Category: The Church

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.

What Makes the Gospel “Good News”? | The Church Week 11

Good news is only good for those who benefit from its “goodness.” As believers it’s important that we properly define and distribute the powerful “Good News” of the Gospel!

All Play | The Church Week 10

In the Church that God planted there is a conspicuous absence of heroes. Every member is active. Everyone plays a part, each one doing what seems natural (like common sense) to them, but together they accomplish what no hero ever could. Everyone wins! And so when we walk in the Spirit, we become ALL that we were made to be.

In Jesus’ Name | The Church Week 9

Abiding in Christ is the source of all true courage. In Acts 4, Peter and John show that when believers draw their strength from Jesus, they can face anything. The Spirit who once empowered them now empowers us to live and speak with fearless humility in Jesus’ name.

Discerning the Spirit | The Church Week 8

When Spirit-animated people (or churches) make decisions, they discern more than decide. They have assumptions, they follow practices that others simply lack. What are they? And how do we practice them today? We need a model for making decisions that is spiritual, practical, repeatable and can be done quickly.

The Paradox of Growth | The Church Week 7

Growth brings complexity and complexity strangles growth. That is the paradox confronting every church that grows. How do Spirit-animated churches, like ours, protect the mission from the threat of success? How do they find their leaders? And what do they expect from them? As we think about leaders in our church, what can we learn from the one in Acts?

Beyond Diversity | The Church Week 6

For years the Church has been “the most segregated hour all week,” but slowly things are changing. As we become more integrated, does anyone have a vision for something beyond diversity? What does the Holy Spirit want diversity for? What is possible for the Church only after it has engaged and empowered ALL the children of God? And how does a church like ours become more like that in the power of the Spirit, rather than our own power?

Effectual Prayers | The Church Week 5

Those who walk in the Spirit live in the flow of conversations with God about what they are working on together. More than praying with the mouth or from their heart, they pray in the Spirit and with impressive results. Things happen that otherwise wouldn’t have because of their conversations with God.

As The Spirit Empowered | The Church Week 4

Our cultural moment is determined either to keep faith “personal and private,” OR to militarize our faith, bludgeoning others with our arguments. The apostles give us a third way: refusing to compartmentalize or weaponize, they instead, “spoke as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2) This sermon will address what it means for us to speak as the Spirit enables us.