Son-Rise Christian Church, Marshfield, MO: Recent Episodes
Son-Rise Christian Church, Marshfield, MO
Nicodemus has an impressive résumé. He’s a Pharisee, respected for their devotion to and knowledge of the Mosaic Law. He’s a member of the Sanhedrin, the esteemed ruling council of the Jewish people. He also is regarded as Israel’s teacher- the one you go to for answers.However, in John 3, Nicodemus is the one with all the questions. He goes to Jesus for answers. What he finds is THE Answer, not just answers to life’s questions, but the answer to life itself.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul instructs us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” We have such a strong tendency though to spend far more time talking about our circumstances than we do expressing the things we are thankful for. In this weekend’s message, we will be talking about how to take giving thanks beyond a holiday to a way of life.
6 of 10 Christians believe in and engage in mystical practices that not only go against a Christian worldview, but often times are expressly forbidden in Scripture. Though they promise a connection to the spiritual, God has already revealed the best way to connect to Him.
There are certain passages of Scripture that make us gulp. That make us pause, or speed up and skip on ahead, because we don’t want to think about the implications of what they mean. One of the scariest passages in Scripture is found toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Three verses who’s implications should make you tremble, at least a few times in your life.
You don’t need me to tell you that we live in a world is that is quite content with broken vows, and will accept the flimsiest excuse for unkept promises. Our culture says that if something becomes inconvenient or it no longer suits you, then just quit. Leave. Move on to the next thing. But we have been saved by a faithful Savior to serve a faithful God who’s put His faithful Spirit in our hearts to make us a faithful people.
Our version of good is what makes us happy- what gets us closer to our goal. What’s good is what’s good for me. However, when Paul writes “the fruit of the Spirit is…goodness,” he has in mind something much richer, much deeper, and much fuller than we do when we say, “This is good cake, Today was a good day, I’m doing good. They’re good people.”
What does it mean to be kind? Is it just being nice? Is it that perfunctory politeness that we use to grease our daily interactions and get what we want out of life? No. Paul says the Holy Spirit is trying to grow in us something more than just good manners, or a polite society. Kindness goes much deeper.
When we clothe ourselves in patience, we not only display patience toward others, but it brings something out of us as well. It inspires us to become more than we already are. We become more like Jesus.
Love is the first attribute of the Spirit’s fruit that Paul mentions. It is no surprise that Love should come first. Love becomes the fount from which joy overflows. Love is the anchor which gives peace in the storm. Love is the sun that shines forth the rays of kindness. Love makes tender the heart that is gentle.
The same God that knows every number of every hair on your head, the same God that knows you, that calls you by name, that has your name written on the palm of His hand, and written it down in the Book of Life, that same God loves and cares just as much for your lost friends.
This sermon examines additional threads that knit the soul of Jonathan to the soul of David. Soul friendship is something severely lacking in most modern relationships. What can we learn from these close friends?
After his victory in defeating Goliath David descends into one of the deepest, darkest valleys of his life. Goliath may not have been the biggest giant David had to face. That towering enemy was the jealousy of King Saul. Jealousy is a natural human emotion, but the wrong ingredients can turn jealousy into a deadly
Looking at a stat sheet, David faced insurmountable odds when he took on Goliath. But there were a number of small factors that contributed to his victory. However, when you add faith in an all-powerful God into the mix no odds are insurmountable, and even the small factors matter greatly.
Israel’s longtime nemisis, the Philistines have invaded, and this time they’ve brought a secret weapon – a giant named Goliath. The only thing is he’s not the real giant in the story.
In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul tells us that the entire Christian faith hinges on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. The empty tomb proves our faith is in something real. More than that, it gives us hope of our own resurrection.
The mid 90s. The cool kids wore flannel. Friends was the newest hit on TV. We were just discovering the internet, email, and AOL. We had pagers and cell phones that looked like walkie talkies. Alternative music had become mainstream.At the midpoint of the decade a song by a new artist rocked the charts around the world. It wasn’t about dancing, love, or good times. Instead, this hit asked what is likely the most important spiritual question ever asked in a top 40 tune. The answer to this question gets to the very heart of the gospel.
A band’s songwriter’s spiritual searching leads to their biggest hit song. He’s uncovered the same truth discovered by Israel’s king 3,000 years earlier. You’ll be amazed when the band’s Christian fans sense his spiritual searching and pray for him.
This 2022 country song by a rapper hit the top 5 of both the country and rock charts. It’s universal appeal is appropriate because it describes a universal problem – sin.Both the song and Scripture agree that we are all sinners. This message examines why this is a problem and what God has done about it.
This is the first message in a series that looks at 5 hit songs from 5 different eras. These songs were not just wildly popular, but each of them touches on an essential truth of the gospel- the good news of our salvation. The very idea of salvation means that we have to be saved from something. The truth of that something is that we have an enemy.
Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a cautionary tale about two builders. They both build houses, but only one survives the storm. Jesus says we can build our lives in one of two places. Only one will survive.
Jesus calls us to seek God and promises that we will find Him. So, why is it that God can so often be so hard to find?
It’s so easy to see problems in others and completely miss them in ourselves. And then we criticize those faults, we make all sorts of negative assumptions about their motives and intentions, we judge their faith, and we label them with this negative trait or having that character flaw. However, if anyone dares point out
Three times in this passage Jesus tells us, “Do not worry.” This is a command. Jesus doesn’t say, “try not worry,” or “it’s better if you don’t worry.” Not worrying is a matter of obedience and faithfulness. In this passage, Jesus gives us three reasons why worry will never work.
We all store up treasure. Where we store it is the issue. Jesus talks more about money and possessions than he does any other subject. More than salvation, more than prayer, more than love, Jesus talks about how we handle our stuff. Why would he do this? Because so much of our life is spent
There may be few messages more relevant, and more timely to 21st Century American ears than biblical teaching on fasting. Yet nothing sounds more foreign, more alien, more out of touch than fasting.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus does not just teach us what to pray, but how to pray. He has given us an approach to the Father, a way of relating to God.
Giving and helping the needy is simply to be normal activity of the Christian. We are not to be self-conscious in our giving. Don’t sit and calculate how generous you are. How much you gave. Just do it and forget about it.
There is one time when Jesus says that we as Christians look most like our heavenly father. There is one quality that undeniably shows that we are God’s children. When we do this one thing people can look at us and see that we look just like our Father. It’s not that cowlick in your
Our sinful, human nature certainly likes to get back and get even. We demand our rights and give others what we feel they’ve got coming. But our Lord calls us to be generous with grace. Instead of getting even. He calls us to show the very same love he showed us, a love unearned and
Forgiveness and Reconciliation can cure an angry heart. They stop murder before the hate even starts. And forgiveness and reconciliation are what God desires most of us.
As we continue our series on the Sermon on the Mount, we come to a passage where Jesus describes the kind of influence we, as Christians, should have on the world. Jesus doesn’t call us to withdraw from the world and leave it, but neither does he call us to attack the world and conquer
In the opening verses of Matthew 5 Jesus offers us something more than happiness. He offers us divine blessing. In these 8 beatitudes Jesus marks the path to true “sacred delight.” In a world where everything leaves us empty, Jesus shows the way to fulfillment.
Often the question is not whether God is speaking; the question is are we listening. There are many many things that help us listen: reading scripture, meditation, solitude and silence, conversation, listening to good teaching, watching the beauty of a sunset, listening to great music, however, there are a few things that are essential to
Three simple words in English – “It is finished.” In the Greek, it’s one word. Picture Jesus on the cross and he yells out this one word before breathing his final breath. He draws up all his last remaining bit of strength to make this one final proclamation, “Tetelestai!” This one word tells us so
If you ask most people why they don’t go to church or why they don’t become a Christian, or why they left the faith, one of the most common answers is a variation on this, “The church is full of hypocrites.” Jesus was well acquainted with hypocrisy and had much to say about it. So,
He was a musician. He was a singer. He was a worship leader. His songs sung by believers all over. His songs sung by generations of worshippers. They are included in the greatest hits of praise of all time. He fathered a long line of singers and musicians with a legacy of worship. And yet
Making good decisions and sticking with them is essential, especially when it comes to our financial freedom. The challenge is going to be you’re dealing with more than just the normal difficulty in sticking with a commitment. Following God’s way leads to freedom, but it is never easy.
Are you living the life you chose, or a life that was handed to you by someone else. The reality is that financial freedom is something you choose, not something that happens to you. Yes, our starting points vary widely. Some of us were given a head start. Others of us had to start a
In this series we’re asking you to dare to dream about living your life differently. Don’t just be another debt statistic. Be the outlier. Have you ever wanted to live a life of financial freedom? To know that all your money isn’t already spent before you even get paid? You can live a life of financial
True intimacy with our Creator requires stillness. We must still, because the divine lover of our souls often shares himself in stillness. If we want to know God more fully, if we want to experience his tender healing on our deepest wounds, if we want to be lifted out of our darkest places, we have
Psalm 46 centers on the city of Jerusalem, home to the temple and thus the focal point of God’s presence. It is there in God’s presence that we find our safety and security weather from the storms of life or from human conflict.
Moses makes an amazing promise to the nation of Israel, “The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still.” What exactly does this mean? What does it mean for us? What does it require of us?
For a channel so devoted to Christmas, it’s amazing how little actual Christmas there ever is in any Hallmark movie. Don’t expect any signs of Christmas beyond cozy fireplaces, time with family, decorating trees and giving gifts. It’s a Christ-less Christmas. No one ever mentions Jesus. If you’re lucky you might get a verse of
Stewardship is about much more than the offering plate or the church budget. It’s about how we handle all that God’s given us. Stewardship is a very practical matter that affects the majority of our waking lives.
Jesus has called you to reach more than your potential. He’s called you to more than just fulfilling yourself. Jesus’ mission wasn’t just to make sure you have a place with him in heaven when you die. He calls us to manifest his redemption and restoration in this world.
Superman had Lex Luthor. Harry Potter had Voldemort. Sherlock Holmes had Professor Moriarty. Luke Skywalker had Darth Vader. And you…have an enemy also. An enemy bent on your destruction. Join us this Sunday at 10 am as we talk about the enemy.
This week in Rooted we’re talking about listening to God and hearing God’s voice, and the primary language God uses is His revealed Word. Certainly, God can speak to our hearts. He can guide us with inner impressions. He can speak with a still small voice, but the bottom line is if you want to
Isaiah ministered against seemingly impossible odds. What motivated him? What kept him going? When we know what motivated Isaiah we find help in what motivates us?
This sermon comes from Genesis 6 and it reads like it comes from JRR Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.” It talks about the “sons of God” marrying and having children with the “daughters of humans.” Their offspring are called the Nephilim and we’re told that they were the heroes of old, the men renown. What
Three of the bleakest chapters in the Bible are found in Judges 19-21. Why is this dark story in God’s word. This weekend’s “Stranger Things” sermon.
One of the strangest stories in the Bible is found in Mark 11. It’s main point is about the dangers of being all eaves and no fruit, but we might miss it, because of the weirdness of the story. It requires some background we might not have.
In 1 Samuel 28, we get an eerie ghost story filled with stranger things, including a creepy medium and a weird sort séance that brings back the spirit of the prophet Samuel of all people. What’s really going on in the passage and what is the significance of it all?
The Bible records around 20 miracles performed by the prophet Elisha. Most of them are acts of compassion and mercy. He helps people. He blessed people. However, one stands out as a stark exception. At first glance, it appears that Elisha curses a group of kids for doing nothing more than teasing him for being bald. Two mama bears then come out and maul 42 of the kids. Harsh! Let’s take a second look and see what’s really going on here.
The truth is we lie… a lot. Truth today is made out of Play-Doh. It depends on your feelings, your goals, and who you’re talking to. When your view of truth is so fuzzy, it becomes real easy to lie. God calls us, however, to be people of truth. This is one of the great truths that rang out from the slopes of Sinai.
It’s an absolute truth God has spoken. “You shall not steal.” No footnotes. No asterisks. No exceptions. No loopholes. No stealing. Period. It’s too short and simple for us who like things a little more shady. We don’t like things so black and white. We are comfortable in the greys.
There is more to the 6th Commandment than not murdering someone. We need honor and value life.
Before cities, before nations, before a chosen people, and before the church, God created the family. Even as society tries to pull the family apart, God calls us to honor our father and our mother.
The 4th commandment is often the most ignored commandment, but it is also the longest. What is it’s relevance to followers of Jesus who live under the new covenant?
The 10 Commandments begin with putting God first. God says we shall have no other gods before Him. Why? Is He insecure? Does He feel threatened by the competition? It’s not like that at all. In prohibiting all other gods, our Heavenly Father is offering us the greatest gift of all.