Village Seventh-day Adventist Church

Pastor Wisam Ali was born the son of a Muslim tribal chief in Nazareth. Being raised to be the next imam, he felt emptiness in his life. Learning that his sister had married a Christian and converted, he knew that she had to die for the sake of the tribe's honor. He was stopped by visions from God, which spurred his own conversion. Returning home to his tribe and family with the Gospel, he was stoned twice and nearly died himself, but God delivered him. Today he continues to minister to his homeland as a part of AWR.

Pastor Hinkle explains the history of human struggle to understand God's true nature. Martin Luther stood up for truth, convicted by conscience and the truth of Scripture, and our church today owes much to him and other heroes of faith. God is perfect, and his Word is also perfect in its truth and message to us. We are called to be more dedicated to the truth given by God than to what makes us comfortable or feel good.

Every generation must answer the same question: is the faith we carry truly our own, or simply inherited from those who came before us? The book of Joshua shows a new generation stepping into their own experience of God, not just admiring what He did for their parents. From the crossing of the Jordan to the fall of Jericho, God gave His people moments that were personally theirs. Joshua's final challenge still echoes today: choose this day whom you will serve. Heritage, tradition, and church history are valuable, but they cannot replace a living, personal trust in God. The stones at the Jordan were never meant to be admired from a distance. They were meant to start a conversation that leads each person to the God who is still faithful in every generation.

Peter wrote his second letter knowing his death was near, and his final words were filled with urgency, warning, and hope. He pointed believers to the sure word of prophecy, which is even more certain than eyewitness experience because it has been proven across the sweep of history. He warned against false teachers who promise much but deliver nothing, comparing them to wells without water. He answered the skeptic's question about why Jesus has not yet returned by reminding us that God is not slow but patient, not willing that any should perish. Believers are even called to hasten the return of Jesus through faithful proclamation of the gospel. The ultimate promise is a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. What we become in Christ is the only thing that outlasts this world.

One of the most repeated warnings in Scripture is one we rarely apply to ourselves. Pride of opinion is not a minor character flaw. The Bible treats it as a serious spiritual danger, warning us again and again that the way that seems right to a person can lead to destruction. From Eve in the garden to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, history is full of people who were fully convinced they were right while heading in the wrong direction. The antidote is genuine humility, openness to counsel, and anchoring everything in the Word of God. Holding convictions with an open hand before God means being willing to be corrected, even when it is uncomfortable. The wisest thing any of us can do is stay humble, stay open, and keep asking God to lead us in the way everlasting.

We are living in what many believe are the last days, and the Bible's warnings about this time are more personal than most expect. The Apostle Paul describes the dangers of the last days not as external threats, but as attitudes and behaviors that can take root within the church itself. He charges believers to preach and embrace sound doctrine, warning that a time will come when people will seek out teachers who only say what they want to hear. True doctrine and Christlike conduct belong together. If our theology does not make us more like Jesus in how we treat others, something is wrong with our theology. The remedy for confusion and division is not louder opinions, but a deeper, more humble engagement with the Word of God. We are called not to use Scripture as a tool for our own agendas, but to allow Scripture to correct, equip, and transform us.

No matter how far someone has fallen, God's grace reaches further. The Gospel of Mark gives an unflinching look at human failure, from betrayal and denial to mockery and abandonment, and yet Jesus responded to all of it by rising from the dead and commanding His followers to go tell everyone the good news. Even a Roman centurion who likely participated in the crucifixion became a believer at the foot of the cross. If grace could reach him, it can reach anyone. Romans 5:8 reminds us that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. He did not wait for us to clean ourselves up. The invitation to be saved has no exclusion clause, and no one is too far gone for His grace.

First Peter Ch. 2 uses two vivid metaphors to describe what it means to follow Christ: milk and living stones. Just as a newborn craves nourishment, we are called to desire the Word of God so that we can grow spiritually. Jesus is the cornerstone, and we are living stones being shaped and fitted together by God into a spiritual household. Peter describes the church as a chosen family, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation called out of darkness into God's marvelous light. This identity is not earned but given, rooted in the same grace that God extended to those in Hosea's time who had no claim on Him. The call for each of us is to receive the Word, lay aside bitterness and envy, and actively contribute to the community God has placed us in.

The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel includes four unexpected women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. Each came from outside Israel, and each entered the family line of Christ through difficult or scandalous circumstances. Yet God redeemed every one of them in a remarkable way. Tamar found justice through Judah's honest confession. Rahab's faith saved her from a doomed city and a broken past. Ruth's loyal love brought her into the line of David. Bathsheba, taken against her will, was ultimately honored as queen mother. Their presence in the genealogy of Jesus is not an accident. It is a declaration that God's grace reaches further than we expect, to people we might never have chosen.

Jesus opened His ministry with a surprising declaration: blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Being poor in spirit does not mean being weak or defeated. It means recognizing your genuine spiritual need before God and abandoning the illusion of self-sufficiency. Pride closes the heart to grace, while humility opens it. The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 flow from this single starting point, each blessing building on the one before it. Recognizing your spiritual poverty is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning of everything God wants to do in your life. The kingdom of heaven is not for those who have earned it. It is for those who know they need it.