Wide as the Ocean

Up from the Ashes #3: Of Dogs, Sheep and Lions.

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What sort of story do you tell yourself or to other people about your life? What is the narrative that you write to describe how things have gone or happened during your years on this earth? Chances are things have happened in your life that were not always pleasant and might even be considered traumatic. Chances are painful moments and even seasons have come and passed which have left a lasting scar on your heart and maybe on your face (or some other part of your body).

But back to the question: What sort of story do you tell yourself or to other people about your life? Do you tell the story of one who has been a victim of circumstance? A victim or trauma? A victim of tragedy? Do you tell the story of a victim? Or do you tell a different story, the story of one who is victorious in Christ? Of One who is more than a conqueror?

This weekend in worship we’re walking into the gospel, into the promise from our God that we are not victims, not sheep marked for the slaughter, but instead we are __________________. Look it up and read ahead through Romans 8:31-39. You won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to dig into with you.

Wide as the Ocean #5 - Up from the Dead

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Something happened to Paul between 1 and 2 Corinthians that changed him. Something profound and painful happened to him that shaped him. Something has happened to us in the last months. Something profound and painful and even spiritual has happened to us that has and will shape us. As we look at 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 we begin to lean on our God even more and to rise up from the ashes of our pain.

Wide as the Ocean #4 - GOD is here.

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We are in the middle of a very difficult and trying season of life.  First (and still) COVID-19 and now racial tensions are flaring up.  And those are just the things in the news.  In addition to all of these there are other things that press down on us.  God has something to say to us this weekend (and always). First, we live in a world where the Devil is our enemy and evil seems to rule. We are hard-pressed on every side, but we will not be crushed. Right next to the reality that there is danger in this world is this greater truth that God is our refuge and strength.  As we live in, press through the trouble, and then seek to rise up out of it as a phoenix from the ashes, we learn this weekend to find refuge in our God. In any and every moment of life, GOD is here. We’ll be looking at Psalm 46. 

Weekend Worship - 6/7/2020

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We have a tremendous gift from our God in trial and trouble. In lament, our God invites us to bring our pain to our God, openly, honestly and transparently. In thanksgiving, we turn our attention away from our deep pain to our good God. On this Trinity Sunday, Pastor Krueger will lead us to give thanks for the good God whom we have - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Wide as the Ocean - #2 - The Gift of Lament

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We are in a world of hurt right now.  COVID-19 has left and is still leaving it's mark. Now, racial tensions rise along with protests and even rioting.  We are in a world of hurt, each one of us in our own way.  What do we do with it?  Lament. In this sermon, Pastor Bourman helps us see the gift that God has given us in this type of prayer.  Lament is truly a gift from God. 

Wide as the Ocean

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New Series starts 5/24/20

People have started to ask the question. When can we get back to normal? When can we go back to the way things were?

I wonder if we should go back to what used to be normal. To fighting for our place in line. To being grouches as we pass on the street. To loathing long days on the job. To what feels like a busyness that has no end. To stress and frustration and anxiety in our hearts.

What if we go back more deeply connected to God and to each other? More grounded in truth? More convinced that our work gives us purpose-filled lives? More thankful for all that we used to take for granted? And more hopeful in God and our good future with him?

We’re not going back to normal.

We’re moving into a new day with a future as bright as God’s good sun and a hope as wide as the ocean.