Forward Church

The image that best illustrates Christianity isn't a ladder that you have to climb up to get to God but rather a cross where God decided to come down to us. It’s been said that the gospel, or the good news, is like an ocean, but in the sense that it is so incredibly accessible, that children can wade into it and understand it, and also the most learned theologians keep diving as deep as they can into it and they still have not...

The parable of the vineyard reveals that God brings all into his kingdom, not just the successful or those who were there first. Through the parable of the laborers, Jesus is emphasizing that in God’s kingdom, all come to him on an equal playing field. Whether you are rich or poor, have been a Christian your entire life, or have just begun the journey, there is no one who is better than another. Understanding that we get equal wage...

The parable of the talents teaches us that God expects us to be advancing his kingdom until Christ’s return, not sitting idle. We will be a people who look for new opportunities to advance God’s kingdom in the world. 

This parable applies not just to currency but to everything God has entrusted us with. We must learn to be wise stewards of all that God has given to us. It's not about how much you have, but rather what...

Today we will Look at the Book of Psalms in General and Psalm 1 In Particular. We will examine the question of "What Would Jesus Sing?" and in our study find an anchor of hope, faith, and love in the midst of the stormy waters of Life. We will examine how to use the Psalms as an "onramp" to prayer and how they might transform our hearts to Love God and Love people.

Let's get ready to find hope in J...

God came to seek and save the lost. In response to God’s grace, He calls us to change and make amends for the past. Jesus approaches the crowds in Jericho, walks right through them, and goes straight to the tree Zacchaeus has climbed. He looks up at Zacchaeus (v. 5) and tells him to come down because Jesus needs to stay in his house. Who is seeking whom here? We’re told Zacchaeus is seeking Jesus, but it is very clear both from Jes...

In this final message based on the book of Jonah, God uses a vivid object lesson to teach Jonah about his sovereignty over creation and salvation. God grows a plant to shade Jonah from the sun, then removes the plant to show his power and sovereignty over his creation (Jonah 4:6–8). Although the plant, like the fish, gladly obeys the command of God, Jonah has yet to get on board with God’s plan and desire for his creation. 

In this message, Pastor Bogdan helps us understand what to do when we are disappointed with God. What to do with your disappointment in God? Have you ever been disappointed with God? Have you ever been angry with God or angry at God? Those people who are in authority over us, such as parents, bosses, supervisors, leaders, and pastors,  might have made decisions that impacted us, that at first, we did not understand why it is that t...

God uses the few simple words that Jonah speaks to bring about great repentance and salvation to an entire city. God doesn’t need your eloquence to accomplish His desires. Rather, He lovingly invites you to lend your voice to His simple message and to join Him in His work. In this third message in our Jonah series, Pastor Bogdan reminds us that God speaks to Jonah a second time commanding him to go to Nineveh and proclaim God’s mes...

When Jonah literally hits rock bottom, God rescues him and redirects his thoughts and actions. Pastor Bogdan will remind us through this sermon on Jonah, that God can hear your prayer, save you, and create space for you to listen to and obey him, even when you are at your lowest point. 

God is at work to save, even before those fleeing from Him are aware of him. Let's get ready to find hope in Jesus, by listening to t...

Today we are beginning our new sermon series on the Book of Jonah.  This is one of the most famous books in the entire bible. Not least because of the famous story of the “Great Fish” that swallows Jonah. Jonah is the story of a reluctant prophet. A prophet that rather runs from God rather than runs to God. Written in a satirical style, Jonah is a book of reversals. It is a Book that shows that God is not always who we think He is....

Living at peace with governing authorities is practiced by living at peace with one another. Most leaders shy away from controversial topics in the church. Under the right circumstances, though, a dialogue within the church on a sensitive subject can help worshippers grow in faith and friendship. 

Romans 13:1–7 has a storied legacy of use in political rhetoric. The very fact that such broad interpretations have been possib...

As we navigate the increasingly polarizing topic of faith and politics, we take guidance from Jesus as he himself tackled a time of religious and political upheaval. What were the politics of Jesus’ time? How did Jesus interact with governing authorities? When we have fellow believers on opposing sides of the party line, how can we maintain Christian unity? This two-week series will stimulate faith and discussion among believers of...

Last week we explored the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal and today we will be concluding our series on “The Man Elijah.” 

Today and we will conclude with an examination of the fallout after the conflict. Sometimes after our greatest victory with the Lord, we may find ourselves on the verge of our greatest defeat. 

We will look at how an encounter with God in a surprising way helped Elijah continu...

After three long years of drought, without any rain in Israel, the time had come for God to defeat the demonic spirits working through Ahab and Jezebel. In today's message, we are going to learn what the passive Ahab spirit and the controlling Jezebel spirit look like and how we can avoid falling prey to such demonic activity. Let's get ready to find hope in Jesus, by listening to this message. 

YOUR NEXT STEP: I...

Studying the life of Elijah, we see that God will sometimes send you into a season of separation for preparation. In this message, we will observe how Elijah meets a very poor widow and her son. The Word of the Lord comes to Elijah, and if he thought he was through with testing from God, he goes from being cut off to being cut down to now, going to a place that means to melt. We will see in this miraculous story, which takes place ...

In this new sermon series based on the life of the prophet Elijah, we will see and learn a model for Christian living. Elijah’s life is filled with incredible stories of faith and passion, yet he was just a regular person—a human being just like us. God’s Word encourages us that if we practice humble obedience the way Elijah did, God can use us in incredible ways, too. 

The big idea in this first sermon is that God uses or...

Jochebed was the mother of three famous people in the Bible. She was the mother of Moses, the deliverer of Israel. She was the mother of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel. And she was the mother of Miriam, a prophetess, poet, and singer in Israel. Aaron, Moses & Miriam were all three siblings. Jochebed’s name means “honor or glory of God,” and she certainly honored God with her life and with her faith. 

Moses is a...