Text: 1 Peter 2:13-17 | Listen to Message Our nation’s political and civic life is riddled with acrimony. We don’t just disagree anymore; we are rudely disrespectful, bitter, and malicious toward one another. We tend to ignore and justify the flaws of our own party/politicians/tribe while exaggerating the flaws of the other. We are deeply divided and arrogant. Given how contentious this situation has become, how should Christians view politics and civic life? Should we compete for positions of power or should we surrender power? Should we infiltrate politics by running for office or is politics no place for Christians? Should […]
A Beautiful Life
Text: 1 Peter 2:11-12 | Listen to Message The Christian life is often characterized as a life of faith, a life of love, a life of holiness, or a life of obedience, but when’s the last time you heard someone describe the Christian life as a life of beauty? Are Christians – especially morally conservative Christians – more concerned with being “right” than with living attractive, winsome, beautiful lives? And, if so, at what cost? Let me come at this from another angle. What words do non-Christians use to describe Christians these days? If we honest, we’re accustomed to hearing words […]
Be Who You Are!
Text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 | Listen to Message What’s the unrelenting story you tell yourself about yourself? What’s the narrative that plays over and over again in your mind? Maybe it’s something negative and self-deprecating, like: “I’m a dirty, rotten sinner.” “I’m a failure, a loser, a nobody.” “I’m unlovable, worthless pond scum.” “I’m a victim.” Or maybe it’s something positive and self-affirming, like: “I’m awesome.” “I’m successful, I’m really good at what I do.” “I’m important, I’m a somebody.” “I can be whoever I want to be.” We all find our identity, our sense of significance, in something […]
The Grace-Driven Life
Text: 1 Peter 1:13-2:3 | Listen to Message If salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, then why does holiness matter? If we’re saved not by what we achieve, but by what we receive, then do Christians really have to obey all the rules in the New Testament – or can we just believe in Jesus? If it’s not about our performance for Christ, but his performance for us, then why do we still have to . . . perform? The Apostle Peter agrees with Paul that the grace of God has a purpose, a goal, a telos. The Gospel […]
The Day Pride Died
Text: Matthew 21:1-17 | Listen to Message Can we start with the simple acknowledgement that our world – from the most traditional to the most progressive culture – is built on an obsession with self? We constantly and instinctively put our own opinions and interests above the needs of others. We want what we want, and we’re mad when we don’t get our way. Our pride makes us miserable, frustrated, and envious. It produces conflict, division, and even war. But we’re not about to stop being proud anytime soon, are we? That’s the funny thing about pride: we can always convince […]
A Credible, Incredible Gospel
Text: 1 Peter 1:10-12 | Listen to Message “All religions are just different paths to the same God.” “Religion is just a fairy tale, and only fools believe in fairy tales.” “There’s nothing unique about Christianity. It’s just another copycat religion.” “With so many religions in the world, who’s to say theirs is the right one? Just live and let live.” If you interact with our relativistic, pluralistic culture around the subject of religion, it won’t be long before you hear a bunch of statements like these. All religions get thrown in a blender and treated as if they all claim […]
Hope Has A Name
Text: 1 Peter 1:3-9 | Listen to Message Christians don’t live by wishful thinking or a vaguely positive feeling. We don’t make a blind leap of faith and then take a “wait and see” approach. We have a new and living hope – because our hope is nothing less than our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Thus, Christian hope is an exclamation point, not a question mark. If we functionally believed this good news, it would completely transform our perspective on trials (which the Bible sometimes refers to as tests). And yet trials/tests pose one of the biggest existential threats to our […]
Elect Exiles
Text: 1 Peter 1:1-2 | Listen to Message How are Christians to live in a culture that’s increasingly hostile to our faith and values? How are we to act when our impulse is often to compromise or sell out our future for some immediate benefit? How do we react to the incessant ridicule of and discrimination against our beliefs? These are some of the timely, relevant questions addressed by the apostle Peter’s first letter. To help them navigate the challenges of living as Christians in the idolatrous empire of Ancient Rome, Peter told believers of the Diaspora to see themselves as […]
In Remembrance of Me
Text: 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 | Listen to Message Most Christians are familiar with Jesus’ words instituting The Lord’s Supper (also called Communion): “Do this in remembrance of me.” For those of us in church, we hear these words fairly often. But what does it actually mean to remember – and to proclaim – the Lord’s death until he returns? Remembering something might be as simple as recalling it from your memory. For example, you might remember that 2 + 2 = 4, that December 25th is Christmas Day, or that you need to get eggs from the grocery store. But Jesus […]
I Can Do All Things
Text: Philippians 4:13 | Listen to Message Just in the past week or two I’ve seen a couple memes on social media poking fun at those who misuse Philippians 4:13. One said, “I can do all things through a verse taken out of context.” The other: “I can win all sports games through Christ who strengthens me.” Unfortunately, this is exactly how many contemporary Christians (and even our nonbelieving peers) use this verse. It’s a rabbit’s food, a good luck charm, a boost of positivity. It’s the ultimate hype verse for anything and everything we’ve put our minds to – and […]
Categories
- 40 Days of Grace (40)
- Current Events (7)
- Holidays (2)
- Message (233)
- News (11)
- Service (51)
Archives
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- May 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- December 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015