Sermons
Many of us feel varying degrees of grief during the Christmas season — the pain of a loved one who is no longer with us or the sting of a soured relationship. How do we reconcile the absence of loved ones or cherished relationships with the expectations of “holiday cheer?”
Listen to hear more about how Jesus offers a unique brand of peace in the midst of our grief:
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” they sing. But not everyone feels that way. In fact, for many of us, Christmas brings mixed emotions.
For those of us who feel anxious during the holidays—whether about family, or about the future, or about anything else—what do we do when Christmas feels more blue than white?
Find out this morning how Christ gives us hope in our anxiety—even during the stressful holiday season.
Many things in life don’t turn out the way we thought they would, do they? Like our kids.
For better or worse, we can’t manipulate or control our children. But we can influence them. What do the Scriptures—and specifically the book of Proverbs—say about how to influence our children in a positive way? How do we parent our children in a way that helps them to flourish? Listen to find out more:
It’s been said that the reason Jesus said, “Love your neighbors” and, “Love your enemies” is because they’re often the same person.
We often hear that God instructs us to love our neighbors. But how? And what does a spiritual friendship look like? Listen today to find out:
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Marriage is about finding Mr. Right, or Mrs. Right, right?
Wrong.
Although our culture says, “There’s somebody out there for you,” God turns the tables and teaches that marriage is not about who we find, but about who we become. How can we become a better spouse? Listen more:
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Should our faith be divorced from our finances? Or should our faith inform our finances?
We think it’s the latter.
Money is a gift from God and a tool for good. So how can we wisely use money to honor God and to help others flourish? This morning we examine Proverbs about wealth and money.
Resources:
What makes a good leader?
Can we use power in a way that is healthy and life-giving?
Should politics be divorced from our faith? And, for that matter, how does our Christian faith affect how we vote?
This morning we examine Proverbs about Politics, Power, and Leadership.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me?”
You bet they can.
Our words are powerful. And God gave us words to use just like he uses words: not to tear down, but to build up, to create, and to redeem all things. Join us as we ask how we can use our words wisely, creatively, and redemptively.
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Most of us would agree that wisdom is an important virtue. But where does wisdom come from? How do we grow in wisdom? And what does it mean when the Scriptures tell us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom? This morning we begin our fall series in Proverbs.
Heaven and Hell, End Times, The Next Life. No matter what you call it, we all have questions about it, and although God doesn’t tell us everything about what comes next, he tells us what we need to know. What are some of these things, and how do they affect our lives today? And what about those people who are “so heavenly minded that they’re no earthly good?”
The Holy Spirit may be the person of the Trinity who gets the least attention. The Holy Spirit is also, arguably, the person of the Trinity with whom we interact the most. What accounts for this discrepancy? And how can we better understand both the Holy Spirit and his work in our life?
What are the essential truths we believe about Jesus? He is the Son of God—fully human, fully divine—who loves us profoundly enough to make a way back to God even while we were still spiritually dead. While no sermon can tell us all there is to know about Jesus, listen as we explore some of the most important things to understand.
As Christians we think and talk about God a lot, but what do we actually believe about God? Who is he? What are his attributes? What has he done throughout history? And can an ancient idea like God actually be relevant in the 21st century?
God is more than just an idea; he is the powerful, righteous, and gracious creator and re-creator of everything that exists. This morning we learn some of the most essential Christian beliefs about the first person of the Trinity, God the Father.
Resources:
SOAP Guide (pdf) (more SOAP guide formats on Documents page)
There is more information available today than ever before. And most of that is trying to make you act a certain way. So how do you know what is true? How do you know what information will actually help you in your life's purpose? How do you know what your life's purpose even is?
This morning we remind ourselves why we trust the Bible as our highest authority, and we learn a simple way to study the Bible for ourselves, so we can learn from it directly.
It's common knowledge: you get out what you put in. This fact is true in our work lives, in our schools, even in our relationships with what another.
It's also true of our spiritual lives. This week, as we conclude our series in Galatians, we ask why Paul chose this simple reality to conclude such a powerful letter.
Sometimes we get sources and resources confused. Jesus teaches us in John 15 that he is the source of our life, not just a resource.
Our job as Christians is to remain centered in Christ—vitally connected to him. Our very life depends on it.
"Look out for number one," right?
Wrong.
In the last chapter of Galatians we see how our faith in Christ compels us to care for one another—for our neighbors and for the world. True Christian faith inevitably results in generous, compassionate relationships. And these relationships are rooted in our understanding of a God who has been incomprehensibly generous and compassionate to us.
You can't fix a bad apple tree by spray-painting the apples red. The apples may look nice, but if you really want to fix the problem, you have to look at the roots. The same is true of our spiritual lives. We can't "fix" ourselves just by changing our behavior; we have to address our spiritual roots. Find out how:
It's an unfortunate fact that there are some people who teach a false version of Christianity in order to exploit or control people. In fact, any time someone uses "Christianity" to get ahead of someone else, they are embracing a false faith. Christianity is not about control; it's about freedom. This week we see how God set us free not only from spiritual slavery, but he set us free to love and serve one another.
Jesus set us free so that we could live free. It sounds obvious when you say it that way, but we all struggle to embrace the freedom that he offers us. We look at three reasons why religious laws can't set us free, two spiritual equations that help us understand where Jesus fits in the big picture of our faith (hint: he's a big deal!), and two diagnostic questions that can reveal what or whom our hearts really trust.
