Munger Place Church - Dallas, Texas: Recent Episodes
Rev Andrew Forrest
Munger Place Church is the East Dallas campus of Highland Park United Methodist Church. Worship services include both the best of the old and the best of the new. The music is rock and roll-based, sermons are both live and on video, and dress is casual. But at the same time, the services draw from 2,000 years of Christianity by incorporating some of the beautiful old hymns, prayers, and responses.
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
Scripture: Luke 15:1-2 and 14-19 New Revised Standard Version
1 Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’”
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
Scripture: Luke 15:1-2, 11-16 New Revised Standard Version
1 Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
11 Then Jesus[a] said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with[b] the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9 NRSV
The Transfiguration 17 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’
Pastor: Rev. Erin Sloan Jackson
Scripture: Micah 6:6-8 CEB
What does the Lord require? 6 With what should I approach the Lord and bow down before God on high? Should I come before him with entirely burned offerings, with year-old calves? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with many torrents of oil? Should I give my oldest child for my crime; the fruit of my body for the sin of my spirit? 8 He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald Scripture: Matthew 22:34-40, CEB
34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had left the Sadducees speechless, they met together. 35 One of them, a legal expert, tested him. 36 “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
Christmas Eve 7pm Sermon
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Christmas Eve 5pm Sermon
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Scripture: Luke 1:46-55
46 Mary said, “With all my heart I glorify the Lord! 47 In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. 48 He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant. Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored 49 because the mighty one has done great things for me. Holy is his name. 50 He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors him as God. 51 He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations. 52 He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed. 54 He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, 55 just as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.”
SERMON SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:4-14 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
This Advent/Christmas sermon series, beginning Sunday, December 1, speaks to the core of what the season is ultimately about…Presents. We celebrate the coming of the greatest gift of all – Jesus Christ. We also acknowledge the season of gift giving that is highlighted by the tradition of giving gifts placed under our Christmas trees; those gifts we unwrap on Christmas morning. In this series we will celebrate “Presents”, the ones we receive and, more importantly, the ones that we give. We also celebrate God’s Presence which we remember through the Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love." Scripture: Luke 3:1-6
Pastor: Rev. Erin Sloan Jackson
This Advent/Christmas sermon series, beginning Sunday, December 1, speaks to the core of what the season is ultimately about…Presents. We celebrate the coming of the greatest gift of all – Jesus Christ. We also acknowledge the season of gift giving that is highlighted by the tradition of giving gifts placed under our Christmas trees; those gifts we unwrap on Christmas morning. In this series we will celebrate “Presents”, the ones we receive and, more importantly, the ones that we give. We also celebrate God’s Presence which we remember through the Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
Scripture: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
The time of wandering in the desert as a congregation is over. 2025 will be about entering the beautiful promised land that has always been before Munger Place Church. The Covenant Card you will return this Sunday will help “change the menu” for those who have been coming here for years, and all the new people that will come into these doors in 2025. We will meet each other at the altar this Sunday. The moment has come.
Scripture: Joshua 5:10-12
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
We live in a consumer-driven world. We are especially reminded of that during this time of year. Unfortunately, this has permeated into our churches and caused us to lose sight of our mission. Join us this Sunday as we reclaim our mission and explore a better way of doing ministry. Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-13 CEB
Sermon: Rev. Sean McDonald
Many of us want to grow closer to God. In fact, as Christians, it is our main goal! But how do we do that? We tend to think of things like prayer and attending church, which is undoubtedly true. However, our scripture for this week suggests something else that we tend to overlook. And it may be the most important way to grow closer to God.
Scripture: Hebrews 10:16-25 CEB
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Scripture: [1] Matthew 28:16-20 NRSV, [2] Romans 1:16 NRSV
[1] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
[2] For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
This week’s sermon kicks off our Covenant/Commitment series entitled “Embrace the Why?” In this week’s message we will explore one of the most fundamental questions we can ponder as followers of Jesus - “Why Embrace Why?” The answer is found in the verse following one of the most well-known and quoted verses of scripture – John 3:16. The answer to “Why Embrace Why?” is found in the words of John 3:17 “God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, God sent Jesus into the world so that the world might be saved through him.” This sermon will helps you frame your personal answer the question of how can we bless and be a blessing to the world around us as we invite people into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. The answer to that question “Why Embrace Why?” is why Munger Place Church exists and why we should be passionate about living out our mission statement. I’ll see you Sunday for a deeper dive into how that happens here and how we can expand the work before us here at MPC.
Sermon Scripture: John 3:16-17 NRSV
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
We aren’t always great at celebrating miracles. Mostly because we’ve stopped looking for them. But this doesn’t mean miracles don’t happen. This week we turn to the prophet Isaiah who provides hope when we need it most.
Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-19
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
We are creatures of habit. The more we do something, the likelier we are to do it in the future. Sometimes, this is helpful. But other times, this has undesired outcomes. Unfortunately, one of those undesirable outcomes is the polarization of our political climate. We have conditioned ourselves to meet any disagreement with anger and even hate. We know we should disagree in love, but breaking the habit is hard. What can we do to change that?
Scripture: Colossians 3:12-14
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
United in welcome: It's time to execute God's Open Table Imperative. As United Methodists, we celebrate the fact that God's table is open to everyone. We are blessed by that open table invitation every time we celebrate the sacrament of Holy communion.
Scripture: Luke 24:28-32
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
We are in an election year. This means that for months, all we hear about is campaign strategy and party platforms. But usually, what our politicians campaign for leads to division, tension, and hostility. So this year, we are doing a campaign of our own. In our new series, "Indivisible," we will discuss what our church stands for that makes up our "platform." Together, we can find unity in divisive times.
Scripture: Philippians 2:1-8
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Our Embrace campaign is rooted in Romans 12, which tells us to be a "living sacrifice." However, elsewhere in scripture, we seem to see the exact opposite. For example, in Jeremiah 6:20, God specifically says, "your sacrifices do not please me." So which is it? Are sacrifices good or bad? Maybe both.
Scripture: Romans 12:1-2
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Each of us has received gifts. There are attributes within us all that are not of our own making. We have talents that come from beyond and the Scriptures encourage us to put those gifts into the service of the Lord. Where this leads us is to place everything we are engaged to the service of the Lord. Every word, thought, and action is dedicated to Jesus and we commit our lives to follow Him.
Extra Mile: When it comes to spiritual gifts here is what they are: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, mercy, and self-control. Moving a little deeper into our Scripture, each of us has the ability to use our gifts in a greater way. Ask yourself - what are the gifts that God has given me? How can I use those gifts for a greater purpose? As we use those gifts we discover how the Lord is using us - to discover our one purpose and to grow Christ’s kingdom in this world.
Scripture: 1 Peter 4:8-11
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Paul uses his letter to the Romans to really grab the attention of the church and turn them away from their bickering. It is a bit of a slap in the face, meant as a reminder that all the ways we try to characterize and categorize ourselves don't really matter. What matters is who God says we are. And our response should be to fully and completely embrace that. Join us as we dive into what this means and why it is so essential for us to embrace who God calls us to be.
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Converts to Christianity were already living a certain way. We have beliefs, ideas, values and actions that when we embrace Jesus will have to change. Catalyzing this change was much of the Apostle Paul’s work, and he suggests to begin from the inside out. Renew the mind (and I think he would say heart and soul as well) can ignite a change within us. Do you believe he is right?
The Extra Mile: The Roman Empire in with the Apostle Paul lived and worked was religiously diverse to say the least. Modern religions, like Judaism, existed as did the worship of Roman and Greek gods, cults of every kind, worship of the Roman Emperor, and local pagan deities of every kind. Into this Paul speaks, ‘to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.’ What do you think of Paul’s advice?
Scripture: Romans 12:1-2
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
In Philippians 2:5-11 Paul attempts to describe Jesus. Give it a try yourself and you will see that it’s is a daunting task. As Paul takes this on he lands on a virtue - humility. Jesus is many things, and among the characteristics of what he is Paul tells us Jesus is…..humble. It’s astonishing. Jesus is all powerful, all knowing, and yet these attributes of his are used to serve us all. Jesus is the greatest of servants, and invites us to be the same.
Extra Mile: Over the centuries the Church has asked the question - What is the source of sin? As the centuries have unfolded the most common answer is…Pride. As much as we do not like to admit it, we are often the source of our own undoing. The Apostle Paul, the Prophets, and many others knew this and therefore consistently advise believers to be humble. Humility is among the lead virtues for the believer, and much of the Scripture attempts to tell us this is so.
Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The opening of John 8 is one of the most dramatic confrontations in the Gospels. A woman is caught in adultery - note, the sexism of the time excuses the partner - and according to the law of the time the woman should be killed. In typical Jesus style, Jesus confronts the crows and saves the life of the woman. For Jesus, forgiveness is more powerful than rules and it is forgiveness that Jesus offers her in this story.
Extra Mile: Give this some thought. John 8:11 is a powerful verse - Jesus tells the woman in the story to change her her life. Forgiveness is never an invitation to keep living a life of sin. I wonder how she did? Jesus wants us to change for the better, and forgiveness is a chance to do so. I wonder if the woman needed a third or fourth chance if Jesus would forgive? What do you think?
Scripture: John 8:2-11
There comes a time to do what is right. In the latter half of the Old Testament we encounter the writings of the Prophets. Among their concerns is - justice. Like few other authors, the prophets are concerned about the widow and the orphan, the poor and the lost, those in need and those who are searching. Amos 5:11-15 reminds of this - the call to do what is right by helping those in need and we will focus on this theme on Sunday.
Extra Mile: Amos is the prophet to justice. More than most, the prophet Amos calls us to consider what is fair. His sense of justice is simple - those who have should conduct their business with fairness and be generous to those in need. These values are central to Amos and he invites us to make them ours as well.
Scripture: Amos 5:11-15
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The Bible is a great book for many reasons, one of which that it speaks to us about living in faith on good days and in tough ones. Eventually, faith gets tested. Over the course of life will come a day where it seems like everything has gone wrong, evil and sin will rise, and we wonder ‘How am I going to deal with this?’ The good news is faith wins and the strength faith is forms the heart of Munger this Sunday.
Extra Mile: The Book of Revelation is written in a time where the Church is under tremendous persecution from the Roman Empire. The book is written in a kind of code perhaps in case it fell into the wrong hands - the images would be confusing to the nonbeliever. In our passage today, Revelation 21:1-7, the passage speaks of a ‘New Jerusalem’. A new source of holiness and strength will rise - the old world of persecution will stop and a new day begin. This is a word of hope then and now - faith always prevails.
Scripture: Rev 21:1-7
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
When reading 1 Samuel 1:19-22 we have to ask a question - Did Israel get this right? Israel asks for a King so that they can be ‘like other nations’. Israel, however, was chosen by God to be a Kingdom of Priests and a nation to the nations. Is there a great risk then in being just like everybody else? As Christians we are called to be different - a light to the nations. Ask yourself - am I trying too much to be like everyone else? Is it time for me to be, in the name of Jesus, different?
Scripture: 1 Samuel 8:19-22
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Every one of us has felt uncertain about the future at one point or another. What do we do when we experience this? Is the answer to just have more faith? While our scripture for this week does discuss a need for faith, it shows us something much more important than just more faith.
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
We have reached the end of Acts. Through our reading, we have learned some critical things that can help us as a church as we experience new beginnings. But in the last two verses, we receive the fourth step in our Blueprint. While all of our steps are important, if we don’t follow this last step, we might as well not have a blueprint at all!
Scripture: Acts 28:30-31
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Even to this day, the Church faces A LOT of challenges. And when adversity strikes, it can be easy to do what is best for us as individuals. However, that is not what it means to be the Church. This week we will see what Paul and Silas do when they find themselves in a scary situation. Instead of pointing to themselves and doing what’s best for them, they take another approach.
Scripture: Acts 16:25 - 34
Pastor: Ryan Waller
The Church from its beginning has been a place that meets needs. If you are hungry, thirsty, in need of help in another form, or simply searching, the Church is the place to become a part of and get what you need. It is an expansive calling. The truth is, however there is nothing like the Church. Only the Church is called to work and help everyone who enters our doors. It is what makes us unique and Jesus wouldn’t have it any other way. Extra Mile: There is a bit of strategy in the Scripture passage today, Acts 6:1-7. A complaint emerged between Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews in a feeding ministry for widows. Some thought the other group was getting more food. In response, the Disciples appoint a team that is a combination of both groups to lead the ministry. We know that from the names - some are Jewish, some are Greek .The Disciples offered a smart and holy solution that allowed everyone to work together! Scripture: Acts 6:1-7
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The book of Acts doesn’t just show us the start of a church, it shows us the start of THE Church. For that reason, it provides a great blueprint for us as we step into this new beginning for Munger. Over the next few weeks we will dive into Acts together to identify historic truths about what it means to be the Church. This week we will pick up directly after Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit moves over the people they are ready to "be the church." The first thing they do may surprise you, yet it is exactly what we at Munger will need to do to ensure our upcoming fruitful season. Scripture: Acts 2:42-47
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
This week we are wrapping up our series CoMission. What we see in our scripture is probably the most important thing we need to realize about our mission as a Church. In fact, it is so important, that it is exactly what Jesus did during his mission on earth. If we can follow that same model, then we will begin to truly make a difference in our community. Scripture: John 1:1-5
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
This is an exciting time of the year. Student’s are graduating, changing grades, going off the college, and summer is starting! But this time of year can also be scary because it is a time of change. And when we are faced with change, sometimes all we want to do is stay where we are comfortable. But what does God call us to do? How does God call us to handle times like these?
Scripture: Matthew 17: 1-9
Message: The message of Corinthians is church is family. We are to love each other, endure each other, and celebrate each other. Family will do all these and more. Today, pray for your church family. Everything that a good family does church is intended to do. We are to love our church and do so well.
Extra Mile: Take a look at Acts 15, it is a compromise. James, the half-brother of Jesus, steps forward and offers a compromise between competing factions of the church. In the early church, there was tension between early converts who were Jewish and those who were not. The conflict occurred over circumcision with Paul insisting converts need not be circumcised while early Christians with Jewish roots insisted everyone should be. The result? Compromise. Circumcision was not required, while other laws were. Question - does God ever want us to compromise? Scripture: Matthew 20:29-34
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
This week we are looking at a classic story from scripture. The Good Samaritan is a story that tells us who our neighbor is. We are tempted to label this as a story that teaches us that everyone is our neighbor. However, that’s not really what Jesus says. So who then does Jesus say our neighbor is?
Extra Mile: Jesus puts the legal expert through a mental exercise in order to show him who his neighbor was. Turns out, it is the last person he would ever expect to help him and probably the last person he would want to see in a vulnerable position. This week, let’s do the same exercise. Who is the last person or group you would ever expect to help you or that you would want to see you at your worst? Take your time with this. But when you arrive at your answer, apply what Jesus says to the legal expert. Go and show mercy.
Scripture: Samaritan - Luke 10:25-37
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Message: The Christian life is about you, and it’s not about you. All of us need Jesus - we need the forgiveness and life he offers us. Once we are saved by Jesus, though, a change happens. Our lives are to be lived for others. In our Scripture today, Jesus starts a new age. It is an age where believers focus less on ourselves and more on showing and telling the life of Jesus to others.
The Extra Mile: Each of the disciples is called to follow Jesus early in the Gospels. They answer and Jesus does what Jesus does. He teaches, heals, and shows the disciples what it is to be a believer. Each of the disciples, however, will abandon Jesus in the events leading up to the crucifixion. Matthew 28 the becomes, a second calling. The disciples are called to spread the Gospel and get a second chance to reclaim their role.
Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
God helps those who can’t help themselves.
That includes each and every one of us, but this can sometimes be hard to admit. We like to be in control and feel like we can change even the worst of our situations, but when we come to grips with the fact that we can’t help ourselves into heaven we actually begin to have a deeper relationship with God. This week, be vulnerable with God. Maybe this is centered around something specific that you are going through or maybe it is just needing help in general. Either way, open up your heart and pay attention to how you feel God responding.
Scripture: Romans 5:1-8 CEB
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
The Bible is our sacred book. Within it are countless truths we hold dear. God creates. God loves us. Jesus is the Son of God. The Bible also records failings and ideas that did not work. King David shattered the 10 Commandments. Leviticus offers sacrifices and laws that we do not follow any longer. The Bible has to be interpreted - and that is our theme this Sunday at Munger.
The Extra Mile: While immensely important, the Bible is not the only source of faith. The tradition of the church, our thoughts, and experiences of the Holy Spirt all feed our faith. These three with the Bible form what is called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. Scripture, Tradition, Experience, and Reason all work together to illuminate our path.
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Message: They are simple phrases. They sound Christian―like something you might find in the Bible. We’ve all heard these words - passed down over generations. Maybe we’ve said them. They capture some element of truth, yet they miss the point in important ways. We'll spend some time together to search for the whole truth by comparing common Christian clichés with the wisdom found in Scripture.
Scripture: We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord’s angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead. The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. He isn’t here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would. Come, see the place where his body was lying. Now hurry!
Tell his disciples he has been raised to life and is on his way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see him. This is what I came to tell you.” The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them and greeted them. They went near him, held on to his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid! Tell my followers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.”
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10
Pastor: Andy Nixon
The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord’s angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead. The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. He isn’t here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would. Come, see the place where his body was lying. Now hurry!
Tell his disciples he has been raised to life and is on his way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see him. This is what I came to tell you.” The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them and greeted them. They went near him, held on to his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid! Tell my followers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.”
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
It is Palm Sunday where we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem as the start of Holy Week. The crowds expected Jesus to start a revolution, but it did not happen the way many thought it would. Think back. Has Jesus ever answered a prayer in a different way than you asked? It is a hard question. God’s plan, however, is often different than our own and Holy Week is a story along those lines.
The Extra Mile: Do a little online digging into the Feast or Festival of Sheaves or Shelters. Jesus would have traveled to Jerusalem many times and presumably this festival would be one of those occasions. Jesus would have been a part of this, and our Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus entering Jerusalem on this festival day. Jesus was part of a tradition, and our Palm Sunday is an example of Jesus being a part of his heritage.
Scripture: Luke 19:28-36
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
As the Book of Job closes, God appears to Job and speaks to job from a whirlwind. The words God speaks are one of power. Where was Job when the universe was created? By what power has Job created anything at all? As creations of the Lord, we have to know our limits. We can know in go much, but ultimately we are called to have faith in that the Lord will lead us to all that is good.
The Extra Mile: An interesting part of Job is Job 42:7-9 where God rebukes Job’s friends. The friends have not been quite honest in that they have danced around Job’s suffering where Job has spoken honestly. For us today, God wants us to pray honestly to the Lord. If you feel it, say it. God listens to all prayers, but prefers one that is honest.
Scripture: Job 42:4-6
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
In our Bible passage today, Jesus is the same and also entirely different. Luke 24:36-49 is a resurrection appearance of Jesus. He died, and now is raised. He is the same and also completely different. When reading this passage notice Jesus accepts his change. He is different now, and is setting the example for who we can be. To really change, you and I ultimately are called to accept the person Jesus is making us into and Jesus also encourages us to accept the change for the better.
The Extra Mile: Spend some time this week thinking and praying about ‘change’. A better word may be ‘growth’ or ‘transformation’, but in the Gospels everyone changes ti some way. The disciples learn, the sick are healed, and we even learn more about Jesus as we read the Gospels and God’s plan is revealed. What next step in faith is God calling you to take? Step forward in faith, and grow.
Scripture: Job 23:13-17
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Job and his friends are asking the question that many of ask at some point in our lives; why do bad things happen to good people? Job’s friends are convinced he is suffering because he has done something to deserve it. But in our scripture for this week, Job provides another perspective that can completely change the way we approach our struggles.
Extra Mile: This scripture comes to us in the middle of Lent. A time when we intentionally reflect on our wrong doings. To this point, Job and his friends have done exactly that in an attempt to explain why Job is where he is. But what we learned this week is that doesn’t give them the answers they are looking for. So, as an added practice for us this Lent, let’s also reflect on where we have seen God during difficult times in our lives. What we will begin to realize is that even in the darkest of times, God was right by our side.
Scripture: Job 21:7-9, 32-34 CEB
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Lament acknowledges the reality of the situation. It opens us up to pain. It revises our assumptions of the world and it helps us to reconstruct our relationship to who/what we have lost. Lament has its crucial place in worship and produces the fruit of hope in a future in which lament will have no place. God may be light, but His best work is always done in the dark.
Scripture: Job 7:1-11
Pastor: Ryan Waller
How do we respond when we suffer tragedy we do not deserve? Welcome to the Book of Job. The problem of suffering is a fundamental human problem. We all have asked, ‘Why did God allow this?’ Or ‘Why has God not stopped this evil?”. The Book of Job is going to make a run at answering this question so jump in as we read this book through Lent. You will find the Bible does not back down from any hard questions - rather it takes them on full force.
The Extra Mile: The Book of Job begins with an almost courtroom like seen where the Lord and Satan have a conversation that ends with the Lord allowing Satan to do anything to Job except kill him. The Hebrew word for ‘Satan’ means ‘accuser’. ‘ This may help us to understand how evil works in our lives. Thoughts that accuse us of being unholy, unworthy, inadequate - this is a ploy of evil and it is to our benefit not to listen.
Scripture: Job 1:9-12
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
In our Bible passage today, Jesus is the same and also entirely different. Luke 24:36-49 is a resurrection appearance of Jesus. He died, and now is raised. He is the same and also completely different. When reading this passage notice Jesus accepts his change. He is different now, and is setting the example for who we can be. To really change, you and I ultimately are called to accept the person Jesus is making us into and Jesus also encourages us to accept the change for the better.
The Extra Mile: Spend some time this week thinking and praying about ‘change’. A better word may be ‘growth’ or ‘transformation’, but in the Gospels everyone changes ti some way. The disciples learn, the sick are healed, and we even learn more about Jesus as we read the Gospels and God’s plan is revealed. What next step in faith is God calling you to take? Step forward in faith, and grow.
Scripture: Luke 24:36-49 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
There are many themes in the Bible - on of them is ‘We are part of God’s Plan’. God could work without us or accomplish ends around us, but chooses to work with us. God hears our prayers and uses them as a part of a larger story as only God can. For Hannah, this brings a measure of comfort - God takes our petitions and uses them for a larger purpose. The Extra Mile: There is a similarity in the stories of Zechariah (Luke 1) and the story of Hannah is Samuel 1. Take a look at both of these characters and see what you can find.
Pastor: Rev. Edlen Cowley
Scripture: 1 Samuel 24:1-22
One of the overlooked attributes of our ancestors is that they waited. Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, knew what it was to wait for the birth of a son. Israel knew what it was to wait for the coming of the Messiah. Although at times God moves in a rapid way (the miracles of Jesus) often God moves in time. This week, practice waiting - otherwise known as patience - and in patience we will find a Biblical virtue our grandparents knew well.
The Extra Mile: Flashback to last week :) Nehemiah’s family was part of the people of Israel who were forcibly taken to Babylon. Babylon captured Jerusalem in 587 B.C. and Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem around 445. B.C. That means Nehemiah’s family live in Exile for 6 generations? Again, time to our ancestors was different than for us. What are we praying for that is generational rather than instant?
Scripture: Luke 1:67-80 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Sometimes we do not find what we hope to find. We believe that something will make us happy only to discover it does not. We achieve a goal, and then find out our satisfaction is less than we thought. Israel did this too in that it became a nation, built and rebuilt Jerusalem - but it was not enough. They had to return to obedience to find joy. Nehemiah is about rediscovering joy through obedience, and that is what Munger focuses on this week.
The Extra Mile: The book of Nehemiah is about returning and rebuilding. Nehemiah, the person, took the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The walls were destroyed in 587 B.C. and after a time of exile Israel returned and upon that return Nehemiah went to work. Do some digging into the person Nehemiah and you will find someone dedicated to rebuilding what was lost - a task we at times have to do as well.
Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-5 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
We all want to improve this time of year. And the decisions we make now can help us make those improvements. One decision that may help us more than any other is the decision to be consistent. To be who we want to be, we need consistency”
Extra Mile: Being consistent is always hard at first. This is why we rarely stick with our New Year’s resolutions. We try to be better about exercising or reading but then we mess up and we feel like it’s just another year of failing to reach our goals. But consistency doesn’t require perfection. This week, decide one area of your life you want to be more consistent in and try to follow through. But if you fall short, give yourself the grace to try again the next day. Because God has already extended that grace to you!
Scripture: Daniel 6:10-17 CEB Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
God loves us. The truth is God always has. Because of human decisions, though, there are times that come and we find ourselves a little lost, and we need to return to God’s love. The good news is God is willing to help. When we take a step towards the Lord, the Lord takes a step towards us . As 2024 begins, we should know that one step towards Jesus is not just one, but two, as God rushes to meet us.
The Extra Mile: The Bible often has built-in assumptions that we as modern readers might miss. One of these assumptions is the Bible is an “us” book. The Bible assumes community, and often times Scripture speaks in the plural, like “God is going to save God’s people”. Modern lives tend to be highly individual so ask yourself - What I am a part of that is an “us”? Marriage, teams, businesses, schools all are an us - church is too. This year maybe join a small group or a team at church and make church an us!
Scripture: Isaiah 43:19-21
Jesus heals. In the miracle stories healing is a prevalent theme with many people who are in need healed by Jesus. In these stories we get a clue about Jesus. He has a heart for those caught in this dilemma of being less than whole and stuck with no apparent way to get better. Jesus was their only hope, and when we make a similar ask the promise Jesus makes is that He will be there.
The Extra Mile: When Jesus heals, it is always a person who the culture of Jesus’s day would consider ‘unclean’. In Biblical times, if one was sick, injured, or deformed in some way it was believed to be because of a sin the person or a family member committed. In other words, illness was seen as punishment. Jesus breaks this idea. For Jesus, our weakness is a chance for God’s power to come forward. The healing miracles bring this idea to light - it is by helping us overcome our weakness that we experience the power of God.
Scripture: Matthew 8:1-4 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Healing was a central part of the ministry of Jesus. Typically, it was believed in Jesus’ day that if someone was sick it was a sign of disfavor from God. Jesus reversed this. Needs that people have became a way for the glory and power of God to be revealed. Our weakness is not a sign that God has left us, rather it is an opportunity for God to work and meet our need.
Extra Mile: It is notable that the healing in Mark 1:21-28 that the demons recognize exactly who Jesus is. While the disciples and others will recognize Jesus slowly the demons get it right straight away. Why is this? Perhaps because evil has the most to lose? Jesus ands the Gospel destroy the evil within us and the Gospels work to make this point from the start.
Scripture: Mark 1:21-28 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Jesus loved a party and his miracle at the wedding Cana reveals some of who Jesus is. Jesus is a celebration and wants the joy of the Lord to be part of our lives. Faith always should lead us to joy and it is toward joy that Jesus wants to lead us.
The Extra Mile: Water and wine are highly symbolic in the Bible. Go online and search ‘water’ in the Bible and then do the same with ‘wine’. In Biblical cultures both are metaphors for what God is able to do in our lives. For example, God’s forgiveness is like the cleansing power of water. Take a look at other passages in Scripture with these words and see what they come to represent in the Bible.
Scripture: John 2:1-10 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
You and I should finish the same sentence Paul starts. “I have learned…”. What would you say? Experience is a teacher and in each chapter of life there are lessons we learn. Where are you now? As a student, young adult, parent, friend, grand-parent, and every other role we learn. In Philippians 4 Paul gives us his wisdom and the Church has cherished it ever since.
The Extra Mile: The Apostle Paul learned the virtues he teaches the hard way in certain cases. Paul was an educated Rabbi, taught by one of the most famous Rabbis, Gamaliel, who is mentioned in Acts 22:3. Because of his education Paul would have had an exposure to the moral guidance of the Bible. He also learned from his experience which included being imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked and more. Between education and life Paul learned which is also true for us.
Scripture: I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:11-13)
Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Our decisions have an impact. The environment, our relationships, future generations are impacted by our stewardship of what we have been given. And while it may seem overwhelming - “Am I responsible for every single thing in all of creation?!?’ The answer is ‘Yes’. The hope the Bible has for us is that we will rise to the challenge rather than back away.
The Extra Mile: The phrase Biblical commentaries will use often about this passage is that we are ‘created co-creators. What this means is that we are obviously created by God, but we also have the ability to created and to give order to the world. While not as powerful as God’s ability, a certain power is given to us and we are to put our creative abilities to work.
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
It is an age old question - How much is enough? The world has an answer and it is this - You can never have enough. As Christians, however, we have to realize that blessings are meant to be shared. Maybe we should read the again - blessings are meant to be shared. Loving our neighbor in part means receiving when we are in need and giving when we experience prosperity. Spend some time today counting your blessings and then praying about how they could be shared
The Extra Mile: In the days of Jesus poverty was the norm. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray saying ‘give us this day our daily bread’, he meant it. When Jesus walked among us, poverty and hunger were normal and praying for what you needed was the only hope you had. This is still true in parts of our population and world, but it may not be true for you. As we read today’s scripture there is a challenge - to read it as the original hearers of Jesus would and maybe less so with the abundance of our world.
Scripture: Luke 12;13-15 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
As Christians there is an important word we need to know. Then word is ‘No.’ Too often the world tries to sell us possessions we need or attitudes we need to have and the the truth is our answer should be ’No’. As Christians, we have to draw a line. Possessions are not crucial. As Jesus taught us, we a building a Kingdom on his values. Each of us has to be prepared to say ‘No’ and that is what Munger is talking about this week.
Scripture: Romans 12:1-2 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
We listen to lots of people. Most of it, though, is inadvertent. We listen to music that happens to be playing, to television in the background, and other sources not necessarily of our choosing. The question today is - Who do you really listen to? Really? Who is it that you want to hear from? All of us have one voice that is above all voices. Jesus wants to be the one we hear, and the question is - is he the one?
Scripture: John 7:45-52 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
If you were to ask Jesus one question, what would it be? The possibilities are endless! In our Bible passage, though, an expert in the law asks the ultimate question - “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Before jumping to the end, what would you answer? What does it take to enter into heaven? Answer that and you will be immersed in the conversation Jesus has in Luke 10.
The Extra Mile: The gospel passage today sets up the story of the Good Samaritan. In other words, we have a passage where one person should know the answer to their question - an expert in the law should know. In the verses that follow, however, a Samaritan - the outsider - is the one who knows what it is to do the right thing. Think about it in your own life. How many times do we know what it is to do the right thing, but we ignore it? This is the question Luke 10 forces us to ask.
Scripture: Luke 10:25-28
It has been a tough week. Like many of you, I have been deeply disturbed by the violence in Israel and Gaza over the last week. A warning - this week’s message will not be rated ‘G’. We will discuss terrorism, violence, and what our Christian response to evil should be. Jesus instructed us to be a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14), an example, and as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove’ (Matthew 10:16). This Sunday, Munger will explore the meaning of both and how we navigate our world while staying faithful to the Gospel.
Scripture: Amos 5:18-24 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Last week, we talked about prevenient grace. This is the idea that God loves us even before we know it! One way that we celebrate that grace is by coming to the table of holy communion. But the only way to acknowledge God's grace for all people is if all people are welcome at the table. And at the end of the day, it's God's table, and God wants all at the feast!
Scripture: Luke 14:7-14 CEB Pastor: Rev. Sean McDonald
Jonah is one of the most fascinating books of the Bible because its primary focus is how God is the Lord over all of us and God loves all of us. Our own lives, friends, families, acquaintances, colleagues, and even enemies are loved by the Lord. Now, that is not to say God loves everything we do, however, no action anyone undertakes can separate us from the love of God and therein lies the Gospel.
Scripture: Jonah 4 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Houses are filled with memories - people, events,, places that are dear to us - things we remember. The Book of Exodus has been sharing with us a tremendous witness of God’s actions, miraculous events, and faithful heroes who answered God’s call. Why was the book written? In part so that we might remember. Our last week in Exodus is spent with the building of the Ark of the Covenant - and using the Ark we will talk about at Munger the power of remembering who we are.
Scripture: Exodus 37:1-9 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Faith is an anchor for us. It is a foundation, and because of that we want to turn our faith into something permanent. We build cathedrals to last centuries and sanctuaries to exist for long periods of time. Israel is going through this now in our Exodus passage. We know, of course, that nothing on Earth lasts forever and Israel will learn that lesson too. For now though, think about how we structure faith that lasts and what are you ‘building’ that symbolizes the strength of faith.
Scripture: Exodus 26:1-6 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
We have all been there. We are waiting, we are praying, and it takes too long. God does not always show on our timeline and we do what people have always done and take matters into our own hands. One of the greatest difficulties we have in faith is adapting to the timeline of the Lord. God is faithful, but there are times when we have to wait, and wait faithfully. Today’s Scripture is designed to teach us the importance of faithful waiting.
The Extra Mile: Last week we focused on the 10 Commandments, where Commandment #1 is “No other gods, only me.” - Exodus 20:3. God simply has to come first. To those who are believers this seems obvious, but there is a lot of competition for our priorities. Our first thought, our best efforts, the use of our talents and gifts - God insists on coming first. This week ask, “What comes first?”. Making sure God is there is a pathway to blessing today and the days to come.
Scripture: Exodus 32:1-4 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
This is a hard passage - but God gets into our mix. It was true with Pharaoh and true with Jesus. Pharaoh was unwilling to let Israel go and then God through Moses took matters into divine hands. In a similar way, the crowds choose to crucify Jesus and then God took matters into divine hands again. Our choices matter, but there comes a time when God makes a decision to correct us if we persistently head the wrong way.
Scripture: Exodus 11:4-8
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The Lord calls us. After a life of murder, wandering, and perhaps doubt Moses is called. He sees the burning and not-burning bush and hears the voice of the Lord. God speaks to all of us in time, and a lesson we can learn from this is that in the life of faith two of the most important virtues are the ability to see and listen.
Scripture: Exodus 3:1-6
Pastor:Rev. Andy Nixon
It’s the start of the school year…YAY! Okay, some of you may not be all that excited but the one thing we can all agree on is that we want to start the school year strong. While back to school is not the official start of the year, for many of us this is an important time of the year that symbolizes a fresh start. So how do we make this school year different? How can we make sure that this school year is a great one for us, our families, and our church?
Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21 CEB
Pastor: Sean McDonald
So far in our series we have talked a lot about what not to do on the sabbath. This may leave us thinking that sabbath means just sitting on the couch and doing nothing. Sometimes, this can actually lead us to not take sabbath because we spend all week doing things we have to do and we just want to do something that we enjoy. But this can make us feel like we have to choose between enjoying ourselves and keeping the sabbath. What if it doesn’t have to be that way? What if there are times where to do on the sabbath actually honors the sabbath more than doing nothing?
Scripture: Isaiah 58:13-14 CEB
Pastor:Sean McDonald
Most of us would say that Sabbath is something that we should do and something we want to do. However, many of us fail to take a sabbath because when we do we feel guilty. We begin to hear that voice in our head that reminds us of all the things we could be doing instead of resting. Why do we feel so guilty? Where does this feeling come from? Most importantly, what do we do when we have this feeling?
Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11 CEB
Pastor: Sean McDonald
Even God took a break. In Genesis 1 and 2 God creates for six days, and after the heavens, the earth, the animals and even we were created God took a day off. Why? Did God get tired? No - to set the example for us. We are at our best when we take one day to relax, be with God, and with each other. Creation is meant to be enjoyed and we do that best by taking a day. If it is good for God, it is good for you too :)
Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Our Scripture this week is called ‘The Great Commission”. It is literally the last word in the Gospel of Matthew that Jesus gives his disciples and it is simple. Go everywhere and tell everyone about the Lord. It is all encompassing. Everyone, everywhere, needs to know the life, witness, and resurrection Jesus. And the command spans all time - it is a Great Commission to us as well, and maybe the question to ask is, ‘Is it time to live up to it?’.
Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
God Bless America! We live in a blessed land. And while not perfect, it is a blessing to call this nation home. As we celebrate the 247th birthday of our nation let us be grateful for the freedom we enjoy and all those who have protected us and are protecting us today in order to preserve the life we know. For many of our Founders, there is an embrace between the freedoms we have and God’s plans for us. We were created by God to be free and we will celebrate that truth at Munger this Sunday. Happy 4th!
Scripture: Luke 22:14-23
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Scripture tells us that we should pray confidently and expect our prayers to be answered. But there are times in life when all we seem to receive is silence.
Is God there?
Does God care?
Why did my prayer go unanswered?
Pastor: Sean McDonald
Last week we took a deep dive into why prayer is important, but one of the questions that I receive all the time is "What am I supposed to be praying for"?
Scripture: John 5:13-15
Pastor: Sean McDonald
Is it time for a new habit? Try this on - in the next three weeks I am going to become a person of prayer. Maybe you are new to prayer and have prayed mainly in times of crisis? Maybe you are experienced in prayer and cannot imagine life without it! Wherever you are in the spectrum of prayer, all of us can grow. Prayer never maxes out or hits a ceiling, it is a spiritual gift we can all further explore. For the next three weeks, Munger is focusing on prayer. Come to worship, get the Prayer Series Study Guide this Sunday and let’s start praying! Who knows? We may be very surprised at who we become in the next three weeks!
In Matthew Jesus tells his disciples to be like children. But in 1 Corinthians Paul says we are to do away with childish things. So, are we called the be like children or not? Do we listen to Jesus or do we listen to Paul? Or maybe both…
Pastor: Sean McDonald
You have to be ready. Whether a First Responder, a Navy Seal, or a parent people have to be ready to go. There are certain things that when it comes time to move we have to move. Jesus told a series of parables with the same theme. We have to be ready when God moves. Is Jesus going to give us the exact time and way? No. It’s up to him. Our job is to be ready to respond the moment Jesus calls. Get ready.
Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Scripture: Matthew 17:1-8 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Jesus loved parables. A parable is a story, behind which is an eternal truth or truths. To unlock a parable we have to consider it from all sides, each perspective, and discuss it with others. Today, we have the Parable of the Sower. Have a bit of fun with it this week and discuss it over dinner. As you talk with family or friends, you will discover that this is the purpose of the parable. The parable gets us talking about principles that matter.
Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Teaser: The Gospel of Matthew has a hope for us - not only that we will believe in Jesus but also that we will be sent in his name. For Matthew, every believer has a mission. Every believer has a responsibility to share the Gospel of Jesus. Ask yourself a question - how much of an evangelist are you? Matthew expects believers will be sharers, so take up Matthew’s challenge and prepare yourself to be a sharer of the Good News.
Scripture: Matthew 10:16-18 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The Beatitudes give us the instructions on how to live a blessed life. What is interesting is they seem counterintuitive. Worldly items such as food or wealth, emotions such as happiness or pursuits such as fame or status are not mentioned. Instead, Jesus give a portrayal of blessedness where blessing is connected to real need. We are blessed when we are connected to those with true needs, and when we reflect on Jesus this is how he lived his life.
Scripture: Matthew 5:3-12 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Until Jesus enters Jerusalem, Jesus and His followers have been a minor annoyance. While in Galilee, Jesus was a nuisance to political and religious leaders of the day, but with his coming to the Holy City now Jesus creates a problem. Everything intensifies. In truth, Jesus probably went to Jerusalem many, many times in his life - but Matthew, Mark and Luke structure their gospels to move from Galilee to Jerusalem as a story-telling device. The closer to Jerusalem Jesus gets the more tense the situation, thus setting the stage for Holy Week.
Scripture: Luke 19:28-40 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
As we approach Easter, we look at themes important to God in all of Scripture. First and foremost on these themes is this - Jesus is the center. Take your Bible and look at Genesis chapter one and the Gospel of John chapter one. You will see phrases that are repeated, and this is intentional. John’s gospel is telling us that Jesus is central, and while we know this the question to ask is - have I made Jesus central to who I am?
Scripture: John 1:1-13 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Who doesn't love a good plot twist?! From children's books to epic sagas to blockbuster films, we often find the greatest entertainment in the reveal of a plot twist that changes everything we thought we knew about a story. This week we reach the pinnacle of the saga of Joseph and his brothers. After all that they've been through, we reach the moment when Joseph finally reveals to them who he is, and it changes everything! But as much as we love the drama in our favorite shows and movies, and even here in the announcement of Joseph to his brothers, plot twists in our own lives are....a lot to process. On Sunday, we'll talk about what this story means for us as we navigate the plot twists of life. We can't wait to see you then!
Scripture: Genesis 45; 4-10 NRSV Pastor: Courtney Bond
Are you a brother or a sister? Siblings relationships are, well….sibling relationships. Few people know us better than those we grow up with - they have a unique view to say the least! In our Bible passage this week (Genesis 37:17-24) Joseph is betrayed by his brothers. They plot to kill him, and while undeserved Joseph does not help the situation by flaunting his chosen status. This week the Bible helps us sort out the mess - what do we do when all goes wrong between those we should love the most?
Scripture: Genesis 37:17-24 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Do you find yourself constantly chasing after something? Something that you are convinced you need and will make you happy, but always seems just out of reach? Whether it's a relationship, success in business, or even the quintessential "American Dream," we have all likely, at one point or another, found ourselves chasing that which seems within our grasp, but somehow, it eludes us--over and over again. And as we continue the chase, we grow more willing to do whatever it takes, right or wrong, to get what we're after. If this sounds familiar, you won't want to miss the sermon this Sunday as we unpack Jacob's pursuit of God's blessing. From the very moment of his birth, Jacob is a person determined to create his own destiny, trying to obtain for himself that which God had already promised to give him. And what a mess he makes along the way! Join us as we take a front row seat to Jacob's WWF experience with the angel, and learn what it all means about the faithfulness of God.
Scripture: Genesis 32:24-31 NRSV Pastor: Courtney Bond
Our passage this week is commonly referred to as ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ - there is a stairway Jacob sees in a dream by which angels are ascending and descending between Heaven and Earth. Another way to think of Jacob’s vision is like a bridge in that Earth and Heaven are connected and the Lord freely moves between both. Jacob’s dream calls us to be aware that Heaven and Earth are linked, and our prayers, worship, and churches are the bridges and ladders that connect the two. Scripture: Genesis 28:10-15 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Faith takes a willingness to sacrifice and tough questions need answers. This is what we learn from Abraham when he is willing to offer even his son at God’s command. As we look at our life and faith we might ask - What are we willing to do for the Lord? What has our faith cost us? What are the sacrifices we make in obedience to God’s call. These are tough questions, but like all questions faith give us the answer.
Scripture: Genesis 22:1-8 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
God delivers. God promised Abraham and Sarah an heir who would be biologically connected to each of them. In our passage, God sets a timeline in place by which this promises will be fulfilled. Genesis is continuing to tell a story of how God is faithful. In matters sweeping and small, the Lord is faithful and this is an attribute of God we can trust.
Scripture: Genesis 18:9-15 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
We have all heard the expression, ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’. Well….that might work for some of us but I have learned the hard way that someone better - the angels are in the details! In our Bible passage today Abram is beginning to worry about who will continue his family line. He wants an heir. God assures Abram that the Lord has this covered in another reminder that God offers both sweeping visions and takes care of the details too.
Scripture: Genesis 15:1-6 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
‘Covenant’ is a weighty word in Scripture. It simply means a substantial agreement, but it is not an agreement of equals. God initiates covenants, and the interesting thing about them is that even though God holds all the power the covenants are generous towards us. God wants us to thrive and the covenants between God and humanity set the context for us to do exactly that - thrive.
Scripture: Genesis 9:8-11 Pastor:Rev. Andy Nixon
Dominion, we’ve got it. As the Lord created human beings, the Lord also gave human beings authority over creation. The earth, sky, waters, animals, plants are all ours to care for all over the earth! This means that the closet we need to clean out, the unwatered plant, the junk drawer, the Christmas decorations we still have out (no!) are to be tended to because they are part of creation! Come to Munger this Sunday and get inspired to - are you ready? - get organized!
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27 Pastor: Sean McDonald
Do you remember jumping off the diving board for the first time? The first day at a new school? Maybe the first day of a new job after a promotion? That’s Joshua rolled into one! A new leader, a new time - and God gives Joshua the call to enter the promised land. Joshua, in response to God’s call steps forward in faith, and in doing so gives us an example on how to do the same.
Scripture: Joshua 3:14-17 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Jesus told stories, quite a few! As we start 2023 this Sunday we are in Luke 13:6-9 where Jesus tells a story about a fig tree that had not produced figs for three years and the owner wants to cut it down. The gardener intercedes, however, and promises to care for the tree for another year and see what happens. In 2023, the story asks us this - will this be the year where something you have wanted finally happens?
Scripture: Luke 13:6-9 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Merry Christmas! Every now and then someone does something that compels a response - a musician’s performance will cause a standing ovation or an athlete will make such a play as to make us cheer!
Christmas is that moment where God’s action brings about the greatest reaction from us. We can’t help it! Jesus is a gift so beautiful and perfect the world cannot help but praise! This Christmas, join the world in pride of the Lord because you have seen what the Lord has come!
Scripture: Luke 2:13-21 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Tradition, at this time of year, is at its best. As Christmas approaches, many of us are preparing to celebrate family and all the celebrations that come with Christmas. A suggestion? Throw yourself into them all and make Munger a strong part :) Our ancestors celebrated this time of year and those who come after us will continue our traditions into the future. Let’s celebrate them well!
Scripture: Matthew 1:6-11 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
We all have sayings we like. It may be from Scripture or a word of wisdom from our parents, or even popular culture. From time to time I find myself quoting Yoda from Star Wars, ‘Do or do not. There is no try’. Of all our sources of course, Jesus is the greatest, and in our Scripture this week (Matthew 5:43-48) Jesus takes the greatest teachings of the Old Testament and expands their truth. Jesus takes tradition and makes it more and this Sunday we will see how Jesus gets that done.
Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
At our house we have an ‘Alexa’. She is capable of a great many things from reading Bible verses to knowing when the Cowboys play. Alexa can also tell me when a package is on the way, invoking a common theme of Advent - waiting for something to arrive. Towards the end of Isaiah, the prophet looks forward, “One is coming” and He will change us and the world forever, and right now we are waiting for Him to arrive. God’s message to us? Wait well.
Scripture: Isaiah 61:8-11 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The Kings of Israel opened up their schedules to administer justice for the public - a sort of ancient Israel version of The People’s Court. King Solomon is asked to decide which of two prostitutes is the true mother of the baby. Solomon’s method (I will let you read for yourself) forces a decision and the difference is that the true mother sacrifices her own interest for the interest of the baby. Willingness to sacrifice reveals what we love - that’s the Munger theme this weekend!
Scripture: 1 Kings 3:16-27
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
What makes for a good leader? With Election Day this week, the question is in the air. Saul is the first King of Israel. From Samuel we know that he was tall and handsome. He would also have some military success against the Philistines in the chapters ahead. The Bible is offering the question - What is the difference between political success and advancing the Kingdom of God? A worldly kingdom and a heavenly one have differences - what do you think they are?
Scripture: 1 Samuel 10:1-5
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
We all make bad choices - the question is ‘Why???’ One answer to this question is - security. We believe that we are safer if we are in control. In our Bible passage Israel asks for a king ‘like other nations’ thinking that a person just like them will provide better leadership than the Lord. The choice turns out to be disastrous. The Kings of Israel are a mixed bag to say the least, and the truth is for Israel and for us is that God needs to be in charge and no one else.
Scripture: 1 Samuel 8:1-5
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The truth is - we want to win. Remember any team that you were on - do you ever go into a competition or step onto a field wanting to lose? For almost all of us, the answer is ‘no’. We want to win. The Apostle Paul tapped into this nature of ours when writing 1 Corinthians and he encourages the church to be like a team and when we compete, compete to win. That is what following Jesus takes. We are asked to give Jesus everything we have got, and we should.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The truth is - we want to win. Remember any team that you were on - do you ever go into a competition or step onto a field wanting to lose? For almost all of us, the answer is ‘no’. We want to win. The Apostle Paul tapped into this nature of ours when writing 1 Corinthians and he encourages the church to be like a team and when we compete, compete to win. That is what following Jesus takes. We are asked to give Jesus everything we have got, and we should.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The song I Know You’re Out There Somewhere by the Moody Blues is a typical searching for love kind of song. Looking to find love, the lyrics offer an optimistic view that we will all find the love we are searching for in life and we know love when we find it. Love, however, also surprises. Jonah discovers the love of God he is looking for only to find it takes a different course that what he expects. What do you think? Is love consistent and familiar or surprising and new?
Jonah 4:1-11
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
The song I Know You’re Out There Somewhere by the Moody Blues is a typical searching for love kind of song. Looking to find love, the lyrics offer an optimistic view that we will all find the love we are searching for in life and we know love when we find it. Love, however, also surprises. Jonah discovers the love of God he is looking for only to find it takes a different course that what he expects. What do you think? Is love consistent and familiar or surprising and new?
Jonah 4:1-11
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
We often think of people as hard-hearted or soft-hearted. What is the difference? In the Bible, Pharaoh is described in the Book of Exodus as hard-hearted in his contests with Moses and Israel. Egypt is defeated and Israel escapes. In Jonah, however, the citizens of Nineveh are soft-hearted. They repent. They change. God relents, In your mind, what is the difference between an Egypt and a Nineveh and as we think about the condition of the two hearts which one would you say you have?
Scripture: Jonah 3:6-10
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
We often think of people as hard-hearted or soft-hearted. What is the difference? In the Bible, Pharaoh is described in the Book of Exodus as hard-hearted in his contests with Moses and Israel. Egypt is defeated and Israel escapes. In Jonah, however, the citizens of Nineveh are soft-hearted. They repent. They change. God relents, In your mind, what is the difference between an Egypt and a Nineveh and as we think about the condition of the two hearts which one would you say you have?
Scripture: Jonah 3:6-10
Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon
Scripture: Jonah 3:6-10
We often think of people as hard-hearted or soft-hearted. What is the difference? In the Bible, Pharaoh is described in the Book of Exodus as hard-hearted in his contests with Moses and Israel. Egypt is defeated and Israel escapes. In Jonah, however, the citizens of Nineveh are soft-hearted. They repent. They change. God relents, In your mind, what is the difference between an Egypt and a Nineveh and as we think about the condition of the two hearts which one would you say you have?
Scripture: Jonah 3:6-10
We often think of people as hard-hearted or soft-hearted. What is the difference? In the Bible, Pharaoh is described in the Book of Exodus as hard-hearted in his contests with Moses and Israel. Egypt is defeated and Israel escapes. In Jonah, however, the citizens of Nineveh are soft-hearted. They repent. They change. God relents, In your mind, what is the difference between an Egypt and a Nineveh and as we think about the condition of the two hearts which one would you say you have?
Jonah is a story we think we know. As a child, MAYBE, we heard of Jonah being swallowed by a whale only to be burped out on a beach later. The truth is the deepest meanings (no pun intended) of Jonah have little to do with the large fish. Jonah is a story about providence, holiness, repentance, and loving our enemy. Come meet this prophet with a message that goes beyond what we think we know.
Scripture: Jonah 1:1-10, 17
Preacher: Courtney Bond
Jonah is a story we think we know. As a child, MAYBE, we heard of Jonah being swallowed by a whale only to be burped out on a beach later. The truth is the deepest meanings (no pun intended) of Jonah have little to do with the large fish. Jonah is a story about providence, holiness, repentance, and loving our enemy. Come meet this prophet with a message that goes beyond what we think we know.
Scripture: Jonah 1:1-10, 17
Preacher: Courtney Bond
We all know what what it is like to make a decision in the moment. Do I go left or right? Do I speed up or slow down? Making a decision in the moment is tough because it means we have a very short period of time in which to make a call that matters. The thief on the cross that asks Jesus to remember him makes a great call in a moment of crisis. Would you do the same? Let’s talk about what it takes to be faithful in moments that matter.
Deborah and I are fans of the Netflix series Stranger Things. In fact, I bought Deborah a stuffed animal version of one of the monsters in the show! If unfamiliar with it, Stranger Things the series is about two worlds - ours and demonic underworld that is trying to break in. While an imperfect comparison, Jesus brought a Kingdom that is trying to break into our world, but in order for that to happen we are going to need to turn our world upside down and the question is, ‘Are we willing to make a change?’.
Jesus delighted in turning images upside down. A widow was coming to make her offering at the Temple in Jerusalem. Her offering is meager, certainly nothing compared to the grandeur and size of the stones that formed the walls of the Temple. And yet, one of these lasted the test of time and one did not, and the survivor was the widow. She is remembered for her faith, while a building which became a symbol of pride would eventually be torn down.
Scripture: Luke 21:1-9
Preacher: Rev. Andy Nixon
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus paints a picture of two people; one, a rich egotistical Pharisee and the other a humble tax collector. One has status, wealth, and power and the other a humble heart. Jesus obviously, prefers the latter but a hidden question in the parable is what if the two were combined? What would a blessed, gifted, generous woman or man with a humble heart open to God look like?
In my mind, that’s you! Try it on - blessed, grateful, humble - it is a combination Jesus would have us find to be a stronger disciple.
Scripture: Luke 18:9-14
Preacher: Rev Andy Nixon
We all know what it is to either be lost or to be looking for someone or something dear to us. The feeling is not good. Urgency, anxiety, fear, and other emotions take us over until the moment where what we are looking for is found. Jesus, as uncomfortable as it sounds, started the Church to be a place of church and rescue.
So we bring these emotions and more with us to worship, and when someone is found, like Jesus and the Good Shepherd in Luke 15, we rejoice!
Scripture: Luke 15:4-7
Sometimes we are so accustomed to being worried that we worry about being at peace when we are not worried. It is almost as if we are addicted to being frantic.
Jesus teaches us the value of calm. Be at peace. Know the Lord is with you. All will be well.
It may sound too easy, but for Jesus pursuing calm is truly the only way to live.
Do the right thing. It sounds so easy, and it should be - but the truth is we often talk ourselves out of doing the right thing and sometimes for ‘religious’ reasons. The Priest and Levite ‘know’ you help your neighbor in need but they don’t. This week we focus on what it takes to stay focused - to do the next right thing. Scripture, prayer, humility, awareness - these and more all play a role.
Before worship ask yourself, ‘What would my life look like if I did the next right thing and how might this world change?”
In the Bible, taking matters into our own hands is a bad idea. When we ‘do life our way’ there is a temptation to be filled with ego, pride, arrogance, and a host of other toxic forces that catapult us into believing in our own importance. In the Luke 8:42-48, however, a woman takes matters into her own hands and Jesus blesses her.
Take a look at the passage and ask, ‘Why????’.
See you Sunday :)
Preacher: Rev Andy Nixon
In life, we occasionally receive something from someone we do not expect. We might get a call, a text, a gift, an invitation from someone who is a little off our radar and it blesses us by surprise. While it’s hard to imagine Jesus being ‘surprised’, Jesus clearly comes across something he likes in the Roman Centurion in Luke 7. All of us would do well to model the example the Centurion sets!
We all know that sinking feeling. We are in over are head. We have taken on too much. We realize that the job at hand is going to take more than we thought, and now we are getting a real glimpse of what is required.
Simon (later called Peter) is right there with us, and to be honest he would feel that sinking feeling more than once. Come find out how Simon makes it through, and how we can learn from his example.
If you were asked, 'Would you tell me about your family?' My guess is
you would begin to talk about a spouse, children, parents and/or maybe
grandparents. When we think of 'family' we think those physically
closest to us. When Jesus thought about family the circle expanded. God
the Father is family to Jesus, Mary and Joseph are as well as brothers
and sisters, and Jesus would even say ``Anyone who does the will of my
Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”, Matthew 12:50.
This Sunday, Munger takes a look at why Jesus saw family in a larger
way.
The truth is the mission chooses us. As we step into the Gospel of Luke we meet Mary and Joseph who have no idea what is about to happen. God choosesMary and Joseph. Christians are people on a mission, but the mission is the one Jesus has in mind for us, not ours. Come see why putting ourselves in God's plan benefits not just us, but everyone.
My time at Munger has been life changing and a ton of fun. I'm not perfect and haven't always done the best job. Despite all of that, I only have one regret as I look back on the last ten years.
Scripture: James 4:1-10
Two people walk into church: one wearing a Rolex, the other in rags. Who do you say hello to first? James warns us of the danger lurking behind our hidden bias for the powerful and put together. Here at Munger, where a real estate developer from University Park and a homeless man from Garrett Park grab donuts from the same box, this isn’t a hypothetical question. It’s real life. “East Dallas Love” is part of our DNA. But which part of East Dallas will we continue committing to love, and why?
What do you do when life gets hard, when you're put to the test?
James, the half-brother of Jesus, urged the people of God, scattered around the world, to consider it pure JOY when they are tested.
Joy? Seriously?!
That's the paradox of the Gospel: life from death, joy in trials; but how?
Hidden inside each test is the seed for something great. Do you know what it is?
Will you pass the Test?
For my last sermon at Munger, I want us to look at the last chapter in the Gospel of John—my favorite chapter in scripture. It’s funny, poignant, earthy, and very very moving.
And I think what John has to tell us is just perfect.
See, each of us has a different mission from God.
And, what matters is not what someone else’s call is, what matters is what I do with what the Lord is calling me to do. And the same for you.
In The End, everything is going to be okay;
If it’s not okay, then it’s not The End;
And if it’s not The End,
Then the Lord still has work for us to do.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 21
The most important habit you can have:
Never Miss a Sunday.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 12:1-9
References: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/does-an-unknown-extraordinarily-ancient-civilisation-lie-buried-under-eastern-turkey-?utm_source=ayjay&utm_medium=email
I’m like a broken record:
The most important thing you can do every day is spend your first 15 minutes in silence, prayer, and scripture.
Try it tomorrow.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 15:1-9
Yes, it's true that Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings.
But guess what?
That's irrelevant. It's irrelevant because
Feelings Don't Care About Your Facts.
That's just how people are.
And Jesus shows us the way forward:
Love Goes First.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 4:1-39 [The Woman at the Well]
Want to know that the water-into-wine miracle means?
It means that God is Good(er).
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 2:1-11; Isaiah 25:6-7
References:
“BUT IDEAS AND IMAGES are also a primary stronghold of evil in the human self and in society. They determine how we ‘take’ the things and events of ordinary life. They control the meanings we assign to what we deal with, and they can even blind us to what lies plainly before us. Again, this is seen over and over in biblical and in Christian history, and in human life generally. Their power for evil cannot be overestimated and is constantly at play in most human governments.
“Ideas and images are, accordingly, the primary focus of Satan’s efforts to defeat God’s purposes with and for humankind. When we are subject to his chosen ideas and images, he can take a nap or a holiday. Thus when he undertook to draw Eve away from God, he did not hit her with a stick, but with an idea. It was with the idea that God could not be trusted and that she must act on her own to secure her own well-being.
“This is the basic idea back of all temptation: God is presented as depriving us by his commands of what is good, so we think we must take matters into our own hands and act contrary to what he has said. This image of God leads to our pushing him out of our thoughts… and putting ourselves on the throne of the universe. The condition of the ruined soul and world naturally results. The single most important thing in our mind is our idea of God….”
--from Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ, by Dallas Willard (p. 99)
Mark tells us that the women came to the tomb that first Easter morning, saw that it was empty, heard from the angel, and still left bewildered and afraid.
Why?
It’s because their categories couldn’t fit what God had just done.
We think our outlook depends on our circumstances, but what happens when our circumstances give us no reason to be optimistic?
This is where Easter Hope begins, a Hope that has nothing whatsoever to do with our circumstances.
It’s the most important news in the world.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 16:1-8
Change is inevitable, because God is moving history towards its goal.
This is not to say that all change is good—it’s not—but rather that all change can be used by God. In fact, God works all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
Jesus knows this, which is why he enters Jerusalem in such a provocative way that first Palm Sunday.
Jesus knows that things must change, because history is moving toward its end, and for that end to be realized, Jesus knows he has to die.
Here’s what this means for the inevitable changes we face in our own lives.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 11:1-11; Romans 8:28; Revelation 21:1,5
These days everything is binary:
either one or zero;
black or white;
good or evil,
etc.
Unfortunately, life doesn’t actually work like that.
Fortunately, neither does the Bible.
In fact, there is a beautiful sentence in Mark’s Gospel from a desperate father that got me thinking about “both/and” in place of “either/or.”
And I’ve come up with a four word phrase that sums this up for me.
I’ve found it to be really practical and helpful, and I hope you find it to be the same for you.
“Grieve and give thanks.”
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 9:20-27
It’s one of the most profound things Jesus ever says in Mark’s Gospel.
But because it’s sandwiched between some amazing miracle stories, and because it’s not part of a memorable parable, it’s easy to overlook its importance.
Which is a shame, because it not only explains why Jesus does what he does, it also helps us understand the entire story arc of the Bible.
In context, Jesus is questioned by the Pharisees as to why his disciples don’t practice certain Jewish rituals, and it’s the response of Jesus that is so profound.
He says, in essence:
“Wherever you go, there you are.”
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 7:1-5, 14-23; Proverbs 4:23; Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33
References:
"An outbreak of common colds at an Antarctic base after seventeen weeks of complete isolation”
Federalist Paper #51
What if what we mean by “faith" and what the Bible means by “faith” have almost completely opposite meanings?
When Jesus can’t do any miracles in his hometown because of his neighbors’ lack of faith, we think it means that if they simply believed more, then miracles would happen.
But that kind of thinking reduces faith to a personal quality, like a power meter in a video game—plus it makes faith about me, and I start having faith in how much faith I have.
Instead, biblical faith is not about me at all, but about the trustworthiness of Jesus.
Which means that the way to increase my faith is to spend more time with him.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 6:1-6
Keep your ears stopped.
Shut your eyes tight.
Make your necks stiff.
And harden your hearts.
For:
If you hear and see,
If you receive and obey,
This message will bring life abundant.
Do you have ears? Use them.
(Reflections on the Parable of the Sower.)
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 4:1-25
The portrayal of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel is a man of great power and authority:
- He commands the unclean spirits;
- He heals with a word;
- He calms the storm into silence.
But there is one thing Jesus does NOT do, one thing he never commands or coerces.
That one thing is, so to speak, the dog that doesn’t bark in Mark’s Gospel.
And it is unbelievably important.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Series: Gospel of Mark (2022)
Scripture: Mark 1:21-28; Mark 1:40-42; Mark 4:35-41; Mark 8:27-30
From the first page of Mark’s Gospel, we are immediately struck by the strangeness of the world we encounter.
To paraphrase Thomas Merton, in Mark’s Gospel we encounter a “translucent world”, a world in which God is not far away but right at hand and one in which
"the divine is shining through it all the time.”
To many modern people, the idea of a translucent world seems ridiculous—after all, we know there is no God and the only reality is what which can be measured in a lab or proved with a test tube.
But maybe we’ve got it exactly wrong:
Maybe the reason we struggle to believe is because we refuse to pay attention.
Maybe just outside our peripheral vision is a burning bush.
Maybe the Lord is just waiting patiently for you to turn aside and look at it.
Series: Gospel of Mark (2022)
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 1:1-13; Exodus 3:1-6
Paul closes his letter to the Ephesians with what has become one of the best-known metaphors in all of his writings: the armor of God. It’s a powerful, inspiring image, but what does it actually, practically mean? Paul says that the point of wearing the armor is “so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” In other words, something about putting on the armor will keep you from getting tricked or tripped up—it will help you keep your balance. Let’s talk about it. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-17
Yes, it’s an overwrought image (“A 'firing squad'? Come on!"), but nevertheless there is something about knowing you only have a finite amount of time left that helps you focus on what matters.
I have a short amount of time left as the pastor for Munger Place Church, and that awareness has been a good reminder:
I need to do whatever it takes to prepare my people.
Let’s go.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16
You know what I’ve noticed?
The way the Apostle Paul prays for the Ephesian church is not how we pray.
Either he’s wrong and needs to pray the way we pray, or else we need to learn from Paul and change our practices of prayer.
(My money’s on the latter option.)
See, it turns out that we don’t need what we think we need.
What we really need is not prosperity or security or even clarity.
What we really need is trust.
P.S. Not totally sure it was actually 75 lbs….
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23
We take a break from Ephesians as the Rev. David Forrest—our pastor’s father—preaches a sermon on a way to look at the entire Bible.
Preacher: Rev. David Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 12:1-4
It is a good thing that these days we are acknowledging the ways that each of us has different privileges.
But what happens next? After we acknowledge our privilege, how should we live?
Let’s talk about how to play diversity bingo in church.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-14.
Does difference always lead to division?
Since Babel, the world’s answer has been: yes.
And since difference is an inescapable part of life, this answer means the world always tries to erase difference, either through violence or a forced homogeneity.
But difference is part of God’s plan, and difference is no threat to unity in Christ.
Some thoughts on an important—and difficult—topic.
Preacher: Rev Andrew Forrest
Scripture:
Genesis 3:6-7
Genesis 11:1-9
Ephesians 2:11-22
Revelation 21:22-26
We’re divided—tribe, tongue, people, nation—and we have been from the beginning.
Since Eden, we’ve been divided by our differences, and our divisions have led to more divisions, and to contempt, and to hate. But those divisions are actually lies. There is in fact one human race. As the Apostle Paul reminds the Ephesians: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.” In Christ, God has broken down the walls between us and is remaking us into one people. And we have work to do. Preacher: Andrew Forrest References: The Remembrance Day Bombing (YouTube)
What if something amazing happened and you just totally ignored it?
This is exactly what happened with the people in Bethlehem: the Christ was born right in their midst, and everyone but the shepherds missed it.
The same things still happen at the time: we ignore amazing stories right in our midst.
This Christmas I want to share with you the first and second most amazing stories I’ve ever heard.
My goal: that you and I don’t let this Christmas pass us by, but that we carry it with us all year long.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20
References: https://films.nationalgeographic.com/the-rescue
Christmas lives right in the tension between God’s foreknowledge and our free will.
Is history pre-determined or are we free to choose our actions?
To the biblical authors, the answer is, “Yes.”
Christmas is about God’s sovereign acts in human history AND about our freedom to take part in what God is doing.
Here’s my question: how are you going to participate?
Occasion: 4th Sunday of Advent
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
References:
Search “Jimmy Lai” to read more, or check out the movie website"
All of it is a gift.
What else can we do but say, “Thank you thank you thank you!”?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Occasion: Christmas Commitment Sunday 2021
Hope is necessary for life.
It’s hope that makes it possible to get up tomorrow morning, put your feet on the floor, and take a step.
Hope is the belief that in the end, everything is going to be okay, and if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.
We need hope, and Christmas provides it in surprising ways, as surprising as the gifts the magi brought to the holy family.
Christmas is proof that God is still working, just as he promised through the prophet Isaiah.
And hope is why NOW is the time for God’s people to build houses, start families, and plant trees.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11
References: "The Divided State of Our Unions: Family Formation in (Post-) COVID-19 America” [October 2021]
I learned this week that the key to understanding Romans is to read it backwards.
When you start at the end, you see that Paul really wants for the Romans is unity.
Unity wasn’t any easier 2,000 years ago than it is today.
Which doesn’t make it any less important.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Romans 16
I don’t like it when people tell me what to do, but nevertheless I’m going to do just that:
I want you to pick just one of the pieces of advice Paul gives in Romans 12 and put it into practice this week.
Everyone wants to know God’s will for his or her life, and Paul provides a way to find it.
Paul also gives the church a way forward, too.
It worked 2,000 years ago, and it will work today.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Romans 12
-
The imperative to tell the Good News to the people in our lives is the same as it’s been for 2,000 years.
-
And yet in our current cultural climate—so called “Negative World”—it’s difficult to know how to actually share our faith without turning people away from Christ.
Here are some ideas.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Romans 10:11-15
My wife asked me this week, “What have your learned?”
Time is so precious, and life is so short: I want to be sure I reflect back on time that passes.
So, as we celebrate our 11th birthday at Munger, I’m thinking back over these past 11 years.
This is what I’ve learned.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Psalm 1
This is my definition of suffering:
Living through bad circumstances that you are unable to change.
These days, we face two HUGE problems with regard to suffering:
1. It is inevitable in every human life.
2. Contemporary American culture has absolutely no idea what to do about it.
Guess what?
God’s word has a way forward for us. Turns out the Apostle Paul knew a lot about suffering, namely that, in Christ,
SUFFERING leads to
PERSEVERANCE which leads to
CHARACTER which leads to
HOPE which does not disappoint.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Series: Romans
“Judge not, that you not be judged.”
“Who am I to judge?”
Yeah, well:
This week I want to tell you why George Washington needs to face judgment.
Actually, I want to tell you that it’s a good thing and a healing thing for George Washington to face judgment.
More than that: I want to tell you why God’s judgment is actually a good thing for all of us.
In fact, the reason our politics are so bitter is because we no longer believe in divine justice.
But divine justice believes in us.
And that’s a good thing.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Romans 2:1-4
I know why we want to stay in the center of the herd—after all, it’s the early Christian that gets the lion.
The herd gives us a (ultimately false) sense of safety, and in a world of howling jackals, we need all the safety we can get.
And yet.
In spite of our almost overwhelming sense to stay squarely with the herd, the Apostle Paul’s words to the Roman church have the same urgent clarity today as they had 2,000 years ago:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” (Romans 12:2.)
As we begin our study of Paul’s Letter to the Romans, this is where we should begin:
With the expectation that the safest and best place to be is where the Lord leads us. And the Lord is leading us not to conformity with the world, but rather transformation through the Spirit.
Let’s go.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Romans 12:1-2
References:
--Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart https://amzn.to/3l6pTiA
--from the Dallas Morning News: "With COVID deaths among pregnant people increasing, here’s what expectant Texans should know” https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2021/09/30/three-things-to-know-about-covid-19-and-pregnancy/
Where else would we go? Whom else should we follow? What options do we have? Will ideology or technology or wealth or power or science give us what we need? This is the 3rd and final sermon in a series about the church as a refuge, a bit of Eden, an oasis in the desert. And this is the week we go on offense. I explain why I’m so intense about the church and why I think the world needs the message God has entrusted to us. I look around at the world and I see desperation and I know that Jesus is the answer. (And this is why this honey badger don’t care no more.) Yes, Jesus is offensive. Yes, he calls me to come and die, to take up my cross and follow after him. But he offers life, and nothing else and no one else does. Where else would we go? —Andrew Forrest Scripture: John 6:35, 53-60, 66-69 References: CDC data on childhood obesity FBI report on murder rate WSJ story on the drone strike
I’m convinced that Aaron Renn is right, and that we live in what he calls “Negative World”. Here’s how he describes it: “In this world, being a Christian is a social negative, especially in high-status positions. Christianity in many ways as seen as undermining the social good. Traditional norms are expressly repudiated.” Now, we’ve been talking about how the church is meant to a refuge, an ark, an oasis, a bit of Eden in a dry and barren land. But, in negative world, the pressure for us to abandon the very thing that makes us have something to offer a thirsty world is going to be almost unbearable. Almost. Like the rich young ruler, we will have to make a decision. I’ve made mine. What about you? Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Mark 10:17-22 References: “Masculinist #13,” by Aaron Renn https://themasculinist.com/the-masculinist-13-the-lost-world-of-american-evangelicalism/ The Church Forests of Ethiopia https://emergencemagazine.org/film/the-church-forests-of-ethiopia “Saddleback Sam” https://growchurch.net/how-to-build-a-church-congregation/saddleback-sam
I’m taking it back, I’m taking it all back.
Like Mikey under the wishing well in “The Goonies,” I’m taking it back.
I’m taking back my attention, my focus, my heart from all the voices screaming at me, from the aggregator algorithms, from the scrolling chyrons.
I’m taking back the only thing I really totally control—my thoughts—and refusing anymore to give heed to the latest and loudest.
I’m taking back my mind and my heart from the voices that demand I give them everything while they provide me absolutely nothing.
I’m taking back my attention from the barking, baying headlines, and instead I’m going to listen for the still, small voice of the Lord.
This is why.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
My main thought after being really sick with Covid is this:
We’ve all been played.
What I mean is that the Apostle Paul is right: there is more going on than meets the eye—“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
See, we have allowed ourselves to view this whole thing in our neat categories—red vs. blue, Republican vs. Democrat, etc.—but life resists neat categorization. Who would have predicted that Sweden—of all places—would have a different pandemic response than its Scandinavian neighbors? You certainly cannot claim that the Swedes are concerned with American electoral politics.
The point is that we’ve all been played, i.e., we’ve allowed ourselves to be dragged out into a spiritual rip tide, and if we’re not careful, we’re going to drown.
We have allowed this nasty virus to give us more excuses to hate one another. We’ve all been played.
The good news is that God has other plans for us, and if we are aware of what’s happening not only can we avoid the dangers of self-righteous outrage and self-justified hatred, we can actually breathe out love wherever we go. Because the dark powers aren’t going to win anyway.
—Andrew Forrest
Scripture:
Ecclesiastes 9:11
Ephesians 6:10-12
What the parable of the Good Samaritan has to teach us about God’s call for us to not only help but also be helped.
Thank you gentlemen!
Speaker: Ryan Waller
The Bible can be difficult to read, especially in its entirety. With a slightly better understanding of what the Bible is and what it is for, not only can we actually read the Bible well, but we can learn to love it. If you find yourself getting frustrated with the Bible, are you confident that you are reading it as it is intended to be read?
Speaker: Rodney Adams
Kevin Garnett was right, and the Apostle Peter proved it.
Okay, maybe that’s an overstatement. After winning the NBA Championship in 2011 Kevin Garnett bellowed, “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!”
That may not be true when it comes to ordinary people playing in the NBA, but it is definitely true when it comes to the kind of life Christ has for his people.
Abundant, full life is actually possible now.
If you’re willing to listen to the voice of the Lord and take that first step out of the boat.
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Is it possible to have doubts and a confident faith at the same time? Does doubting prohibit us from having a relationship with Jesus to its fullness? Turns out, the Scriptures have something to say about belief, doubt, and what God can do with both. Matthew 16:13-20 Speaker: Rodney Adams
How can Paul say, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." By embracing God's plan for life and finding that even in the most difficult of times God's grace is sufficient, even perfect. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Speaker: Tony Fundaro
The Church as the Body of Jesus is Paul’s most famous image for the Church—but it is more than metaphor. It is a God-given reality that is true of God’s people whether we know it or not. Let’s talk about Church.
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Rich Roush
Director of Munger Youth
The Church has a gift for you. It’s something we say every week, but the announcement is true. The Church DOES have a gift for you. And you, have a gift for the Church.
Let’s talk about spiritual gifts…
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Speaker: Rich Roush
| There are two types of fools in this world and everyone will fall into one of these categories. The stakes are high: one fool has no hope, while the other has strength for today and hope for tomorrow! Which are you? Which am I? 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 To hear more about Ashley & David's story, check out their blog *Ever Singing For Joy (https://eversingingforjoy.blogspot.com/) To order a copy of Ashley's children's book (written in 2020) here** (https://www.amazon.com/When-Hold-You-Ashley-Huffstutler/dp/1087739411) |
As we celebrate the 245th year of American independence, I can't help but reflect on my own contributions to our way of life. What is worth fighting for and who do we fight against? How exactly do we fight? Does the Bible have anything to say on the matter? Ephesians 6:10-20 Speaker: Rodney Adams
One of the things one hears from time to time is that The Bible condones slavery. Is that true? Does the Bible condone slavery? An important question and one worth answering as we wrap up our series on Paul’s Letter to Philemon.
As part of our sermon series on Paul’s Letter to Philemon, our pastor Andrew Forrest taught an all-church Bible study (our first since the 1st week of March 2020!) on Wednesday, June 23. This recording includes the Q&A at the end.
Pliny wrote a letter about a runaway slave, and so did paul. Only one of those letters changed the world.
We are as connected to the world as ever and as disconnected from our purpose as ever - and the two are related. Have you ever wondered if the ancient saints of the faith had anything to say about smartphone use? Does the church have anything to say that ONLY the church can offer on this topic? Matthew 11:25-30 ESV John 1:1-5 ESV
The call for Christians to be a little bit different has more to do with how we’re made than what we think. So what now? Preacher: Rodney Adams Scripture: Romans 12:1-2
As we slowly move out of the pandemic, what will the future look like for us at Munger?
Baptism is about preparing to enter the Promised Land.
Here’s the question, then: why are so many American Christians still waiting to enter?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Occasion: Pentecost Sunday 2021 with 50(!) baptisms and then joining lots of new members. In this sermon, we also walk through the baptismal liturgy and talk about why the words we say matter.
Scripture: Matthew 3:1-6
The victim mindset is really limiting and really destructive.
By victim mindset, I mean a mindset that tells you:
•that you have no choice but to be a passive recipient of harm from other people;
•that you have no agency;
•that you need to keep on feeling sorry for yourself. The victim mindset is pervasive in American culture today, and it’s holding us back.
Thanks be to God there is an alternative way to live.
For example, the Apostle Paul never adopts a victim mindset, even when he’s in prison!
Let’s talk about it.
How is it possible that you can have all your physical needs met—three hots and a cot—and still not be happy?
Answer: because our deepest needs are spiritual in nature.
If it were not so, then none of us—all of whom have clothes to wear, food to eat, and dry places to sleep—would ever be unhappy.
What’s the secret, then?
How can we learn to be content with all our blessings?
In his farewell remarks to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul tells his friends that he has learned the secret to being content in all situations.
Let’s talk about it.
Scripture: Philippians 4
Whenever I talk about Christ’s command for us to love other people, i.e., to will the good of other people, folks often ask: But what about Person X, who is actively doing evil against me—how should I love that person? It’s a really good question. Sooner or later in life, you will have enemies—people with malevolent intent towards you. As a follower of Jesus, how should we engage with our enemies? Is there a Christlike way to fight back? YES.
What do you do when you're stuck and don't know how to break-through?
What should you be looking for? Here's a hint: look at how the Apostle Paul prays for the Philippian church.
Kate Miner and I worked together for 11 years, and we had a pact during our time together: if either of us died, the other person was the leverage the heck out of the deceased’s funeral for the gospel. Well, Kate isn’t dying, just retiring, but I decided on her last Sunday at Munger I’d like to speak about her and what she has meant to me and challenge you all to live for Christ.
—Andrew Forrest
We begin a new sermon series looking at Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. Philippians is a letter filled with joy, and so it’s worth asking: Why and How?
Luke tells us in Acts 16 that the Philippian church began with some household baptisms. Is it right to baptize infants? How does baptism make us unified?
Preacher:
Andrew Forrest
Scripture:
Acts 16
Philippians 1:27
The Resurrection of Jesus isn’t just about hope or God’s power over death—it’s also vindication of everything Jesus said and taught.
Easter proves that Jesus was right about everything, including the fact that to love is the Great Commandment.
So, this Easter we can be confident that these 3 simple words are the way that leads to life, and the way that changes the world:
Love Goes First.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10
References:
Report on American Political Divisions: https://beyondconflictint.org/americas-divided-mind/.
Book on the story of Mincaye and the family of Nate Saint: God in the Rainforest .
What do we do when we have lost our dreams? When what we always hoped seems to have completely faded away?
This weeks message is about rediscovering our dreams, and changing our perspective to see the life Jesus has made for us. He is our story author. Paul the Apostle knew this on his road to Rome. He made it but not the way he expected.
This week marks a year of life with the pandemic—and all that has come with it.
If nothing else this past year has reminded us that this life is so fragile.
How do you find joy when some much of the good in life proves time and time again to be so fleeting?
Elaine and I are definitely the Unexperts when it comes to marriage. So, why should anyone listen to us? You shouldn’t. We don’t know anything, which is why we are the Unexperts. Though I guess I should say that we have had the privilege of knowing thousands of couples over the last 11 years at Munger, so it’s possible that we've learned a thing or two about successful marriages…. Plus we love you, and that motivates us to do whatever we can to bless you and make our church families strong. —Andrew Forrest
If you’ve had a happy life, chances are there was a point somewhere, sometime when someone reached out and took a risk on you.
Those moments of grace will change a life forever.
In the early church, there was a man named Joseph Barnabas who TWICE took a risk and reached out to two different, talented men, and those actions literally changed world history.
Let’s talk about it.
We’ve had a difficult week here in Texas—record low temperatures, power outages, water shortages—but Jesus told us to expect storms.
Are you prepared for the next one?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 7:24-26
NOTE: Because a snowstorm caused the cancellation of Munger’s Sunday services on Valentine’s Day 2021 (2/14/21), our pastor the Rev. Andrew Forrest taught a live online Bible study instead. This is a recording of that study.
What if the pandemic is preparation?
There is a ten year period in which the Apostle Paul drops out of history following his encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus and subsequent transformation. He is sent home to Tarsus and we don’t hear from him again until Barnabas goes to fetch him and bring him to Antioch around AD 48.
What happened in that 10 year period? We don’t know, but we do know that God used Paul in a mighty way after that.
What if God is using the pandemic as preparation for you?
Scripture: Acts 9:20-30; 11:19-26
Have you ever read a story and thought that it was written about you?
After many years of God working His plan of redemption throughout history, the question finally came up about who salvation was meant for.
Was it meant for Jews?
Was it meant for those who were circumcised?
Was it meant for everyone?
Those who were far off were finally being brought near and the story would finally say with finality who all would be included.
Join us as we continue our study in Acts and discover with us how we were included in God's story.
Andrew Forrest
He’s the most important person in the New Testament (aside from Jesus, of course), but many modern Christians have almost no understanding of the early life and motivation of the man who became the Apostle Paul.
So, here are 20 minutes about Paul, and then a closing question.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scriptiure: Acts 9:1-9, 19-22
The pandemic has forced many changes and forced many of us to change directions in big and small ways.
What if God has purposely closed off some opportunities to get us to move in a different direction?
Maybe it’s time to stop banging on closed doors and to start asking, “What does this now make possible?”
In fact, this is exactly the pattern we see in the Book of Acts:
God uses larger circumstances to move the church into new ground.
The first wave of nasty persecution that breaks out is used by God to move the church to minister to new people in new places.
References:“Tell All the Truth, But Tell It Slant,” by Emily DickinsonPastor Wang Yi
Let’s talk about how to kill the church from the inside.
In the previous sermon in this series, we talked about why we can be hopeful about the future of the church, because the church is antifragile, that is, it gains from difficulty.
Like the early church, we too can learn to become antifragile.
But following up on that, we need to hear a warning, a warning that comes from the early church as well.
It’s a warning about what will kill the church from the inside, if we’re not careful.
Here’s why you should care:
Because the very sin that will kill the church from the inside will destroy you as well.
Guess what, though?
In light of this, the way forward will not only make the church more antifragile, but it will do the same for your life, too.
Scripture: Acts 5:1-11
Something fragile is hurt by stress and difficultly.
Something ANTIFRAGILE becomes stronger through stress and difficulty.
• A candle in the wind is quickly snuffed out;
• A fire in the wind gets stronger.
If ever there were a time to learn how to get stronger through difficulty, now is that time.
Now is the time to become ANTIFRAGILE.
The early church in Acts faced great difficulties and it grew because and not in spite of those difficulties.
When Peter and John are arrested, for example, their response to the threats they face is astounding.
(Hint: they don’t ask for the threats to be removed.)
Scripture: Acts 3-4
We begin our series on the Book of Acts looking at the final words of Jesus to the apostles.
Jesus has a specific task for his church, a task that is ours to take up today.
In a violent, turbulent world, what if this is the only thing that will actually work?
What I find fascinating about Matthew’s account of the visit of the Magi is that no one else in Jerusalem made the short trip to Bethlehem to see the Christ child for himself or herself.
Things haven’t changed. How many of us are too busy or otherwise distracted to actually show up to see God at work?
How many of us permit our schedules to keep us from what’s most significant?
This leads me to my 2021 New Year’s Resolution for you:
Be at church every Sunday in 2021.
Seriously.
(I know it’s presumptuous for me to give you a resolution, but there ya go.)
Occasion: Epiphany Sunday, January 3, 2021
Series: New Year 2021
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
Think back over the last 365 days, since last Christmas. Think of all the things that have happened: a global pandemic, civic unrest, a presidential election, etc.
How do you know you were paying attention to what really mattered?
It’s easy to be distracted by what the world considers important: politics and war and wealth and the like.
But, what if God is up to something else entirely? What if God is at work in other ways? What if you and I on our own are completely unable to tell what’s truly important from what is just distraction?
What if you’ve been distracted this entire year and missed what’s really been happening?
After all, when the first Christmas came it happened in a surprising and unexpected way.
And they all missed it.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20
References:
Painting: “The Census at Bethlehem,” by Pieter Brueghel the Elder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Census_at_Bethlehem
Good 48 minutes BBC documentary on the painting: “Private Life of a Masterpiece: Census at Bethlehem” < http://www.infocobuild.com/books-and-films/art/PrivateLifeMasterpiece/episode-24.html>
The Little Ice Age https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age
Gallup survey: “Americans' Mental Health Ratings Sink to New Low” https://news.gallup.com/poll/327311/americans-mental-health-ratings-sink-new-low.aspx
Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant before he hears from the angel.
Thanks be to God Joseph decided to act mercifully toward Mary.
To whom can you show mercy—unmerited favor—today?
There are 2 basic ways of looking at the world:
The Abundance mindset and the Scarcity mindset.
People like King Herod see the world through a scarcity mindset—I had better get mine before you do.
The birth of Jesus offers another way, a way of abundance—there is plenty for all.
Which way are you going?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
You have absolutely no idea what’s hanging on your obedience.
Like Mary, obedience opens up opportunities that cannot come any other way.
What is it that you’re resisting? What might be waiting on the other side?
If you know how something you're going through will end, you know how to order your life while you are going through it. The end of Revelation is a good end, and it tells us something important: our actions in this life matter.
Questions:
What is the Ratpure?
Who is the “John” mentioned in Revelation?
What is signified by the great prostitute if Babylon in Revelation 17-18?
This week we are going to look at the beast of Revelation, the mark of the beast, and the famous number of 666.
Do we need to be afraid?
What are primary weapons of the beast?
Is the beast of Revelation on earth now, in 2020?
————
There are two things people get wrong about the beast of Revelation. One is that they don’t know what to look for, and the second is that they don’t know how to defeat it.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Revelation 13
I can’t be the only one who wonders, “Lord, what are you up to?”
What is God’s plan? God, what are you doing? Jesus has already been resurrected, so Lord, what are you waiting for? Why do you allow the world to keep on going its miserable way?
To answer this question, the Lord gave John what we call the book of Revelation.
It turns out that God’s secret plan for history involves the church and a willingness on behalf of God’s people to live not by lies.
Will you accept the challenge?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Revelation 11:3-13 (The Parable of the Two Witnesses)
The reason Revelation is so scary is not because it tells of cataclysmic judgments unleashed on the earth; the reason Revelation is so scary is because, despite the cataclysmic judgments, no one repents!
What does God have to do to get our attention?
Revelation is filled with judgments on a rebellious humanity, but these judgments—though terrifying--do not provoke repentance.
Let’s look at some of these judgments (chapters 6-9) and talk about why—it’s important.
See, it turns out that the point of Revelation is not the judgments, but something else.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Revelation 9:20-21
John’s vision proper begins as he is taken in the Spirit to the heavenly throne room. What he sees there (chapters 4-5) is the key to understanding the entire book, and can be summed up in just 4 words.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Revelation 4-5
We all know the kind of things that do NOT count (on their own) for how well life is going: * How much money you have is not a good indication in itself for how well your life is going; * How much sex you have is not a good indication in itself for how well your life is going; * How fast you can run a mile is not a good indication in itself for how well you life is going; * Etc.
See: * I know lots of people who have a lot of money who are miserable; * I know lots of people who sleep with a lot of other people who are miserable; * I know lots of people who are physically fit who are miserable.
_____________________________________________ There’s nothing wrong with money or fitness or even sex (if used within the covenant of marriage), but the point is that those things in and of themselves are NOT good indicators of how well you life is going. ______________________________________________ What if you had an accurate scoreboard for your life? What if you could actually know if your life is going well or not? ______________________________________________ This week we continue our series on Revelation by looking at an important disclosure Jesus makes about how to know if your life is heading in the right direction or not. Don’t you want to know? _____________________________________________ The book of Revelation begins with a series of short messages from Jesus to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. The first message is to the church in the great city of Ephesus. Jesus tells the Ephesians that he appreciates their commitment to doctrine, but has one thing against them: they have forgotten the love they used to have. ____________________________________________ Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-7
Oh man oh man oh man,
The ending to the book of Nehemiah is SO GOODA
After all of Nehemiah's remarkable success in rebuilding the city and the people, the book ends not with a bang but with a whimper.
Why?
This inspiring little book has something very important to teach us about where true change comes from.
In a time when people are offering solutions about how to fix what’s wrong with America, this lesson from Nehemiah is more important than ever.
Even if it feels like a gut punch when you hear it. 🥊
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Nehemiah 13
Nehemiah leaps off the page of his memoir (which makes up most of the biblical book named after him), and I just love the guy.
I’ve been reflecting on what his example has taught me personally, and I’ve come up with 4 leadership and life lessons that have made a difference to me.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
I want to share with you the most beautiful picture of what it looks like to build for the future that I’ve ever seen.
If you need some hope, have I got some to share with you!
You want a change:
- in your finances;
- in your family;
- in your dating life;
- in your community;
- etc.
But what if the first step is for the Lord to change you? In our series “The Good Work,” we are moving this week to look at the story of Nehemiah. It’s all about four months. What might the Lord want to do through you these next 4 months? Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1-2:1
When you are rebuilding—a life, a city, a nation—the list of things that needs doing is overwhelming.
The good news is that no matter the situation, the first step should always be the same.
In 538 BC, when the Israelites returned from Babylonian exile, before they rebuilt Jerusalem—before they even rebuilt the Temple—they made sure to start doing this.
Unfortunately, these days, many people would think this isn’t necessary.
They’re wrong.
After all, even the Swiss Family Robinson Got This Right
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Ezra 3:1-7
You think a pandemic is bad? What about seeing your city destroyed, your kids murdered, and your family carried off into exile FOR SEVENTY YEARS? When you can’t figure out what God is up to, do this. _____________ This is week 1 of a sermon series about rebuilding. We’re looking at the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah and what it takes to rebuild and put things back together when everything has fallen apart. In 586 BC, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and carried off the best and the brightest into exile. Let’s talk about what happened next.
Memorial Day is a time for reflection, and I've been thinking recently about sickness--not biological sickness, but spiritual sickness. Here's a warning of what to look for, and a word of hope about a cure. --Andrew Forrest
Worried about the future? Here's a truth that has comforted me this week: Nothing Has Actually Changed!
What story are you telling about yourself? What pattern are you believing about your life?
There is a mindset mistake most of us are making these days:
it is to focus on what we LACK rather than what we HAVE. I call this top down vs. bottom up thinking--bottom up thinking will change your life!
Either we will learn to control our emotions, or we will be controlled BY our emotions.
Friends, I sincerely believe that we are living in a time of apocalypse, and that this is Good News. See, apocalypse simply means "revealing"--this crisis is revealing much about ourselves and our world that we preferred not to see. Now that we are being given these insights, there are powerful possibilities for change and repentance available to each of us, through the grace of God.
Will you take advantage of these insights, or continue to pretend otherwise? Will I?
I am learning that much of my life has been built on a faulty foundation--now is the time to rebuilding on solid ground.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rains came, the waters rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock." [Matthew 7:24-25]
--Andrew
Friends, I sincerely believe that we are living in a time of apocalypse, and that this is Good News. See, apocalypse simply means "revealing"--this crisis is revealing much about ourselves and our world that we preferred not to see. Now that we are being given these insights, there are powerful possibilities for change and repentance available to each of us, through the grace of God.
Will you take advantage of these insights, or continue to pretend otherwise? Will I?
I am learning that much of my life has been built on a faulty foundation--now is the time to rebuilding on solid ground.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rains came, the waters rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock." [Matthew 7:24-25]
--Andrew
Friends, I sincerely believe that we are living in a time of apocalypse, and that this is Good News. See, apocalypse simply means "revealing"--this crisis is revealing much about ourselves and our world that we preferred not to see. Now that we are being given these insights, there are powerful possibilities for change and repentance available to each of us, through the grace of God.
Will you take advantage of these insights, or continue to pretend otherwise? Will I?
I am learning that much of my life has been built on a faulty foundation--now is the time to rebuilding on solid ground.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rains came, the waters rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock." [Matthew 7:24-25]
--Andrew
"What if we could become STRONGER as a result of this crisis?"
Jesus wants to make us ANTIFRAGILE. Let's do it.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Friends, difficult external circumstances do NOT mean that God is not with us!
Joseph finds himself sold into Egyptian slavery, and yet the Bible says "The Lord was with him." What does that mean for us today?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
A brief, admittedly inadequate conversation about racial violence, the church, and where we can go from here.
We hope this short audio experience will help you prepare for Easter. Remember: it is Cross Before Crown. Before Easter Sunday, Good Friday.
Before the Resurrection, Crucifixion.
It’s important that we not move too quickly to Easter celebrations, but remind ourselves of what it cost Christ to go to the cross; our prayer is that this Stations of the Cross experience will help you do that. And if we spend this time in preparation, when we get to Easter it will be more raucous, exuberant, and meaningful than ever.
Best Practices:
- Turn off your notifications and alerts.
- Find a quiet place in which to sit.
- Listen to the entire guide in one sitting, if possible.
How to take down the spiritual strongholds of your life.
Most of us have areas in our lives that are fortresses of fear, i.e., areas or topics through which the enemy seems to hit us most effectively and which give us a sense of dread. What are you afraid of? For some people the fortress of fear might have something to do with work, for others it may be something involving family or relationships or geopolitics. Fear isn’t part of God’s plan for you, however, and Christ wants to set you free from fear.
This is how he’ll do it.
"Title: To Win, You Have To Be Willing to Lose
Some things are more important than life itself.
The binding of Isaac is the greatest and most terrible story in the Bible. The terror and the awe and the horror of Abraham’s slow journey up the mountain are unlike anything else in scripture, or out of it.
It resists easy interpretation and neat categorization; it is a mystery in the deepest sense of the word. The only way to make sense of it is to connect it with Jesus on the Cross.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 22:1-19
Title: Control Your Appetites, Or Your Appetites Will Control You
The good news? It’s actually possible.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 25:19-34
Title: The Long Game Is How We Win
Where you are right now doesn’t matter as much as where you’ll end up.
Scripture: Genesis 21:1-9
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Title: Family Is How We Fight
Feeling hopeless about the future? Family is how we fight.
The Babel story is about humanity’s desire to save itself through technological innovation. Genesis 1-11 is a descending spiral of humanity’s attempts—and failures—to find life apart from God; Babel is the culmination.
We live in a modern Babel. I predict that the great struggle for humanity in the 21st century will be a struggle over technology: either we will master our technological powers, or be mastered by them.
But in the Bible, God’s response to Babel is not storm and fury, it’s family: immediately after Babel, God calls Abraham to be the founder of a family that will teach the world about a new way to be human.
Family is how we fight.
"A milestone birthday, and the 3 things I believe in.
I’ve been reflecting a lot this week about my life and what I want to accomplish and what I believe.
And because my life is bound up with the life of our church, I’d like to tell you about it.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 1:35; Genesis 4:2-6, Matthew 16:13-16; Proverbs 3:5; Ecclesiastes 9:11; Job 38:1-7; John 20:30-31."
Wherever you go, there you are.
The Noah story doesn’t end with the rainbow. It actually ends with Noah drunk and spread-eagled in a tent. And that’s the point.
Scripture: Genesis 6-9
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
I believe that passivity is the primal temptation of the human male. But, rage and anger are also a form of passivity. Just look at Cain….
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 3-4
Eden didn’t just happen then, it’s still happening today….
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 2-3
Why Doesn’t God Pronounce Mankind “Good”?
In the creation account in Genesis 1, the only part of the creation that God makes that is not specifically pronounced “good” is humanity. Why?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 1
Christmas means war. Here’s how to fight.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 2:13
References:
Painting: Washington Crossing the Delaware
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11417
Poem: New Heaven, New War by Robert Southwell
< https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50634/new-heaven-new-war>
Watch: Linus and his blanket [it happens at 1:01]
< https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPhqMJpQsYQ>
This Christmas will never come again—don’t take a single moment for granted.
The last gift the Magi bring Jesus is myrrh, which points towards his death. Jesus was born to die, and so are we. How are you preparing?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 2:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18
(It has to do with the frankincense the Magi brought Jesus.)
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
"It’s not about what God wants FROM you, it’s about what God wants FOR you.
We’re in a sermon series called “The Gift” in which we are looking at the gifts the Wise Men brought to Jesus. Today, we look at gold.
Gold is the gift that you give to royalty. Jesus is king, but we have a hard time accepting his lordship, because we think that kings come to take away our freedom. In fact, King Jesus wants to give, not take from us.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
What do you do when you’ve been given a gift you don’t want?
This is the first week of an Advent sermon series called “The Gift,” in which we’re looking at the gifts the Wise Man gave to Jesus--gold, frankincense, and myrhh—and what they mean for us today. This first week is an overview that looks at those situations in life you didn’t ask for or want, but nevertheless you’re stuck with.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
Gratitude makes you happy. Here’s how to be grateful when you don’t feel like it.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 7:10-5, 14-17, 37-39
What do you do when what you have is obviously not enough?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 6:1-15
"In every single human interaction, you have a choice. Which way will you go?
C.S. Lewis incisively saw that most of us, most of the time, make the choices we do so we can be approved of by the right people while distancing ourselves from the wrong people. He spoke of our desire to be part of “the inner ring,” a desire that dominates our lives.
Jesus was not interested in getting into an exclusive circle of the right people. Instead, he deliberately reached out to the wrong people.
To cite one example, consider Jesus’s interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 4:1-42
Quotation:
“My main purpose in this address is simply to convince you that this desire is one of the great permanent mainsprings of human action. It is one of the factors which go to make up the world as we know it—this whole pell-mell of struggle, competition, confusion, graft, disappointment and advertisement, and if it is one of the permanent mainsprings then you may be quite sure of this. Unless you take measures to prevent it, this desire is going to be one of the chief motives of your life, from the first day on which you enter your profession until the day when you are too old to care. That will be the natural thing—the life that will come to you of its own accord. Any other kind of life, if you lead it, will be the result of conscious and continuous effort.”
from “The Inner Ring,” by C.S. Lewis [1944]]
entire essay here: https://www.lewissociety.org/innerring/
If you don’t have a sense of purpose, it doesn’t matter what else you have—it won’t be enough.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 20:20-23
Series: “Gospel of John”
What if God actually has MUCH MORE for us?
On the occasion of MungerFest 2019, it’s obvious things are going well and we are richly blessed.
But what if God actually has MUCH MORE for us?
What if the Lord is waiting on us to ask?
What if we all began praying with a passionate intensity to see God act in our day?
What if our constant prayer was a simple, “Today, Lord!”
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Acts 1:1-14
If God is good, then why does he permit such bad things to happen?
I don’t think most of the arguments against God and against the Christian faith are very good.
But, there is one argument against God that I think is pretty good, and it is definitely the one I’d use if I were an atheist and wanted to pull people away from faith.
I’m talking about what C.S. Lewis famously called “the problem of pain:”
If God is good, then why does he permit such bad things to happen?
The technical term for this is theodicy, but you don’t need to know the term to know the feeling: even a small child wants to know, “Why?”
The Christian answer is very specific: it’s involves what happened in a 24 hour period in April, AD 30.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 22:47-24:1
Let’s talk about what forgiveness is… (and what it is NOT).
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 23:32-43
Spiritual death is thinking you are better than other people.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 18:9-14
What if the way we think about the poor is dead wrong?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 16:19-31 (“The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus”)
References:
The 2016 HHS report I referenced can be found here: https://aspe.hhs.gov/system/files/pdf/154286/50YearTrends.pdf.
You should read the entire “Weight of Glory” essay by C.S. Lewis, but the excerpt I read can be found here: http://kuyperian.com/c-s-lewis-ordinary-people-mere-mortals/.
Jesus wants to be very clear: his way is a difficult way. But what if the only way is the hard way?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 14:25-35 (The Parables of the Tower Builder and the Warring King)
Title: Are You Going to the Party?
God is throwing a huge party, and wants everyone to be there. How will you reply?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 14:15-24 (The Parable of the Great Banquet)f
If someone told you you were heading for disaster, would you listen?
Jesus has a word of warning for us, and it has to do with the inevitable consequences of success and wealth. Watch out!
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 12:13-21 (The Parable of the Rich Fool)
Cousin Eddie has something to teach us about prayer.
Jesus tells his disciples a parable that implies that attitude is what matters most in prayer. Interested in trying it for yourself, and seeing what happens?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 11:1-13
Title: What to Do When Panhandlers Approach
According to Jesus, the one thing we must NOT do is nothing….
We’re continuing our Parables series by looking at some of the most influential and important sentences in human history: the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Here’s a simple principle derived from that parable that anyone can put into practice.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
Title: “Do You Have Ears?”
Jesus has a warning and a challenge for American Christians. Are we willing to listen? Somewhere we got the idea that you could “believe” in Jesus without actually doing what he said.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 8:1-21
Series: Parables
The End of the Story
I lost my dad 4 years ago. Where are we to put our hope in the midst of grief & the uncertainty of life? Jesus, in Luke 8, gives us a living parable that helps us answer that question.
Preacher: Jake Porter
Scripture: Luke 8:40-56
What I Learned in Nazareth
The whole time, it was hiding in plain sight, but I had completely overlooked it for years….
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 4:14-40
Justin Wren, MMA fighter who found redemption among the Pygmies of the Congo and now Uganda, shares his story.
Luke gives us this little detail that tells us just how poor Mary and Joseph were.
If the Savior of the world was born to a poor family, I think it tells us something about what should be most important in our own lives.
Let’s talk about it.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 2:22-24
You can choose to trust God’s promises or not. If you don’t, you lack of faith won’t hurt God—it’ll hurt you.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 1:5-25 (Zechariah and the Angel)
Have you ever been in a situation where you knew without question what faithfulness looked like but fear got the final word?
Genesis 12:1-4
We all have different life circumstances, but identical next steps.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Acts 2:42
Occasion: Pentecost Sunday
Too many of us see faith in Christ as a finish line, whereas it’s actually a starting line.
For Jesus, his ministry begins after his baptism.
The challenge: to ask the Lord “What’s next for me?” for the next 7 days.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 1:9-13
Does God make mistakes?
When Jesus encounters a blind man in Mark 8, it seems at first that he messes up the healing. In reality, however, the whole thing is under control.
What if that were also the case in your life? Here’s the truth: God has the whole thing under control.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 8:22-26
You have everything you need.
How would your life be different if you believed that?
Date: 5/19/19
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 6:30-44 (Feeding of the Five Thousand)
Occasion: Confirmation Sunday
Desperation isn’t a bad thing—it is an ESSENTIAL thing.
In Mark 5, we see 2 people who are utterly desperate, and we see that their desperation precedes something miraculous.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 5:21-43
Date: 5/12/19
Perception is everything, so how do you know if you are seeing things clearly?
Mark 3:20-25
Everybody has the same goals: to be happy, to have a good life, to have peace.
But not everybody has the same habits, and it’s your habits that will make you.
Small disciplines, big results.
Here’s how to be an overnight success.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 1:35
Reference: “Atomic Habits,” by James Clear
Sooner or later, there will come a time when you have nothing to go on, when you feel totally hopeless.
What do you then?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-20
On Palm Sunday, the crowds cheered Jesus.
Four days later, they jeered: “Crucify him, crucify him.”
Why? What happened?
The crowd made the same mistake that we make: they thought they knew from current circumstances what the future reality would be.
They were wrong.
It’s Cross Before Crown, but it’s also Crown After Cross.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 21:10-11; Matthew 27:15-26
How do you survive and persevere through tough times? When you are out of work and there are no jobs coming, when you’ve been served with divorce papers, when your daughter is struggling to make friends in middle school—when you are in difficulty, how do you make it through? It comes down to this:
Keep watch; keep going.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 26:36-46
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 26:36-56
“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy, instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate.
“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.,
“Where Do We Go From Here?” (1967)
Sometimes in life there’s a choice between the easy way and the hard way.
But sometimes there is no choice.
Sometimes the hard way is the only way.
The last week of his life, Jesus knows that there is no way to avoid it: the cross has to come before the crown. And so he spends that week teaching in the Temple Courts, telling his hearers some important—but hard—truths.
One of them is this: the grace of God is free, but it’s not cheap. The invitation from God comes with an obligation.
This week, we’re talking about how to know if you’ve responded appropriately to that invitation. Jesus says it is all about what you’re wearing (but he’s not talking about clothes).
What about when the hard way is an important truth about yourself?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14 (The Parable of the Wedding Banquet)
The prayer Jesus taught us says, “let you will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” yet we live most of our lives trying to bring earth or make earth our heaven. God our Father is good and desires to give us eternal things-eternal life, to match our desires with that which will last forever, to get our hearts off of earthly treasure and focus on eternal life.
“Who Am I?” It’s one of life’s biggest questions. And we all look toward all kinds of man-made things for the answer. But our truest identity as Jesus followers is not our “Do It Yourself” man-made identities, but rather it is the God-given gift of Jesus’s very own identity. What is true of him, is also true of you.
“The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.”
--from The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The point is simple: fix your eyes on Jesus, not on your problems. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33
If faithfulness always comes with a cost (which it definitely does), why would anyone actually want to pay that cost? Why make the faithful decision?
John the Baptist paid the price for his faithfulness, and his story offers us some insight into why anyone would actually choose to be faithful.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 14:1-13
The most basic lesson I learned in Israel was something that everyone used to know but that we in the West have forgotten: we are more than intellect alone. Here are some ways to put your whole self into God’s world.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 6:6, Mark 1:35
Being at the Sea of Galilee and seeing where Jesus lived and worked has made me more confident in the claims of the Church.
Scripture: Matthew 8:23-28
The richest man in the world is getting divorced. See, there are some problems that money can’t fix; our deepest problems are spiritual problems.
Scripture: Matthew 9:1-8
Jesus says there are 2 kinds of people: those who will survive life’s storms, and those who are destroyed by them. Here’s how to become a survivor.
The Sermon on the Mount is the practical advice that Jesus gives on how to live in the reality of God’s Kingdom in such a way that it would be the equivalent of building a house’s foundation right into the bedrock. In this sermon we walk through the whole Sermon on the Mount to show how what Jesus said can actually be useful advice we can put into practice.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 7:13-29, and then Matthew 4:17-7:12.
References: "The Sand Palace of Mexico Beac that Survived Hurricane Michael" https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/14/us/hurricane-michael-florida-mexico-beach-house.html
I can't stand hypocrisy, and I bet you feel the same way.
THAT'S BAD NEWS, BECAUSE HYPOCRISY IS EVERYWHERE THESE DAYS.
There may or may not actually be not be more hypocrisy than ever before—human nature doesn’t change, and how would you measure than anyway—but what I do know is that more than ever we are aware of hypocrisy. The Internet has made public what would before have been private or secret, and it has made that information available to anyone anywhere.
So, you are going to encounter lots of hypocrisy in 2019. If you are going to have a great year, you are going to need to learn how to handle the hypocrisy you see everywhere.
This is week #2 of our Best Year Ever* sermon series, and I want to give some tips on what to do when you encounter hypocrisy in politics, family, and the church.
*Or at least a pretty good one.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 7:1-5
There is ONE THING anyone can immediately do to make the year to come a better year. This ONE THING is the opposite of another thing that nearly everybody does these days—PLEASE STOP DOING THAT OTHER THING! The secret is to take Jesus…literally.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34
Sooner or later, everyone comes up against a circumstance he or she can’t change. Sooner or later there is a disease or a divorce or a death that you have to live with. The Good News? Christmas is about living within these sorts of limits.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 2:1-12, John 20:5-7
“Reference: For what it means is this, among other things: that for whatever reason God chose to make man as he is—limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—he [God] had the honesty and courage to take his own medicine. Whatever game he is playing with his creation, he has kept his own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from man that he has not exacted from himself. He has himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death. When he was a man, he played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile.” —Dorothy Sayers, Creed or Chaos (1949)
What’s at stake if you say, “Yes”? You have a free choice to say yes or no, but saying yes will open a door and make a way forward that won’t come any other way. Mary was free to refuse the angel’s message, but her courageous agreement made the miracle possible. What might be possible in your life? What hangs in the balance? Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38 Reference:
Here is the letter that Pastor Wang Yi wrote and asked to be made public if he didn’t return from prison.
https://stream.org/letter-detained-chinese-pastor-wang-yi-anticipating-arrest/
What do you know when you don’t know what to do? When it seems all you have is bad options, how do you make a decision? The Christmas story offers a way.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
Gratitude Doesn’t Depend On Your Circumstances We think that if things are going well, we’ll be grateful.
But that isn’t true. Here’s the good news: gratitude doesn’t depend on your circumstances.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I did a Google search for “How to Be a Better Lover.” You wouldn’t believe the results I got! Since the internet was no help, I’ve come up with my own list: here are my 5 steps that are GUARANTEED to make you into a better lover. (Seriously.)
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4
We’ve been talking about love—how it isn’t sappy or sentimental, isn’t primarily about romance at all—and what it’s really like. Love costs. Love is hard. So here’s what I’ve been wondering all week: Why would anyone CHOOSE the way of love? If it’s so costly, what is the point?
Here’s my answer.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11
When he was 18 months old, my son dislocated his elbow. I’ve reflected back on that episode many times over the years, and it’s taught me a lot about love. See, love is not sloppy sentimentality; to love is to will the good of the other. Love has a hard edge to it. It hurts. And I’ve decided that to love means to be willing to be misunderstood.
Let’s talk about it.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4; 7:8-9
We’re kicking off a new sermon series on love by looking at a totally easy topic: politics!
Here’s the question: what does it mean to love the people who are wrong? Imagine you were 100% correct in your political views: What would be your responsibility toward your opponents then?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13
Reference: I found this article on C.S. Lewis, politics, and friendship to be helpful: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2018/10/45852/
What if you could flip the script on how you are supposed to react to bad things in your life? Most people are grateful when things are good and anxious when things are bad—what if you were thankful no matter what? What if you could flip all of your current pains into praises?
Occasion: MungerFest 2018 (our 8th birthday)
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Romans 5:3-5
“You Can't Win the Lottery If You Don't Buy the Ticket” Let the record show that I’m not actually in favor of gambling in any form, but it really is true: you can’t win if you don’t play, right? Sometimes the most important thing is just the first thing. Take the first step, and let the Lord take care of the next steps. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Acts 8:26-40
What do we do with the people we’re afraid of?
Go first.
Acts: 9:1-19
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
References: The Simpsons: https://youtu.be/-4MfVzpBXl0?t=1m
"He was a teacher and miracle worker who spent nearly all of his brief ministry in the tiny and obscure province of Galilee, often preaching to outdoor gatherings. A few listeners took up his invitation to follow him, and a dozen or so became his devoted disciples, but when he was executed by the Romans his followers probably numbered no more than several hundred. How was it possible for this obscure Jewish sect to become the largest religion in the world?"
--Rodney Stark, from The Triumph of Christianity
There are three simple words that provide part of the answer to Rodney Stark’s excellent question. (They are neither “I love you” nor “I am sorry.”)
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Acts 2:42-47
Here’s the truth:
It’s easy to see other peoples’ blind spots, and hard to see your own.
We each have things in our lives that should be SO OBVIOUS and yet, even though they are RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, we are blind to them. We overlook them.
In our Son of Man series, we’ve been talking a lot about fear and faith.
If Jesus is who he says he is, then it means we have nothing to fear.
But the truth is many of us struggle with faith—how can we know for sure that this stuff happened?
There is something that we don’t see we don’t see that’s keeping up from trusting God.
This week, we are wrapping up the Son of Man series by looking at one particular and pervasive thing that throws up a barrier to faith.
If we could get over this barrier, then we’d have more confidence in the Lord.
And less fear in our lives.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 24:13-35
I have this weird job whereby I have a relationship (sometimes close, sometimes relatively superficial) with thousands of my neighbors. As a pastor, I hear folks’ stories and prayer concerns and am invited into their lives in a unique way.
And you know what I think the biggest problem is for people in our community?
FEAR.
If work is going badly today, fear is at the root.
If your relationships are worrying you today, fear is the source. Fear causes ulcers, drives addiction, poisons our relationships.
But what, ultimately, are we afraid of?
We don’t like discomfort, but we also know that nothing in life comes without a cost and as we grow and mature, we become more willing to do something uncomfortable now for future gain. For example, we’ll workoutor go to the dentist or have the hard conversation if we believe those things will get us a good outcome.
What we’re ultimately afraid of is not difficulty.
What we’re ultimately afraid of is that in the end, things won’t be okay.
You’d face chemotherapy courageously if you were certain you’d be cancer-free at the end of it. It’s the possibility that things might NOT work out that causes you to fear.
I’m convinced that same thought—how can I be sure that things will be okay?—is at the root of the fears that you and I live with on a daily basis.
Fear is the enemy of our souls. It robs our days of joy and our nights of peace.
So, what can we do about it?
In Mark 4, there is the famous story of Jesus calming the storm and confronting the disciples’ fear. What does this story teach us about fear and faith? (Hint: the answer isn’t “Jesus will make sure you don’t have any problems, as long as you pray about it.”)
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 4:35-41
Chances are, this is probably true about you today:
There is a gap between what you have and what you need.
Maybe you need more TIME to get it all done.
Maybe you need more MONEY to pay for it all.
Maybe you need more PATIENCE to listen to it all.
Maybe you need more LOVE to put up with it all.
Maybe you need more FORGIVENESS to give up it all.
Maybe you need more FAITH to believe in it all.
Whatever it is, I bet there is a gap today between what you have and what you need.
Normally, we try to close those gaps—more time, more money, more patience, more love, more forgiveness, more faith.
But what if?
What if the gaps you have are actually what you need?
What if the gaps can be good?
That’s what the Feeding of the 5,000 is all about.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 6:1-15
Reference: Goodbye to All That, by Robert Graves
Do you actually want things to change, or would you prefer to wallow in the filthy status quo?
Lots of people (most?) complain about the way things are.
Very few people are willing to do anything about it.
This Sunday, we’re looking at the strange story of Jesus healing a demoniac: after the villagers see this amazing miracle—namely that a man they all knew to be crazy now healed and in his right mind—do they:
A. Beg Jesus to fix their other problems?
or
B. Tell Jesus to leave immediately and never come back?
Which would you choose? Why?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Mark 5:1-20
We Americans tend to be mistrustful of authority, with good reason. But, Jesus doesn’t use authority the way other people do: his authority leads to freedom and healing.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 9:1-8
When you think about it, our temptations are usually about going after legitimate needs in illegitimate ways...
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11
We’re reading through the New Testament over 4 months this fall, and I’d like to challenge everyone reading this to join me, whether you believe or not, whether you’ve read it before or not, whether you go to Munger or not. I’d like EVERYONE to read along with me.
Sure, it will be difficult at times, and you and I are joining to have to turn aside from digital distractions, but the main hurdle we face won’t be a distraction, but something else.
Our main problem will be the same problem that Harry R. Truman had….
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: John 1:43-51
If Nehemiah’s story ended with the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem, the point would be clear: be like Nehemiah, and things will work out for you. But that’s not where the story ends, which means the Book of Nehemiah can’t be a leadership instruction manual. In fact, the author has another point entirely: You can’t change other people.
Here’s what you can do instead.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Nehemiah 6:1-4 Nehemiah 13:15-31 Mark 10:45
What if becoming like Jesus isn’t actually that hard?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Nehemiah 6:1-4; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Matthew 11:28-30
There are three kinds of people:
The first group has no discernible sense of mission or purpose but just drift with the cultural currents, moving from one social media outrage to the next, adopting trend after trend. These people accomplish nothing.
The second group has a sense of purpose, but unfortunately, it is the WRONG purpose. These people may, in fact, accomplish that which they set out to accomplish, but because they were always heading in the wrong direction, actually arriving is a tragedy.
The third group has a sense of purpose, and it’s the RIGHT purpose. What happens when they single-mindedly pursue this purpose? God does great things.
I want to be in that third group. What about you?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Nehemiah 1-6
This Sunday I’m going to follow-up on last week’s Advice to my Daughter by doing the same thing for my son.
What is a man? What does godly masculinity look like? What should he strive for? How will he know when he has arrived?
It’s hard to define masculinity and not resort to cultural stereotypes (all men like working on engines) or to qualities that also apply to women (men are courageous, etc.). Any definition of masculinity has to be something that can only apply to men as men. Here’s what I think.
Preacher:
Andrew Forrest
Scripture:
Genesis 3:8-12
Matthew 1:18-25
John 3:16
References: Dad Saves Montage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4Gpch0oEUM
Thomas Vander Woude’s story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPcxeUG-9Yc
Father Thomas Vander Woude’s essay: “St. Paul exhorts men to love their wives ‘as Christ loved the Church, handing himself over for her’ (Eph 5:25). How does a husband and father hand himself over to his bride and children? He follows the example of Jesus Christ, who offered himself on the cross for his bride (the Church) and for his children (all of us). Most husbands and fathers will not be required to give up their lives to the point of death. But every husband and father is required to give up his life for his wife and children in daily sacrifice. The small and hidden sacrifices of family life can be challenging but can lead to perfection when practiced over time. In fact, every man whether single, married or consecrated is called to give himself to God and his neighbor. A boy learns this lesson of self-gift in the family, particularly from his father. Even more important than a father’s words to his sons is his example of self-gift to his family and to God. When a father speaks of sacrifice through his actions, a boy learns the essence of manhood.” --from http://www.kofc.org/en/columbia/detail/2012_06_ffg.html
The wisdom literature in the Bible is about knowing the world as it is and living accordingly. We don’t conform reality to fit us—that’s impossible—but we conform ourselves to fit reality.
So, we’ve been reading through Proverbs and are about to read through the Song of Solomon, and as a father of a daughter, it’s got me thinking: what does she need to know about the topic of marriage? Why does it seem that there are so few marriageable men? What happens if she never meets someone worth marrying?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture:
Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4
Matthew 10:16
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
There is a seat at the dinner table next to Jesus, and he’s waving you over.
And then you see the other people at the table with him, and you’re not so sure….
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Jonah 4
What if the judgment of God is actually a good thing?
(Spoiler alert: it is. Here's why....)
Scripture: Jonah 3
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Everything is going to be alright. That’s what the famous episode of Jonah and the fish actually means. Not in a simplistic sense (after all, Jonah still gets thrown overboard and Jesus promised that we’d face difficulty and challenge), but in the deeper true sense: in the end, everything is going to be alright.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Jonah 2
What if the place you least want to go is the place you most need to be?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Jonah 1
Like everyone else, there are times when I get really discouraged, frustrated, and worried.
When I get this way, I often think about this story, one of the most psychologically astute and revealing stories in the Bible:
Elijah and the sound of sheer silence, and the 7,000 Israelites the LORD still has up his sleeve.
Scripture: 1 Kings 19
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
We need to learn how to talk to people who don’t share our beliefs. Elijah’s 2800-year-old example is one from which we can learn.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 1 Kings 18
Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, and yet he ended his life in folly, and his actions (including taking 900 wives and 300 concubines) caused the disintegration of Israel.
Where did it go wrong? How can we avoid Solomon’s fate?
Note: In this sermon, I apparently say that the northern kingdom was called “Syria.” I meant that the capital of the northern kingdom was “Samaria!”
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 1 Kings 11
The Resurrection is NOT just a big miracle that happened 2,000 years ago: it is the central event in history that makes a practical difference in everyday life today.
Preacher:
Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Luke 24:1-12
References:
Dead Man Snoring on Autopsy Table [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-declared-dead-snores-to-life-right-before-autopsy/]
Homer Simpson at the gym [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGLzm-Gy0dQ]
Arnaud Bertrame, the French martyr [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/03/24/he-saved-lives-arnaud-beltrame-french-police-officer-who-traded-places-with-a-hostage-dies/?utm_term=.229809a746bf]
St. Athanasius, from On the Incarnation: “All the disciples of Christ despise death; they take the offensive against it and, instead of tearing it, by the sign of the cross and by faith in Christ trample on it as on something dead. Before the divine sojourn of the Savior, even the holiest of men were afraid of death, and mourned the dead as those who perish. But now that the Savior has raised His body, death is no longer terrible, but all those who believe in Christ tread it underfoot as nothing, and prefer to die rather than to deny their faith in Christ, knowing full well that when they die they do not perish but live indeed, and become incorruptible thought he resurrection. But that devil who of old wickedly exulted in death, now that the pains of death are loosed, he alone it is who remains truly dead. There is proof of this too; for men who, before they believe in Christ, think death horrible and are afraid of it, once they are converted despise it so completely that they go eagerly to meet it, and themselves become witnesses of the Savior’s resurrection from it….”
If you were taught the Bible as a kid, chances are you learned about David and Goliath.
And, chances are, the lesson you took from that well-known story is that you should be courageous like David.
Now, let the record show that I am in favor of courage. And, the David and Goliath story is about courage.
But, I think that the point of David and Goliath is NOT primarily about teaching YOU to be courageous. The David and Goliath story is actually much more interesting and much more powerful and much more useful than that.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 1 Samuel 17; Matthew 21:1-11
If you ask most people how they’re doing, they’ll answer in the small things:
“It’s been busy at work”
“The kids have been sick”
“Trying to get the house painted to put it on the market.”
We think and evaluate the day-to-day events of our lives. What we miss, though, is the larger perspective.
It’s like those photo riddles involving extreme close-ups of everyday objects—you need to zoom out to understand what they are.
The Book of Ruth—that tiny, beautiful little book—is an extreme close-up of one Israelite family. But when you zoom out…WOW.
This is why you should always carry an umbrella.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Ruth (the entire book)
Why start with Adam and Eve, if you know they are going to screw it up?
Why re-start with Noah, if you know he’s going to screw it up?
Why take the Israelites to The Promised Land, if you know they are going to screw it up?
Does the Lord make mistakes?
Can the Lord change his mind?
Why does the Lord say he’s going to destroy the Israelites, and then change his mind after Moses remonstrates with him?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Deuteronomy 31
You can read the entire book of Deuteronomy and not come across a military strategy for defeating the Canaanites. Why?
Because Moses (rightly) knows that the Children of Israel’s greatest enemy will be … themselves.
We all face external enemies—of course. But our greatest enemies are always within.
Note: we had some problems with our recording equipment today, and so we missed the first few moments of the sermon.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Deuteronomy 11:8-28
References: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/01/14/martin-luther-king-jr-met-malcolm-x-just-once-the-photo-still-haunts-us-with-what-was-lost/?utm_term=.052fd680481e
Everything worth having comes with a cost. I believe that is incontrovertibly true.
Here’s the question:
Am I willing to pay the price required to enter the Promised Land of what God has for me?
The Israelites weren’t willing.
Are you?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Numbers 13:1-3, 25-33, 14:1-4, 6-10
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db76.htm
https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.pp9b2
Leviticus isn’t as useless as you thought. All you need is a little bit of context.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Leviticus 19:1-19; Exodus 28:1-6
References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0-pfzKbh2k
If you are serious about finding your purpose, it might mean you need to take the long route through the wilderness—as the Israelites learned, the shortest way is not always best.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Exodus 13:17-22
Step 4 is totally thankless, extremely difficult, has no end date or finish line, but I can't imagine you finding your purpose without it.
Any takers?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Exodus 17:8-13
The story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac is one of the most troubling in all of the Bible.
And what if that’s the point?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 22:1-13
It turns out that unless we’re specifically taught how to live, we just won’t have any idea.
Which brings us to Step #2 in finding your purpose…
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 6:5, 12:1-4, 12:11-13, 15:2-3, 16:2-4, 17:9-10, 20:1-2
I hear all the time from folks who are unsure if they’re where they’re supposed to be:
- I’m at the midpoint of my career—is this what I should be doing with my life?
- I’m an empty-nester—what’s next for me?
- I’m choosing my [major, spouse, 1st job, etc.]—how do I know what or who to choose?
So, how do I find my purpose?
This is Step #1.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 12:1-4; John 1:43
What was it that the magi saw that made them leave Babylon and travel all those weeks across the desert to arrive in Bethlehem?
It was the dragon that tried to eat Jesus…
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture:
Matthew 2:1-12
Revelation 12:1-12
Mattei Markwei was the dean of the theological college my dad taught at when we lived in Africa in the 1980s. This sermon is about what he used to say, which seems particularly relevant for me as I write this, considering how God has provided for me—both professionally and in my family—since last year’s Christmas Commitment Sunday, 12 months ago.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-16, Daniel 10:19, Romans 8:31-38.
We’ve said that faith is more than merely assenting intellectually to the miraculous.
And we’ve said that faith is not a magic get-out-of-trouble formula that we can sprinkle on our lives so as to avoid all problems.
Faith is not about avoiding suffering, but about enduring suffering…with joy.
How? Why?
That’s our topic for this week as we look at one of the greatest stories—not only in the Bible—but in all of World Literature: the story of Joseph with the coat of many colors.
What Joseph learns about faith is the key to choosing joy.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture:
Genesis 37-50
Romans 8:18, 28
Hebrews 12:1-2
Check Rodney and Emily’s story out here: http://www.mungerplace.org/about-us/stories/to-the-edge-rodney-and-emilys-story/
Sometimes the way we talk about faith seems to imply that as long as you have faith, everything will work out for you.
So, in this way of thinking, whenever you are confronted with a bad situation, you need to have faith that the bad thing won’t happen.
But this obviously isn’t true: bad things happen to people even when they are full of faith.
(Jesus was crucified, after all.)
So, what does it mean to have faith?
What good is faith if bad things still happen?
The answer: faith is actually MORE powerful than merely keeping you from harm.
Faith is about the ability to face ANYTHING.
With joy…
Scripture: Hebrews 11:32-38
Faith is really about trusting that God knows more than you do, and acting accordingly.
When people in the modern world talk about “faith,” they tend to mean believing in things that don't have scientific evidence.
But in the Bible, faith is a heck of a lot more than that.
In the Bible, faith is practical….
--Andrew Forrest
Hebrews 11:1-7; Genesis 6:9-22
Sometimes I wonder about the world my children will grow up in. Sometimes the world can seem overwhelmingly depressing.
But when I read Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Babylon, written around 595 BC—in my opinion one of the most surprising passages in scripture—I find encouragement and strength. And an encouragement to be stubbornly hopeful in this broken world. What about you?
Happy 7th Birthday, Munger!
--Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Jeremiah 29:1-7, 11
Dear Church,
This is a difficult sermon for me to preach. It’s embarrassing, but I think I need to honest with you and confess.
It may be that other folks will identify with what I’m going to say, or it may be that I’m the only one who needs to hear this... In any case, I know that these words apply to me and I know I NEED them.
Your pastor,
Andrew
Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19
The letters of Paul were written 2,000 years ago, but they are still relevant for us, because people are the same everywhere.
So, his words about speaking well of others apply to us, and they particularly apply to the world of social media.
--Andrew Forrest
Scripture:
Ephesians 4:17-32
References: http://theweek.com/articles/695333/write-internet-im-sorry
If God is good, then why do the innocent suffer…? T
wo weeks ago, I said (drawing on Proverbs) that if you want to have a good life, it’s simple:
Act wisely, and everything will work out for you.
Last week I said (drawing on Ecclesiastes) that it’s not that simple, because time, chance, and death are huge exceptions and problems in the system: It doesn’t always work out for the wise in the way that they hoped.
So, here’s our question for this week as we wrap up our Good Life series:
What kind of world are we living in?
What kind of world is it in which neither good people nor bad people get what they deserve?
What is God up to, anyway?
When you think about it, there are few questions more important than these.
--Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Job 1:1-5 Job 2:11-13 Job 16:1-3 Job 31:35-37 Job 38:1-7, 16-18, 24 Job 39:1, 9-12, 19, 26-29, 40:15-16, 41:1-8
As I’ve watched and read media stories on America and race, I’ve been struck by the kinds of things I wasn’t hearing, things as a pastor I feel that our people need to hear.
Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27 Romans 3:23 John 15:13
References: -Down Syndrome Babies in Iceland: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-syndrome-iceland/ -Medgar Evers -Methodist pastors who wrote the letter: http://www.umc.org/news-and-media/mississippi-pastors-paid-price-for-segregation-challenge
The faithful decision is always the harder decision, and the consequences can be serious....
Why did the child—among all the other people there—why did the small child point out that “The Emperor has no clothes”?
It’s the same reason the Apostle Paul was provoked in his spirit by all the idols in Athens.
It’s because everyone else was accepting a lie.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Acts 17:16-34
The church in Antioch can teach us a lot...
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Acts 11:19-26; 13:1-3
If God has a specific purpose planned for you, how do you know what it is?
What if you miss it?
What if you are currently spending your time on the wrong thing?
What if, when you die, you come to the realization that you missed God’s purpose for your life?
Here’s the good news: there is a fool-proof way to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
And this was the early church’s success secret.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest (via video from Highland Park United Methodist Church)
Scripture: John 15:1-5
Jesus promised his disciples three things. They would be absurdly happy completely fearless and in constant trouble. —Michael Green
How did the early church handle persecution? How should we?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Acts 3-7
Rodney Stark raises one of the most important questions in history:
"Jesus was a teacher and miracle worker who spent nearly all of his brief ministry in the tiny and obscure province of Galilee, often preaching to outdoor gatherings. A few listeners took up his invitation to follow him, and a dozen or so became his devoted disciples, but when he was executed by the Romans his followers probably numbered no more than several hundred. How was it possible for this obscure Jewish sect to become the largest religion in the world?” —from The Triumph of Christianity
The Book of Acts tells the story of the rise of the early church. (Acts is also one of the most interesting books in the Bible.)
In our series on Acts, we’re looking at 2 inter-related questions:
What was the original mission of the church?
And, what is God’s mission for me?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Acts 1:1-8
David was unlike all the kings that came after him. What made him different?
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 1 Samuel 13:13-14 (491) 1 Samuel 16:7, 13 (499) 1 Samuel 17:26 (502) 1 Samuel 18:10-11 (504) 1 Samuel 24:1-7 (515) 1 Samuel 26:6-12 (520) 2 Samuel 1:17-19 (528) 2 Samuel 6:14-15 (537) 2 Samuel 12:13 (546)
The story of Jonathan, the armor-bearer, and the pass of Michmash is one of the most exciting and gripping in the entire scripture. It is suspenseful, inspiring, swashbuckling, violent, and ultimately, tragic.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 1 Samuel 13:23-14:46
There are two ways to live: hands closed, or hands open. Samuel’s mom chose the latter course.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: 1 Samuel 1
What if you had a copy of the Devil’s plan to mess up your life?
There’s one fascinating place in scripture where the Devil quotes scripture and actually reveals his plan.
Guess what? His plan involves convincing you that if you are faithful enough, you won’t have serious problems.
Don’t believe it, and don’t give up.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Psalm 91; Luke 4:1-11
References:
Special Order 191, George McClellan, and Robert E. Lee https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Order_191 https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/lees-lost-order/?_r=0
The three most important words in history: He Is Risen.
Yes, those three words have affected every aspect of modern life, but their deeper significance is what they imply about God’s plan for the world:
In the end, everything will be okay. If it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.
Scripture: Luke 24:1-12
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Quotation: “On the day after Jesus’ death, it looked as if whatever small mark he left on the world would rapidly disappear. Instead, his impact on human history has been unparalled…. “Normally when someone dies, their impact on the world immediately begins to recede…. Jesus impact was greater a hundred years after his death than during his life; it was greater still after five hundred years; after a thousand years his legacy laid the foundation for much of Europe; after two thousand years he has more followers in more places than ever…. “If someone’s legacy will outlast their life, it usually becomes apparent when they die. On the day when Alexander the Great or Caesar Augustus or Napoleon or Socrates or Mohammed died, their reputations were immense. When Jesus died, his tiny failed movement appeared clearly at an end. If there were a kind of “Most Likely to Posthumously Succeed” award given on the day of death to history’s most influential people, Jesus would have come in dead last.” “Maybe Jesus was a kind, simple, innocent soul with a good mom and a knack for catchy sayings who showed up in the right place at the right time. Jesus Gump.” “One of the unique aspects of Christianity compared to other faith movements is that it actually traces its origin to one particular event in one moment on one day in history. That is not true for Judaism or Buddhism or Islam or atheism. But one day there was no such thing as a church, and then suddenly overnight there was.” --from Who Is This Man? By John Ortberg
Suffering is part of life. It can’t be predicted, avoided, or short-cutted: it can only be endured.
I’ve had a fair amount of time recently (after the birth of my daughter and the hospitalization of my wife) to think about suffering and difficulty.
Here are some reflections.
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture:
Ephesians 6:10-18; Exodus 17:8-13; Psalm 46
There is a lot of violence in the Bible, including the Psalms.
I don’t like violence, but I’ve come to see the violence in the Psalms as “good,” because it points beyond itself.
Let me explain….
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Psalm 18
“Unless you follow every Old Testament law, you're a HYPOCRITE!”
Chances are you’ve heard someone online say that unless you plan to follow all of the crazy Old Testament laws, you had better shut up before talking about what the Bible says on this or that issue.
Personally, I don’t know any Christians who refrain from eating shellfish or wearing clothes made of mixed fabrics, but both of those behaviors are proscribed by Levitical law. Are we hypocrites for following some parts of the Old Testament law, and ignoring other parts?
Which parts of Leviticus are we supposed to follow, and which no longer apply?
Scripture:
Leviticus 19
Hebrews 9:24-26
Matthew 5:21-22, 27-30
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
45% of Munger members did not have a previous church affiliation. What does Leviticus have to do with that?
Scripture:
Leviticus 9:1-6
Genesis 12:1-3
Exodus 19:1-6 1
Peter 2:1-3; 9-10
Preaching: Rev. Andrew Forrest
References: Ptolemy’s map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy's_world_map
February is where Bible reading plans go to die.
You start the year strong, and then you come to the 2nd half of Exodus and as if those boring blueprints aren't bad enough, next comes LEVITICUS.
Leviticus is the book you hope your unbelieving friend never reads. Leviticus is the book you don't understand.
Leviticus is the book you don't like, if you're honest. (Are you allowed not to like a book of the Bible?)
Let’s change all of the above….
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Leviticus 1:1; Exodus 32:1-10; Exodus 40:34-35; Numbers 1:1; John 1:29b; Hebrews 10:1-7, 10-18
For most of us, the greatest danger is not being wrong, but being right.
Scripture: Matthew 5:21-26, 38-48
Preacher: Andrew Forrest
The Bad News: There are lots of stories about the Old Testament that are hard to understand. The Good News: The basic plot line and point of the Old Testament is easy to understand. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Matthew 1:1-16; Genesis 3:1-21; Genesis 12:1-3; Matthew 16:24-25 Book Referenced: How Dante Can Save Your Life, by Rod Dreher
Every choice matters.
Preacher: Rev Andrew Forrest
Scripture: Genesis 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-7
How should we understand Genesis 1?
It turns out that Physics is not the Point….
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2:3
What the Bible says about how to be happy is a lot different from what the world is telling us. This is how to put yourself in the position for happiness in 2017.
Scripture: Psalm 1 This is how to put yourself in the position for happiness in 2017.
There’s one thing you need less of this Christmas and it’s not egg nog and it’s not consumerism (though less of those things wouldn’t hurt). The one thing you need less of is much more subtle, and much more dangerous. The one thing you need less of is actually keeping you from experiencing joy...
Scripture:
John 3:22-30
We know more about John the Baptist from historical sources outside of the Bible than we do about any other biblical figure. John’s was a fiery, wild life, and his message could be summed up in one word: Repent!
Scripture: Matthew 3:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:20
Where you are most afraid to trust God is exactly where you most need to trust God. We need to talk about money.
Scripture:
Mark 10:17-27
Jeremiah 17:7-8
We all divide the world up into the right people and the wrong people—guess into which group we always place ourselves?
Scripture: Jeremiah 17:7-8; Mark 2:13-17
What if the best place to be is the place at which your only hope is for God to provide?
Scripture: Judges 7:1-8; 16-23
What if something really important were happening right in front of you, and you missed it?
Scripture: Matthew 13:31-32
We don’t learn how to live like Jesus from a book. We learn from watching other people live their lives in the Jesus way.
Each of us has the sacred responsibility of mentoring others, and each of us has the sacred responsibility to learn from others. “Imitate me, as I imitate Christ.”
Scripture:
Jeremiah 17:7-8;
1 Corinthians 11:1;
Matthew 28:16-20;
Acts 4:13
The biggest problems in our lives are not merely physical, material problems. If they were, more technology would solve them; if are problems were merely material, no Hollywood celebrities would ever get divorced, since money would solve their marital problems.
The biggest problems in our lives are actually spiritual problems…
Scripture:
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Ephesians 6:10-1
Revelation 5:8
The purpose of the church is not to have lots of people attend on Sundays, nor put money in the offering plate, nor to be politically engaged, nor even to do good deeds.
All those things are good, but they are not the point of the church. T
he point of the church is much simpler, and although Jesus told us what to do, the American church has ignored him for decades. I don’t want to ignore Jesus anymore….
Scripture:
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Matthew 28:16-20
References: “I will tell you; so make yourself his disciple at once. Instead of asking yourself whether you believe or not, ask yourself whether you have this day done one thing because he said, Do it, or once abstained because he said, Do not do it. It is simply absurd to say you believe, or even wan to believe in him, if you do not do anything he tells you.” --George MacDonald
There are lots of good intellectual questions that cause folks to doubt Christianity, but what if doubt isn’t ultimately an intellectual issue?
Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20; Matthew 14:22-32
What about people who die without ever hearing the gospel? What about someone in the middle of India, or deep in the Amazon? Does God really send those people to Hell?
It’s a good question, but it turns out there is an even better question for most of us.
Scripture:
Matthew 25:31-46
John 14:6
Acts 4:12
John 3:16
1 Timothy 2:3-4
2 Peter 3:8-9
Romans 2:14-16
Romans 10:14-15
References: “No one chooses in the abstract to go to hell or even to be the kind of person who belongs there. But their orientation toward self leads them to become the kind of person for whom away-from-God is the only place for which they are suited. It is a place they would, in the end, choose for themselves, rather than come to humble themselves before God and accept who he is.” --Dallas Willard,
“Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ” “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.” ― C.S. Lewis, “The Great Divorce” Penn Jillette on receiving a Bible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6md638smQd8
The Bible is a collection of ancient documents, written over a period of hundreds of years by dozens of writers.
Can we really trust the Bible?
Isn’t the Bible a collection of ancient myths and stories that shouldn’t be taken literally?
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Week 1 of our Disrupting Doubt series.
“We don’t need more religion, we need less.”
Lots of people feel that way, and on the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, we have to admit that religion is part of the problem.
Fortunately, there is another alternative.
Scripture: Romans 5:6-8; John 15:9-17; Galatians 2:20
References: Peter Hitchens Emperor Julian the Apostate Kayla Mueller: http://abcnews.go.com/International/kayla-mueller-captivity-courage-selflessness-defended-christian-faith/story?id=41626763
Jesus never worried. He grieved and suffered and cried, but he never worried. Which is why the 3rd clause of the Lord’s Prayer (“give us each day our daily bread”) is so important. Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13 Matthew 26:26
The number one question people ask me regarding prayer is: “How do I know if I’m praying for the right thing?” After all, if we’re supposed to be praying “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done” (as it says in the Lord’s Prayer), then how do we know if what we’re praying for is God’s will? My short answer: it doesn’t matter. Listen for the longer answer. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13; Matthew 26:36-42 Quotations: Our “kingdom” is simply the range of our effective will . Whatever we genuinely have the say over is in our kingdom. -Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy
Jesus prayed in a way that made his disciples ask him, “How do we do that?” His answer was what we call the Lord’s Prayer. This week: What does “Hallowed Be Thy Name” actually mean? Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Luke 9:28-29 Luke 11:1 Matthew 6:9-13 Quotation: This request is based upon the deepest need of the human world. Human life is not about human life. Nothing will go right in it until the greatness and goodness of its source and governor is adequately grasped. His very name is then held in the highest possible regard. Until that is so, the human compass will always be pointing in the wrong direction, and individual lives as well as history as a whole will suffer from constant and fluctuating disorientation. Candidly, that is exactly the condition we find ourselves in. —Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy
Is it possible to love someone you don’t like? Is it possible to love someone while still disagreeing? Do you have to agree with someone before you can love him or her? Can you love someone while not liking what that person believes? This is not an academic question. In 21st century America, we’re each surrounded by people who don’t think the way we think. And, according to Jesus, his followers will be known by how they love their enemies. This week we talk about how. Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48 1 Peter 3:8-9 References: Martin Luther King, Jr. on loving our enemies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhMNr9NtSD0. Elias Chacour: “Children,” he said softly, turning those sad eyes upon us, “if someone hurts you, you can curse him. But this would be useless. Instead, you have to ask the Lord to bless the man who makes himself your enemy. And do you know what will happen? The Lord will bless you with inner peace—and perhaps your enemy will turn from his wickedness. If not, the Lord will deal with him….” Father’s other response to the sale of his land was more of a wonder to me. In a few weeks we heard that the new owner of our property wanted to hire several men to come each day and dress the fig trees, tending them right through till harvest. Immediately, Father went to apply for the job, taking my three oldest brothers with him. They were hired and granted special work passes, the only way they could enter our own property. When she heard what Father had done, Mother stared at him incredulously, “How can you do this, Michael? It’s so awful. So wrong.” Father replied simply, “If we go to care for the trees, we’ll do the best job. Someone else won’t know what they are doing. They’ll break the branches and spoil the new growth.” This was something Father could not bear to think. And so, three years after our expulsion from Biram, Father and my brothers were hiring themselves out as laborers—just for the chance to touch and care for Father’s beloved trees. I did not know the word irony then, but I could understand pain. -from Blood Brothers, by Elias Chacour
We’re always waiting for something, but Pentecost reminds us that what we’re waiting for is now. Scripture: Acts 2:1-39 References: “I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist in either Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast to both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.” -- John Wesley Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_akwHYMdbsM.
There is one thing you can do to immediately to improve your relationship with your parents. This one thing applies to everyone, including: • people with bad parents; • people who never met their biological parents; • even people whose parents are no longer living. Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:16 Ephesians 6:1-3 References: The lyre bird: http://www.npr.org/2015/10/20/450038490/flights-of-fancy-exploring-the-songs-and-pathways-of-the-living-bird.
It’s a simple concept, but one that’s hard to really trust and believe: What if God’s mercy is actually hunting us down? Scripture: Psalm 23:6 Luke 15:1-7
Christianity is not a crutch.
The gospel is honest about how hard life is at times.
Sometimes we really are in the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
But, we can learn to face the bad things without fear.
We just need to practice the paradox.
Scripture: Psalm 23:4, Romans 8:15-16. References: “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain Jim Collins on the so-called “Stockdale Paradox, referring to Admiral James Stockdale (from “Good to Great”): "I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade." When Collins asked who didn't make it out of Vietnam, Stockdale replied: "Oh, that's easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart." Stockdale then added: "This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."
In week 2 of our Hello Hurricane series we continue to explore the simple steps we can take to prepare for whatever comes at us.
To be able to say “Hello Hurricane” with confidence, to be able to face life’s storms without fear, you’ll need to be more sheepish….
Scripture: Psalm 23:1-3 John 10:11-15 Luke 15: 1-7 References: “cast” sheep (3 examples) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fttt3fFTxk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lMGnrzUytI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6eZgBKwPKI Final scene from the movie “Hoosiers:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fttt3fFTxk
Fight for the Forgotten:
Andrew Forrest interviews professional MMA fighter Justin “the Big Pygmy” Wren.
Justin Wren was a suicidal drug addict, had a conversion experience, and then had a vision that God was telling him to go to the Congo rainforest and befriend these really oppressed pygmy people who are treated like animals.
They adopted him and called him “The Big Pygmy.”
Justin’s story is a story about how God takes our pain and redeems it. It’s a story about God at work in the world.
Storms in life are inevitable. Are you prepared?
Unlike meteorological storms, life storms can’t be predicted or evaded: Life storms can only be endured.
In week 1 of our Hello Hurricane series, we look at one of the shortest parables Jesus tells, and one that specifically tells us what we need to do to prepare for storms.
Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29 Also Matthew 5:13-16 Matthew 5:27-28 Matthew 6:34 Matthew 7:1 Matthew 7:12 References: “Now we need to understand that what simply occupies our mind very largely governs what we do. It sets the emotional tone out of which our actions flow, and it projects the possible courses of action available to us…. “The deepest revelation of our character is what we choose to dwell on in thought, what constantly occupies our mind—as well as what we can or cannot even think of.” -from The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard
Easter is one of those situations where the truth is right in front of us, but we just keep missing it.
What was it that the angels said?
“Don’t you remember what he told you? Weren’t you listening?”
Scripture: Luke 24:1-8 John 16:33
If you squeeze a lemon, you get lemonade.
What about you? What does pressure reveal about your soul?
When Jesus entered Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, his followers couldn’t help themselves: they had to shout and praise.
What about you? What does your ability (or inability) to praise God say about the state of your soul?
Scripture:
Luke 19:29-40
Zechariah 9:9-10
Psalm 118:26
Psalm 96:12-13
Isaiah 44:23
Isaiah 55:12
Quotations: “Then all the Jews together greeted [him] with one voice and surrounded him… [then] he gave his hand to the high priest and, with the Jews running beside him, entered the city. Then he went up to the temple where he sacrificed to God under the direction of the high priest.” -Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews
“Praise is inner health made audible.” -C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms
On the night before his death, Jesus shared a Passover meal with 12 of his closest friends at followers. During the meal, Jesus shares the secret for how to be the greatest. But his insight leaves us wondering:
Why would anyone ever do this?
Guest Preacher: Hannah Buchanan
Why did Judas do it?
We’re continuing our series “The Last Week” this Sunday with a look at Judas Iscariot. He was handpicked by Jesus to be one of the Twelve.
He was an eyewitness to the ministry and miracles of Jesus.
But he intentionally betrayed his friend and deliberately led Jesus’s murderers to Jesus.
Why?
For much of his ministry, Jesus has tried to keep a low profile, avoiding attention and conflict as much as possible.
But in the last week of his life, however, he sets out to deliberately provoke the religious authorities in Jerusalem, and he is never more provocative than when he tells the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, a parable that is equally explosive and offensive.
On the occasion of the 100th birthday of Highland Park United Methodist Church (Munger's parent congregation), HP senior minister, Rev. Paul Rasmussen, shares a vision for the future.
You wouldn’t register for a marathon, buy new shoes, get all the gear, attach your race number to your shirt, and show up on race morning expecting to do well if you hadn’t done any training, and yet that’s exactly what we do when it comes to marriage.
No wonder so many of our marriages fail.
Weddings don’t work. Thank God there is another way….
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13
References: Mitsuo Fuchida
The human body thrives in difficulty and discomfort. Too much comfort, too much food, too much ease makes us weak.
The human souls also needs difficulty and discomfort to thrive.
And this is exactly why the 40 days of Lent matter.
Scripture: Luke 4:1-2
References:
Richard Wurmbrand, "Tortured for Christ"
www.persecution.com
Daniel is faithful in all he undertakes, and his faithfulness causes others to give him more responsibility.
But at the same time Daniel is so faithful that he’s willing to lose all that he has been given to maintain his integrity.
Daniel, in other words, has what he has because he is faithful, and because he’s faithful, he’s willing to lose what he has if that’s what faithfulness requires.
To put it another way, Daniel is prepared for lions.
Scripture: Daniel 6
References: Tortured for Christ, by Richard Wurmbrand www.persecution.com
Difficulty and conflict are guaranteed. Jesus tells his followers to be different—to be like salt.
But be prepared: if you are different, you will face difficulty and conflict because you are different.
In Babylon, we are constantly being asked to bow to false idols, and if we refuse—if we insist on being different, it will make things difficult for us.
Even with that threat, though, it is still possible to be faithful and actually thrive in Babylon….
Scripture: Daniel 3:1-28
We are an advanced society and we have lots of technology, but there are some things we don’t know, and some things we will NEVER know, unless someone tells us.
For example:
- Does suffering have a redemptive purpose?
- What is the good life?
- These are the sorts of questions that can only be answered through divine revelation.
Fortunately, as Daniel tells the Babylonian king in this week’s passage, God has made certain mysteries known to us through the scriptures.
Scripture: Daniel 2:1-2a, 10-19, 27-35, 46-49
Everybody knows things need to be different, but nobody wants to BE different.
But if God’s people aren’t any different, what good are they?
Jesus calls his followers the “salt of the earth.” Salt is meant to preserve and to add flavor. But, if salt loses its saltiness, it’s useless. (Matthew 5:13).
Daniel knew that being different in the small things would set him up to be used by God in a big way.
It’s no different for us today.
In fact, there are 4 areas specifically in which I think God’s people need to be different in our place and time. Be warned: you won’t want to hear them.
—Andrew Forrest
Today’s scripture:
Matthew 5:13
Daniel 1:1-21
References:
Lumbersexual (look it up)
Aesop’s fable of the Wind and the Sun
Le Chambon-sur-Lignon
André Trocmé
Babylon is Plan B.
Plan B is when life isn't what you've want; it's a diagnosis or divorce you didn't ask for; it's unemployment; it's when life doesn't go according to plan.
Whether you're in Plan B as the new year begins, or whether you'll find yourself there at some point in 2016, either way, Plan B is where we often are.
Daniel and his friends found themselves in the ultimate Plan B in Babylon: deported from their homeland, forced to serve a foreign king and a foreign God. And yet Daniel and his friends learned to thrive in Babylon.
As we begin 2016 and our Daniel series, Andrew gives us 3 steps to put us in the position to thrive and Babylon as he reminds us that our Plan B is still part of God's Plan A.
For the church in the Middle East today, persecution is not ancient history, but everyday reality. And while we take seriously the external threats the church faces (and while we desperately pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters), there is one threat that is even more dangerous for the church in general (and for Munger Place Church specifically), than persecution and terrorism: the most dangerous threat we face is the danger from falsehood and deceit. Falsehood and deceit are deadly for the church, as the strange story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) shows.
We make hundreds of choices every day, small ones, large ones, easy and difficult ones. The choices we make matter. A lot. In this series, we will look at what to do when we face choices in life. How do we make the right choices, and how do we know if we are choosing the best option? When life hands you choices, choose better.
Everything starts somewhere. For one man, it started with a promise. God's promise. The man believed, and through his faith, everything changed. God still promises. Everything starts somewhere. What will God begin with you?