Hays Christian Church

Blessed Are We Who Come in the Name of the Lord: Psalm 118:21-28

For Palm Sunday, Pastor Cana turns to Psalm 118:21-28, which is a part of the proclamation shouted by the Jews of Jerusalem as Christ entered the city. The larger truth to learn is that by the arrival of Christ into our lives, we are blessed by God. It is our calling to be people of blessing in God’s name to other people.

Lent 2024 (Part 4): What Is God’s Response?

Concluding the Lent series on baptism, Pastor Cana takes us to Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 15:3-10 to help us understand God’s response to our repentance and baptism. Our Lord responds with joy each time we correct course, heed the Spirit, acknowledge our sin and repent. We are encouraged to repent together and share the joy of God.

Fruit of the Spirit (Part 2): Joy

The next Fruit of the Spirit for Pastor Cana’s series of the year is the Fruit of joy, illustrated in 1 Thessalonians 1:4-8, where Paul tells the church of Thessalonica that they received the Word with joy from the Holy Spirit. We are encouraged to share the joy we received as an example of God to others.

Tired and Frazzled: Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 19:7-11

Betty Rupp turns to Matthew 11:28-30 and Psalm 19:7-11 to show us what we can do when our lives leave us tired and frazzled. We are encouraged to turn to God, to learn from Him by reading, meditating, and studying the Word to gain wisdom and strength to deal with stress and anxiety.

Lent 2024 (Part 3): Who Is Baptized?

For Lent, Pastor Cana takes us to Galatians 3:27-28 and Acts 2:37-39, which teaches us that in Christ, all who believe are baptized into one baptism. We have peace to know that our baptism circumstances nonetheless guarantee us baptism into Christ.

Lent 2024 (Part 2): Why Baptism?

For Lent, Pastor Cana takes us to 1 Peter 3:21-22, which tells us why baptism is the Christian practice for cleansing. Jesus’ power in baptism can offer believers a cleansing for salvation and a new spirit because of His power of all things.

Lent 2024 (Part 1):What Is Baptism?

For Lent, Pastor Cana opens to consider baptism through Ephesians 1:13-14, which tells the Christians of Ephesus that they have been brought into God’s family as they received the Truth. Baptism is our covenant, pledge, and seal by the Holy Spirit as Christians. Our baptism and the Holy Spirit’s presence marks us as believers.

Fruit of the Spirit (Part 1): Love

Beginning the Fruit of the Spirit 2024 sermon series, Pastor Cana refers to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 and Galatians 5:22-23 to introduce us to the fruit of love. Love can be the primary marker of a transformed life and we are encouraged to investigate how love shows God’s work in our lives.

God’s Rescue: Psalm 143:5-12

Pastor Cana reflects on Psalm 143:5-12, a psalm of survival and transformation, where the writer communicates the distress they feel, what they need from God, the only one who can do what they can’t do for themselves. When we feel as helpless as the psalmist, we can take comfort in knowing we can call on God for help and receive rescue.

The Lie of Wickedness: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Pastor Cana brings us to 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, which teaches it’s wrong for Christians to overemphasize sinfulness and wicked nature and offers new perspectives to reframe our minds. Our sin is not our defining feature as people who have been redeemed by God so we can reconsider our central identity in Christ.

Jesus Speaks About His Death: John 12:20-33

Pastor Cana brings us to John 12:20-33, where some Greeks seek Jesus, who then speaks on His death. We learn about the cross and what Jesus tells us before His death that might help us understand what is brough about by His death for God and each of us.

Visit of the Magi: Matthew 2:1-12

For Epiphany Sunday, Pastor Cana opens to Matthew 2:1-12, where the Magi find the child Jesus and present Him with gifts in recognition of His role as King. These foreign figures teach us that the message of Jesus is universal and God’s work in the world comes however He chooses. We can know that anyone can perceive God’s truth but recognizing His presence requires being open to God’s impossible ways.

Let Heaven & Nature Sing (Part 4): Creator Becomes Creation, Born to a Virgin

For Christmas Eve, Pastor Cana’s homily focuses on the Holy Birth. Jesus’ incarnation means transformation and is done out of love for creation. Christ’s choice to be embodied was to bring us into the divine love of God.

Let Heaven & Nature Sing (Part 3): A Peaceable Kingdom Promised

For the next part of this series covering creation in Advent, Pastor Cana brings us to Isaiah 11:1-9, which imagines a new future person in power for the people of God. In a world of conflict and distress, a peaceful kingdom is promised with Christ as its head. Today, we can imagine and participate in that peaceable kingdom.

Let Heaven& Nature Sing (Part 2): Creation Groans in Anticipation, Awaits Redemption

For the next part of this series covering creation in Advent, Pastor Cana brings us to Romans 8:19-25, which describes the groaning of creation for redemption. As part of creation, we also groan in pain because we are not yet redeemed to perfection. Our groaning is not in isolation, and we will receive redemption.

Let Heaven & Nature Sing (Part 1): All Things Made Though Christ

To begin this series covering creation in Advent, Pastor Cana brings us to Colossians 1:15-19, in which the author clarifies that Jesus, firstborn of creation, has been a Creator since the beginning and created all things. We are encouraged to create, mindful of our own createdness.

The 12 Disciples: Mission & Unity (Part 2)

Pastor Cana Moore turns to Matthew 26:26-29, which shows Jesus establishing bread and wine as a grounding point for the disciples to prepare them for the coming of His crucifixion. The Lord’s Supper offers the disciples identity, forgiveness, and a meal to bring them together in crisis. Our responsibility is to keep our identity, forgiveness, and Communion as the glue of our lives.

The 12 Disciples: Unity & Mission (Part 1)

Pastor Cana Moore turns to Matthew 10:1-4, which shows Jesus unifying the disparate disciples through instructing them to share the Good News and act out of that belief. No matter how different we are from other Christians, we are all called like the first followers to spread the news of Jesus and work together to do good works.

Mary & Martha (One Thing Is Needed): Luke 10:38-42

Emmanuel Christian Seminary’s Kit Dotson dives into Luke 10:38-42, where while they gladly host Jesus in their home, Mary listens eagerly to His teachings and Martha focuses on preparing the meal, upset that her sister wasn’t helping. But Jesus teaches that the one thing that we need to concern ourselves with is making God our focus.

Rahab and the Spies: Joshua 2

In this message, Pastor Cana refers to Joshua 2, where Rahab meets the spies of Israel and for her silence and their safety, the spies agree that her and her family would be safe when the city is conquered. Participation in God's work is not restricted or guaranteed by any element of ourselves, only by accepting God's invitation to participate in the story.

Coming, Perfect Covenant of Heaven: Hebrews 9:1-2, 8-14

In Hebrews 9:1-2, 8-14, the author yearns for the perfect covenant of heaven, yet unfulfilled on earth. Christ has begun the new covenant of heaven, but we are still under the covenant of earth (death) for now. Pastor Cana urges us to join the author of Hebrews in yearning and waiting for the time for the covenant of heaven to be fulfilled.

Anger (Right and Wrong): Mark 3:1-6

Pastor Cana argues that anger is a neutral emotion God has given us and can be an important indicator of injustice in the world. In Mark 3:1-6, Jesus expresses anger at the Pharisees’ and the crowd’s interpretation of Sabbath law, which made no room for compassion to do good works. They would rather weaponize His healing of a man on the Sabbath. We are challenged to consider our anger and see it as a tool for righteousness.

Friend or Foe?

Betty Rupp shares a few examples of friendships found in Scripture (Job 1, Daniel 3, and 1 Samuel 18) to compare and emphasize that the company we keep matters. We can attract good friends by praying, being the good friend to others, keeping a distance from those with poor character, and remembering that Jesus is the greatest friend.

The Beauty of God: Psalm 80: 1-3, 14-19

In Psalm 80:1-3; 14-19, the Psalmist asks for God’s face to shine for Israel’s salvation, expressing glory in the world. God is beautiful and present in ourselves, each other, and in creation. Pastor Cana challenges us to observe the ordinary world every day and find God’s beauty in unexpected places.

Works and Wisdom: James 3:13-18

Pastor Cana Moore turns to James 3:13-18, where James teaches the Jewish Christians the difference between unspiritual and spiritual wisdom. Unspiritual wisdom’s fruit is wickedness, while spiritual wisdom’s fruit is peace. Using the descriptions of spiritual works, we can ask ourselves how to live out the right wisdom in our daily life.

The Reason for My Hope: 1 Peter 1:3-9, 3:14-16

Jennie Straight takes us to 1 Peter, where Peter writes encouragement to the early Christians as they experience struggles. In chapter 1:3-9, he gives 6 reasons that we can rejoice in life’s challenges. In chapter 3:14-16, Peter instructs Christians 5 ways to respond to those challenges to set an example for others that will draw them to Christ. Featured excerpt from Charles Stanley’s The Reason for My Hope.