITY _________________________ God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit… Triune Godhead What is the Trinity? One God in three persons. The Trinity is one God who eternally exists as three distinct persons – Father, Son, Spirit – who are each fully and equally God. #1, There is one God. Deuteronomy 4:35 Deuteronomy 32:39 Psalm 86:10 Isaiah 43:10 Isaiah 45:5 1 Timothy 1:17 1 Timothy 2:5 John 17:3 #2, The Father, Son and Spirit are God. God the Father John 6:27 1 Corinthians 8:6 God the Son John 1:1 John 1:14 John 8
Message by Ben Crosthwaite, Creative Arts Director WORD OF GOD ______________________________ Ephesians 6:17 Hebrews 4:12 The Bible is the word of God -- but the phrase "word of God" is not synonymous with The Bible. "Word of God" 50+ times in New Testament 250+ times in Old Testament God often speaks to people. The Bible itself never implies all you need to do is read The Bible. The Word of God is the active and living voice and message of God. John 1:1&14 JESUS is the Word of God! Prayer from 1 Samuel 3: "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening." ______________________________ For further rea
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor HOPE _________________________ Where you put your hope determines your level of peace and joy. "Counterfeit Gods" [Tim Keller] 1, Comfort 2, Approval 3, Control 4, Power Is the only hope you have the hope you've built yourself? When you lose control, you hold tightest to your source of hope. Human hope leaks. 1 Peter 1:3 A LIVING HOPE Hope is what you have; faith is what you build. Romans 5:1-5 1 Corinthians 13:13 Romans 15:13 What do we do with our hope? Spread hope!
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor HOLINESS _________________________ an attribute of God a life of holiness ”set apart; distinct” God is HOLY. Isaiah 6:1-3 God's holiness is the essence of who he is. We are called to live a life of holiness. Distortions - - - - - - > biblical #1, Holiness “equals perfection“ —> God’s grace Holiness is who we are because of our relationship with God through Jesus. Ephesians 1:4-5 We are already declared holy! #2, Holiness “gives us status“ —> humility & selflessness Matthew 6:1 Holiness looks like a glimpse of the kingdom. #3, Holiness “looks like piety“
Message by Ben Crosthwaite, Creative Arts Director Spiritual Formation: "The lifelong process of growing closer and closer to Jesus, and becoming more and more like him." Ephesians 4:11-13 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 The church, can help equip you. You, and only you, can cultivate your own life. God, and only God, can make the good fruit grow. _______________________________ New at Faith Community Formation Focus: Practicing The Way starting September 2026 Life Guides coming soon _______________________________ Reflection: What area of my discipleship am I being invited to grow in? What wisdom or life
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor the FEAR OF THE LORD _________________________ religion ~ fear Proverbs 1:7 Proverbs 9:10 Is the essence of Christianity fear based?” What is the fear of the Lord? afraid … too familiar Prodigal Son Luke 15:28-29 **awe, reverence, wonder Eugene Peterson: “The fear of the Lord pulls us out of our preoccupation with ourselves, our feelings, and our circumstances into a world of the wonder of God.” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… why??? #1, reminds us that God is God and we are not #2, reminds us that our goal is to please God How do we cu
Message by Megan Young _________________________ BLESSED _________________________ Genesis 1:27-28 Psalm 1:1-2 Psalm 32:1-2 Psalm 34:8 Psalm 106:3 Psalm 146:5 Luke 11:28 James 1:12 Matthew 5:3-10 good ≠ blessed 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Circumstances don’t change who God is. Circumstances impact our ability to see God’s goodness. “Every blessing we don’t turn into praise has the potential to turn into pride.” - Craig Groeschel Leviticus 26:12 Numbers 6:22-27 Ephesians 1:3
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor SALVATION _________________________ 1, What is salvation? rescue; deliverance; wholeness; putting back together Genesis 1 & 2: God creates; harmony Genesis 3-4, 6, 11 sin: pulling apart _________________________ 2, What are we saved from? Matthew 1:21 > saved from sin > Sin is like a disease; all the things that we do or fail to do that violate our relationship with God, and our relationships with one another been saved from the penalty of sin; the consequence of a life apart from God Ephesians 2:8-9 being saved from the power of sin 1 Corinthians 1:18
Message by Bob Crosthwaite, Pastor Emeritus Moriah = God is my Teacher For Abraham: Place of Provision Genesis 22:1-5 Hebrews 11:17-19 For David: Place of Penance 2 Samuel 24:24 For Solomon: Place of Praise 2 Chronicles 3:1-2 For Jesus: Place of Passion **Isaac was a “type” of Christ. An Old Testament person or element seen to prefigure one found in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “On the cross, Jesus became what we WERE, that we might have what HE IS!” (Petton) Testing of Abraham; His Response; Results of Testing John 3:16 **The simplicity of the Gospel
Message by Ben Crosthwaite, Creative Arts Director DISCIPLE ___________________ Matthew 28:19-20 Be disciples who make disciples. Disciple: Follower and Learner. Matthew 11:28-30 Yoke = a rabbi's teachings FOLLOWER Matthew 4:18-22 Luke 6:40 The goal of our discipleship is to become like our teacher -- to become like Jesus. Originally, "Christian" was not a self-description, but a public verdict. What do we follow? The Way of Jesus The Spirit of Jesus LEARNER The goal of discipleship is not information -- it is formation. Mattew 7:24-25 A Disciple is an Apprentice. "I want to be an apprentice t
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor What is the faith of the next generation worth? What are we handing off to the next generation? 2 Timothy 1:3-7 fanning the flame Tomorrow is now. Challenges: 1, disconnection 2, no room for processing To 3 groups: next generation: You are who God says you are. parents & caregivers: You are chosen by God for this. all of us: We are the body of Christ. Tomorrow is now.
Message by Bob Crosthwaite, Pastor Emeritus 1 Peter 4:8 Ship #1: FRIENDship Benefits of a solid friendship: less stress better healing healthy behavior greater sense of purpose add life to your years Ephesians 4:2-3 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 Types of friends to pursue: Mentors (Paul) Peers (Jonathan) Disciples (Timothy) Ship #2: RELATIONship Galatians 5:15 ** Making relationships work: 1, Be thankful for differences Romans 15:7 2, Go to God with Disappointments Living has a tendency to get in the way of life sometimes. 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 3, Trust God, not just feelings Numbers 23:19 Ship #3: FEL
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor Words reveal what you believe to be true, AND words influence what you believe to be true. _______________ FELLOWSHIP _______________ …community the deep human longing to be known, to be loved, to belong the one anothers belonging koinonia: sharing of life Acs 2:42 Romans 12:4-5 Fellowship is shared life. Ingredients of fellowship: 1, participation Philippians 2:1-2 Philippians 3:10-11 Philippians 4:14-15 2, partnership Philippians 1:3-7 3, contribution Acts 4:32-35 Ephesians 2:19-22
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor Lexicon: words church people use Words reveal what you believe to be true, AND words influence what you believe to be true. _______________ GOSPEL _______________ What is the gospel? Romans 1:1-3 the gospel is fundamentally about Jesus Romans 1:16 the gospel establishes a new way of being human About preaching the gospel: Matthew 28:19-20 Mark 16:15 Acts 1:8 John 20:21 “The Gospels are the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15 Euangelion: “good news” The gospel is the good news that God's kingdom has come near in the Person of Jesus. Isaiah 61 The Kingdom of God here i
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Three groups: 1) Believe but wonder 2) How could anyone believe…? 3) Believe again We can have extraordinary confidence in the resurrection of Jesus. **Paul’s writings, historical accuracy, dates, context CREED: "Christ died for our sins and was buried. He rose from the dead and was seen.” __________________________________________ 1 Corinthians - proves the resurrection was not a product of decades of oral transmission - documented while eyewitnesses were still alive The resurrection of Jesus launched Christianity! Acts 4:12 Believ
Message by Ben Crosthwaite, Creative Arts Director Palm Sunday Mark 11:8-10 Word for the day: DEVOTED Acts 2:42-47 Romans 12:1 Worship is less a thing we do sometimes, and more how we do everything all the time. "a long obedience in the same direction." - Eugene Peterson A life of worship is not feelings -- it's engaging in acts of love regardless of feelings. A life of worship is not empty gestures or rituals. Amos 5:21-24 Micah 6:6-8 Psalm 50:8-9,14-15 God's love language is who we become. We show love to God, not by doing something, but by becoming someone. 3 practices - Gratitude - Surrend
Message by Bob Crosthwaite, Pastor Emeritus 2 Kings 5:1-14 Lessons from Humpty Dumpty... and from Scripture: Verse 1 “, but” ... Everybody has a comma in their life. Naaman is mighty on the outside; and struggling on the inside. Admired in public; knew the truth in private. LESSON #1 Hidden brokenness is not the same as healed brokenness. Brokenness must be uncovered to be cured. LESSON #2 Brokenness is permanent, if you don’t go to the right kingdom. Temporary fixes to compound fractures Band-aids -- Surgery Patches -- Transplants “I KNOW A GUY!” The reviews on Him: Psalm 34:18 Psalm 147:3 Is
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor ALL IN! 1, Peter Luke 22:54-62 John 21, Acts 2 2, Paul Romans 1:16 ___________________________ ALL IN... - Get baptized (John 21, Acts 2) - Be in community: "one anothers" ___________________________ 3, Stephen Acts 6:2-4 ___________________________ ALL IN... - Be an owner: Invest-and-Invite. Volunteer. Give. - Really pray!
Message by Ben Crosthwaite, Creative Arts Director Part 2- The Psalms Worship can refer to: - Voluntary Action (church attendance, private prayer, scripture reading, etc.) - Involuntary Reaction (felt experience of love, awe, devotion) The Psalms give us permission to come to God with our full humanity -- It's not selfish to bring our full selves to God. The Psalms: What We Expect Songs of Praise (ex. Psalm 8, 19, 103, 136) Lyrical Theology (ex. Psalm 23, 78) Poetic Wisdom (ex. Psalm 1, 90) ______________________________ "God, I Need Help" (ex. Psalm 25, 70) "God, I'm sorry, I have sinned" (ex
Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor Following Jesus has made our lives better, and made us better at life. OUR MISSION: to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, for the good of our community and the sake of the world. an OUTWARD-FACING church outsider // insider DEEP and WIDE _____________________________ DEEP application: Matthew 7:24 The deepest thing on earth is love. DEEP is wading out into the deep water of sacrificial application where we won't survive without God's help. At some point, God is going to ask you to do something that stretches you. ________________
