Hays Christian Church

Spiritual Disciplines (Part 3) - Solitude

Pastor Cana focuses on the second spiritual discipline, solitude. Solitude gives space to be with and hear God without distraction, as illustrated by Elijah in 1 Kings 19, and by Jesus in Matthew 4, 14, and 26. When we find solitude, we can truly prioritize our spiritual focus on God.

Rebuilding the Walls, Rededicating the People: Nehemiah 2:2-9:38

Following the destruction of Jerusalem, the Israelites under Nehemiah took on the challenge to rebuild their city and reaffirm their covenant with God. There may be areas in our life that are crumbling like the Holy City, but Pastor Cana Moore invites us to rebuild and rededicate ourselves to our spiritual efforts, the spiritual goals of the church, and the spiritual work of God.

Holy Living in Unholy Places: Daniel 1:8-17

In Daniel 1:8-17, Daniel and his friends refuse to eat the royal Babylonian food, instead requesting vegetables and water. In this message, Pastor Cana points out that by sticking to the holy practices, they were rewarded with God’s protection. When we also refuse to succumb to the unholy standards of the world, God acknowledges our efforts.

Choosing Gratitude: Psalm 111

Psalm 111 is one that publicly praises God’s wonderful works, trustworthiness, faithfulness, and justice. Pastor Cana points out that by cultivating gratitude in even the smallest areas of our lives, we can readily receive the good and the bad that comes our way.

Spiritual Disciplines (Part 2) - Simplicity

Pastor Cana dives into the 2022 sermon series “Spiritual Disciplines” with the discipline of simplicity. Simplicity can set us free and honor God, as explained in Matthew 5:37, Hebrews 13:5, 1 Timothy 6:6-7, & Philippians 4:11-13. By pursuing simplicity, we clear up the complications of greed and consumption, making room for intention and God’s glory.

Advent (Part 5) - Proclamation: Luke 2:8-20

The Christ Candle is the last to be lit during Advent. For this message, Pastor Cana Moore takes to Luke 2:8-20, where the angels bring the Good News to the shepherds, who then rush to meet the newborn Savior. Afterward, they spread the Word of what they had witnessed to everyone they could. Join the angels and shepherds in proclaiming the wonderous birth of Jesus Christ, God incarnate!

Advent (Part 4) - Fulfillment: Luke 2:1-7

The Candle of Love is the fourth lit during Advent. For this message, Pastor Cana Moore gives us several examples of God’s promises throughout the New Testament, where our sins consistently distance us from God. In Luke 2:1-7, we rejoice because God’s will to draw near to us is at last fulfilled through the birth of Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Advent (Part 3) - Preparation: Luke 1:68-79

The Candle of Joy is the third lit during Advent. For this message, Pastor Cana Moore reflects on Luke 1:68-79, where Zechariah speaks prophetically of John’s life and ministry, preparing the way for Jesus. Similarly, we must also prepare the way because He will come again.

Advent (Part 2) - Annunciation: Luke 1:26-38

The Candle of Love is the second lit during Advent. For this message, Pastor Cana Moore reflects on Luke 1:26-38, where the angel Gabriel brings God’s annunciation (announcement) to Mary that she would bring God’s Son into the world. When God’s annunciations are often disruptive to our lives, but if we welcome them, we will see great reward.

Advent (Part 1) - Expectation: Isaiah 42:1-9

The Candle of Hope is the first one lit during Advent. For this message, Pastor Cana Moore reflects on Isaiah 42:1-9. For Israel in exile, the expectation of rescue is what God hopes will create transformation. We are not unlike Israel in our exile, but our expectation is that Christ has come and will come again. This season is not just about who is coming but who we are becoming.

For the Beauty of the Earth: Psalm 65:5-13

Psalm 65:5-13 (and Sabbath Poem VII by Wendell Berry) describe the wonders of God’s creation, its dependence on God, the glory it gives God, and our own connection to the earth. Pastor Cana Moore encourages us to take in God’s creation with gratitude and honor Him through love and stewardship.

The Good Samaritan: Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25-37 contains Jesus’ well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. Pastor Cana Moore presents the less-studied point-of-view of the robbed Jewish man, who also offers an example to follow. Just as it is important to give compassion to those unlike us, we must also remember to accept the compassion offered to us, no matter the source.

Spiritual Disciplines (Part 1): I Timothy 4:6-10, 15-16

The text for this message comes from I Timothy 4:6-10; 15-16, where Paul emphasizes to Timothy the necessity of practicing the spiritual disciplines. Pastor Cana Moore outlines what those disciplines are so that we can also put them into practice and grow spiritually.

The Lord‘s Prayer: Matthew 6:5-13

In Matthew 6:5-13, Jesus gives us guidance on how to pray with intention through the example of what we know as “the Lord’s Prayer”. Pastor Cana Moore breaks up the prayer into its meaningful components so we can better understand how we can pray as Jesus did, with greater boldness, love, and desire for God and His will.  

Jesus and the Marginalized: Luke 4:16-21, 1:46-55

For this message, Pastor Cana looks to Luke 4:16-21 and 1:46-55 to show that Jesus and the Father side with the marginalized over the powerful. There is sin in clinging to power that and it is our duty to join the Trinity in being with and loving the marginalized.

By Wisdom a House Is Built: Proverbs 24:3-6

In this message, Pastor Cana’s source verse is Proverbs 24:3-6, which speaks on wisdom. We learn what wisdom is and why it should matter to us. After understanding that, we can become wise Children of God who look to Him for the right knowledge, at the right time, and follow the right actions.

My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?: Psalm 22

Among Jesus’ final words on the Cross is a quote from Psalm 22:1. Pastor Cana provides us with context explaining that Psalm 22 is ultimately about the comfort of God’s closeness to us through our deep grief and pain. He did not abandon Jesus on the cross, nor will He be far from us at our lowest.

Hope for Dry Bones: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Pastor Cana brings us to Ezekiel 37:1-14, where God illustrates to Ezekiel the power of the Holy Spirit through prophesizing: bringing dead, dry bones to life. To prophesy to dead bones is to hope for something to happen to them. We are called to prophesy where there is no hope visible and wait for God’s Spirit to come and breathe new life.

That Which Is Sowed Is Reaped: Psalm 73

For this message, Pastor Cana Moore analyzes Psalm 73, in which the wicked succeed for a time, until they reap what they have sown, and the righteous will have the ultimate reward. It can be discouraging to see the unrighteous prevail, but rather than giving up goodness for evil’s immediate success, we as children of God may have hope in His promises and the lasting victories He has for us.

Freedom From Sin: John 8:31-36

Pastor Cana Moore uses John 8:31-36 to remind us that if we are believers in Christ with our trust on God, we are free from sin. It’s just that simple! We might give focus to our past sin to keep it from getting in the way of our relationship with God, but we cannot allow that focus to become a sin itself and consume our focus on God. We have His permission to live as freed people!

One Body: Romans 12:4-10

Pastor Cana Moore begins her pastorship at HCC by focusing on the message of Romans 12:4-10, which tells us that diversity is essential to the body of believers united by Christ and it is love that allows us to act as a community. That is who we are and by using our skills and gifts, we can contribute to the love our Christian body needs.

God Uses the Ordinary

In this message, Jennifer Urban comments on Simon Peter, Jesus' leading disciple, who proves that God can use anyone to live a life of impact. When we allow ourselves to be used by God, we touch those around us with His light and our heavenly rewards are great. 

When Your Light Is Brighter than Your Life

In this message, Bruce Bellinger addresses what we should do if our lives don’t reflect God’s light in us, using notes from Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People by Keith Drury. We shouldn’t forget the light and truth, get discouraged, pretend to follow the light, or drag our feet to obey. Instead, we should look back at how far we’ve come, make sure our light is from God, listen to Him, and trust Him to change us.

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

In continuing to explain the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, Jennie Straight shifts focus to the second Beatitude in Matthew 5: “Blessed are those who mourn”. We work to understand what it means to mourn and how we will be comforted.

The Other Half of the Great Commission (Part 2): The Golden Rule

Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:27-38 prompt Steve Tramel to explain the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you”, a rule shared across belief systems. We must understand the Golden Rule in it’s Biblical context, why we often fail to abide by it, and ways to improve our obedience.

The Ripples of Ministry

Kit Dotson from Emmanuel Christian Seminary speaks on the effects the Holy Spirit has when we allow ourselves to be guided while we are spreading the Gospel to those within our reach. The lives we touch with God's power and love are able to expand the ripple of ministry.