December 4, 2016 |
Isaiah 9:1-7 |
christmas, movies, popular culture
Elf is a classic because of the redemptive Christmas themes found in its story. Themes like: a baby boy that gets adopted, an otherworldly young man whose love and innocence cause him not to fit it anywhere, and a man named Walter who is on the “naughty list” and rejects his son. In the movie, Walter’s priorities are upside down, he puts his job and position ahead of his wife and kids, and he is angry and miserable. The story is really about Walter’s redemption by accepting his son.
The prophet Isaiah wrote of a Son that would be given to humanity that would be the Messiah bringing light to a sin-darkened world and establishing an eternal kingdom of peace in a world filled with chaos and brokenness. We can recognize and receive Jesus as this Son that was given to us to bring us out of darkness and into His kingdom of peace and light.
November 27, 2016 |
1 Peter 2:4-17 |
culture, exposition
It can be hard to find a way to live in harmony with the culture around you. Do you feel that it is difficult to be a believer in your workplace, when your with friends or even at home? Do you sense this tension between being an authentic Christian and getting along with others in certain sectors of your life?
In Peter’s first letter to believers in Asia Minor, he tells them that they can live in harmony as exiles in their world by truly becoming God’s people. We too can live in harmony with our world by living as His people.
November 20, 2016 |
1 Peter 1:13-2:3 |
culture, exposition
In Peter’s first letter to believers in Asia Minor, he tells them that they can live in holiness as exiles in their world as God’s chosen people. In this message, we learn some practical advice Peter gives us to live as a people set apart, or holy.
November 13, 2016 |
1 Peter 1:1-12 |
culture, exposition
Full Transcript Available
How should we live as Christians when the dominant cultural and political forces are at odds with our faith? The apostle Peter’s first letter says that we should live as exiles. In fact, he refers to the first century Christians as exiles three times in his letter. So, over the next three weeks we’re going to look at those three instances. In Peter’s first letter, he told believers who were living as exiles in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) that they could live with great hope in Jesus Christ. We too are living as exiles in a hopeless world and can experience a life of hope through Jesus Christ.
November 6, 2016 |
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 |
exposition, work
Work. Many of us consider work something we have to do in order to pay for the things we really want to have and to buy the time to do the things we really want to do. Americans have made play a higher goal than work. But that’s a low view of work. It diminishes it to an activity that we have to put up with, rather than a fulfilling and meaningful purpose for living. We place such a high value on entertainment and recreation that it has become a kind of idolatry. We celebrate idleness over work. We have made an idol of idleness!
God has a much higher view of work. As Jesus said, “My Father is always working, and so am I” (John 5:17). As soon as God made man, He gave him a job to do. And He has a job, a purpose for your life too! In the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, he told them to stand firm in doing the work to which God had called them. We can stand firm in the work that God has given us to do.
October 30, 2016 |
2 Thessalonians 2:13 - 3:5 |
bible, exposition
We can be confident and not easily deceived or shaken if we are rooted in the Word of God. We can be confident in our salvation, and then get a firm grip on sound biblical teaching in order to pass the baton of the Gospel on.
October 23, 2016 |
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 |
bible, exposition
Perhaps you’ve been alarmed and shaken by today’s headlines. Terrorist attacks, non stop news about the upcoming election, hurricanes and flooding. And that’s just last week! How are we supposed to face these things? And what do we do about all the fear-mongering that we hear people offering? The apostle Paul told the believers in Thessalonica not to be shaken by the false teaching that they were hearing concerning Christ’s return, but instead to continue to stand firm.
October 16, 2016 |
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 |
exposition, suffering
Suffering often causes a theological problem for us. We put our trust in God, yet bad stuff still happens. We pray for healing, yet a loved one dies. We pray for reconciliation in marriage, but it ends in divorce. We share our faith with a neighbor, and they reject both our message and our friendship. Suffering tests our faith! Are you going through a time of suffering today? The apostle Paul told the believers in Thessalonica that they could stand firm in their faith in Christ Jesus during times of suffering.
In this series, we will see how closely linked our worship is to our witness. We will see that our worship and witness is foundational, transformational, relational, missional and reproducible to our faith. This series is loosely based on the book, The Great Commission to Worship by David Wheeler and Vernon M Whaley
October 2, 2016 |
2 Timothy 2:1-7 |
discipleship
Do you ever wonder what sort of legacy you are leaving? Do you wonder if people will remember you the way you want to be remembered or some other way? Do you think about what it is that you are really passing on to your kids or your friends or coworkers? In the book of 2 Timothy, Paul tells his disciple Timothy that the grace of Christ can be shared to future generations. Paul teaches that the worship and witness of Jesus Christ is reproducible.
September 25, 2016 |
Psalm 96:1-10 |
evangelism
In the 96th Psalm, the Psalmist wrote that the nation of Israel should worship and bear witness to the glory of God so that all the earth would join in. The mission of that nation was to let their worship of God be a witness among the nations. We too can be missional through our worship and witness.
