Words of Caution (Amos 5:18-6:14)
Sometimes we think we have come to the point where we can handle whatever comes our way. Amos continually warns the people to beware of their external worship and complacent hearts. God deals with pride, privilege, and injustice severely. We also need a reminder to not think that because things are going well in our lives we don't need to stay committed to God.WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
- Jul 10, 2022Words of Caution (Amos 5:18-6:14)
Words of Caution (Amos 5:18-6:14)Sometimes we think we have come to the point where we can handle whatever comes our way. Amos continually warns the people to beware of their external worship and complacent hearts. God deals with pride, privilege, and injustice severely. We also need a reminder to not think that because things are going well in our lives we don't need to stay committed to God.
- Jul 3, 2022A Simple Path (Amos 5:1-17)
A Simple Path (Amos 5:1-17)
On this Independence Day Sunday many of our thoughts are centered on our nation and the freedom we have. But all too often we put our dependency on human institutions, including romanticizing our own nation's past. Israel had done the same thing. In this section they are called to repentance. We as God's people need to take seriously any ways we have personally strayed from him and come back to following him. - Jun 26, 2022Prepare to Meet Your God (Amos 4)
Prepare to Meet Your God (Amos 4)
Are you really ready to stand before God? What about your life right now do you think God would be pleased with? What about your life is getting in the way of your relationship with God? What do you think God would ask you to change? All questions we really should be asking now. The people in Samaria were not ready to meet God. What about you and me?. - Jun 19, 2022Breaking Down Fortresses (Amos 3:1-15)
Breaking Down Fortresses (Amos 3:1-15)
On this Father's Day we will consider the fact that the best Dads help their children see reality and prepare for living responsibly. Amos outlines several "fortresses" that the people had built up. He reveals to them that they are simply living for themselves and ignoring God and others. Our only real guarantee in life is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. - Jun 12, 2022A Regular Guy with a Powerful Message (Amos 1-2)
A Regular Guy with a Powerful Message (Amos 1-2)
Sometimes the most profound truths come from the least expected people. We expect soundbites from politicians or celebrities. But often it is the regular person with whom we have a relationship who speaks truth into our lives, or truth into a situation that has the greater impact. Amos was a regular guy, a farmer, but his words continue to have great importance. - Jun 5, 2022When Bad Things Happen: Survey of the Prophecy of Joel
When Bad Things Happen: Survey of the Prophecy of Joel
We don’t have to look to far in the past to recount some bad things that have
happened in our world. Natural disasters, a global pandemic, tragedies of
violence, and war are splashed in front of us daily. What are we to do? How
are we to respond? Where is God? Today we will discover a question that may
be uncomfortable: What could God be saying to us when bad things happen? - May 29, 2022Letters from a Loving Father (Hosea 11-14)
Letters from a Loving Father (Hosea 11-14)
In a unique approach we are going to view the final chapters of Hosea as letters written from a loving, yet hurting Father to a wayward child. One of the things that we will discover is that God’s heart is not a heart of angry punishment. He longs for all to see the error of their ways and to return to him. For those who choose otherwise, God painfully allows them to experience the consequences of sin. As a loving Father, God wants all his children to be close to him. - May 22, 2022The Flimsy Defense: Trusting One’s Own righteousness (Luke 18:9-14)
The Flimsy Defense: Trusting One’s Own righteousness (Luke 18:9-14)
In a brief parable in which we see the different approaches of two men who come to God in prayer we are reminded of a very important reality. We must always approach God from a heart of humility. Pride will always move us away from God and deeper into ourselves. God is never drawn to human pride. - May 15, 2022God as a Presiding Judge (Hosea 8-10)
God as a Presiding Judge (Hosea 8-10)
Following God may be hard in regards to challenges we face and ways God asks us to express our obedience. And yet it is also quite simple. Just keep one’s focus on God and strive to love him and others. As God passes down his sentence on the nation of Israel, we will find glimpses of God wanting more for his people. Even a good human judge would rather see a guilty person learn and change. - May 8, 2022God as a Prosecuting Attorney (Hosea 4-7)
God as a Prosecuting Attorney (Hosea 4-7)
God does not ignore our sin. God does not gloss over our sin. He calls out his people for their actions and their attitudes. And yet in the middle of his pointing out their failures, he continues to appeal for them to change their heart and their actions and to return to Him. God continually offers to us the opportunity to turn around and return to him. - May 1, 2022Response of a Wounded Lover (Hosea 1-3)
Response of a Wounded Lover (Hosea 1-3)
Sometimes we need to remember that the God who created our emotions, is a God of emotions. God rejoices and celebrates. God also is wounded by our actions and deeply saddened by our sin. Nowhere do we see this more dramatically portrayed than in the first three chapters of Hosea. In this section we will see God as a wounded lover who longs to restore and heal relationship. - Apr 24, 2022God is Serious (Intro to Minor Prophets)
God is Serious (Intro to Minor Prophets)
With this sermon we begin a new sermon series entitled, “God’s Heart...Our Heart.” We will be going through the last 12 books of the Old Testament, often known as “The Minor Prophets.” These books will reveal to us God’s heart for his people. We will also learn of God’s heart for justice, compassion, mercy, and our faithfulness to Him as we live out our daily lives. - Apr 17, 2022The “Yes” of Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-20)
The “Yes” of Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-20)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is arguably the foundation of all we believe. To paraphrase the Apostle Paul: If Christ has not been raise our faith is pointless. (1 Cor. 15:17). In Matthew’s account of the resurrection we find discover three general responses joyful wonder, denial, and doubt. And yet as we will see, in many ways resurrection is God’s “Yes” to many of our questions. - Apr 10, 2022Tough Questions Matthew 22:34-45
Tough Questions Matthew 22:34-45
The week following Palm Sunday was full of confrontation. The religious leaders worked hard to find a way to trip Jesus up so they could have an excuse for arresting him. In this interchange we find Jesus not only answering their question but posing a question to them for which they have no answer. We are left with yet another reminder of Jesus’ full awareness of who he is and the goal of his mission. - Apr 3, 2022Leadership Jesus’ Way
Leadership Jesus’ Way
We have seen what it means to follow Jesus. Now we will see what it means to lead in the manner of Jesus. There is much written about leadership. Jesus not only gives us a very simple, yet complex principle, but then in Matthew’s Gospel he shows in real time what it looks like.