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Shaped for Survival - #6 - The Power in Persistence

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God is serious about our salvation. As obstinate and stiff-necked as his people were, God was even more so. He would not give up on his people - for twenty-three years! It’s good for us in preparation for him to hear him now. At the same time, it is also good for us to join the prophet in our own persistence with the word of the Lord. Shoulder the load - repeatedly. Persistently. - that’s what he did. God help us! A sermon on Jeremiah 25:1-7

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Shaped for Survival - #5 - A Mighty Word

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The Word that God speaks is a mighty word. It does not compare at all the words and ideas of men. This word sets sinners free. This word calls things into being. This word kills. This word justifies. This word condemns. This word forgives. It builds up and tears down. It uproots and it plants. It is a mighty word. A sermon on Jeremiah 23:33-40.

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Shaped to Survive #1 - The Potter's House

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Shaped for Survival - #1 – The Hands of the Potter Our life is, at times, a mess, but God has his hands on it. We are a big mess, but God has his hands on it. Whether we are walking with him or wandering from him, God has his hands on us to call us to repentance and to turn us back to himself. This is a central truth in Jeremiah’s life and in ours. God’s hands are on us for good and not for harm. A sermon on Jeremiah 18:1-10.

Congregation of Misfits #5 - The Misfit Way: Burning yokes, tossing mantels.

To this point in the series, we’ve mainly focused on the way that you fit, on your place in the body of Christ, and the freedom you have from God to serve God where you are with the gifts he’s given you. There is another component to this. How do you multiply ministers? How do you pass on a legacy of faith and service? At least part of the answer is this: You take them along, and you disciple them while you go. In this final sermon of the series, we’ll learn from Elijah as he passed on the mantel to Elisha. (1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:1-15)

Congregation of Misfits - #3 - Every Misfit a Minister: Crowned Work

Now that we have set down our roots into Jesus. Now that we have confidence in our sufficiency and have seen our place in the church. Now, we’ll set our roots down one more time into another piece of our identify – each one of us a priest, a minister, a servant of God. This gives color to our vocations and our place in life. They are not just mundane moments, but moments in which we give holy service to our holy God. A sermon on 1 Peter 2:9-10.

Congregation of Misfits - #2 - There are no Misfits

Roots before fruit. Identity before purpose and possibility. Remember? Today, we will dig into another part of our identify. Last week, we regained our confidence because God counts us righteous. Today, we see that God is building each one of us – oblong and oddly shaped stones that we are – to be one holy temple. Each misfit fits in this building. A sermon on 1 Peter 2:4-8.

Congregation of Misfits - #1 - There are No Misfits

It’s true that at times we can feel like a misfit in the church. We’re not sure what our purpose is in the church or in the world; we may not be sure where we fit. But the truth is, the whole idea of misfits is really a misnomer. The truth we are justified in Christ, sufficient in him alone, erases pride, and raises us from any despair. We receive our sufficiency from him. There are no misfits. A sermon on 2 Corinthians 3:4-6.

A Summer to Remember - #4 - Holistic Worship

Worship. It’s a word that means many different things to so many different people. It is a word that conjures up our life experiences in places of worship, churches, where some sort of rite and ritual is carried out. It is a word that describes the thing that springs forth from awe-inspiring moments, like the birth of the child or a mountain sunrise. For some it means singing. For others it means dancing. For still others it means quiet meditation. The psalmist invites us to worship, but to what is exactly inviting us? Yes, he calls us to worship, but to do what? He calls us to it today. He calls us to it everyday.

Today, we're looking at a psalm that not only teaches us about the nature of worship, but calls us to it. We’ll be looking at Psalm 100. I can’t wait to open it up to you and to worship with you.

A Summer to Remember - #1 - Perfect Peace

The devil is constantly after us. Our thoughts run away from us. People around us seek to turn us from the truth. Our greatest weapon is God’s Word, and so if we are to be armed at all times, one of our greatest tools is Scripture hidden in our hearts. With David, we confess: “I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). For the next month, we’ll get to know a few verses worth knowing and hiding in our hearts. In this way, it will be a summer to remember. This week we're looking at Isaiah 26:3-4.

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The Story of Joe Jacobson - #5 - Moving toward Forgiveness

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When people hurt us, attack us, and even cause and plan all kinds of evil against us, it’s hard to forgive and even harder to forget. Joseph had years to think about what his brothers had done and the damaging domino effect it brought into his life. And when he was reunited with his brothers in Egypt, he had the power to get back. Joseph is amazing in his faith walk and in the way he handles this moment when he is reunited with his brothers and when he has every opportunity to get even. He doesn’t get even; no, he forgives. A sermon on Genesis 50:15-26.

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The Story of Joe Jacobson - #4 - Leaving Guilt Behind

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Our own sins have a way of haunting us and lingering in the backs of our minds. Our conscience has a good memory of what we’ve done to hurt others. Consciously or subconsciously, we think to ourselves that “what goes around comes around.” How do we and can we move forward in the peace that God’s forgiveness gives us when our past sins come back to haunt us? Though we may remember, God does not! A sermon on Genesis 42:18-28.

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The Story of Joe Jacobson - #3 - Exploding Whales

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So much happens in our lives; it happens to us and on every side all the way around us. Joseph suffered more pain in his life unjustly than perhaps any except Job. And yet we never hear Joseph complain or even freak out because of what was going on. How? That’s not how we normally respond to react to adversity or interpret events in our life. Joseph knew that God was with him and that God was working in all these events, even if he couldn’t see it. God teaches us to react to the events of life and interpret them in view of his constant presence.