Sermon Archive
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August 2020
Making Decisions And The Decisions We Make
In this message we hear from the Lord through Ron Kofstad, Jr. while studying Jeremiah 6:16 together. I encourage you to read Jeremiah 6:16-21 as you prepare your heart and mind to receive the Lord’s instruction. May the Lord open your eyes to the compass we should use to make decisions and to the impact of the decisions we make.
July 2020
In Spirit and Truth
Imagine with me the scene. It’s high noon on a hot day outside the Samaritan village of Sychar. The sun is directly overhead, beating down on the head of a woman who is carrying a large, heavy water jar on her shoulder. She is making her way along a well-worn path that leads out of the town toward a well, which, according to tradition, had been dug long ago by Jacob himself.
The other women of the village have already come and gone by this time. It was the practice of most in those…
The Wrong Love
This Sunday we’ll wrap up our study of the third chapter of John by exploring verses 22-36 together. This portion of scripture begins with John the Baptist’s disciples complaining to him that everyone is now going to Jesus to be baptized rather than them. They are losing market share on the spiritual pie chart. John the Baptist’s answer to them is powerfully insightful. We have already covered the incredible humility of John the Baptist in our previous studies and we see that again he…
Light and Dark
“Drawing a line the sand” is a common idiom in English meant to describe an action which, once taken, signifies a permanent and decisive commitment to an ideal, cause or person as well as a willingness to suffer any possible consequences that might come from taking that stand. This coming Sunday, we will continue our study through the Gospel of John by finishing Jesus’ nocturnal conversation with Nicodemus. In John 3:17-21 Jesus uses words to draw a line in the sand and then encourages Nicodemus, and also us, to join Him on the other side of it. I hope you can join us this Sunday as we study this important passage of scripture together.
Sacrificial Love
My favorite stanza from the old hymn, “I Love to Tell the Story,” is the one that goes:
“I love to tell the story
For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it like the rest”
If you’re like me than you’re very familiar with the old, old story, but the Gospel is like a piece of chewing gum that never runs out of flavor no matter how much you chew it. Even those who know it best continue to savor and enjoy the truth…
June 2020
Born Again
In this message we tackle the first fifteen verses of John 3 in which Jesus has a nighttime conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. For the most part, Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees were pretty contentious, but this time it is different. Nicodemus is a genuine truth-seeker with humility in great enough measure to celebrate what he sees in Jesus rather than feel jealous or threatened by Him. However, in the course of their conversation Jesus makes a statement to Nicodemus tha…
Cleansing the Temple
In this message we continue our study through the Gospel of John by studying verses 13-22 of chapter 2 in which Jesus cleanses the temple. This account shows us a side of Jesus that we don’t often see. He is angry. He overturns tables. He takes people’s money and scatters it on the floor. Most shocking of all, He fashions some cords into a whip and turns it on animals and people alike. What does all this mean? And how do we apply it? I hope you can be part of the conversation as we unpack these verses together.
What Are You Seeking
This Sunday we’ll be continuing our study through the Gospel of John by unpacking John 1:35-51 together. In these verses John recounts how Jesus first began to gain a following of disciples. One of the things that often strikes me when I read the Bible is how different the recruitment strategy of Jesus and the early church was from what we see in Christian practice today. Listen in and be part of the conversation as we study these verses together.
Who Are You
For the most part the Bible depicts people in a warts-and-all kind of way, which is to say that both their good and bad points are highlighted. However, whereas the stories of personalities like David or Peter reveal a complicated and nuanced portrait of a fellow struggler, other figures seem to be depicted in a more one-dimensional kind of way. For example you’d be hard pressed to find anything admirable in the Bible’s depiction of Jezebel or Herod. Inversely, the Bible doesn’t offer…
Light and Sight
I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I have a fairly serious sleep walking problem. Over the years I have had many nocturnal adventures like the time I wandered around a horse ranch, destroyed a drop ceiling, went outside and yelled at my neighbor’s house, went into work at a police department, climbed out of a bedroom window, and another time when I injured myself so badly that I was unable to talk for a few days… all while sleeping. Once, in college, I horrified my roommate who wo…
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