Azure Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church

Stand in the Armor of God, pt. 1

Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world...” The very next verse says, "therefore put on the full armor of God…" There is a battle going on. Are we living in awareness of this battle?

This fall, we begin a new series on the Armor of God. We look to the One who stood firm under enemy attack and overcame. Jesus, the One who fought for our salvation and stood strong under pressure. Together, we remember that because of our union with Jesus we too, can stand. We are clothed in his armor, protected by his power, strengthened by his service, and enabled by the Holy Spirit. Pastor Tara VinCross will offer a message titled, Stand in the Armor of God, pt. 1.

One Generation to Another | Pastor Raewyn Orlich

We're excited to welcome our guest speaker Pastor Raewyn Orlich! She serves as associate pastor for discipleship and nurture at the La Sierra University Church.

In her book, “In Grandpa’s Shoes: An Invitation to Intergenerational Connection,” she shares how her grandfather, Eric Webster (pastor and ultra-marathon runner) helped inspire her ministry and provides reflection questions for small groups. She and her physician-poet husband, Michael, are raising three members of Generation Alpha: Eleanor, Eric, and Desmond.

"What's your favorite song, the song you would most like to share with people from different generations? Why is it important to you? This Sabbath we look at an ancient Hebrew song, Psalm 145, that was used to teach the faith, exploring what it says is the most important to share." - Pastor Orlich

The Greatest Miracle | Pastor Tara VinCross

We have come to the end of the story of the book of Mark and here we find the greatest miracle of all. We remember that in our own lives, “Healing and redemption are all about allowing, receiving, and creating space for the Wonder-Worker to move… We don’t make the miracle,” says Arianne Braithwaite Lehn.

Braithwaite Lehn goes on to say, “And when we’re still in the place of the broken, sad, hard thing, the one promise we can know for sure is… God’s not done.” This is the promise we can hold to in our own lives, for those we care about, and for our world.

Pastor Tara VinCross will share a message titled “The Greatest Miracle.”

Sweetness and Suffering | Pastor Tara VinCross

Life if full of highs and lows. There’s no escaping it. As Kahlil Gibran says,

"Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven? And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?"

We look upon the One who experienced the depths of human joy and sorrow. Pastor Tara VinCross will share a message titled “Sweetness and Suffering.”

Watch, In | Pastor George Tuyu

At the end of Mark 13, Jesus says "Watch!" and our natural instinct is to think that it's external; that what we need to watch for is something that we see. But what if it's an internal matter? What if the crux of what Jesus was describing was inward? Join in as we unpack from the topic "Watch, In."

A Tenant or an Heir? | Elder Will Penick

We are excited to welcome our guest speaker, Elder Will Penick, to Azure Hills. He is the Ministerial Director at the Southeastern California Conference (SECC). Will loves Jesus and is blessed to serve our pastors in SECC. He has a passion to share the gospel in a divisive public space and encourages the church in growing as disciples, not just members. Will currently is living in Riverside with his amazing wife, Connie, and their daughter, Ariella, and son, Liam. He enjoys sports (Go Warriors), good food, and spending time with his family in his free time and a little golf when he can fit it in.

 

The New Testament scholar for everyone, NT Wright, spelled out the human predicament. “God has always wanted us; the question is do we want God?” We have a choice to hold onto the vineyard we protect or the answers we already have or be open to the new possibilities that are found in Christ. -Elder Will Penick Ministerial Director, SECC

He's Finally Here | Pastor Daniel Xisto

Pastor Daniel Xisto, our new administrative pastor, shares his first message with our church family where he will invite us to explore the triumphant entry of Jesus in Mark 11. We will consider the crowd’s cry of "Hosanna!" We'll delve into the deep significance of this moment, understanding how it reflects our own hopes today. Prepare to reflect on what it truly means to welcome Jesus into our lives with the same joy and anticipation that greeted Him all those years ago!

The Kingdom is for Kids | Pastor Mike Leno

What keeps people out of the Kingdom of God? Mistakes? Pride? Continual sinning? No, there are plenty of examples in Jesus’ ministry of people who did all of those things and more but were forgiven and accepted into the kingdom. Jesus did, however, point out certain people that would have a hard time entering the kingdom of heaven. And when he did that, the disciples, in amazement and disbelief said, “Who then can be saved?”

According to Jesus, part of the problem is our human tendency to compare and compete with each other. We think there has to be a pecking order. Surely someone has to be greatest in the kingdom! But what if Jesus’ criterion for who is in the kingdom makes us uneasy? It certainly made the disciples uneasy.

Pastor Mike Leno explores the stories of Jesus blessing the children and turning away the Rich Young Ruler. In these stories Jesus tells us what sort of kingdom he is offering, and how we can get in on it. With God, all things are possible.

Imperfect Faith | Keturah Reed

In Mark 9, we find a father who is desperate to get help for his son. He prays a prayer that we’ve all prayed, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” Because our belief is imperfect we cry out for help. But that cry comes from a place of belief in our good and sovereign God. Faith starts by simply turning toward Jesus. Elder Keturah Reed will share the message, "Imperfect Faith."

A Second Touch | Pastor Gabriel Morales

In Mark 8, Jesus heals a blind man in Bethsaida. Though Jesus had touched Him once, his eyesight was not fully restored until Jesus touched him a second time. Mark 8 invites us to be dissatisfied with superficial discipleship, and to receive a deeper transformation through the uprooting of our long held assumptions, and by embracing the way of Jesus.