Northwest Church of Christ Sermons: Recent Episodes
Northwest Church of Christ
The Final River - Revelation 22:1-5
The rivers flowing out of Eden and the river flowing from the Temple in Ezekiel 47 now lead us to the river flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb in Revelation 22. This river again causes trees of healing and life to grow near it, nourishing the entire Creation eternally. Our job as Christians today is to begin that work of being life giving water to a world that needs it.
(Rivers run through Scripture pt 2) Ezekiel 47:1-12
In the days of Ezekiel he was given a vision of a river that came from God’s Temple. It began as a trickle until it became a vast life-giving river. Later, in a ceremony rehearsing this vision, Jesus would declare that anyone who is thirsty should come to him and drink. Jesus is the life giving river that flows from the Temple. Are you drinking this water?
(Rivers run through Scripture pt 1) The God of Deep Waters Psalm 93
This week we will begin our three part series on the rivers that run through the story of Scripture. We begin with the chaotic deep waters of Genesis 1:1-2. When God begins creating there is disorder, emptiness, and an uninhabitable wasteland of abyss and deep waters. But the Spirit of God hovers above the deep waters and tames them. It is then that God’s creative word brings order, boundaries and life to the entire Creation. But it’s just the beginning of the story of God bringing life from and through water.
Let Freedom Ring - Scripture: Luke 4:14-21
After being tempted, Jesus returns to his hometown and reads from the scroll of Isaiah in synagogue. The passage he reads reveals that Jesus is ushering in a new day of healing, of restoration, and of freedom (Jubilee) for all people. Ironically, his promise of freedom for ALL people becomes scandalous in his hometown. Do we still offer the promise of freedom to all people today?
Sermon Title: (CRC UPDATE) Soul Quest Theme - Rhythm: Learning God’s Tempo
Scripture: Acts 1:6-11, 2:42-47
Life Together 3: Philippians 2:1-11 The Christ Hymn
Our lives should follow the pattern of Jesus’ life. He left Heaven, becoming nothing, being obedient and humble so that when he is raised up and exalted, we too can live a life in this shape. Jesus didn’t teach us how to live; he taught us how to die so that God can exalt us too. When we live this way, we automatically put the interests and care of others above care and exaltation of self. Christ-like communities are therefore rooted in humility and one another-ness.
Title: Life Together 2: In Chains for ChristScripture: Philippians 1:12-30This week will look at how our connection is anchored in shared mission and purpose and that our suffering, our circumstances, and our challenges in life can become opportunities for God’s glory to shine through our lives. When we walk through tough times together God can do incredible things in us and through us.
Travis Akins, Minister at Heritage Church of Christ - M4M 2026
What Are You Doing Here?
Scripture: 1 Kings 19
Kent Brown, Bryan King & Charlie Spencer
The Spiritual Power of Circles
Scripture: Acts 2:42-47
Be the Twelve Romans 12:1-13
This week we will be talking about what it means to be a community of people living out Romans 12 together. We are called to be a body of believers, each having resume type gifts and each having spiritual gifts for the building up of the body. We will explore how our recent and upcoming activities as a church create the space that this Romans 12 life can truly take place and grow.
On February 1 we will be having a seminar to help people think through how they understand the story God is writing in their life. This week we will use Joseph’s story to show how God is often working in the background to put us where he needs us and when he needs us, even when it’s not clear to us. The more we understand the story God is writing the better we can partner with God. Joseph shows how powerful it is to understand this when he tells his brothers that God intended good for him when they intended harm. That story recognition is what unlocks the healing Joseph needs and it can do that for us too.
True community goes beyond casual meals and coffees. True community will eventually involve difficult conversations, conflict and repentance. When we think we have it all figured out, we will be unable to move beyond those seasons of hard conversations and conflict. True community, therefore, requires the humility to listen, to grow, to recognize that God is still working in each of our lives.
January 4 – Teach Us to Pray (and Fast) Matthew 6:9-18
This week kicks off our three week church prayer campaign at Northwest. Each day our prayer team
leaders will send out the daily prompt to their team to pray about a different aspect of “Connecting” to
God and one another in 2026. This sermon will go over different wants to think about prayer and fasting
and to plan how we will all engage in prayer to kick off 2026. It will go over the basics of fasting as a
spiritual discipline that helps us to have less of a physical thing to engage in more of a spiritual thing.
The Next Right Thing Deuteronomy 31:7-8
We will be going back over the Shepherds prayer challenge for kicking off 2026 and revisit the seven keys and create a bit of a roadmap for where Northwest is going and things to be excited about in 2026.
Blank Check Love - Scripture: John 3:16-21
God so loved the world…” Those words are so familiar that their weight can be lost on us. The love of God revealed at Christmas is not sentimental or abstract; it is embodied, costly, and redemptive. Love came down — not in comfort or glory, but in vulnerability.
This love does not wait for the world to become lovable. God’s love moves first, toward sinners, toward enemies. It is an initiating love that stoops to rescue, a love that bears our sin and shame. The baby in the manger is the Lamb who will be slain. The parable of the Good Samaritan is not just a moral teaching for our future…it is a description of what Jesus did on Christmas. He picked up our broken selves and then wrote a blank check to make us whole. We are called to embody the same kind of love — patient, forgiving, and self-giving and without condition — in our families, our communities, and even toward those who wrong us. God, like the Good Samaritan, is offering to make you healthy by giving you a blank check. Are you willing to cash it in?
Part two of our Godly Interruptions series focuses how sometimes God uses the storms in our lives to point us in new and sometimes unexpected directions.
Sometimes God shows up ready to move our lives in a new direction. While we expect it to be loud sometimes God shows up in the silence.
We are called to be living sacrifices. We are called to become stones in God's temple that reveal him to the world. The more we understand this, the more we will realize that all of life, whether at church, home, or work...we are always called to give God our heart, mind, and life in worship.
When we worship it brings us into sacred places where God is present. And if God's Spirit dwells in us, then we take God with us wherever we go. So our worship and devotion to him shouldn't know any limit. Are you truly being shaped by the gifts God wants to give you in worship?
This sermon celebrates the missions giving we do at Northwest. It talks about how money in our hands is temporary but in God's hands it becomes eternal. When we give to God's mission it changes us and changes the world. After this sermon the church gave $111,000 to missions, far exceeding our $95,000 goal!
Ben Williams continues our March for Missions campaign with a sermon that explores why so many young adults want their friends to know Jesus but feel that it's inappropriate to share their faith with them. How do we become people who are comfortable and passionate about telling people the story that we just happen to know is completely true and completely life changing?
March for Missions guest speaker Hunter Wiederstein challenges us to consider our limits of giving to others. Is there a limit to the time, energy, or tolerance you will give to others? How does that compare to the gifts of faith, hope, and love God gives us? Perhaps we should consider if we are willing to give even more faith, hope, and love to those God desires to come to know him.
When it comes to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, Shannon Hayes reminds us that we must begin with unity of heart, mind, and purpose. The world must be able to see the good news in our relationships with one another and in our unified love for the world. Because if they can't see it...it doesn't matter what we have to say.
One of the most overlooked and often misunderstood women of Genesis is the slave woman Hagar. She is used and abused, tossed out and forsaken. But not by God. In her lowest moments God saw her and knew her name. He called her and gave her a promise and a purpose. And for all of this, she named Yahweh, "El Roi," which means "the God who sees me." When you are down and defeated, God sees you too. He knows your name. He has a promise and a purpose for you.
The book of Psalms reminds us that for every season and every circumstance there is a prayer and God will hear it. So whether you are in the pasture, the pit, or the mountains, God is with you. This sermon shows how that it revealed in Psalm 23, 88, and 121.
Often in life we want to go our own way at our desired speed. This week Nathan reminds us that when we instead choose to follow our dependable God that it can keep us safe, provide what we need when we need it, and get us through life's storms.
In Acts 2 we read that the church "held all things in common." In many ways the church continues to do this today in our shared ownership of the church's assets. So this week we are talking about the assets of Northwest Church of Christ, the top ten reasons to give to Northwest in 2025, and all God is doing with what's been given to Northwest before.
This week we are preparing for our discipleship training and consider how Jesus designed his kingdom to grow by multiplication and not addition. Multiplication uses the power of many disciples making new disciples. We also explore how America doesn't have a "bad harvest problem" but really has a "too few harvesters problem." Are you ready to go to the harvest for Christ?
God promised Abraham his descendants would become a blessing to all nations. And yet Jesus grieved that the Temple had failed to become a house of prayer for the nations. And today God desires us to be a light to the nations. This sermon calls us to live in to that calling and discusses some of the reasons we fail to be the light in a dark world.
From early in history God has often called humans to special tasks or messages. He called Abraham and Moses and one was ready to follow and the other had all the excuses. What can we learn from those excuses? And do we repeat them in our life? Kent then shares what he hopes will open the door to a "God-size vision" for growing disciples at Northwest. Are you will to "come and see" what Jesus is up to and perhaps even "Follow and fish"?
So often people struggle to believe in God because of the suffering in the world. But Scripture acknowledges the suffering, not as God's plan, but as a result of our rejecting God's plan. Now, God works in the midst of the brokenness to bring about a new health and wholeness to us and the world. It's our job to partner with him on this journey toward restoration. The story of Hosea and his adulterous wife gives us an incredible picture of how God takes our sin seriously but loves enough to pay the price for reconciliation.
God's story doesn't end in the Bible but continues into every Christian's life today. This sermon explores Genesis 1 and the job that humans have to co-rule with God over the creation. What work does God have preselected for you? Are you willing to do it?
The works of Jesus Christ didn't end when the Bible was first sealed. They continue in the lives of every Spirit filled person who follows Jesus. In this sermon, Kent explores what kind of Jesus story is being told at Northwest and what kind of Jesus story is being told in his own life.
We often think about the sacrifice Jesus made in his death. This week we focus on the sacrifice he made in his birth. We also look at Vanstone's idea that love always takes effort and sacrifice, and the love of Christ is certainly evident in his decision to leave his father to go save his prodigal siblings.
Christian joy is more than just being happy due to your circumstances or being happy even when bad things happen. Christian joy exists in the intersection between faith and hope. If we truly have faith that God will keep his promises, we look forward hopefully towards their fulfillment and experience joy in the present.
One of the key ideas of the birth of Christ is the arrival of the Prince of Peace to our conflict riddled and broken world. But Scripturally the idea of peace is much bigger than simply ending conflict. The Hebrew and Greek words for "peace" have the idea of something being whole, healthy, and complete. When Jesus truly comes into your life he brings wholeness and then sends us to take the healing power of his peace into the world.
In the Gospels that describe Jesus' birth, there are many characters surrounding the birth of the Messiah who are experiencing grief, suffering, loss, and great trials. And just as Jesus brought hope to those who waited for him then, he brings hope to those who wait for him now.
This Thanksgiving you can be grateful for all your highlights, or you can put in some time and some work and really explore the three hidden thanksgivings that can truly bless you this season. So whether its the gratitude for suffering, the unspoken gratitude, or the abundance of blessings hidden in the small fonts check out this sermon for ideas on how to really be grateful this season.
Our world is filled with so much worry and anxiety and money, inflation and the economy. And our natural instinct is to cling to what is ours. But both science and Scripture reveal that giving generously is the key to destroying financial anxiety. This sermon uses data, experiments, and examples of the incredible generosity bursting forth all around Northwest to explore how we can be set free from financial fears by following Jesus' example and being open handed givers.
How did Mark's Gospel end in his original version? We don't know for sure, but this sermon explores those possible endings and what it means for our understanding of Mark's conclusion. But the most important thing is that Mark's Gospel was never designed to end the story. His story was designed to launch a final chapter which is told in the lives change by the Jesus story. So how does your life and your response to the good news of Jesus finish Mark's otherwise unfinished gospel?
As Jesus heads toward the cross, small characters make decisions about how to respond to the crucifixion in ways that can help us think about our reaction to the cross today. We also explore how Jesus' words "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me," may not be an exclamation of abandonment, but rather a final sermon pointing us to the prophecy fulfilled from Psalm 22 which ends "HE HAS DONE IT!"
As Jesus enters Jerusalem the people give him a royal parade and proclaim the return of the line of David. But as Jesus enters what should have been his Temple coronation the parade fizzles and everybody goes to bed. While the Temple establishment failed to recognize it's Lord and Messiah, a woman anoints Jesus as the final events of Jesus' ministry are set into motion. Will you make Jesus king of your life?
In this crucial central part of Mark's gospel the Apostles are accepting that Jesus is the Son of God and Messiah, but they are also struggling to see what kind of Kingdom Jesus plans to rule over. This section, bookended by two stories of blind men seeing ask how much we truly see the true king.
This week we continue our study of Mark by learning the "Lesson of the Loaves." Mark weaves this lesson from the feeding of the 5000 to Jesus walking on water to Jesus feeding the 4000. When all of these things happen and the Apostles are still worried about having enough bread Jesus asks them, "Have you not learned the lesson of the loaves? Do you stil not understand?" The question for us, is if we still doubt Jesus has the power to move in our lives or do we still not understand?
We are too often afraid to have gospel conversations with people. But there's only three things that could happen. They could reject us (red light), be open to talking more (yellow light), or choose to follow Jesus (green lights). We are so afraid of red light interactions that we fail to chase green lights. But as we see in Mark 6, disciples chase green lights and don't let anything stop them.
Pigs, blood, demons, unclean people, dead bodies...these were things that Jews wouldn't touch because it could make them unclean. But in today's sermon we see Jesus touch exactly these kinds of people in ways that fail to make him unclean but instead share his contagious holiness, cleanliness, and wholeness. Do we live like we believe that same power and Spirit dwells in us today?
This week is the 4th of 11 weeks on the Gospel of Mark. This is likely the first Gospel written and seeks to tell so many of the important details of Jesus’ three year ministry so that you will believe in him and become his faithful disciple. Today’s passage shows that when Jesus chose the Twelve it became his entire ministry focus to make sure they knew how to become the light on the stand and the tree which would give shelter to the entire world.
Once Jesus became famous, the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law showed up to see if Jesus was who the people claimed he was. When the began testing Jesus, they found that he had answers to all of their questions...and they didn't like it. By the beginning of Mark 3, they were ready to conspire with their enemies to kill Jesus.
Jesus begins healing, teaching, and casting out demons. The result is that he becomes extremely famous extremely quickly. But Jesus knows that the best ministry is done in small rooms with few people. How can we learn from this model of ministry today?
Mark's Gospel begins, not with genealogies or birth narratives, but with Jesus launching his Messianic ministry. It is immediately clear that he has authority over people, over the spiritual realm, and over the physical realm.
Timothy and Titus have descriptions of Deacons. But Paul gives other examples of the kind of people who should be servants, leaders, and examples in the church. This sermon considers what kinds of people will be servant leaders at Northwest.
This sermon launches our deacon appointment process and follows up on our 2023 study on women deacons.
In our Northwest tradition we spend this week in August blessing our new babies and children who are about to head back to school.
This sermon explores Paul's appeal to the Romans to preserve unity whenever possible. The Restoration Movement began with the appeal, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things unity." Are we still willing to be family when small things seem like big things?
In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul gives advice to single people, some never married and some widows. He tells them that if they can stay single they should because they can focus more on serving the Kingdom of God. Do our church leadership decisions today match Paul's advice to the church in Corinth?
David wanted to build a house for God. But God wanted to build a house for David's descendants that would stand forever. While many thought that mean the Temple and the throne of Israel, it truly meant Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. When Jesus died and resurrected to give us his Spirit, we became the new Temple that God dwells in.
So often we are unwilling to step up and serve or answer God's call in our life because we don't feel qualified. But over and over again God proved that He does his best work in people who were younger, less qualified, weaker, or unprepared. In those moments, when they are willing, God truly gets to reveal his glory in those people.
Jonathan Roumie is an actor who has played Jesus on several occasions. In an interview he talked about the overwhelming feeling and opportunity that can come from being the physical representation of Jesus in the world today. This sermon explores Scriptures that call on us to be exactly that in our lives and in our world, taking Jesus into the places we go. Are you willing to be the embodiment of Christ where you go?
Your self worth can't truly be determined based on what other people say, or your successes, or your income or anything else the world tells you. Your self worth is rooted in the reality that you are made in God's image, that he is continuing to mold you and shape you into his masterpiece, that only God can declare your true worth, and that Jesus died because he found you worthy. The more we understand this the more we rightly view ourselves and others.
The Sabbath Year and Jubilee round out our series exploring God's purpose for rest in our lives and in the world. Are you maximizing your life, spiritually and otherwise by receiving the rest and deliverance from chaotic work God desires for you?
Some people experience loss and suffering and it causes a faith crisis they don't recover from. Others experience great suffering in life and in leads to a stronger and more intimate relationship with God. This sermon explores those differences and gives practical advice to develop a healthy scarred hope in Jesus Christ.
In our first church camp preview sermon Kent talks about how God wants to change us from the inside out. We often picture God as a being outside of the physical world who won't show up and interrupt our lives. But Scripture paints a picture of a God that wants to love us, mold us, transform us, and partner with us to change the world for his good purposes. Are you willing to become a transformed transformer?
In this first sermon on rest, we are exploring 1 Kings 18-19 where Elijah first defeats 450 prophets of Baal and then immediately cowers before a death threat and flees. However, God doesn't get mad. God sends an angel to provide for Elijah in his exhaustion and in his running away. We cannot outrun God's love.
On Senior Sunday Nathan celebrate our seniors, but even more importantly celebrates our awesome God. We too often take God's incredible awesomeness for granted. But when we slow down and remind ourselves of God's greatness, it can restore our own sense of confidence in ourselves as his great creations.
On this Mother's Day we discussed the incredible power of prayer and how we too often pray for things without expectation, anticipation, or faith. Prayer would be more powerful if we instead spoke and listened and believed God's will and our will could become one in times of meaningful prayer.
God desires that He be the main thing in our lives. Whenever we make anything else the main thing it causes our lives to be wildly out of order. But when we put God into our life first, we then orient our values and time around it, then everything in life can fall in place. Is your life rightly ordered or is it time to make some changes?
In James 3, we are told that not everybody should be a teacher. But we shouldn't think of classrooms. James is thinking about people who teach by their words and their actions, who lead by example and influence others. In this way, every parent, boss, or mentor is a teacher and leader. And James isn't saying he wants fewer teachers, but that he wants teachers to be excellent in their heart and character, controlling their tongues and blessing others with their purity, humility and peace-making. Are you ready to lead or repent?
Don't show favoritism. It feels like the obvious instructions we give to children. But actually putting into practice is at the core of Christian discipleship. It means living according to King Jesus' Royal Law and keeps us from being judged. This sermon takes a serious look at how favoritism is the entry point for many other serious evils in our world.
Every year many people get a physical to assess their physical health. What if we used the Word of God as a mirror to evaluate our spiritual health? James 1 and 2 suggests that if we evaluated our spiritual health, we should start by seeing what actions our faith produces in our lives, how it affects our tempers, our tongues, and our treatment of those who can't help themselves. Maybe it's time for your spiritual?
This opening sermon to our series on James introduces the book and also shows how James desires for Christians to focus on eternal things and not get hung up on temporary things. This allows us to rejoice during trials and to not get caught up in money and wealth. When we get these priorities right, we can be children of life and not of death.
When the Apostles were questioned about whether or not Jesus was the "real deal" they would sometimes reply, "Come and see." When people encountered Jesus they so often left convinced. They had seen. Today the church must continue to invite the world to come and see, but we also make sure that when they show up we are ready to demonstrate the love and power of Jesus in a convincing way. Are you ready to be part of the church of come and see?
Our God is always on mission and his design is to use his church to get it done. Rick Odell talks about the power of the church joining God on mission and the impact it makes on both the church and the world.
In Matthew 10 Jesus sent his disciples on a mission trip, but he told them up front that it was going to be difficult and come at a cost. But they still went. Today we still go, and it's important that we go with truth and with compassion. The challenge is to stay both committed to truth and compassion to make a difference in the world.
Jesus set the ultimate example of sacrificing so others might have life. He invites us to live in such a sacrificial way that we offer life in Christ to others. Will you follow his example and sacrifice for the mission of God?
This sermon wraps up our series on David. It reviews much of the study and then explores what caused God and others to describe David as a man after God's own heart and what it would look like for us to live that way today.
If you think that the story of David and Bathsheba was about her seducing him from the roof...you heard it wrong. She isn't on the roof. She isn't given a choice. David does have a choice and Bathsheba's husband and father are among his small elite fighting force and he knows it. The consequences of David's sin will echo for generations. And Nathan's confrontation with David reminds us that it's not the "power of temptation" that we give into but it is rather the "temptation of power."
Jim Rohm famously said that "You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with." David surrounded himself with great friends who would do incredible things to remove obstacles from his life and keep him safe. His Mighty Men did great heroic things on his behalf. Do you have friends that would do anything for you? Do you have friends who encourage you to be better or to remove the obstacles to your success? If not, maybe it's time to add some better friends.
David was anointed as the next king by Samuel as a middle teen boy. He would spend much of the next 5-7 years running and hiding for his life. He then becomes king of Judah and survives a seven year war with the House of Saul before he is finally anointed king of all Israel. During that time, God was growing David into the person he needed to become to be ready to be king. What is God doing in your season of waiting or suffering?
David wasn't just a shepherd and warrior king. He was a poet, a songwriter and a musician. He wrote nearly half of the Psalms and they give us an incredible glimpse into how he had honest songs from his heart to God for every season of his life. Do you have a prayer life that is honest and sustains you in all seasons?
David wasn't a barefoot kid that trusted God to guide his little pebble. Saul wasn't a fool that believed a kid could beat a Philistine warrior. David was an Israelite slinger who had killed lions with his bare hands. He had built the faith and the habits to prepare him for this very battle. In the same way, Jesus prepared for his wilderness battle with Satan for years before his fight. Are you prepared for the calling or crisis coming in your life? The time to prepare is now.
This lesson kicks off our series on King David from 1 and 2 Samuel. This week focused on how both Saul and David were each faithful and flawed in their own ways. But Saul does not have the heart for God or relationship with God that is a major part of David's life. The result of this is that Saul's family line is wiped out while David's line will reign on the throne forever, eventually in the eternal reign of Jesus Christ. If God can do all of this with a shepherd from an unknown family, what can he do with you if you'll just open your life to his call, his gifts, and your own habits?
If you were to evaluate your mood and emotions, do you find yourself more consumed with fear, anxiety, and anger? Or do you feel more joy, gratitude and contentment? The answer to these questions probably reveals whether you are focused more on the things of this world or more focused on Christ and things above. In this sermon, David Kaissling encourages us to received the life changing blessings of focusing on things above like we read about in Colossians 3.
This sermon is focused on how we should expect the Holy Spirit to show up and make a difference in our lives. It looks at the stories of Elijah's ascension and Jesus' ascension and how both had people waiting and expecting an extra measure of the Spirit to change their lives. What would it look like for us to live with this expectation today?
In the art world, the value of art is determined by how rare it is, how irreplaceable it is, and how much somebody is willing to pay for it. When we consider that God makes every one of us completely unique, that every human is completely irreplaceable, and that Jesus left Heaven to come to this world to die for us, the Christmas story reveals how much we are truly worth to God.
One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. Christians often talk about how they can have joy in all circumstances, but so often we think of it being something that is deep in our hearts. But joy should show on our faces and in our lives. So if you find you are consumed by anxiety or grumpiness and not joy then you might need to change your focus to let the Spirit produce Godly joy in your life.
Dante preaches on how the birth of Jesus ushered in peace on earth and how we now become peacemakers as we look forward to a day when God's ultimate peace will reign in Heaven and on Earth.
So often hope is tied to eternity. In this sermon, Kent explains how Christian hope changes the past, present and future. Isaiah 9 foretells how the Messiah will bring hope to all people in all times. How do we become the people of hope today?
Paul wrote that he is unashamed of the Gospel and proudly proclaims it to anybody and everybody. In this sermon Kent shares how being unashamed is not only being bold and brash, but often begins with us being willing to sit in the discomfort of our struggles, weaknesses, and sufferings. It is often out of our weaknesses that the power of God shines through.
Jimmie Keas preaches on Mark 4:35-41 and how we should live by faith as disciples of Jesus.
The Apostle Paul taught that Christians should be content in all circumstances and thankful in every season. This Sunday we explored how to be thankful for those who have blessed us and died, those who continue to bless us, and to consider who we want to be a blessing to in the coming year.
Church Shepherds or Elders should be men of integrity in their homes, their church, and in the world. In this sermon we explore the character of the men who God calls to lead His churches as we consider who will be future Shepherds at Northwest.
Christianity is about more than being saved. Once you are in Christ you become part of the body of believers who are all in Christ. This unity holds us together in the midst of challenges, diversity, and even conflict and disagreement. Jeff points out that like a marriage that has survived conflict and trials, a church that has persevered through tough things and staying united in Christ is a strong one.
In this sermon Kent preaches about John 11 and the incredible story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This story includes so many examples of faith and doubt, even in the midst of Christ's demonstration of authority over death itself. It gives us an opportunity to consider how we wrestle with faith and doubt as well today.
When we believe in Jesus the veil is removed and we can see God clearly and the world begins to see the glory of God in our faces. Paul told the church in Corinth that they were his letters of recommendation that proved his ministry true. Today, the ways Christians serve, love, demonstrate faith, and treat people are Jesus' letters of recommendation. Is your life being transformed into Christlikeness by worshiping him and dwelling on him?
So many people have created or imagined images of what Jesus looked like. In the Old Testament, they believed seeing God was deadly or images of God were idolatrous. But then Jesus tells the Apostles that if they have seen him then they have seen the Father! Even more so, those who are his disciples will receive the Holy Spirit and begin to be transformed into the glory of God. People see Jesus and see God's glory in us, by the power of God's Spirit.
The Elders at Northwest have decided it's time to appoint new Elders and Deacons at Northwest. This sermon is the beginning point of a series of Bible studies and conversations at Northwest about who can Biblically serve as an Elder and Deacon in the New Testament and in our church today.
2 John is a letter from John to a church that tells them the importance of continuing to love one another, but that if somebody denies Jesus is the Christ then they can be dangerous to a church and should not be permitted to spread such lies.
The word "abide" is in the New Testament 26 times. All of those are in John's books and 16 in the small book of 1 John. This word, which means to "dwell with" reminds us how important it is to spend time with Christ in prayer, Bible study, living obediently, and loving our brothers and sisters. Are you making sure you spend time abiding with Christ?
In 1 John 1-2, John calls Christians to obey and to love one another. The beginning of loving one another is receiving the presence of God and then offering it to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are you willing to take the challenge and spend time giving Christians the blessing of your attention and affection?
This week we study a book that Jude didn't want to write. He wanted to focus on the message of salvation, but immorality in the church required his focus. So he reminded the church of rebels and rebellions from the history of Israel. He wants Christians to be honest with one another about immorality so it doesn't become contagious. But he also demands that they do so with mercy and a desire to save those in danger of fire. Will we welcome and confront with mercy and choose an easier way out?
This sermon kicks off our "Small Books, Big Message" series that explores some of the smallest books in the Bible. In this book, Paul writes a letter and sends Onesimus to deliver it to Philemon. The incredible part is that Onesimus is a runaway slave who likely stole from Philemon. But both Philemon and Onesimus were converted to Christianity by Paul. Now Paul wants Philemon to forgive Onesimus, welcome him home and back to work, and treat him like a brother...and even more. What does this letter mean for our relationships today?
In this sermon, guest speaker Isaiah Phelps shares with us how doing things God's way is like rowing with the rapids while turning against God can hurl us into unpleasant waters. He speaks of how David's life, journey, and psalms reminds us how God is always there for us and life is always better when we choose to do things God's way instead of our own.
So many people have been wounded by Christians. If we are going to reach out to them and open the door for future conversations about faith, we need to start by being good listeners who give them the gift of our care and attention to build trust. Are you a bad listener or good listener?
In Acts 17 Paul preached in Athens. Some sneered at him. Others wanted to hear more. And then some became believers. When we think about these three responses, it's really the only three ways people can respond. And we need to normalize Gospel conversations to increase eager responses and not fear reluctant ones.
We are returning to the topic of sharing faith with unbelievers. We’ve talked about praying that God help us see lost people, hear their stories, and know how to speak to them with God’s love and truth. This week we are going to talk about how when we share our faith with others there are really only three responses people have: they mock, they consider, or they receive it. Depending on their response, there are different ways we should react to help them to become part of the body of Christ.
Too often we want God to take away our pain and scars. But Jesus constantly redeemed people's scars into powerful ministry moments for others. Are you willing to open your hurts and wounds and let God use them to serve Him and bless others?
This year at Camp Rock Creek our theme is "Level Up." While we are saved by grace and God's mercy, it doesn't mean Christians shouldn't be leveling up in their faith. Peter encourages Christians to add many character traits of God to their faith. Will you accept the challenge to keep growing in your faith?
Each week we take the Lord's Supper and remember that Jesus gave his body and spilled his blood to save us. But it's more than just a time to remember. This meal connects us weekly to Christ and also reminds us to "remember forward" his sacrifice so that it transforms our present and future lives to look more like Jesus.
Baptism is more than a bath and far more than a symbol. Baptism unites us in a REAL way to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It changes your standing in God's Kingdom and makes you a member of the church, changing how you connect to other baptized Christians.
Worship is more than singing to God. It gives us a chance to bring God glory. It reminds us God is in control and we aren't. It brings us into the presence of God and should not leave us unchanged.
Sometimes it feels like our world has changed so much that we can feel like strangers and foreigners even in the places that once felt so familiar. For Christians who feel like strangers in their own families and communities today, we need Jeremiah's letter to the Israelites in exile and Peter's letter to scattered Christians. These letters give us great encouragement and insight into how we can live GOOD lives AMONG non-believers in our world today.
We read in James 5 that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. But we rarely pray with expectation or anticipation. If we really take God at his word, we trust that he is a righteous and loving judge, a good father, and that he truly has gifts waiting for us if we will only ask in faith.
Evangelism is different, and often harder, than it used to be. People who don't go to church today often went to church in the past and chose to leave God and leave Church. So it's not enough for us to invite them, to wait until they have kids, or wait until their lives bottom out. Because for many of them, they are quite comfortable away from Christianity. And yet Peter warns us that Satan wants to devour us like lions. When people isolate away from church they are living in the lion-filled wilderness. If the church is ever going to reach these "leavers" we must begin to pray that God will help us SEE the lost, HEAR their stories, and SPEAK to them with love and truth.
On the day Jesus was crucified there were three crosses for three guilty criminals. One died still mocking Jesus even though he was guilty. The other stopped mocking and suddenly realized he was not watching a crucifixion but was watching a coronation for a Kingdom he wanted to be a part of. The third criminal was pardoned while Jesus died on his cross. Today we can learn from and experience much of what these criminals experienced that day.
As we continue to move to our March for Missions Giving Sunday Jim Baird challenged us to taste and see that the Lord is good. The world is waiting for the Kingdom of God. Are we willing to share the Kingdom with them?
Its that time of year where people really clean their house and yard. But Christians also need to spend time evaluating their spiritual health. This sermon is a checkup and call to let God work in you and through you.
Pancho preached about how David and Jonathan had such a special friendship that connected them to one another and to God. Today Christians can build such special relationships that strengthen their relationship with God.
Today we finished our series on being a peacemaker. This lesson begins by focusing on Jesus' teaching that we love our enemies and then begins giving the practical details about peacemaking, confession, and forgiveness. It recognizes that we need God's Spirit to come into us and transform us if we are going to really do this hard work of making peace with everybody. Are you willing to make the peacemaker's pledge?
Jesus told the crowd, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God." Peacemaking is more than being passive. It is actively resolving conflict and bringing peace into chaos. This week we look at how our fight or flight instincts cause us to respond to conflict and how there are twelve types of responses that are either healthy or unhealthy. How will you choose to respond to conflict in your life and in the world?
While God desires for us to work together as Christians, the truth is that being in community will always eventually end in conflict. People sin, argue, hurt one another, and have different ideas about what should happen. When that happens, how do we repair the relationship? How do we heal and forgive? What does real forgiveness look like? Are you willing to do the work like Paul, Barnabas, Peter and John Mark did in the first church?
This week we talked about how God designed us to be the Kingdom of God as a collection of connected people with different circumstances and gifts that work best together. Then we practiced it by actually writing our names and favorite Bible verses on quilt squares and tying them together. (The recording of the group activity is edited out because it sounded like a mumbling crowd.)
On this MLK Day Weekend we remember Martin Luther King's leadership, but even more so the story of his favorite song, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." This song was written by Thomas Dorsey and his story is an inspirational example of how God can weave together circumstances, giftedness, and unexpected paths to bring his glory to the world.
Psalm 139 celebrates how God knows us so intimately that he even knits us together in our mother's womb. He gives us gifts, personalities, and all of the abilities we need to accomplish the purposes he has in store for us. This is powerfully demonstrated in the life of Moses and particularly the conversation with God through the burning bush. Are you willing to trust God's gifts, and God's sending and live a life of purpose.
When Joseph's brothers fear his revenge he told them that what they wove for him as harm God had instead re-wove to save the lives of many. In all of our lives, we suffer like Joseph and yet God is always there weaving his goodness and glory into the masterpiece of our lives.
History began when God created the world to have a relationship with us. Then he did something incredible...he gave us a choice. And people have been rejecting God and choosing temptation and idols over God ever sense. So God sent his Son, Jesus, to live among us so that we might have a new way to choose God eternally and have God dwell within us through the Holy Spirit.
In the Bible, joy is not just deep happiness. Joy is the opposite of anxiety and faithlessness and it can become the foundation for a deeply rooted life of faith. It's something the Holy Spirit produces in us. It also can lead us out of grouchiness and into a light that demonstrates our confidence in God to answer our prayers and take care of us.
Jesus was born into a world with many powerful rulers and kings who so often increased their own power and influence by violence and military strength. Caesar Augustus came to power through a bloody civil war. Herod famously killed anybody who threatened his hold on the throne, even if it was his own children. But Jesus was born in a manger, proclaimed savior, Messiah, and the one who would bring peace through a much different path. Jesus brought peace through sacrifice, humility, service, and putting others first.
The birth of Jesus is more than a cute children's story in a barn a long time ago. It is the beginning of a revolution of good over evil. Light is breaking into the world and pushing back the darkness. And Jesus' own genealogy reveals the need for light and hope. Today we must choose whether or not to receive the gift of hope offered to us by Jesus.
In Leviticus 23-25 and other passages, God gives instructions to Israel about when, how, and why they should celebrate special holidays to help them remember God and pass on their values and faith to a new generation. Today, the church can reclaim the blessings of celebrating holidays to celebrate and pass on faith and values in our families.
Moses tells Israel on several occasions to ask their elders to tell them the stories of all God has done for them. Judges warns about all the evil that can happen when a generation forgets God and his great works. Job says that those without memory of the past are like plants without roots. This holiday season spend time learning and sharing the stories of your past to build relationships and bridge gaps.
This sermon focuses on the Sabbath and how God desires for some special days be set aside so we can remember what He has done in the past so we can have confidence and peace in the present and faith and hope for the future.
Last week focused on how the Bible came to be, what it claims to be and what difference it should make in our lives. This week focuses on who has authority to interpret Scripture and what it means for us as Christians and as a community of Christians living the life of faith together.
The Bible is God's Word. But what does that mean, and how do we read it and apply it to our lives? This sermon explores how the Bible works in the lives of believers and how we live it out personally and in Christian communities.
The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But how exactly does fearing God help us to rightly order things in our lives so we live wisely? A right understanding of how awesome God is helps us to have wise values, priorities, goals, ambitions, and anxieties.
There are so many people in our world today who are struggling with loneliness and depression. When we read the Bible we learn they are not alone. In this sermon, Dante shares with us how Stephen could have felt alone but realized God knows how he feels, and recognizes and honors what he is going through. If God can see Stephen in his moment of trial then he can see us in our moment of trial as well.
This is the first in the Fear of the Lord series which explores how being aware of God's incredible power and holiness is the beginning of ordering all of life rightly. Moses and Israel truly experienced just how holy God is; a God who is good and in control but who isn't "safe."
So often we go to God in prayer to ask Him to change the world to be the way we want it to be. But if we learn to pray the Kingdom Prayer like Jesus taught his disciples then we will go to God in prayer so that we can begin shaping the world to look like God wants it to be.
So many churches are hierarchical in their organizational structure. But the church is called to be a "pnuematocracy," that is, governed by the Spirit. People should be leading and serving as they are gifted. This sermon explores how we are gifted and for what purpose. Are you using your gift or burying it?
After God created family he declared his creation to be "very good." When the disciples pushed the children away because Jesus had more important things to do Jesus welcomed them. We must now recognize that in our church, homes, and world we need to make sure we aren't doing "more important things" than welcoming kids so they can be blessed by Jesus. We also introduce a great new ministry to bless kids.
This week we focused on the good news of the Kingdom is incredible news, but it doesn't matter much if we only have belief without putting our faith into action. This sermon considers James 2 and other examples of faithful people changing the world through faithful action.
Jesus told his disciples that if they wanted to become the greatest they must become a servant of all. If they clothed the naked, fed the hungry, and served the least of these, they would in turn be providing those blessings and services to Jesus himself. Alton also shared how he encounters these blessings along the Highways and Byways every week.
One of the important ways we practice experiencing and being the faithful presence of God in the church, at home, and in the world is by proclaiming the Gospel to others. If we don't speak it the world can't hear it.
This sermon explores how we experience the faithful presence of Christ when we become conflict resolvers and peace makers at church, at home, and in the world. Reconciliation is a core spiritual discipline for those who truly wish to follow Jesus Christ, deeply rooted in his own birth, life, death, and resurrection.
Last week one of our special Shepherds, Henry, passed away. This sermon celebrates his legacy at Northwest and challenges all of us to consider how we are living and what legacy we will leave.
This week is our first week studying one of the spiritual disciplines that Christians can practice together in the three circles of the church, their homes, and the world. The Lord's Supper or Lord's Table is designed to be a place where we come together to experience the presence of Christ in a way that helps us reflect on our relationship with Jesus and our relationship with others around the table so we can reorient ourselves into Kingdom living. There are different ways to do that in the three circles, but all focus on the presence of Christ and our relationships with one another.
God is present everywhere. And we are called to embody and become the presence of God by joining in God's redemptive mission everywhere. But we do that differently in different contexts. How we experience and embody the presence of God is different in the church, our homes and neighborhoods, and in the world. In this sermon we consider David Fitch's description of these contexts as the "close circle," the "dotted circle," and the "half circle."
This sermon takes a lengthy look at John 14-17 and how important the ideas of God's presence and the Holy Spirit shaping us into the embodiment of God's presence in the world are to Jesus and his understanding of his role and the role of his disciples.
Jesus, Peter, John, and Paul all provide different insights into how we can be the presence of God in the world. Once we realize our job isn't to force the world into God's image, we can instead focus on becoming people transformed by God's presence who then begin transforming the world around his as the embodiment of God's presence. That does mean we need to trust God more and politicians, companies and laws less.
This series is going to explore how God's presence is the greatest promise in Scripture and that if we can learn how to become God's faithful presence in our chaotic world, we can help the world to truly experience and perhaps open themselves to God's presence in their life.
What do you want to be when you grow up? If your answer was a job then perhaps that's too much of your identity. Christians should think first and foremost about being a transformed disciple of Jesus Christ. Everything else is a side-job.
This year at Camp Rock Creek our theme is "True Story." This sermon on the same topic discusses how Christians should know that God's story is true, be able to simply communicate it to others, and understand their own part in God's ongoing story.
Our minds and souls were not created to bear the weight of the stories we consume. This reality requires us find ways to process, heal, and pursue lives of wholeness and not overwhelmed anxiety and anger.
Jesus says that it matters more what's on the inside than outside appearances or actions. The true heart of worship is making sure that you clean out the junk and make room for love of God and love of others. If your heart is right everything else will follow.
James wrote in his epistle that faith without action is dead. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that anybody who wants to build their house on a solid foundation must put his teachings into action. Too often we think about Christianity being an exercise of faith. But over and over again we see that discipleship requires action. This sermon describes a way to use Scripture and experiments to explore new paths of discipleship today.
Once you become a Christian, it isn't enough to just believe or think like Jesus. We are called to be real disciples who put the teachings of Jesus into action. When we put our faith into action it helps us survive life's storms and share our faith.
On a special Easter Sunday worship service we changed the order of worship to include more praise and worship, bilingual Scripture readings, and several short devotional lessons. The service highlighted the brokenness of our world and the healing that the cross and resurrection offers to those who are willing to receive it.
When we think about serving others we think about how we are being Jesus to them and how fortunate they are to have us helping them. But when we look at the Gospels, Jesus often shows up as the guest, the one served, the one blessed by another's generosity. We must make sure as Christians that when we serve others we remember we should seek to find Jesus in them too.
Why did Jesus die on the cross? To save us from our sins of course. But what about defeating death, tearing down the dividing wall of hostility, fulfilling prophecies, and so many other reasons. If we are going to be the people who take up our cross and follow Jesus we need a much fuller understanding of what the cross is really all about.
In the middle of the Lord's prayer are two lines that sound like requests to receive, but in reality they can call us to truly give and join God is his redemptive work in this world. Give us this day our daily bread reminds us to depend on God and share our blessings. The invitation for God's Kingdom to come is a call to action for disciples of Jesus to bring our hope of Heaven into our present reality. If we pray this prayer, we better get to work!
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray during the Sermon on the Mount, he gave them a short little prayer that has world changing implications. Christ-like prayer should seek to honor God and not ourselves. It should recognize the wonder of being able to call the Creator our Father. It should invite us to begin shaping our lives around the Kingdom of God so the Kingdom might truly break into and transform the world we live in today.
The world we live in today is full of people who know what they think and believe and who won't change their minds. And yet Jesus demonstrates that even though he was the Son of God, he was willing to listen to other people, their needs, and their understanding of things. But what is really incredible is that Jesus would sometimes change his plans, ideas, and views to accommodate those to whom he listened. Are we willing to become good and humble listeners today?
Over the last several years many people have been turned off of Christianity or gotten into disputes with their brothers and sisters in Christ as a result of their behavior on social media. This week we study 10 rules for social media based on the Sermon on the Mount. Are you willing to commit to truly being the image of Christ and light to the world online? Our leaders are.
Bill Day launches his new class on "New Creation: New Heavens and New Earth" in this sermon. The class will continue to be offered on the Northwest YouTube channel each week for the next 10-12 weeks on Sunday at 9am. This sermon highlights that being a Christian isn't about dying and going to Heaven. It's about being saved so we can get our Resurrection body and live in God's resurrected creation.
So often when we read the Gospels we focus entirely on Jesus. But if we look at the reactions and conclusions of those witnessing what Jesus is doing, it can open entirely new understandings for us about who Jesus is. This sermon looks at the feeding of the 5,000, the calming of the storm, and the children approaching Jesus and challenges us to look at the way we react to Jesus and the conclusions we make today.
The Apostles and Paul made four dramatic transformations from the time they met Jesus and the end of the book of Acts. The last two of those transformations came when they were filled with the Holy Spirit and when they learned that God's Kingdom was open and inclusive of all people who chose to be in it. These, along with the transformations discussed last week, can only be explained by the life changing power and influence of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit in their lives. What's keeping you from letting it happen in your life?
This week is part of a two week sermon about how the Apostles and Paul went through four major transitions in their lives as a result of their interactions with and relationship with Jesus. When you look at how significant the changes were you have to ask, "What could have changed in their lives to cause such change?" And if we see how Jesus changed their life we will begin to expect him to show up and change our lives too.
In this lesson, nearly 40 members of Northwest went to the front and described the life, writings, and influence of the many men and women who contributed to the creation of God's Word.
Is it possible somebody just made up the Jesus story? Was he real? Did he live? What difference did he make? How can we really know any of it for sure. This sermon looks at the historical documents that are the NT Gospels and discusses how certain we can be of the events and significance of the life of Jesus.
Isaiah 52-53 gives us the super secret hidden in plain sight job description of Israel's Messiah, but few people understood it. Then Jesus came and fully embodied it. And once Paul began describing what it means to be a disciple of Jesus we get out super-secret-hidden-in-plain-sight job description as Christians.
This lesson reviews the goals and values Northwest has and the challenges it seeks to overcome in the future. It also looks at Nehemiah and the way he led Jerusalem to rebuild the walls through prayer, unity, commitment to righteousness, and extreme focus. Certainly there is much we can learn from Nehemiah today.
So often our world tells grieving people to "Get over it," or "Feel better." But grief is God's gift to help us honor our losses and heal our broken hearts. It doesn't feel good but it's healthy and necessary. This sermon looks that the importance of Biblical good grieving and looks forward to our coming Grief Seminary and GriefShare support groups.
Nathan encouraged the church to seek out little ways to make a big difference for the Kingdom. He looks at Judges and Ruth and how kindness is a big deal.
We know that baptism is where our sins are washed away and we receive the gift of salvation. But there is so much more that happens in the water. We are brought into the family of God and have a new group of people we belong to. We have the divisions and prejudices of the world removed. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which begins to shape and transform us into the image of our Creator. Ultimately, Jesus died on the cross for us, and baptism is where we publicly declare that we are willing to give our life for Jesus Christ, sharing in his death and resurrection.
This sermon encourages single adults to use their freedom for God while staying sexually pure. It talks about the spiritual and relational consequences of sexual immorality and the benefits of sex in marriage. There is some advice for parents in how to talk to their kids about sex and finally some larger points about purity as a broader and very important spiritual goal for all Christians.
Jeff and Kent talked about the story of Pants and Pancakes and the need for Northwest to find new ways to build bridges into our community and to serve them with the love of Christ.
Worship is about more than singing to God. Worship is anytime and anyway that you show God your adoration. Further, worship brings us into God's presence and fills us with God's Spirit. Certainly such an experience should transform us. Finally, when Jesus entered Jerusalem his followers praised him as the Messiah, finally arriving. The Pharisees told Jesus to silence them but he declared that if they were quiet the rocks would cry out and praise him. Today, Christians should never be silent and give their place of praise God to rocks.
As we continue our FaithPath series, we are studying the importance of the Bible to growing in knowledge, in relationship with God, and spiritual growth. The word of God is active and alive, it provides a mirror that shows us what God sees in us, how reading God's word can help us follow his commands, and how if we don't have God's Word in our lives we can't produce great fruit.
As we continue our FaithPath series, this week we spent our worship time focusing on prayer. Often we think there is a special formula for prayer. But the truth is that prayer is any time and any way we come into God's presence and bring God's will and our will closer together. For Hezekiah, this meant God changed His will to extend his life. For Peter, that meant him changing his will to go to the Gentiles as God desired. We need richer and deeper tools to fully engage an active life of prayer.
As we begin our series on the steps of Faith Path, the plan for families to pass faith to the next generation, we begin by focusing on The Blessing. This is the practice, common in the Old Testament, involves parents publicly proclaiming how God has favored their child and a specific desire for the child's future. The five steps of blessing children today include meaningful tough, spoken words, attach high value, picture a specific vision, and make an active commitment. When adults practice these steps in their children's lives it can make all the difference.
Jephthah's story doesn't begin at his birth. It begins when Gilead fails to provide for his mother and instead forces her into prostitution. It continues when they publicly reject him because he is a result of their private immorality. When God's people fail to know God's word and fail to provide for the weak and poor among them, bad things are always around the corner.
This two week study on Jephthah's vow in Judges 11 wrestles with one of the more difficult and tragic stories in the Old Testament. On the one hand, 1 Samuel and Hebrews list Jephthah as a hero of faith. But the story is one of tragedy and loss as his daughter is sacrificed for his victories. What can we learn from this? At the very least, we learn that when God's people don't know God's Word well, the heroes will start to look like villains and villains will begin to look like heroes.
When we learn from our failures, it's tempting use the logic of Gamaliel that "if it succeeds it's from God and if it fails its from humans." The problem is that over and over in the Bible people see failure as something to overcome and not an indicator of God's plan. Shouldn't we do the same?
This week our summer intern Andrew Cunningham talked about how when we are going through tough times in life and the darkness presses in around us we have a choice. Jesus always chose to push against the darkness by being the light. Now we can choose whether we will be victims and succumb to life's challenges or if we will rise up and defeat darkness.
This week look at the stories of Moses and Gideon and how their fear of failure provided God opportunities to use their fear to grow faith. How does this process actually work and where are you in this process? Listen to find out!
If you want to succeed in life, then never blame others or try to excuse yourself when you've messed up. Take responsibility and look for opportunities to grow. In this sermon we saw how Saul was disobedient and then deceitful compared to how differently David was immoral but then took full responsibility for his sin. One lost his throne and the other was promised that his throne would stand forever. How will you respond when you fail?
If you go back to the battle field where David slew Goliath, you can zoom out and see Israel's army go out every day for forty days yelling "Strong and Courageous" as they cowered before the giant. Finally David showed up and rejected the voice of fear and chose the voice of faith. In the gospels, when Peter courageously stepped out of the boat toward Jesus, eleven other Apostles sat there and watched. Today, a great crowd of heroes watches us to see if we will stay in the battle lines or in the boat or if we will follow their lead into the arena of faith (over fear). Are we worthy of that crowd?
Bill talks about how Christians have hope, even in the face of death. We can know that death holds no power over Christians because we have confidence that our salvation means our suffering doesn't matter because it's short term and death doesn't bother us because we transition to eternal life.
What do President Teddy Roosevelt, J.K. Rowling, and the Parable of the Talents have in common? They all challenge us to get off of the sidelines, get over our fear of failure, and get into the arena because that's where God's Spirit is calling us to live courageously. After all, when we overcome our fear of failure the only three potential outcomes are that we will succeed, God will rescue us, or we will grow in some way.
In Acts 17, Paul goes into Thessalonica and is accused by his opponents of turning the whole world upside down every where he goes. But what exactly was it about Paul's gospel that made people willing to riot, commit murder, and go to such extreme lengths to silence him. This sermon looks at the most revolutionary elements of Paul's message and what it means for Christians today.
When Hagar is mistreated and has lost all hope, God shows up and makes promises to her about her future and her son's future. God tells her to name her son "Ishmael" which means "God Hears." Then she names God "El Roi" or "The God Who Sees Me." Later God makes it clear to David that he chooses leaders based on their heart and not their age or appearance. Truly God sees us, knows us, and loves us.
This sermon finishes our Ephesians series with Paul's illustration of God's armor that every Christian should wear. This armor should help the Kingdom of God to resist and push against the spiritual forces of darkness by transforming Christians internally, by causing them to act externally, and to always be prepared spiritually.
God is calling us into his kingdom where Jesus is Lord. As we follow Christ he leads us into new life and we are called to bring life into the world around us.
All too often throughout the church's history, the household code in Ephesians 5-6 has been abused to increase power over others. If we understand the Gospel through the posture of Philippians 2, we will willingly give up our power for God and others. But it we approach it with the posture of Simon the Sorcerer, we will seek to get closer to God to increase our power over others. If we understand this, it will reshape our marriage, our relationship with kids and parents, and every power dynamic in our life.
This Sunday continues our Ephesian series as we move into Ephesians 4-5 and look at all the ways Paul expects Christians will cease to look like the old humanity and begin to look like the new transformed humanity. These new ways of living are less like rules and more like cures for our brokenness. And yet, so many Christians have before and after photos that look the same because they are getting in the way of the growth God desires for them.
In Ephesians 4, Paul shifts from describing the Gospel to describing the implications for daily living for those who are in Christ. This begins by explaining that the diverse body of Christ must be united by people being humble, patient, and bearing with one another. Their shared beliefs should also help them hold together even when the world pulls them apart. And finally, the Spirit gives people gifts that they use to build up the body of believers. So are you living like a Gospel following person when it comes to unity and using your gifts?
Because of the sin and rebellion against God in Eden and Babel, enmity, violence, and racism were created as a consequence. But the cross does more than save us from our sins. The cross destroys the dividing wall and any barrier between people. The cross unites people in Christ and brings peace and reconciliation. So anything you do that advances racism and division is advance the curse of Eden and Babel. And anything you do to advance peace, unity, and diversity advances the cause of the cross. This study of Ephesians 2:11-3:22 challenges us to be people of peace and unity in a world of divisions.
Ephesians 2:1-10 reminds us that we are saved by grace. We don't have to be shamed by our failures and we can't earn our salvation. Rather, we should live as people who understand that God's merciful, loving, grace saves us when we were once dead and headed towards wrath. But now, being IN CHRIST, receiving all the benefits that Jesus now has in the heavenly realm, we can choose whether to live as if we are waiting to die or we can choose to live as people fully alive in Christ now. What will you choose?
In the first week of our seven week study of Ephesians we learned about how God accomplished everything through Christ for our benefit. Now we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and are God's adopted children. And what many families at Northwest have taught us is that adoption always comes with a price, but that the cost is ALWAYS worth it. Our Father in Heaven feels the same way, that the price for our adoption as His children is worth it!
The last week of Jesus' life is told in incredible detail in John's Gospel in a way that not only teaches us about Jesus, but also teaches us what kind of followers he desired, how they should live in the world, and what that means for us today. The resurrection is the greatest event in human history and it changes everything. Has it changed you?
In basketball, you box out other players so you can get the rebound. But too often, followers of Jesus boxed out people who needed to be close to Jesus. A crowd wanted to hear Jesus teach, so they boxed out a lame man. They wanted to recognize his importance by shutting out children. They tried to exalt Jesus by shushing blind Bartimaeus. And yet Jesus rebuked the religious crowds to connect with the outsiders. Do we get so focused on Jesus today that we fail to see the people who need him standing right behind us?
Alton Walker presents a sermon on the Great Banquet in Luke 14 that explores how all of us were but one step from being poor, lame, crippled, and blind in some way. But then God came with His amazing grace and now we have a story to tell a world that needs to hear, that Jesus came to seek and save the lost no matter who they are or where they are. There is always room for one more.
God never leaves us where we are. He is always moving his people to places where they can share the good news or moving lost people to places where they can come in contact with the people of God. Certainly God has a plan and purpose for people who don't know him to encounter Jesus in an eternity changing way. What is your role in this plan to move people to change the world?
What did the God-character do in the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin? They threw a party to celebrate finding what was lost. What did the older brother do when the Prodigal Son's father threw him a party? He boycotted it. Are we with God in seeking out and celebrating the lost when they are found? Or are we complaining about God's gracious mission in the field? Because if we understand what we are called to do we must be willing to sacrifice to do it.
This week Kent had a conversation with Stacy and Jake Jarrell. The Jarrell's are missionaries in Madrid, Spain who were doing youth ministry until several years ago when they started telling people about Jesus and it changed their lives. This conversation can open doors for you to consider who God might want you to share your faith story with.
This sermon tells the story of a preacher who started traveling around the country trying to recruit people to become missionaries. The thing he kept experiencing, though, was that many Christians who attended church or led ministries kept rejecting his call while broken and normal people kept bridging the gap between the message of God and the ears of the world. What lessons can we learn about telling people about God's good news from these moving stories?
Last week we talked about the spiritual danger of nostalgia. This week questions whether the "Good Ol' Days" were actually better. Turns out, there's a tremendous amount of data that the world is getting better. So why then are Christians so gloomy? We can push against this despair and anxiety by having confidence in God's love for us, Christ's salvation, the fruits of the Spirit, and by focusing on the good things God is doing in the world and our lives.
Nostalgia pulls us toward the good old days. But in Ecclesiastes, the Teacher of Wisdom tells us that it is not wise to ask why the old days are better than these days. Why is there a problem with nostalgia? It's because it can become an idolatry that denies the presence of God in this moment and the Christian hope for the future. It leads us to spiritual problems. It keeps us from going where God wants us to go. It prevents God from redeeming brokenness to mature us to our full potential, and it causes anxiety, worry, and fear instead of peace, faith, and hope.
The Gospel is always communicated from one person to another person and necessarily must be told from within the life experiences and culture of the communicator and the audience. Paul demonstrates so effectively in his letter to Corinth and his sermons in Acts how to preach the Gospel in a way that is targeted to one's audience so they might hear and receive the good news that God created, sin destroys, Jesus saves, and we believe.
The Gospel has two enemies that have always struggled to corrupt it within the church. On the one hand is legalism, which pulls the church into shame and works-righteousness. On the other extreme is relativism which says that anything is fine, sin isn't a problem, and you just need to stay true to your self and you're fine. The Gospel resists both of these tendencies and calls people to recognized they are saved by grace but we do have a sin problem that only Jesus can deal with.
Not all of the Bible is the Gospel. But if we properly understand the Gospel it affects everything. It is essential that the good news of Jesus is not only allowed to affect how we live though, it must be proclaimed so that people can hear it and choose whether or not they are ready to hear and receive it. The gospel must also always answer BOTH questions: "What must I do to be saved?" and "What hope is there for the world?" Anything that only answers one of these questions is too small of a gospel.
Nathan McBroom presents a wonderful sermon on living in a way that spreads the Gospel. Fruit are beautiful, delicious, and attractive. But for plants and trees they serve the essential purpose of distributing seeds which create new plants. In the same way, Christians can live in a way that demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. When we live filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness, it becomes a beautiful sight to others who might then be willing to receive the seed of the Gospel so it can began to grow and produce fruit in their lives.
For Christians and Churches, the Gospel has to be at the center of who they are and everything they do. The Gospel, that Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected, anchors Christians. For those who claim to be rooted in this story, something should change in their lives and the lives of those around them. The best way to evaluate this is not success or faithfulness, which both fall short, but really can be demonstrated by fruitfulness. And this Gospel fruit is best produced when we start by listening to God, God's Word, the Spirit, and then listening to those in the world before we then start speaking and proclaiming the Gospel.
This year has been challenging for sure and certainly there must be someway to ensure a better 2021! But even if not, it's important for Christians to continue looking at how they can improve themselves. So this year, what is one bad habit or temptation or something that is hindering you from being who God wants you to be...and get rid of that thing. And what is one good habit or good practice that you want to add in 2021 so you can get closer to God?
We often connect the titles "Messiah" and "Christ" with the ideas that Jesus came as a Savior and Deliverer who died for us on the cross. But that isn't actually what it means. They are in their respective languages words that mean "anointed one" or "king." So what does it mean today when we claim to be the followers of the Anointed One and when the New Testament calls us to be leaders and rulers in our own right in this world today?
It has become scandalous in recent years to claim that Jesus is the only way to God. But there's no getting around the fact that Jesus claimed this himself. Further, it would be horrible if God knew there was another way to get to Him and did not prevent his only begotten son from going to the cross. If the only way was enough for God's Son, then surely it should be good enough for us.
As we continue to study the names of Jesus we are looking at how his names teach us how we should be living as Christians in the world today. So often, the titles given to Jesus match Scriptural instructions on how Christians should live. This lesson focuses on the titles of Great High Priest, Emmanuel, Lamb of God, and King of Kings.
This week kicks off a four week series of sermons on the many names of Jesus. These names teach about about who Jesus was and is, and what his life meant and means to us today. The more we understand these names, the more we know Jesus, and the better we can be his disciples in our world today. This first sermon focuses on the name "Jesus" which means "Yahweh saves" or "God saves" and how Jesus was part of creating all that is.
Thanksgiving is one of many emotions God gave us. However, so many other emotions can get in the way of expressing thanksgiving. Especially on a year like this, grief, sadness, anxiety, frustration and many other things can block our gratitude to God. So to get ready for Thanksgiving this year we may need to spend some extra time being honest and practicing better emotional literacy with God and others to get ready to give Thanks.
This sermon focuses on the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus and how it's not about how generosity can save us, but that people who believe in Jesus Christ, resurrected and exalted, can choose to live a life like his. This life recognizes all people are made in God's image, that Jesus treats all people as God's children, and that everything we are given is entrusted to us by God to use for His good purposes.
In John 9, we read about how Jesus used mud to heal a blind man and pick an argument with the Jewish leaders. The entire story reveals dramatic turns of who is dishonored, who sees clearly, and who is really blind.
Now that we understand that God uses healthy guilt and that Satan seeks to bind us with isolating and life-stealing shame, we need to talk about how to break out of shame. Satan uses many lies and this sermon explores four major shame-inducing lies and how God's truths can help us break free from shame. You are not worthless, you should not keep your shame a secret, you cannot lose your salvation by works any more than you can earn it that way, and your sins are not greater than the power of the cross.
This sermon explores how guilt and and shame are very similar feelings but guilt is the feeling in God's hands and shame is what it becomes in Satan's hands. Guilt tries to pull us out of the pit our mistakes put us in while shame seeks to bind us there forever. Recognizing this allows us to reject shame's lies and choose God's good guilt to heal us when our mistakes leave us in in pit. The story of Adam and Eve and the woman caught in adultery reveal what this looks and feels like in life.
2020 has been a year filled with global disruptions. As Christians and as a church, we can choose to simulate our default desires, go into maintenance mode, respond emotionally, or sit in nostalgia. But the truth is that none of those will help us thrive in the long run. But if we can learn to see the opportunities God puts in front of us, be aware of the spiritual gifts he gives us and resources he loans us, then we can choose to step forward and grow God's Kingdom. Are you willing?
This sermons coincides with our confirmation of five new deacons. But whether you have an official title at church or whether you just want to be a better Christian at home, work, in the church, or in the world, this sermon gives practical Biblical advice on Christian leadership. It focuses on prayer, being strong and courageous, being loving and united with one another, continuously serving others with humility, and setting an example in holy living.
We started this year talking about how the church needs to find new ways to connect the world and create disciples. Discipleship always requires more action than study or talk. This week we launched Spiritual Formation Groups, which are groups of 2-3 same gender adults committing to spend an hour a week talking about how God shows up in their lives, praying together, and reading the Bible together. To find a copy of the instructions on how to create a Spiritual Formation Group, check out www.nwchurchokc.com and click on the link for Spiritual Formation Groups. All it takes is two or three gathered in Christ's name.
The is the final sermon in the series on when God was King and the sermons of Moses in Deuteronomy. This week looks at three stories where Israel had their backs against the wall and had to decide if they would have faith in God or if they would choose doubt. These events at the Red Sea, on the banks of the Jordan, and at the walls of Jericho remind us that if we will trust God he will be a King worthy of following with obedience and relationship.
Jesus reinterprets the commands of Deuteronomy in ways that seem surprising. But when you really consider some of the deeper truths in the Ten Commandments, they start to make sense. This sermon shows that the command to "not take the Lord's name in vain" is directly connected to how we treat other people. You cannot treat God's children badly and give glory to God. If you want to love the Lord your God, then you must love your neighbor. Jesus said it, and this study of Moses' sermons shows how he may have come up with such an incredible idea.
The 2nd of Moses' three sermons in Deuteronomy features the Ten Commandments. And while we often think of them as important rules to live by, they are in fact much more. The Ten Commandments are anchored in the story of God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and invites them to respond with gratitude and loyalty UPWARD to God and OUTWARD to others. As Christians, our story of deliverance from sin and death should move us to give our love and loyalty UPWARD and OUTWARD as well.
This week we continued studying the three sermons that make up Moses' farewell address to Israel in Deuteronomy. This week we focused on how once you acknowledge that God is King and is in charge you should orient your life around this truth by staying close to God. According to Moses, we stay close to God through obedience and relationship. Most people lean towards one or the other, but true connection with God requires both.
We are beginning a study on the book of Deuteronomy called "When God was King." It looks at Moses' three sermons at the end of his leadership of Israel as he reflected on all he did with God and Israel, what it means for his legacy, and more importantly, what it means for the future of Israel as God's people in the Promised Land. This week we considered the Farewell Address of George Washington, the last sermon of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the early themes of Moses' first sermon as we think about what it means to have great leaders reflect on their legacy and consider the implications for their peoples' future.
So often, Christians think that faith is about believing something. But when it comes to being the body of Christ in this world, Christianity is really about figuring out what you can do to be the hands, mouth, and body of Jesus. Truly, to be a fully mature Christian you need to "do something." So you don't have to do everything, but what are you going to do to be Jesus to the world?
Finishing up our series on tough faith for tough times, this week focused on how to live in a "foreign land." The Prophets often wrote to Israel and Judah while they were in exile, trying to sort out how to live and have faith when you are in a world you never wanted to be in. This year, as many of us feel like we are living in a place and time we didn't want, we still need to live as people of faith. So we take Jeremiah's instructions from God to just keep living a good life where we are, add in Daniel's example to remain holy even while living among foreigners, and then see how Peter gives similar teaching to early Christians undergoing persecution. This gives us a great map for living at God's people among those who aren't.
In our series on Tough Faith for Tough Times, this week focuses on how we can praise God and pray to God in the midst of suffering. This study of several lament Psalms helps us see that suffering with God in an honest way is a faith-filled and Scriptural practice that shows we trust that God is in charge and that he is our Father who loves us. While 2020 has been a tough year, most people have likely had worse years in the past. Remember with thanksgiving how God has delivered us in the past helps us have confidence in the present and hope for the future. This is how we sing, even in tough times.
Today we are looking at the incredible faith of the criminal on the cross in Luke 23. While everybody else at the scene (who should have had great faith) struggled to understand of believe, the criminal recognizes his own guilt, but more importantly recognizes that Jesus is actually the King. But most importantly, when all seems lost for both Jesus and the criminal is when he makes he most remarkable statement of faith when he asks Jesus to let him join him when he comes into his Kingdom. Certainly we can learn from this example how we too must focus on the eternal Kingdom of God and not our temporary bad circumstances.
Not only did Jesus have close friends because he understood their spiritual value and importance in his own life, but focusing on the very small intimate group of Apostles and disciples who followed him was core and essential to his entire Kingdom building strategy. Jesus often sent crowds him, avoided the spotlight, allowed tough teachings to thin the crowd, and asked those he healed to keep his secret. All of this was to give him the time to focus the few years of his ministry on those few who would build the Kingdom once he returned to the Father. Now it's our turn to continue building the church by focusing on relationships and small groups.
Too often Christians today get the idea that their faith is only between them and God. They speak of a personal relationship with Jesus and don't think that they need other people to be part of their faith journey. But this study of Peter, James, and John show that they were more than just Jesus' Apostles and even more than his inner circle. Jesus depended on them and shared his most intimate and vulnerable moments with them. They were his friends that helped him in his life and ministry. Perhaps Jesus learned of the importance and value from a special friendship in his family, Ruth and Naomi. Regardless, if even Jesus needed Spiritual friends to walk with him, what makes us think we don't need friends to walk with us?
On this, our March for Missions Contribution Day in June, Kent talks about how there are examples in Acts of people who resisted the Spirit's call to mission, people who were reluctantly faithful, and then there is Philip who ran where the Spirit sent him. Philip preached the Gospel to an Ethiopian Eunuch while running next to his chariot until he was able to join him and lead him to accept the Gospel. When we give to and support God's mission in the world, which kind of Christian are we: resistant to outsiders, reluctantly faithful, or chasing the Spirit where ever it sends us?
On our first official Sunday to have some members worshiping at the building while others continue to worship with us at home, this sermon looks at how God's plan has always been for the church to be about people, families, relationships, and the body of Christ living in the world as salt and light. The church Jesus died for was never made of bricks but was made in the lives of the people who are in Christ and who now live as a Spirit-filled Temple in the world. This sermon casts a vision of future plans to increase discipleship, prayer ministries, and small groups at Northwest.
In addition to creating and sustaining life and creation, the Ruach, or Spirit of God is involved in bringing us God's presence, guiding us, empowering us, and giving us a prophetic voice to speak truth about injustices. This week that is exceptionally important time to talk about that when our country faces challenges of injustice, violence, and a need to speak God's truth.
The Hebrew word "Ruach" describes the wind, breath, or spirit of God. Studying the scriptures in the Old Testament that talk about the spirit give us anticipatory insight about how the Holy Spirit will show up in the New Testament and what Holy Spirit living can look like for those in Christ today.
So often we think of the God of Israel, the Son revealed in the Gospels, and the Spirit's arrival at Pentacost. But Acts 2 isn't the Holy Spirit's opening act. The Holy Spirit is found in many places in the Old Testament, described in ways that set the stage for what Jesus later teaches about the Holy Spirit and the Apostles experience and proclaim in Acts 2. This series looks at the RUACH, the breath, wind, and Spirit of God described in the many books of the Old Testament and see how Israel's experience of God's Spirit informs our expectations of the Spirit living in us and working through us today.
On this Mother's Day we talked about how a mother's job is truly unique and complex and Mary learned that with Jesus too. One of the most unique interactions came in Matthew 12:46-50 when Jesus said that his true mother and brothers are those followers who do the will of the Father. Similar to his teachings in John 14-15, Jesus clearly recognized and taught the connection between obedience, love, family and the Spirit.
If you've ever seen a monkey trap, its a coconut with a hole and bait inside. When the monkey's fist closes around it they can't get loose. If they let go, they can easily escape. Their desire to have and possess what is worthless prevents their escape. But God loves us so much. We see it in the creation and the very beauty of the stars. We see it in the birth of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, the crucifixion and resurrection. We see it in the offer to be children of God through faith. And yet, for so many people they can't let go of the mushy banana in the coconut. God offers us so much and we remain captive for such little. What's holding you back from enjoying the wonderful incredible, worth-giving love of God?
When it comes to being a Christian there are some things that either you believe or you don't. Either God created the world or he didn't. Either Jesus is the son of God, who was born and lived in this world, crucified and resurrected...or he isn't and didn't. Either God is in charge and desires good things for his children...or he doesn't. During this time, we who claim belief should live lives that look like it. People should be able to see in us that we are different because of our faith.
In Luke 8:26-56 Jesus encounters Legion (a demon-possessed man), Jairus (a synagogue ruler with a dying preteen daughter), and a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. For us, these seem like run of the mill Jesus miracles. But to a first century Jew, they see impurity, uncleanliness, and things you shouldn't touch or be around in almost every verse of these stories. They would have expected that uncleanliness to rub off on Jesus. Instead, in each story, Jesus become contagious to the people he touches giving them his life, health, wholeness, and hope. Christians would do this again during the Roman plagues of the second and third centuries and we continue to live in to that Christian tradition today, contagiously spreading the love and life of Christ to all who need it.
On this Easter Sunday morning we came together online to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. The sermon focused on how surprising it was for Christians to proclaim that the Kingdom of God had arrived in a world that didn't look any different and how boldly they proclaimed with one voice that Jesus was a surprising king, the Messiah! And this Messiah's death and resurrection meant the beginning of the two part inauguration of the Kingdom of God. Today Christians continue to usher in this Kingdom every day.
After a few weeks gearing up our tech the Northwest Sermons podcast is back. We are now recording the entire service on Zoom and posting it each week while we practice our social distancing. This week we looked at the Triumphal Entry in Matthew 21 and all of the expectations people had for Jesus as the Messiah and how he did something even greater! He tore down all the walls of separation so that those who are in Christ can never be alone because we have access to God by the presence of the Spirit, which unites us as a body of believers. Jesus didn't just "go to the Temple" he was "creating a new Temple!"
Services today were a little unusual as we made a number of changes due to the potential spread of illness in our community. This meant that Kent stepped in instead of a March for Missions guest speaker. He talked about how the world isn't as bad as we often think, that God is in control and that we have so many reasons to trust God and be confident living in Christ. We looked at Psalm 121, Psalm 46, and Jesus' teaching on worry from the Sermon on the Mount.
As Rodney continued our March for Missions campaign, he talked about the work he does in Africa and the importance of making disciples. Today, we continue the work that God has been doing from the beginning, making people in his image. Jesus then created disciples in his image. The church continues this work today by going into all the world and making disciples.
We kicked off our annual March for Missions campaign (trying to raise $110,000 for missions this year) with guest speaker Dan Bouchelle from Mission Resource Network. Dan talked about how fear is running rampant in America and in American Christianity. But that fear has no place in the Kingdom of God. Especially once you realize that global Christianity is exploding with enthusiasm, new Christians, and courageous faith. How can we support God's mission around the world and what can we learn from successes taking place in churches around the world? God is on the move. The church is on the move. Are you ready to join in?
While it is certainly true that the Spirit dwells within all of those who are in Christ, you cannot understand Paul’s vision for the church if you do not understand that the Spirit dwells among the believers. We often forget how important the community is when it comes to having God’s Spirit dwelling among us, in our midst, holding us together. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul then shows how people who are divisive in the church are working against the Spirit, are worldly, and are big spiritual babies. On the other hand, spiritual maturity results in working together, unity, and doing the things Jesus would do in the world.
Continuing our study on the seven passages where the Holy Spirit is poured out, this week we looked at what happened in the New Testament church when the Spirit show up. When the Holy Spirit is poured out, God sends new vision and mission, renewed purpose and passion, a call to welcome all into the people of God, and an overwhelming and overflowing amount of God's love. If we are willing to open ourselves to the pouring out of the Spirit then all of these things are waiting for us to receive and share with the world today!
As he prepared to be crucified, Jesus attempted to comfort his disciples by telling them that it is better for him to go so that he can send the Holy Spirit, empowering those who believe in Jesus to do ever GREATER THINGS than Jesus did. Later, Paul writes in Ephesians about the power that God gives to those in Christ so that we might be the body of Christ, doing the things Jesus would do with the power he now gives us in the world today. And yet, we look at the challenges in this world and are terrified and lack hope. It seems this is because we don't expect Jesus to keep his promise that we will do greater things. Perhaps that's because God desires to pour his Spirit out on us and the world and we only ask for a trickle and expect God to say maybe. This pouring out of the Spirit was promised through the Prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Joel, and that promise remains for us today. Are we willing to go where the Spirit leads? Are we ready?
This year Northwest begins our move into the new decade by studying the Holy Spirit. So often the church has ignored and neglected the Spirit, especially when the church was comfortable with the status quo. But when the church is on mission there is always a renewal of the Spirit. As Northwest goes on mission and begins casting new vision, we enter our own season of missional and spiritual renewal. The sermon looks at how the Spirit has been involved in the mission of the church from its very beginning, how things changed over time, and why there is such increase in interest in the Holy Spirit in recent decades.
In 1804 Lewis and Clark thought they would crest the continental divide and coast downriver to the Pacific Ocean. Instead they learned that everything they knew and thought and were prepared for was wrong. Their canoes couldn't get them across the Rocky Mountains. Today, the church finds itself in a similar situation. Christendom has passed, we live in a truly secular age, and young people want spirituality without organized religion or faith communities. And yet, we believe that Jesus will keep his word that the gates of Hades will never persevere against his kingdom. At Northwest, will must be ready to learn the new way of living as Christians as we go into the mountains. We will not go without the Spirit. We will listen for new ideas and new vision. And we will experiment and adventure in our faith with a willingness to repeatedly fail so that some might be saved. Are you ready to get out of the boat and go adventuring with God in the mountains?
There are numerous passages in Scripture that tell Christians they shouldn't be angry or lose control of their tongues or their temper. And yet, Jesus gets angry in the Temple and Paul gets angry with Peter in Antioch. So how do we know if our anger is moral filth or in line with God's anger at injustice. This sermon seeks to explore the difference and calls us to leave behind the moral filth of human anger.
Deuteronomy is an exercise of spiritual memory as Moses reminds Israel of all the things they have seen God do for them and in their presence. This spiritual practice of remembering reminds us of God's many blessings, helping us better understand where we are today and to have greater confidence in God in the future. This sermon practices that by remembering all of the prayers God has answered at Northwest over the next 10 years as we prepare to start praying new prayers for the future.
Earlier this year we talked about the spiritual importance of remembering all has God done so we can praise him, give him thanks, and also see what he has done so we better know what he is calling us to. This sermon reviews some of the major ministry efforts from NW in 2019 and begins to point us forward toward new ministry and vision in 2020.
During the Christmas season we talk a lot about how important the birth of Jesus really is, but what if Jesus had never been born? This sermon asks the questions of "It's a Wonderful Life" about Jesus, focusing on three scenes from the life of Jesus as he encounters the Woman at the Well, Legion, and Zacchaeus. Finally, we ask what difference has the birth of Jesus made in your life? Because if he hasn't yet, then it's time for you to encounter the man who changes lives so you can become transformed. What are you waiting for?
When Mary became pregnant, Joseph was told by an angel that the child would be known as Immanuel, which means "God with us." When it came time for Jesus to leave and go sit at the right hand of God, he assured his disciples by telling them that it was good for him to leave so they could receive the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, those who believe in Jesus would go on to do even greater things. In this way, the world continues to be blessed today because though Immanuel (God With Us) is now with God, the Holy Spirit remains God In Us.
The Old Testament has several crises that keep coming up over and over again and they revolve around the questions: Can God dwell among His people (without destroying them) and can the people of God live in the presence of God? This is further complicated by the difficulties related to God's promises to Abram. So at the end of the Old Testament, you can't help but wonder...can God live with us. Then, when all seems lost, the angel tells Joseph that Mary will have a son and he will be called Immanuel, which means "God with us." Jesus, at his birth, becomes the answer to the problem. Ever since then, God has lived with us and in us in the person of Jesus and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.