Alabaster Group

Some acts of obedience are available every day of life, like prayer or giving to the poor, but others exist only in a single moment and missing it means it's gone for good. Mary’s anointing of Jesus could not have happened at any other time. Isaiah’s calling could have only started once King Uzziah died. Recognizing which moments are perpetually open and which ones are gated by a season not yet released is what allows someone to catch the will of God rather than force it.

Matthew 26; Isaiah 6; 2 Chronicles 26; Genesis 9

NYC Sunday Sermon | Sept...

When reading about the paralyzed man who is lowered through the roof to Jesus, most people expect a healing, yet before anything else, Jesus says, "your sins are forgiven." Healing is easy to depict and dramatic to witness, but forgiveness is subtle and deeply personal, which is why conviction of sin is the rarer, greater gift. What every generation, every city, every person ultimately needs, more than healing or provision, is that same forgiveness, and the full conviction that makes someone finally ask for it.

Luke 5; 1 Thessalonians 1; Psalm 103

NYC Sunday Sermon | September 6, 2026

What binds the people of God is not a family lineage, location, or culture, but a shared commitment to do the Father’s will. Judges 17 shows us that when we lose sight of this, we begin to produce convenient religion that meets the demands of men, yet is oblivious to the desires of God. But those who give their lives wholly to only doing what they see the Father doing are the ones that Jesus is not ashamed to call brothers, with the will of God as the only thing that unites them.

Matthew 12; Matthew 13; Judges 17; Hebrews 2

The Shunammite woman is never named, yet Scripture ties her permanently to Elisha's story. She had no special calling upon her life, but she made herself relevant by noticing his needs and meeting them. Her initiative to think outside of herself compelled Elisha to meet her desires and needs even when she could not foresee them. In times of tragedy and distress, she was overtaken by the provision and blessings of God. But her true reward wasn’t in material things, but something much greater: her story became permanently woven into his, proof that anyone can write themselves into wh...

Real unity isn't the absence of conflict or bonding over a shared enemy. It's two people choosing to walk together in the same direction. When God calls us to be united with him, it is an invitation to walk the same path that He walks. It requires the unseen, daily practice of aligning every step, until it's no longer clear where your work ends and God's begins. The goal isn't to earn a seat next to Jesus, but to have walked with him so closely that sitting there is simply where the road was always leading.

Psalm 133...

Both poverty and abundance pull the heart away from trusting God. The writer of Proverbs understood this, asking God for neither poverty nor riches but only enough for the day, because either extreme tends to land in the same place: a heart drowning in anxiety. Real peace doesn't come from adjusting the number in the bank account, but from bringing every want and need to God with thanksgiving and learning to be content in that narrow place between too little and too much.

Matthew 6; Proverbs 30; 1 Corinthians 7; Philippians 4

NYC Sunday Sermon | July 26, 2026

Being accepted by God should never be taken for granted. Before David was anointed by Samuel, Saul and all seven of David’s brothers were rejected by God. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, was denied the opportunity to build a house for him. When God does accept our offerings, He gives us the privilege of seeing his will prosper in our lives. Like good soil that a seed is planted in, the works of our hands can provide a fertile environment for the will of God to grow and bear much fruit in the Earth.

Poverty isn't defined by what someone has, but by the size of their dreams. The woman with the issue of blood dared to believe that her ailment was not the end of her story, but Lazarus could not dream of much beyond his next meal. When the gifts that God blesses us with begin to outgrow our dreams, we squander these blessings in pursuit of our small cravings, and this, as the prodigal son teaches us, is true poverty. In contrast, when we dare to believe that the seemingly impossible is possible God rewards us by elevating us beyond...

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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 w...

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 pl...

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 just...

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...

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...

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

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...

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

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

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 | Apri...

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...

Righteousness is not merely a moral attribute but a tangible form of spiritual power. When we perform acts of integrity—such as returning a poor man’s pledge or giving alms like Cornelius—we are accruing a memorial of righteousness that carries weight in the heavens. Like a pendulum raised to its peak, these quiet sacrifices build a storehouse of potential that can be converted into action. The Lord desires that we understand this dynamic so that we can make full use of the spiritual power available to us.

Deuteronomy 24; Acts 10; Romans 1; Genesis 15; Luke 7; James 5; Mark 5; Luke 5

In different areas of our lives, we can easily become one of many: one of many students, employees, citizens, customers, residents, etc. But to God, we each hold a unique place in His heart and He desires to relate to us in a way that can’t be replicated or replaced. When we recognize this about our relationship with God, it also becomes easier to love others in the same way that God loves them—not generally, but individually. Gomer was not just another prostitute, she was someone deeply loved by God, and Hosea was invited to share in this...

Many times, the healing that Jesus offers us restores not only our bodies, but our souls. Suffering over long periods of time can take a toll on us such that our dignity begins to erode, and it becomes harder for us to believe that we are valuable in God’s eyes. When Jesus encounters the leper, He does not just heal him, He emphasizes that God desires to heal him, and in doing so, restores a dignity that had been lost. As we relate to others, we have a responsibility to build up our neighbors, while at the same ti...

True relationship with God is not measured by the "mighty works" we perform or the hours we log in service to Him, but by the alignment of our hearts with His. It is possible to be an "employee" of the Kingdom, using God’s power and gifts while remaining a stranger to Him, but we are called to a deeper intimacy. Like the bondservant in Exodus 21, our relationship can transition from being one of transaction, to one of sonship—where our interests become one and the same. This intimacy can also be experienced in our relationships with other people as w...

The story of Ananias and Sapphira teaches us a very important lesson: the only faith that is acceptable to God is an authentic one. The Lord is not interested in a version of ourselves that is contrived or curated for the eyes of men; He’s interested in a sincere faith that is consistent regardless of who is watching. It is easy to forget that all that we will give an account for all that we say and do. It is the grace of God, however, that allows us to reckon with the weight of our decisions so that we...

Life often feels like a complex mixture of the good and the broken, leading us to dismiss certain parts of our history as worthless or distracting from our ultimate purpose. However, the Scriptures reveal that small things, whether good or bad, can have a large impact on our direction, acting like rudders that guide the entire course of our lives. God frequently uses the “seeds" of our youth—planted through our unique upbringing, specific trials, and even our cultural backgrounds—as levers to propel us into our future. Instead of running away from a mixed or painful past, we are in...

God has ordained specific times and seasons for every purpose, and these are determined by His divine timeline rather than our own human milestones. While we often struggle with delays, the life of Abraham reveals that God can use our trials—even our "barren" seasons—to preserve us from the consequences of our own weakness. True maturity comes when we refuse to let worldly success or human influence claim credit for our lives, choosing instead to trust in God’s providence alone. When we yield to His sovereign timing, we find a path that is unentangled from the systems of man...

Whether we are in positions of great authority or trying to live a life pleasing before God, discernment is an indispensable tool that we will always have to use. Maintaining adequate discernment, however, is not trivial. Anything in our hearts that has not been surrendered to God will cloud our judgement and make us incapable of exercising right discernment. But when we keep our hearts pure before the Lord, our skills of discernment are sharpened by constantly conforming our thoughts to his.

2 Samuel 15-17; Proverbs 4; 1 Kings 3; 1 Corinthians 14

NYC Sunday Service | February 8, 2026

The decisions we make have ramifications far beyond the present moment we find ourselves in, and none of us have the ability to predict those effects ahead of time. On issues of right and wrong, we may be tempted to trust our own judgements, even over and above the Lord’s, but doing so would leave us susceptible to profound errors that negatively impact us and those around us. Whether we are deciding to execute justice or extend mercy, we should always lean on the Lord’s wisdom because He sees the end from the beginning and true justice and...

The Bible tells us that God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. For those who desire to live a righteous life, this truth presents a significant problem: many of the good things that we are called to do can become the very source of our pride. Acquiring knowledge, avoiding sin, being diligent in our work, maintaining spiritual disciplines—all of these, although right for us to do, cause us to become puffed up in our own abilities. So how do we maintain a humble posture before the Lord? It requires an intentional and consistent acknowledgement of...

The tools that God uses to shape us into the man or woman He has called us to be are often the very things that make us the most uncomfortable. One of those tools is loneliness. While we were not created to be alone in perpetuity, God allows us to go through seasons of solitude so that we might experience aspects of his nature that we would not otherwise experience. When we embrace these moments of discomfort, things that were once the source of our deepest insecurities become part of the sure foundation that God establishes us on.

A quick survey of our lives and the Scriptures reveals that God does not treat us all equally. As we walk with God, He allows us to go through circumstances that are in proportion to the measure of the faith that He wants to draw out of us. As sons and daughters, we should not expect this journey of faith to be easy, because the discipline of the Lord never is. But, we can be sure that it is worth it.

Luke 7; Matthew 15; Hebrews 12

NYC Sunday Sermon | January 25, 2026