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Sermons on Faith

Glory – John 18:28–40

Sunday, March 10, 2023 John 18:28–40 Jesus’ path to Glory is filled with curves and U-turns. Jesus is in a trial for his life, and he is getting bounced around from one leader to another. From the former high priest to the current high priest. From one Roman authority to another (Pilate is in charge […]

Glory – John 18:12–27

Sunday, March 3, 2023 John 18:12–27 In the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus taught his disciples about the importance of abiding in him. “Abide in me,” he said, “and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am […]

Glory – John 17:1–5

Sunday, February 4, 2023 John 17:1–5 As a church, we should be excited to get back into John! We are going to finish the Gospel of John over the next few months, and will celebrate together through Easter and beyond! As we turn the page on vision, hopefully you know our mission as a church. […]

Jonah – Jonah 4

Sunday, December 17, 2023 Jonah – Jonah 4 Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a blessed Advent season. At my house, the lights are up, the tree is decorated, and the house is filled with the sound of Christmas music and the smell of Christmas cookies. It has been a wonderful season of reflecting […]

Jonah – Jonah 3

Sunday, December 10, 2023 Jonah 3 One of the best known second chances in literature is given to a man named Ebenezer Scrooge, in a story called “The Christmas Carol.” (My favorite version is “The Muppet Christmas Carol.”) We find early on that Scrooge’s greed has earned him the same punishment as his former business […]

Jonah – Jonah 2

Sunday, December 3, 2023 Jonah 2 One of my earlier memories is a tale of summertime loss, and a quick rescue. I vividly remember a moment of panic, followed by all the sadness a four-year-old could feel when I tripped and slammed a McDonald’s ice cream cone onto the ground. I had been running without […]

Jonah – Jonah 1

Sunday, November 26, 2023 Jonah 1 Three verses into reading the Book of Jonah, and you know that it is a book unlike any other in the Bible. The Lord speaks to the prophet Jonah and tells him to go to the Assyrian city of Nineveh and speak against it. The first odd thing we notice […]

Remain – John 15:26–16:15

Sunday, October 29, 2023 John 15:26–16:15 In Acts 6–8, we read about Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stephen preached in the streets and at the temple that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He performed signs and wonders and a great number of people came to faith through his ministry. But not everyone […]

Remain – John 15:1–17

Sunday, October 15, 2023 John 15:1–17 Pruning is an act that requires knowledge of the plant, a vision for the future, and an understanding of what it takes to get there. From the outside, a gardener at work can look more like someone attacking a plant than a strategist with an intimate knowledge of their […]

Letters to the Churches – 2 Thessalonians

Sunday, August 20, 2023 2 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians continues Paul’s teaching and discipleship of the young church in Thessalonica. His letter provides important encouragement and hope that speaks to believers throughout human history. Paul encourages the believers to stand firm in their faith despite persecution and to trust that Jesus will come again bringing justice […]

Restore – Joel 2:18–27

Sunday, May 28, 2023 Joel 2:18–27 When I was in Bible college, I had a friend I’ll call Jason. Jason was on fire for God. He had devoted his life to ministry, he was up early every day studying the Scriptures, he was disciplined—guarding his heart from things that might take his eyes off Jesus, […]

Signs – John 12:37–50

Sunday, April 30, 2023 John 12:37–50 The end of the twelfth chapter in John’s gospel is the conclusion of Jesus’ public ministry. In his final remarks, he reminds us that all that he has done and spoken was from God the Father. If we believe in him, we will also have believed the Father. But Jesus’ […]

Signs – John 12:27–36

Sunday, April 23, 2023 John 12:27–36 If you had one chance to share a message with the entire world, what would you say? What if you were chosen to be a colonist on Mars—sent off on a one-way trip with no future contact with earth. Before boarding the rocket, with television cameras and microphones in […]

Signs – John 12:20–26

Sunday, April 16, 2023 John 12:20–26 New Year’s resolutions in January generally seem like a great idea, but there’s a big difference between agreeing to something and actually doing it. Of the people who make resolutions, 55% last less than a year. It turns out signing up for the gym is a lot easier than […]

Signs – John 11:45–12:11

Sunday, March 26: Signs John 11:45–12:11 Imagine for a moment you received an insider stock tip (don’t worry, you won’t go to jail for this exercise!). A small pharmaceutical company has recently discovered a cure for a debilitating disease, and your insider tip is that this drug will receive FDA approval and the value of […]

Signs – John 10:22–33

Sunday, March 5: Signs John 10:22–33 As Jesus continues to preach and teach in the temple, our passage this week finds him talking with some very direct folks. They ask him point blank, “Are you the Messiah?” Jesus responds with a reminder, as well as a response; “I already told you, and the answer is […]

Signs – John 10:1–31

Sunday, February 26: Signs John 10:1–31 How do you keep your faith when you have been hurt by a church? How do you regain trust? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when you are hurt or discouraged? I’ve heard countless stories of people encountering Jesus, getting excited about their faith, plugging into a […]

Signs – John 9:1–41

Sunday, February 19: Signs John 9:1–41 In John 9, we are introduced to a man born blind. Presumably, he has been begging by the temple for a long time. Everyone in Jerusalem seems to know his story, and a theological debate has arisen at his expense: Who sinned that he was born blind, him or […]

Signs – John 8:48–59

Sunday, February 12: Signs John 8:48–59 I was in my twenties when I attended my first real debate. A professor of mine was invited by the University of Indiana to debate on the existence of God. My impressionable young Moody mind was intrigued by my current philosophy professor taking on the anthropology professor of a […]

Signs – John 8:37–47

Sunday, February 5: Signs John 8:37–47 If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “He’s a chip off the old block” or “He’s his daddy’s son” you know that context is important. Just accomplished something incredible? Compliment. Just fell-tripped over your own two feet? Probably not a compliment. In either case, the idea is “You’re just like […]

Signs – John 8:31–36

Sunday, January 29: Signs John 8:31–36 Freedom is a concept that’s near and dear to the heart of America. We’re proud to dump that tea in the harbor, and just as proud to exercise our freedom to drink tea every day, should we so desire. We value the freedom to choose our elected officials, to choose […]

Signs – John 8:12–30

Sunday, January 22: Signs John 8:12–30 God can be frustratingly difficult to see sometimes. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork,” the psalmist tells us (Psalm 19:1 ESV). But, for every beautiful sunset that inspires, there is a terrible hurricane that destroys. It is difficult for us to […]

Signs – John 7:53–8:11

Sunday, January 15: Signs John 7:53–8:11 In The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Tozer was right. What comes into our minds when we think about God colors everything about us. If we think that God […]

Signs – John 7:40–53

Sunday, January 8: Signs John 7:40–53 Following Jesus’ explosive announcement in John 7:37 and 38 that he is the source of life that the people are celebrating, an announcement which was made at the height of the festival and in the middle of the temple itself, there is some division about who he is. The […]

Signs – John 7:28–39

Sunday, January 1: Signs John 7:28–39 Sometimes the best way to teach something new is to build off an existing idea. You set a foundation, and brick by brick, work with people to build up something new. Whether it’s mathematics, writing out letters, or growing our crops, we start simple and move into the profound. […]

Signs – John 7:1–36

Sunday, December 11: Signs John 7:1–36 In chapter 7 of John, we read through a bit of a pause in the action part of Jesus’ ministry. People have an opportunity to consider all the things that they’ve seen this Jesus person do, and even potentially come to some conclusions as to how it affects their lives. […]

Signs – John 6:22–71

Sunday, December 4: Signs John 6:22–71 What do you want for Christmas? Have you made your list yet? It is so fun to give and receive gifts on Christmas. I love to see my children’s faces light up as they open their presents on Christmas morning. But it is also important to remember that not […]

Signs – John 6:1–21

Sunday, September 11: Signs John 6:1–21 In John 6, Jesus takes his disciples up on a mountain. He sits down (presumably to teach), but when he looks out over the crowd, he notices that they are weary from the journey. He turns to Philip and he asks him, “Where can we buy bread to feed […]

Signs – John 5:19–47

Sunday, November 13: Signs John 5:19–47 The conversation between Jesus and the people who want to follow rules for the sake of rules continues this week as Jesus takes the time to explain to them what is happening. Which, to be honest, we all need from time to time. Seeing something from a certain angle […]

Signs – John 5:1–18

Sunday, November 6: Signs John 5:1–18 This Sunday we’re reading a passage of scripture in which a man who has been an invalid for 38 years is asked a critical question: “Do you want to be healed?” That’s the sort of question we might assume is a ridiculous question, until we know that it’s Jesus […]

Signs – John 4:1–45

Sunday, October 23: Signs John 4:1–45 There is more to life than what is obvious to our senses. Deep in our bones, we sense that there is Someone out there; that we are not alone and that there is purpose and meaning to existence. Every Sunday, we gather to recognize the invisible reality. We acknowledge […]

Signs – John 3:1–21

Sunday, October 9: Signs John 3:1–21 A Pharisee is probably not the nicest name to be called these days. For us, it has an almost exclusively negative connotation (if it’s used at all.) People who outwardly kept the rules while harboring inward corruption were the people that Jesus had some of the harshest rebuke for. […]

Signs – John 2:1–12

Sunday, September 25: Signs John 2:1–12 Last week, we saw Jesus call his first disciples. Andrew and another unnamed disciple (I think it was probably John himself) were disciples of John the Baptist before they left to follow Jesus. Imagine what this transition must have been like for them. John was bold and eccentric. He […]

Signs – John 1:35–51

Sunday, September 18: Signs John 1:35–51 St. Augustine once said about the Gospel of John: “It is shallow enough for a child not to drown, yet deep enough for an elephant to swim in it.” This is certainly true of John 1:35–51! In the latter verses of John 1, the evangelist recounts the story of […]

Signs – John 1:19–34

Sunday, September 11: Signs John 1:19–34 We continue our series through the gospel of John this Sunday. In our passage, we get our first witness to the light of the world, John the Baptist. John lived a unique life, set apart from the world around him for a specific purpose. He had one job: To prepare […]

Signs – John 1:1–18

Sunday, September 4: Signs John 1:1–18 This week we’re beginning a new series in the first 12 chapters of John that we are calling “Signs.” In his gospel, John tells us, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so […]

Living Stones – 1 Peter 1:1–3

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 […]

Samuel – 1 Samuel 8

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 […]

Samuel – Samuel 7

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 […]

Samuel – Samuel 4

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 […]

The Parables – 12.05.21

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 […]

The Parables – 10.24.21

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 […]

Free – Galatians 3:15–4:7

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 […]