Eastbrook Church: Recent Episodes
Eastbrook Church
Messages from Pastor Matt Erickson and Eastbrook Church, a non-denominational church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Many scholars believe that Ecclesiastes is edited by a narrator, who takes the questions assembled by the Teacher (Qoholet) and reframes them with some qualification. Chapter 12 is often seen as the ultimate reframing of the entire book of Ecclesiastes around the question: what is the most important thing in life?
Ecclesiastes falls within the wisdom writings, grouped along with other books in the Hebrew Bible in the Ketuvim. More specifically, Ecclesiastes is one of the five Megillot, connected with the festival of Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths. Throughout the book, the writer wrestles with how to find real wisdom. In a world where truth is up for grabs, where is real wisdom found?
We all at one time wrestle with the question, “why do bad things happen to good people?” The writer of Ecclesiastes is no different: “There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 8:14). Is there meaning in all this, or is life just random?
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). The litany of different seasons the Teacher explores can make it seem like life merely undulates along a path over which we have little control over and in which we may struggle to find meaning. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (1:9). Are we stuck in an endless cycle or is there something more?
The first few chapters of Ecclesiastes explore various pursuits in life, showing how any of them might become meaningless for us. Whether it’s the pursuit of pleasure, hard work, knowledge, or riches, any of these things apart from God can become sources of dissatisfaction. So, what can truly satisfy us?
One of the most pervasive themes in Ecclesiastes is what can seem like the apparent meaninglessness of life. The very beginning of the book centers on this theme: “Meaningless! Meaningless!’, says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). We can all feel like this sometimes. So, is life meaningless or meaningful?
Following on our series on 2 Peter we spend one week looking at the book of Jude, one of the most interesting and short books in the Bible. Jude is interrelated with 2 Peter, so this is a good time to explore it.
Because of the unique timing of Christmas Eve, this is a stand-alone message for Christmas Eve 2023 called "A New Day."
The conclusion of our series on 2 Peter brings us to the final words of this letter, urging us in light of all that has been said, to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
We want to watch for that day of the Lord, but we also want to live in light of it. Peter’s question should ring through our minds and hearts as well, “What kind of people ought you to be?” (3:11).
2 Peter 3:10-13
Peter reminds his readers of the reason he is writing: “to stimulate you to wholesome thinking” (3:1-2). This spurring on is vitally important as we enter days that are confusing and may wonder if there will ever be a day when Jesus returns. As we begin Advent, the words of 2 Peter 3 coincide with the Advent longing for the parousia of Christ.
Following false guides leads us away from the power and presence of God. Such wandering is not without consequence and may leave us wondering, with our author, if it would be better to have not known the way of righteousness in the first place.
2 Peter 2:10b-22
There are dire warnings here about false prophets and false teachers, who seek to exploit others. Their ways deserve condemnation and will be punished with destruction.
2 Peter 2:1-10a
Peter points out he was an eyewitness of Jesus’ incarnation and transfiguration, while also highlighting the importance of the prophetic message about Christ he and others bear. This gives us an opportunity to talk about the message of Christ, the significance of the apostles, the power of Scripture, and contemporary prophecy.
The life of faith is built on the grace and power of God. Yet we are twice invited to “make every effort” in growing with God in character and confirmation of our calling and election. (2 Peter 1:5-11)
The author reminds his readers of the power of God available to them. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have access to God’s “very great and precious promises” so that we have “everything we need for a godly life.”
A message from Pastor Dan Ryan, from Romans 10:13-17 to conclude our 2023 MissionsFest, "Sent."
A message from Rev. Dr. Jack Sara, President of Bethlehem Bible College, from Romans 10:13-17 to kick off our 2023 MissionsFest, "Sent."
This week will explore examples of believers who move from initial steps of faith to a life of growing and deepening discipleship. We will look at the believers in Jerusalem (4:32-37) and Berean (17:10-15) as examples of growing faith exemplified in learning, praying, sharing, and growing. Then we will examine the life of Barnabas (4:36-37; 9:26-28; 11:22-23; 13:1-3) as an example of someone who centers their life in Christ, faithfully serving and investing in others.
When Peter preaches sermon to a crowd of Jews and God-fearing Gentiles gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost, there is a dramatic response. We are told that about three thousand became disciples of Jesus that very day. Perhaps the story of Cornelius (Acts 10) could be referenced as well. This week we explore the beginnings of life change that leads us into the pathway of discipleship to Jesus.
Acts 2:1-47
When Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch who is seeking to understand the words of the prophet Isaiah. The eunuch actively asks questions and seeks answers, and that becomes an opportunity for transformation. Philip is present with him to ask questions, guide him into understanding about the Messiah, and lead him to a next step of faith. Philip exemplifies how disciples of Jesus can be present and ready to explain to those seeking understanding.
We explore the ministry of Paul and Silas in the Macedonian city of Philippi, particularly their interactions with the jailer where they are imprisoned.
Acts 16:16-40
This week we will explore the third movement of prayer: praying outward. We will investigate what it means to connect with others and God in prayer. We will develop what it means to pray “out” in terms of praying for others on our own, praying for others in person, and praying with others for others.
This week we will explore the second movement of prayer: praying inward. We will search out what it means to connect with ourselves and God. We will develop what it means to pray “in” in terms of praying from our need (“help!”), praying about our sin (“I’m sorry!”), and praying out of gratitude (“thank You!”).
This week will seek to provide a definition of prayer as conversation with God. Then we will explore the first movement of prayer: praying upward. We will explore praying “up” as praying praise, praying God’s character, and praying God’s promises. Silence before the greatness of God may also factor in.
A message at our annual Eastbrook Outdoors service on how Jesus is the ultimate rebuilder and repairer of all that is broken in our selves, our city, and our world.
There are many listings of names in Nehemiah, but it is particularly important to see the transformation that begins to happen amidst repair and rebuilding. Exiles and outcasts become residents with a place. This should give some attention to God’s covenant promises about the land.
Last week we explored the centrality of God’s Word in the identity and project of rebuilding and repair. The people not only hear God’s word but respond to it. This is a powerful example of humble confession and a community turning toward God.
One of the most striking episodes in Nehemiah is the reading of God’s law by Ezra to the people. We also see the people responding to the story of Scripture by living into it with the Feast of Booths.
A standalone message from Rev. Yousef Hashweh on overcoming obstacles from Joshua 5:13-6:5.
There are opponents from the very beginning and all throughout Nehemiah’s efforts. It shouldn’t be surprising when troubles arise as we pursue the work of repair and rebuilding.
The list of builders by section seems sort of odd to us but is also an important recognition of the workers who apply themselves to the task. This is really not about Nehemiah but about the people.
Hearing about it from a distance, Nehemiah now sees firsthand what is going on. From that point he urges action: rebuilding.
This week we will continue in the summer series rebuild & repair engaging the world with Nehemiah.
This week we will continue in the summer series rebuild & repair engaging the world with Nehemiah.
This week will introduce the summer series and Nehemiah’s encounter with the news of Jerusalem’s disrepair.
Exploring the seven “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John, this Easter season we want to encounter Jesus again for the first time. Drawing upon the Gospel context and Old Testament history, we want to step more deeply into what Jesus was saying then and what it means for our life with God today.
Exploring the seven “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John, this Easter season we want to encounter Jesus again for the first time. Drawing upon the Gospel context and Old Testament history, we want to step more deeply into what Jesus was saying then and what it means for our life with God today.
Exploring the seven “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John, this Easter season we want to encounter Jesus again for the first time. Drawing upon the Gospel context and Old Testament history, we want to step more deeply into what Jesus was saying then and what it means for our life with God today.
Exploring the seven “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John, this Easter season we want to encounter Jesus again for the first time. Drawing upon the Gospel context and Old Testament history, we want to step more deeply into what Jesus was saying then and what it means for our life with God today.
Exploring the seven “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John, this Easter season we want to encounter Jesus again for the first time. Drawing upon the Gospel context and Old Testament history, we want to step more deeply into what Jesus was saying then and what it means for our life with God today.
Exploring the seven “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John, this Easter season we want to encounter Jesus again for the first time. Drawing upon the Gospel context and Old Testament history, we want to step more deeply into what Jesus was saying then and what it means for our life with God today.
Exploring the seven “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John, this Easter season we want to encounter Jesus again for the first time. Drawing upon the Gospel context and Old Testament history, we want to step more deeply into what Jesus was saying then and what it means for our life with God today.
This message will focus primarily on the story of the Tower of Babel and how it sets the stage for the confusion of the nations and separation of peoples based in the vain pride of humanity. The message will point toward God’s intervention in Abraham and through that toward the need for Christ.
This message explores Noah’s inglorious end and the expanding table of nations in Genesis 10. What does this tell us about who we are?
This message will pick up with the second half of the flood story all the way through God’s covenant with Noah marked by the rainbow. Some attention here to the Noahic Covenant and Christological connections with it.
This message will explore God’s need to cleanse the earth and the importance of Noah and his family for this work. The story of the building of the ark, the gathering of the animals, and the downpour upon the earth will receive focus here. How do we still need cleansing?
This passage is one we might be apt to skip over because we’re not sure what to say about these stories of people. But there’s a reminder here that over time humanity expands, grows, and spreads to different places. This message will bring focus to the curious text about the Nephilim and the continual expansion of evil over this time which troubles God’s heart (6:6).
This message will explore the human tendency toward jealousy and anger. Working in Jesus’ teaching on the Sermon on the Mount about anger and murder will help us from seeing Cain and Abel as an episode of terror removed from us.
This week will explore the series of “curses” placed upon humanity and creation as a result of the Fall into sin. The nature of sin, separation from God, judgment, and death are vital here. This message should also explore the Christological implications of the curse and the future looking nature of this portion of Genesis.
This week will turn the corner into chapter 3 with attention to the story of the Fall, original innocence and the entrance of sin, the nature of evil and where it came from, shame and guilt, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Connect with the discussion of the two trees of Genesis 2 and verse 25 about shame and vulnerability before God.
This message will explore humanity’s relationship to creation and the call to have stewardship or dominion over the earth. We will look at both creation accounts, explore the significance of the garden, as well as the man’s naming of the animals.
This message explores the meaning of humanity created imago Dei, the significance of Adam and Eve, their creation from the soil by God, and set up next week’s exploration of the human relationship to creation and the “creation” of marriage in Genesis 2.
This message will pick up the exploration of the nature of creation with attention to the smaller picture focus of chapter 2. Why they are there and what the priestly writers are trying to tell us about the significance of creation. This will also touch on the debates about creation and evolution. Address the two trees of Genesis 2 and verse 25 about shame and vulnerability before God.
This week will provide an overview of the two creation accounts, with particular attention to the Genesis 1 account. This week will make a case for the big-picture, cosmological perspective of Genesis 1, exploring the parallels between the days of creation and some attention to the creation of humanity. There will also be some attention to sabbath.
An exploration of the being of God, including attention to the Trinity. This week will also set up the series and perhaps frame out why Genesis is so important, why Genesis 1-11 is so challenging, and how we will approach the series theologically, biblically, and spiritual formationally.
Simeon, old and worn but still buoyed by expectation, holds in his arms the Messiah he has been longing for. He cannot hold it in, speaking praise over all who can hear and offering a prophetic word over Jesus. Anna the prophetess stands nearby and speaks a word over this wonder-child as well.
Luke 2:22-38
Jesus is born to Mary and Joseph and the angels erupt in praise. The shepherds don’t linger long after this nighttime divine interruption. They high-tail it to Bethlehem to see what God has done.
Luke 2:8-20
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, finds release from his punishment of muteness with a splendid song of praise to God. Within this beautiful song of praise, Zechariah unfolds the story of salvation, reflecting John the Baptist’s unique role within it.
Mary praises God for His plans and her part within it. This beautiful prayer expounds the way in which God is doing a new thing in Jesus, but also speaks prophetically about the upside-down kingdom coming with this new humble king.
Mary’s simple statement of surrender opens wide to us the wonders of the incarnation. Mary is a reassured and revered figure in the story of salvation, but also serves as an example of humble responsiveness and receptivity to God in our lives.
Along with some final greetings, Paul’s last segment of this letter gives us some basic exhortations to living our hope out in everyday life as God’s new community, the church.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
At the heart of this epistle is Paul’s unpacking of the return of Christ. More than almost any other letter of Paul, 1 Thessalonians reveals what our future hope is all about.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11
Hope may seem abstract, but it lives in our daily words and actions. Paul urges the believers to let their hope shape the way they live now and we can learn how that is true for us as well.
In these two chapters Paul describes the history of his ministry and relationship with the church of Thessalonica from its founding up till now. We gain insight into the importance of the gospel but also how hope is sustained by relationships.
This first messages sets up the series, describing the founding of the church and looking at why Paul is so grateful for this group of believers and the way they live their faith out.
The visual theme for the MissionsFest is the doorway. It is so apt! Come hear how God both literally opens the door of faith to the least reached and is Himself the very Door to faith! Jesus opened the “door of faith” (Acts 14.27) for the first sending church in history, Antioch Church, which commissioned Paul and Barnabus, the first cross-cultural missionaries in New Testament history! Let us learn from Antioch Church about being a dynamic sending church that sends out workers as “sheep among wolves.” (Luke 10.1-3)
This week we want to talk about the importance of encouraging one another until Christ returns. This is a long haul and keeps us looking forward together as a community. We have so many examples of this in the ‘hall of faith’ of Hebrews 11.
During a time when it has been difficult to meet together, we want to encourage people to meet together in person again for weekly worship.
We are called toward love and good deeds. We are a body and a team. We want to help everyone find avenues for serving within the church and beyond the church.
We are called to “spur one another one to love.” That means we are a family, a community, and we need to learn to live in that way together.
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the final word, “Amen.”
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, "I believe in life everlasting."
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, “I believe in the resurrection of the body."
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.”
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, “I believe in the holy Christian church, the communion of saints”.
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, "I believe in the Holy Spirit."
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, "From there He will come to judge the living and the dead."
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, "He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty."
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, "On the third day He rose from the dead”
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, "He died, and was buried; He descended to hell."
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, "He suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was crucified".
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, "He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary".
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, ” I believe in Jesus Christ, His only son our Lord”.
This series walks through the Apostles Creed as a basic summary of our faith but also as a way to live our faith out with God in the world. Each weekend of this series will explore the biblical and theological roots of the Apostles Creed, while also providing specific spiritual practices and approaches to living out what we know as we ‘proclaim and embody’ the Creed in our daily lives.
This week focuses on the phrase, "I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.”
This message will focus on Jesus’ teaching about no one knowing the day and the hour of the end.
Matthew 24:36-51
We explore the seven woes that Jesus speaks against the religious establishment and Jerusalem itself.
Matthew 23:1-38
Palm Sunday at Eastbrook Church 2022, the conclusion of our "Scandalous Jesus" Lenten Sermon Series.
The religious leaders ask Jesus three forceful questions, based on their own religious perspective. Jesus answers their questions and responds with another question.
Matthew 22:15-46
Jesus tells three parables that explain who He is and what He has come to do. In response, the religious leaders begin their focused effort to arrest and eliminate Jesus.
Matthew 21:28-22:14
Jesus cleanses the temple and causes a fig tree to wither. Jesus’ authority is questioned by the religious leaders and he responds by stonewalling them. What does it mean that Jesus has come with authority?
Matthew 21:12-27
Jesus talks a lot about money. In two different episodes, He addresses the paying of the temple tax and the payment of taxes to Caesar. He uses both discussions as opportunities to talk about greater matters. Then He encounters a wealthy young man who wants to walk with God but his heart is ensnared by riches. Following it with the parable of the workers, Jesus speaks to the generosity of the kingdom of God.
What is greatness really all about? Jesus flips it upside-down with three separate teachings about personal greatness, welcome of the least of these, and His pathway to greatness.
Jesus speaks to the reality and pain of divorce and also the nature of marriage in the eternal kingdom.
Jesus addresses how we deal with sin and conflict in the church, pairing it with a parable on forgiveness and showing mercy to others.
The church is called to live as one for the sake of the world. As Archbishop William Temple once said, “The church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of its non-members.”
The church is called to live as a family. We are not merely an organization but brothers and sisters called to live together under the fatherhood of God.
The church is essentially a people who are called by God. We are called out of darkness and into His marvelous light. We are called from death into life. We are called by God, given a new identity in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Disciples of Jesus are exhorted, even commanded, in Scripture to be joyful. Why is that important? How do we do that?
Jesus brings joy and there is great joy in His birth and ministry. What is joy? How does Jesus really bring joy? How is this different from manufactured joy? How can we experience joy in Jesus?
Jesus’ second and third predictions of His death also point toward the resurrection that will come through the Messiah. This brings into focus the life that comes through Jesus to a world overcome with death.
Jesus’ turn toward Jerusalem is framed by two stories of healing. This brings into focus the healing that comes through Jesus to a world turned upside-down with pain.
Jesus’ predicts His death the first time in an unsettling passage that makes clear redemption will come at a cost. The redemptive suffering of Jesus brings into focus how much a world needs meaning in what can often seem like meaningless suffering.
Jesus is confronted by religious leaders, who again ask for a sign. He challenges their mixed-up priorities about God and life.
Jesus is confronted by religious leaders, who again ask for a sign. He challenges their mixed-up priorities about God and life.
Jesus feeds a crowd of over 4,000 people with near to nothing. What does that tell us about Jesus?
Jesus heals an outsider, a Canaanite woman, and it shows us some very interesting things about the nature of Jesus’ mission.
Jesus challenges the predictable understanding of what defiles someone and redirects attention to the heart and the interior life.
This weekend wraps up MissionsFest 2021, a week-long deep dive into all things missions.
This weekend kicks off MissionsFest 2021, a week-long deep dive into all things missions. We will be joined in our services this Sunday by Dr. Ed Stetzer from Wheaton College and the Billy Graham Center, and he will be sharing a message called “The Commissions of Jesus for a Post-COVID World.”
John the Baptist is killed because of an old grudge passed down from one generation to the next and manipulation at a party. Why do terrible things happen to godly people?
Jesus is rejected in His own hometown, so He begins to go elsewhere. Why would anyone reject Jesus?
John the Baptist is killed because of an old grudge passed down from one generation to the next and manipulation at a party. Why do terrible things happen to godly people?
This Sunday, Pastor Matt continues our sermon series on Jesus’ parables from Matthew with a message on the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Parable of the Yeast from Matthew 13.
Jesus tells a parable about weeds in a wheat field, then explains it later to His disciples.
Jesus shares the parables of the sower and the seed scattered on different sorts of soil, then explains it later to His disciples.
Jesus teaches with parables and even His closest disciples are confused with why He does this. Jesus explains and even His explanation can be hard to understand.
We often talk about Jesus making us part of the family of God. What does that mean and how radical is it really?
Jesus is asked for a sign and only references the sign of Jonah. This is a cryptic reference to what would come in His death and resurrection.
Jesus confronts the demonic powers and the accuser of humanity and finds He is confronted by skeptical religious folks about who He is.
The woes on unrepentant towns and balanced by the offer to come to Jesus to find rest for our souls. How does judgment and comfort come together in Messiah Jesus?
John the Baptist is imprisoned and sends his disciples to inquire about all Jesus is doing.
Jesus has done this and now He sends His closest followers to do what He has done. He calls and commissions the apostles to go.
A standalone sermon from Pastor Matt Erickson of Eastbrook Church on the divisions in our world, culture, and church today and an exhortation from Ephesians on how to regain and remain in unity.
This Pentacost Sunday, Pastor Matt continues our sermon series “The Messiah’s Mission” with a message from Matthew 8:23-9:8 on the authority of Jesus.
Three stories of healing – a man with leprosy, a centurion’s servant, and Peter’s mother-in-law – help us see how healing is part of Jesus’ mission.
Jesus offers several pictures of appropriate response to Him and His teaching. How do we take in what He is saying and respond to it ourselves?
This one verse, Matthew 7:12, known as the golden rule, is one of the most famous verses in Scripture. What does it really tell us about how to love others?
Pastor Ruth Carver shares what real prayer looks like in our lives and how to make requests of our good God, sharing from Matthew 7:7-11
We’re often told not to be judgmental but how do we approach others and ourselves with appropriate perspective and right judgment?
Holy Saturday is a day of reflection on a world without the hope of Christ’s resurrection. Sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, this day represents the three days between Christ’s death on the Cross and saving resurrection. Historically, this day is a time for the church to reflect on death, dying, life, and living.
Pastor Matt and our staff have prepared this short video reflection for you, your family, and your household to participate with from home. You can access this video reflection at any time for the next few weeks here on the Eastbrook App.
"Real Still" is part 3 of a 4-part series for Holy Week at Eastbrook. Join us tomorrow for our Easter Sunday services, live at 8, 9:30, & 11 am.
Before He went to the Cross, Jesus gathered with His disciples for one final Passover meal. Following this, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples in an extraordinary display of humility. He then commanded them to do the same for each other.
Pastor Matt and our staff have prepared this short video reflection for you, your family, and your household to participate with from home. You can access this video reflection at any time for the next few weeks here on the Eastbrook App.
"Real Servant" is part 1 of a 4-part series for Holy Week at Eastbrook. Join us tomorrow for our Good Friday services, live at 12 & 7 pm.
Jesus’ words about worry, anxiety, and trust can sometimes seem out of reach. How do we live with real faith like this?
What does it mean to treasure something and how does that impact our life? How does this relate to the power of money in our life?
Beyond outward show, what is real spirituality and piety all about? Jesus’ addresses how visible actions often distract from the hidden life in almsgiving, fasting, and prayer.
Looking at the disciple’s identity as salt and light in Christ for the sake of the world.
Looking at the disciple’s identity as salt and light in Christ for the sake of the world.
Exploring the beatitudes as being blessed with the good life with God accessible in Jesus Christ.
Jesus calls the disciples and commissions them as apostles. He calls the least of these and brings hope and healing into their lives.
The ministry of Jesus is the announcement of a new message rooted in the kingdom of heaven/God. It is a message from God for the nations as Jesus begins hi ministry in Galilee of the Gentiles.
The wilderness temptation of Jesus is pivotal for defining his way of ministry as opposed to Satanic pathways. This also echoes the people of Israel’s wilderness wanderings and presents Jesus as a new sort of Israel.
Summary: Jesus’ baptism is the fulfillment of all righteousness and a revelation of His Sonship. It also echoes the Exodus journey of Israel through the Red Sea.
This week explores John the Baptist as a prophetic voice calling out for repentance and change in a challenging time for Israel. Radical elements call for revolutionary overthrow of Rome. John calls for a radical revolution of the human heart.
With echoes of Moses’ journey and the Exodus, Jesus’ earthly parents flee from the wrath of Herod the Great to Egypt, returning only after an angelic visitation tells them it is safe. They return not to Bethlehem but to Nazareth.
An exploration of the contrasting kingship of Jesus and Herod with attention to how both of them present a “way” of life that is starkly different in its rule, tone, and outcomes.
One of the promises about the Messiah was that the nations would stream toward him. This vividly happens in the story of the magi, or wise men, who came to visit Jesus, setting of the wild fury of Herod Antipas.
This week will give attention to notable women in Jesus’ line—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba—with some discussion of redemption.
A word about the genealogy of Jesus and why it is important. This week will give attention to three man in Jesus’ line—Abraham, David, and Josiah—with some discussion of the exile.
This final week will talk about the glorious unity of the church at the end of human history that does not diminish the visible uniqueness of “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language.” How does this vision shape our unity now and encourage us toward unity then?
The night before He went to the Cross, Jesus prayed that His followers “may be one as we are one” (John 17:11). If Jesus prayed for this, we can guarantee that it will not be accomplished apart from prayer. We will look at Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 to learn how prayer is vital for unity.
We are one because of Jesus, but we are becoming one through Jesus. In Philippians Paul calls a community in tension, where divisions exist, toward unity by using their advantage to serve one another and move toward unity of mind and heart. This week will explore doctrinal and identity unity, equality of status and standing in Christ, and diversity of gifting and personality in the church.
Ephesians 4:1-6; Philippians 2:1-11; 4:1-3; 1 Corinthians 11:18-19; 12
The Gospel of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10) leads to the fundamental unity of the church as one new humanity (Ephesians 2:11-20). We are one because of Jesus. This is woven into the doctrinal realities of our faith (Ephesians 4:1-6) and the lived experience of the church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).
This message will explore the unity of God as Trinity, which is at the heart of our faith and any understanding of unity. Subthemes will include the distinctive persons of the Trinity, how this fits within the overall oneness of God, how God’s three-in-one existence is found in Scripture, and what this means for any discussion of unity.
To close out our 2020 MissionsFest, we heard from our good friend, Dr. David Kasali of Congo Initiative and Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo.
Dr. Kasali is continuing our theme of We're Family by looking at the Biblical call found in 1 John and Romans 12.
The basic declaration of faith for the Christian is “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9). This flies in the face of the declaration that “Caesar is Lord” at the heart of the Roman Empire during the time of the New Testament. What did it mean to live in God’s kingdom then and what does it mean now? We will look at Philippians as a kingdom citizenship guide and also explore guidance from Colossians on seeing the Church as a replacement of the Greco-Roman polis.
When Jesus proclaimed that “the kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15), He declared the radical in-breaking of God’s rule and reign. Based on exploration of the nature of the kingdom of God, we now explore how God’s kingdom relates to the kingdoms of this world? We will explore some basic approaches to “Christ and Culture” over the history of the church. We will also consider what it means that Jesus is King in relation to our earthly citizenship.
The basic declaration of faith for the Christian is “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9). This flies in the face of the declaration that “Caesar is Lord” at the heart of the Roman Empire during the time of the New Testament. What did it mean to live in God’s kingdom then and what does it mean now? We will look at Philippians as a kingdom citizenship guide and also explore guidance from Colossians on seeing the Church as a replacement of the Greco-Roman polis.
Jesus the Messiah and the kingdom of God/heaven. We will explore Jesus’ description of the kingdom, the nature of the gospel, kingdom parables, kingdom ethics, as well as conflict between Jesus and other kingdoms. We will touch on living in the “now” and “not yet” of the kingdom, with attention to the fullness of the kingdom in the New Testament as described in Hebrews and Revelation.
A series of final exhortations – or words – mark the conclusion of the letter that began with attention to the Final Word that is Jesus.
The calling of God is to unshakable realities and so we make every effort to live in God’s ways.
The life of faith is like a foot race of endurance that, although we wear down sometimes, brings the greatest joy of living with God.
Jesus is not only the High Priest that brings us to God, but is also our example for faith-filled discipleship.
Examples of faith scattered through the Scriptures and through our experience encourage us to continue in our own life of faith.
In light of the cost of Jesus’ sacrifice, we must step forward with perseverance in our life of faith.
Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient once for all, and we are free from the requirements of sacrifices and the law.
The earthly worship in the tabernacle and temple reflected what was happening in the spiritual tabernacle of God. Jesus, in His earthly sacrifice on the Cross also entered into the spiritual tabernacle for the deepest offering of worship to God ever.
Jesus’ high priesthood supersedes any other high priesthood, making His new promises greater than any other covenant before.
Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek because of His perfection and transcendence. Jesus “is able to save completely those who come to God through him” (7:25).
When God promises and Christ fulfills, nothing can take the blessings of God away from us.
It is good to receive a kick in the tail sometimes when you need it. So, too, in our spiritual lives, sometimes we need a good warning and a good push to keep moving toward maturity.
The uniqueness of the high priest within the Jewish religious system is even more uniquely filled once for all by Jesus the High Priest, who both enters into human experience and draws us beyond that to God through His perfect obedience.
Disobedience hardens us to God, so we are called to obedience, turning from sin, and keeping our hearts soft toward God.
Jesus is a faithful Son of the Father within the Father’s household, now makes us the house of God. He dwells in us and we dwell in Him.
Exploring the wonder that Jesus became a little lower than the angels to bring many to glory, while also now having greater glory than both the angels and humanity.
Malachi addresses God’s people after the return from exile, calling them to right living, ending of easy divorce, justice in the public square, and a return to the covenant with God. Malachi points to an Elijah-like figure who will announce the day of the Lord, as God comes to bring forth His righteousness and justice upon the earth.
Prophesying at the same time as Haggai, and during the return from exile recorded in the book of Ezra, Zechariah rebukes the people for breaking the covenant and calls them to repent and turn to God. There is a strong message about justice in the public square in Zechariah. There are also many references to the coming Messiah, one of which directly connects with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
A contemporary of Zechariah after the exile, Haggai calls the returnees to prioritize rebuilding the Temple of the Lord. The Temple was not only the place of worship but a sign of God’s covenant. As the books closes, the earthly prince Zerubbabel is held up, like David, as a picture of the Messianic Ruler who will come in the future.
A contemporary of Jeremiah, Zephaniah calls the people of the southern kingdom of Judah to humbly seek God as the day of the Lord approaches. The difficulties that Zephaniah speaks about are also accompanied by future hope of our God who rejoices over us with singing.
Habakkuk’s prophecy is framed as a series of dialogues between the prophet and God about the justice of God and the suffering to come. The final chapter is a beautiful psalm of trust to God in the midst of the ruins of a collapsing culture.
Nahum’s prophecy comes against Nineveh, shortly before it gives way to the rising empire of Babylon This prophetic book speaks of another nation, but is likely intended as encouragement for a people subjected to oppression and suffering. Nahum reminds his hearers that God holds human history.
The final two chapters of Micah are bleak and challenging, as God directly addresses the failures of the northern kingdom of Israel shortly before their collapse before the Assyrians. In the midst of the misery, Micah calls the people to wait on God and watch for His deliverance.
Prophesying at the same time as the prophet Isaiah, Micah addresses the coming destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians, while also giving a challenge to the southern kingdom. In the midst of his rebuke against the rulers, Micah speaks of God teaching His people and a promised ruler arising from Bethlehem.
Jonah is unique among the minor prophets in that the entire book is an account of a resistant prophet sent to the capital city of the Assyrian kingdom, Nineveh, to proclaim God’s judgment. When the Ninevites respond with repentance and God gives them a second chance, the distance between Jonah’s heart and God’s heart is revealed in a way that implicates all of us.
Obadiah announces judgment on Edom, one of Israel’s neighbors (and relatives), for helping Babylon conquer Judah. Through Obadiah, God promises that judgment will come on all the nations, but that He will eventually establish His divine kingdom on earth.
After searing prophecies against the surrounding nations, Amos turns his attention to God’s judgment on His own people in the northern kingdom of Israel. Of specific concern for God is a call to true justice within the public square as a reflection of His own justice in the covenant. Though judgment will come, God promises a remnant will be restored.
The prophet Joel is concerned with the coming of the day of the Lord, which is pictured like a plague of locusts descending upon the land. In the midst of this call to repentance, Joel simultaneously points to the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon His people.
After the story of Hosea’s wife, the remaining portion of Hosea’s prophecy is an extended charge against Israel for failing the covenant, God’s just judgment against them, and God’s promise of restoration through His faithful love.
God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer. Their three children and the resulting family difficulties become an enacted parable of God’s relationship with his straying people, specifically the northern kingdom of Israel. In the midst of this we see a picture of God’s unchanging love for His people.
This message will be an introduction to the Minor Prophets, including chronological and geographical background, overview of the message, and how they fit into our faith as Christians today.
A sermon for the end of the year, rooted in spiritual practices we find in the Psalms.
3 Practices for Looking Back: Psalm 136 - Giving Thanks to God Psalm 13 - Lament Psalm 51 - Repentance (Confession & Turning Away)
3 Practices for Looking Ahead: Psalm 63 - Focus on God Psalm 86 - An Undivided Heart Psalm 150 - Praise
A Christmas Eve message on the Hope that Jesus' incarnation and birth brings to all of us who live in the world today.
Psalm 72 brings us into direct address of God on behalf of the king, who is described both as powerful to rule the nations and to bring justice and mercy. The king is blessed in order to be a blessing to the nations and ultimately to bless God through his reign.
Psalm 110 offers one of the most unique descriptions of the Messiah who would come as both king and priest. Referencing the story of Abraham’s encounter with Melchizedek, ruler of Salem (Gen 14:18–20), this psalm tells us that the Messiah will be an eternal priestly king like this mysterious figure.
Psalm 22 is one of the most powerful descriptions of suffering in the entire psalter. It is often connected with Christ’s suffering upon the Cross. Taken on its own terms, this psalm speaks of praise to God amidst suffering. Within the context of Jesus’ life and crucifixion, the depth of this psalm only increases.
Psalm 2 brings us into the conflict between raging nations and God and His people. The Messiah – literally, ‘the anointed one’ – is named as God’s own son and chosen king upon earth. This is a call to God’s people to serve him and the nations to revere him. The New Testament writers connect this psalm directly with Christ the king.
This message explores the fourth and final chapter of this series with restoration in Jesus Christ. Jesus the Messiah has brought redemption to us through His death, and now His resurrected body is ushering in a new "Now But Not-Yet" kingdom. Pastor Matt discusses how Christ's resurrection has raised us with new resurrection bodies. In these bodies, we will see the ultimate restoration of all things by God at the end of human history, including in our love, sexuality, and bodies.
This message explores the third chapter with redemption in Jesus Christ. Jesus the eternal Son enters into the fallen cosmos in a real body as Messiah to redeem us, including our love, sexuality, and bodies. Encountering true love of God through Christ helps us find God’s presence, provision, truth, grace, acceptance, and freedom. When we see Jesus’ encounter with people throughout His ministry we see the dignity of redemption for real people with real challenges in real bodies. This redemption is firmly staked out through the Cross of Christ. Knowing our redemption cost God richly, we now live in our bodies – including our sexuality – in a way to honor God.
This message explores the ways in which all of creation has been impacted by the Fall into sin, including our bodies, love the chance for a more-thoughtful engagement with the questions of singleness and what it means to live for God’s glory in the body as a single Christian. This message will address topics such as: do you need to be married to be fulfilled or ‘complete’?, how do you deal with singleness after divorce or the death of a spouse?, is being single more holy?, how should the Christian community make meaningful space for both married and single people?, and more.
The series continues by looking at the first chapter: Creation. We are made in the image of God. Our bodies are part of our resemblance of God and they are good. Our sexuality reflects God in nature and is intended for God’s glory being seen upon earth, both in our being made for ‘the other’ (relational) and relating to others (intimacy). This leads us into an engagement with the very nature of God as relational and intimate within the Trinity. Some topics addressed may include: the definition of love, body image, sexuality and difference, sexual wholeness as individuals (not needing marriage for wholeness), God’s intent within marriage, and the social-physiological aspects of intimacy and the sexual life.
This message will introduce the entire series, engaging with cultural discussion, questions within the church, and the need for an overarching (not simplistic) biblical framework for love, sexuality, and the body. The starting point will be God’s Triune identity and the starting point of God’s definition of love, sexuality, and the body. The roadmap for the series will be shared, providing some insights into the ways in which this is an example of approaching any variety of issues biblically.
This past weekend at Eastbrook Church, we concluded our annual MissionsFest. As we celebrate God’s faithfulness to us as a church for forty years, we heard from two of our long-term, international ministry partners on the theme of “Hard Places.”
This second weekend, Rev. Canon Francis Omondi from Kenya spoke to us about the nature of life in the kingdom, beginning from the Sinai Covenant and the Exodus through the exile to Jesus and toward Revelation.
This past weekend at Eastbrook Church, we began our annual MissionsFest. As we celebrate God's faithfulness to us as a church for forty years, we are hearing from two of our long-term, international ministry partners on the theme of "Hard Places."
This first weekend, Rev. Yousef Hashweh spoke to us from the life of Jesus and the story of Joseph about seeking after others in a message entitled "Seeking My Brothers."
The church exists to worship God “in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 96:9). The early church of Jerusalem gathered daily in the Temple courts for worship and prayer. They took it for granted that the church lives to bring praise to the Living God. The end of all human history reveals heavenly scenes of worship toward which we are moving. The church on earth lives to God’s glory and gathers as a community in worship to lift up the majesty of God.
The New Testament church was sacrificially generous to the point that some sold their property to give to those in need. They were watchful of the needs of others, and it was astounding to all who saw them. They suffered with those who suffered, and were encouraged by those who were full of joy. From our early days, Eastbrook has been a sacrificially generous church in terms of hospitality, service, and giving. We want to continue in these ways.
We were made to grow with God. Jesus’ call to discipleship is a calling to enter a new life of perpetual growth and development in the image of Christ. We need a single-minded focus. We need to take up the calling of discipleship. We need to have our minds set on this goal and walk with God daily toward growth.
This week, we continue in the series "Roots" by exploring what it means to be God's Community, the Church. Pastor Matt uses Acts 2:42, 46, and 4:32 as an example of how we should format our lives within the body of the church.
This weekend, Pastor Matt kicks off a new series entitled "Roots", exploring five characteristics of the Church. In today's message, we look at how the Church is activated by the Holy Spirit by studying Acts 1:11 and 2:1-13.
Most everyone is familiar with the Apostle Paul’s passion to proclaim Christ and plant churches around the Mediterranean. Near the end of his letter to the Roman church, Paul shares his plans to head to Spain to continue his mission. However, he doesn’t stop with his plans, but with the request that the church join him in the ministry prayer.
This week we continue our series, “Power in Prayer,” by looking at Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-14. Prayer is essentially our link into the face-to-face relationship with the Living God, who is ultimate love.
We begin our journey into living prayer by examining Paul’s powerful prayer about the love of God in Ephesians 3. Prayer is essentially our link into the face-to-face relationship with the Living God, who is ultimate love.
This well-known passage on the armor of God fits within living worthy of our calling in Christ by putting off the old self and putting on the new self. Spiritual conflict in the Christian life is a reality that cannot be ignored. Our victory comes through Christ, who clothes us in God’s armor and equips us with the power of prayer for living and ministry. Paul concludes with some final words of greeting and peace.
Paul now applies the calling to live worthy of Christ by putting of the old self and putting on the new self to the sphere of relationships. Drawing upon the common household codes of his time, Paul reframes the basic social unit of the household with the Gospel calling of selfless love and consideration of the other. Thus, husband-wife, parent-child, and master-servant relationships are transformed through Christ as His people live by the Holy Spirit in the attitude of mutual submission.
In this longest section of the series, Paul walks through a depiction of Christlike living – “a life worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1) – framed as putting off the old self and putting on the new self (4:20-24). The old self was marked by darkened understanding and impure living. The new self is marked by renewal of the mind and holiness. Paul applies this to our internal desires, the words we speak toward others, our sexuality, and many other specific activities. The endpoint of it all is being filled with the spirit, so that our lives become praiseworthy to the Lord (5:18-20).
Pivoting from theological discussion into life application, Paul urges the readers to “live a life worth of the calling you have received” (4:1). This section offers a theological framework for individual spiritual growth that fits within a framework for corporate spiritual growth. The individual parts of the body grow as the entire body grows through focused cultivation of unity, active use of spiritual graces, and formation by God toward maturity in Christ.
Paul pulls back the veil on his prayer life for the believers, which is focused on the love of God, the power of God, and the glory of God. The beginning of the prayer relates the interrelationship between knowing and growing in the love of God. This foundation of Paul’s prayer in Christ’s love leads into the fathomless power of God and the magnificent glory of God.
Paul interrupts his train of thought to reflect on the grace God has given him as Apostle to the Gentiles. His reflection on his own ministry leads him to praise of God for fashioning together this new community, known as the church, which exists to display the “manifold wisdom of God…to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (3:10).
The “mystery” of God’s work in Christ (3:6) is that Jews and Gentiles both partake together of God’s grace and are built into “one new humanity” (2:15) through the reconciling work of Jesus at the Cross. Hostility is replaced by peace, as God builds this community of Jew and Gentile into a new “dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (2:22).
This week, Pastor Matt examines Ephesians 2:1-10. and contrasts receiving bad news with receiving the good news of the Gospel.
Because of the overwhelming blessings of God in Christ, Paul shifts fully into prayer for the believers that they “may know him better” (1:17). This series of prayers flows steadily into a reflection on the glories of the exalted nature of Jesus Christ.
Paul works through the ways that God has blessed “with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (1:3). In and around his summary of redemption, adoption, and predestination in Christ, Paul offers up a series of prayers of praise to God for who He is and what He has done.
This week will close out the series by inviting people to commit to neighboring and sharing the light of Christ with people immediately around them.
This weekend will look at excuses we make about or barriers we have to loving our neighbors, giving specific attention to barriers of time and fear. Dealing with disruption and obstacles to neighboring.
This week will build from last weekend’s exploration of incarnational theology, leading us to engage with the Great Commandment of Matthew 22. Emphasis here will be on what it looks like to see the second part of the Great Commandment through the lens of literally loving those right around us in our neighborhood, apartment hallway, or dorm floor.
This week sets a foundation for our exploration of neighboring upon a theology of the incarnation, in which God Himself became our ‘neighbor’ through Jesus Christ. “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message). It will connect into the Great Commandment as our response based on God’s action.
After Jesus’ resurrection, John offer a series of encounters that Jesus has with real people. Each of these encounters sheds light on the way in which Jesus’ resurrection is good news: God’s presence in loss (Mary), God’s peace in fear (disciples in the upper room), God’s guidance in confusion (Thomas), and God’s restoration in failure (Peter).
The resurrection of Jesus from death brings good news into our lives. As we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, we will also explore three themes of how this is good news: light overwhelming darkness, freedom overcoming prisons, and life overpowering death.
A short reflection on Jesus’ statement from the Cross: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing" from Luke 23:34.
We all hunger for success, in one form or another. A significant part of that is leaving an impact or legacy that will live beyond us. It is wonderful to leave a meaningful legacy in our lives. At the same time, that hunger for a legacy connects with our hunger for eternity.
No one wants to live feeling depleted and empty. We all want to live out of a place of abundance, satisfaction and peace. We hunger to feel like our lives are on the right track and that everything is ‘right’. The biblical word for this is peace, which Scripture tells us is ultimately found in God through Jesus Christ.
There is an insatiable desire built within humanity to understand what’s going on in the world and in our lives. We scramble to be “in the know” or “on the inside track,” and we hate feeling “out of the loop.” This hunger for understanding is built into us by God and leads us toward an encounter with that which is beyond us.
Our culture is driven by pleasure-seeking and the pursuit of beauty. In many ways, there is nothing quite like the peaks of pleasure or the depths of awesome beauty. Yet, we often find our hunger goes unsatisfied, even when we taste pleasure and beauty. Why is that? What is it about this hunger that connects with the way God has made us and what we can find in Him?
Someone once told me that what they wanted most in life was to be seen and acknowledged for who they were. Some describe that as a hunger for greatness or, at least, a desire to be necessary. We want someone to see who we are and what we can offer. That desire connects with the way that God has made us, views, and relates to us.
All of us want to feel loved, and like we belong somewhere with someone. We want this within intimate relationships and within a sense of finding community. We will explore this hunger for love as it relates to human love and divine love.
We will conclude this series by exploring the breadth of Jesus’ title as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).
Jesus is called our high priest and advocate before the Father. This weekend we explore the significance of this title and what it means for us now.
What does it mean that Jesus is the Word of God, with God in the beginning, and reigning with God at the end?
This weekend we will explore the significance of what it means that Jesus is the ‘Son of God’ by drawing together the messianic, royal, and divine aspects of this title.
Why did Jesus refer to Himself most often as ‘the Son of Man’? Does this phrase merely mean that Jesus is human, or is there something more to this?
Texts: Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 12:8, 40; 16:27; John 6:53f; Acts 7:56; Revelation 1:13; 14:14
This weekend we will explore what it means that Jesus is Savior. What do we need to be saved from and how does Jesus do that?
This weekend we will explore what it means that Isaiah speaks about the Messiah as “the Prince of peace” and that Jesus says that He bestows peace upon His disciples after the resurrection.
This weekend we will explore what it means that Jesus fulfills the promises of God in the Old Testament, ultimately as the Lamb of God who reveals the full meaning of the Passover and salvation. This significance of the Lamb of God.
What does Jesus mean when He says that He is "...the gate for the sheep...whoever enters through me will be saved" (John 10:7,9).
This weekend we will explore what it means that Jesus was described as “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34).
The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah bringing light into the midst of darkness of this earth. Jesus described Himself in that way as well, saying, “I am the light of the world.” We explore this title in our Christmas Eve services to begin this new series.
The last chapter of Daniel looks toward the ultimate end of all things. The final words of Daniel speak of the ultimate end, peace, and one of the only glimpses on the Old Testament of the hope of the resurrection.
The last two chapters of Daniel look toward the ultimate end of all things. There are king and kingdoms, difficulties and challenges that come, in Daniel’s vision. In light of the New Testament teaching, we have a hope that endures through the end to a better future. How does Daniel’s teaching enliven our faith?
Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9 is one of the most heart-felt and powerful prayers of Scripture. It is part of Daniel’s hope-filled pleading with God to bring an end to the exile. In the midst of this, Daniel again encounter Gabriel the angelic messenger who instructs him about the end of the exile and future hope.
This chapter takes us deeper into the apocalyptic visions with a Ram and a Goat appearing in a vision to Daniel. Gabriel, the angelic messenger, appears to Daniel to help him understand it and becomes a helpful instructor of us as well through this passage. What is the significance of this vision that “concerns the distant future” (8:26)?
Thankfulness is not something that we only practice on Thanksgiving, it is something that we are called to do at all times. This standalone message focuses on Colossians 3:15-17 and how thankfulness comes by letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, by letting the word of Christ dwell among us, and when we honor Christ in our lives.
The first step in Daniel’s apocalyptic vision (Daniel 7) takes him into the midst of four beasts and an encounter with the Ancient of Days and one like a Son of Man. How does our faith shape the way we relate to the raging of the nations and God’s sovereignty?
This week takes a pause halfway through the book of Daniel, addressing the change of genres, language, and themes. The second half of Daniel exposes us to different aspects of the Bible and is an opportunity for a discipleship moment in this series.
Who hasn’t heard the story of Daniel in the lions’ den? Moving beyond the children’s rendition of this story, we see Daniel facing death without flinching. What does it look like to hold onto God even when powerful forces are coming against us?
In the well-known story of Belshazzar’s feast, a mysterious hand appears with writing on the wall. No one can discern the message, until Daniel is brought forth with a response from God. Daniel lives out his faith even when he has been largely forgotten, and the one moment his message is heard is now one of judgment.
The opening weekend of our 2018 MissionsFest with Dr. Paul "Bobby" Gupta from the Hindustan Bible Institute in Chennai, India.
In Daniel 4:1-37, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and Daniel interprets it truthfully. Nebuchadnezzar’s pride threatens to undo him, and Daniel speaks of that reality. When it comes to pass, even Nebuchadnezzar humbles himself before God.
In Daniel 3:1-30, Daniel’s three friends find their faith tested with the threat of idolatry and resulting punishment. What does it mean to have faith in a foreign land when the fire comes?
Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream that for which no interpreter can find meaning. Daniel seeks God in prayer and receives a revelation from God. When he gives a favorable response, all around recognize the power of God.
The story of Daniel begins with the exile from Jerusalem. What does it mean for the exiles to live out their faith in this place? Daniel and his friends provide us with an example of how to live our faith as exiles. We are in the world but not of it. We seek the peace of the city in which we are planted but it is not truly our home.
The church as a multi-ethnic, Kingdom-oriented community is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. What does it mean to move beyond the frameworks of divisive thinking, and rather to call us into a deeper grasp of Jesus’ prayer for unity and call to love?
The church is an intergenerational family, where we are all equally children of God by simple faith, yet also embracing the entire church, young and old, as having a place of belonging and value. What does it mean to move beyond the frameworks of generational thinking, and rather to call us into a deeper grasp of Jesus’ prayer for unity and call to love?
Within the book of Revelation we have numerous examples of heavenly worship. We may not think of them as prayer, but that is truly what they are. How might we better learn how to pray now by learning from the heavenly examples of prayer?
The early church spent a lot of time in prayer. Prayer was the fuel and guide for their outward mission in Jerusalem, Judea, and the further parts of the known world. Looking at their examples of prayer throughout Acts, we can learn how to let prayer shape our life on mission as a church.
Throughout his ministry, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. It is in the midst of an ordinary exchange with an ordinary father, however, that we learn what it looks like to come to God in total weakness to find Him more than sufficient in Mark 9:22-25.
Mary’s prayer stands out as one of the strongest expressions of faith in the entire Bible. She is humble yet bold, meek yet strong. Her words become a model for all of us on how to live a life surrendered to God.
After the exile of God’s people from the Promised Land to Canaan, God raises up Nehemiah as a great leader to establish the people back in their land. What we often forget is that Nehemiah’s great leadership began in prayer. All of us may not feel we are leaders, but all of us can be used by God wherever we are. The key to that work of God in and through us comes by dedicating ourselves to Him in prayer.
Daniel lives in exile in the land of Babylon. He serves in the upper echelons of society while also maintaining his faith through regular prayer. In Daniel 9:3-19, in the midst of his regular prayer, he offers one of the most powerful expressions of corporate repentance and renewal in the entire Bible.
The prophet Habakkuk concludes his bleak book with a powerful and rich declaration of faith in the face of pending suffering in Habakkuk 3:1-21. Regardless of our circumstances, how might we learn to be people of faith through prayer like Habakkuk?
King Hezekiah faces tremendous threats at the hands of the Assyrian armies. In this dire situation, Hezekiah turns to God with a prayer for deliverance in 2 Kings 19:14-20; 20:1-7. When we face pressures, how might Hezekiah’s example help us, whether individually or corporately, turn to God for deliverance?
Elijah’s wonderful victory over the prophets of Baal turns into a fearful flight for his life. Running to the mountain of God, Elijah has a powerful encounter with God that transforms him. He speaks and listens, and is sent out by God renewed in 1 Kings 19:1-18.
David’s adultery with Bathsheba leads to a rebuke from the prophet Nathan. David, this ‘man after God’s own heart’, suddenly finds his life crashing down because of his sin. We can learn from David’s prayer of repentance how we also might turn to God in prayer when we sin.
In the midst of her barrenness, Hannah calls out to God. She finds that God answers her in relation to her deepest desires for a child. Hannah helps us learn how to pray our desires in the presence of God in 1 Samuel 1:9-20; 2:1-10.
The ongoing rebellion of God’s people after the Exodus appears to have worn God out. Judgment will come upon them for their disobedience, yet Moses intercedes with the Lord on behalf of His people. What can we learn about interceding for God’s people from Moses in Numbers 14:1-23?
In one of the most vivid passages of the Old Testament we see God speaking with Abraham about the wicked towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham’s nephew, Lot, lives there with his family, but Abraham focuses on calling God to act justly. It almost seems like Abraham is bargaining with God. What is going on here and what might we learn about pleading with God in prayer on behalf of the lost?
If we move forward with God the Father by faith in Jesus the Messiah, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. If this great power and presence of God is in us, then our identity with God is transformed tremendously. But how specifically does the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives shape our identity? Join us this week as we explore that reality.
Because of Jesus Messiah, God’s love is made clear and powerful in our lives. Our sense of belonging in God can shape our sense of personal identity. We are found in Christ and held in the love of God. When we know how deeply loved we are with God, it gives a foundation to our lives that shapes the way we live with others.
Life is a journey. We are not finished yet. That is a truth in general, but even more so with our identity in God. God is doing a work with us in our lives, and it will not be finished until we see Him face to face. Like the Israelites in exile, we are waiting for the day when we will see God. He is refining us and shaping us. He is working in us and through us. This week explores how our identity is held by God and shaped by God as we yield to Him.
Every person has a unique fingerprint that identifies us distinctly from other people. The Scripture tells us that each one of us was made uniquely by the hand of God. Some of us love how we are made, while others hate how we are made. The majority of us find ourselves somewhere in-between: liking some aspects and disliking other aspects of ourselves. How do we understand the unique shaping of our lives by the hand of God, before our birth and through our life events?
Key Passages: Psalm 139:13-18; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Matthew 10:29-31; Ephesians 2:10
An old advertisement claimed, “Image is everything.” That claim seems to have only become stronger in the social media age. However, the concept of image is not the same as identity. Image is all about what we display to people and who we wish that we were. Identity travels much deeper than that. This week aims to directly address the false call to live by image, instead inviting us to live out our identity in Christ.
If we want to begin to live and have a sense of our identity, we must reach out to God by faith in Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can truly make us human again and gives us a sense of identity. This week we explore what it means to believe in God and how that transforms our sense of identity.
Why do we experience a lack of personal identity? What is it in our selves or our world that makes us feel disconnected or fractured? Without taking a look at Scripture’s understanding of human personality and identity in light of creation and fall, we will never be able to begin the journey toward finding ourselves in God.
As we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, we must ask ourselves what Jesus’ life, death and resurrection really means for us. Does it mean anything or was it merely a historical event? To get at this, we will return to the creation account of the first Adam in Genesis in order to then explore the meaning of the arrival of the second Adam in Jesus Messiah.
Joseph’s story ends with his family together, his relationships restored, and the hope of a future for himself and God’s people. Our stories are stories of blessing for us and for others, but find their deepest meaning in the story of God’s blessing intended for all the peoples of earth.
After a series tensions, Joseph is overcome by emotion and reveals himself to his brothers. Joseph and his brothers experience a reconciliation of relationship with one another and their father. How might our suffering lead into life, healing and reconciliation?
The climax of Joseph’s story in Genesis 42-44 is his encounter with his brothers in their hour of need. Walking into their lost brother’s world, the brothers do not recognize Joseph. It is only after a series of challenges that they realize what is happening. How do we deal with our wounds, particularly when past hurts are opened by those who inflicted them?
In Genesis 40, we find Joseph languishing in prison, where he is put in charge of the prison because of his diligence. He interprets dreams of Pharaoh’s imprisoned cupbearer and baker. When Pharaoh himself has inexplicable dreams, the cupbearer remembers Joseph’s abilities. After interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams and suggesting plans for good stewardship, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of Egypt’s action plan for the season of famine.
In Genesis 39:1-20, Joseph works as a slave in the household of an Egyptian official, Potiphar, whose wife accuses him of misusing her after Joseph rebuffs her entreaties. Joseph is wrongly imprisoned because of the false accusation. How do we respond to temptation? And what do we do with wrongful accusations?
Joseph’s story begins with dreams, parental favoritism, and family tensions. His father’s favorite son, Joseph, quickly finds his disagreements with his brothers boiling over into his faked murder and sale into slavery. What do you do when everyone seems to turn against you?
Philippians 4:4-23 highlights the call “rejoice in the Lord always” as Paul brings this letter to a close.
This week, Pastor Matt unpacks Philippians 3:15-4:3 and explores themes of spiritual growth in relation to joy.
This sermon from Philippians 3:1-14 brings attention to Paul’s unstoppable focus on Christ in his life and ministry, and what we can learn from him in that.
This week of our "Unshackled" series on Philippians focuses on the call from Philippians 2:12-30 to shine like stars and two examples of joyful service in Timothy and Epaphroditus.
This week focuses on God’s people as the community of joy under Christ, the ultimate bringer of joy as Messiah. Key text: Philippians 1:27-2:11
An introduction to the book of Philippians, the letter and its themes, the situation of the Apostle Paul, and the situation of the Philippian believers. Key Passage: Philippians 1:1-26.
Pastor Jim Caler brings the first part in a two-part miniseries on Transforming Faith, with a message on reading the Bible in a transformational way.
A special Children's message with Teresa Freding, followed by a Christmas Eve message on grace from Senior Pastor Matt Erickson.
The end of the journey with God is unmitigated goodness. We see this in Psalm 134, a celebration psalm, which invites us to focus our lives on blessing God, so that our lives are a blessing from God.
Unity is good and pleasant and can only come from God. Psalm 133 is an exploration of why unity within the community is essential to the journey of faith. This unity described in Psalm 133 descends from God to us. Unity is not something that can be manufactured, rather it is God’s gift to His community. Let’s do it well!
Psalm 130 describes guilt, points to God’s forgiveness, and then shows the hope that comes as a result of living guilt-free. If we call ourselves children of God, we are able to walk through your guilt confidently and at the same time receive the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. This freedom marks our journey with God!
Unless God is at the center of all that we are, whatever we are doing is in vain. This will include some exploration about work, effort, vocation, and worship. Psalm 127 shows us that our work is a gift from God. No matter what work we are doing, we should treat it as a joy because our work can be a reflection of worship unto God, if we give glory to God in our work then He will bless our work.
In Psalm 122, we see the need to be joyful in gathering with God’s people, because this is God's calling to us in community. We shouldn’t look to the church to see what it can offer us, but rather we should rejoice in simply drawing near to the house of the Lord. We must resist individualism and cynicism; instead, our concern should be to worship the Lord in the place we belong.
In Psalm 121, the psalmist is looking to the hills, and asking where his help comes from? His help comes not from the hills themselves, but from the hill that is God Himself. God helps those that say they need help, this psalm is a form of conversation convincing the reader that looking to God is possible.
Oftentimes, lies that people tell us hang over our head for years. They cause distress and unrest in our souls, leaving us without any sense of God’s peace. We need to do the soul-work necessary to receive the truth that matters most is in our lives: God and His word.
This message from Senior Pastor Matt Erickson kicks off a new sermon series on the Psalms of Ascent, Ascend, beginning with Psalm 120.
A sermon from Senior Pastor Matt Erickson as a part of Eastbrook Church's commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with a weekend focused on two major Reformation themes: “Faith and Grace.” This message includes historical background and context of the Reformation, an exploration of three Scripture passages central to Reformation thinking on faith and grace (Romans 1:16-17; Romans 3:21-24; and Ephesians 2:8-10), and two cautions of the Reformation: division and hero worship.
Pastor Matt concludes our second week MissionsFest with a message on the displaced and vulnerable ones in Scripture and in our society and what the church's response can be.
Senior VP of World Relief, Jenny Yang, kicks off our 2-week MissionsFest with a message on the displaced and vulnerable ones in Scripture and in our society and what the church's response can be.
The Father’s story and the Son’s love is not the end. By the grace of God found in Christ we can access the presence of God in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit fills us with God’s power (gifts), releases in us God’s character (fruit), and disperses us into God’s world as His tangible presence.
God’s promise-infused story echoes with the love of God – His grace and truth – from start to finish. But that echo comes to startling clarity in the melodious strain of Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Messiah and One and Only Son. Jesus’ revelation of God’s love – His grace and truth- is what we most long for and most need, and He shapes and molds us with His love for the world around us.
Before earth’s creation the Father formed a story built around His plan and promise to show forth Himself to humanity. We know and learn that there is something behind all that we are doing…not just something, but someone.
Jesus ate with His disciples in the upper room, offering a new Passover meal reflective of His sacrifice in His body and blood. The early Christian community continued to celebrate that meal, remembering the gift of Christ, encountering the Risen Lord in the meal, celebrating the new community formed, and looking forward to the final day.
Jesus went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John, His cousin, as a sign of obedience and purification before God. His disciples repeated that, both during His ministry and after His ascension. Baptism initiates us into the new community as we step forward by faith in response to God’s gracious gift of new life and forgiveness in Christ.
Maurice Ross brings a message from Luke 16:1-15 as we continue our "Stories Worth Living" sermon series on the parables of Luke's Gospel.
After Jesus healed a woman who was “bound by Satan” a debate erupted that left the people deeply divided. Jesus took the opportunity to raise the question, “What is the kingdom of God like” and answered it himself by way of analogy. The kingdom of God is “like a mustard seed” and can be compared to “yeast…worked through dough”. Clearly some interpretation is needed!
On Pentecost Sunday, we remember the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to enter into the life of Christ on earth.
Jesus is Lord and King; He is Messiah and Savior…but His kingdom is unexpectedly filled with the least likely people: the cast off. Until we realize who we are and who we are not we will never enter into the Lord’s kingdom. Pastor Matt unpacks two passages from Luke where Jesus encounters the cast off in society and demonstrates the upside-down value system of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus comes as the anticipated Son of God. This causes quite a stir, but why is it important? We will explore two passages to get our minds around this: Luke 20:1-8 (the authority of Jesus questioned) and Luke 20:9-19 (the Parable of the Tenants).
Jesus offers strong words against the temple once He has entered into Jerusalem. Together with Pastor Matt, let’s try to grasp what it means that there is a new temple arriving as Jesus comes to Jerusalem as king.
Why is it significant that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and what does that tell us about His crossroads journey? Pastor Matt examines two significant episodes on this: Luke 6:1-11 (Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath) and Luke 13:10-17 (Jesus heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath).
Jesus begins His ministry with word and deed, proclamation and demonstration, of the Kingdom of God coming into the midst of the earth through Him. He has come to bring good news. He tells of that good news and He shows that good news in healing and deliverance.
Entering into the story of Israel, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness, where He is tested by the devil. His testing shows us what His way is really all about. His testing shows us how to endure the tests of the wilderness.
John the Baptist appears as a forerunner to the Messiah. John is the Elijah-like prophet foretold, crying out in the wilderness for people to prepare for the Lord. Jesus comes to be baptized and we know He is the one for whom we all have been preparing.
A church that is becoming a reflection of Revelation 7:9-10 aims to establish strong and continuous leadership growth and multiplication. We will talk about 7 categories of leadership growth (using the Ministry Leadership Growth Model) and prioritize annual ministry residents and summer interns. The Apostle Paul wrote, “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2).
A church that is becoming a reflection of Revelation 7:9-10 aims to grow externally through missional engagement. We are looking at missional church planting (e.g., missional communities, people moving into targeted communities), missional multisite, and increased opportunities for field-based community work (e.g., Bread of healing, Neighborhood Learning Center). Jesus summarized the church’s mission in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
A church that is becoming a reflection of Revelation 7:9-10 aims to make new disciples and grow current disciples deeper. We want to see that through increased conversions, small group participation, and triad development. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go 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 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Part 3 of a 3-part focus on the story of Jonah and its relationship to our calling as modern-day believers to go into the ends of the earth and preach the gospel.
Part 2 of a 3-part focus on the story of Jonah and its relationship to our calling as modern-day believers to go into the ends of the earth and preach the gospel.
Pastor Matt kicks off our new series, exploring God’s plan for work. What is God’s overall intent in work? What does it mean to see work as dominion, cultivation and service?
What does it mean to be single – young or old – and live as a follower of Jesus in a sexualized society?
Dr. Christopher Yuan and his parents share their family testimony about a gay son's journey to God, and his parents' search for hope.
Dr. Christopher Yuan joined us for a special evening session on Sunday, August 16, to talk through a Christian response to homosexuality.
An exploration of the essential nature of our sexuality as created by God, and how that fits into our understanding of discipleship and being human before God in a broken world.
Unity doesn’t just “happen.” The church is made up of sinful people; people who will (at times) step on each other’s toes, offend each other, and hurt each other. Jesus was clear about what we are to do in those situations. How can we be one as a church if we know there are two brothers or sisters in this body that have unresolved conflict?
If Jesus prayed for the unity of the church then we know that prayer is essential to unity. How does prayer serve as this focus? What do we do practically to weave prayer into the work of seeking unity and togetherness?
Jumping the Broom is a wedding custom among African American couples. Those who seek to reach across race and cultural lines could learn much from the institution of marriage. Both efforts often fail because of a seed of selfishness. This message will use marriage to unveil ways that Christians can live out the reconciliation Christ has given to His church.
If we are to have true church unity then we must understand our calling and live it out. Unfortunately, most churches have forgotten their calling. That is what the apostle reminds us of here in Ephesians 4. The Lord has determined its purpose is reflecting the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). Paul puts it this way, live worthy of the calling we have received from Godhead, means, in a very essential way with humility, patience and love preserve the unity of the Spirit.
The third chapter of Habakkuk is one of the most beautiful and heart-felt declarations of worship before a mighty God in a confusing world. Some see this final prayer as a psalm amended to the end of the prophet’s words to bring us deeper into worship in light of the painful realities recorded before.
God’s second response to Habakkuk includes a vision that gives him perspective on what’s happening and five woes about the sort of person who will experience the judgment of God. It is a sobering reality, but also an encouragement to those of us trying to gain God’s perspective. The end of the chapter is appropriate humility and worship before God.
Habakkuk lifts his voice to God in lament again but this time calls God’s attention to the unending pain that His people are suffering at the hand of their oppressors. How do we respond to God when it seems that our suffering is larger than we ever thought possible? What do we do?
God’s first response to Habakkuk is surprising at numerous levels. God will respond to Habakkuk’s call for punishment of wicked but it will come in a surprising way. The punishment of wickedness will come at the hands of an even-more wicked people. The oft-quoted phrase here, “I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told” (Habakkuk 1:5), is actually a message of surprising judgment on the nations.
The first of Habakkuk’s two laments begins with the prophet’s agonizing question about how long God will let violence and wickedness continue unpunished. What do we do when wrong seems to carry forward in the face of a righteous God? What does it look like to cry out to God in these times?
From the crucifixion of Good Friday to the resurrection of Easter morning, God invites us on a journey from brokenness to wholeness; from emptiness to completion.
John’s account of Jesus’ final hours is crowned with prayer. The prayer is perhaps one of the most beautiful views into Jesus’ interior life with the Father and is even more powerful in light of the pending suffering to come. Jesus asks His Father that glory would stream from His suffering path to the Cross, through His disciples, and through His future followers in ages to come.
Jesus’ trials threaten to overcome Him, but they actually become a way of life and victory as Jesus overcomes death and sin. Jesus tells His followers that they will suffer like He suffered, but that He will turn their grief to joy and fill their trials with peace. What does it all mean? What are we to do with these particularly unpleasant – even painful – portions of Scripture?
Perhaps the most-quoted words from Jesus’ final teaching are found in this passage about abiding in the vine as branches that bear fruit. But what does that really mean? What was Jesus trying to tell us about our life hidden in God?
Jesus comforts His disciples by providing them insight into His life with the Father and the promise of the Holy Spirit; highlighting the Trinity as a community of love that we are invited into.
Jesus’ journey through trouble leads to salvation and a future place of peace for His followers. The disciples’ betrayal (Judas), forthcoming denials (Peter), and fear gather around them but Jesus offers hope.
Jesus washes His disciples’ feet as an example of servant love; Jesus serves and calls them to serve one another; Jesus calls His followers friends.
Does freedom mean we are careless about how we live with God? No, in fact Paul draws upon Old Testament teaching to say that our daily lives are to be a reflection of the grace of God that frees us from slavery to sin and into a new creation way of life. He boasts in the cross of Christ (6:14) and summarizes it all with the grace of Jesus (6:18).
What does it really look like to live with freedom? Paul describes the freedom in Christ that comes by the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence. In Galatians 5 we see the famous fruit of the Spirit discussion.
Paul calls the Galatians to a new life of freedom in God. He uses an allegory about Hagar and Sarah in order to illustrate the radical new beginning and life we have as children of grace and not children of law.
Paul explores the relationship between the law and faith, righteousness and grace. Drawing upon the life of Abraham and the revelation of the Law to Moses after the Exodus, Paul makes a case that there is a justification before God that comes from faith apart from the law, and he begins to move into what life looks like under the grace of God.
Paul continues to reflect on his own story and how the unique revelation of the Gospel came to him and what it meant within the early church and his authority. This is a key historical piece that gives us understanding of the ministry of Paul and why we should take him seriously as the 'Apostle to the Gentiles.' He presents the basic issue at stake in Galatians: "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (2:21).
The real message of the Gospel is at stake in Paul's writing to the churches in Galatia. He is wrestling with his listeners on their approach to life with God. Here is a strong statement about how we approach life and what we think about the good news. He begins to reflect on his calling and the radical nature of the gospel to the Gentiles.
David wants to build a house for the Lord, but God promises that David's descendants will sit on his throne forever. What does this mean? How does this tap into our longing for a just, righteous ruler as revealed in Jesus?
The Prophet Isaiah speaks of a time of restoration that will come, both of the return from exile an the ultimate restoration through the Messiah yet to come. Jesus picks up these words and uses them as the outline of His ministry in Luke's gospel.
The prophet Isaiah steps forward in longing and pleading for God to show up and bring ultimate healing and deliverance for a people stranded in the midst of terrorizing events.
This series concludes with the death of Abraham. We will explore the legacy of Abraham’s faith through the lenses of Genesis and Hebrews, with some slight reflections on the multi-generational aspect of God’s promises and the beginnings of Isaac’s life story in Genesis 24. What do you want your legacy of faith to be? What are you doing to get there?
Genesis 23 recounts the death of Sarah and Abraham’s honoring of her by acquiring a special burial place and grieving. Oftentimes, Sarah is remembered for her mistreatment of Hagar & Ishmael and for laughing at God’s promise of a child. But what truly is Sarah’s legacy of faith, and how might we all learn from her about developing a stronger faith life?
God provides the promise-child, Isaac. Then, he asks Abraham to sacrifice that promise-child. This is one of the most important and powerful passages in the entire Bible. God is faithful to His promises more than we understand and God is faithful in sacrifice more than we can imagine. What does this mean to us and how should we read this passage Christologically?
Abraham and Sarah extend hospitality to three divine visitors, where the promise is reaffirmed again. Sarah thinks it’s funny. At the same time, judgment is coming down on Sodom, where Lot lives, and Abraham bargains with God about these things. How do we live, like Abraham, as a person of faith in the midst of God’s promises and the problems of life?
Here we encounter a third and more specific outline of both God’s covenant promises and the demands laid upon Abram. The reality of the promise will be physically signified in the arrival of the much-anticipated child (‘seed’) of promise. The acceptance of the covenant is tangibly signified through the human activity of circumcision. In the midst of this, God gives new names to this couple: Abraham and Sarah. What is God doing here and what does it mean for us to tangibly signify our acceptance of God’s promises today? How do these tangible signs relate to what God did for us in Jesus Christ?
When Abram and Sarai grow old, they begin to think it’s time to take measures into their own hands. This move was culturally appropriate, but God had different plans for achieving his purposes. In the midst of this, God reveals Himself as “The God who sees” to the servant Hagar. What does it mean to wait on the Lord to accomplish His purposes as opposed to living out “God helps those who help themselves”?
God makes a promise to Abram in Genesis 12 that leads into a deeper covenant agreement in Genesis 15. This message explores the themes of covenant, what its significance is for us, and how we can also lean on the promises of God. There must be some attention given to Genesis 15:6 – “So Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” What does it look like to have an enduring faith when you don’t get an immediate blessing?
Abram and Lot separate, with Abram blessing Lot as he trusts YHWH’s promises to be fulfilled with him regardless of what land he takes. Then, Abram doubles that blessing by rescuing Lot as neighboring forces capture Lot and his family. God is at work in Abram’s family and Abram grasped the call that he was blessed in order to be a blessing. Together, we'll reflect on Melchizedek as bringing God’s blessing, while also being a Christ figure.
A look at Abraham’s fumbling attempt to integrate his faith with everyday challenges in the world around him, particularly life as a nomad with little protection. Both in Egypt and later in the Negev, Abraham tries to protect himself and Sarah but risks blowing everything. Together, we'll examine the importance of celebrating God’s grace in our lives and truth-telling even when it is difficult.
Abram and his family step away from their homeland and in the midst of their everyday nomadic existence, God appears and calls Abram to a particular role in God’s grand story. Together, we'll look at an overview of the story of God, exploration of God’s calling, and the response of faith.
In our world of unanswered questions or in the difficult places where the answers are not what we want to hear, we are called to rest in this wordless place beyond answers. The wordless place can be for us the place of trust, instead of fear.
We are made for relationship with others and need to find our place. Some look at the nature of the church and what it means to be God’s called out community.
An exploration of coming to Jesus Christ and the unity he brings to a diverse people. Looking at keeping Jesus at the center of things.
Jesus said we should love our neighbor as ourselves. What does it mean to take that to the streets literally by loving those around us where we live, work, and play? What does it mean for us as a church to love our neighborhood and join God in His work in the midst of our city?
Jesus said we should love our neighbor as ourselves. What does it mean to take that to the streets literally by loving those around us where we live, work, and play? What does it mean for us as a church to love our neighborhood and join God in His work in the midst of our city?
Why do we care about our neighborhood at all? Jesus summarized all of the law and the prophets in what has come to be called the Great Commandment; to love God with all of who we are and love our neighbors as ourselves. He then left a final mission – known as the Great Commission – with His followers to make disciples of all nations. What does it mean to bring together the Great Commission and the Great Commandment in our individual lives and as a church?
Mark DeYmaz is the founding pastor of Mosaic Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the author of Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church and Leading a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church. In his e-book, Real Community Transformation, tells the story of how Mosaic Church stepped forward to make a real impact in their neighborhood. Mark shares some of their stories with Eastbrook this weekend as we start a new series, "Love Your Neighborhood."
Paul concludes 1 Corinthians 15 with strong words of hope and victory over sin and death. This is a message of hope aimed at the work of God in Jesus Christ.
Because of Greco-Roman thought, many people often consider the gospel message to save us from earth so that we can go to heaven. However, Paul describes a very different situation where the bodily resurrection of Jesus prefigures the bodily resurrection of believers. We talk about the resurrection bodies we will enjoy and what that means about God, heaven, and our understanding of Christian hope.
When Jesus rose from death, he was the “firstfruits” of resurrection. Paul outlines the timing and flow of events that will culminate in the resurrection of the faithful from death. We explore Paul’s writings here with attention to Jesus’ resurrection and our resurrection, issues of those who die and an intermediate state, the ultimate consummation of human history, and how resurrection reveals hope for us who believe.
Is the resurrection really that important to our faith? Paul goes so far as to say, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:13). Why does the resurrection matter for our faith? We will explore the critical issues Paul raises on this point as we move forward.
We celebrate the resurrection and the gospel message as spoken about by Paul at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 15, bringing together God’s foretold promises, the historical events, and the faith response to God’s grace revealed in Jesus Christ.
A study of two commandments directly related to our relationships with our neighbors and related to themes of lying and jealousy.
A study of three commandments at once related to our actions that overflow from our hearts: murder, adultery and theft.
A study of the first commandment directly linked with a promise: our honoring of our parents.
A study of the holiness of God as reflected in the use of His name and the use of our time.
A study of the importance of worshiping and serving God and God alone in our hearts and lives. Pastor Will also addresses the topic of idolatry.
Pastor Matt introduces the third part of our series on Exodus, the Ten Commandments, their place in Scripture, their application to us as New Testament Christians, and the importance of the journey of Lent.
There are times where all of us deal with conflict in our relationships. How might we best honor God in our relationships at these times? What do we do when someone is driving us crazy? How should we respond when someone is goading us into the wrong response? How do we deal with conflict?
What does biblical marriage really look like? There is so much that could be said, but what are the essential aspects of marriage? How do we relate to one another? Where does happiness fit in with commitment? How should we deal with conflict in marriage? What about divorce?
What does the Bible really have to say about love and dating? Can we date? How should we date? Are we always looking for marriage? Pastor Mark unpacks all of this, as well as discussing sex and relationships.
What does it mean to be friends from a biblical perspective? Pastor Matt begins the series, "Made For It", looking at how God is relational and how we are created in His image to be relational (Genesis 1-3).
There is something that happens when the radical nature of the Gospel gets ahold of our pocketbooks and bank accounts. When we realize the amazing generosity of God toward us, there is something freeing about moving forward in amazing generosity with God toward others. How do we see where God is at work and join Him, even at the cost of our own wealth?
What is enough? One famous wealthy individual said: “just a little bit more.” But perhaps the elusive enough is something from which we need to step away. “Are we not prosperous enough already and missing a far richer life without the perpetual quest for needless economic growth?" What does it look like to live simply, have margin, and develop a God-honoring budget in our lives?
If God owns everything and we are temporary stewards, we should steward what He has given us wisely. We should align our finances with our values. Pastor Jim explores the topic of the tithe as a basic move in giving back to God what He has given to us.
God owns everything. All that we have has been given to us by Him. We are temporary stewards of God’s treasure on behalf of God.