Season 23
"It's another half-mile or so..." is the common, and positively vague, answer to the hiker's question--"How much farther?" For believers weary from a journey through a sin-sick world, we may ask the same question of our Master trail guide, don't we? In his last sermon before leaving Ringgold for seminary, Pastor Aaron steps us through words of encouragement from Philippians 3, reminding us that the destination...is in just another half-mile or so.... Sermon by Pastor Aaron Trelfa, recorded July 8, 2023, at Ringgold Seventh-day Adventist Church.
At the climax of Judah's error and as it inched towards correction by captivity, Jeremiah was called to minister to God's chosen nation. How did Jeremiah answer that call, and what was God's response to him? Today, we are called to minister to a society in a similar state of seeming disrepair. How do the prophecies for Jeremiah's time similarly warn us today, and how can we avoid society's pitfalls while we also minister to/among it? Sermon by Jose Villaverde, recorded July 1, 2023, at Ringgold Seventh-day Adventist Church.
In 1882, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously declared, "God is dead." Though the idea wasn't new, what he said with it captures a sentiment that resonates with popular lifestyles and outlooks today. How have we benefitted so far, if at all, from this outlook of being our own gods? Explore with Pastor Aaron more of Nietzsche's thought process, his proposal's impact on modern life, and how it compares to a God-led life. Sermon by Pastor Aaron Trelfa, recorded June 24, 2023, at Ringgold Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Sermon by Cindi Morrison, recorded June 17, 2023, at Ringgold Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Part 2 0f 3 of our summer seminar, Social Strife: How to Live Today Without Fear for Tomorrow. Pastor Aaron posits that the social tensions highlighted in Part 1 stem from a common crisis: The original sin and our individual sin exposes our flaws. Imagine the vulnerability, anxiety, and toxic competition that causes. But more so, imagine the God who loves us despite our flaws, and made the ultimate sacrifice to restore our relationship with Him. Apologies--the 3rd part was more of a discussion/Sabbath-school style delivery that was not amenable to recording. Sermon by Pastor Aaron Trelfa, recorded June 10, 2023, at Ringgold Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Part 1 0f 3 of our summer seminar, Social Strife: How to Live Today Without Fear for Tomorrow. We are finding that strife is a rapidly growing part of life. The polls about our attitude shifts in the last 25 years that what we once held in common is no longer held important as it once was; the payoff is that in the last 4 years, attitudes of tolerating one another greatly reduced. Pastor Aaron steps through the most timely and poignant sources of strife our nation faces currently, and lays out steps for healing ahead. Apologies--at about 59:55, Pastor Aaron's microphone died and wasn't live again for another minute. In that span, he transitioned from the "fractures" to the strategies that can bring hope and cast out fear. Sermon by Pastor Aaron Trelfa, recorded June 9, 2023, at Ringgold SDA Church.
Is the joy of the Lord your strength? Do you experience the peace that surpasses understanding? These and other byproducts of a secure relationship with our Savior tends to turn heads. How can we cultivate that relationship and make others want what we have in Christ? Sermon by Imelda Hatchett-Mitchell, recorded June 2, 2023, at Ringgold SDA Church.
"Hath God said...?" The serpent's questions were carefully crafted to sow the smallest seeds of doubt. Today, even supposed Biblical scholars and professed clergy continue to sow doubt over the Lord's word, changing plain statements understood a certain way for millenia into smoke and mirrors. How do we recognize when this happens, and how do we guard against it? Sermon by Pastor Aaron Trelfa, recorded May 27, 2023, at Ringgold SDA Church.
Today we explore Isaiah 54's illustration of a Groom calling for his bride. This is not the only time we read the marriage metaphor for the Lord and His people, but it is one of the more detailed instances of it in the Bible. Listen as Jose fills us in on how we, as the Lord's bride/chosen, can prepare for forever with Him. Sermon by Jose Villaverde, recorded on May 20, 2023, at Ringgold Seventh-day Adventist Church.
"The Living God..." Listen to Cindi Morrison's word study on this exceptional title for our God, first used by Moses in Deuteronomy. We'll explore several uses of it in the Old and New Testament alike, and examine where this Living God desires to dwell. Sermon by Cindi Morrison, recorded on May 13, 2023, at Ringgold Seventh-day Adventist Church.