"Be Anxious for Nothing"

Sabbath July 25, 2026

No matter what challenges, uncertainties, or heavy burdens you are carrying today, Scripture offers a grounding truth: God’s peace is never dependent on your external circumstances [17:14].

1. Joy Is a Habitual Choice, Not a Feeling

• The Truth: Writing from a prison cell  Paul writes "Rejoice in the Lord always". Biblical joy isn't a passive reaction when everything goes right—it is a continuous, habitual focus on Christ’s ultimate victory.

• Personal Reflection:
  What external situations or worries currently dictate my mood or peace of mind? How can I shift my focus from my present struggle to God's permanent promises today?

2. Turn Anxiety into Specific Prayer

• The Truth: When anxiety strikes, God invites us to release every burden through prayer and supplication. Instead of holding vague worries, bring your exact, specific concerns to Him —accompanied by thanksgiving for His faithful presence.

• Personal Reflection:
  What is the specific issue causing me the most anxiety right now? Have I named it directly in prayer, and what is one past blessing I can thank God for while I wait for His answer?

3. Experience Peace That Surpasses Understanding

• The Truth: Worldly logic says you can only rest once the storm has passed. However, God promises a supernatural peace that guards your heart and mind while the storm is still raging around you. Just as Jesus rested calmly in the boat during the storm on Galilee you can rest in His control.

• Personal Reflection:
  Am I waiting for my circumstances to clear up before I allow myself to feel at peace? How can I practice trusting that Jesus is in the boat with me right now?

4. Guard and Retrain Your Thoughts

• The Truth: Paul instructs us to intentionally fill our minds with what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy. Fixating on uncertainties fuels fear, but fixing our minds on God’s sovereignty restores quiet confidence.

• Personal Reflection:
  What daily inputs or thought patterns are fueling my worry ratherthan my faith? What is one true and praiseworthy promise from God I can dwell on today instead?

You can watch the full message here --> "Be Anxious for Nothing" 

"Called, Not Crowned"

Sabbath July 11, 2026

In a world that constantly tells us our value is defined by our titles, our achievements, or the positions we hold, it is incredibly easy to get caught up in the chase for the next "crown." We look at our careers, our social standing, and sometimes even our roles within the church community, and we measure our worth by them.

But what happens when those roles change? What remains when a title is taken away?

Grounded in His Calling

In Scripture, we see a powerful truth modeled through the life of Samuel and the early days of Israel. God does not call us to be crowned by the standards of this world; He calls us to belong to Him.

Our true identity is found beyond the office, beyond the tasks we perform, and beyond the expectations others place on us. When we shift our focus from seeking recognition to simply walking faithfully in the purpose God has laid out for us, we find a peace that the world can neither give nor take away.

• You are seen: God knows your heart, your quiet sacrifices, and your daily faithfulness—even when no one else notices.

• You are chosen: Your worth was established on the cross, completely independent of your performance or status.

• You are purposeful: God has a specific lane for you to run in. You don't need a crown to make a kingdom impact.

Moving Forward Together

As a church family, let us encourage one another to look past outward appearances and celebrate the unique ways God is working through each of us. Let's lay down the pressure to perform and instead embrace the joy of simply serving.

This week, whatever your hands find to do, do it with the confidence that you are a child of the King. You don't need to chase a crown—you have already been called.

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." — Isaiah 43:1

You can watch the full message here --> "Called Not Crowned" 

"Cursed Is Everyone Who Is Hanged on a Tree"

Sabbath June 27th, 2026

The Burden of Shame vs. Guilt

While guilt focuses on our actions ("I did something bad"), shame attacks our identity ("I am bad"). It is the oldest negative reflex in human history. In Genesis, Adam and Eve immediately tried to cover their nakedness and hide from God behind fig leaves. Today, we are still trying to sew our own "fig leaves"—hiding behind busyness, accomplishments, or external religious habits to keep others from seeing our true, broken selves. None of them work.

"While Adam hid his shame behind the leaves... there was one who was willing to be shamed and exposed for all to see."

The Great Exchange on the Cross

In biblical times, hanging a criminal on a tree was the ultimate form of public humiliation and exposure. Jesus, completely innocent of guilt and shame, stepped into our place:

• The Vulnerability: While the first Adam reached for leaves to cover himself, the Second Adam was stripped naked, publicly mocked, and exposed on a Roman cross.

• The Weight: Jesus didn’t just carry the legal penalty of our sins; He felt the crushing, internal psychological weight of the world's deep disgrace as if it were His own.

• The Reason: Why did He endure it? For the joy set before Him—the joy of trading places with you. He took on our nakedness and shame so that we could walk away completely clothed in His righteousness and honor.

Reflection Question

What "fig leaves" or personal coverings have you been trying to sew together to hide your imperfections, and are you ready to lay them down to accept Christ’s perfect covering instead?

You can watch the full message on the Amicus Seventh-day Adventist Church YouTube Channel.

“The Mind of Christ”

Sabbath June 20, 2026

If Jesus returned today, would you truly be ready? In this practical and thought-provoking message, brother Mark Ehrlich explores how our expectations of the Second Coming must shape our immediate daily attitudes.

While many notice the growing uncertainty in the world and agree that Christ’s return is near, the crucial question remains: what kind of mindset must we possess to receive Him? The answer is found in Philippians 2:5: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

Unpacking the Meaning of "Mind"

Mark points out that in the original Greek text, the word translated as "mind" (phroneo) is actually a verb rather than a static noun ([04:04 Opens in a new window ]). In modern translations, it is more accurately described as an active attitude, a deliberate inner disposition, or setting one's mind purposefully on something ([05:34 Opens in a new window ]).

To have the mind of Christ means choosing to actively adopt His attitude. The scripture describes what this looks like in daily practice: putting away selfishness, ignoring the urge to make a "good impression" on others, and humbly treating others as better than ourselves ([08:45 Opens in a new window ]).

Four Characteristics of Christ’s Attitude

What does the mind of Jesus look like in action? The sermon outlines four core pillars of His character that we are called to emulate:

• Active Compassion: Jesus consistently went about doing good and addressing people’s practical, basic needs ([10:16 Opens in a new window ]). True compassion means stepping out of our comfort zones to serve those whose lifestyles, backgrounds, or struggles are entirely different from our own ([14:34 Opens in a new window ]).

• A Non-Condemning Spirit: Rather than jumping to judgment, Christ extended mercy and understanding to those who were broken and accused ([13:45 Opens in a new window ]).

• Total Forgiveness: Jesus famously demonstrated radical forgiveness—from restoring Peter after his denial to praying for those crucifying Him ([15:41 Opens in a new window ]). We are called to forgive always, understanding that forgiveness is an act of obedience between us and God, completely independent of whether the other person accepts it ([17:42 Opens in a new window ]).

• Prioritizing Communion with God: Jesus made solitary prayer and connection with the Father His highest priority, often waking up early in the dark to seek strength ([18:18 Opens in a new window ]).

Merging Our Wills with His

How do we achieve this standard? It is impossible on our own human strength. True transformation only happens when we completely submit our lives to Christ. As quoted from Christ’s Object Lessons, when we yield to Him, "the heart is united with his heart, the will is merged in his will, the mind becomes one with his mind" ([20:09 Opens in a new window ]).

The message concluded with a unique interactive moment where the congregation took a silent inventory of their own hearts, paired up to pray for one another, and discussed the motivation of true Christian love: acting out of obedience to God's Word rather than merely following volatile human feelings ([26:01 Opens in a new window ]).

You can watch the full worship service on the Amicus Seventh-day Adventist Church YouTube Channel.

"Law of Life – Lie of Death (Part 1)"

Sabbath June 13th, 2026

How do you view the law of God? In much of the Christian world today, the Ten Commandments are often viewed through a negative lens—seen as a heavy, rigid burden that stands in opposition to grace.

In the first part of this powerful series, Pastor Armando Lopez takes us back to the scriptures to examine how the biblical writers actually viewed God's instructions. Far from a burden, they received the law as a beautiful, practical gift of divine grace.

The Witness of Scripture

Pastor Armando brings forward four powerful witnesses from the Old Testament to demonstrate how the saints historically celebrated God's law:

• David (the Psalmist): Delighted in the law, proclaiming it "perfect, converting the soul" ([05:40]) and declaring, "Oh how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day" ([07:31]).

• Solomon (the Wisest Man): Concluded at the end of Ecclesiastes that fearing God and keeping His commandments is the ultimate purpose and whole duty of human life ([09:04]).

• God's Word to Joshua: Commanded him to meditate on the book of the law day and night so that he would prosper and find true success ([09:52]).

• Moses (the Lawgiver): Set a definitive choice before the entire nation of Israel—to choose life and blessing through obedience, or death and cursing through rebellion ([11:08]).

The Key to Our Experience: Salvation First

Why do some experience the law as a sweet blessing while others feel it as a crushing weight? The difference does not lie in the law itself, but in the condition of the human heart. Pastor Armando highlights a vital spiritual principle found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 6:

The divine order of salvation is always grace before law.

God did not deliver the law to the Israelites while they were still enslaved in Egypt as a checklist to "earn" their freedom. He first redeemed them with a mighty hand, and then brought them to Mount Sinai to give them His commandments ([20:59]).

Because of our fallen human nature, we are utterly powerless to keep the law on our own strength. If we try to obey without first accepting God's saving grace, the law can only condemn us. But when we experience His deliverance first, the very same grace that saves us becomes the power that enables us to obey. When the heart is transformed by grace, the law naturally becomes a protective safeguard, a guide for daily living, and a source of deep peace.

Personal Reflection

During the service, members shared personal testimonies of how God's boundaries protect us—from the beautiful safeguards of marital fidelity to the restorative physical and spiritual rest of the holy Sabbath ([33:24]).

As you contemplate this message throughout the week, consider this searching question: When was the last time you praised God and thanked Him for the wonderful gift of His law?

You can watch the full worship service on the "Law of Life – Lie of Death" Pastor Armando Lopez | Sabbath, June 13, 2026