Perfect Love
According to Jesus, “love” is the measure of our spiritual growth. But how is the love of a Christian different from other loves? Here are 4 levels of love, from the lowest to the highest, from the most carnal to the most complete. And here’s what’s involved in moving from one level to the next. How “perfect” is your love for God and others?
In Praise of Boredom
Most of us hate to be bored and we go to great lengths to avoid it. But there are two kinds of boredom: the holy and the unholy, and one of them is good for you. Have you ever wondered what God might be up to in those seasons when nothing is happening, and how those seasons are crucial for building the muscle that will carry you into your better years?
Friend of God
“I no longer call you servants; I call you friends.” This sounds like a promotion; but is it always? Throughout Scripture, Abraham is a prototype of the “Friend of God.” By peeking into his life, and the disciples’ lives, we get a glimpse what it means to nourish, abide in, and live out this friendship. This sermon will explore the question: What does it really mean to be a friend of God… especially when life takes us places we wouldn’t pick for ourselves?
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.
Come Let Us Adore Him
Two very different responses meet the birth of Jesus. Herod responds with fear, suspicion, and self-preservation; while the Magi respond with curiosity, humility, and sacrifice. Matthew invites us to see that it was not who they were or how much they knew that mattered most, but their willingness to worship. The Magi teach us that when we worship Jesus, even imperfectly, God is often doing more than we know.
The Bright Shadow of Pentecost
Pentecost is a towering moment in the Christian story. The Spirit comes, the Church is born and the gospel is preached to people in 15 regions on 3 continents. But there is a shadow – a bright shadow – that follows this moment with a series of peculiar attributes setting the people of God apart. To the extent these attributes are present in the Church today, she will live in the world as a Spirit-animated Body.
Knowing Christ
Sometimes the greatest obstacle to knowing Christ is serving God.
Against the Wind
In the midst of a storm, we navigate more than govern. We discern more than decide. So what have we discerned for the direction of our Church?
Receiving the Gift
As we enter the Christmas season, we are reminded that the greatest gift to the world is Jesus. Unlike the earthly gifts we unwrap during the holidays, this eternal gift calls for more than a one-time thank you—it invites a daily response of obedience, gratitude, and praise.
2024 Christ the King
This Sunday (November 24th) we will be celebrating the entirety of the Christian Year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time) in one service! We invite you and your community to lean into the story of Christ, embracing the narrative that is forming us today while connecting us to the past and pulling us into the future.
A Diverse, Unified Community
As we consider scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, we see that God is a diverse, unified community. In order to more fully reflect God’s glory, we the Church must be what, in Christ, we already are: diverse and unified.
An Enduring Gift
Our understanding of the gift of the Holy Spirit is often incomplete. What does the Spirit make possible, not only through deliverance and relief, but also through sustaining and enduring our present realities?
Without Honor
Mark 6 is one of the most infamous “un-miracle” stories in the Bible. Jesus is back in his hometown, and instead of receiving a warm reception, he’s met with unbelief… so much so that he’s unable to do much of his best work; he later explains this to his hearers, saying that a “prophet is without honor in his hometown.” Why – on the heels of incredible miracles – is Jesus unable to do much ministry among the people who knew him best? This sermon will explore the relationship between God’s work and our belief, attention, and assumptions, and invite us to be part of God’s ministry to those who are unconvinced by Jesus.
The Source
God is so often our coach, our encourager, our lifeline, or our resource in how to live our life…but a vine is greater than all of those things. Jesus illustrates how God isn’t just a resource in our life, rather the source of our life. How does that kind of living with God look different?
Responding to the Invitation
Throughout the Gospel of Luke, Jesus uses simple table interactions to reveal the truth of who God is and the nature of God’s Kingdom. In this passage of Scripture at the table of a prominent Pharisee, Jesus not only challenges those who value religious traditions or personal prominence over the love of their neighbors, but also Jesus uses the parable the great banquet to teach about God’s invitation in our lives. Each of us have been invited to our place in the Kingdom, and Jesus communicates that God is not simply looking for the right people who have all of the status, gifts, or abilities. Instead, God is looking for anyone who will ultimately respond to the Lord’s invitation. While we can always find another excuse to delay or resist the various promptings of Jesus in our lives, the Lord calls us to say yes to whatever he has for us in the Kingdom of God.
Rest AND Work
Rest is a pretty hot topic these days. It’s talked about a lot. But for many, rest feels like an allusive concept. How can I possibly meet all the expectations of life and work and still find time for rest? Misconceptions about rest that are likely influenced by the cultural view of work/productivity can lead us to believe that the work has to be done in order to rest, but I think, in Matthew 11, Jesus is calling us to something different. When we are yoked to Jesus, we find rest for our souls AND the work continues. Rest and work can co-exist so let’s explore what that looks like.
Revelation and (Right) Response
Worship is revelation and response. But often times a part of this equation can break down. The breakdown is not in God’s revelation; it’s in our response. In the ninth chapter of John we see four groups of people respond to a miracle from Jesus. Only one responds correctly. By seeing ourselves in the story, we are asking God to help us respond correctly when He reveals himself to us.
Power of Conversation
Jesus engaged in a conversation with an outcast. No one expected him to talk with her and yet the conversation led to many finding Christ. What can we learn from this conversation? What did Jesus see in the woman at the well that we might be missing?
Life Giving Water
In Genesis, God provides life-sustaining water through rivers and rain, but human thirst for more than just water leads to spiritual drought. Throughout the Bible, figures like Jacob and the Israelites encounter water in transformative ways, yet often fall into spiritual drought due to their own desires. The prophet Ezekiel’s vision of a life-giving river flowing from the temple represents God’s Spirit reviving a barren land. This vision is fulfilled by Jesus, who offers living water to quench spiritual thirst, symbolized by the water flowing from His side on the cross. Believers, as temples of God, are called to let this living water flow through them, bringing life to others and fulfilling God’s vision of a renewed creation.
Can Anything Good Come Out of Marion?
Many times we believe that how we are perceived impacts if and how we can do good ministry. What happens when we are inaccurately perceived? What is our response? Do we need to correct people’s perception so that ministry can be done? What Jesus shows us is that we can surpass people’s perceptions of us and do GREAT ministry. Before we do that we have to deal with how we perceive ourselves. We need to deal with our own understanding of our identity. Jesus shows us the areas of identity that we tend to wrestle with and what His foundation was for His own identity so he could do GREAT ministry.