Joy Church Fernley, Nevada Messages

In a time when our nation desperately needs renewal, we are reminded that revival begins with each one of us. Revival in our nation starts when we each earnestly seek the Kingdom of God and live out His righteousness in our daily lives. The pursuit of righteousness involves diving deep into the scriptures and drawing ever closer to the Holy Spirit. Pursuing righteousness also means being in close communion with fellow believers, encouraging and strengthening one another. Join with us as we seek to deepen relationships and transform ourselves, our families and our nation.

Today, we take a look at the 40-day period Jesus spent on Earth after His resurrection and before ascending to heaven. Unlike His life before the crucifixion, filled with miracles, signs, and wonders, this period highlights something even more important - relationships and personal transformation.

Jesus made many appearances during this time. But, more than anything, these 40 days were about Jesus connecting deeply, teaching, and preparing His followers for a new, revolutionary way of life that would challenge the world's systems and draw them into a loving relationship with the Father.

This message is an invitation to everyone who wants to understand the heart of Jesus. This is a personal invitation to each one of us to walk side by side with Jesus into an "exodus" or era of change that our communities, families, and nations so desperately need.

In this, our Easter Message, we take a look at the important role played by Mary Magdalene. We look at Mary's transformation from a woman immersed in the darkness of demon possession to one healed, empowered, and entrusted with a life-changing message to the disciples and to all the world. Like Mary, we too have been delivered from darkness, healed, empowered, and given a new identity in Christ. We too have an important, God-given message to share with others and the world. We are called to step out in faith and to share the grace, the truth, and the power of Christ with those around us.

Today, we dive into the second part of our sermon series on Baptism. Last week, we looked at 'Phase 1' of baptism, which represents death. This week, we explore 'Phase 2' of baptism, which represents new life and resurrection. When a person comes back up out of the water, they are baptized into the power of Holy Spirit. All kinds of wondrous and powerful things happen. When we are baptized, we are submerged into union with the spirit of holiness. Jesus ignites the kingdom life within us, filling us with Holy Spirit, changing us from the inside out. Jesus places everything true in its proper place before God. Everything that is false, he puts out with the trash to be burned.

In our message today, we dive into the topic of baptism. We first take a look at Jesus' baptism. Though Jesus was sinless, He chose to be baptized to 'fulfill all righteousness.' In order to share in Jesus' righteousness, we too must be baptized. Baptism for us symbolizes the death of our old sinful nature and rebirth as a new creation. Baptism is an affirmation of Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and it is a demonstration to the world and to ourselves that we have aligned ourselves with the heavenly realm and joined the insurgence of God’s endless kingdom.

God longs for us to spend time with Him in His presence, not just for a few minutes in the morning, but throughout the day. Our guest speaker, Debi Taylor, shares with us how God has given her strength and hope to get through some very difficult times in her life. She shares practical tips for starting to spend time with God as well as ways to stay focused and not get distracted. Debi recommends Bible and devotional reading, prayer, and journaling. Recording things for which she is grateful as well as answered prayer has given her a written record of God's goodness and faithfulness. Whether you already spend time in God's presence each day, or know you should, this message is sure to inspire you to connect more deeply with God and His Holy Spirit each and every day.

This week, we're diving into the spiritual discipline of Bible reading. The Bible is alive. It's filled with "living water" and divine treasures that God wants very much to share with us. Reading the Bible is about more than reading - it's about experiencing God's presence and allowing His Word to shape our lives. The Bible isn't just a book. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ. When we read, it's important to partner with the Holy Spirit. Ask Him, "What do you want me to learn? How do you want to reveal Jesus to me today?" Let the Holy Spirit guide your reading and understanding. At the same time, we need to avoid what John Poundstone calls "Bib-olatry" - idolatry or worship of the Bible itself. We should not read the Bible for our own satisfaction or to prove our own point of view by taking verses out of context.

This week, consider what is keeping you from the Bible and if you're a regular reader, ask yourself why Bible reading is important to you.

Our message today is about Communion. In the final hours leading up to His crucifixion and death on the cross, there were many things that Jesus could have spent His time doing. What He chose to do was to spend His last hours sharing a meal with His disciples, washing their feet, and connecting closely with them. This is the context for the first Communion. Today, as we take the bread and wine and remember His sacrificial death on the cross, we too can draw close to Jesus, connect with him deeply and receive the strength that we need to live our lives in service to Him and His kingdom.

In today's message, Senior Leader John Poundstone, shares a message on the importance of "abiding as branches." We need to stay connected to Jesus, "the vine", in order to bear fruit. God shares His glory by putting inside of us through His Holy Spirit. We must nurture this piece of God's glory within each other, fan the flames of God's presence, and support one another in our Christian walk. We need to be mindful of our words and actions , so that we can uplift and encourage one another and not diminish God's glory. We must leave the "pruning" to God, the "vine dresser."

In the upcoming week, beginning Wednesday, February 14th, we will begin the 40-day period of time preceding Easter. Some churches call this period "Lent." We will be calling it "Focus 40". During this 40-day period, we will focus on some spiritual disciplines such as fasting, worship, prayer, frugality, and self-sacrifice that will draw us closer to Jesus as we approach Resurrection Sunday.

Our message today dives into the concept of hunger and thirst, not just for physical food and drink, but for righteousness and closeness with God. Spiritual hunger can show up in our lives in many different ways. Satisfying spiritual hunger and thirst in the wrong ways and places can be destructive and is at best a temporary fix. There is only one true source of satisfaction and that is intimacy with Jesus. If you've ever felt that inner longing or found yourself seeking fulfillment in temporary fixes, this message is for you.

In our message today Senior Leader, John Poundstone introduces the word "abide". Abide is not just a concept, but a tangible, actionable verb that followers of Christ are called to live out. We explore the deep intimacy and closeness with God that enables us to find divine joy and a transformed way of living. Join with us as we explore what it means to truly abide in Christ and to embrace the love and presence of God in a whole new way.

Today we look in awe and wonder at the life of Jesus, his earthly ministry, his intimate relationship with the Father, and his example for believers to follow. Senior Leader John Poundstone unpacks important moments in Jesus' journey, from his baptism to his triumph over spiritual warfare in the desert. Get ready to be challenged and inspired as we reflect on our own identity and relationship with God and what it means to truly follow in the footsteps of Christ.

If we truly want to become more Christ-like we need to immerse ourselves in scripture, rely upon the Holy Spirit, and spend time in connection and communion with other believers. Most importantly we must learn to surrender. Surrendering means realizing that life is not centered around us. Surrendering means letting go of our agendas, beliefs, egos, passions, failings, faults, cares, concerns, successes, anxiousness, and more. Living a life of self sacrifice focused upon the glory of God will lead us to discover true life, peace and joy.

As we begin a new year, we focus on the idea of kingdom leadership. Senior Leader, John Poundstone shares his personal reflections and experiences from high school and the cultural challenges he witnessed during the late 1960s and early 1970s. John teaches from the Book of Mark about the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry and the disciples who radically chose to leave everything behind to follow Him. John encourages us to begin a new year of discipleship that doesn’t necessarily begin with "inviting Jesus into our hearts" but instead accepting Jesus' invitation to come into His heart.

At the heart of everything is one love. The love that gave birth to all creation is the same love that was born on that first Christmas morning in Bethlehem. The light that shone in the darkness, that same love is being born in you each day without ceasing. So open yourself to this light and celebrate the coming of God into this world, into your darkness. Christmas is not long ago and far away but here and now, today and every day. May we open our spirits, our hearts, our souls, our minds, our strength. Let's choose risk. Let's let God in fully. Let our love be radical, undefeatable, interconnected and forever attached. Let's wait expectantly for it.

The Third Sunday of Advent is known as the "Sunday of Joy." In our message today, we learn that true joy comes from God. Living in joy means finding and receiving joy, then maintaining it despite life's challenges. We need to seek intimacy and closeness with God in order to live righteously, experience His peace, and to be filled with divine joy. During this season of Advent, we expectantly await Jesus' joy just like the psalmist, the apostle Paul, Jesus himself, Simeon, Anna, and so many more. We also prophetically activate heavenly joy as we prepare for 2024.

Over the last several years, we have experienced monumental cultural, economic, and technological "storms" and "quakes" in our world. These changes have rocked our lives in ways we might never have imagined. In order to find peace, hope, and stability in a changing world, we need to seek Holy Spirit's proximity and presence. We must stop relying on our own strength, talents, gifts, and abilities and instead reach out to God. There will be nothing more important in the next year than the presence of God in our lives. That is the key to peace. We need to walk in God's peace and find His hope and then model it and live it out in our marriages, personal lives, families, and workplaces. When we become people of hope and peace, we begin to influence the culture and the world around us.

Diane Buice shares her touching personal stories that demonstrate the profound presence of God in our lives, especially during times of darkness and struggle. Diane shares stories of finding comfort and guidance through divine signs, such as seeing repeated appearances of cars bearing the license plate "Luke 137". She reminds us of the message that "with God, nothing is impossible," offering strength and courage to those facing struggles. Diane recounts experiencing God's orchestration of encounters and conversations with friends in need of forgiveness and nearing the end of life. She emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and the regret of not pressing the forgiveness issue further with her loved ones.

How can we find true peace in a world filled with negativity, strife, and spiritual unrest? We need Shalom, God’s supernatural peace. Shalom is absolute wholeness, completeness, and certainty that can only be found in the divine presence of God. Join us as we draw nearer to God, realign our priorities, and embrace a life lived fully in Christ's presence.

No matter the storms that our souls face, God's presence remains a constant source of comfort.  Our souls face many challenges in today’s tumultuous times. Whether it is  mental health struggles, questioning our identity or experiencing wavering confidence, it's clear that our inner selves are under siege. Despite the negativity and doubts that may surround us, we're encouraged to find strength in our spiritual faith. When we feel lost or shaken, we can always turn to God for peace and certainty. We need to stand firm in our faith, embrace our position as God's children, and find solace in His eternal love and victory over all of the tribulations of the world.

Today's message is about seeing the cross and the crucifixion of Christ in a new and profound light. It's a reminder of the immense love and sacrifice Jesus made for us—to conquer evil, to bring forth God's kingdom, to connect us with the Father, and to empower us with the Holy Spirit. The cross is not just a symbol but a gateway to experiencing Christ's reign in our hearts and lives. Let's embrace the resurrection, hold onto truth, and discover our true identities through Christ. Every time we see a cross may we more deeply and truly find and follow this wonderful Jesus, His way, His truth, and His life.

This week, we examine Jesus' role as the 'head' or the ultimate authority over the church and our lives. Many of the world's problems arise from a lack of proper headship or leadership. Jesus provides the direction we need and serves as the source of our strength. As our faith deepens, we are reminded that we are betrothed to Christ and will become His bride at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, as mentioned in the Book of Revelation. This journey from being Christ's body to becoming His bride requires complete submission to Christ on the part of the church.

The Holy Spirit draws, attracts, and captivates us, inviting us to willingly and joyfully follow a Holy Lord. Sadly, we can just as easily be attracted, captivated, and ensnared by unholy or demonic influences. As humans, we can be influenced by both God's Holy Spirit and the demonic realm, but we can also be influencers. Our words, behaviors, habits, and patterns can either proclaim or promote these unseen realms. We possess the ability to elevate ourselves and others toward God and the heavenly realm, or drag ourselves and others down into the unholy demonic realm. Who are you proclaiming?

When it comes to prayer, it's easy for us to focus on "religiosity" and to get hung up trying to sound spiritual or worry about things that might prevent God from hearing and answering our prayers. The good news is that nothing keeps God from hearing our prayers. He is relatable, touchable, tangible, and accessible. He always responds to prayers, even if it's not in the way we would like or expect. The most effective prayers are always simple and originate from our authentic selves. Regardless of how your prayer sounds, God accepts it without judgment. So, "just pray," trusting that God will listen and respond out of his goodness and love.

Over the past couple of weeks we have explored the Beauty of our creator and also the beauty of God’s creation - Us!  This week we look at the idea of “OI” - “original intelligence, original identity and original identity”.  This is the image, the intelligence, and the identity that God had in mind when he created each one of us.  You were predestined by God. You were designed.  You are one of a kind. God put his mark upon you and called you. God has a purpose and a destiny for you.  God knew all about you before you were born, and he destined you from the beginning to share the likeness of His Son, Jesus.

As we continue exploring the concept of ‘beauty’, our focus turns to the beauty of God’s own creation – us. Each of us is a unique masterpiece, formed by His divine hands. We are living testimonies of His deep and unconditional love, demonstrated through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. The world often leads us to believe that our worth is dictated by physical beauty. But as followers of Christ, we must remember that our true beauty, as seen through God’s eyes, is not skin-deep. It stems from a heart that seeks Him, a spirit that is humble before Him, and a life lived in love and service.

Today, we explore the awe-inspiring beauty of Christ, His character, His love, and His creation. His beauty is a beacon, drawing us closer to Him. It is within this beauty that we find wholeness, harmony, and ‘shalom’, that connecting us deeply with Him. Psalm 24:9-17 reminds us that our deepest desire should be to live in God’s presence and be awed by His grace and glory. As we allow ourselves to be captivated by His magnificent beauty, we come to realize that Jesus is all we need. This is a simple truth: Christ embodies beauty, and it is this beauty that brings meaning and fulfillment to our lives.

Gerizim holds special significance for the Samaritans as a holy mountain where they went to worship God. Through Jesus’ conversations with the Samaritan woman at the well and with Nicodemus, we gain a different understanding of the nature of true, genuine, and heartfelt worship. Gerizim represents all of the traditions, rituals, cultural practices, and distractions that divert our attention away from true worship in spirit and truth. We should instead seek a deep connection and intimacy with God through His Holy Spirit.

John Poundstone introduces a refresshing new approach to Joy Church's Sunday Worship services. Imagine a joyous celebration, a friendly gathering where we learn and share the life changing message of God’s Kingdom. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’re welcome. Our focus will be on the message that Jesus’ sacrifice paves our way to heaven and transforms our lives when we embrace a personal relationship with him. We’ll explore the Kingdom of God and the gospel in an authentic way without sugarcoating anything. After all, the gospel is great news, and God is more wonderful than we can imagine. Come as you are and leave transformed!

“Wilderness seasons” are life-altering circumstances characterized by hardship, struggle, uncertainty, and confusion. These challenging chapters of our lives often arise from situations such as financial difficulties, medical conditions, addiction, relationship problems, emotional issues, or mental health concerns. God utilizes these “wilderness seasons” to guide us towards personal and spiritual growth by testing our ability to endure and overcome adversity. These seasons challenge the notion that “God will never give you more than you can handle”. Trials that surpass our ability to cope are essential for growth. We can take comfort in the fact that God is always present, supporting us through these trials even when His presence isn’t immediately apparent.

“Metanoia,” or repentance, is more than simply turning away from sin. It is a spiritual journey away from darkness to the Kingdom of God. Pride leads to exile, but repentance is the path back home. It is a shift from limitation and death to abundance and life. Repentance is a process that brings great rewards: the presence, peace, purity, priorities, power, and perspective of God.

In today’s message, we continue our exploration of pride and how to recognize it in our lives. We explore the deceptive nature of pride and how it can show up in different areas of our lives, like work, church, and family. We also look at biblical stories, such as Adam and Eve, Noah and the flood, and the Tower of Babel, to understand the consequences of pride and idolatry. We can be assured that God always provides a way for us to abandon our pride and return to His love, mercy, and grace. So, press into the Holy and learn some practical things that we can do to increase our humility and overcome pride in our lives. 

Guest preacher, Matt McCreary, helps us to see the danger in pride. Many people let their pride guide their actions, and they make choices based on their own sense of right and wrong. These choices often go against what Jesus taught. Even supposedly wise people make this mistake and foolishly ignore God, following their own prideful path to their downfall. This foolishness comes from “spiritual deafness” - ignoring God’s word or calling His word offensive. It is important to read the Bible with humility and try to understand God and His word better. We should aim to live according to God’s will. We can trust that God will succeed and truth will win.

Today we focus on Communion and finding a deeper understanding and a more transformative experience of this sacrament. Communion is about rediscovering the unity that exists amongst us through our faith and making an opportunity to reunite with God and to experience His power, beauty, majesty, Grace, Mercy, and Truth. We are called to live out this unity in our daily lives.

In today’s message, John Poundstone talks about discipleship and the cycle of conversion, healing, deliverance, equipping, empowerment, and service. We are encouraged to find healthy ways to express our emotions and to trust in God when we are facing difficulties and suffering. John shares five things we should avoid during challenging times so that we don’t make hasty or regrettable decisions. He encourages us to prioritize our relationship with God and focus on His presence, peace, and purity when making decisions.

In today’s message, we learn that submission is not a sign of weakness or defeat, but rather a pathway to joy. We can willingly submit to God because His leadership is humble, loving, and trustworthy. God is always good and never not good. Learning to submit to God and connect with Him involves seeking His presence, peace, purity, priorities, and power. This is how we discover that total freedom, joy, and victory are beautifully disguised as submission.

God invites us to learn more about Him, His Kingdom and His ways by asking questions. The more questions we pose, the closer we can draw to Him and the ultimate, highest possible good that He has for us. We often want God to give us answers that align with our own preconceived notions, but the Bible cautions us against trying to confine God within our own understanding or to mold Him according to our own desires. We should not hesitate to ask God questions, but rather look to Him to help us to understand and experience all that He has in store for us.

John Poundstone encourages and challenges us to daily, weekly or monthly ask these questions of God:

• What are You really like?

• What do you really think of me?

We are also encouraged to ask the following questions about the Kingdom of God:

• What is the story?

• Why does it matter?

• What is my part?

In our modern world, filled with busyness, stress, striving, and overindulgence, it’s easy for our souls to become spiritually ‘dehydrated’ - depleted, dry, and withered. We need to ‘hydrate’ our souls by seeking the ‘living water’ that God makes available to us at all times. Instead of trying to be more fruitful through our own efforts, we need to remember that it is God who provides the life force we need to nourish and replenish our souls. Our responsibility is to remain connected to Him and align ourselves with His kingdom, His ways, and His thinking. When we return to Him and spend time in His presence we will find peace and refreshment for our souls.

Are you struggling to find unity in today’s fractured and divided world and church? In this week’s Joy Church Message, John Poundstone discusses the importance of unity. Unity doesn’t begin and end with the church. Unity is universal. We don’t need to pray for unity to come, but rather realize that unity is available to us now. To experience unity, we only need to step into the truth in God’s kingdom. God builds unity from diversity. God has designed each of us to be different with unique skills, talents, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. We were designed by God for a purpose. Like instruments in a symphony, God has designed each of us to play a different part. We are called to be in community and to be tightly connected to others. Satan hates the church and he delights in disunity in the church. Satan desires to weaken the church by dividing it and getting people to focus on their differences rather than focusing on Jesus. God is transforming each one of us into the Holy of Holies, his dwelling place through the power of the Holy Spirit. God is fitting each of us together like perfectly fitted stones of the temple to lay a foundation for the church.

In our message today, we celebrate Father’s Day and honor all fathers and father figures who have played a significant role in our lives. We also celebrate Jesus, who has provided a path to our Heavenly Father. It is through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection that we can see the Father. Because of Jesus, we can hear Him and have a direct one-on-one relationship with Him. The Father is knowable, seeable, touchable, and findable because of Jesus. Jesus is the master, the architect, the originator, and the genesis of inclusion. There is no greater thing, reward, benefit, or treasure in life than to know the Father and to be known by the Father.

In our message today, John Poundstone invites each of us to catch “Bible-fever” and to embark on a constant, unquenchable quest to find the treasure within God’s Word, the Bible. Through Bible reading, we can discover Jesus and the Father. We can find the way, truth, and life that the Bible promises. We can explore the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit found in the kingdom of God. We can learn about the ways and the culture of heaven. 

Each of us possess an innate desire and curiosity to know God deeply. The Bible helps us to find answers to our deepest questions: “Who really is God? What is He really like? What does He think of me? Why am I here?”

John offers practical tips for making Bible reading enjoyable and not some form of legalism. He debunks some common myths about the Bible and provides tips for finding the best Bible translation for studying and personal reading. 

Reading the Bible is an adventure with no right or wrong approach. God would love for us to get to know Him even more deeply by engaging with His Word.

In this week’s message, Senior Leader John Poundstone asks us to reconsider the popular WWJD wristbands and instead ask ourselves “What WILL Jesus Do?” It is important for us to not make everything revolve around ourselves but rather around Jesus. John encourages us to let Jesus be in charge of all our circumstances, situations, issues, problems, plans, fears, and outcomes. Jesus promises to restore and redeem us and never abandon us. We can pursue Jesus through prayer and rely on His “God Logic” instead of our own logic to guide us.

In our message this morning, Ted and Deana Treault speak about forgiveness and the connection between grace, redemption, and forgiveness. They share ways to overcome doubt in one's relationship with God. They offer practical tips for strengthening one's faith through daily prayer and Bible reading. Forgiveness requires a genuine repentance that comes from the heart. It is important to let go of bitterness and resentment and accept God's grace which is freely given despite our unworthiness.

Putting her faith and trust in God hasn't always been easy for Debi.  In our message this morning, she shares personal stories of how taking action and stepping out in faith has helped her to grow in trust and confidence in God.

Biblical trust and faith means more than believing in who God is or what He says. Faith is inseparable from trust. It's the confidence that God can and will do what he says in his word. Developing a trusting, faith-filled relationship with God takes time, communication, conversation and experience.  Part of being strong and of good courage means trusting in the Lord as our true source of strength.  We will all face stressful, difficult situations. That's just part of life. We can trust God and rely on him to get us through whatever we are facing and even to bring us through better and stronger.

When God created men and women, He gave them unique abilities and qualities that reflect His divine nature. They have the power to think, dream, speak, and create. When men and women join forces, respecting each other's strengths, they embody a more complete expression of God's nature.

Women were created by the Almighty to birth breakthroughs on planet earth. God has uniquely designed and crafted women with a latent ability to release life and new spiritual beginnings through intercession and words that will touch the nations.  God hears the cries of women and their desires and never-ending, contending for their children, families, and loved ones

How do we navigate the narrow gate that the Bible talks about?   If Jesus has made salvation possible for all of us, why does he say the gate is narrow and few will find it? 

The wide and narrow gates describe our choices in this life. The broad gate represents the path most people, even Christians choose. The broad gate leads to destruction because it's all about me and my interests.  It’s about self-involvement, self-defense, self-protection, self-interest, and selfies. It’s about serving a God we make in our own image which is nothing short of idolatry.  It deeply grieves, and concerns Our loving God to see us diminished and destroyed by our own self focused mindset.  

The narrow gate, on the other hand, is about choosing to shift our focus to God and to treat others with the same care and respect that we desire for ourselves. This is the very essence of the teachings of the law and the prophets. By choosing to enter through the narrow gate, we not only gain eternal life but also experience abundant life right now.

In this message we learn how to resign as “master of our own universe” and let Jesus show us the things that pull us off the path and how to find the narrow gate that leads to abundant life.

The laying on of hands is a beautiful way for us to express our love, care, and concern for others through the use of our hands. It is a powerful means of transmitting blessings, authority, and wisdom as well as commissioning individuals for ministry. This divine practice is found throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and is an elemental ‘basic’ of the Christian faith. When we lay hands on others, we must do so with humility and deep reverence for God. We must follow biblical protocols and exercise discretion, especially when it comes to children and those of the opposite sex. Most importantly, we must allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and keep our hands clean and hearts pure, so that we can express and transmit God's grace and love.

In our culture today, we are encouraged to think that life is all about us: our needs, our wants, our goals. We're encouraged to pursue our personal truth and live our best life. But when we become followers of Christ, we must adopt a new way of thinking: "It's Not About Me." Jesus himself never sought personal gain or revenge. Instead he focused only on the will of the Father.

As followers of Jesus, we must take a look at our own behavior and reactions, and surrender to the Holy Spirit. True discipleship means being willing to sacrifice ourselves for His glory, and discovering the true life that comes from following His ways. It's only by letting go of our own desires and agendas that we can find the purpose God has for us. We need to remember that "It's Not About Me" – it's about His plan, His will, and His glory.