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Alabaster Group

Alabaster Group services and events.

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#692
Yesterday · 45 min
260705 Inspire, Don't Be Envied
There's a world of difference between people wanting what you have and people wanting to become who you are. Envy chases another person's stuff, but inspiration moves someone to live the way they live. Jonathan never sought to be admired; his courage to move toward the enemy without a sign or permission simply stirred everyone around him — the soldiers, the defectors, the fearful — to find the courage they'd been missing all along. The goal isn't to be envied for success, but to carry enough courage and faith that others want to trust God the way you trust Him. 1 Samuel 14; Esther 5 #courage #jonathan #envy #inspiration #faith #obedience
#691
August 28 · 1 hr 50 min
HMW 26 | Day 7 Morning | Q&A
In this session, Heidi and Rolland Baker, along with Rapha and Ana Vaney, answer a series of questions from the Missions Week audience based on their personal experiences on the field. Homeward Missions Week 2026 | Day 7 Morning Service
#690
August 27 · 1 hr 31 min
HMW 26 | Day 6 Evening | Heidi Baker - Our Lives Are Not Our Own
Our lives are not our own, and there is no bargaining with a God who calls us to obey no matter the cost. Real surrender means yielding when he says to yield, and being stubborn when he says to be stubborn even when it appears strange to everyone around you. When we become this pliable in his hands, we are able to lay hold of what our souls truly long for—his face, his glory. Exodus 33 Homeward Missions Week 2026 | Day 6 Evening Service
#689
August 27 · 1 hr 27 min
HMW 26 | Day 4 Morning | The Altar is Worth More Than the Gold
Money is not scarce, but good places to give it are. Ministries hold something far more valuable than any donor's wallet: the altar where an offering becomes holy. Missionaries should believe that their calling is worth more than the gold being offered to it, since without the altar, the gold has nowhere meaningful to go. The Homeward platform is designed to help donors discover and trust real missionaries so both sides can move from transaction to true partnership. Stay tuned for more information! Matthew 23; Esther 4
#688
August 27 · 1 hr 44 min
HMW 26 | Day 6 Morning | A Lion is a Lion
A person's worth before God has nothing to do with the size of their crowd, their stadium, or their subscriber count — a lion is a lion whether or not hyenas surround him. The only thing anyone truly possesses in this life is God's opinion of them, and chasing the glory of men will always cost us the glory of God. Amos 3; Jeremiah 28; John 15; Luke 1; John 12; Proverbs 30; 1 Corinthians 1 Homeward Missions Week 2026 | Day 6 Morning Service
#687
August 27 · 1 hr 7 min
HMW 26 | Day 5 Evening | Heidi Baker - Never Fast Jesus
We are never called to fast Jesus because the world is hungry for more of him, not less, and we can only distribute what we carry. When we offer the fresh bread of his presence, a starving world will always run toward it, no matter how hard a place is said to be. John 6 Homeward Missions Week 2026 | Day 5 Evening Service
#686
August 26 · 1 hr 11 min
HMW 26 | Day 3 Evening | You Have Me
The parable of the prodigal son is told in three acts, and the last act is arguably the most important. The older brother’s response to mercy being poured out reveals an underlying bitterness that festers when we feel we have gone unnoticed. Faithful service in the father's house can produce its own brokenness, and the only real cure is trusting that the Father sees us and rewards us, even when it doesn't come in this life. Luke 15; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Corinthians 9 Homeward Missions Week 2026 | Day 3 Evening Service
#685
August 26 · 1 hr 46 min
HMW 26 | Day 1 Evening | Heidi Baker - Catch the Wind of the Spirit
Heidi Baker encourages us to persevere when we face trials of various kinds as she shares stories from the missions field of ship wrecks, fire ants, and a miraculous rescue by fishermen. In the face of repeated setbacks, she reminds us that if we hold fast to God, eventually we will catch the next wind of his Spirit and make it out of the storm. Ezekiel 47; John 15 Homeward Missions Week 2026 | Day 1 Evening Service
#684
June 29 · 51 min
260621 Seek to Know His Ways
Ahab's downfall at Ramoth Gilead was settled in heaven before the method was, and God still cared which method was chosen. Among many viable paths, He picks one. Jesus required John to baptize Him rather than the reverse, not because John's desire was wrong, but because that path fell short of fulfilling all righteousness. We tend to mistake one true facet of God's will for the whole of it, settling for whatever gets us to a good destination. But knowing His ways means not settling for good enough and seeking the path that reveals the fullness of His wisdom and character in every choice we make. 1 Kings 22; Psalm 103; Matthew 3; Exodus 33; Psalm 25; Luke 4; James 2 NYC Sunday Sermon | June 21, 2026
#683
June 20 · 52 min
260614 The Sovereignty of God's Timing
The story of Jonah gives us unique insight into the sovereignty of God’s timing. Our foolish and rebellious decisions never catch God by surprise and his plans unfold in ways that account for our cooperation with Him or lack thereof. Nothing that we say or do can delay or expedite God’s will, but how we relate to Him definitely impacts the role that we play in his ultimate story. The challenge as we journey through life is to be sensitive to the Father’s heart and not consumed with our personal desires so that we would not miss what He is doing or become an enemy to his plans. Matthew 12; Jonah 1-4; 2 Kings 14; John 7; Acts 10; Joel 2 NYC Sunday Sermon | June 14, 2026
#682
June 12 · 59 min
260607 Grace Cannot be Replaced
There are rewards for our good works, but only God’s grace is sufficient to cleanse us from the sin that so easily clings to our hearts. If we are diligent in pursuing righteousness, we can become deceived somewhere along the way that our own righteousness can make up for our faults, but this is a grave deception. Not only are we incapable of fixing ourselves, we are not even capable of judging ourselves rightly. But when we run to the foot of the cross, we allow God to judge us rightly and show us mercy, and in that place, we find freedom. Philippians 4; Romans 11; Galatians 3; 1 Corinthians 4; Hebrews 10; Matthew 25 NYC Sunday Sermon | June 7, 2026
#681
June 6 · 1 hr 7 min
260531 Ground Truth and Permanent Possession
When our religious efforts bear no fruit, the problem is not wrong methods but a defective science that cannot be engineered away. If true spiritual possession is the fruit we seek in the Kingdom, and we have yet to see it, we must reinvestigate our science, i.e., our “ground truth.” Joseph is a clear example that being a successful renter in Egypt and a permanent owner in the promised land are very different things. Coming into ownership of anything requires that possession be transferred from one entity to another, and this can only be done according to God’s justice. When we base our lives on this truth, our expectations are calibrated and our efforts become aimed toward a permanent inheritance. Genesis 49; Genesis 50; Joshua 5; Matthew 1; 2 Corinthians 11; 1 Timothy 4 NYC Sunday Sermon | May 31, 2026
#680
June 6 · 1 hr 56 min
260516 David Hogan - The Need for Endurance
David Hogan, accompanied by his wife Debbie and family, shares a series of somber yet powerful testimonies highlighting the necessity of endurance in our walk with God. Despite the loss and suffering that we experience in this life, our hearts must be steadfast in our call to make disciples and advance the Kingdom. Brother David reminds us that trials are the training ground for perfection, and true joy is found not in avoiding conflict, but in the unwavering reality that Jesus is King. James 1; Luke 5; Philippians 4; Romans 6; Psalm 62 NYC Saturday Service with David Hogan | May 16, 2026
#679
May 24 · 51 min
260524 Endowed with Dignity
While often overlooked, dignity is an attribute that God expects us to not only embrace but to grow in over time. A lion is endowed with a certain majesty that is not dependent on its environment. In the same way, the Lord has made us and crowned us with a certain glory that is not defined by our circumstances. The more we acknowledge this, the more we are able to walk in this god-given dignity. It’s not just a garment that we put on and off, it’s an immutable trait that defines who we are as sons and daughters of God. Matthew 22; Proverbs 30; 1 Timothy 2; Psalm 8; Ephesians 4; Judges 6 NYC Sunday Sermon | May 24, 2026
#678
May 24 · 2 hr 7 min
260517 Q&A with David and Debbie Hogan
During this Q&A session, David Hogan, and his wife Debbie, share with us stories, testimonies, and wisdom that they have gained over decades serving the Lord in Mexico. The Hogans reflect on the nuances of balancing ministry and family, the personal costs and discipline required for a life obedient to God, and the importance of yielding to God’s sovereign will even when things do not go the way we hoped. Psalm 62 NYC Sunday Service | May 17, 2026
#677
May 24 · 53 min
260510 The Catalyst of Injustice
Stories throughout the Bible show us that spiritual inheritance is often gained through a breakthrough triggered by injustice. The promise spoken to Abraham was not only realized because of his faith, but because of the injustice that his descendants experienced. The persistent widow received an answer not just because she prayed, but because she demanded justice where it was lacking. Knowing that trials are not setbacks but legal anchors required to possess the land, we should rejoice when we experience them for our redemption is at hand. Hebrews 11; Genesis 15; Luke 18; Psalm 89; Luke 21 NYC Sunday Sermon | May 10, 2026
#676
May 24 · 1 hr 4 min
260503 The Restraint of the Lord
Freedom is merely the foundation of faith; maturity comes through the restraint of the Lord that narrows our path. Unlike King Uzziah, who overstepped his calling, when we embrace God's specific harness on our lives, it prevents self-destruction. By choosing this narrow way over broad possibilities, we move from unguided freedom to becoming useful servants of divine purpose. Galatians 5; Proverbs 29; 2 Chronicles 26; Matthew 5; 1 Chronicles 4; Acts 21; Isaiah 7; 1 Samuel 16 NYC Sunday Sermon | May 3, 2026
#675
May 24 · 1 hr 2 min
260426 Live to Please Him
The story of King’s Saul disobedience reveals to us what God means by desiring someone “after his own heart.” By disregarding Samuel’s instructions, Saul demonstrated that he had elevated the opinions of men over the pleasure of God—the exact opposite of what the Lord is looking for. Like Nehemiah, who did not let political, social, or religious pressures distract him from his assignment, we are called to work and to live to please none other but God. 1 Samuel 13; Nehemiah 6; Galatians 1; John 12 Spring Retreat 2026 Sunday Sermon | April 26, 2026
#674
May 18 · 1 hr
260419 The Beauty of Wisdom
True wisdom is not transferable knowledge but a spirit that cries out in every facet of life, inviting us to learn from our mistakes and think like God. The more we do so, the more we reflect the beauty of God’s character. Just as the Queen of Sheba was left breathless not by Solomon’s arguments, but by the manifest beauty and order of his court, we are called to build lives that trigger a response to the glory of God in others. 1 Corinthians 6; 1 Kings 10; Proverbs 3; James 1; Proverbs 1; Colossians 2; Psalm 37; James 3 NYC Sunday Sermon | April 19, 2026
#673
April 9 · 1 hr 1 min
260405 Free to Choose
True spiritual maturity is found in moving beyond a relationship with God defined by needs and wants to one anchored in free will and choice. While God faithfully meets our basic needs to deliver us from the "slavery" of survival, His ultimate desire is for us to relate to Him as free sons and daughters who act out of voluntary devotion rather than necessity. Just as Nehemiah chose to rebuild Jerusalem without a direct divine command or personal crisis, we are invited to exercise a godly ambition that originates in our own hearts. Matthew 6; Deuteronomy 15; Nehemiah 1-2; 1 Corinthians 9; Philippians 1 NYC Sunday Sermon | April 5, 2026

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