audio by artist joey noffsinger

Pastoring:  Being a community with the shepherd heart
of God.

Equipping: Being a community that unlocks one another.

Continuing on his teaching of the Holy Spirt, Joey talks about weighing our special revelation and personal experience of the Holy Spirit with the absolute truth of Scripture. Reinforcing our call to be a people of Spirit and Truth. 

Joey addresses what is normative concerning Baptism with the Holy Spirit based on "The Case for Charismatic" (Dr. Mike Peters)

Joey Teaches about the purposes of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit: to glorify God, to be his witness, and to receive power to become more like Jesus. 

Joey looks at Pauls Post-Pentecost charge to the Ephesian church to "be filled with the Spirit" (Eph 5:18) and explains how that command relates to our need for the Spirit's power in our everyday lives. 

Joey begins to break down Peter's First Sermon. 

Joey breaks down the second half of Peter's first sermon and examines how Peter lays a foundation for the humanity, deity, and power of Jesus as the Christ. In addition he examines Peter's Gospel message and the people's response to show how he tells the whole truth about sin, repentance, and forgiveness in the light of Jesus' death and resurrection. 

After Peter's sermon at Pentecost, we see Luke's portrait of the early Church as a people of true generosity, fellowship, and gratefulness. 

Joey talks about the early persecution of the church by the religious leaders and Peter and John's response to them. In doing so, Joey encourages the church to "Count it all Joy" as the early church did when faced with trials and not to respond with fight or flight but to stand with each other in the Lord. 

This Sunday Joey taught on the purpose of deacons in the context of miraculous and messy things that were happening in the book of Acts. Deacons were also recognized and set in this sunday giving a beautiful and tangible picture of the church family making covenant with each other in support of the work of the Kingdom. 

Joey takes this tough story of Ananias and Sapphira and outlines the condition of their hearts and Barnabas' heart, we are challenged to trust in the Lord and lean not to our own understanding.

This week Joey's looks at the Imprisonment, miraculous release, and consequent trail and persecution that the Apostles endured for teaching the truth of Jesus Christ. Joey shows the contrast of the Apostles revolutionary response to that of the violent revolutions which had sought to bring the "kingdom of God" to earth. We are challenged to stand for truth in any circumstance without fear and without arrogance. Joey also points out the deep abiding Joy that is evident in the Apostles  even through tough persecution. 

Acts 6:1 (NLT) "But as the believers rapidly multiplied there were rumblings of discontent."

Joey peaches about Steven, a man full faith, wisdom, grace, and power. Joey outlines Steven's appeal to his brothers in the Jewish council about the revelation of salvation in the unfolding history of God's plan starting with Abraham. As Joey steps in the shoes of the Patriarchs we see how they are being transformed in the midst of their transitions, whether as aliens in a land promised to them or slaves in a land not there own.

Joey continues with the story of Steven, the Churches' first martyr. 

This week Joey looks at the persecution that breaks out on the early Church after the stoning of Steven. Joeys trys to put us into the mindset of an early church seeing miracles and then having to respond to suffering. 

Joey preaches about the process of the gospel leaving Jerusalem when Philip brings the gospel to Samaria and the run in with Simon the Sorcerer. 

Joey preaches on the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip had to be able to hear from God in dangerous times, He had to trust God with a faith response and embrace uncertainty. Joey also shows how we can practically live as evangelists, pointing to God in in the everyday truth, goodness and beauty of life. 

Joey preaches about the dynamics of conversion in the account of Paul and in Ananias.  Paul, the "zealous lover of truth" gets knocked off his high horse with flashes of light when he sees Jesus for who he really is. Ananias learns faithful obedience while listening to the intimate voice of God. These two "conversions" show us the real meaning of the word: To turn with God, not just to Him. 

This Christmas Joey looks at the Magi of the Christmas story as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. They were not Kings as the songs say, they were pagan sorcerers, astronomers and astrologists. However they were seekers of truth. Joey parallels the lives of the Magi with that of the tyrannical king Herod and the Scribes and Pharisees who knew where the christ would be born but missed it. We are to be a people who seek truth and not become so busy with our own plans that we miss out on the fellowship of God and the people around us. 

This is the the continuation of Paul's Conversion and uniting with the believers. The central focus of the story is Paul's commission from Jesus and his calling to be a witness to the reality of who Jesus is. Joey talks about the the relationship between tradition and experience and how we need both in our walk with the Lord. 

There is also a great story about some mud and a lotus ... :-)