“Thankful for the Past”2 Thessalonians 1:1-12We begin a short series on 2 Thessalonians, where Paul’s message to the church in Thessalonica speaks to its past, present, and future. Paul’s thankfulness for the church’s faithfulness is paired with a promise of punishment for those who afflict them. Pastor Tim provides the context for this letter and…

“Questions for God”Text: Habakkuk 1:1-3, 2:1-4In a time of uncertainty for the people of God, the prophet Habakkuk asks God bold questions about what appears to be God’s nonresponse to his prayers and the wrongdoing in the world. And yet, Habakkuk does not passively wait for God’s response; instead, he actively looks for what God…

“Stories That Shape Us: 30 Pieces of Silver”Text: Zechariah 11We continue our “Stories That Shape Us” series, looking at Old Testament passages that shape or are recalled in New Testament. This week’s passage from Zechariah is one that would have familiar in the time of Jesus. Zechariah’s rejection of the thirty silver shekel payment given…

Stories That Shape Us: The Abomination – September 18, 2022Text: Daniel 11:31-12:13It is often said that history is “written by the victors.” However, this week we review a passage from the book of Daniel that comes from the perspective of those who have been conquered. Despite descriptions of the desolation of the Temple and battles…

“Stories That Shape Us: Can It Get Any Worse?”Text: Book of JonahThe story of Jonah is a one of downward descent, starting off somewhere well and continually getting worse for him. Despite Jonah’s disobedience and lack of enthusiasm in proclaiming God’s message to the people of Nineveh, God still uses him to initiate the repentance…

“Stories That Shape Us: Giant Issues”1 Samuel 17This week we study the original “underdog” story, David and Goliath. It is not a story rooted in David finding his inner strength to defeat Goliath, but instead dwelling in the confidence of God’s providence. Like David, the Lord uses the trials of our past to equip us…

“Stories That Shape Us: Radical Grace”Text: Deuteronomy 19We continue our look at influential Old Testament scripture passages by examining Deuteronomy 19. While the mindset of “an eye for an eye” – reserved for only the most malicious offenses – became a part of the culture, the passage reveals that God is a God of mercy…

“Stories that Shape Us: Finding Our Voice”Text: Exodus 3We’re in our second week of a new sermon series entitled “Stories that Shape Us” where we look at the Old Testament stories that both affect other areas of Scripture and define our understanding of who we are as the church. This week, we look at the…

Text: Luke 15:1-7We welcome Pastor Amanda Lawton as this week’s guest preacher. She serves the South Portland Church of the Nazarene as both children’s pastor and director of the Lighthouse School. We sometimes experience moments when we feel lost. However, as the Parable of the Lost Sheep reminds us, God is always searching for us…

Text: Galatians 5:13-26We continue our look at Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia. In last week’s passage from chapter 3, Paul reminds us that there is no law that keeps us from the grace of God. This may tempt us to live our lives the way we want to or just do the minimum…