Pastor Dirk's Sermons: Recent Episodes
Pastor Dirk Rodgers
Weekly reflections on the scriptures from our Worship Services at Roser Church, Anna Maria, Florida.
Now reengaged in his calling, Jonah sees God work powerfully among a foreign people. Sometimes we need those outside the circle to give us a new perspective. Jonah’s story of recommitment presses us to reassess our own level of engagement. What would we be willing to do if we ventured a bit outside of our comfort zones?
The Point: The Word who created the universe has chosen to speak through us.
Next Steps: Each day this week, share something about God with someone else.
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Reluctant-Prophet-2026-Week-4-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Finally, in the depths of the sea, in the belly of a huge fish, God gets Jonah’s attention. Critics have wondered whether this story is more mythical than historical, but Jonah himself leaves little doubt as to its meaning. God’s salvation is far more powerful than our rebellion.
The Point: No matter how far we have fallen, God is there to lift us up.
Next Steps: Whom can we help to lift up this week?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Reluctant-Prophet-2026-Week-3-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Jonah’s decision to run from God’s call carries dramatic consequences. He endangers himself and others. God creates a storm to bring him back online. What can we learn from this story about God’s commitment to our participation in His work?
The Point: How deeply to we embrace God’s calling on our lives?
Next Steps: Let’s begin each day this week by reminding ourselves that God has chosen us to do a job.
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Reluctant-Prophet-2026-Week-2-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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When God calls, will we embrace the honor? Jonah refuses and chooses instead to run the other way. Later in the story he explains his reasons, but are they credible? What answers do we offer when we are likewise called to serve as God’s representatives in our broken world?
The Point: How strongly do we believe that God can change people?
Next Steps: What one thing can I do each day this week to help convince people, rather than condemn them?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Reluctant-Prophet-2026-Week-1-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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People will remain divided until they discover the gift of forgiveness. In Christ, we find the power to forgive all, because He died for all. We learn to forgive ourselves and one another. In Him, we learn to love all, because God loves all.
The Point: While the world divides, Christ gives us the power to help hold it together.
Next Steps: Forgive someone every day this week, because we can!
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Christ-for-Us-2026-Week-6-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Life is more than physical existence. Science can try to explain how we got here, but it cannot tell us why we are here. Christ does that. In Christ, we do not merely exist. We live. He is our life, in this world and the next.
The Point: Christ gives us options. We can choose a better way to live.
Next Steps: Every day this week, take time to focus on Christ and His desires for us, especially when the world knocks us off course.
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Christ-for-Us-2026-Week-5-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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In the remodeling world, there are two general options. We can just fix the obvious failings, or we can tear down and rebuild. Christ comes so that we can be entirely remade. In this life, He rebuilds us spiritually. In the next life, He rebuilds us physically. His fullness will enable our complete restoration.
The Point: Following Christ provides our best opportunity for true fulfillment.
Next Steps: Do one thing every day this week to fill yourself with Christ’s presence.
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Christ-for-Us-2026-Week-4-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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For centuries, God told His story mostly through one people in one part of the world. Throughout this period, there were hints of His future plans, but most of His intentions were shrouded in mystery. In Christ, however, God reveals the truth behind this mystery, His eternal plan to reclaim His creation.
The Point: When we work for Christ, no effort is wasted, because He is at work in us!
Next Steps: Work for Christ this week like your efforts matter, because they do!
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Christ-for-Us-2026-Week-3-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Christ’s power to reunite us comes from His identity. He is both fully divine and fully human. He alone has this identity, so only He can save us from our destructive ways. Because of who He is, He can reconcile a world that seems to be ripping itself apart.
The Point: Welcome to the family! God wants you here! That’s why Christ came to earth!
Next Steps: Take time each day this week to thank God for including us in His family!
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Christ-for-Us-2026-Week-2-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Researchers have shown that we are biologically and psychologically wired to please someone. in the opening chapter of his letter, Paul prays that His readers would live worthy lives by pleasing God. He puts in the right order. When we try first to please ourselves or someone else, we mess with a fundamental part of our nature. Christ comes to restore that desire within us.
The Point: When we focus on pleasing Him, He will equip and empower us to succeed.
Next Steps: What one thing will we do each day this week just because we want to please Him?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Christ-for-Us-2026-Week-1-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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When God wins, His victory is neither partial nor marginal. It is complete, entire and whole. In this early stage of His people’s journey, God shows them where this story is going, revealing a victory that some day the entire world will acknowledge as they bow before the Sovereign Lord. The Point: Our God rescued us so we can help rescue one more.
Next Steps: What one thing can we do this week to help rescue one more?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Next-Steps-Joshua-2026-Week-7-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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As the first step into their newly rediscovered homeland, God again leads in dramatic fashion. This fight would be His fight. The people were required to listen, obey and follow, but God alone provided the power to win.
The Point: Our God’s holy power should both inspire and humble us.
Next Steps: What struggle can we turn over to God this week?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Next-Steps-Joshua-2026-Week-6-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Memory can be a blessing or a curse, depending upon what we are remembering. Our more powerful memories constantly push themselves into and influence our present. Through Joshua, therefore, God commands His people to memorialize and remember this event, so that it can guide them far into the future when they encounter new challenges.
The Point: The sovereign LORD of creation wants each of us to know Him as our God.
Next Steps: What one change can we each make this week so that others will know that the LORD is our God?!
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Next-Steps--Joshua-2026-Week-5-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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We take a break from our sermon series this Sunday, so the Children and Youth of Roser can offer their tribute to all types of mothers who serve our families here at Roser Church. Enjoy this interview with Charlie, one of our young people who shares his views on the importance of faith and church. See the entire service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQV0Q9eH53A
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At last the day comes when planning gives way to action. However, this was no ordinary plan and no ordinary action. God made it clear that He was the true Leader of His people, leaving no doubt about whose vision they were following.
The Point: The same powerful LORD who brought us here will also lead us to victory.
Next Steps: What hard thing is God asking us to do this week that will advance His work of grace? Maybe it’s time to stick our feet in the water!
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Next-Steps--Joshua-2026-Week-4-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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God’s sovereignty uses the wisdom He invests in His leaders. To overcome their enemies, the leaders befriend an ally who might be discounted by some. However, the redemptive story of God is powerfully creative, incorporating all manner of people and persuasions.
The Point: Never underestimate the creative power of God’s grace.
Next Steps: What can we do this week to judge less by trusting more in God’s grace?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Next-Steps--Joshua-2026-Week-3-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Visions are realized when God’s people share them. To experience the fullness of God’s blessing, they must all commit themselves to a process of obedience and faithful service. And they must not quit until all God’s people receive what He intends for them.
The Point: Are we each willing to own our role in a vision that God inspires?
Next Steps: What will we each do this week to invite one more person to explore their faith here at Roser Church?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Next-Steps--Joshua-2026-Week-2-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Who would want to fill the sandals of Moses? Few would be foolish enough to try. Joshua was no fool, but God called him to do the impossible, to lead a people that frequently exasperated his powerful predecessor. What could possibly give him the courage to face this new and nearly impossible challenge?
The Point: In changing and uncertain times, God calls us to continue His work of gathering His people.
Next Steps: Encourage three people this week as they work to gather God’s people.
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Next-Steps--Joshua-2026-Week-1-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Some truths change us more than others. The fact Jesus rose from the dead has the potential to radically transform our lives, if we are willing to consider it. The life that Jesus offers can empower us all the way, though our dark times, until we too are raised to join Him in His Father's home.
The Point: Jesus rose from the dead for you, to give you the power need to live now and forever.
Next Steps: Join us next Sunday for a new series called, "Next Steps," when we will explore together how to share Christ's grace in this new chapter of Roser's story.
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In an age that lives out the creed, "Don't Tread on Me", Jesus allowed Himself to suffer humiliation, offering Himself as a sacrifice, so that our relationship with the Father could be restored.
The Point: Jesus endured all of this humiliation so that we might know that we are loved.
Next Steps: Let's bring down the "Don't Tread on Me" flag, and focus on helping to see that God loves them.
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Jesus reinterprets the ancient tradition of Passover for a whole new generation of followers wandering through their own version of the wilderness
The Point: In the Lord's Supper that we share together, we have Christ's sure and certain promise that He will sustain us through our wilderness journey.
Next Steps: Return on Good Friday and Easter to hear the rest of the story.
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Our world has become very proficient at placing people in categories. From an early age, we are trained to count people in or out for all types of reasons. Jesus reminds His disciples, however, that His categories have very little to do with ours. As we seek to do our part in restoring order in a chaotic world, we will have to see people as He sees them.
The Point: Follow His rule and trust His promise.
Next Steps: This week let’s do one more thing to assist those among us who are most in need.
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Conquering-Chaos-2026-Week-5-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Sometimes the world’s problems seem so large that we give up on finding a solution. We may feel like we are trying to move mountains with a teaspoon. Jesus reminds us, however, that our efforts matter, no matter how insignificant they might appear to us now.
The Point: God both expects and rewards effort, trusting Him to produce results.
Next Steps: What efforts are we personally making to grow His kingdom?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Conquering-Chaos-2026-Week-4-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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As we wait for God’s will to be done, we may be tempted to think that the future matters more than the present. Our despair or cynicism can lead us to discount the time we have now. In a parable about waiting, Jesus reminds us that we truly must use each day wisely, because He is still working among us.
The Point: Prepare now for a celebration we don’t want to miss!
Next Steps: What steps can we take this week to invite others to celebrate with us?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Conquering-Chaos-2026-Week-3-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Sometimes ordinary times are more dangerous than chaotic ones. When there are no obvious symptoms, we assume that there is no disease. Jesus reminds His disciples, however, that we cannot be lulled into negligence. A world that continues to ignore God will not finish well.
The Point: Knowing how the story ends should make a difference in how we live.
Next Steps: How often this week do we choose God’s priorities as our priorities?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Conquering-Chaos-2026-Week-2-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Chaos is a sure sign that God’s plan has been ignored. It does not mean, however, that God is ignoring us. On the contrary, for those who follow Him, chaos builds trust rather than destroying it. Chaos confirms what God has been saying all along, that evil must be overcome for peace to flourish.
The Point: When it seems like our world has ended, God is still building His kingdom.
Next Steps: This week let’s look for where God is building His kingdom and then let’s get engaged to build with Him.
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Conquering-Chaos-2026-Week-1-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Life requires constant negotiation with our desires. What we want is not always good for us, or good for the ones we say we love. Tests quickly become temptations when those desires kick in. How can we keep our desires in check, so that we can become the people we are meant to be?
The Point: Prayer reminds us that this is a winnable war.
Next Steps: How can God help us this week to win whatever spiritual battles we are fighting?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Why-Pray-2026-Week-7-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Money managers constantly tell us that debt is a bad thing. It deprives us of our independence. However, debt can also be an isolating thing. It can drive deep wedges into our closest relationships. How do we cope with these painful obstacles to the human connections that we all desire?
The Point: Prayer reminds us that none of this works without grace.
Next Steps: Where do we need a more grace in our lives, both receiving it and giving it?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Why-Pray-2026-Week-6-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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Bread is a powerful symbol of both need and provision. If there is not enough bread, we cannot survive. But how much is “enough”? When have we crossed the line from need to desire? And when do our desires keep others from having what they need?
The Point: Prayer reminds us that we need Our Father more than we need anything else.
Next Steps: As we pray this week, let’s begin by reminding ourselves that our Father is more than enough for us, before we start asking for anything else.
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Why-Pray-2026-Week-5-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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God’s ways often remain a mystery to us. We don’t always understand what He is doing. How do we work through this difference? How can we come to trust His will, even when we don’t understand it?
The Point: Prayer can inspire us to embrace the wisdom of God’s will.
Next Steps: Where should we be consciously surrendering to God’s will this week?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Why-Pray-2026-Week-4-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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While every kingdom seeks to become an empire, only one Kingdom can truly claim to be both universal and eternal. As followers of Christ, we long for the day when God’s reign truly does permeate every heart and mind.
The Point: Prayer inspires us with God’s vision for our future.
Next Steps: What one thing will this vision of Christ’s kingdom inspire us to do this week?
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Why-Pray-2026-Week-3-Sermon-Notes.pdf
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God reveals His Name so that we can speak to Him as a Person. He is not an abstract force, or some philosophical idea. He reveals Himself as someone who loves us. How seriously do we take this honor of knowing Him?
The Point: Prayer inspires us to become the powerful, holy people that God calls us to be.
Next Steps: As we think about God’s holiness this week, let’s each identify one new way in which we can do a better job representing our Father in the world.
Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide
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By what right do we enter God’s throne room to ask anything of Him? This is the true miracle of prayer, that the Almighty Ruler of the Universe is also our loving Father. He knows each of us by name, wants to listen to us, and knows our needs better than we know them ourselves.
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The parents bring their child to a temple built by their ancestors. A priest continues the ancient tradition of ministering at that temple. On this day, however, he will have an unparalleled honor. He will see the very One for whom all of this was built, the One to whom it all points.
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Humble shepherds were the first to kneel before the new King. The church was a stall, and the altar, a manger. Little did they know that this manger would one day be replaced by a cross, and that cross, by a throne. The scene would change, but the worship they began continues today. The Child before whom they bowed is the Christ we still adore.
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Who will receive the honor of first seeing the new King? The rich and famous? Royalty and the noble classes? No, it would be humble shepherds on night watch. They are granted one of the most glorious privileges of all time, to witness an angelic proclamation of the new King!
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The story opens with an emperor and a humble family. One reigns and the other is forced into a hard, demeaning journey. Little did that emperor know, however, that this was the beginning of his end. A new King would be born who would soon launch His reign over every human heart.
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For God’s ancient people, Passover is a powerful celebration of His saving grace, a reminder that He has delivered captives for many generations. As we enter our new Sanctuary, we continue to celebrate that same grace, which still saves us from our own forms of captivity.
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Building programs are never completed without obstacles. Not everyone in Judah’s region was rejoining in their new Sanctuary. God intervened, however, to ensure that their worship continued. His actions will inspire us as we face our own versions of opposition.
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When the foundation of the new temple was completed, God’s people again gathered to worship with both joy and tears. Re-entering a Sanctuary can compel strong emotions, as we reflect on what God has done, is doing and will do.
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As a first step in their ancient rebuilding effort, God’s people completed an altar. For the first time in years, the people could offer the sacrifices that their God required. This opportunity to give back to God powerfully inspired their first act of renewed worship. Will our opportunity to worship here inspire a similar response?
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After decades of captivity, God moved the ruler of an empire to set His people free, so they could return to their Promised Land. This sovereign act of God should inspire us to respond to His call and return to a place of worship.
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Sometimes life makes us choose between grace and truth. Can we be gracious while we hold evil doers accountable? Does grace allow us to differ about matters of truth? In Jesus, truth and grace are fully revealed, empowering us to be both truthful and gracious.
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Unlike the gods of myth who are partially divine and partially human, Jesus is both fully God and fully human. As both Son of God and Son of Man, He offers a meaningful way to restore our relationships with both our Heavenly Father and one another.
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When God started His family in the Garden, there was a man and a woman who had two sons. That family fell apart, however, and countless generations later, brothers were still killing brothers. Then Jesus comes to bring the family back together.
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The story in Genesis tells us that God creates light, separating it from darkness. John’s story develops that truth, reminding that Jesus is that light that scatters the darkness in our lives and in our world.
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John’s Gospel begins with a creation story that has a new twist. He assures us that Jesus was there, “in the beginning”. He engages with us well before He is born in a Bethlehem stable. What difference does this make in our lives?
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A solid trust in God can quiet storms. We will still have them. They will still knock us about. However, they can also drive us deeper into the safest place on earth, our awareness of the sovereign, loving and vigilant presence of God among us.
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God is not an unknown entity. He has been revealing Himself for generations. As we hear and remember these stories from the past, they inform our expectations for the future.
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God responds to evil in ways we don’t always understand. Does this mean He is not responding at all? Maybe the way He responds to evil should inspire our response to the broken world around us.
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Thinkers for thousands of years have asked why God allows evil people to prosper. Habakkuk adds his complaint to this list. What does this inspired complaint tell us about ourselves, our world and our God?
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Lawyers are told never to ask a witness a question publically, if they do not already know the answer. Habakkuk did not follow that advice. God gives an answer that changed the prophet’s world view. What does this response teach us about our own world view?
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The prophet, Habakkuk, was a good man who had some serious questions about his good God, who, at the moment, did not seem very good. Do such questions help us? Do they matter to God?
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The connection between hearing and doing is often tenuous. Often we do not translate words into action unless something convincing happens. We can either go through the motions and pretend to care, or we can own our failures and, through God’s restoring power, we can become genuinely better people.
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Winning matters, unless you are playing the wrong game. Finishing first is finishing last if you are running in the wrong direction. Paul argues that we should clarify what we are aiming for, before we take off after it.
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While the world falls apart, it is easy to accuse and assign blame; however, then we are simply part of the problem. Truly helpful and caring people move on to the next stage and help people to discover a new, healing way of life.
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Without a sense of urgency, we seldom choose to change. Unless we view ourselves drowning, we will not recognize our rescuer. Paul sounds the alarm about a world that is perishing from a lack of God’s ways, and we will serve our world best if we see it through those eyes.
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Paul is convinced that God will make this world right again, and he intends to devote his whole life to that effort. What has convinced him so profoundly? Will the same truths convince us to be part of God’s restoration plans?
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For Paul, “grace” and “peace” are not polite, formal greetings. They describe God’s transforming power available to anyone who wants to be part of the solution in a world torn apart by centuries of hatred.
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As God reveals His divine plan to the world, He chooses one family line through whom He will work in a very public way, ensuring that their story is diligently recorded for all of us to follow. At the head of this family line, consisting of twelve sons, God places another imperfect couple. God gives their father, Jacob, a new name, “Israel,” because He struggled with God. In many ways, his struggle remains our struggle; and yet, his God also remains our God.
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When God’s first couple had children, things did not work according to His original design. Now, in this new creation, the children of Isaac and Rebekah again threatened His good intentions. However, God will not allow their flaws to overthrow His sovereign decision to extend His blessing to all people and all generations.
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With this couple, God begins a new creation, a new people, in a new land. Like the original parents whom God chose, this couple also had their faults. However, God selects them anyway, to share a blessing intended for all people for all times.
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This biblical story of the first couple is well known in our culture. It is repeated, reinvented, reinterpreted and even ridiculed. However, we can easily miss the point of the story. Their imperfection only points more clearly to the grace of God who remains committed to His creation.
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Returning from a time of rest and reflection, Pastor Dirk will share, some thoughts on what God is teaching him, as we move forward together, as God’s people for our region and our time.
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About a thousand years after Samuel’s miraculous birth, another, even more remarkable birth occurs. God through His Spirit has chosen the virgin Mary to bear His Son, Jesus. Mary responds with her own song of praise, remembering a Heavenly King who has not forgotten His promises to all of His children.
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After the prophet Samuel’s miraculous birth, his mother, Hannah, praises God, rejoicing in His sovereignty and faithfulness. These truths about God will encourage us as we patiently wait for His miraculous work in our lives.
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The Resurrection is now an historical fact. Jesus has risen! But so what? How does this fact change the family that God is creating in the image of His son?
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Nothing terrifies us like death. Our very nature fights against it, even when it seems inevitable. When the first women come to a tomb to face the reality of death, they hear a powerful message of hope. “Do not be afraid!” Let’s remember together how the resurrection of Jesus casts out our fear, even our fear of death itself.
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Filled with anguish, Jesus leads His disciples into a garden to pray. However, they are not up for the challenge. When they fall asleep, Jesus reminds them of imminent danger. What danger faces us today that requires our spiritual vigilance?
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As Jesus prepares His disciples for action He hosts a meal. As He distributes the bread and the cup, He draws analogies to His body and His blood. What do these comparisons symbolize? How do they prepare us to be His representatives in a spiritually hungry world?
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When a council of religious leaders asked Judas to betray his Teacher, he asked them a question. He wanted to know what he would get in exchange for his service. He had no way of understanding, however, how weighty this cost would be. His actions challenge all of us to ask what we are trading in exchange for our fellowship with Jesus.
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As Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem, a woman anoints Him with expensive perfume. Some accuse her of wasting a precious commodity. However, Jesus blesses her for her sacrifice. Maybe she saw something in Him that all of us should see.
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Moving in new directions teaches us new truths. The old truths are still important. They establish foundations. However, we must build beyond the foundation, and this requires a new revelation from God.
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When the new directions seem impossible to follow, and the new destination seems too far away, someone or something must remind us of what is possible. God works through this early church mission to prove that He can and will accomplish impossible things through their efforts.
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When obstacles force us in new directions, sometimes new destinations come into view. When the church is scattered from its homeland, God’s people discover new reason to live.
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Sometimes God reveals His glory in clear images. When a human king asserts his glory, God reminds his persecuted people who truly is their King. In the light of this new King’s glory, they will help to build His new kingdom.
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Obstacles have a way of clarifying our intentions. Where are we trying to go, and why are we trying to get there? These hard questions can expose fundamental disagreements. How we handle those disagreements will test the integrity of our faith.
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Trouble at home forces the church into new territory, where a whole new people will be exposed to God’s message. Obstacles have a way of pushing us into new communities where God desires to be known.
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Death in many cultures is compared to a river that eventually we must all cross. God intervenes in the life of Elijah to show that He lives on both sides of that river, promising that one day we too will live with Him there beyond that river.
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The odds often seem stacked against us. Goodness and truth have no chance against the vast power of misguided and broken leaders. Sometimes, however, God intervenes to remind us who ultimately decides who wins and who loses.
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Stories of the rich robbing the poor pervade all cultures. In this story, God intervenes to show who really owns all things and who will ultimately have them.
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Fears are real when dangers are real. When these dangers overwhelm us, God reminds us that He is also real. His presence has the power to quiet our fears.
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God has been speaking for generations through His prophets, but too often His people hear only words. Sometimes, however, God intervenes to show that His Word determines outcomes.
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Wealth and possessions are often sources of pride. God breaks that connection sometimes to remind us that we are all ultimately dependent upon His provisions.
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This promised child will bring the peace that the world lost long ago. When He has finished His work, nature itself will bear witness to His power. On that day, God’s people will again dwell in the garden that He has always intended for them.
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This promised child will restore an ancient family line, but in a powerfully new way. God’s promised Spirit will breathe through this child and to who all follow after Him.
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This promised child brings a new revelation of God’s plan to restore His creation. Under His leadership, God’s people will realize the future He always wanted for them and for us.
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When the enemy threatens destruction God offers to provide a sign of His deliverance. The sign would come in the form of a child, then and in the time of Jesus. This child’s story is the key to unlocking God’s whole plan for His people.
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Vines spread their life to all the fruit attached to them. Jesus compares this miracle of growth to His work which is destined to spread into every corner of the globe, as long as we remained attached to Him.
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Life is filled with many uncertainties, and the pathway to life eternal is even more elusive. However, Jesus desires to impart a quiet certainty to anyone who will follow His lead.
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What is my life truly worth? It is what the world calls "net worth"? Or is my worth tied to something or someone more substantial? Jesus provides an answer when He proclaims that He is both the Resurrection and the Life.
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All shepherds take charge of sheep, but some do it better than others. Jesus describes Himself as a Good Shepherd who always prioritizes the well-being of those entrusted to Him.
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Gates separate danger from safety, the wilderness from home. Jesus claims to be a gate for anyone who looking for a safe place to belong.
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Without light, we are destined to stumble in the dark. In the dark, bad things happen and people get hurt. Jesus uses this light image to describe His entrance into a world engulfed by spiritual darkness.
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In many cultures, bread symbolizes a basic need for nourishment. Without it, people starve. Jesus uses this analogy to describe our fundamental need for Him in our lives.
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“Coveting” begins in a discontented heart. We see greener grass in our neighbors’ yard, and we assume they have a better life. This inner emptiness robs us of the joy we might otherwise find in our own yard. A blessed life requires that we realize that we are always blessed, even when we don’t feel like it.
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Telling lies in court is still a crime, even in our culture. In God’s court, however, it is more than criminal. It reveals a morally corrupt environment where the rich and powerful take advantage of those who cannot afford justice. A blessed life, however, requires us always to ensure that truth is spoken when people are held accountable.
The war between haves and have nots is historically waged in every culture. Broken cultures find it easier to take from one another rather than share with one another. This addiction to things is an infection that is hard to cure. A blessed life, however, requires the opposite from us, to love one another rather than take from one another.
When sex is taken out of its God-ordained context of love, brokenness occurs in many forms. When God created the human reproductive process, He intended sexual partners to remain committed to one another, so that children produced from their union could be raised in a context of love. A blessed life requires us to honor the important role that love plays in our desire for intimacy.
Murder is the extreme case, when one person assumes the right to take another human life. Jesus teaches us that murder is born out of hate, and neither have a place in His world. A blessed life requires us to avoid the destructive power of hatred.
People have changed in many ways, but families still form a core part of all cultures. God’s story regularly works through families, and He expects people to honor that work. A blessed life requires a respect for the roles of both children and parents.
We humans naturally divide our lives into sacred and secular categories, and sometimes these aspects remain separated. God instituted the Sabbath, however, to ensure that His people continually kept Him first in their hearts and minds. A blessed life requires us to live every day in the sacred presence of our Holy and Loving God.
What if God held us accountable to promises made in His name? What if He were listening to every conversation in which His name is mentioned? A blessed life requires us to remember that a Divine judge is a witness to every word we speak.
Unless God reveals Himself, we are left to imagine Him in all sorts of ways. Thankfully, however, He did not leave us to our own devices. In loving grace, He reveals Himself so that we can know Him truly. A blessed life requires that we listen carefully to the God who acts and speaks in history.
Humans must worship someone or something. It is part of our nature. Without God, therefore, we worship versions of ourselves, but are we worthy of such worship? A blessed life requires a God who is worthy of the role.
Change, especially religious change, is never easy. The tensions between faithfulness and innovation are immediately evident as the new church expands into unfamiliar territory. God therefore works to make His will clear in that day and in ours.
When God calls His servants into a challenging mission, He does not abandon them. His Spirit remains present, to ensure results that human efforts by themselves cannot produce.
History too often records conflict and tragedy when diverse religious traditions try to share the same space at the same time. If the new community of Jesus is truly to bring these traditions together, then the main thing must remain the main thing.
For God to change a community, He begins by changing people. Peter’s relationship with Jesus redefines his identity, and, as this relationship grows deeper, it changes his reason for living. His experience of Jesus can inspire us to reconsider who defines us and what inspires our purpose.
God’s new directions are not self-evident. He must inspire people spiritually to work outside of their comfort zones. In this story from the early church, He stretches the boundaries of His people by calling His servants into new levels of service.
Good visions must provide a compelling reason for change. Through two powerful visions to two different men, God forges a new path forward for those who choose to follow Jesus.
For centuries, many thinkers and educators have sought to convince us that we are nothing more than evolutionary accidents, biological and chemical organisms sharing a planet with other organisms more or less like us. In this closed system, we struggle to find a meaningful life. Faith helps us to see that we as humans do have a purpose beyond our biology and chemistry.
History records multiple attempts to confront and overcome injustice. Some stories are more encouraging than others. Those engaged in such efforts are often called to make extraordinary sacrifices for their cause. Were their sacrifices worth the effort? Faith provides a perspective that inspires us never to give up our fight against injustice and oppression, even when it seems that our efforts are in vain.
In 1965, the Byrds made these few verses of Ecclesiastes famous in a song that reached number one in America on the Billboard Hot 100. In those days of change and chaos, people found comfort in this reminder, that “There is a time for everything under the sun.” Faith gives us this stable point of view as we face our own tumultuous times
What is the point of our work? What are we trying to achieve? How do we know when we have succeeded? Faith enables us to define success in realistic ways, not just in the future, but every day of our lives.
As biological creatures, we naturally strive both to avoid pain and maximize pleasure. However, does this biological pursuit make us truly human? Does it satisfy our deepest desires as human beings? Faith provides a way forward when pleasure is not enough, and pain is too much.
Our world changes at a rapid pace, but have we changed as human beings? Have all our revolutions around the sun helped us to fully realize our potential? Faith gives us a way to think through the confusing collision of human success and failure.
Our broken world has a way of convincing us that we must remain trapped within its destructive cycles. Weeks before Jesus Himself rises from the dead, however, He proves that He has the keys to free us from this prison, in this world and in the next.
The fear of death underlies all other fears. Until someone conquers death, fear will never be conquered. When Lazarus is at death’s door, his family has choice about how they may respond, a choice that centers entirely around Jesus.
We know the process all too well, sickness that leads to death. Lazarus and his family experienced it too. It is a fear-filled slippery slope for them and for us. Jesus wants to inspire hope in us as we face this fear, and His friend Lazarus becomes a living witness of this hope.
Nothing is more convincing than a dead person brought to life. God brings Jesus to life to demonstrate His power over death, and now He extends this power through His servant Peter. The same message, the same power, and the same God.
It seems only right that a former skeptic must now convince other skeptics. He is therefore not surprised by their resistance. But the power that changes him calls him to stay engaged in the mission.
Some people can become strongly but wrongly convinced. Jesus meets a confirmed enemy on the road to Damascus and powerfully convinces him to change his ways.
Sometimes truth can speak more powerfully than miracles, especially for those genuinely seeking truth. God sets up a divine appointment for Philip to respond to a seeker’s questions.
Simon had seen power before. He pretended to be an expert, until a new power comes to town. By meeting Philip, Simon meets Jesus, and his world could never be the same.
Running for his life, David seeks refuge in a holy place, asks for holy bread, and lies to a priest in the process. By most standards, he has broken a lot of rules, but does this really matter?
Allies are sometimes found among enemies. Strangers and can become close friends and family who fight together for the good that God desires. In the friendship between Jonathan and David, we find a pathway toward finding allies in a relationship-challenged world.
Relationships are tricky, especially in a world driven by power and wealth. David must face this new challenging world as he learns God’s plan for his life. We can learn from his example as we navigate our own power and wealth-dominated culture.
There are always bigger giants and bigger enemies in the land, and they can inspire fear or courage, depending on one’s point of view. In David’s view, a giant enemy has only one purpose, to bring glory to an even bigger God.
Powerful people can have powerful demons. When evil tormentors possessed Saul, David’s spirit was his only comfort. What was David’s secret, and how can we use it to help the tormented souls in our world?
Saul had been a great and powerful king, but his fall put God’s people in danger. Now God calls an unlikely servant to fill this role. Why this young man above all others? How can his calling inspire us to fill our role in God’s work?
Just shepherds. Not exactly the upper echelons of cultural power and prestige. Yet, God chooses them to hear great news that brings great joy. Their message continues to inspire our rejoicing!
Just as Joseph considers abandoning his beloved Mary, God works to reclaim all His children. Through this perplexed but blessed couple, He sends His own Son in human flesh to declare that He is forever with us.
It may seem absurd to talk of peace when the world seems ripped apart by war and rumors of war. God boldly promises peace, however, precisely when it seems most elusive. His words still can restore our peace when we need it most.
Just as the world seemed to be falling apart, God makes a promise. In His time and in His way, He would send a new world power to make things right. What happened to that promise? Does it still inspire us with hope in our own broken world?
In this famous Psalm, God offers us an invitation and opportunity to rejoice. Rejoicing, it turns out, is good for the soul!
At our core, we humans are made to give and receive love. Human failure has blurred that need, but God meets it fully. Faith enables us to rely on God’s never-failing love for us, so we can be free to love others.
As children we are born with the desire to please those who give us life, and we are broken when we feel that we have fallen short. Faith reminds us, however, that we can never disappoint the Divine Father who gave us life, because His love for us is not based on our performance. It rests on a much more solid foundation.
Faith reminds us that God alone determines our destiny. Neither fear, failure, nor fate have that power. God created us, and He also restores and empowers us to realize the destiny that He has always desired for us.
Children must usually wait for a death in the family to receive their inheritance. Yet, God does not require us to wait entirely for our glorious riches. Already, in our present, He gives us a foretaste and a sample of the abundance that awaits us when we pass from this life.
As God’s children, we are assured of a heavenly inheritance. By keeping this inheritance in mind, faith provides a pathway through our struggles and opportunities to become a healing force in our world.
Whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, we are slaves to human failure from the day of our birth. Faith reminds us, however, that we need not remain in that bondage, freeing us to live the abundant life of God’s free children.
Because our minds have been devastatingly crippled by human failure, God must spiritually heal us so we can think correctly. Faith provides this pathway toward healing, to see God, others, ourselves, and our world through different eyes.
Freedom from Sin and Death
At the root of all our fears lie the threats of failure and death. God has already destroyed those threats and faith empowers us to accept this truth. When we no longer fear failure and death, we can begin to live again. Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/Faith-Romans-8-2023-Week-1-Sermon-Notes.pdf
After receiving his blessing, Jacob must make a troublesome journey home, a journey interrupted by an unusual fight with an unusual opponent. What does this struggle teach us about our struggles, and how God meets us in these struggles?
The path of God’s blessing was not easy for Jacob. He worked years for it, and still his uncle almost stole his blessing from him, just as he had stolen his brother’s blessing. God intervenes, however, to ensure that His blessing continues to spread into the world. What does this teach us about God’s gracious ways in the face of hostile plots and plans?
Jacob was not perfect, and neither was his family: twelve different sons from four different mothers, all living in the same house. Their lives were as challenging as we might imagine. But why would God choose this imperfect family to start a new family of God? What does this teach us about our less than perfect families?
As Jacob journeys to begin his new life, he sees a vision of a heavenly stairway traveled by angels. What does this stairway to heaven have to do with us and the plans God has for our life journey?
The name “Jacob” can mean “supplanter,” and he fits the role by stealing his brother’s inheritance. Why would God allow such injustice, and what does this teach us about God’s gracious blessing?
As in many other biblical stories, God proves He is the author of life by giving children to a couple not able to bear them naturally. Twins are miraculously born, and God mysteriously chooses the younger son to be His chosen vessel of grace. What does this miraculous choice teach us about God and His gracious ways?
Stephen is the first martyr of this new community of Jesus followers, and His example teaches us that we will win our battles with a different sort of witness and a different sort of victory. The world may view us as losers, but God sees us, and we must see ourselves as His victorious children.
Where two or more are gathered to accomplish the same mission, they must organize. The early church faced a challenge that threatened this mission when people began to argue over money. The leaders’ response teaches us the importance of organizing in a way that honors God and preserves His mission.
New directions will always be resisted, especially by people who do not get the point behind the change. Those following Jesus must see clearly why they do what they do, so they are not discouraged by this opposition.
Religion can be dangerous when it substitutes show for substance. In the early days of the church one couple ignored this truth, and it cost them their lives. We would be wise to learn from their mistake.
When Jesus appears, He begins a new work of God. The goal remains the same: a holy, good, and loving people worshiping God in a good and nourishing place. However, Jesus now introduces a new means to that end, now for all people, in all places, for all time.
After a very eventful early summer, especially the death of my father, I have been reflecting deeply on why I am here, and what God is calling me to do here. I am praying that God will use those reflections to inspire us, as we ask those same questions together.
Often, in response to our challenges, God answers with comfort and hope rather than detailed arguments. The truth He chooses to reveal provides strength to carry on while His judgement against injustice emerges in His time and in His way.
God has already decreed the defeat of injustice. Often we do not appreciate God’s judgement, but we will appreciate it more when discover why there must be a truly holy and loving God who holds us all accountable.
Who cares for the victims of injustice? Does God care? Does He see what is happening here? These questions challenge the authenticity of our concern. What motives lie behind our cries against injustice? Are we driven by the love that God requires?
To us, it may seem that injustice is inevitable. Despite our best efforts, it continues to destroy. However, God is already at work defeating injustice in a surprising way that will address the root of our problem.
Why does God allow the brutal destructiveness of injustice to continue? Does He care? Is He doing anything to reverse this curse? Fair questions, but does God have to answer them? Is He accountable to us, or are we accountable to Him? Come discover the love of a God who takes our challenges seriously.
God proves the power of His word through the miracle of healing. What do these miracles teach us about God’s work in our day?
God’s Spirit builds a new community that walks its talk, loving in deeds, not just in words
Proclaiming God’s Good News to everyone presents its share of challenges. In a powerful display of His love for all people, God speaks truth to everyone in a language they can understand
One disciple of Jesus brought disaster, but God was already prepared with a response. His Spirit inspires leaders to overcome obstacles and complete the work they are called to do.
While they wait for God to move, Jesus commands His disciples to pray. While we wait for God, we must prepare ourselves, interacting with Him so that we can see things from His perspective.
The Easter story is filled with human drama, people responding and reacting is all sorts of ways — some doubting, some rejoicing, some denying, some not sure what to think. If we look carefully, we will find ourselves in this story, and we will see how Jesus rose again for all of us, even when we have serious questions.
Through God’s powerful Spirit within us, we learn to experience grace as our second nature, drinking deeply from its healing power, until it fully informs our thoughts, words and actions. Restored in God’s image, we are now free to love others as God commands us to love them.
Grace allows room for freedom, where cultural biases are not mistaken for divine commands. Rather, all beliefs and practices must conform to God’s one non-negotiable law of love.
Grace makes it possible for human walls of division to fall. Cultures separated by belief and practice can find common ground in a Christ who dies for all people, finding power even to love those we have been taught to hate.
Grace cannot be earned. It can only be accepted, and we cannot accept it unless we trust the One who offers it. Grace and faith therefore work together, one power growing the other within us.
Grace transcends both our frailty and our failure. When are ready to admit that we need God’s forgiving and healing power, He promises to deliver it through His Son who dwells within us.
Paul’s experience of grace alters his life mission. He receives Christ’s grace, and now he is compelled to share it with others. It is a treasure too great to keep for himself.
Because of who Jesus is and what He has done, grace has the power to produce peace. Through His death, evil received the judgment it deserves, and through His resurrection, we can rise again from that judgment. He therefore restores our peace with God, freeing us to be at peace with others.
When we work toward God’s vision, victory is assured. We must therefore look up and find our direction from His revealed message.
In the work of rebuilding, doing nothing is dangerous. A failure to act will draw us deeper into the mud. God therefore sends a wakeup call through His prophet, a call that still addresses us today.
Any rebuilding process will inevitably face many obstacles. It’s a good thing, therefore, that we serve a God who has no problem removing those obstacles, when His people are committed to His work.
Disaster has a way of knocking the collective breath out of us. The effort to rebuild will therefore require a new spirit. Thankfully, the God who first beathed life into us stands ready to do it again, filling us with a new spirit of hope, power, and joy.
God’s people were given the chance to start again, to rebuild a temple that their enemies had destroyed. Few, however, had the heart to re-engage in the work. God therefore challenges them to think carefully about their choices because they will have far-reaching consequences.
As the holidays fall behind us, we must return to real life. The challenges of last year quicky reappear when the Christmas lights are turned off. How can this year be different? Will God do something to lift the burdens of the past and allow us to breath again? The prophet Ezekiel sees relief in sight.
Saved from an enemy’s plot, God calls His Son back to His chosen land to continue the restoring work that He had been doing for centuries. He now directs the eyes of the world on this place where He will work miracles that change everything.
As witnesses of His miraculous work, God calls an obscure group of men who were just doing their job in the wilderness. Their role, however, fulfills a story that God had been foretelling for centuries through His prophets. They became the heralds of a new chapter in God’s story of restoration.
While God does His work, a king plots against Him. He is no match, however, for the sovereign Lord of the universe. Through His miracle of deliverance, God recreates a story that demonstrates His saving power.
The birth of an unknown child in a small village sends a signal to stargazers in a distant land. From a land that once held His people captive, God calls witnesses to view a miracle of His restoration.
While some people hoped for a better world, God was already at work creating one in surprising and expected ways. While an ordinary man contemplates his dilemma, God reveals His extraordinary plan.
Praise is difficult when life proves unfair. By focusing on our God who cares, our attention moves from the problem to the solution, and challenges us to become a part of that solution.
Praise will sometimes take us back to the beginning when God created us. Sometimes we may wonder if He knew what He was doing. By remembering His design, we are inspired to become what He made us to be.
The praise journey begins with a conversation, addressing a God who promises to listen. He is not afraid of our questions, and He is not surprised by our challenges. As we pour out our hearts, He assures us of His presence.
If Jesus, who never hurt anyone, is mistreated in this world, then we who follow Jesus will also meet our share of objectors. When this happens, Jesus promises to deliver us in His time and in His way.
Peacemaking is not for the faint of heart. Those working for peace must believe that it can work. Jesus assures us that peacemakers are God’s children, empowered to do the work of their Father.
The world has a way of challenging our faith. We may start to wonder why we believe what we believe. Jesus assures us that hard questions asked with a pure heart will help us to see God more clearly.
What happens after we call people to account? How do we respond to their failure? Jesus urges mercy for them and for us. Mercy enables us to function in a world of imperfect people, including ourselves.
What would we want to be filled with righteousness? What would that look like? How would we do that? Why does Jesus promise blessing with it?
Matthew 5:6: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Recorded in our chapel, after Ian. No electricity, but God was fully present in His power.
Some voices in our culture seem to matter more than others. We call them, “influencers.” Jesus, however, challenges our perspective. He promises the world to the “meek” ones that we often do not notice. Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/Blessings-Lemonade-2022-Sermon-Notes-Week-3.pdf
Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:8-11, September 25, 2022
Loss is an uncomfortable part of being human. The more we value someone or something, the more we miss them when they are gone. Can we ever dig ourselves out of our grief? Jesus assures us that He will heal even our most powerful grief through His loving and gracious presence.
Matthew 5:4; Isaiah 61:1-3, September 18, 2022
Some days we are not up for the fight. The cost is too high, and victory seems unlikely. Jesus assures us, however, that He is powerfully present in every struggle.
Matthew 5:3; 11:28-30, September 11, 2022
In a culture where widows were frequently disadvantaged, Ruth discovers that she has a Sure and Certain Provider, a Heavenly Father that will not abandon her to the chaos, and a Sovereign King who will include her in His plans for the future of His people.
When Ruth leaves her family and her homeland, she depends upon another whole line of people whom she never met before. God works to ensure that this new family pours out the grace that He desires for all His children, even those who do not yet know Him as their Heavenly Father.
At home in a different culture, a young widow starts to rebuild her life. She and her mother-in-law create a plan, but God has a bigger plan that neither of them could imagine. His plan inspires us, especially when our plans seem inadequate.
When three women each lose their husbands, they must begin to rebuild their lives. Two women choose to return to their homeland, but Ruth makes a different decision. When the future offers her little hope, God provides a way forward on an unexpected path.
How many love songs have been written throughout the history of the world? We humans from all cultures and all ages can’t stop dreaming about, celebrating, and lamenting our love experiences. The coming of Jesus gives us another love song to sing, one that will transform all our other relationships.
Jesus provides a new standard of love that measures all other attempts at love. Following His example will empower us to love truthfully, exposing the false substitutes for love that have hurt far too many people.
Imperfect, broken people have a hard time accepting or giving love. To love freely, God must deal with the imperfections we know as sin. Jesus has come to deal with our sin, so we are freed to love.
Some of us may have given up on love. We tried in the past to love and be loved, but that experiment crash-landed. Jesus comes to give all of us a new start, to experience love again the way God created it.
When Ezekiel sees visions of a new temple and a new city, He sees heaven coming to earth. The created world is not merely restored. It is gloriously transformed. As transformed people we can look forward to our place in this new heaven and new earth.
When it looks as if God’s plans were dead, when His people seemed lost and defeated, God raises them from the dead and breathes His Spirit into them. The ones once regarded as dead are now powerful warriors in a restored kingdom of God.
Visions of judgment are never pleasant. Given the choice, we would rather avoid them. Yet God in His mercy wants us to see clearly the consequences that await us, if we choose to reject His ways.
n this first vision, the powerful symbols of God in the temple come to life, and Ezekiel the priest bows in reverence. God will call him to do an impossible job, but his big vision of God will inspire him to attempt the impossible.
Who is invited to the party? Those who deserve to be there or those who everyone expects to be there? Maybe our culture is not very good at making this decision. Jesus, however, teaches us a faith that will see everyone through God’s eyes, so that we can joyfully tell them about their invitation to God’s celebration.
Faith is more than belief. It requires action that proves what we believe. Jesus teaches us that belief without loving action is false and ineffective faith. True faith, however, proves itself through love.
Faith does not always produce visible results, at least not in the short term. Jesus teaches us however to look beyond our efforts to the One who inspires those efforts. He guarantees our results, even if we cannot immediately see them.
All of us are born with an authority problem. We don't like it when people tell us what to do, even when Jesus Himself gives us commands. In this week's scripture, however, Jesus reminds us that obedient faith can produce an everlasting result, completing what God wants to build within us and through us.
Nothing destroys impact like hypocrisy. Jesus teaches us faith that turns hypocrisy on its head. By admitting our own blindness, we can finally begin to see and help others to see the light. We experience in fuller measure the grace that God freely gives to us as we extend that grace to others.
Faith can be powerless if we refuse to be challenged. True faith quickly rejects ritual with no substance. Jesus wants us to experience a powerful faith that breaks out of our old wineskins, spilling into a thirsty world.
Jesus dies but does not stay dead. The Father raises Him. This one event changes our entire view of life and death, giving us hope even when we must witness the tragedy of death. How does this event continue to inspire us?
Good Friday did not at first appear to be good. In fact, it was awful, an innocent and beloved man condemned to die a tortuous death. Unfortunately, this kind of death was all too common in a broken and condemned world. And yet, there was something different about this death, something that brings hope to those who understand what God is revealing through it.
Jesus prepares His disciples for what lies ahead. He serves them, feeds them, and charges them to follow His example. He institues a meal, extending the promise of Passover to a new generation of His people. By continuing this meal together, He reminds us of His presence to deliver us from a sin-cursed world, and to unite us as we work together for His eternal kingdom.
Jesus carefully plans His arrival in Jerusalem. His triumphal entry tells us what sort of victory God will win. When we begin to doubt who is winning in our own tumultuous world, this story reminds us of God’s time-tested ways.
Jesus often faces spiritual enemies that plagued the people around Him. He comes to bring healing to these victims. His actions bear witness to God’s relentless love for those still under attack.
Jesus claims to be the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people. His claims are either preposterous or world changing. For those suffering and those committed to improving this world, His claims deserve thoughtful consideration.
Before Jesus launches His public ministry, He faces an ancient enemy. He defeats this enemy with an inner strength that He passes on to His followers. How do we tap into this strength when our enemies attack?
Since ancient times, ashes have been a symbol of repentance, a visible sign of our desire to be cleansed and healed. Join us in our chapel, as we begin our healing journey of Lent together.
In our culture, obedience does not come easily. If they want obedience, parents, pet owners and governments must often stipulate harsh consequences for any failure to comply. When we follow Christ, however, we are blessed to obey, because of the one who calls us to obey. In our obedience to Him we find power and strength to stand through any trial.
Humility is not always popular in our culture. The humble person is often seen as a weak person. Jesus, however, turns this perspective on its head. Only truly strong people can be humble, and this humility gives them power to face the harsh critics in our world.
Speaking of humility, I apologize in advance for mispronouncing Leymah Gbowee's last name; it should be pronounced with a long "o".
Some days challenge us more than others. Sometimes the obstacles are so formidable that we question whether our efforts are worth anything at all. Yet, the apostle maintains a powerful perspective that both informs his efforts and assures him of good results. Even when most people cannot see the signs of success, how does he keep his hope alive?
The world seeks happiness, while God promises joy. Joy is therefore more powerful than happiness. It is not dependent on circumstances or environment. It is more deeply rooted and more deeply satisfying. How do we obtain this joy that sustains us even in challenging times?
When we find ourselves caught up in power struggles beyond our control, we may cry out to God for His salvation. Is He listening? When Daniel prays, God reveals His plans to work through the chaos and bring this world back into order. Appearances must not keep us from seeing the sovereign hand of God working toward His ordained outcomes.
Formidable powers follow one upon the other in their rise to own the world. Their plans, plots, and wars seem to shape the history of humankind. Yet, God has not abandoned the fight. The world remains His kingdom, and, in due time, He reveals the one who will win it all back to Himself.
Injustice will not go away, good people made to suffer for the wrong reasons. As a victim of injustice, Daniel learns to depend upon a just God who saves the righteous. His trust in the one who sees and saves inspires us to remain vigilant in our own pursuit of justice.
The world’s struggles for power and wealth are endless. Whoever stands at the top must beware of those who seek to take their place. To His servant Daniel, God reveals timeless wisdom, inspiring us to live informed and productive lives beyond the reach of this vicious cycle.
Sometimes God’s ways do not make sense to us. The world around us lives by their own rules, and we may envy them. God’s ways sometimes require us to do what we do not want to do, and prohibits us from doing things we may want to do. In a time of intense pressure, Daniel demonstrates the wisdom of following God’s ways, even when they seem out of step with the world.
Hope will only matter to those who hear and believe there is a reason to hope. Jesus comes in a way that convinces us of this reason. He comes so that those who most need hope can find it. As messengers of that same hope, we are encouraged as we discover its power.
While the world seeks to defeat and divide the family of God, one Son comes from the small village of Bethlehem to rescue and unite His family. In a culture filled with division, we find hope in the one who comes to bring us back together.
At first there is very little hope, no realistic chance of survival, let alone victory. Then, however, a branch grows from a fallen tree, pointing once more to a restored garden. Our hope might not be visible to everyone, but those who watch this Branch will be encouraged and empowered to believe in the growing work of God.
The child we remember at Christmas is no ordinary child. The man who later walks the streets of Jerusalem is no ordinary man. The meek and mild Person who sleeps in a stable and wanders the hillsides bears all the power of God, because He is God. We need not fear the future, because we follow a Warrior who guarantees our hope.
When God’s prophet predicts the birth of a unique child, His people needed a reason to hope. Powerful enemies threatened almost certain destruction. God, however, will not abandon His people to despair. This sign will be a sign to all people that He will fulfill His good plans for us.
The people celebrate when God visits their temple. Even when we are tempted to focus on the brokenness of our world, how can our church remain a place to celebrate all the good that God is doing among us?
In the final section of Solomon’s prayer, he asks God to respond when people from all over the world come to seek His forgiveness and restoration. How can our church ensure that all those who are seeking truth and exploring their faith here will discover a God who forgives and heals?
Solomon continues his prayer by asking God to continue pouring truth into their sometimes-misguided journey. How can we ensure that our church is a place where people can find God’s truth in a mixed-up world?
Solomon dedicates the temple with prayer. This prayer highlights our need to dialog regularly with God, to reconcile our will with His will. How can our church become a place where people can freely and frequently dialog with God about His will for our lives?
God chose to visit this temple with His presence. Where do people find God in our world? How can our church become a place where people from all over the world, with all types of backgrounds, can encounter this God who is always with us?
Forgiveness is a powerful force if we have the courage to master it. It does not come easily. It is both counterintuitive and countercultural. Nevertheless, it is part of God’s plan to change people and change the world. He therefore calls all of His disciples to become experts in His forgiveness.
Many make promises, but not everyone keeps them. In Jesus, God makes a promise that He will always keep. As we receive and talk about this certain promise, we encourage those who may be wondering where their life might be headed.
We all want heaven where we will experience no pain or suffering. Yet, we remain on earth, where suffering still abounds. God’s good news, however, is that Jesus brings heaven to earth, and He brings heaven’s comfort through those that follow Him.
In a frequently divided culture, our respect for one another can quickly disappear. God provides a new definition of respect, revealed in Jesus, who both rules over all and serves all. God therefore calls His children to learn His version of respect, bringing dignity to both leaders and servants. Sermon Notes and Discussion Guide available: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/Commitment-to-Others-2021-Sermon-Notes-Week-3.pdf
Our culture often paints unrealistic images of success or beauty, and we are quickly judged when we fall short of these ideals. Under this pressure, many people, especially young people, remain discouraged and depressed. God calls His children to fight this cultural epidemic, becoming experts in the ministry of encouragement. Sermon Notes and Discussion Guide available at: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/Commitment-to-Others-2021-Sermon-Notes-Week-2.pdf
Everyone wants peace, but few know how to achieve it. God, however, reveals the secrets of peace through His Son, Jesus. He then calls all His children to learn this peace and to build upon it in a divided world. Sermon Notes are available at https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/Commitment-to-Others-2021-Sermon-Notes-Week-1.pdf
Sharing God’s news requires complete dependence upon the One who calls us. His love and truth must inspire us to overcome our objections and doubts. While we often fall short, God will nevertheless work through us to demonstrate the power of His life-changing story.
Sharing God’s good news will cause us to reexamine our faith, to test its limits and challenge its assumptions. Through an honest dialog with God, we will again experience the power to share God’s life-changing story.
Sharing God’s good news with the world will not be easy. God calls us into a broken world to share with broken people. This mission will stretch us out of our comfort zones, causing us to grow as disciples as we share God’s life-changing story. The story of the prophet Jonah teaches us these lessons.
What does God expect us to do with our wealth? Enjoy it? Share it? Invest it? Actually, Jesus has each of these in mind, as He invites us to participate in God’s kingdom-building project.
Where is God when do not have enough to survive? What do we do with this fear about the future? Jesus uses examples from nature to teach us how to respond to this fear, so it does not own us. Sermon Notes and Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/Stewardship-2021-Sermon-Notes-Week-2.pdf
How much is too much? Can we ever have enough? Often, we desire wealth so that we have enough when things go badly. But what if things go very badly? What then is the source of our confidence and our security? We will examine how Jesus addresses this fear in a parable about barn-building. Luke 12:13-21. Sermon Notes and Discussion Questions are available here: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/Stewardship-2021-Sermon-Notes-Week-1.pdf
Does it help if we all pray together? Cultures throughout the world often call their people to prayer. Somehow, we realize instinctively that prayer can have a unifying effect. But do our corporate prayers make a difference to God? Do they change what He will do?
Do I have enough faith? We pray for things, and often, it seems, God does not do what we ask. Are we the problem? Must we believe more? In this gospel story, the Father responds to Jesus’ prayer, but not that of the disciples. What did they do wrong?
How do we know that God is listening? Our answer to this question centers on God’s Spirit. His Spirit assures us that our Heavenly Father is fully present when we are speaking with Him. He bridges the gap between our cries and our Father’s loving responses.
Scripture reading should change us. The stories it tells are meant to shape our story. The final step in Bible study therefore requires application. What does the big idea of the story mean for us today, in our culture and our life situations?
Sometimes the flow of ideas in scripture can overwhelm us. As we read many words, the big idea may elude us. By asking, “What did God say?” we seek to express the timeless truth of the story in words that make sense to us.
The Bible is a story consisting of many stories, interwoven with themes and images that build to a glorious finale. Sometimes, as we read the Bible, we get lost in the woods, focusing on the trees and missing the forest. Let’s step back and rejoice in the bigger picture.
God at one point calls Abraham to do the unthinkable, to sacrifice his beloved, promised son. God uses this test in Abraham’s life to extend His promise to all people for all time. We too are called to pass whatever tests challenge us, and God will use our faithfulness to extend and encourage His entire family.
Abraham does not come from a perfect family. His family included broken people too. Yet, God still works through this broken family to create a new people that would fill the entire earth. Because of God’s creative work, we discover that our families will also grow in ways we can never imagine.
We do not know much about Abraham’s background, but his life radically changes when God calls him. Our Heavenly Father will always find us, wherever we are, and when He calls us, we will discover our place, our direction, and our purpose.
God’s story is more than simple human history. It is a divinely breathed story that creates a new world and new children of God. The Spirit in this story breathes new life into our story.
Jesus does not randomly appear in human history. His coming is planned for centuries. He comes at just the right time to reveal a new direction and a new end in the unfolding plan of God. His story is unique, and it has the potential to change everyone’s story.
A flood of information engulfs us, so how do we sort through it all? God's Story, told in the scriptures, gives a framework, a worldview that will guide us through this flood.
Even if we accept the resurrection of Jesus as an historical fact, we can still believe in "vain," as Paul makes clear in his letter to this early church. How can this historical fact make a difference in our lives, and truly "save" us?
What assurances does God give to us that we can actually live according to the Spirit? A look at Romans 8:12-31.
Last Sunday we discussed the Divine Exchange in which God substituted Christ's death for our death, and extends the gift of Christ's resurrected life to us. In this devotional we address the sure and certain hope that this Divine Exchange brings us.
Recovery is a long and difficult road. Whether we are recovering from illness, injury or addiction, the pathway requires extraordinary power. God provides this power for all of us recovering from the effects of a broken world. Come experience the power!
Through the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, God restores His creation and His children. How do we participate in God's powerful, restoring work of making us right again?
The Cross is God's solution to our complex human mess. In order to appreciate the solution, however, we must understand the nature of the problem. In this sermon, we examine part of the Apostle Paul's analysis of the problem expressed to the religious people of His day. His words will help us discern what lies at the heart of our human problems.
Reflecting on perhaps the most famous version of the Bible. Jesus, the Son of God, sent to save us. How do we experience the power of God's love.
Last Sunday we reflected Jesus as Lord, clearing the temple and describing His body as the temple. In this devotional, we see Jesus in the heavenly temple, in John's book of Revelation.
When Jesus clears the temple, He reveals Himself as the Lord of His people. He calls God's people to change as they recognize His holy presence among them. In His death and resurrection, Jesus makes it possible for us to change, if we are willing to change.
On Sunday, we examined John's gospel which describes Jesus as both fully God and fully Man, who comes to make us fully human. In this devotional, we examine Paul's letter to the Colossians, chapter 1, in which the apostle expands this thought.
Is Jesus a moral teacher, a religious leader, a myth? John opens his story about Jesus by declaring that He is both fully God and fully human. Sermon Notes and Discussion Guide are available at: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/WhoIsJesus-2021-SermonNotes-Week1.pdf. For more information visit https://dirkcorner.com
David's cry for mercy exposes our need for the Father, Son and Spirit, threads of truth that are woven together more closely in the New Testament.
The God Who is beyond us is also with us. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He will find us no matter how lost we might feel.
How can we know a God who is Beyond Us? King David gives us an answer to this question in his hymn of praise.
While Caesar flexes his tyrannical muscle, God reveals a new, powerful phase in His heavenly kingdom. The new king is announced to lowly shepherds because He would be a different kind of ruler. His humble beginnings merely highlight His power. He comes for all people. He brings joy to everyone, not just those in power. Hope gives us this power to rejoice, even in troubled times.
To those living in Israel, the coming of Jesus made sense. God had promised a king in the line of David, and now He had arrived to assume His throne. But what does His coming mean to those outside of Israel, who were not yet part of Israel’s story? Then mysterious visitors appear from a distant land, because the heavens have told them of this glorious birth. God has summoned them to find in Israel the child that would reign over all the earth. Their presence reminds us that this hope has power to reach every seeking soul.
Two faithful servants wait for God to answer prayer, and God comes through in an epoch-changing way.
On Sunday we reflected on the hope that God reveals through a troubled father named Joseph. This got me thinking of another Joseph who lived some 1700 years earlier. Both these Josephs share something in common, with each other and with us.
While God works through His Spirit to bring His Son into the world, the couple chosen to raise this child face a crisis that threatens this plan. God, however, will not give up on His plan. Joseph learns that God is both beyond us and with us.
On Sunday we heard the angel reveal an astounding message to a young woman, named Mary, that she would become the mother of God' Son born in human flesh! In our reflection this morning, we reflect on her song of praise in response to this revelation.
While a young woman in Nazareth prepares for her wedding, she receives a stunning message. She would soon be the mother of the new king of Israel, and His kingdom would never end. This was no ordinary child; He would be the Son of God. For a virgin, this news seems impossible, but, for God, this challenge only demonstrates His glory and invincible will. Hope gives us this power to believe and engage in God’s sovereign plan.
Throughout this pandemic, we have seen many health care workers step into the breach, risk the danger, and work toward our healing. This week we look at a Healer unlike any other, with power and authority that we had never seen before.
As our world remains fractured and divided on so many levels, God reveals His Good News, that He has sent His Son to bring us together into a new community. Mark 1:9-20.
A handout for this sermon is available at https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/TimeforGoodNews-2020-SermonNotes-Week2.pdf
In 2020, our culture has endured its share of bad news, including a global pandemic, inflamed racial tensions, and intense political fractures. So, we can all use some Good News, and Jesus brings us the best news ever – for all people in all times, even troubled times like ours. The Gospel of Mark tells us about the “beginning” of this Good News, and we will explore it in this week's episode.