Tired and Broke | Free at Last Week 9
On the surface, the 8th commandment is easy to follow. Don’t take stuff that isn’t yours. As we grow in Christ, the 8th commandment has less to do with theft and more to do with generosity. Even further: the easiest generosity is financial. While Paul tells the Corinthians to give freely of their gifts, we ask “what gifts exactly?”. What are the best gifts we can give of freely? This sermon explores three stories in Mark 5 where Jesus gives gifts far more valuable than money. So the question is: is stealing easy?
Don’t Look Back | Easter Week 4
Jesus simply said, “Remember Lot’s wife.” What a loaded caution! When we consider the full context of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, what are the implications for our lives? This sermon explores three distinct relationships to our past and the hope we have in a great salvation.
Calm Down
Have you ever started a project, a mission or a new year with relaxation in mind? It seems oxymoronic. Yet, when asked to describe Jesus in a word, Dallas Willard responded “relaxed”. Surely he isn’t implying something negative, tired, lethargic or detached. Perhaps there’s something worth considering in this idea! Let’s explore the imagery of the vine in John 15 and chariots in 2 Kings as we envision a Christ-centered life.
The Painter | The Church Week 12
The book of Acts reveals a process of “rediscovering” God (through the new realities of the Work of Christ and the Gift of the Spirit). The sermon will be preached to a “curious attender” who has come to learn more about God. I will walk this person through three phases of getting to know God: (1) wanting to be Him, (2) wanting to paint Him (3) wanting to be painted by Him. At its core, this is a sermon about the faults of modern subjectivism, the challenge of seeing God rightly and the implications of Godly humility.
Blessed are the Merciful | The Beatitudes Week 7
Joseph’s life was radically changed by the betrayal of those he loved. What must he have felt? Surely there are few people who can speak so powerfully on the topic of mercy than Joseph himself. Let’s look closely and gather wisdom from his story that may change our story.
The Imagination of Grace | Lent Week 1
The grace of Jesus toward Simon painted a picture of who he would become: Peter. We all need this kind of imaginative grace from God that is the power to change us and the projection of who we can become in Him. As we receive this imagination of grace from God, we will offer the same gift to those around us by (1) giving a new name (2) an opportunity to get use to it, (3) freedom to be tested and (4) second and third chances.
Embracing Favor | Advent Week 2
What does it mean to be ‘favored’ by God? It’s not a reward. It can’t be withheld. Favor is not a commodity, it’s a relational posture. The ultimate expression of God’s favor is Christ’s filling, the incarnation. Mary was favored and filled so that we may now be favored and filled. How? Faith. The filling of Christ in Mary and in us is a theological mystery. We respond in faith by accepting His favor and magnifying Him.