“3 Days Away but One Step Back”Text: Genesis 37:12-28When Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, all of them are at least three days away from their father’s influence. Using this story, guest Pastor Eric Larsen looks at the impact that distance and time can have when we are not as close to God…
Letters of God’s Love: 1 John 2:7-17Text: 1 John 2:7-17As we discovered last week, the theme of God’s love is not exclusive to the New Testament, but it is a foundational message of the early church. We begin a month-long series based on the letters of John entitled “Letters of God’s Love.” In this first…
Text: Psalm 29, Luke 3 : 15-17, 21-22Psalm 29 is a reminder of the greatness of our God; that He is above and greater than whatever comes our way. On this Sunday where we read about the baptism of Jesus, we recognize that God’s greatness and His voice and lordship over the Earth is found…
“Who Will Intercede?”Text: 1 Samuel 2:12-26, Luke 2:41-52As we read the story about Samuel, Eli, and Eli’s sons, Eli’s question is left unanswered; who will intercede for you if you have sinned against the Lord? The Gospel of Luke presents Jesus as the answer to this question, having been described as priest-like in the same…
“Changed in the Waiting: Joy”Text: Luke 3:7-18John the Baptist’s words of preparation can seem frightening at first, but his call to “produce fruit” is paired with the promise of Jesus coming with a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. This movement in our lives that changes, redeems, and restores us is able to remove…
“Changed in the Waiting: Hope”Text: Jeremiah 33:14-16We enter into Advent, a season of expectation, with words from the book of Jeremiah. God’s promise to establish the peoples Judah and Israel – a nation that had turned away from God – and raise up an eternal line of David provides hope that is grounded in His…
Text: Mark 13:1-23In the penultimate sermon of our series on the Gospel of Mark, we study Chapter 13; a passage that has often been used to teach us to be fearful. As we read the passage in its original context, we hear Jesus calling for His followers to be faithful in the midst of hardship…
Mark 12:28-34To be close to the Kingdom of Heaven is to embrace the radical call of love that God has put on our life. This love is not only for the God who changes, redeems, restores, and liberates us from the power of sin, but it is also a love that forces us to not…
Text: Mark 11:11-13We continue our study of the Gospel of Mark after Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (which we typically read on Palm Sunday). In this passage, Jesus curses a fig tree that looks healthy but does not produce, despite being out of season. This fig tree represents the brokenness of what happens when who…
Text: Mark 10:32-45As Jesus foretells His death and resurrection while approaching Jerusalem, He also explains to His disciples that one must become a servant of all to become great. In learning what it is to be obedient and embrace holy living, we find that our lives are inextricably linked to the people we come into…