You can tell a tree by its fruit. You can tell a lot about yourself by what you see characterizing your attitudes and actions in life. We will look at three aspects of what God produces in the life of someone who depends on Him for their attitudes and actions.
We celebrated TWO YEARS at Shores Church this past Sunday in our first permanent church building!
Is faith supposed to be intangible? Can a person know if you are walking a path that God has for them? Turns out living out your faith is a lot like an orchard.. like the good orchards that have cider donuts.. that kind of orchard!
You know the feeling of doom when you see a light flicker on your dashboard indicating you need an oil change, fuel, low tire pressure, or the ominous engine icon. Even though we know a dashboard light merely represents that our car could use our attention, we avoid it or get mad at it, instead of taking it for what it's worth: it's preventing something down the road.
Have you ever heard that a Christian is "free" in Christ? Do you wonder what that freedom is meant to be or what it is for? NO OTHER NAME continues with "Free for What?" Galatians 5:1-15
Certain things in life are meant to be together - like Peanut Butter & Fluff (or jelly) or snow and Christmas. What happens though when you put two things together that were never meant to be combined? In our faith lives, mixing a few different ideas and practices together can lead to confusion and hurt, ultimately impacting your walk with God. The NO OTHER NAME series from Galatians continues with "OIL & WATER."
In our lives, truth has the ability to both build up and destroy. To be an effective truth teller there is a posture we can take that will increase the likelihood of being heard and the truth being of help to the other person. There are also ways that we can become more receptive to truth in our life.
In a world where we are always looking to get ahead, waiting on something promised can be frustrating. When it comes to faith there are promises today and promises for tomorrow, and you can learn how to trust both.
There is a promise in the Bible that through faith we have become Sons and Daughters of God. The intentional and personal relationship a child has specifically with a father, but also with a mother, impacts all future relationships and especially how we see God our Heavenly Father. During this service we explore the impact of an improper view of a father can ruin our ability to see God clearly and trust Him deeply, and a way to start learning to trust Him personally.
Why does the world seem so graceless sometimes? Belittling, fighting, bashing others. It is so difficult to understand. There is a weight we all carry to be right all the time, a weight to be perfect if not just to avoid getting called out. Jesus offers us relief from the weight and it's called GRACE.
Cross your heart?? Pinky swear? Scouts Honor? Ever made a promise or had a promise broken? PROMISES and trust are crucial to life. What do we know about God's Promises and how does that impact our own personal character?
How can the faith practice and daily living of the first church help me live today? There are distinctive practices that are not only relevant today in our culture but also will add value to your faith. Comparing THEN to NOW and what it teaches us on this special BAPTISM SUNDAY .
What does the first message preached in Acts tell us about engaging our culture today? See how from the very beginning of the church the mission has been to meet people where they are and make the way clear to Jesus.
Trouble making a decision? Ever wondered if there is a process for making a choice during pivotal, high pressure moments. We see in Week 2 of SENT that there is a pattern for decision making that rests on the authority of Scripture. Learn about the authenticity and credibility of Scripture, and how that can impact the decisions you make today!
What does breakfast cereal have to do with the early church? Week 1 of SENT, a study out of Acts 1 & 2 kicks off looking at the original intent of Jesus for those who followed Him. Is the church an Institution or a movement? Find out!
Even when you know all of the steps to a problem, you need the discipline to stick with until the solution. The SERVICEABLE HEART is when you are committed to the long haul of living for God. Sound impossible? Well there are 4 things that you need to have in order to stick with it for the long haul!
Shores Church is a contemporary Christian church that exists to KNOW JESUS and MAKE HIM KNOWN on the southern coast of Maine, US. We hope that this content encourages you and if you don’t already have a faith community you will join us online at Shores Church on Facebook or in person.
Do you want to know what it's like to have a close relationship with God? This week we look at the Habit of Solitude with the thought - You can't BUSY yourself to God.
THE HEART a summer mini-series at Shores Church tackles 5 Habits that will change your life! The second habit is for more than just DAD but for all of us. What if the STUFF that we have is keeping us from the LIFE that we want?
Graduating Seniors had a moment being celebrated. Family members shared their appreciation and love for their students and the church got to hear their stories. More than rooting on our students, we want them to know they are loved and prayed for.
We kicked off our summer mini-series, "THE HEART" with a message from the Psalms called "The Habit that Heals."
Hypocrisy plagues all of us. As much as we don't like to admit it, we all have a tendency to be hypocrites in our lives. It might surprise you to hear what the cure is!
Who and what can we trust? What influencers and influence do we let into our lives? What influences our daily actions and faith? This week the idea of what drives or influences us is front and center.
Baptism is how we show our old life is gone and we are living a new life in Christ! Baptism is a powerful statement. If you are a Christian every day should be lived out as a statement. It's the evidence that God is real and working right now in the world.
For those of us who have faced something that makes no sense, and been forced to figure out a way through it, there are a few lessons to learn from two moms in the Bible. Their account of handling huge amounts of uncertainty and the unexpected gives us an idea of how to lean in and trust God in the process.
Why is it so important to be consistent with the Gospel? Paul talks about the time where him and the other Apostles in Jerusalem needed to confirm they were on the same page. The future of the Church counts on it!
YOU... YES YOU... YOU have something that the world needs! Each of us have something that God set aside for US to accomplish with our lives, and it is up to us to discover it and live for it. There is a pattern to each mission God has ever given someone to accomplish - discover what YOURS LOOKS LIKE during this service.
50% of us deal with the same problem... People pleasing. The tendency to treat others in a way that seeks to protect or promote ourselves, and places others in the position of god in our lives. Permission to disappoint explores Galatians 1:10-12 and some basic principles to help us disentangle ourselves from people pleasing tendencies.
What happens when we get untethered from the foundation of our faith and Jesus? Our faith can drift and take not only our beliefs but our lives in a direction that God never intended for us. Learn how to identify the markers of the drift, misleading beliefs that can mess with our foundations, and what to do to keep your anchor secure!
How do you know if a message is the REAL DEAL or BIG TALK? In life we hear 100's of messages from so many different sources. How do we know what voices to listen to? In the first week of NO OTHER NAME we see how to validate the source and back up a message.
Celebrate Easter morning with us at Shores Church! What was that first morning like? What did all of these first person witnesses DO that day? How will their experiences influence our GO & TELL stories?
If you've ever questioned what is on the other side of doubt, this message is for you. If you've ever faced the door of doubt, consider this your invitation to push it open and see what God can do.
When is it time for a Quiet Christian to make some noise. Can a quiet Christian forever remain silent? You can follow an uncoventional path and still make a big difference for God. Let’s look at Joseph and see how he ended up choosing faith over fear and how it made all the difference in the Easter story.
The SHOW MUST GO ON! While this might be the tried and true mantra for performers through the years, there is something special when you consider those who chose to follow Jesus even when they saw Him go to the cross. Why was Mary Magdalene so committed and what made her the perfect choice to be the first eye witness?
What is THE most important thing when it comes to Christianity and the faith? John Lowrie opened up the Easter People series with a profile of Paul. The disciple “born out of due time,” Paul recites the resurrection story as one of the oldest creeds in Christianity. The different things that come from the resurrection being the truth and central to the gospel.
The conclusion to the Lord's Prayer helps us realize something about ourselves. Whether we are prayer warriors or just on the starting line of our prayer journey, there is still a lot to learn for all of us. The temptation to go into auto pilot and drift off course is real for all of us. How do we stay the course?
What is the true cost of un-forgiveness? We've all experienced the sting of hurt and the domino effect of unresolved pain. In this message we explore the relationship between debt, debtors, and the art of letting go.
What happens when God doesn't answer your prayers? Have you ever given up, quit praying, been tempted to throw in the towel when your cries for help go unfulfilled? Before you give up, quit, get angry, let's look at what Jesus said about asking God for our needs.
How do we make God's Kingdom priorities a part of our daily lives? This message discusses God's wants and desires for our actions here on earth being influenced by Heavenly values.
What we believe about God the Father will directly impact our ability to talk to Him in prayer. So what kind of Father is He? How can we approach God in prayer and be close while still respecting His greatness? A look at God's love found in Jesus' description of a the kind of Father He is.
How do you teach someone something, if they already know how to do it? Jesus gives us an example of how to teach a group of seasoned praying people that there are certain prayers God won't hear. In "Don't Pray (Like That)" Jesus lays a foundation for the prayers that God hears and it starts with a God who SEES, HEARS, and KNOWS you.
What do we know about the Holy Spirit? In this stand alone message, we explore the foundational concepts and Scriptures that reveal central truths regarding the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Bob Bordeaux teaches through foundational truths including characteristics, names, purpose, and importance of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives.
What does Knowing Jesus and making Him known look like for you personally, your family, and the church? Take a few minutes to see a 2024 vision for Shores Church
None of us know what the new year will bring us, but we can pray new prayer with fresh belief, that will prepare us for whatever comes our way. With a New Year are there New Prayers, New confessions, beliefs that can change your behavior this coming year.
The second of two services of Christmas at Shores Church. If you can think of the best gift you've ever received, it was pretty great right? Can you remember the gift that got away? Maybe it's something you asked for but never received or perhaps something that you never asked for but always wanted.
The first night of Christmas at Shores Church. If you can think of the best gift you've ever received, it was pretty great right? Can you remember the gift that got away? Maybe it's something you asked for but never received or perhaps something that you never asked for but always wanted.
There are gifts this season we need to be careful not to miss out on. The biggest gift being Christ Himself, but there are some other gifts represented by several people surrounding the Christmas story.
Gold is the ultimate sign of wealth and prestige. Gold is the King's currency and the more the better. Jesus was gifted gold by the wisemen, another practical gift of value AND representing the spiritual value of Jesus as King.
What is the perfect gift WE can give to Jesus this season?
Have you ever noticed that peace doesn't occur naturally? You have to plan for it, prepare for it, be intentional, and oftentimes sacrifice for it. The peace of God came with a price tag that we need to consider together!
Every Gift tells a story. We love a great hand-picked gift from the people that we love. They can be valuable, sentimental, humorous, but they are important because they were chosen just for us. One gift meant so much that it changed the course of history. The story of this gift is one worth sharing! The first gift we see is something you might never had realized what you needed this Christmas season.
What can the relationship between a shepherd and their sheep teach us about a healthy relationship with God our Father? Told from the perspective of King David who had experienced life both as a shepherd, a sheep running from certain death, and ascending to the place of a ruler.
What are you most thankful for this holiday season? As we start Thanksgiving week, let's look at the foundation of gratitude towards God. Giving and receiving started with God first and it extends to each of us.
Starting in the beginning of the Old Testament, John Lowrie lays the foundation for thankfulness, THEN, NOW, and for the FUTURE.
What do you want to be known for? In a world that can be ungrateful and even entitled, we see a pattern of being different - THANKFUL. As we finish the book of Nehemiah we see an example of gratitude and lessons we can learn as we approach the Thanksgiving table this month!
We celebrated the last year of Shores Church with a party this past Sunday. Shores Kids led in worship, we gave everyone a beautiful journal, shared memories, ate great local food, and had an awesome cake. As we celebrate the first year of existing as a community that seeks to KNOW JESUS and MAKE JESUS KNOWN - we looked at Jesus' teaching about SALT & LIGHT.
What kind of LIGHT are YOU?!?
How do we respond when there is local or national senseless violence and tragedy? This week there was an act of violence in a town to the north and its impact rippled through the state. Hurting families, politics, anger, and more. How do we remain STABLE and a light for Jesus in the midst of the tragedy?
How do you make sure that whatever you are building in this life is a taste of what's to come? A little bit of Heaven on earth is the goal for every Builder!
What does it look like to have worship that is God centered and not ME centered? Once the walls around Jerusalem were completed, the people looked around and saw that they had an opportunity to build a life of Worship. How do we fill our lives with an attitude and lifestyle that focuses worship on GOD and not on US.
What better way to welcome fall than a beach service down at the Harbor followed by food and fun with the Shores Crew?! Coincidentally it also landed on the 1 year anniversary of the first Bible study that eventually became Shores.
Acoustic worship, spoken word poetry, and a clear vision for Shores Church of why we exist to KNOW JESUS and MAKE JESUS KNOWN in Southern Maine. The overriding message of healing and forgiveness that comes from walking with and knowing Jesus!
What is the only thing that can stop the work? Sometimes the people who should know the best often behave the worst and can derail the work. Check out "What Stops the Work" to see how to identify work disrupters in your own life.
Ever believed a lie and it impacted the way you live? So many of us buy into the lie that we are alone and it changes the way we live. As a Builder you are going to be faced with these types of lies and in this service we will talk about some of the most common signs that we need to reach out to others and tips to restore health.
You’d think that having direction from God and a focus for life would make everyone around you happy. Guess what? Sometimes the mission makes people mad. This week we learned how to recognize and respond to the people that are trying to sidetrack the mission God has given you.
Has health ever kept you from achieving a goal? What about health keeping you from enjoying something you've accomplished? Healthy Builders Build Better and they also get to enjoy the fruits of their work. What are the components of healthy building - whether it's your personal life, family, business, or anything of significance.
What's the most important investment you can make with your life? God can use anyone to do what He has called them to do, regardless of what it looks like on paper. There are keys to achieving these goals both individually and together as a faith community. Check out Building Spaces that Build People and learn some keys from Nehemiah and how they went about restoring dignity and respect to their city.
When good enough is no longer good enough! Are you willing to consider that it is time to say NO to the status quo and time to embrace what God might be doing in your life?
Why doesn’t every great idea become a reality? There is no shortage of ideas or vision, plenty of people say “this should be fixed” but there is a reason that it doesn’t happen. Week 3 of The Builders Series tackles the question “How Do You Launch a Vision?”
How many of us have been hit with the interruptions of life and had to figure out how to keep moving forward in life? You too? Well how we respond to the interruptions - LARGE or SMALL will determine where we end up in life.
Ironically we had issues with our WiFi connection and new video software so the entire service wasn't captured but what we have is here for you to take in!
Step away from the DUCT TAPE! This is for all of us FIXERS out there. If you want to build something that lasts lean in and take a listen to THE BUILDERS SERIES - The Fix It Mentality from the Book of Nehemiah.
It doesn't matter how many zeroes you have in your bank account, if you aren't joyful or using it produce joy, what is it REALLY worth. Paul shares a key component of JOY in this final message of the Choose Joy: A Study in Philippians Series
Do you ever struggle to be content in life when things around you seem unfair or imbalanced? There is a secret that each of us can be let in on if we are willing to slow down and listen.
What are the top 10 things you think about? Do they match up with what most people will admit to wondering and thinking about? How do we make sure our thoughts are pleasing to God? Bob Bordeaux teaches through this powerful passage on the power of Fixing Your Thoughts.
Do you find yourself in a cycle of anxiety or stress? Turns out youre not alone and God has a prescription. The cycle of faith. Stephonne Young shares this passage and practical tools for breaking the cycle.
In this passage, Paul introduces us to the idea that people are watching how we, as Christians, handle disagreements. How we can make sure that what they see honors God?
Paul saw following Jesus like being a dual citizen. Living here on earth with this culture, but having a citizenship in Heaven. In this section of the letter to the Philippians, Paul talks about what our heavenly citizenship looks like.
Here we see Paul giving an encouragement on how to win at what matters in life. That is to win eternally, not only this temporary, short life of 100 years or so, but rather all of what lies beyond that. Join us as we continue to learn from God’s word together.
Paul lost a lot when he chose to follow Jesus. He lost his influence and reputation. He lost his status. He lost his resources. He lost his health. Ultimately he would lose his life. Yet he says it was all worth it. This week we are going to see 5 benefits that Paul gained as he followed Jesus.
How can a strong religious resume hurt our relationship with God? It might be time to shred the list of accomplishments and focus on what your real story is and how God has changed your life. Each of us has a story and at the center it needs to be Jesus and not our religious accomplishments.
Practice makes perfect or more accurately we become what we repeat. Paul shows that the key to joy is repetition and more specifically not letting others force you into something that is outside God’s clear plan for your life as revealed in the Scripture.
So much of the JOY you experience in your life will come from how you handle the imperfect. Paul shows an honest approach to appreciating those around you and loving them through their limitations.
God SEES YOU and KNOWS YOUR PROVISION. Court and Kara preach together through this powerful section of 2 Kings 4.
Good friends are hard to find. See the elements of what makes the best friendship.
Paul talks about the value of spiritual workouts and the best practices to grow!
This is the cornerstone of the letter to the Philippians. The mind of Christ. Absolutely essential to any and every believer.
Stephonne Young opens up Philippians 2:1-4 with the value and power of preferring one another.
Choose Joy: Standing Firm When They Want you to fall looks at the keys to facing opposition.
Philippians 1:19-25 Paul is famous for his statement “To Live is Christ and to die is gain.” What can we learn from him about prioritizing Jesus in the midst of so many other things fighting for attention in our lives?
Future You Will Appreciate this. The pressure is off us and that God is in control. He started it, He is going to complete it. Trust that. Run with partners who are going to encourage you in your walk.
Meet the foundational people who made up the first church in Europe. A successful business woman and a government worker with his family make an unlikely core team for Paul.
Philippians 1:11-18 / What can a BOOGIE BOARD teach us about the things that we allow to weigh us down and rob us of influence? Check out GAINS in CHAINS.
Meet Paul, the author of this letter to a specific group of believers in the city of Philippi. This letter carries a major theme of joy. We can CHOOSE JOY even if we have a disappointing past or a difficult present.
The pressure is off us and that God is in control. He started it, He is going to complete it.