Sermon Topic: Jesus
On Sunday, December 24, we will celebrate this great news of Christmas with two Candlelight Christmas Eve Services. Each service will have its own worship and message, so you have two reasons to come enjoy cookies and coffee in the Gathering Hall ... and you have two reasons to bring a guest!
Topics: Forgiveness, Jesus, Love
Faith in the Story
It is a miracle that Mary would have such faith as to believe that God's plan could be accomplished through her. But the miracle of faith is not just Mary's. There are miracles of faith all over the Christmas story. Joseph believed the word of angels. The shepherds talked to angels, too, and believed what they were told. Elizabeth (Mary's aunt) was filled with the Holy Spirit and believed that God was working out his plan through her also. And what the Story of Christmas asked of those faith-stretched people, it asks of us too. And every time faith happens, it is a miracle. What is the story of Christmas asking you believe about God? What is it asking you to believe of the world around you? What new level of faith is it calling you toward?
Hypostatic Union
Last week, we talked about the 5% and the 95% and were challenged by Mary's story to live in the 95% realm of believing in a supernatural God who does supernatural things. This week, we will explore one of the most powerful proofs of his miracle-working power — the union of God and man in the life of Jesus. Brothers and sisters, this is good theology! He who was fully God became fully human — two distinct natures in one Person. He had both the power of his divinity and the experience of his humanity, and only Jesus was able to reconcile those two natures inside one personality. The nature of Jesus is a miracle and THE great mystery of his existence. He IS God, and yet he has lived my life and yours. Why does that matter, and why does it give such hope? Come on Sunday and let's dive in.
Topics: Divine/Human, Faith, Jesus
A Jesus or THE Jesus?
get most excited when our times together on Sunday can really focus on Jesus. As we make our way toward Easter, that's our focus. Simply Jesus. The question is: which Jesus? Because what we want and who he is aren't always a match. We want a Messiah who is easily understood, whose “I am” is readily accessible. We are not prepared for a Messiah who is here but not here, or for a king whose Kingdom is intangible but ever-present. We can definitely balk at truth as Jesus defines it. The faith requirement for this kind of Messiah is very high, so we’d better know who it is we want before we go claiming our allegiance to Jesus. Otherwise, like Peter, we’ll find ourselves stepping back and fearful of the commitment.
Who is it you really want to be your savior? Are you sure? That's where we'll be on Sunday as we open the gospel of John (chapter 17) together. I can't wait.
Topics: Jesus, Savior, The Reality Of Jesus
New Improved Year Resolution
A new year is an incredibly hopeful thing for me. It isn't just that we get to try again, but that we can be hopeful about what's ahead. And I am a fan of hope! Hope is probably what encourages New Year resolutions, but is that the best way to welcome hope into our lives? Especially since most of us end up dropping them by mid-January, it seems as if resolutions can be counter-productive. And as Steve Moore shares with us this week, they may not even be biblical. What if we focus instead in the person of Christ, rather than the work of life? That's where we'll be this Sunday as we begin the Year of Sweet Communion.
Topics: Biblical Expectation, Focus, Jesus, Resolution
Hope In Hidden Places
For all the "hard" that has been this whole pandemic season, I hope you've also managed to uncover some blessings along the way. Maybe they have come in the form of a new job or a fresh take on what's most important. Maybe you've rediscovered the joy of cooking or the art of slowing down. Because we serve a creative God, we know there are blessings embedded in most any circumstance. Ours is to explore until we find them. This week, we'll talk about hope in hidden places as we continue our journey to a manger, where we find the most glorious Hope of all. I hope to see you Sunday!
Majesty In The Manger
This Sunday we begin the advent season with a reminder of how it all began. We'll explore the incantation and the power of Jesus to transform lives and hearts.
Topics: Christmas, Incarnation, Jesus
Worthy of Worship
This summer we have been following the thread of worship through Isaiah. This week Isaiah introduces us to Jesus through his prophecy of the Cross. Isaiah 53 gives us one of the clearest pictures of the person and work of Christ through the lens of his human suffering. Join us as we explore Isaiah 53. We'll connect with Jesus, discover another dimension of his character, all while we remember together why he is worthy of worship.
Topics: Fully Divine, Fully Human, Jesus, Servant and Redeemer, The Cross, Worthy of Worship
The Branch
This week, we dive into Isaiah's messianic prophecies and discover that Jesus is perfectly pictured there -- full of hope, peace, and security. How does this vision of the Messiah call us to live? How does it call us to worship? Are you hungry for more of what God seems so willing to do among us? Then check out this message.
Jude
This week, Christopher is our preacher and Jude is the book. Jude urges us to defend the Gospel and to remember the words of the apostles. He also sends us a sober warning about the consequence of forgetting who we are in Christ and trading truth for a lie. Join us Sunday and be inspired!