New City Church

Still Working On Me | Waiting on a Miracle | Pastor Devin Gough

Sometimes God is doing more than fixing a problem, he’s forming a person! This weekend Pastor Devin Gough continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about Jesus’ healing of a blind man.Mark 8:23-25Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?” The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened.Sometimes breakthrough is incremental. Sometimes God works in steps. What can we learn from this unique story of healing?1) Jesus will lead you outside before he heals you.Bethsaida had a reputation for spiritual resistance. Before working in you, God may lead you away from environments and associations that have aided your dysfunction.2) Partial progress is still proof that God is working.The blind man was honest. Things were better, but still blurry. In many seasons of our lives we need to be honest that what God has begun is still in process. 3) Jesus doesn’t stop until your vision is clear.When the man’s vision wasn’t completely healed, Jesus didn’t shame him. Instead, he touched him again.Thank God that he isn’t frustrated by our process! He is faithful to finish what he has begun in us!

What Are You Wearing? | Waiting on a Miracle | Pastor Steve Andres

Have you put on Christ? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE SERIES with a message about the resurrection of Lazarus.John 11:43-44Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”Jesus loved this family, and yet they still experienced loss. Jesus loved this family, and yet he waited to act. The story leads us to four questions:1) Can you believe his Word before you see the work?Jesus said that his disciples would see his glory. But in between that promise and the miracle, there was a gap that needed to be filled with trust.2) What stone is Jesus asking you to move?Before the miracle, Jesus told others to move the stone. It was a difficult task, but it set the stage for God to do the impossible.3) What are you wearing?When Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus commanded others to remove his grave clothes. Once we experience resurrection life, we begin the work of removing old habits and ways.Romans 13:14Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.Becoming like Jesus requires a commitment to spiritual habits that shape us as we practice them in community.4) What will you do with Jesus?This miracle caused a reaction from everyone around Jesus. Some believed, and some plotted to kill him.

What Do You Want Me To Do For You? | Waiting on a Miracle | Pastor Joaquin Pardo

What would you do if Jesus looked at you and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” This weekend Pastor Joaquin continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about Faith. Mark 10:51-52And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. Jesus asked a simple question, but it holds incredible tension. In Mark 10, we meet a blind beggar named Bartimaeus whose faith caught Jesus' attention.1) Faith has a voice.Bartimaeus had never seen Jesus with his eyes, but he had heard the stories. What he heard built faith in his heart, and that faith found its way to his mouth. When faith fills your heart, it refuses to stay silent. Faith prays, asks, and calls on the name of Jesus.2) Faith silences the crowd.When Bartimaeus cried out, the crowd tried to shut him down. But desperation drove him to cry out all the more. Often the “crowd” in our lives isn’t just people—it’s fear, shame, doubt, or disappointment. When we truly know who Jesus is, we stop worrying about being an inconvenience and cry out for mercy.3) Faith gets a response. Mark 10:49And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” The Bible says that when Bartimaeus cried out, Jesus stopped. On His way to Jerusalem, surrounded by crowds, the cry of one desperate man was enough to make Jesus stop. Jesus then used the same crowd that tried to silence Bartimaeus to call him forward.4) Faith knows how to answer.Mark 10:36“What do you want me to do for you?” (To the disciples) Mark:10:51“What do you want me to do for you?” (To the blind beggar)Earlier in the chapter, Jesus asked His disciples the same question: “What do you want me to do for you?” They asked for glory and status. Bartimaeus asked for mercy and healing. Faith understands its condition and knows its greatest need.At the end of the story, Bartimaeus didn’t just receive his sight; the Bible says he followed Jesus on the way. When Jesus changes us, He doesn’t just give us new vision but He gives us a new direction.

Walking On Waves | Waiting on a Miracle | Pastor Steve Andres

Are you working hard but getting nowhere? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about God’s redeeming presence.John 6:18-20Soon a gale swept down upon the boat, and the sea grew very rough. The disciples had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” This story takes place immediately after Jesus had multiplied bread on the mountain. Even the miracle of God’s provision didn’t stop the storm from coming. What can we learn from this story?1) Trusting God means operating on his schedule.When Jesus kept his disciples waiting, they decided to cross the water on their own. Many people find themselves in a storm because they weren’t willing to operate in God’s way or on his timetable.2) It’s better to wait for Jesus than to row harder.Trying to live our lives or serve the Lord in our own strength is like rowing against the wind. How do we know whether we are working in our own power? Check your prayer life.Prayer is the difference between the best that I can do and the best that God can do.No one is great at prayer, but God helps anyone who sets their heart on praying and seeking him.3) The I AM is the redeemer of lost time.The disciples had lost hours rowing in the storm, but when Jesus got in the boat, they arrived at their destination. This might be the greatest miracle of the story!When we call on Jesus, he begins to redeem the time, relationships, opportunities and resources that have been lost in our storms!

Get That Bread | Waiting on a Miracle | Pastor Steve Andres

Who is your source? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about God’s faithful provision.John 6:10-11“Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.This miracle is the only one recorded in all four Gospels, and leads to Jesus’ powerful claim, “I AM the bread of life.” What is this miracle pointing us to?1) The right posture.Before Jesus multiplied the bread and the fish, he told them to sit down. This is a posture with no striving, only trusting. When Israel was in the wilderness, people had to trust God for daily provision.2) The right practice.Jesus gave thanks then shared the bread. This is the pattern and practice that he set for his followers: gratitude and generosity. Money is a means, never the meaning.What do you want to be celebrated for at the end of your life? If you don’t answer that, your appetites will eat up your resources.3) The right purpose.The miraculous provision of the bread pointed to something even more significant: Jesus is the bread that satisfies. If we have him, we have a treasure that truly satisfies.Any other treasure will demand your life in exchange for it – late hours, time away from family, sweat and work. Jesus is the one treasure who gives HIS life in exchange for you!