June 28, 2015: Kazakhstan Team Report
No sermon this week. We listened to the Kazakhstan mission team tell about their trip, worshiped in song, and observed the Lord's supper.
June 21, 2015: El Elyon - God Most High
What's in a Name? Sermon Series Message 2
Speaker - Pastor Mike Speer
We first see God called 'El Elyon' in Gen. 14 where Melchizedek, king of Salem, mysteriously pops onto the scene, is called a priest of the Most High God, and proclaims God to be possessor of heaven and earth. It is clear here, and throughout the OT, that God is to be exalted above all else. But that leaves us with no access to God or the blessings that come from the Most High without a mediator. It is not until the sacrifice and exaltation (above all things - most high) of the perfect mediator Christ, in the priestly line of Melchizedek, that we are restored as children of the Most High God.
June 14, 2015: Yahweh Mekaddishkem - The LORD who Sanctifies You
What's in a Name? Sermon Series Message 1
Speaker: Dave Neff
June 7, 2015: Salt Sunday
Salt Sunday. No sermon this week.
May 31, 2015: God Is Faithful
For my parting shot before my sabbatical, the Lord has brought His faithfulness to mind. We'll look at Philippians 1:6 to remind ourselves of God's faithfulness through every trial we face.
May 24, 2015: More Than Enough
Key verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9
God's grace was the theme of the Women's Retreat and it was an amazing time before the Lord. I've enjoyed hearing the different ways in which God showed Himself there. I'll continue that theme and talk about the value of grace in the context of our own depravity and how His grace is sufficient for us now in all things and at all times. Fear loses and hope prevails - that is the hope the Gospel brings!
May 17, 2015: Parting Thoughts
Ecclesiates series message 15
Ecc. 12
In bringing everything together, the Preacher gives his concluding remarks. He's searched every facet of 'life under the sun' in an attempt to find purpose and lasting value in what we experience in our brief and vain life. His conclusion is clear and simple: fear God and keep His commands. This is a great piece of wisdom in itself, but we'll also connect the Gospel to his conclusions.
May 10, 2015: Kingdom Investments
Ecclesiates Series message 14
Text: Ecc. 10 & 11
After examining all facets of life, the preacher addresses one more human activity: investments. We all invest our time, energies and reputation in various investments. And we expect a return. So often we think, "if we do this right, the result will be favorable". Like parenting. We are careful to follow a set pattern and convictions and expect all will be well with our children. We want to pursue all things with excellence, but the Gospel frees us to trust God with the results as we invest first in His Kingdom. We'll gain good encouragement and perspective from the Gospel in all areas of life.
May 3, 2015: When You're Stuck
We're going to step aside from Ecclesiastes this week but ask the same question: "How does the Gospel inform this situation?" From time to time we get "stuck" in our walk with Christ: joy seems distant, we're not gaining victory over temptation, or we can't move beyond past trauma/hurt in our lives. Our lack of spiritual vitality impacts our outlook, relationships and service for Christ. Specifically, we'll look at how to move forward when someone hurts or offends you. We'll be drawing from Ephesians primarily, specifically Ephesians 4:31-32.
April 26, 2015: Your Day is coming
Ecclesiastes Series message 13
Text: Ecclesiastes 9
We developed Ecclesiastes 8:8 last week, which reminds us that we don't really have power over the day of our death. In chapter 9 he takes that thought and expands it quite a bit. We'll play off a JW error which is rooted in this text and see that we will all face judgement. Most importantly, we'll see how the Gospel changes everything and gives us a true reason to live. We are living for eternity, not the temporal: anything short of that is...vanity.
April 19, 2015: What Are You Living For?
Ecclesiastes Series message 12
Text: Ecclesiastes 8:8
Ecclesiastes points us to the sovereignty of God and the futility of life apart from Him. There is so much in life that is beyond our control, including even the number of days we have on earth. Drawing from chapter eight, I'll pose the question, "what impact does my life have on others?" Are others better off for knowing me? Does my Christian faith permeate my work ethic, attitudes, relationships and actions? When my time is up, what will my legacy be? How do I focus on eternal values while living this temporal life? All of this will be in the context of hearing from a family which has taken a difficult road as they bringing glory to God.
April 12, 2015: The Fleeting Pleasures of Wealth
Ecclesiastes Series message 11
Text: Ecclesiastes 5:8 - 6:12
This passage speaks loudly to our culture. I was just watching a travel video from Togo - we're a wealthy nation! Riches bring some level of comfort but do not satisfy the soul. Money is the root of so much heartache - just watch people jockey for position on inheritance payouts (often while the person is still alive). The preacher concludes that the best thing we can do in relation to our personal wealth is to enjoy what we have and live with abiding joy. The Gospel further teaches us the fleeting nature of riches and instructs us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness; we'll draw specific application from Matthew 6:19-34. Possessing wealth can be a blessing; obsessing over it is our downfall.
April 5, 2015: Not There!
Text: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Our theme this Sunday is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We'll highlight the victory of the cross and the eternal hope of the resurrection - and how that helps us now. We'll even throw in a little Greek lesson.
March 29, 2015: Watch Your Step
Ecclesiastes Series message 10
Text: Ecc. 5:1-7
Qoheleth breaks from his horizontal emphasis to address the vertical. What I mean is this: to this point he's surveyed our pursuits and relationships in light of eternity and and concluded, "See?! There must be something more!" He departs from this emphasis and speaks to the most important relationship we have, giving instruction on our worship of Amighty God. Oh, how we need this word today! Expect to be challenged as he points our attention to our Creator and to our walk with Him. The power of his words are found in the context in which he gives them. The 'gotcha' point on Sunday is this: the one to whom all praise and adoration is due humbled himself through his incarnation. This one entered Jerusalem on a donkey in preparation for his suffering on our behalf. Such generosity breathes life and grants grace for yet another day.
March 22, 2015: What's YOUR Ladder Leaning On?
Ecclestiates Series message 9
Text: Ecc. 4
Now...we live in a competitive area - people are highly motivated to climb the corporate ladder and enroll their kids in every available sports or arts program. Nothing wrong with healthy competition of course or personal drive. But too many people spend their lives under the sun chasing broken dreams, trying to take the other guy out of the race. Our INSECURITIEs drive us to COMPARE and COMPETE. The Gospel addresses what drives this consuming competitiveness and replaces it with a passion to serve and follow Christ, knowing we are unconditionally loved and accepted by Him. On Sunday we'll address the hamster treadmill of comparison and competition, replacing it with a healthy and godly vision to run the race before us.
March 15, 2015: Husbands and Wives
Ecclesiastes Series message 8
Text: Ephesians 5:22-33
A solid vision for marriage includes an understanding of how husbands are to relate to their wives, and how wives are to relate to their husbands. We'll create an implimentable plan for couples and go beyond most ministries' treatment of love and respect. If you aren't in a good place in your marriage, you'll find help and be encouraged. If you're not currently married, you'll develop a strong vision for a Christian marriage.
March 8, 2015: The Power of Prayer
Ecclesiastes Series message 7
Text: I Thessalonians 5:16-18
On March 22nd, Christine and I will renew our marriage vows after the sermon. Leading up to that day, I'll take two weeks to speak on marriage as I said I'd speak on some general "wisdom" topics in this series. We'll revisit the "Compare/Compete" message later in March. This Sunday we'll look at dimensions of prayer and specifically how praying together not only strengthens your union but is crucial in it. These two marriage messages will be encouraging if you're struggling, affirming if you're going strong, and informative if you're not currently married. As we talk about revival and prayer and plan for Sunday night's prayer service, I hope this fuels that fire.
March 1, 2015: Service canceled due to inclement weather
February 22, 2015: Facing Injustice
Ecclesiastes Series message 6
Text: Ecc. 4:1-3
One aspect I highly value in God's Word is that it does not shove issues under the rug or turn a blind eye to suffering or evil. The 'Wisdom Books' address these realities directly. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes reminds us of what we all know very well - the world is full of injustice. Ecclesiastes does not solve these issues, as that is not the Preacher's goal. On Sunday, we'll incorporate truth found elsewhere in God's Word and apply the Gospel to the question of injustice. The Gospel is not just the entrance to the Chrisitan life; it has profound implications throughout our earthly pilgrimage. It brings hope, comfort and encouragement that bring healing to the soul.