Green Lake Church Services: Recent Episodes
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Sabbath church services from Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists. Green Lake Church is committed to providing ‘safe territory’ for all people through the compassion of Jesus. We are guided by Scripture and the Spirit, and vow to make a positive difference in the world through truth, hope, and love. We seek to ever more fully understand and embody the distinctive Seventh-day Adventist theology of Love.
Our Hymnal is more than a random collection of music. They are melodies that carry sermons, comforting words, promises, and scripture. They carry us through the best and worst parts of our lives. Join us this week as we unveil why a hymn is not ‘just’ a hymn.
Ever feel like your story took a sudden, unfair drop? You go from a colorful coat of certainty to the dark, dirt floor of an unexpected crisis. This Saturday, we’re kicking off our new series, Plot Twist, by looking at Joseph in the pit. Before God ever builds your platform, He often tests your perspective […]
What is your favorite metaphor for who Jesus is? Friend. King. Lion. Lamb. A good metaphor for the divine helps us better understand what God is doing in our lives and how God wants to connect with us. In his epistle to the Colossians, Paul describes Jesus in a powerful way. If we read between […]
From a bustling marketplace in Isaiah to a hungry mountainside in John 6, God has always invited the empty-handed to come and eat. This Saturday, we gather around the Communion table to participate in that very same story. Come experience the rest and satisfaction found only in the Bread of Life.
This July 4 marks America’s historic 250th anniversary. Jeremiah 29 challenges us with a timeless mandate: to actively pursue the peace, flourishing, and well-being of the city we inhabit.
In the finale of The Art of the Steal, Jacob spends a night wrestling with God in the dark. Discover why the only way to truly win with God is to finally surrender, embrace your God given identity, and learn to walk with a holy limp.
What happens when the trickster gets tricked? This week in Part 3 of The Art of the Steal, Jacob gets a taste of his own medicine. Join us as we look at how God uses life’s broken mirrors to expose our blind spots and reshape our character.
You can outrun your family, your hometown, and your past—but you can’t outrun grace. In Part 2 of The Art of the Steal, we find Jacob on the run and sleeping on a rock, only to discover that rock bottom is often the exact place where heaven breaks through.
Ever tried to force a door open that you thought God was taking too long to unlock? This week, we launch our new series The Art of the Steal. In Part 1, we look at Jacob’s infamous con job on his own family—and the heavy price we pay when we try to manipulate our way […]
Ever notice how a song can instantly shift your perspective or bring people together? Music doesn’t just entertain us—it shapes us. This Sabbath, we’re celebrating the gift of music. Paul reminds us that singing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” isn’t just a tradition; it’s how we let the message of Christ dwell deeply within us, […]
Rabbi Daniel Weiner will be reading from the Torah and speaking about the binding of Issac and the lessons we can all learn from this story of faith.
Are you running on fumes and feeling disconnected? We often wear busyness like a badge of honor, but the truth is, hurry is spiritually lethal. The constant rush to the next thing prevents us from being truly present, loving, or peaceful. This week, we look at why the life of Christ—a life marked by deep […]
How do we tell if the things we are building, striving for, giving all our attention to, are worth our time? How do we know when it’s time to let go and start something new? Join us this week as we examine these questions together and seek wisdom in discerning the things we are building.
This Sabbath, we are celebrating All Saints’ Day, and we honor the faithful who have run their race before us. Join us as we stand between the Stones of Memorial and the cloud, remembering their stories, celebrating God’s faithfulness through their lives, and accepting the baton of faith they pass to us.
Mary Magdalene is one of the most well-known female figures of the New Testament. But what do we truly know about her? As with so many biblical figures, the Bible gives only a tantalizing glimpse into her life and her service for God. How have people throughout the ages filled in the gaps? How can […]
When Moses asked for God’s name, the answer was a profound mystery: “I AM WHO I AM.” God’s name was eventually considered too holy to speak, and its pronunciation was lost. This reminds us that God cannot be contained by our human definitions or confined to a box. Instead of arguing over labels, we are […]
The Bible reveals God’s heart for a global family. Isaiah 56:7 prophesied that God’s dwelling would be a “house of prayer for all nations.” This is perfectly realized in the heavenly vision of Revelation 7:9, where a great multitude from “every nation, tribe, people, and language” worships together. This sermon explores this magnificent continuity: the […]
The ancient Greek maxim “Know Thyself” argues that an unexamined life isn’t worth living. Join us this Saturday as we conclude our sermon series on “The Road to Character” and explore how the spiritual life is a call to courageous self-examination, and how this dignified struggle is the path to truly fulfilling the command to […]
Have you ever found yourself failing at some of the things you most want to do? The human will alone is insufficient to bridge the gap between our moral intentions and our actions. True change comes from a humbling of the self and a surrender to a higher purpose. Join us this week as we […]
This week, we will start a new 3-part series called “The Road to Character.” As we will see in part one, struggles and failures in the journey are not always evidence of defeat. Saints don’t become saints because they were perfect. They became saints because they were willing to preserve through the struggle.
Join us this week as we look at how Paul invites us to transcend divisions and enter the larger reality of God’s goodness. Sometimes we think too small; God is inviting us to see things from a more expanded perspective.
In the event of a looming apocalypse, if you had the opportunity to preserve the most important information you could, in just one sentence, what would you say? Join us this week as we explore this together and consider the importance and limitations of words.
Mountains are often associated with salvation in the Scriptures. This sermon will consider the concept of salvation by examining several stories and how they relate to the Mountain of God.
In John 9:35-41, Jesus tells the religious leaders, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” Join us as we explore this surprising statement. We’ll discover how pride in our own knowledge can blind us to the truth, and how true spiritual sight begins […]
When this world promotes retribution and division, Jesus calls us back to the way of self-giving love.
Jesus once told his religious audience that they would know the truth, and the truth would set them free. However, for the truth to bring freedom, it has to overcome the resistance to change. As we will see in this week’s sermon, change never comes easily. It’s typically only in retrospect that the changes that […]
In this sermon, we will explore how God acts as the ultimate head chef in the kitchen of our lives, skillfully managing our needs and guiding us through each moment.
Sermon Synopsis … We live in a culture that thrives on instant gratification. But as we shall see in the sermon this week, sometimes meaningful change doesn’t happen in an instant. Sometimes, the best growth compounds over small incremental moments in time. A mustard seed doesn’t become a tree overnight.
The story of Mary and Martha is not a story about the supremacy of a life of prayer over a life of action. It’s an invitation to move from being distracted to being attentive—in our prayers as well as in our actions.
In the second half of Isaiah, where God comforts the people of Judah who have been carried captive by Babylon and promises them restoration, Isaiah presents two amazing features of God’s memory in relationship to his people. The sermon will explore these two features of God’s memory as they relate to Judah and as they […]
In the conclusion of our series on the Beatitudes, Pastor Kevin will explain what the Kingdom of Heaven is and how we can participate in it.
What does it mean to have a pure heart, and how do we get one? Join us this Sabbath as Pastor Kevin continues his series on the Beatitudes.
God’s chosen people are not chosen because of their religious affiliation, ethnicity, or perfection. They are chosen because they are willing to be redeemed by love. Join us this week for part two of our new series. This week, we will examine how a scarlet chord links God’s chosen people from the beginning to the […]
In this new series, we will examine the different unbreakable strings that the Bible transcends. Join us this week for the connection between Zechariah and Judas Iscariot.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” In the Beatitudes, Jesus taught his followers to live by different rules. He was teaching them a more beautiful song. Join us this week as we seek to live by the music Jesus taught us to listen to.
We know that winter is ending when we witness the cherry trees blossom, the lavender fields flourish, and the mountain meadows bloom with wildflowers. We hold onto hope that winter won’t last forever, and that spring will arrive. Hope is a core aspect of our faith and theology. According to Paul in 1 Corinthians, hope […]
There comes a time when we must detach our faith from our parent’s faith. This requires us to plant deep roots with Jesus. How do we do this while maintaining the ‘child-like faith’ that Jesus calls us to?
To hunger and thirst for something seems like a bad thing. Yet, as we will see as we continue to explore the counterintuitive teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, sometimes being hungry and thirsty is a blessing.
What does it mean that “The meek will inherit the earth?” Join us this week as Pastor Kevin breaks it down in part three of the sermon series on the Beatitudes.
In the political storm of our world, it is sometimes hard to feel informed enough to pick a side. You never want to be caught on the wrong side of history. Join us as we talk about cancel culture today and during Jesus’ day. How did he choose to handle it?
Join us this week as Pastor Kevin continues with part two of the Beatitudes and asks, What does the “good life” really mean?
What does Jesus mean when he calls people “blessed?” Join us this week as Pastor Kevin kicks off a new series on the Sermon on the Mount and unpacks what it means to be blessed according to Jesus’ counterintuitive message.
Join us on this communion Sabbath as we break bread together and reflect on the origin and meaning of this popular hymn.
Michael W. Campbell, Ph.D., is director of the North American Division department of Archives, Statistics, and Research. He is ordained minister who previously spent a decade in higher education in the Philippines and Texas. He is the co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Seventh-day Adventism (due out in April 2024) and is just finishing a […]
In Matthew 7, Jesus said not to throw pearls before pigs. What does that mean? Join us this week as we examine this passage together.
Join us this Easter service as we remember what Jesus has done for us through music, scripture, and poetry. We will be taken through a progression of His final days and talk about the coming celebration.
Join us for the last part of our Experiencing God series as we talk about scripture. We are excited to hear from Head Elder Sellyna this Sabbath about how she experiences God through scripture.
It has been said that prayer is as the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Join us this week as we seek to understand what connecting to God through prayer means.
As we continue our series on connecting with God, this week we will look at the importance of community.
The soul cries out to be free, but the common perception is that Christianity stands in the way of freedom. It’s all about obeying someone or something that tries to tell you how to live your life. Join us this … Continue reading →
As we continue in part two of our series on the soul, we will examine how to find rest for your soul.
One of the most important words in the Bible is the word, soul. What would you say if someone asked you to explain it? Join us this week as we start a new series about the meaning of the soul … Continue reading →
Does the Bible support the idea of generational curses? Join us this week as Pastor Kevin reflects on where this idea comes from and offers good news regarding the distinction between a consequence and a curse.
Uncertainty is a part of the human condition. We have all felt it, lived it, and will continue to experience it. This week we will look at how uncertainty can produce some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives.
“Emet” is a word meaning “faithfulness” or “truth,” and it’s used throughout the Bible to describe God. Join us this Sabbath as we conclude our sermon series on the Character of God.
On this communion Sabbath we will reflect on the scene from the night of the last supper where Jesus washed his disciple’s feet.
Generous Loyalty, Faithfulness, Loyal Love. God is full of these qualities. In part five of this series, we will discover how God has displayed “Khesed,” loyal love, to creation.
In Exodus 34, God describes himself as “slow to anger,” but many people are uncomfortable with the portrait of God as an angry or emotional being. How does the Bible talk about anger, and how does this help us understand … Continue reading →
Grace is such a familiar word that we often miss the depth of its meaning. In part three of this series on the Character of God, we will look at how “grace” is used to communicate one of the core … Continue reading →
Exodus 34:6-7 is one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. This week we begin a new sermon series diving into why this is a foundational text when it comes to knowing what God is like.
Our God is compassionate. Throughout the Old Testament, there are countless examples of God’s compassion which also bleeds into Jesus’ example in the New Testament. Let’s explore that compassion and how we are called to reflect that same character as … Continue reading →
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Green Lake Foundation. This Sabbath, we reflect on some of what we have accomplished so far, as well as the opportunities we have going forward.
In Part 1, we discussed what ‘we the church’ can do right now to grow. Mentoring relationships were sparked, but now it is time to take that call outward. In Part 2, we will focus on what ‘we the church’ … Continue reading →
What do you imagine Heaven smells like? Out of the five senses, scent is one we rarely encounter in the Bible. Part 1 of this series will focus on what ‘we the church’ can be doing right now, today, to … Continue reading →
In a small backwater town, Paul uncovered the secret of next-generation ministry. In the words of Chap Clark, former professor at Fuller Seminary, “The goal of youth ministry can no longer be to ‘make individual faithful disciples,’ but rather to … Continue reading →
In John, chapters 2 through 5, Jesus met a specific need that was personal to the person. We should look at the needs of our community and, like Jesus, meet those needs without any strings attached. What are the needs … Continue reading →
The early Christian believers formed a community that we may consider radical today. They held everything in common so that no one among them was in need. On this communion Sabbath we will reflect on some of the lessons we … Continue reading →
We often have qualms and questions when trying to understand the apparent differences between the God of the Old and the God of the New Testaments, and understandably so. Often, we associate God and Jesus with very different characteristics, and … Continue reading →
Have you ever heard of the saying, “Follow the money!” This week we are going to follow the money regarding who financed the mission of the early church and learn some incredible details about the subversive gospel and ministry of … Continue reading →
The book of Job is difficult. What Job faces is incredibly tough, but the reasons and interpretations that surround his suffering make for a difficult, even troubling, reading experience. For many, the book of Job ends with answers that don’t … Continue reading →
This Sabbath, as we wrap up our series on the meaning of Holiness and reflect on Black History Month, Pastor Kevin asks, “How did a sanctuary become a place of segregation? How do we find healing and reconciliation for past … Continue reading →
As we venture into part 3 of our series, we will talk about some of the aspects of worship and their origins. Which type of praise is right and holy? How much have we limited God in our worship?
This week as we start our first series on Holy Ground, we will look at what Holy Ground is and how we look at it today comparatively. Could it be that we have made our own sanctuary?
What does it mean to worship in Spirit and in Truth? What is the meaning of holiness, and what does it have to do with the worship wars? Join us as we dig into it in part 2 of our … Continue reading →
Can you drink the cup? This was the question Jesus asked James and John and it is the question we will explore today on this communion Sabbath.