Sunday, May 8: Baby Dedication and Mother’s Day This Sunday is Mother’s Day. I am grateful for all the ways my mom sacrificed for me and for the things that she taught me about life and faith. I am also grateful for my wife—especially for the way she loves our children and for all the time […]
Sunday, May 1: Living Stones 1 Peter 2:11–25 Theodore Roosevelt is credited with having said, “Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.” Jesus said something similar in Matthew 7: “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good […]
Sunday, April 24: Living Stones 1 Peter 2:1–10 The series we’re in is called “Living Stones” and this week we’ll be covering the verse that gave us that title. Peter uses the metaphor of the Living Stone to describe Jesus, and describes us as being like living stones as well. But what are we building? […]
Sunday, April 17: Easter Mark 16:1–8 In Mark 16, three women visit the tomb of Jesus to care for his body. On their way to the tomb, they realize that they have a problem—the mouth of Jesus’ tomb is blocked by a huge stone, and the three of them are not strong enough to roll […]
Sunday, April 10: Living Stones 1 Peter 1:13–25 So far in the book of 1 Peter we’ve heard some strong theological reminders about who we are in Christ, and the hope we have in Jesus. Peter gave us some good reasons for our hope, and this week he’s turning the corner with a “therefore…” It’s […]
Sunday, April 3: Living Stones 1 Peter 1:1–3 The world is changing. Advances in technology, communication, and transportation have brought global cultures together in ways previously unimaginable. I think we all feel the changes. Cultural change isn’t limited to language, food, and customs, we have also noticed a shift in values. Sometimes it feels like our […]
Sunday, March 27: Samuel 1 Samuel 28 This week we say goodbye to our friend Samuel. It’s been a great series, but this Sunday it comes to an end. We’ve learned a lot from Samuel—he taught us how to pray and trust God. He taught us how to listen for God’s voice and he showed […]
Sunday, March 20: Samuel 1 Samuel 16:1–13 The way things look on the outside isn’t always how they appear the whole way through. If you’ve ever bitten into a piece of fruit that wasn’t quite as fresh as it looked, or stepped on a patch of ice that wasn’t quite firm enough to bear your […]
Sunday, March 13: Samuel 1 Samuel 15:1–35 The Old Testament can sometimes be a source of confusion for people who have only ever read the New Testament. When read in an off-hand sort of way, without considering the full scope of the Bible, the Old Testament God can sound like God’s younger, angrier years, or […]
Sunday, March 6: Samuel 1 Samuel 11:12–12:25 Sometimes in life we make mistakes. Other times in life we make big mistakes. Some mistakes rock your life. They make you question your identity and doubt the future. They shake your confidence and make you fear the worst. What do we do when we make mistakes? What […]
Sunday, February 27: Samuel 1 Samuel 10:1–27 Do you know what it means to be “anointed?” During the time when our passage takes place, the practice of anointing was the act of pouring out oil over the head. There were several applications of anointing, some to demonstrate the establishment of a particular ruler, and some […]
Sunday, February 20: Samuel 1 Samuel 9:1–27 In our passage this week we are introduced to Saul, who will one day be King Saul, but at this point in his life he’s just Saul who got sent to find the lost donkeys. Not exactly the most exciting hero origin story. Saul is just the son […]
Sunday, February 13: Samuel 1 Samuel 8 Last week, we saw the culmination of the judges system in Israel. After hundreds of years of failure, Samuel finally got the office right. He fully trusted in God and got Israel to put away their idols and pray. God worked through him and delivered Israel from the […]
Sunday, February 6: Samuel Samuel 7 Last week, we saw Israel in a hard place. Defeated by the Philistines in battle, the future was unsure. Had God abandoned them? Would they fall back into slavery? What was the path forward? In that passage, the elders conclude that the reason they lost the battle was because […]
Sunday, January 30: Samuel Samuel 4 What has been the most glorious moment of your life so far? A game-winning touchdown? A scholarship or award? A big promotion? A wedding proposal? Looking back on your life so far, when would you say you “peaked?” In 1 Samuel 4, Israel loses its glory. First, it suffers military […]
Sunday, January 23: Samuel 1 Samuel 3:1–21 The idea of a vocation, or a calling is often somewhat abstract. It’s not always your career, but sometimes it is. It’s not always what you’re doing to pay the bills, but ideally it’s where you’re spending a good chunk of your life. It’s not the same for […]
Sunday, January 16: Samuel 1 Samuel 2:12–36 A healthy reminder for the people of God, especially those trusted with a measure of authority, is that God really does expect things of us. God truly does call us to be his people in a particular way, and there truly is a right way, and a wrong way, […]
Sunday, January 9: Samuel 1 Samuel 2 In a sermon on 1 Samuel 2, F.B. Meyer said, “What the children see they imitate.” There is truth to that. Last week, we looked at Hannah’s story because what Samuel saw in his mother, he imitated. We saw Hannah cry out to God in bitterness, and we […]
Sunday, January 2: Samuel Preview It’s a new year, and with that we are starting a new sermon series! This Sunday we will be launching into a thirteen-week series on the life of the prophet Samuel. Samuel was a remarkable man. He was the last of Israel’s judges—and arguably the best one. He led Israel […]
Sunday, December 26: The Biblical Metanarrative Approaching the Bible as an outsider can be a pretty confusing process, and the framework that seasoned Christians often take for granted is actually a pretty amazing thing. As we read the Bible, we read through different genres of literature, penned by many different human authors, separated by thousands […]
Sunday, December 19: Christmas Sunday In this season we look back to the moment when human history changed forever, when God joined with us. This season we remember the long cold nights of waiting, the triumphant announcement of God with us, and we live ever more fully into the beginning of the brand new reality […]
Sunday, December 12: Gary’s Retirement Please join us this Sunday for a very special service honoring Gary Albert. Elders, staff and friends will speak for all of us as they share what Gary has meant to them. Stick around afterwards for a chance to share your own thoughts in a video we are putting together […]
Sunday, December 5: The Parables The ballerina Isadora Duncan was once asked backstage what a particular dance meant, and she responded, “If I could explain it with words, I wouldn’t have to dance.” Sometimes, the medium is the message. On Sunday, we will continue our series on the parables of Jesus. Parables speak to our […]
Sunday, November 28: Bolivia Sunday Preview Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful weekend of turkey, football, and spending time with the people you love. God has been good to us in 2021; we have a lot to be thankful for! I have two specific things to share with you this Sunday that I am thankful for. First, […]
Sunday, November 21: The Parables Matthew 13:47–50 Here are a few questions that you can introduce around the Thanksgiving table this year that will save you money on Christmas gifts next month: “What do you think of the governor?” “Who do you think is going to hell?” Famously, the two topics that you aren’t supposed […]
Sunday, November 14: The Parables Matthew 21: 28 – 32 As we continue in our series on PARABLES we will be looking at the parable of the two sons recorded in Matthew 21:28-32. Jesus is in Jerusalem and He is talking to the religious leaders of the day as they are trying combat the influence […]
Sunday, November 7: The Parables Matthew 18:21–34 How many times do you want to be forgiven? Probably as many times as you mess up, and then once more just so you don’t have to worry about it. It’s easy to empathize with the reasons that we fall short, because we know what we meant, we […]
Sunday, October 31: The Parables The ballerina Isadora Duncan was once asked backstage what a particular dance meant, and she responded, “If I could explain it with words, I wouldn’t have to dance.” Sometimes, the medium is the message. On Sunday, we will continue our series on the parables of Jesus. In many ways, describing […]
Sunday, October 24: The Parables The ballerina Isadora Duncan was once asked backstage what a particular dance meant, and she responded, “If I could explain it with words, I wouldn’t have to dance.” In some forms of communication, the medium is the message. In many ways, describing the meaning of a parable is like trying […]
Sunday, October 17: The Parables Luke 12:13–21 Among the many vices known to man, Greed is perhaps the most prevalent and the least recognized. That’s not a quote from anybody famous, just an observation. It’s easy to see when someone is under the affect of gluttony, or wrath, or lust, but greed usually flies below […]
Sunday, October 10: The Parables Isaiah 28:23–29 Parables are sneaky stories that get us someplace we might not otherwise go on our own. They take something that we’re familiar with, say a father and a son, and use that familiarity to enhance our understanding of much deeper truths. This week we’re going to stretch a […]
Sunday, October 3: The Parables Matthew 25:1–13 (NIV) At Believers Fellowship we value the lessons Jesus taught. When He taught the crowds He used various ways to communicate. Sometimes He was straight to the point, sometimes He would use metaphor and similes to make an idea come alive, and sometimes He would tell parables, which were stories […]
Sunday, September 26: The Parables The ballerina Isadora Duncan was once asked backstage what a particular dance meant, and she responded, “If I could explain it with words, I wouldn’t have to dance.” In some forms of communication, the medium is the message. This week, we are starting a new series on the parables of […]
Sunday, September 19: Missions Recap Sunday Our Life Entwined series has been about worship, community, and mission. This Sunday we focus on the idea of living on mission! And what better way to display this than recapping the youth mission trips from this summer? Believers Fellowship has a rich history of supporting mission not only locally, […]
Sunday, September 12: Life Entwined Community Phrases like, “Talk is cheap” or “Walk the walk, don’t talk the talk” remind us that what we do often matters a lot more than what we say we do. The clearest indicators of what we believe are often acted out long before they are spoken. If I insist […]
Sunday, September 5: Life Entwined Worship Paul Tripp wrote, “Human beings by their very nature are worshipers. Worship is not something we do; it defines who we are. You cannot divide human beings into those who worship and those who don’t. Everybody worships; it’s just a matter of what, or whom, we serve.” The difference […]
Sunday, August 29: Kingdom Ethics Beauty In my four messages in Kingdom Ethics, I have been making a case for cultural engagement. What should the church’s response be to the changing culture around us? In my first message, we saw that God is reconciling all things to himself and has made us ambassadors of reconciliation. In […]
Sunday, August 22: Kingdom Ethics Stewardship There are any number of words that have a particular meaning in Christian culture, and could even be considered “Christianese.” Guard your heart is very different than bless your heart (ask a southerner). A hedge of protection is not a gardening term, and washed in the blood does not […]
Sunday, August 15: Kingdom Ethics Communities This week we will be continuing our Kingdom Ethics series. This Sunday, we are going to look at our communities and how God has created relationships as a means to bring glory to himself. Our communities matter. The Scriptures teach us that God has built his church up in such […]
Sunday, August 8: Kingdom Ethics Kinship Last week, we talked about life-giving cultures and death-dealing cultures and concluded that the church is called to steward a life-giving culture in all that this means. I also teased that this week we would be talking about parenting. The world is changing. Recent decades have shown the rise […]
Sunday, August 1: Kingdom Ethics Image This week we will be continuing our Kingdom Ethics series. Last week, Jeremiah reminded us that we are created in the image of God. This week, we are going to look at one of the implications of this truth—because we are created in the image of God, we have […]
Sunday, July 25: Kingdom Ethics Sexuality As we continue to consider what a Kingdom Ethic is, what it means to live a life informed by God’s word, empowered by his Holy Spirit, and as ambassadors to his Kingdom, there are many places where we can joyfully recognize similarities with the world around us. This week […]
Sunday, July 18: Kingdom Ethics: Hope 2 Corinthians 5:1–20 This week we are continuing our Kingdom Ethics series! As I was thinking through the suggested topics for Kingdom Ethics, I originally thought I would preach four one-off sermons—four messages related to the kingdom of God, but four sermons unrelated to each other. But as I […]
Sunday, July 11: Kingdom Ethics Rhythms (Sabbath/Rest) This week in our Kingdom Ethics series we will be learning about Shabbat otherwise known as Sabbath. Through this series, we have been learning about the principles that govern the decisions we make as Christ-followers and Jeremiah kicked it off by stating, “We are going to have to […]
Sunday, July 4: Kingdom Ethics Kingdom Practice Through Ministry Let me make a bold statement: “20% of Christians are doing 80% of the work of ministry in the Kingdom of God.” Do you believe this? I bet you do if you are among the 20%. Why does the Church fall into the same old 80/20 […]
Sunday, June 27: Kingdom Ethics Ephesians 4:11–14 We’re starting a new series this week called “Kingdom Ethics”, where we’ll be taking a look at some of the big cultural topics at work in the church and in culture. Before we get into the particulars however, we’ll be taking a week to consider a few important […]
Sunday, June 20: Baptism Matthew 28:18–20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all […]
Sunday, June 13: Free Galatians 6:1–18 In Galatians 5, Paul sets before us two paths. The first path involves putting confidence in our own flesh and ability to follow God’s Law. This path does not end well. The second path is the path of the Spirit. It involves walking in the Spirit, keeping in step […]
Sunday, June 6: Free Galatians 5:16–26 The notion of no responsibilities, no chores to be done, and no work to do sounds especially appealing on a warm afternoon with the sun shining just right. But as you probably know, a kick-back with a glass of lemonade in the shade sort of afternoon is only possible […]
Sunday, May 30: Free Galatians 5:1–15 Imagine being freed from slavery only to return once again. Hard to believe anyone would do that, right? When you’re a slave, all you dream about is freedom. No one, having tasted that freedom, would voluntarily return to slavery! And yet… In Galatians 5:1–15, Paul warns the Galatians not […]
Sunday, May 23: Free Galatians 4:21–31 When I was younger, one of my friends became a Christian in dramatic fashion. He knew very little about Christianity, but he was excited about his new life in Christ. Because he was not connected to a church, I invited him to join me at mine. That Sunday, my friend […]
Sunday, May 16: Free Galatians 4:8–20 Two steps forward, one step back is a nice way of saying, “You’ll get there eventually.” One step forward, two steps back is sort of a warning that you need to change something if you want to improve, and as you might expect we don’t really have a saying […]
Sunday, May 9: Baby Dedication and Mother’s Day Happy Mother’s Day, Believers Fellowship!This Sunday we’re celebrating the members of our church family who have been entrusted with the weighty task of raising up children. In the book of Matthew, Jesus chose to describe himself as a mother hen, gathering his chicks to him, to describe his […]
Sunday, May 2: Free Galatians 3:15–4:7 This week we continue our series in Galatians called “Free.” Paul (the author of Galatians) has given us much needed reminders for our times. It is so easy to slip into “doing things” in order to receive blessings. The past handful of weeks have been a firehose of grace! This week […]
Sunday, April 25: Free Galatians 3:1–14 Genesis 12 recounts the unforgettable story of Abraham’s first encounter with God. The Lord speaks to Abraham (who at that time was a pagan idol worshipper) and calls him to leave his family and his home to go to the land that God would show him. And Abraham believes. […]
Sunday, April 18: Free Galatians 2:11–21 When I was a kid, one of my favorite days of the year was the neighborhood block party. I lived in rural Maine, and one day every summer we would block off the end of the street and set a table with all the summer classics: hot dogs, wings, […]
Sunday, April 11: Free Galatians 2:1–10 As a general statement, nobody really likes to be told what to do. This goes double if it’s something that we really feel like doing, but know we’re not supposed to. And possibly even triple, if we’re being told not to do the thing that we thought we were […]
Sunday, March 28: Free Galatians 1:11–24 One of the simultaneously best and worst parts about being a human is we’re very aware of the past, even as we exist in the present, and anticipate the future. Our past can remind us of good things like faithfulness, honor, and success, but it can also remind us […]
Sunday, March 21: Free Galatians 1:1–10 This week we turn the page on Judges… and head to the New Testament letter of Galatians. We will spend the next three months diving into this theologically rich epistle! I know what you may be thinking… does theology and doctrine really matter? The answer may surprise you… because […]
Sunday, March 14: The Judges Judges: Conclusion This week, we are concluding our time in the Book of Judges! It has been an adventurous ten weeks in this infrequently-studied book of the Old Testament. We have seen heroes. We have seen tragedies. We have seen the faithfulness of God. Last week, we explored the epilogue […]
Sunday, March 7: The Judges Judges 17–21 We are nearing the end of the Book of Judges! So far, we have seen leader after leader fail to deliver Israel from the cycle of sin, judgment, repentance and deliverance. Some of the judges had a lot of promise: Samson was strong, Jephthah had a way with […]
Sunday, February 28: The Judges Judges 14–16 Last week we were introduced to Samson, the child of promise. Announced by an angel and filled with the Holy Spirit at a young age. Set apart as a Nazarite from the day he was born, his movement in the world would be a proclamation of God’s deliverance. […]
Sunday, February 21: The Judges Judges 3:1–47 An angel of the Lord appears to a woman and brings good tidings of great joy: God will enable her to have a son! This child will be set apart by God as a deliverer, this child is blessed by God, and the Spirit of the Lord empowers […]
Sunday, February 14: The Judges Judges 10–12 If you could make a deal with God to secure His blessing, what would you offer Him? Money? Time? Prayer? Giving up bad habits? What is God’s blessing worth to you? What if I told you that you don’t have to make any vows? Jesus has already secured […]
Sunday, February 7: The Judges Judges 9 Over the last 2 weeks, we have been tracking with the life of Gideon—one of the most exciting judges in the whole book. Gideon’s story culminates with an offer to make him king, which he refuses. He’s a model of humility! As we read on in the story, […]
Sunday, January 31: The Judges Judges 7–8 Gideon’s victory is a flannel board certified classic in the Bible. (If you don’t know about flannel boards, ask someone born in the 80’s or earlier.) It’s often one of the earliest stories we hear, alongside David and Goliath, about how the underdog can win with God’s help. […]
Sunday, January 24: The Judges Judges 6:1–39 As the cycle of Judges continues in chapter 6, we see God’s people have once again fallen into all sorts of evil, nonsense, and general bad decision making. Among them is Gideon, a nobody from nowhere. As the people of God finally recognize their need for help […]
Sunday, January 17: The Judges Judges 4 & 5 We see, yet again, the cycle that the Israelites have fallen into after moving into the new neighborhood. This week is the same thing only different… and we get two judges to see how God interacts with His people. This is good news for us! We […]
Sunday, January 10: The Judges Judges 3:12–31 This Sunday we will be in Judges 3. It is a . . . colorful passage. It’s crude. There are poop jokes (I’m serious). There are fat jokes (still serious). There is gratuitous violence. If you like Quinten Tarantino films, or stories like Game of Thrones or The […]
Sunday, January 3: The Judges Judges What comes to mind when you think of a judge? We’re going to find out that our idea of what a judge is and does is different from how the bible uses the term as we explore some tough passages in the coming weeks. Like it or not, the […]
Sunday, December 27: Follow Me Mark 16:1–8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Mark 16:8 The final message in our series will end on a bit of a down note. We’ve seen in Mark that Jesus […]
Sunday, December 20: Christmas Luke 2:1–10 We gather to worship and recognize the glory that is Emmanuel. God with us! This week we focus in on the nativity! In this family-friendly message, we explore what each of the holiday decorations may have been thinking. What did the shepherds feel when they were included at this celebration? How […]
Sunday, December 6: Follow Me Mark 14:32–72 One reason I appreciate the Bible as God’s true account, is the way they deal with the “heroes” of faith. You know the men and women we look up to and think how amazing followers of God they are. Moses split the red sea… and then in a fit of […]
Sunday, December 6: Follow Me Mark 14:32–72 One reason I appreciate the Bible as God’s true account, is the way they deal with the “heroes” of faith. You know the men and women we look up to and think how amazing followers of God they are. Moses split the red sea… and then in a fit of […]
Sunday, November 29: Baptism Matthew 28:18–20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that […]
Sunday, November 22: Follow Me Mark 14:1–31 Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” And while he’s probably not a great role model in general, there’s some definite truth to that idea. We all know how things ought to go, and we can cruise right along until something […]
Sunday, November 15: Follow Me Mark 13:1–37 What do we need to know to survive the coming Apocalypse? …would be a great example of an attention grabbing headline. When will it happen? What should I stockpile? Where should I bury my many pounds of gold bullion? In our passage today Jesus’ disciples offer a casual comment […]
Sunday, November 8: Follow Me Mark 12:1–44 Last Sunday, we saw Jesus arrive in Jerusalem and immediately cause a scene in the temple. Pressure has been building between Jesus and the religious leadership of his day, and in Mark 12 things erupt. Having prophesied the destruction of the temple, Jesus turns on the religious leaders and […]
Sunday, November 1: Follow Me Mark 11:1–33 “Dad, look what I made!” This is what greets me most days when I come home from work (it’s wonderful). Whether it’s wooden blocks, Lincoln Logs, Legos or Minecraft; drawings, music, or crafts; children love to create for their parents. I don’t know that we ever grow out of […]
Sunday, October 25: Follow Me Mark 10:17–34 As Jesus continues towards Jerusalem, teaching along the way, he encounters a man who asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Solid question, and probably one that we all have an opinion on one way or another. Our text in Mark tells us that the man is […]
Sunday, October 18: Follow Me Mark 10:1–16 As we follow Jesus in the gospel of Mark, we’ve seen a regular pattern of his concern for the vulnerable. Whether it’s vulnerable children, the hungry, or the sick, Jesus’ ministry is marked by special care for those who are most often left out. In our passage today Jesus […]
Sunday, October 11: Follow Me Mark 9:30–50 In Mark 9:30–50, Jesus and his disciples are traveling through Galilee when Jesus says to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” (Mark 9:31 ESV) […]
Sunday, October 4: Follow Me Mark 9:2–29 This Sunday we continue our study in the book of Mark. We will cover a lot of ground in half a chapter, and it will truly reflect the ups and downs of our spiritual journey. We will see a mountain top experience the disciples had, as well as a […]
Sunday, September 27: Follow Me Mark 8:31–9:1 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34 ESV) What does that mean to you? This week we are returning to the Gospel of Mark in a series called Follow Me. In the first eight chapters of […]
Sunday, September 20: Vision Sunday 1 Corinthians 9:19–23 Do you remember the good old days? There once was a time when the air was so clean that you could even go outside. There wasn’t a pandemic. You didn’t have to worry about murder hornets. Grocery stores were stocked with toilet paper. Kids went to this place […]
Sunday, September 13: Underdogs Joshua 2:1–14 If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re the type of person who should be at church, it’s fun to read through the Bible and see what God has to say. An old racist who refused to preach to the Ninivites? Check, God can partner with a Jonah all day. Someone insignificant, […]
Sunday, September 6: Underdogs Daniel 6 Life has a way of hitting us hard. Medical crises, unemployment, and trouble with our kids are just some of the ways life can overwhelm us and remind us that we are not in control. How do we respond to these times? From where does our deliverance come? This Sunday […]
Sunday, August 30: Underdogs John 4:13–15 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal […]
Sunday, August 23: Underdogs Matthew 4:18–20 The life of Peter is a wild ride, he has some ups and downs. He’s got a solid fishing business, and he leaves it behind to follow an unknown, wandering preacher. Jesus singles Peter out as the foundation of the church in one moment, and he’s being rebuked and compared to […]
Sunday, August 16: Underdogs Esther 2:5 – 7:10 When Israel went into Babylonian captivity, the rug was pulled out from under their feet. Everything about their lives—their jobs, their government, their homes, their religion—changed. They underwent the biggest national identity crisis in their history and came out asking the question, “What does it look like to […]
Sunday, August 9: Underdogs Judges 6:1–16 Of all the action heroes who you grew up with, saw in movies, read about in books, or even knew personally, who was the greatest? The most powerful, the most compelling, who would be the one you’d call, to use the biblical term, a “Mighty man of valor?” It’s surprising […]
Sunday, August 2: Underdogs Job What makes Job an underdog? Very few people in the whole wide world have experienced more pain and loss than Job did. You might even say that the deck was completely stacked against Job, and yet he survives his trials. If there was one person who had the ability to ask […]
Sunday, July 26: Underdogs Jonah What makes Jonah an underdog? In my opinion, anyone who tries to run from God, gets tossed off a ship in the middle of storm, ends up inside the belly of fish for a three-day timeout, until he is literally barfed up on a beach, qualifies as an underdog. Everyone knows […]
Sunday, July 19: Underdogs Ruth “The providences of God are like Hebrew words: they can only be properly read backwards.” John Flavel Last Sunday we started a new summer study series called, “Underdogs.” An underdog is the opposite of a top dog. In sports, or in a competition, it refers to the team or person expected […]
Sunday, July 12: Underdogs Esther Have you ever felt like you were insignificant in the kingdom of God? Have you ever thought that maybe God is able to do great things through others, but not through you? Have you ever felt like an underdog? This week we are launching into a new sermon series called Underdogs. In it, […]
Sunday, July 5: Family of God 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Over the past month, we have seen a lot of responses to racism and injustice in America. Some of these responses have been good. Others… not so much. If we agree that racism is a problem or if we agree that injustice is an issue… what then? What is […]
Sunday, June 28: Family of God Week two of our three-week mini-series called “Family of God” continues to explore our responses to the injustices we see in the world, as followers of Jesus. Building off week one’s sermon on the imago Dei, by which humans have all been instilled with dignity, value, and worth, this week […]
Sunday, June 21: Family of God Genesis 1:26-28 In Acts 8, an Ethiopian eunuch is journeying home after worshipping at the temple in Jerusalem. We are not told the specifics of his experience in Jerusalem, but given his ethnicity and status (a eunuch), it probably would not have been good. Gentiles had limited access to worship. […]
Sunday, June 14: Joshua Joshua 24:1-33 Joshua 24 recounts the last words of Joshua to the people of Israel. This is after the many years of battle, through the conquest of Canaan, and through the varying degrees of faithfulness that the Israelites have shown to God. Through it all God has remained steadfast, just, and faithful. […]
Sunday, June 7: Joshua Joshua 13-22 In Genesis 15:18, God makes a promise to a childless old wanderer: “To your offspring I give this land.” That old man would go on to become the father of a great nation, and for over 600 years his descendants would cling to that promise. Land. Rest. In that time, […]