Pastor Lonnie Rev. Dr. Lonnie Richardson

The phrase, His face, is used more than a dozen times in the New Testament. Matthew depicted the brightness of the face of Jesus, and Luke portrayed his determined look. The Bible describes how his face gave a vision of hope to those who would open their eyes to see it. In this message by Pastor Lonnie, we will see how coming face to face with the biblical image of Jesus can be a tool to draw us closer to Christ and have a clearer vision as followers of Christ.

Some people feel like damaged goods. Whatever the reason, things they've done or things beyond their control have made them feel bent out of shape and crushed. Pastor Lonnie contends that the Christian walk starts with a healthy sense of our brokenness and sinfulness. The most basic level of the good news that Jesus brought is that God is eager to be in a relationship with us, and God has initiated a way of reconciliation. The healthy Christian faith hinges on the understanding that Jesus came to show us the nature of God, and the nature of God is forgiving, gracious love, and receiving such love, will enable us to turn around and give it away to others.

When we experience God’s forgiveness, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. But what happens when someone has done a wrong against us? How do we respond when someone says something behind our back or when someone takes advantage of us? Even with a deeply rooted Christian faith, It can be tough to be merciful and forgive. In this message, Pastor Lonnie gives four powerful insights on forgiving that bring scripture and common sense into the process of wholeness.

Some think happiness is contingent on when something desired happens. We permit too many opportunities for happiness to slip by us because we labor under the delusion that we shall be happy when we arrive at a certain destination. In this message, Pastor Lonnie outlines how happiness is a state of mind rather than a state of affairs. Jesus wanted people to be happy and tried to get them to see that joy lay in the simple satisfaction of honoring and serving God. You don't find happiness…you create it out of what life gives you.

Being human is difficult because life is complex, and we are vulnerable and imperfect. We live best when we accept our humanity and come to terms that we are being made and are not complete. In this message, Pastor Lonnie explores the earthiness of Psalm 42 and how this psalm takes us to a higher place of living beyond raw hurtful feelings.

In this sermon, Pastor Lonnie discusses freedom as outlined in the message of Jesus and the Apostle Paul. We can be a part of the freedom by choosing to live the faith in the actions we take.