Does it ever feel like life is going well, and then all of a sudden we’re in the middle of a mess? Reverend Nadeem discusses how each decision, and action throughout our day creates a sequence of events that leads us to where we are in this very moment. He challenges us to think about what it would feel like to feel fully restored, and how being intentional with our daily spiritual habits can bring us closer to Christ and help us live fully restored.

Reverend Nadeem begins a Lenten Series that will help us contemplate how we can live a life feeling “restored.” Join us as he discusses the importance of acknowledging our own messes.

In this Easter sermon, Pastor Nadeem proclaims that Resurrection is important because:

1. Jesus is who he claimed to be!

2. Jesus Resurrection is important for our resurrection.

3. Resurrection is important; it points to eternal life. Jesus lives forever, we will live forever too.

In these verses Jesus teaches a way to live a happy, fulfilling, and prosperous life. And the way to live that life is possible by imitating the gracious, loving, merciful, and healing Spirit of God. Jesus invites us to practice being a generous and giving person. Avoid hurting the feelings of other.

Zacchaeus felt it that day in Jericho that he needed to change a bad habit in his life. He also recognized that he needed a savior to make that change in his life possible. Christ came to him and changed his bad habits and changed his life. Jesus wants the same for us and offers the help we need to make that change in life to leave a bad habit during the days of lent. In this sermon Pastor Nadeem talks about the four steps to give a bad habit that Rev. James Moore outlines in his book “Give Up Something Bad for Lent.” 

In this story, disciples (for whatever reason) want for Jesus to send the crowds away. They don’t want to take the responsibility to feed this crowd of more than five thousand, which of course was a deal. On the surface, it was a fair suggestion, given the circumstances they were in. But Jesus did not just run away, rather, faced it. Jesus response models for us to cope rather than run and turns the problem into an opportunity.

Jesus teaches in this text that it is not consistent to be worried about external cleansing while our inward needs even a greater cleansing. Jesus is concerned about our inner life. He knows that it’s not enough to be outwardly clean. There are many things within us that we need cleansing, such as, pride, greed, hatred, jealousy, hostility, laziness, and lust. But this sermon will focus at least three: envy, blame-shifting and, pride.

We are not to judge others hypocritically or self-righteously. Rather, we must first evaluate our own lives before we point fingers to others. The apostle Paul brings this text home. In his letter to Romans chapter 2. Paul teaches if we judge someone for a sin that we have in our own lives, in fact, we judge and condemn ourselves. Goal of this sermon is to encourage the congregation to give up judging others. In this sermon Pastor Nadeem talks about what did Jesus meant when he said “God Not Judge,” and how we, Christians ought to exercise a righteous judgement to reach a prudent discernment.

In this passage, Jesus is saying that we should deal as drastically as necessary with sin. Jesus gives an example that if we look at a woman lustfully we have committed the sin of adultery. Not a passing glance but a willful, calculated stare. According to Jesus, this is a form of adultery, even if it is only in heart.