Midtown Presbyterian Church: Recent Episodes
Midtown Presbyterian Church
At Midtown Presbyterian Church, we value honest questions and genuine community, working alongside one another as we discover more about what it means to follow Jesus in the modern world, and in Phoenix. You are welcome here. Listen to our teachings in this podcast to follow us, and be sure to join us Sunday mornings; visit thespringmidtown.org to learn more.
What does it actually take to stand firm when life gets hard? Not just to survive difficulty, but to move through it with genuine strength, purpose, and joy?We continue our adventure into one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture, Psalm 23, and in verse 5 we encounter an unexpected shift from the image of a shepherd leading sheep to the image of a generous host welcoming a guest to a lavishly prepared table. That shift is intentional and profound. The table God prepares is not a quick, forgettable meal. It is a feast of belonging, set before us even in the presence of our enemies, even when the world around us is hostile or indifferent. In the ancient Near East, sharing a meal carried enormous social and spiritual weight. To be welcomed to someone's table was to be affirmed, dignified, and claimed. And this is precisely what God does for us. He looks us in the eyes and says we belong, that we are deeply loved, that we can draw real and lasting strength from his presence. Jesus embodied this truth throughout his ministry, consistently choosing the table as the place where the kingdom of God broke through most visibly. For us today, the invitation stands. There is a source of inner strength available to us that no circumstance can permanently extinguish, and it is found in returning again and again to the presence of the One who has prepared a place for us.
What does it actually mean to trust a shepherd we cannot see, through valleys we never asked to enter? Psalm 23 is one of the most memorized passages in all of scripture, yet there is a deep honesty in admitting that we do not always believe it. This week, our dear friend Jackie Parks guides us into the heart of that tension, exploring what it looks like to walk through what our indigenous brothers and sisters call canyons of darkness and gloom, and to do so without numbing out or running away. The central insight here is that the comfort God offers us in those valleys is not abstract or sentimental. It is concrete. It is made real through the image of the shepherd's rod and staff, tools that speak directly to our deepest fears of scarcity, vulnerability, and abandonment. When we are in the valley, we are easy prey for lies that tell us there will not be enough, that we have wandered too far, or that we are simply not worth finding. The rod and the staff answer each of those lies with a tangible declaration of provision, protection, and presence. This is an invitation to stop managing our fear and start trusting the one who has already accounted for every step of the journey.
What happens when the path our Good Shepherd leads us on takes us straight into darkness? Psalm 23 verse 4 leads us into one of the most honest realities of the Christian life: the valley is real, it is dark, and it is part of the journey. This week, Midtown friend, Bob Simmons takes us deep into that valley alongside some of the most familiar figures in scripture. We walk with Abraham as he faces the unthinkable demand to surrender the very promise God gave him. We sit with Joseph through years of betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment, only to discover that what his brothers meant for harm, God was weaving into something that would save nations. These are not stories of people who were airlifted above their suffering. They are stories of people who walked through it, and came out knowing God in ways they never could have otherwise. The valley, it turns out, is not a detour from the life of faith. It is one of its most essential passages.
This 4th week of our Shepherded series, Clint draws from the ancient wisdom of Homer's Odyssey, where we're reminded that even Odysseus, known for his cunning and brilliance, recognized he couldn't trust his own instincts when facing the sirens' call. He had himself tied to the mast because he knew his judgment would fail him. How much more do we need guidance in our own lives? The sermon walks us through Psalm 23's declaration that God leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake, unpacking what it truly means to be shepherded. We learn about the devastating reality of being 'sheeped to death' - how our habitual self-direction wears ruts into our lives until the once-green pastures become wastelands. The cultural lie of our age tells us to follow our hearts, trust our instincts, and do what feels right. Yet statistics on unhappiness, anxiety, and depression reveal this self-directed approach is failing spectacularly. The teaching challenges us to see that righteousness isn't about religious duty but about right relationships - disadvantaging ourselves to advantage others. This is the way of the cross, the path Jesus walked and calls us to follow daily. When we allow the Good Shepherd to lead us, we discover that dying to our self-oriented pride is actually the doorway to the life we've been searching for all along.
Shepherded | He Restores My Soul - Psalm 23 - Mike Shirey by Midtown Presbyterian Church
In our restless world where busyness has become a badge of honor and exhaustion our constant companion, we find ourselves confronted with a profound truth: restlessness is not a scheduling problem but a soul problem. This week's exploration of Psalm 23's second verse reveals that true rest cannot be manufactured through productivity hacks, better mattresses, or optimized routines. Like sheep who require specific conditions to lie down—freedom from fear, absence of conflict within the flock, and satisfied hunger—we too need our Good Shepherd to create the environment for genuine rest. Clint unpacks how Jesus dismantles our anxious pursuit of control, frees us from the exhausting hierarchy of comparison and competition, and satisfies the infinite hunger of our souls with His infinite presence. What makes this message particularly compelling is its honest acknowledgment that we live in tension: we have access to more rest-inducing tools than any generation in history, yet we are more depleted than ever. The answer is not found in self-help strategies but in the posture of receiving what the Shepherd longs to give us. Through practices like prayer, silence, and Sabbath, we position ourselves not to earn rest but to accept the green pastures already prepared for us. This is an invitation to stop striving and start receiving, to cease our interior immigration away from the present moment and return to the peace found only in God's presence.
In a world that seems to spin faster every day, where anxiety has become almost a badge of honor for being 'busy enough,' we're invited to discover a radically different way of living. This week we dive into the phrase 'He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul,' reveals a profound truth: our Good Shepherd doesn't just lead us through chaos—He intentionally guides us to places of stillness. Like sheep who refuse to drink from rushing streams and will only drink from calm waters, we too need those quiet moments where we can truly be refreshed. Mike Shirey challenges our cultural addiction to busyness and invites us to understand that productivity isn't the same as peace. We learn that anxiety often stems not from our circumstances, but from our response to them—specifically, our reluctance to fully yield our lives, our control, and our worries to God. The beautiful imagery of the shepherd carrying lost sheep, holding them close to his heart, reminds us that in our weakest moments, Jesus doesn't just walk beside us—He carries us. This isn't about escaping life's difficulties, but about learning to find peace in the midst of them, trusting that the One who overcame the world walks with us through every valley.
This week is the last message in the Live in Love sermon series, and to complete the series we look to Matthew 18:21-35, where Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant, challenging us to reconsider what we think we know about forgiveness. Clint opens the message with a haunting reminder from Charleston in 2015, where grieving families spoke words of forgiveness that stunned the world. The core revelation here is staggering: each of us carries an unpayable debt before God, like owing 164 years of daily wages, yet God's character is defined by forgiveness so complete that He tears up the ledger entirely. We learn that forgiveness is not amnesia, not pretending nothing happened, and not excusing evil. Instead, it's a costly act where someone must absorb the loss, and in the cross, Christ absorbs our debt so fully that we're freed to extend that same mercy to others. The sermon walks us through a practical four-step process: tell the story, name the hurt, grant forgiveness, and renew or release the relationship. The transformative truth is this: the extent to which we can forgive others is directly connected to how deeply we understand we've been forgiven. When we refuse to forgive, we imprison ourselves in bitterness and self-obsession. Heaven is filled with forgiven sinners who receive and extend mercy; hell is filled with forgiven sinners who refuse it. We're left with a choice that shapes our entire existence.
It is week 6 of our Live In Love sermon series, as Luke Parker asks us how much we love Mercy. This morning, Luke 7:31-50 confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: we are all masters at rigging the game of righteousness in our favor. Through the vivid story of a woman known as a sinner anointing Jesus at a Pharisee's dinner party, we discover that our scorekeeping mentality prevents us from experiencing true mercy. The message challenges our tendency to judge others while justifying ourselves, whether we lean toward religious conservatism or progressive inclusivity. We see how Simon the Pharisee treated Jesus as important but not most important, staffing out hospitality rather than offering it personally. In contrast, the woman brought everything she had, using her own hair and expensive perfume to honor Christ. The central revelation is staggering: God forgave us long before we ever asked, and those who recognize how much they've been forgiven love most deeply. This isn't about earning mercy through good works or maintaining a spiritual scorecard. It's about drawing close to the Son of righteousness and being radiated with His warmth and light until mercy flows naturally from our lives. The story of Saint Pelagia reminds us that no one is beyond the transforming power of encountering someone who truly loves mercy.
around constantly, but when conflict arises, our definitions quickly crumble. Week five of Live in Love dives into Paul's thoughts about love in Romans 12:9-21, challenging us to move beyond love as a fleeting feeling and embrace it as a consistent, costly action. Drawing from psychiatrist M. Scott Peck's insight that love is the will to extend oneself for another's spiritual growth, we're confronted with a radical truth: genuine love is tested not when things are easy, but precisely when we face disappointment, betrayal, and opposition. Paul's letter to the Romans isn't a rulebook for earning God's approval—it's a description of family values for those who already know they're loved by Christ. The passage walks us through the house of love, opening door after door: hating evil while holding fast to good, showing mutual affection as brothers and sisters, maintaining passionate zeal, rejoicing in hope amid suffering, practicing radical generosity and hospitality. Most challenging of all, we're called to stay open-hearted even when others hurt us, refusing to let evil reproduce itself through our vengeful responses. The burning coals we heap on our enemies' heads aren't instruments of revenge but life-giving fire that might spark transformation. This kind of love only becomes possible when we stop sitting in God's judgment seat and instead gaze at Jesus, who had every right to condemn us but chose only to forgive. When we truly see how Christ loved us first, our icy hearts melt, and we become free to love others—not through willpower, but through transformation.
Live In Love | Love Your Enemy-Pray for Those Who Persecute You - Matthew 5.38-48 by Midtown Presbyterian Church
This week's teaching takes us deep into one of the more misunderstood aspects of Christian living: how we handle anger in a world full of conflict. Drawing from Ephesians 4:25-29, we're confronted with Paul's paradoxical command to 'be angry, but do not sin.' The message challenges our cultural assumptions about anger, revealing that emotions themselves are often God-given responses to injustice and harm. Like nuclear power, anger can either heal or destroy depending on how we handle it. The teaching walks us through Jesus' own expressions of anger, showing us that He became angry when the vulnerable were dismissed, when children were turned away, when religious systems failed to bring healing. His anger always moved toward compassion and restoration, never toward vengeance or destruction. We're given practical diagnostics to distinguish between righteous anger and destructive wrath, examining whether we're angry about genuine harm or simply disrupted preferences, whether our words heal or wound, and whether we move toward repair or replay offenses. The call is clear: conflict delayed becomes conflict deepened. We're invited to become field hospitals for those wounded by the culture wars, not contributors to the casualty count. This means learning to pause and reflect, take responsibility first, build appreciation even in disagreement, and pursue curiosity over criticism. The foundation for all of this is the cross, where Jesus absorbed the full force of humanity's wrath and rose again, proving that the power of destructive anger can be left in the grave.
In our second week of learning to Live In Love, Tom Parker brings us a message from Colossians 3 challenging us to examine what we're truly wearing in our spiritual lives. Just as we wouldn't want to wear an orange jumpsuit that represents imprisonment, we're called to strip off the old self and clothe ourselves with something far more beautiful. The text confronts us with uncomfortable truths about behaviors that fragment community: fornication, greed, anger, and dishonesty. These aren't just moral prohibitions, they're warnings like being told not to touch a 220-volt wire. God's warnings aren't judgmental but protective, meant to save us from wreckage. The stunning truth at the heart of this passage is our identity: we are chosen, holy, and beloved. This reality should take a lifetime to absorb into our souls. From this secure identity, we're invited to put on new clothing: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. These aren't arbitrary virtues but reflections of God's own character, seen perfectly in Jesus Christ. The message culminates in a beautiful vision of Christian community where peace rules our hearts, gratitude overflows, and everything we do in word or deed is done in the name of Jesus. This isn't about external appearances but internal transformation that the Holy Spirit works in us, making us look more and more like our Creator.
This week, Gayle Parker opens our next sermon series, Live In Love, with a message that takes us deep into the heart of what it means to truly forgive, drawing from Ephesians 4, the Gospel of John, and the parable of the Prodigal Son. We're challenged to put away bitterness, wrath, and anger, choosing instead to be kind and tenderhearted. The story of the two brothers offers us a mirror: are we the younger son who knows we need grace, or the older brother imprisoned by self-righteousness and victimhood? The message reveals something profound: when we refuse to forgive, we're not punishing the other person, we're locking ourselves in a room of our own making. The REACH model of forgiveness provides practical steps, reminding us that forgiveness is a process, not a single moment. What strikes deepest is the reminder that we can never have a better past, so perhaps it's time to stop dwelling there. Through the Holy Spirit, we're given the same ministry Jesus had: the ministry of forgiveness. This isn't about pretending hurt didn't happen or excusing wrong, it's about choosing freedom over imprisonment, grace over grudges, and living in love rather than grieving the Spirit within us.
In our final week of sermon series through the Gospel of John, Last Words, we consider how Peter's denial and restoration invites us to confront an uncomfortable truth: we are all capable of profound failure, yet that very failure becomes the gateway to experiencing God's deepest grace. The passage from John 21 reveals Jesus meeting Peter on the beach after his threefold denial, not with condemnation or minimization, but with a transformative love that penetrates to the core of our shame. We discover that Jesus refuses both to cancel Peter for his betrayal and to sweep it under the rug. Instead, He does something far more radical—He exposes the wound precisely so He can heal it. The charcoal fire, the threefold questioning, the pointed reminder of Peter's boastful claims—all serve not to shame but to bring honest acknowledgment. This teaches us that healing from our failures requires complete honesty before God. We cannot experience the heights of Christ's love until we acknowledge the depths of our sin. The beautiful paradox emerges: Peter's greatest failure becomes the foundation for his greatest leadership. His weakness, when surrendered to Christ, becomes his strength. This challenges our cultural narratives that tell us to hide our flaws or define ourselves by our strengths alone. In Christ, we find a different path—one where our scars become the very places where grace takes root and new life springs forth.
This week, we pause and take a look at our relationship with doubt in the Christian journey. Rather than viewing doubt as a spiritual failure or something to be buried in shame, we're shown through the story of Thomas in John 20:24-29 that doubt can actually be a pathway to deeper, more authentic faith. The sermon challenges two cultural extremes: the church's tendency to condemn doubt as weakness, and society's uncritical celebration of skepticism as virtue. Instead, we discover a third way—the way of Thomas—where doubt becomes an invitation to encounter a bigger picture of Jesus. The message beautifully illustrates how Jesus doesn't reject Thomas for his skepticism but meets him in it, showing his wounds and transforming doubt into worship. We're reminded that spiritual maturity isn't about doubting less, but about bringing our doubts to Jesus and community rather than running from them. The agricultural metaphor of dry farming particularly resonates—sometimes God withholds immediate answers not to punish us, but to help our faith develop deeper roots that can withstand future droughts. This perspective liberates us to ask honest questions while remaining anchored in community, trusting that our doubts may actually be breaking open pictures of God that have become too small.
As we continue our exploration of the Last Words of Jesus in the gospel of John, Clint invites us to move beyond Easter Sunday and into the transformative reality of resurrection life.Drawing from John 20:19-23, we encounter Jesus stepping through locked doors to meet his fearful disciples with the profound gift of peace. The imagery is striking: just as we once had to flip cassette tapes to hear side B, we must flip past Easter celebration to discover what resurrection means for our daily lives. The disciples huddled behind locked doors represent our own houses of fear—those mental and emotional prisons constructed from anxiety about finances, relationships, health, and the future. Yet Jesus doesn't wait for us to unlock those doors ourselves. He simply appears, bringing peace into our most fortified spaces of fear. The sermon beautifully unpacks three essential truths: Christ shows us a tangible, physical future where resurrection means not escaping earth but heaven transforming earth; he sends us as missionaries into the world with a comprehensive mission of spiritual and material healing; and he breathes the Holy Spirit into us, providing the power we desperately need. The story of Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer who penned 'Blessed Assurance,' demonstrates how resurrection hope transforms suffering into song. When we truly grasp that this world isn't all there is, that our future includes restored bodies and renewed creation, even our deepest fears lose their grip. We're called to pray simply, 'Jesus, I need you,' and discover that his resurrecting power reaches every locked room of our souls.
This Easter, we are challangerd to consider the profound reality that resurrection is not just a historical event but a present power that transforms our lives today. The sermon centers on John 20, where we encounter Mary Magdalene walking in darkness to Jesus' tomb, carrying the weight of grief and trauma. What unfolds is a story of divine pursuit, where Jesus doesn't wait for us to find Him but actively seeks us out in our brokenness. We're challenged to examine four compelling reasons the resurrection deserves our trust: it's intellectually satisfying, as the evidence demands honest investigation rather than blind faith; it's emotionally satiating, offering a love stronger than death itself; it's personally resonant, as Jesus calls each of us by name into a new identity; and it's universally redemptive, signaling God's intention to renew all creation. The empty tomb and folded grave clothes invite us to theorize and investigate, while Mary's encounter with the risen Christ reminds us that we often fail to recognize Jesus working in our lives because we're trapped in stories of loss and abandonment. The message powerfully confronts our cultural avoidance of death and offers the only truly satisfying answer: a God who enters death to defeat it, who knows our pain from the inside, and who is making all things new even now.
This Palm Sunday, Luke Parker invites us to examine how easily we can misunderstand Jesus, even while celebrating Him. The passage from John 12 shows us a crowd waving palm branches and shouting praises, yet within days many of these same voices would cry 'Crucify him.' Why? Because they wanted their version of the kingdom more than they wanted Jesus as King. They were looking for a military conqueror on a warhorse, but Jesus arrived on a humble donkey. The disciples themselves admitted they didn't understand what was happening until after the resurrection. This challenges us to ask: Are we truly seeking Jesus, or are we seeking what we want Jesus to give us? The message confronts our tendency to build kingdoms of our own preferences—in our careers, relationships, and personal ambitions—while claiming to follow Christ. Jesus tells us that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it produces much fruit. This isn't just about eternal life after death; it's about experiencing the abundant life Jesus offers now when we surrender our agendas to His. As we navigate a world filled with distorted images of Christianity, we're called to return to Scripture and see Jesus as He truly is: the King who doesn't need our endorsement but lovingly invites us into His kingdom through sacrifice and resurrection.
What does it truly mean to be unified in a world that profits from our division? This week we unpack how Jesus' final prayer for his followers in John 17 reveals that unity isn't about institutional mergers or superficial agreement, but about a radical, boundary-breaking love that the world cannot produce on its own. We're challenged to see how Christian unity cuts through every worldly division—ethnicity, economics, politics, education—not by erasing our differences, but by finding our primary identity in Christ above all else. The sermon draws a sobering parallel between the linguistic violence that preceded the Irish Troubles and the divisive rhetoric saturating our culture today, reminding us that words matter and that the church's witness depends on our ability to love across differences. What's most striking is the claim that God loves us with the same love He has for Jesus—a truth so transformative that when we truly grasp it, we no longer need to compare, compete, or elevate ourselves above others. This secure identity in Christ's love becomes the foundation for practicing peace in a world addicted to conflict. We're invited to refuse tribalism, practice radical listening even with our enemies, and hold truth and love together rather than choosing one over the other. The question becomes deeply personal: what might change in our habits, character, and speech if we actually lived with Jesus as our primary allegiance above everything else?Video Credit: Conclave. Directed by Edward Berger. United States/United Kingdom: Focus Features, 2024.
In this 4th week of our exploration of Jesus' Final Words, Clint draws us into John 15:18-23 and 16:1-4, confronting us with an uncomfortable truth: authentic Christian discipleship will inevitably produce resistance in our lives. Jesus doesn't sugarcoat the reality—if we truly follow Him, the world will hate us just as it hated Him first. But this isn't persecution for being obnoxious or self-righteous; it's the natural consequence of belonging wholly to Christ rather than to the systems and powers of this world. The message challenges us to examine what we truly belong to: our careers, political tribes, family expectations, or Jesus Himself. Through the example of C. Everett Koop, who angered both conservatives and progressives by consistently following Christ's call to serve all people, we see what it looks like to live with allegiance to Jesus above all else. The question becomes deeply personal: does our Christianity actually make us different from our culture, or are we simply thermometers reflecting the values around us rather than thermostats transforming them? When we belong to Jesus, we become subversive to every other power structure, and that will cost us something. Yet this cost is nothing compared to what Christ gave up for us, His reputation, His privilege, His very life, so that we might have eternal identity and purpose in Him.
This third week of our exploration of Jesus' Last Words, Tom Parker invites us into one of the most intimate metaphors Jesus used - the vine and the branches. At its heart, this passage reveals a stunning truth: we are offered friendship with God himself. Not just servanthood, not just obedience, but actual friendship. The imagery is organic and unavoidable - branches cannot produce grapes apart from the vine, and we cannot bear spiritual fruit apart from Jesus. What makes this message so compelling is its practicality. Abiding is not some mystical concept beyond our reach; it is as simple as talking to a friend, listening to their words, and learning their ways. We discover that prayer is not a technique for relaxation but a conversation with someone who loves us with the same love the Father has for Jesus - a love so vast our minds cannot fully comprehend it. The fruit that grows from this connection is not manufactured through effort but flows naturally: love, joy, kindness, and a sacrificial heart for others. This teaching challenges our American individualism by reminding us that being grafted into Christ means being grafted into His body, the church. We need each other, messy and imperfect as we are. The rhythm of the Christian life becomes like a heartbeat - drawing near to God and then being sent out, only to return again. This is not about religious duty but about life itself, for apart from this connection, we wither.
What if the power we need for a transformed life isn't something we have to manufacture, but something we simply need to position ourselves to receive? This exploration of John 14:15-26 invites us into one of Christianity's most profound promises: the gift of the Holy Spirit as our ever-present advocate. Through the story of the Wright brothers discovering that flight required alignment with existing power rather than brute force, we're challenged to reconsider our approach to spiritual vitality. So many of us experience Christianity as occasional gliding rather than sustained soaring—we feel disappointment despite having all the advantages of modern life. The passage reveals that Jesus promised His disciples something remarkable: that His physical departure would actually bring Him nearer through the Spirit's presence. This isn't abstract theology but practical power for everyday life. We discover that the same Spirit who empowered Jesus to heal, teach, love enemies, and bring justice is available to us. The key insight is transformative: we don't need more of the Spirit; the Spirit needs more of us. Through surrender in love and commitment to community, we unlock what's already been freely given. This is an invitation to move from crawling in disappointment to experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised—a life characterized by deep peace, resilient love, and the courage to reflect Christ in every corner of our existence.
We live in a world where trouble surrounds us on every side—betrayal, loss, grief, uncertainty, and the ever-present reality of our own mortality. The question isn't whether we'll face trouble, but what we'll stake our lives to when trouble comes. This message draws us into Jesus' final hours with his disciples in John 14, where he offers three profound realities that the world can never give: a secure home, a living person, and a hopeful horizon. Unlike the empty promises of material comfort, self-help mantras, or political solutions, Jesus offers something that actually transforms how we navigate life's difficulties. He promises us a home that's already prepared, not something we earn but something graciously given. More than that, he reveals that home isn't just a future destination—it's found in knowing him personally, right here and now. This isn't about religious information or moral performance; it's about an intimate relationship with the living God who meets us in our deepest pit. When we understand that Christ himself is the way, the truth, and the life, we discover that wherever he is, we're home. And because he's coming again, we can face every trouble with confident hope, knowing that the worst thing is never the last thing. The invitation before us is clear: will we stake our lives to the things of this world that ultimately disappoint, or will we give ourselves entirely to the one who offers lasting peace in the midst of every storm?
This 7th week of our ENcountering Jesus series, we meditate on John 11, where we encounter one of the most powerful narratives in Scripture: the raising of Lazarus. But this isn't just a story about a miracle—it's an invitation to bring our honest grief directly to Jesus. Mary and Martha both cry out the same words: 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' Their lament isn't doubt; it's the cry of faith wrestling with reality. We learn that our tears are actually the first signs that our faith has a pulse, that we still believe God is good enough to hear us and powerful enough to respond. The passage challenges our American tendency to spiritualize away pain with detached phrases like 'everything happens for a reason.' Instead, we're called to lament—to bring all our anguish before God. This is crucial because the only feelings that cannot be healed are the ones we hide. When we look at Jesus' response, we see something extraordinary: He meets Mary and Martha exactly where they need to be met. With Mary, He weeps. With Martha, He speaks truth about resurrection. Because Jesus is fully God and fully human, He is the perfect counselor who never wounds when we need healing and never withholds truth when we need to hear it. This divine-human nature makes Christianity utterly unique—no other religion offers a God who is both powerful enough to command death and tender enough to weep with us in our pain. The message calls us to channel our grief toward Jesus rather than away from Him, and to let our tears send us to weep with others who are suffering.
What do we see when we encounter suffering, brokenness, or Jesus himself? One of our beloved mission partners in Edinburgh, Scotland, Caleb Shocklie, takes us on an exploration of John 9 invites us into the transformative moment when Jesus heals a man born blind—but it's about so much more than physical sight. We're challenged to examine four distinct perspectives: the blind man who must choose faith over familiarity, the disciples who seek someone to blame, the Pharisees who miss God's work because it doesn't match their expectations, and Jesus who sees opportunities for restoration everywhere. The blind man's journey from darkness to light mirrors our own spiritual awakening—he had to trust Jesus' strange instructions, go to the pool of Siloam, and wash away more than just mud. When we encounter Christ, everything changes: our priorities shift, our worldview transforms, and suddenly the comfortable life we knew feels like blindness compared to the abundant life He offers. The man lost everything when religious leaders cast him out, yet he gained infinitely more in knowing Jesus. This passage confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: we often live spiritually blind, settling for temporary satisfaction from money, power, or relationships, failing to see that only Christ offers lasting hope. The question echoes through our lives today—will we wipe away the mud and stay in comfortable darkness, or will we trust Jesus enough to step into the light, even when it costs us everything we thought we needed?
We live in a culture obsessed with condemnation, where one mistake can become a permanent identity and where social media turns us all into stone-throwers. Yet the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8 reveals something revolutionary about the character of Jesus: he is both perfectly just and perfectly merciful. When religious leaders drag a woman before Jesus, hoping to trap him with an impossible choice between mercy and the law, Jesus does something unexpected. He bends down and writes in the dust, then speaks words that expose everyone's hypocrisy: 'Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.' One by one, the accusers drop their stones and walk away. What follows is even more stunning—Jesus tells the woman, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.' This isn't cheap grace that excuses sin, nor is it harsh judgment that destroys the sinner. It's transformative grace that both acknowledges the reality of our brokenness and offers us a completely new future. The passage challenges us to ask: Where are we ready to condemn others while overlooking our own failures? And can we truly receive the mercy Jesus offers—not as something we earn by cleaning up our lives first, but as the very power that enables us to change? Grace doesn't say 'be perfect, then I'll love you.' Grace says 'you are loved, now you can become whole.'
This week, our dear friend Bob Simmons takes us into one of the most beloved miracles in Scripture—the feeding of the 5,000—but reveals a profound truth we often miss: Jesus wasn't just addressing physical hunger that day. The context matters deeply here. The disciples had just returned from an exhausting ministry tour, depleted and in need of rest. Jesus himself was grieving the brutal murder of John the Baptist. They sought solitude, but instead found themselves facing a massive crowd of perhaps 15,000 people. While the disciples saw an inconvenience and wanted to send everyone away, Jesus saw something entirely different: sheep without a shepherd. His compassion moved him to meet their immediate need, multiplying five small barley loaves and two tiny fish into a feast that left everyone satisfied with twelve baskets of leftovers. But the real miracle wasn't just the multiplication of food—it was the revelation that followed. When the crowd pursued Jesus the next day, wanting more free meals, he confronted them with a deeper truth: they were seeking a sugar daddy when what they really needed was a Savior. We all have a God-shaped vacuum in our hearts, a hunger for meaning, purpose, significance, love, and relationship that nothing on earth can satisfy. Jesus declares himself the Bread of Life, the only one who can fill that eternal longing God has placed within us. The question for us today is simple yet profound: are we seeking Jesus for what he can give us, or for who he is? Are we trying to fill our deepest hungers with temporary things, or have we discovered that only he can truly satisfy?
This week's message takes us into one of the most profound conversations in Scripture: Jesus meeting with Nicodemus under the cover of night. Here was a man who thought he knew everything about God—a religious leader, a Pharisee, someone steeped in moral living and theological knowledge. Yet Jesus tells him something startling: none of it is enough. We must be born again. This isn't about adding a little spiritual polish to our existing lives or filling in some gaps with religious activity. It's about a complete transformation, a radical internal renewal by the Holy Spirit that changes everything—our identity, our loves, our values, our very being. The sermon draws on the prophet Ezekiel's vision of dry bones coming to life, reminding us that what God offers isn't improvement but resurrection. We're challenged to examine what truly defines us: Is it our career, our relationships, our status? Or have we allowed God's love in Christ to reorder our affections so that our primary identity is as beloved children of God? The beautiful truth is that God didn't come to condemn us but to save us—not just from the penalty of sin, but to transform us daily into the image of Jesus. This is both terrifying and liberating: we must die to ourselves to truly live.
We've all created a version of Jesus that fits comfortably in our pockets—a Jesus who affirms what we already believe, who never challenges our assumptions, who exists primarily to serve our preferences. But John chapter 2 shatters these tiny versions by presenting us with the Lord of both wine and whip. In the wedding at Cana, Jesus reveals himself as extravagantly generous, transforming over 120 gallons of water into the finest wine—not because anyone earned it, but because God's abundance flows freely to those in need. Yet immediately after, we see this same Jesus fashioning a whip and driving merchants from the temple, confronting religious hypocrisy and systems that exploit the vulnerable. These aren't contradictory portraits but complementary revelations of who God truly is. Jesus fills our tables when we need comfort and flips them when we need correction. He liberates us from two distorted views of God: the stingy, legalistic deity who withholds blessing, and the passive, transactional figure we can manipulate through religious performance. The climax comes when Jesus declares himself the true temple—the place where heaven and earth meet, where God and humanity are reunited. His death and resurrection replace all religious transaction with gracious relationship. We're invited not to manage faith or perform for God, but to drink deeply from the wine of his grace while allowing him authority to overturn whatever keeps us from wholeness. The question isn't which Jesus we prefer, but whether we're willing to encounter the real one.
Midtown is bringing in the New Year with a walk through the Gospel of John, inviting us to encounter Jesus as He truly is. In a world obsessed with self-definition, John shows us a different way—an identity rooted not in performance or approval, but in Christ himself. Through John the Baptist’s witness, we discover that true freedom comes not from creating meaning, but from pointing beyond ourselves to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. As we behold Jesus, our false identities fall away and we find rest in a grace-secured identity that does not fluctuate with circumstance. This is the epiphany that changes everything: we are beloved children of God because Jesus has named us so.
On this final Sunday of 2025, Midtown pauses to breathe and remember that each of us has a role to play in God’s Kingdom as the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. Through three testimonial interviews with members of our community, Clint invites us to see that our connections—on Sunday mornings and throughout the week—are not the destination, but a kind of waystation: a place to be filled, refreshed, and rehydrated, so that we can return to the world carrying the light and life of Jesus wherever we go.
In this final Sunday of Advent leading up to Christmas, we often find ourselves longing for something transcendent—a magic we can't quite name. We decorate our homes, attend services, and soak in the warm feelings, but if we're honest, these things alone never quite satisfy the deeper ache in our souls. This exploration of John's Gospel strips away the familiar trappings of the nativity story to reveal something far more profound: the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. These aren't just poetic words; they're a theological earthquake. John tells us that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of who God is—not an abstract argument or distant deity, but God made vulnerable, God made meat. This means we don't have to grope in darkness for meaning anymore. When we look at Jesus, we see truth itself—not just facts, but truth like a compass pointing north, truth like an arrow flying straight to its mark. The implications are staggering: we have a God who knows our suffering intimately because He's endured it Himself. He's been betrayed, misunderstood, broken, and forsaken. His wounds speak to our wounds in ways nothing else can. And this same God who emptied Himself to serve us now calls us to do the same—to forget ourselves in the needs of others, to bind ourselves to a thousand souls through loving sympathy. This Christmas, we're invited to stop settling for generic warm feelings and instead encounter the real magic: a God who descended completely to us so we could know Him, be healed by Him, and become like Him.
In our 3rd week of Advent this year, Luke Parker poses a profound question: why do we settle for two-dimensional lives when we were created for so much more? Using the powerful image of a deflated basketball—still recognizable but unable to fulfill its purpose—we're invited to examine our own lives. The basketball was made to bounce, to play the game, yet something has gone terribly wrong. Similarly, we bear the image of God, yet we find ourselves unable to live the full, vibrant lives we were designed for. The passage from John 1:10-13 reveals a startling scandal: the Light of the world came into the darkness, yet people preferred to keep their eyes shut. Both the religious and the irreligious rejected Jesus—the religious because His effortless goodness exposed their rule-keeping as hollow, and the irreligious because He insisted there actually is a purpose and goal to life. The heart of the gospel emerges beautifully here: we cannot fix ourselves. We cannot climb a ladder back to Eden through our own efforts, whether through religion, philosophy, success, or pleasure. Instead, God does something unprecedented—He comes down to us. The invitation isn't to try harder but to receive the gift of new life, to be born again as children of God. This isn't about our descent, our desire, or our dominance—it's about God's grace. When we receive Christ, we're given the authority to become something we could never achieve on our own: sons and daughters of the living God, transformed so completely that we become unrecognizable, fully alive in ways that only Jesus makes possible.
This second week of Advent, Renea Smith leads us in considering what it means to be light-bearers in a world still waiting for Christ's return. Drawing from John 1:6-9, we encounter John the Baptist not primarily as a baptizer, but as a witness—someone whose entire existence pointed away from himself and toward Jesus. His humility is striking: despite angelic prophecies, despite being called by God for a special mission, John never wavered in his declaration that 'He must increase, but I must decrease.' This Advent reflection challenges us to examine our own lives through the lens of witness and testimony. Are we orienting ourselves correctly toward the true light? Like those reflective umbrellas used in professional photography, we must position ourselves to fully catch the light of Christ so we can reflect it accurately to others. The message reminds us that we live in the 'in-between'—celebrating that Jesus has come while anticipating His return—and in this space, we're called to be tethered to Christ, helping others navigate the darkness. The powerful image of a blind runner connected to her guide by a yellow tether becomes a metaphor for our spiritual journey: we're linked to Christ in the heavenly realms, and through that connection, we can guide others who cannot yet see. This isn't about having all the answers or a spectacular testimony; it's about keeping it simple and sharing how encountering Jesus has specifically changed us.
This Advent season, Gayle Parker opened by inviting us to rethink where real life actually begins. John’s prologue reminds us that Jesus didn’t simply enter the world in Bethlehem—He is the eternal Word who was present before creation, the One through whom all things came into being. In a season when we’re tempted to believe life will start “once we get there”—once we succeed, once we have enough, once things finally feel stable—John confronts us with a different truth. Real life is found not in our future milestones but in the Light who is already shining.Through Amber’s story, Gayle showed how easily we follow false saviors—external pressures, internal fears, or habits that promise life but slowly steal it. Yet John insists that darkness never gets the final word. The light of Christ keeps breaking in, illuminating our choices and calling us to draw near to Him. Our task isn’t to manufacture light on our own, but to stay close to the One who brings it, letting His presence shape the way we live right now.Video Credit: Perseid Meteor Shower 2024 Highlights - Real Time 4K | Magic Carpet Media - Music used: Singularity by Jonny Easton | Relaxing Ambient Music - Royalty Free...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAvQgPpsuuE
Imagine having a bank account that deposits 960 dollars every single day, but with one catch: you can't save any of it for tomorrow. Every night, your balance resets to zero. What would you do? You'd spend every dollar wisely, right? Well, we already have this bank—it's called time. Every morning we wake with 960 minutes, and every night they're gone forever. This powerful metaphor opens our exploration of Ecclesiastes 12, where the ancient teacher confronts us with life's most uncomfortable truth: time is the one resource we can never stockpile, slow down, or earn back. The passage urges us with stunning urgency to 'remember your creator in the days of your youth'—not as a religious obligation, but as the central organizing principle of a life worth living. Through vivid imagery of a decaying house representing our aging bodies, the teacher shows us that death itself becomes our greatest instructor, rattling its chains to wake us up to what truly matters now. The scripture reveals that over 90% of believers come to faith before age 30, underscoring that the spiritual path we pave in youth becomes the road we walk in age. We're challenged to stop measuring out our lives with coffee spoons, avoiding the deep questions, and instead to lose our lives in Christ so we can truly find them. The invitation is beautifully simple yet profoundly challenging: fear God, keep His commandments, and discover that what we surrender to Him is always returned as something infinitely better.
We are in week 8 of our exploration of Ecclesiastes, as reverend Jackie Parks draws us through chapter 9:13-18 and confronts us with one of life's most uncomfortable truths: wisdom doesn't always lead to worldly success. Jackie draws us in to encounter the story of a poor, wise man who saves an entire city from a powerful king, only to be forgotten and despised. It's the ultimate letdown for our success-driven hearts. We want the underdog story to end with fame, influence, and lasting recognition. Instead, we're left wrestling with the absurdity of a hero whose wisdom worked but whose name vanished into obscurity. This passage strips away our transactional view of God—the idea that if we follow His ways, we'll be rewarded with prosperity, recognition, and measurable success. It challenges us to ask: Are we pursuing wisdom because it 'works' in getting us what we want, or because it's the way God created us to flourish? The message points us toward Christ, the ultimate embodiment of wisdom who was despised and rejected, yet through whom true victory came. We're invited to embrace a radical reorientation: wisdom isn't about future success but present faithfulness. It's not about fame but fruit. Living wisely means becoming more fully human in Christ, cultivating joy and faithfulness regardless of circumstances, and trusting that God's ways are worth following even when the world around us seems to reward foolishness.
What does a truly successful life look like? This week, we explore Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and how it challenges our cultural definitions of success, inviting us into a radically different way of living. We're confronted with two sobering realities: first, that our lives are not ultimately in our own hands but in God's hands, and second, that death comes for us all regardless of our achievements or status. Rather than leading to despair, these truths become the foundation for profound joy and freedom. The passage reveals that only about 10% of our lives are actually within our control—the rest is determined by genetics and circumstances beyond us. This means we can stop frantically grasping and start gratefully receiving. The teacher's prescription is surprisingly celebratory: eat your bread with enjoyment, drink your wine with a merry heart, wear clean garments, care for your body, and deeply enjoy your relationships. These aren't escapes from reality but acts of worship that acknowledge God's goodness woven into creation itself. When we understand that our lives rest in the hands of a loving God, we're freed from the anxiety of trying to secure our own success. We can be present, savor small moments, and find that true spiritual maturity looks like unhurried joy in the everyday gifts around us—exactly as Jesus modeled in his own remarkably relaxed and interruptible life.
We live in a world that often feels spiritually disorienting, where what we believe about justice and goodness doesn't match what we experience daily. This exploration of Ecclesiastes 8:10-17 tackles what we might call 'spiritual motion sickness'—that nauseating disconnect between our expectations of how the world should work and the reality we encounter. Just as physical motion sickness occurs when our eyes and inner ear send conflicting signals to our brain, spiritual motion sickness happens when wicked people prosper while the righteous suffer. The passage confronts us with uncomfortable observations: hypocrites praised in religious spaces, evil deeds going unpunished, good people treated as if they were wicked. Our culture offers two inadequate responses—empty sentimentality that ignores real pain, or crushing cynicism that sees only darkness. But the Teacher in Ecclesiastes offers a third way: wisdom that looks up to the horizon of God's ultimate justice while still enjoying the gifts of life here and now. This isn't naive optimism; it's resurrection realism. We're reminded that in Christ, we have a horizon shaped like a cross, where God entered our suffering, defeated death, and initiated a kingdom where all things are being made new. The cure for our spiritual motion sickness isn't having all the answers—it's keeping our gaze fixed on the North Star of God's promises, trusting that the arc of the moral universe truly bends toward justice, even when we can't see it clearly in the darkness.
What if the very thing that makes us human—our ability to speak—is also our greatest vulnerability? This week, the teacher in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 challenges us to reconsider the power and danger of our words. We discover that humans are essentially 'living language,' created in the image of a God who spoke the universe into existence. Yet this divine gift has become corrupted; our words can build up or tear down, heal or wound, unite or divide. The teacher in Ecclesiastes offers us a radical prescription: simplicity. Say less, listen more, and let God be God. We're confronted with the uncomfortable truth that much of our prayer life and religious speech is actually about us—our performance, our image, our control. The passage exposes how we heap up empty phrases, thinking God will be impressed by our verbal gymnastics, when in reality He longs for humble, honest, simple connection. Jesus himself modeled this perfectly, knowing when to speak and when to remain silent, entrusting everything to the Father. The most profound insight? Silence is God's first language. When we create space to listen rather than constantly filling the air with our anxious words, we encounter the gentle whisper of divine presence. This isn't about praying less overall—it's about praying with integrity, where our words align with our hearts and actions. The transformation begins when we stop trying to be our own god and instead rest in the identity Christ has secured for us.
In our journey through Ecclesiastes, we're confronted with the stark reality of life's challenges and the seeming futility of our pursuits. The teacher reminds us that without God, our efforts are merely 'chasing after the wind.' But amidst this sobering message, we find a powerful truth: we're not meant to face life alone. The passage emphasizes that 'two are better than one,' highlighting the importance of community in our faith walk. This echoes throughout Scripture, with the concept of 'one another' appearing over 75 times. As we reflect on this, let's consider how we can deepen our connections within our church family, supporting each other through life's trials. Are we truly living out the radically social nature of Christianity, or are we trying to navigate our faith in isolation?
Ecclesiastes | The Illusion of (Our) Control - Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 - Clint Leavitt by Midtown Presbyterian Church
In our exploration of Ecclesiastes 2, we confront the futility of pursuing happiness and pleasure for their own sake. The Teacher's experiment with wealth, power, and indulgence reveals a profound truth: nothing 'under the sun' can truly satisfy the human soul. This passage challenges us to examine our own pursuits and ask whether we're chasing after vapor. Are we, like the Teacher, trying to fill an eternal void with temporal pleasures? The message reminds us that our hearts are restless until they find rest in God. It's a call to shift our focus from fleeting earthly delights to the enduring love of our Creator. As we reflect on this, we're invited to receive life as a gift from God, finding meaning not in grand achievements, but in the simple, present moments that point us to His love. This perspective can transform how we approach our daily lives, work, and relationships, allowing us to live with gratitude and contentment in God's presence.
This week we begin a 9 week exploration of the book of Ecclesiastes as Tom Parker invites us to consider our mortality and the wisdom of humility. As we read Ecclesiastes 1, we're challenged to confront the brevity and cyclical nature of life. The scripture paints a stark picture of existence as 'hevel,' 'vanity,' 'smoke' - fleeting as a breath. Yet, far from being pessimistic, this wisdom literature invites us to embrace reality and find meaning within life's limitations. We're reminded that while generations come and go, the earth remains, highlighting our small place in the grand scheme. This perspective shift can be liberating, freeing us from the illusion of control and opening our hearts to God's eternal presence. As we grapple with life's repetitive nature - from daily chores to life's big questions - we're called to find joy in simple pleasures and trust in God's overarching plan, even when it's not immediately apparent. This message resonates deeply with our modern lives and our cultural moment, encouraging us to live humbly and purposefully in light of our mortality.
In this final exploration of the Tenth Commandment, we delve into the heart of human desire and its complex relationship with our faith. Gayle Parker challenges us to confront our tendency to covet, reminding us that while desire itself is a God-given gift, it can easily become misdirected. By examining the story of Eve in the Garden of Eden and King David's fall, we see how unchecked desire can lead to a cascade of sin. However, the message isn't about suppressing our longings, but rather redirecting them towards their true source - God Himself. We're encouraged to find contentment not in material possessions or others' circumstances, but in recognizing that God's desire is for us. This shift in perspective can transform our understanding of joy and fulfillment, leading us to a deeper, more satisfying relationship with our Creator.
In a world clouded by deception, we're called to be a community of truth-tellers. The ninth commandment, 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,' isn't just about avoiding lies – it's about recognizing the profound power of our words. James 3 vividly illustrates how our tongue, though small, can steer our entire life like a rudder guides a ship. Our words have the potential to bless or curse, to heal or destroy. As followers of Christ, we're challenged to speak truth in love, balancing honesty with compassion. This requires humility, self-reflection, and a deep understanding of our own flaws. By setting up 'humility time' in prayer, making commitment cards, and running our speech through a truth and love grid, we can begin to tame our tongues. Ultimately, our ability to speak truth stems from finding our identity and security in Christ, freeing us from the need to deceive or impress others.
The eighth commandment given to the people in Exodus: 'You shall not steal.’ In this week’s message, Clint shows us how the eighth commandment goes beyond simple theft, urging us to consider how we might be 'stealing' through wrong keeping - holding onto excess while others are in need. By examining Exodus 20:15 and Ephesians 4:28, we're invited to view our possessions as gifts from God meant for stewardship, not ownership. This perspective shift can radically transform our approach to generosity. As we contemplate Christ's ultimate act of generosity on the cross, we're encouraged to let His sacrificial love melt our hearts, freeing us from the grip of materialism and inspiring us to give freely. This message invites us to examine our hearts, our budgets, and our priorities, asking whether they truly reflect the generous spirit of Christ.
This week, we delve deep into the heart of desire and temptation as Daniel Barth explores the seventh commandment. The message goes beyond the surface-level understanding of 'do not commit adultery,' challenging us to examine the very roots of our desires. We're reminded that God's commandments are not mere restrictions, but guideposts for a fulfilling life. The story of adultery in Proverbs 7 vividly illustrates how unchecked desire can lead us astray. Yet, we're also offered hope through James' teachings, which reveal that our struggles with temptation are universal and deeply human. This message encourages us to seek true intimacy with God, recognizing that our deepest longings can only be fully satisfied in Him. As we navigate the complexities of human relationships and desires, we're called to pray fervently for the renewal of our minds, trusting in God's transformative power to align our hearts with His will.
This week we dive into the implications of the sixth commandment, 'You shall not murder.' Far from being a simple prohibition, this commandment reveals a profound principle: every human life is sacred. We're challenged to see beyond mere behavior modification and embrace a transformative journey of the heart. The story of Samson serves as a cautionary tale, illustrating how unchecked anger can lead to destructive consequences. Jesus' teachings in Matthew 5 further illuminate this, showing us that anger, left unchecked, can be as damaging as murder itself. We're called to examine our hearts, interrupt cycles of anger, and actively pursue reconciliation. This message invites us to view every human interaction as laced with eternal significance, treating each person we encounter as bearing the image of God. As we reflect on this, we're encouraged to cultivate a posture of humility and actively seek to transform enemies into friends, mirroring Christ's example of absorbing violence and returning love.
This week, Clint Leavitt returns from paternity leave, bringing with him fascinating observations about the fifth commandment, 'Honor your father and mother.' He invites us to dive deep into the heart of family relationships and their profound impact on our spiritual lives. The message challenges us to see honor not as a mere greeting card sentiment, but as a transformative force that shapes individuals and entire societies. We're reminded that honoring our parents isn't just about obedience, but about recognizing their inherent value and allowing that recognition to guide our actions. This commandment, found in Exodus 20:12, is presented as a pathway to personal and societal flourishing. The parallels drawn between our earthly parents and our Heavenly Father are particularly striking, encouraging us to view our family relationships as a reflection of God's covenant love. As we grapple with the complexities of honoring imperfect parents, we're called to a higher understanding of grace, forgiveness, and the unconditional love that can heal even the deepest wounds.The movie clip is from The Hateful Eight (2015), directed by Quentin Tarantino. Distributed by The Weinstein Company.
Song Credit: “Lift Me Up" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on October 28, 2022, by Westbury Road, Roc Nation, Def Jam, and Hollywood Records, as the lead single from the soundtrack album of the 2022 superhero film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The Third Commandment is easily misunderstood. It's not just about avoiding profanity; it's about how we carry God's name in the world. The Hebrew meaning of 'take' actually implies 'carry' or 'bear' - we are called to be God's representatives. This commandment challenges us to consider: Are we truly embodying God's character in our daily lives? The Israelites' story serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us of the consequences of misrepresenting God. We're invited to reflect on how we might be using God's name in vain, not through our words, but through our actions and attitudes. This message urges us to align our lives with God's will, moving beyond mere religious activities to a genuine, transformative relationship with our Creator.
This week, Daniel Barth offers several fascinating observations about the second commandment in our series on the Ten Commandments. We're challenged to examine how we percieve, imagine, and relate to God. The core message reminds us that while we shouldn't worship other gods, we also shouldn't create false images of the one true God. This commandment, found in Exodus 20:4-6, warns against reducing God to our own preferences or imaginations. We're encouraged to see God as He truly reveals Himself, not as we wish Him to be. The sermon draws an interesting parallel between our relationships with others and our relationship with God, highlighting how misunderstanding or misrepresenting someone can lead to hurt and tension. This insight invites us to approach our faith with humility and openness, seeking to know God as He is, not as we imagine Him to be. As we reflect on this message, we're called to examine our own faith journey and consider whether we've created a 'grandfather in heaven' instead of embracing the true Father revealed in Scripture and through Jesus Christ.
The Ten Commandments | No Gods Before Me - Exodus 20:1-3 - Lisa McFarland by Midtown Presbyterian Church
This week, we take a break between sermon series’ to focus on the spiritual practice of fasting. Paige Vender and Bailey Gambill walk us through insights on their favorite F-word through their deep dive into biblical scholar Scot McKnight’s book “Fasting: The Ancient Practices.” In this podcast-style discussion, they open with an explaination of what spiritual discaplines looks like, bringing the conversation around to how and why people have used fasting historically. The practice becomes an act of worship, striping away our sense of independance, uncovering our deeply human need for a provider and savior. Paige and Bailey encourage us as followers of Jesus to "Fast around and find out."
This week, we wrap up our exploration of Exodus as we delve into the heart of God's character. As Moses ascends Mount Sinai to rewrite the covenant, God reveals Himself in five profound attributes: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and faithful. These qualities paint a picture of a God who is deeply compassionate, yet just; patient, yet righteous. The story reminds us of the tension between God's mercy and justice, a theme that echoes throughout Scripture. As we reflect on these attributes, we're challenged to consider how they manifest in our own lives. Are we showing the same compassion, grace, and patience to others that God shows us? This passage invites us to trust in God's unwavering love and faithfulness, even when we falter. It's a call to embrace our role in God's grand narrative of redemption, knowing that His character remains constant through all of life's ups and downs.
This week, Luke Parker explores God's covenant with His people as we delve into Exodus chapters 19 and 20. The central message reminds us that God is a promise keeper, faithfully fulfilling His word throughout history. We see how God's covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai wasn't just about rules, but about relationship. This covenant foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who became both sides of the covenant - God and man. The imagery of Moses going up and down the mountain serves as a powerful metaphor for our role as 'priests' in the world, bridging the gap between God and others. We're challenged to consider: What promises has God made to us? How are we living as His 'treasured possession'? This message encourages us to trust in God's faithfulness, even when we fail, reminding us that our relationship with Him is not based on our performance, but on His unwavering love and commitment.
This week, Tom Parker invites us into the story of the Israelites in Exodus 17, where we see how God miraculously provides water from a rock in the desert. This narrative challenges us to examine our own reactions when faced with life's difficulties. Are we quick to complain and forget God's past faithfulness, or do we respond with trust and mature faith? The sermon encourages us to cultivate a 'holy memory' - remembering God's goodness in our lives, even amid challenging circumstances. It's a call to move beyond reactivity and develop emotional and spiritual maturity, recognizing that God's grace is abundant, even when we falter. As we reflect on our own 'thirsts' in life, we're reminded of Jesus' invitation to come to Him for living water, addressing both our physical and spiritual needs.
The story of Moses confronting Pharaoh isn't just ancient history - it's a mirror reflecting our own struggles with pride and hardheartedness. We see how God's invitations to change are met with resistance, not just by Pharaoh, but often in our own lives. The plagues aren't random acts of vengeance, but carefully orchestrated 'de-creation' events, showing the consequences of rejecting God's order. This narrative invites us to examine where we might be refusing God's call to center Him in our lives. Are we, like Pharaoh, hardening our hearts? The message reminds us that God's commands aren't arbitrary rules, but wisdom woven into the fabric of reality. When we reject them, we invite collapse into our lives. Yet, even in judgment, God's ultimate goal is salvation - for the oppressed and, remarkably, even for the oppressors. This story challenges us to see beyond our limited perspectives and recognize a God who is both just and merciful, inviting us into a life of true freedom and flourishing.
This week, Clint brings to the moment of Moses and his encounter with the burning bush. This pivotal moment in Exodus reveals how God breaks into our lives, shattering our paradigms and inviting us into a greater story. We're reminded that God's call isn't about our qualifications, but about His grace and purpose. Just as Moses struggled with insecurity and doubt, we too might question our worthiness. But God doesn't demand perfection; He offers His presence. The burning bush symbolizes how God uses the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary, challenging us to be attentive to His voice in our everyday lives. This message urges us to turn aside from our routines, to create space for God to speak, and to trust that He can use our 'staff' - our skills, experiences, and even our weaknesses - to participate in His work of redemption and justice in the world.
This week, Daniel Barth leads us in an exploration of Exodus 3 where we delve into the profound moment when God reveals His name to Moses through the burning bush. This pivotal encounter reminds us that God often appears in unexpected places and uses unlikely people for His purposes. Just as He called Moses—a failed, forgotten old man—God can use us in our brokenness and searching. The lesson here is clear: our past doesn't disqualify us from God's calling. Instead, it's when we come to the end of ourselves that we're truly ready for God to work through us. This story challenges us to remain open to God's presence in our lives, even in the 'wastelands,' and to trust His timing, which is often different from our own. As we reflect on God's self-revelation as 'I AM,' we're invited to contemplate His eternal nature and self-sufficiency, finding comfort in the fact that the same God who liberated the Israelites is present and active in our lives today.
This week we begin a new sermon series exploring who God is through the lens of Exodus. As followers of Jesus, we are invited to see how this ancient story is not just a historical account, but a mirror of our own spiritual journey. The narrative of Israel's enslavement and liberation becomes a lens through which we can understand God's activity in our lives today. We're challenged to recognize that even in moments of apparent absence, God is working behind the scenes, weaving together a story of redemption. The text reminds us that God often chooses to work through the unexpected and the marginalized, teaching us to look for His presence in unlikely places. This message encourages us to resist cynicism and remember that our seemingly small acts of faithfulness can be pivotal in God's grand narrative. As we reflect on the parallels between Exodus and the life of Jesus, we're called to embrace a larger, truer story – one where we're freed not just from external bondage, but from the internal chains that hold us back from fully experiencing God's love and purpose for our lives.
This week, we wrap up our sermon series Free (From The Power Of) Money as Gayle Parker brings out the point behind the series. She challenges us to examine our relationship with money and how it aligns with our faith, reading from 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, where Paul encourages the Corinthians to give generously, just as the Macedonian churches did despite their extreme poverty. We're reminded that our Lord Jesus, though rich, became poor for our sake - a profound example of divine generosity. The central lesson is clear: if we sow sparingly, we reap sparingly; if we sow bountifully, we reap bountifully. This isn't about prosperity gospel, but about trusting God and participating in His kingdom work. The message urges us to give not out of guilt or compulsion, but cheerfully, as God loves a cheerful giver. Through inspiring stories of unexpected generosity and its ripple effects, we're encouraged to see giving as a declaration of trust in God's provision. This teaching invites us to reflect on our own giving habits and challenges us to step out in faith, knowing that God will multiply our generosity for His kingdom's work.
This week in our Free (From The Power of) Money series, our good friend John Talley III takes us into the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25:14-30, a powerful story that challenges us to examine our faithfulness with God's gifts. This parable isn't just about money; it's about how we steward all that God entrusts to us - our time, talents, and treasures. The master in the story represents God, and we are His servants, each given different 'talents' according to our abilities. The key question we must ask ourselves is: Are we being faithful with what we have? The servants who invested and multiplied their talents were praised, while the one who buried his talent faced severe consequences. This stark contrast urges us to actively use our God-given abilities for His kingdom, rather than hiding them away in fear or laziness. As we reflect on this, let's consider how we're using our skills, resources, and time to glorify God and serve others. Are we picking and choosing what to be faithful with, or are we committed to stewarding everything God has given us?
This week, we dive into Malachi 3 as we are confronted by our relationship to money and possessions through the lens of God's abundance. The prophet Malachi's words serve as a wake-up call, urging us to examine how our financial choices may be 'robbing' God, others, and even ourselves. We're reminded that everything we have is a gift from God, and we're called to be stewards rather than owners. The parable of the abundant party vividly illustrates how scarcity mindsets can lead to hoarding and conflict, even in the midst of plenty. As we reflect on this, we're encouraged to cultivate hearts of generosity, recognizing that our well-being is intimately connected to the flourishing of our neighbors. This message invites us to experience the freedom and joy that come from aligning our financial practices with God's vision of abundance for all.
This week, we chart an exploration of Jesus' teachings on money and treasure as it challenges us to examine our relationship with wealth and possessions. The sermon focuses on Matthew 6:19-24, where Jesus warns against storing up treasures on earth and encourages us to store up treasures in heaven instead. We're confronted with the stark reality that money often enslaves us through lies and blindness, causing us to chase after false security and happiness. The message draws fascinating parallels between our cultural obsession with wealth and the spiritual dangers it poses, reminding us that 'where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' As we reflect on our own spending habits and attitudes towards money, we're invited to consider how we might relocate our treasure to align with God's kingdom values. This shift isn't just about belief, but about truly treasuring Christ and embracing His self-giving generosity in our own lives.
We are invited to confront the profound implications of Jesus' resurrection in this year's Easter message. The Gospel of Mark challanges us to examine the historical evidence and consider what it means if this extraordinary event actually occurred. The empty tomb confronts our intellect, stirs our hearts with grace, and inspires hope that transforms how we live. We're reminded that the resurrection isn't just about believing facts, but experiencing a love that outweighs death itself. The message emphasizes that no matter our failures or shame, we're welcomed with open arms by a God whose grace knows no bounds. As we reflect on the disciples' journey from fear to faith, we're encouraged to let our own weaknesses drive us deeper into God's transformative love. This Easter, we're called to embrace the resurrection's power to free us from fear and propel us into a life of purpose, knowing that our actions in God's kingdom ripple into eternity.
Artist Credits:Namaste - Audionautix - http://audionautix.com/Lost At Sea - TrackTribeRenunciation - Asher FuleroPrison - ArgsoundVishnu - Patrick PatrikiosHeartbeat Of The Wind - Asher FuleroElegy - Asher FuleroHon Kyoku - Doug Maxwell_ Zac ZingerThe Six Realms - I Think I Can Help YouVerve - Benjamin MartinsReading Credits:JordanRyanThaneMadalineEvalynnAnd Tobin.
In the final Sunday of our reThink Everything sermon series, culminating on Palm Sunday, we explore how repentance is ultimately a trajectory toward forgiveness. Daniel takes us on a journey through the story of Joseph in Genesis, witnessing how God can transform even the deepest betrayals into opportunities for growth and redemption. Joseph's tale reminds us that forgiveness isn't just about letting go of anger, but about recognizing God's sovereign plan in our lives. As we reflect on Joseph's words, 'What you intended for evil, God intended for good,' we're challenged to see our own hurts through a divine lens. This message encourages us to break free from the chains of resentment and embrace the liberating power of forgiveness. It's a call to trust in God's bigger picture, even when we can't understand the 'why' behind our pain. As we approach Holy Week, let's consider how we can embody Christ-like forgiveness in our own lives, remembering Jesus' words on the cross, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'
In this 5th week in reThinking Everything series, we're challenged to examine what's truly shaping our hearts and minds. Drawing from Colossians 3, we're reminded that transformation in Christ is not just about surface-level changes, but about becoming an entirely new person. The analogy of a secret apartment in a mall vividly illustrates how easily we can let harmful thoughts and habits take up residence in our lives without even realizing it. We're called to 'strip off the old self' and 'clothe ourselves with the new self,' a process that involves both 'digging down' to identify our idols and 'looking up' to set our minds on Christ. This message encourages us to consider: What have we allowed to move into our souls? Are we being transformed by Christ, or unintentionally shaped by the world around us? It's a call to intentional spiritual growth and a reminder that in Christ, we have the power to become the people we were truly meant to be.
This week, we are challenged to rethink our perception of Jesus and His kingdom as we delve into Matthew 16:21-26, where Peter misunderstands Jesus' mission. We're reminded that even when we think we have Jesus figured out, we might be missing crucial aspects of His message. The cross, often seen as a symbol of comfort, is reframed as a call to radical self-denial and sacrificial love. We're invited to consider where we might be putting ourselves in front of Jesus, inadvertently becoming stumbling blocks to His work. The message encourages us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus - not as acts of self-hatred, but as pathways to discovering our true selves. This teaching pushes us to examine our lives and ask: Where do we need to decentralize ourselves and let Jesus be Lord?
This week, we continue our sermon series on Metanoia confronting the pervasive problem of pride in our lives and culture. Drawing from Philippians 2:1-11, we're presented with a radical alternative: Christ-like humility. The passage reveals how our deep-seated insecurity often masquerades as pride, driving us to constantly prove our worth. But true humility, we learn, isn't thinking less of ourselves—it's thinking of ourselves less. Jesus' example of washing His disciples' feet shows us that genuine humility stems from a secure identity in God's love. This teaching invites us to rethink everything, urging us to turn away from self-absorption and towards the interests of others. It's a call to let the transformative power of Christ's sacrificial love melt our hearts and reshape our interactions with the world around us.
Tom Parker reminds us of the transformative power of God's love and the promise of spiritual renewal on this 3rd Sunday of Lent. The prophecy of Ezekiel takes center stage, offering hope to those in exile and to us in our own spiritual journeys. We're challenged to examine our hearts and recognize the 'idols' we may unconsciously worship in our lives. The promise of God to give us a 'new heart' and a 'new spirit' speaks to His desire for intimate relationship with us. This isn't just ancient history - it's a living promise for our lives today. As we reflect on this, we're invited to consider: What areas of our lives need God's renewing touch? How can we open ourselves to this divine heart transplant? The message reminds us that true transformation comes not from our own efforts alone, but through surrendering to God's grace and allowing His Spirit to work within us.
This Ash Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent with an invitation to rethink everything we thought we knew about God, ourselves, and the world, as we explore the transformational meaning of repentance. The story of Saul's conversion in Acts 9 serves as a compelling illustration of how crisis moments can lead to profound transformation. We're challenged to see our own crises not as obstacles, but as opportunities for growth and change. The message emphasizes three key elements of transformation: confrontation, darkness, and conversion. By embracing these elements, we open ourselves to God's work in our lives, allowing Him to reshape our understanding and redirect our paths. This teaching encourages us to be honest about our struggles, to let go of our certainties, and to trust in God's ability to transform even the most unlikely candidates for His kingdom.
On this first Sunday of Lent, Luke Parker helps us dive into the message of Luke 5:27-32, challenging us to rethink our understanding of repentance and God's grace. The story of Jesus calling Levi, a despised tax collector, reminds us that Christ came for the sick, not the righteous. We're confronted with the uncomfortable truth that it's often the 'good' people who struggle most to accept God's radical love. This message invites us to examine our own hearts: Are we clinging to our righteousness, or are we willing to admit our brokenness and need for Jesus? The parallels drawn between ancient tax collectors and our modern tendency to label and judge others are particularly convicting. As we reflect on this, we're encouraged to see people as Jesus does - not through societal labels, but as individuals in need of God's transformative love. This teaching urges us to embrace true repentance, not as a prerequisite for God's grace, but as our response to His already-offered love.
As we wrap up our teaching series, A Link in the Chain, Romans 12:1-2 challenges us to consider what it truly means to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This powerful passage urges us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. But what does this look like in our daily lives? It's about shifting our focus from a 'my way' mentality to one that seeks God's will. We're reminded that everyone sacrifices to something - whether it's career, relationships, or comfort. The question is: what are we sacrificing to, and how is it shaping us? By offering ourselves as living sacrifices to Christ, we open the door to true transformation. This isn't about willpower, but about positioning ourselves close to the source of love and life. Like plants growing in the right conditions, we flourish when we create space for God's presence in our lives. This transformation isn't just spiritual - it's meant to be embodied in how we live, work, and interact with others. As we reflect on God's mercies, we find the energy for this transformed life, becoming living testimonies of Christ's love in a world hungry for meaning and purpose.
This week, Luke's Gospel encourages us to break free from the small, self-focused lives our culture encourages and embrace the expansive, kingdom-centered life Jesus offers. The sermon draws from Luke 10, where Jesus sends out 70 disciples to proclaim the nearness of God's kingdom. This story reminds us that we're all called to be 'sent ones,' carrying the good news of God's love to every corner of our world. The message emphasizes three key aspects of this 'big life': its mission (to proclaim and demonstrate God's kingdom), its method (simple living and holistic ministry), and its motivation (joy in our heavenly identity, not earthly accomplishments). As we reflect on these truths, we're invited to examine our own lives. Are we living for self-comfort and material gain, or are we allowing God's love to flow through us to others? This teaching encourages us to find true fulfillment by participating in God's mission, meeting both spiritual and physical needs in our communities.
Jackie Parks, pastor of South Scottsdale Presbyterian church, invites us to rethink our understanding of love through the lens of God’s radical, life-changing love. Drawing from 1 John 4:7-21, we’re reminded that "God is love" and that we’re called to reflect His love by loving others. This isn’t just sentimental or convenient love—it’s agape love, selfless and sacrificial. The parable of the Good Samaritan brings this to life, showing that true love is bold, inconvenient, and costly. Following Jesus means allowing Him to "rearrange the furniture" of our lives, challenging us to step beyond our comfort zones and embody His love in tangible ways. This message encourages us to examine how we’re living out God’s mission and whether our lives truly reflect the power of His transformative love.
In this powerful message, we're reminded of the transformative power of sincere faith and how it can spark spiritual fires in our lives and the lives of others. Through the lens of 2 Timothy 1:1-7, we explore how retaining sincere faith, reading what God is already doing, remembering that little things are big things, and rekindling the gifts of God can make us effective links in God's redemptive chain. The story of C.S. Lewis's conversion illustrates how ordinary conversations and friendships can lead to extraordinary spiritual awakenings. We're challenged to live as 'anti-hypocrites,' embodying our faith in every aspect of our lives, and to recognize that God is already at work in the world around us. This message encourages us to see the profound impact of small, faithful actions and to embrace our role as 'fire starters' in God's kingdom, igniting spiritual transformation in our communities.
In this powerful message, we're challenged to examine our role as Christians in a world filled with diverse beliefs and idols. Drawing from Paul's encounter in Athens in Acts 17, we're reminded that our faith isn't meant to be a private affair, but a transformative force in every aspect of culture. Just as Paul went to the marketplace, we're called to immerse ourselves in our communities, workplaces, and social spaces. The key lesson here is that authentic faith in Jesus propels us into every arena of our culture, living as different sorts of people there. We're encouraged to see beyond the surface, recognizing that everyone worships something, even if it's not a physical idol. This insight invites us to approach our neighbors with compassion, understanding their deepest longings and anxieties. As we engage with our culture, we're challenged to feel deeply distressed about the brokenness around us, yet move towards our neighbors in love, avoiding both outright condemnation and uncritical affirmation.
In this powerful exploration of John 3:1-17, we delve into the profound concept of being 'born again.' This familiar phrase takes on new depth as we examine Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus, a respected religious leader. We're challenged to reconsider our cultural understanding of rebirth, moving beyond mere emotional experiences or rigid moral structures. Instead, we're invited to embrace a fundamental transformation that transcends our accomplishments, status, or background. The story of the bronze serpent from Numbers serves as a poignant symbol, pointing to Christ's redemptive work on the cross. As we reflect on this, we're encouraged to see our own need for continual renewal and to trust in God's love rather than our own efforts. This message reminds us that no matter where we are in life, we all need this divine rebirth – a grace-filled invitation to see and enter the Kingdom of God.
In this powerful exploration of what it truly means to be the church, we're challenged to rethink our understanding of Christian community. The early church, as depicted in Acts 2:37-47, shows us a radically different way of living - one marked by inclusive fellowship, sacrificial generosity, and a transformative encounter with Jesus. We're reminded that the church isn't just a building or a tradition, but a diverse family united by Christ's love. The early believers' practice of breaking bread together serves as a powerful symbol of this unity, challenging us to open our own tables and hearts to those around us. As we reflect on this, we're invited to consider: How can we embody this kind of community in our own lives? How might our tables become places of radical welcome and spiritual transformation?
In this powerful exploration of worry and anxiety, we delve into Jesus' teachings from Matthew 6:25-34. The message challenges us to reconsider our priorities and trust in God's providence. We're reminded that worry often stems from misplaced priorities and attempts to control the uncontrollable. By striving first for God's kingdom, we can find peace amidst life's uncertainties. The imagery of birds and flowers serves as a poignant reminder of God's care for all creation, encouraging us to trust in His provision. This teaching invites us to examine our hearts, identify our true treasures, and align our lives with God's purposes. As we shift our focus from worldly concerns to eternal values, we can experience the freedom and peace that comes from fully trusting in God's plan for our lives.
As we enter a new year, we're challenged to consider the true meaning of transformation in our lives. The Gospel of Mark introduces us to Jesus' first words of ministry, inviting us into the 'good news' of God's kingdom. This isn't just about personal resolutions or self-improvement; it's about participating in a cosmic shift where God's reign breaks into our world. We're called to 'repent and believe' - to radically reorient our lives around this new reality. The story of Jesus calling the first disciples shows us that this invitation is both urgent and transformative. Like those fishermen who left their nets, we're asked to reconsider our priorities and identities in light of God's kingdom. This message challenges us to move beyond mere lip service to Jesus and instead allow His call to reshape every aspect of our lives. As we reflect on this, we might ask ourselves: What 'nets' do we need to drop? How can we become 'fishers of people', drawing others into this life-changing reality?
In this profound exploration of worship, we're invited to reflect on what truly holds the highest worth in our lives. The concept of 'worth-ship' challenges us to examine our priorities and recognize that everyone worships something. As we journey through this message, we're reminded of the importance of remembrance in our spiritual lives. The Bible mentions 'remember' or 'do not forget' over 500 times, emphasizing its significance in our walk with God. We're encouraged to practice intentional reflection, allowing ourselves to recognize God's presence in our daily lives. Through stories of fellow believers, we witness how slowing down, embracing Sabbath, and finding moments of solitude can deepen our connection with God. These practices help us combat the hurried nature of our culture and refocus on what truly matters. As we approach a new year, let's consider how we can incorporate these spiritual disciplines to grow closer to God and live out our faith more authentically.
We are reminded that the true meaning of Advent and Christmas goes far beyond the festive imagery we're accustomed to as Luke Parker shares what John has to say in this powerful message. The Book of Revelation offers us a startling, awe-inspiring vision of Christ that challenges our comfortable notions. We're introduced to Jesus as the majestic 'Son of Man,' holding stars in His hand and speaking with a voice like rushing waters. This imagery, drawn from Revelation 1:9-20, presents Christ not as a helpless babe, but as the all-powerful, glorified Lord. The message encourages us to trust in this Jesus who is in absolute control, even when we feel isolated or in misery. Just as John received this vision while exiled on Patmos, we too can find hope and strength in the midst of our personal struggles. This Christmas, let's look beyond the familiar trappings and see the cosmic significance of Christ's coming – a reminder that He holds the keys to death and Hades, and that the end of the story has already been written in our favor.
In this powerful message, we're reminded that even in our darkest moments, hope is never lost. The story of Jesus' resurrection in Matthew 28 serves as a profound metaphor for the transformation possible in our own lives. Just as Mary Magdalene and the other Mary approached the tomb in despair, we often face situations that seem hopeless. But the earthquake, the angel, and the empty tomb remind us that God's power can shake our world in unexpected ways. The central theme is clear: Jesus is on the move, already ahead of us, bringing new life where we least expect it. This isn't just about believing in a historical event; it's about recognizing the resurrected Christ at work in our everyday lives. We're challenged to look beyond our 'tombs' – our struggles, doubts, and fears – and seek Jesus in the ordinary moments of our days. This message encourages us to live with hope, knowing that no stone is too heavy for God to roll away, and that resurrection power is available to us here and now.
During this second Sunday of Advent, we delve into the profound concept of being 'born again' as described in John 3. Far from being a mere emotional experience or adherence to strict moral codes, Jesus presents this rebirth as a complete reinvention of self, necessary for everyone regardless of their perceived righteousness. The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a respected religious leader, serves as a poignant reminder that even those who seem most put-together need this radical change. We're challenged to consider where in our lives we've been striving for reinvention through our own efforts, only to find ourselves still in darkness. The good news is that this transformation comes from beyond us, changes how we see the world, and gives us a new identity rooted in God's love. As we position ourselves to receive this new life, we're invited to let go of our anxious grasping and trust in the work of God within us.
In this powerful exploration of the Christmas story, we're challenged to look beyond the familiar nativity scenes and confront the radical nature of God becoming human. The passage from Matthew 1 reveals the profound truth of 'Emmanuel' - God with us. This isn't just a comforting sentiment, but a life-altering reality that demands our response. We're reminded that Joseph's decision to marry Mary, despite the scandal, was based on his encounter with this incredible truth. The message invites us to wrestle with our own understanding of who Jesus is and how that shapes our lives. In a world plagued by loneliness and weariness, we're offered the transformative hope that we are not alone - the Creator of the universe has drawn near to us in the most intimate way possible. This challenges us to examine our busyness, our preconceptions about God, and our willingness to humbly receive Him. As we reflect on this, we're encouraged to cultivate attentiveness to God's presence in our daily lives, recognizing that our response to 'God with us' can lead to profound personal transformation and a deeper, more vibrant faith.
In this powerful message, we're invited to explore what it truly means to create a masterpiece with our lives. Drawing inspiration from O. Henry's 'The Last Leaf', we're challenged to reconsider our definition of success and significance. The story reminds us that our greatest impact often comes not from grand achievements, but from small acts of sacrificial love. As we delve into Romans 16, we discover a beautiful tapestry of diverse individuals united in Christ. This passage reveals that the true masterpiece of our lives is found in how we love and serve others, breaking down societal barriers and embracing the equality of all believers. We're encouraged to see ourselves as part of this grand masterpiece, where our individual brushstrokes contribute to a larger, more beautiful picture of God's love in action.
Sermon show notes for podcast and YouTube:1. “The nature of faith is to live constantly out of tune with the world as it is presently, and constantly in tune with the way God intends it to be.” -N.T. Wright, “Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship”2. “Christianity stands or falls by its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness, and pride of power, and by its witness for the weak. I feel that Christianity is doing too little in making these points rather than doing too much. Christianity has adjusted itself much too easily to the worship of power. It should give much more offense, more shock to the world, than it is doing. Christianity should take a much more definite stand for the weak than for the potential moral right of the strong.” --Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “My Strength Is Made Perfect in Weakness”3. “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, “The Gulag Archipelago”4. “We must not be frightened nor cajoled into accepting evil as deliverance from evil. We must go on struggling to be human, though monsters of abstractions police and threaten us. Reclaim now, now renew the vision of a human world where godliness is possible and man is permitted to be man.” -Robert Hayden, “Collected Poems”5. Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo
Sermon Resources:1. “We demand too much of life, too little of ourselves…In the last twenty-five years, the patient increasingly confronts the psychiatrist not with well-defined symptoms of their personal difficulties but with their dissatisfactions about life. He does not suffer from fixations or phobias or nervous ailments or emotional immaturity; instead he complains "of vague, diffuse dissatisfactions with life.” He describes "subtly experienced yet pervasive feelings of emptiness and depression," "violent oscillations of self-esteem," and "a general inability to get along." He gains "a sense of heightened self-esteem only by attaching himself to strong, admired figures whose acceptance he craves and by whom he needs to feel supported." He depends on others to validate his self-esteem, and yet happiness eludes him.” --Dr. Christopher Lasch, “The Culture of Narcissism”2. “Life became dangerous; The day we all became famous; No one cares if you're happy; Just as long as you claim it; How can we change this? The day we all became famous; No one cares if you have it Just as long they think you do; I don't need the word, just need you to think I said it; I don’t need to learn, just need you to think I get it; I don’t need the sermon, just need you to think I read it.” -Jon Bellion, "The Internet"3. “Pride is the beginning of sin. And what is pride but the craving for undue exaltation. It is the abandoning of God to whom the soul ought to cling as its source of life and to imagine itself instead as the source of its own life.” -Augustine, "City of God"4. “How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, or shove off? The point is that each person’s pride is in competition with everyone else’s pride. It is because I wanted to be the focus of things that I am so annoyed at someone else being the focus. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"5. “For a very long time I considered low self-esteem to be some kind of virtue. I had been warned so often against pride and conceit that I came to consider it a good thing to deprecate myself. But now I realize that the real sin is to deny God’s first love for me, to ignore my original goodness. Because without claiming that first love and that original goodness for myself, I lose touch with my true self and embark on the destructive search among the wrong people and in the wrong places for what can only be found in the house of my Father.” -Henri Nouwen, "Life of the Beloved"
Sermon Resources:Scripture References: Genesis 38-50, Nehemiah 1-5, Luke 12:13-20, Matthew 16:251. “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.“So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”--Frodo Baggins and Gandalf The Grey, "The Lord of the Rings"2. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Strength To Love"
For Such A Time As This | Prideful Influence - Esther 2:19 - 3:15 - Daniel Barth by Midtown Presbyterian Church
For Such A Time As This | Complexity Of The Issues - Esther 2:1-18 - Gabby Gustafson by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Sermon Notes:1. Pew study on Post-Christendom: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/modeling-the-future-of-religion-in-america/2. “The church is one of those former power brokers who once enjoyed a place of influence at the cultural table, but has been chased away from its place of privilege and is now seeking to find where it belongs amidst the ever-changing dynamics of contemporary culture.” -The Church in Exile: "Living in Hope After Christendom"3. “The most important thing in your life is not what you do. It is who you become.” -Dallas Willard4. “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.” -Mother Teresa5. Story of Edward Kimball: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Kimball_(teacher)
The Search | Proclaiming Living Water - John 4:28-30, 39-42 - Luke Parker by Midtown Presbyterian Church
The Search | What's Driving You? - John 4:27, 31-38 - Gayle Parker by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Sermon Resources:Scripture References - Amos 5:24, Jeremiah 7:1-11, John 14:61. “When the Patient goes inside the church building, he will see the local grocer with a rather oily expression on his face bustling up to offer him one shiny little book containing a liturgy which neither of them understands, and one shabby little book containing texts of a number of religious lyrics, mostly bad, and in very small print. When he gets to his pew and looks round him he sees just that selection of his neighbors he has previously avoided. You want to lean pretty heavily on those neighbors…Provided that any of them sing out of tune, or have boots that squeak, or double chins, or odd clothes, the Patient will quite easily believe that their religion must therefore be somehow ridiculous. Work hard on the disappointment or anti-climax which is certainly coming to the patient during his first few weeks as a church-going man.” -C.S. Lewis, "The Screwtape Letters"2. “Make your patient a taster or connoisseur of churches. The perpetual search for a “suitable” church makes the man a critic where the Enemy wants him to be a pupil [remember, Enemy in the demon’s eyes is God]. So bestir yourself and send this fool around all the neighborhood churches as soon as possible…And then, if your patient can’t be kept out of the church, he ought at least to be violently attached to some party within it. I don’t mean on really doctrinal issues; about those, the more lukewarm he is the better. The real fun is working up hatred between those who say “mass” and those who say “holy communion” when neither party could possibly state the difference in any form which would hold water for five minutes. And all the purely indifferent things–candles and clothes and what not–are an admirable ground for our activities.” -C.S. Lewis, "The Screwtape Letters"3. “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” -Henry David Thoreau, "Walden"4. “In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” -David Foster Wallace, "This Is Water"5. “The world is not divided between people who worship and people who don’t. The world is divided into people who worship things that will distort their life, and people who worship the only object worthy of the adoration of our soul.” -Tim Keller6. “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Sermon Resources:Scriptures - John 4, John 2:24-26, John 19:281. “Our stories are all stories of longing. We long for a good self to be and for good work to do. We long to become human in a world that tempts us always to be less than human or looks to us to be more. We long to love and to be loved. And in a world where it is often hard to believe in much of anything, we long to believe in something holy and beautiful and life-transcending that will give meaning and purpose to the lives we live…The word longing comes from the same root as the word long in the sense of length in either time or space and also the word belong, so that in its full richness to long suggests to yearn for a long time for something that is a long way off and something that we feel we belong to and that belongs to us.” -Frederick Buechner, "The Longing For Home"2. “The main emotion of the adult American who has had all the advantages of wealth, education, and culture is disappointment.” -John Cheever3. “Religion has accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity and bluster make a man dear to God.” -A.W. Tozer, "The Pursuit of God"4. “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"5. “You have made us for Yourself; and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You.” -Augustine of HippoSermon Stat Correction: Suicide rates increase exponentially upon retirement age, doubling rather than going up by "three times," as stated. Source Statistics can be found on:https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db483.htm
Sermon Resources:1. Franz Jägerstätter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_J%C3%A4gerst%C3%A4tter2. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead3. “For the growing good of the world is dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs." -George Eliot, "Middlemarch"4. “If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer. Intercession is a way of loving others…it is selfless prayer, even self-giving prayer. In the ongoing work of the kingdom of God, nothing is more important than intercession.” -Richard Foster, "Prayer"5. "On The Powers of Simple Medicine," by Galen6. “In careful scientific studies, forgiveness has been shown to reduce depression, increase hopefulness, decrease anger, improve spiritual connection, and increase self-confidence.” -Fred Luskin, "Forgive For Good: A Proven Prescription For Health and Happiness"7. “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” -Brennan Manning
Sermon Resources:Scripture References - John 8:31-32, John 14:6, Deuteronomy 23:21-23, Ecclesiastes 5:4, Psalm 50:14, Matthew 5:34-37, Luke 16:101. "Spin Room" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_room2. “There is perhaps nothing that so marks us as human as the gift of speech…By speaking, we can reveal the hiddenness of thought, we can express the subtlest as well as the most devastating of emotions, we can heal, we can make poems, we can pray. All of which is to say we can speak truth—the truth of what it is to be ourselves, to be with each other, to be in the world—and such speaking as that is close to what being human is all about. What makes lying an evil is not only that the world is deceived by it, but that we are dehumanized by it.” -Frederick Buechner, "Wishful Thinking"3. "The essence of swearing that Jesus targets here is about invoking something or someone else, especially God, to make your own words more significant or weighty. The aim is to impress others with your seriousness or piety so that you get what you want. It’s a device of manipulation designed to override the judgment or input of others in order to possess them for our purposes. It’s manipulation, or, as we say in our culture, “spin.” And Jesus says it's evil. Instead of loving and honoring others with truthfulness, the intent is to get one’s way by verbal manipulation of the thoughts and choices of others.” -Dallas Willard, "The Divine Conspiracy"4. “The tendency to lie is absolutely natural in the child, and if not checked, leads to deeper and deeper evil. That children lie, steal, cheat, and want to make reality what they want it to be is routinely observable. The fact that some people grow into honest adults is absolutely remarkable.” -M. Scott Peck, "People of the Lie"5. "Just as forgiveness is the one way to be free from your painful past, so promising is the only way to be free from your unpredictable future. But it is not only that I know myself in the mirror of my promises. My people, the ones who belong to me, who depend on me, also know me by the promises I have made. What I promise is what I am and will be to them. Only if they really know what I am can they live with me in trust. They know me in the important way, not by reading my therapist’s notes, but by knowing my power to keep promises.” -Lewis Smedes, "Controlling The Unpredictable"
Sermon Resources:Scripture References: James 5:1-11; Luke 12:15; Luke 6:20; Mark 10:24-25; Matt. 6:19-21; Proverbs 23:4-5; Proverbs 6:81. "God and Mammon in America," by Robert Wuthnow; additional study: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-24-me-42320-story.html2. “We live in a materialist culture, we want money and possessions, and very few people have heard a powerful voice telling them to resist those impulses, or how to resist those impulses. Organized religion has not done a good job of challenging people to examine their lifestyles.The point isn’t that we are all just strapped. It’s a matter of making moral choices about how we use our resources.” -Robert Wuthnow, "God and Mammon In America"3. Data on the wealth of Americans: https://www.sportofmoney.com/how-rich-are-americans-on-a-global-scale-very-rich/#:~:text=39%25%20of%20the%20world%27s%20millionaires,share%20is%20at%20%24145.8%20trillion.4. “Upward mobility often ends not in satisfaction and peace, but in exhaustion, disappointment, and emptiness.” -Robert C. Roberts, "Just A Little Bit More"5. “When success is equated with excess, the ambition for excess wrecks us.” -Jon Foreman, "American Dream"6. “Riches are, from a biblical point of view, an affliction, a massive obstacle in entering the Kingdom of Heaven.” -Alasdair MacIntyre7. “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"8. “God has not appointed gold for rust, nor garments for moths; but, on the contrary, he has designed them as aids and helps to human life.” -John Calvin
Sermon Resources:1. “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” -Ecclesiastes 1:82. “Desire alone, of acquiring goods and possessions for ourselves and our nearest friends, is insatiable, perpetual, universal.” -David Hume, "A Treatise of Human Nature"3. "I can't get no satisfaction." -Mick Jagger, "Satisfaction"4. “In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by a relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” -Edward Bernays, "Propaganda"5. “Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption…The greater the pressures upon the individual to conform to safe and accepted social standards, the more he tends to express his aspirations and his individuality in terms of what he wears, drives, eats, his home, his car, his food, his hobbies. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever-increasing pace. We need to have people eat, drink, ride, live with ever more complicated and, therefore, constantly more expensive consumption. ” -Victor Lebow, "The Journal of Retailing: 1955"6. Harvest Queen vs. Homecoming Queen: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1991/november-25/murder-envy-and-harvest-princess-what-really-poisoned.html&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1723312423553888&usg=AOvVaw1ZO4y_-tCOr2mrBn_u6LFG7. “We have tended to turn the Christian faith into a relationship with a God who is the divine vending machine in the sky, there to meet our every want. Unhappy? Unattractive? Unsuccessful? Unmarried? Unfulfilled? Come to Christ and he’ll give you all these things you asked for. We forget that God is not primarily in the business of meeting our wants. When we make him out to be, we squeeze him out of his rightful place at the center of our lives, and we put ourselves in his place. God is in the business of being God - of redeeming and restoring and forgiving and healing and loving. Christianity cannot be reduced to meeting peoples’ wants, and when we make it so, we invariably distort the Gospel message.” -David Henderson, "Culture Shift"8. "I Will Never Cast Out," by John Bunyan9. Examen resource: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/
The Great Con | Wisdom is from the World - James 3:13-18 - Daniel Barth by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Sermon Resources:1. https://www.billboard.com/lists/drake-kendrick-lamar-beef-timeline/2. "...it is James' conviction that teaching is a dangerous occupation for any man. His instrument is speech and his agent the tongue." -William Barclay, DSB on James3. "Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows4. "We really don’t have to know what the devil sounds like to recognize his voice, we just have to listen to how we talk to and about our neighbors." -Jackie Hill Perry
The Great Con | Spirituality Is Individual - James 2:14-26 - Clint Leavitt by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Sermon Resources:1. “Hostility isn’t integral to the definition of discrimination; you can treat people differently without being hostile to anyone. But it is important to understand how discrimination can occur both without hostility and without any intent to discriminate.” -Tony Greenwald, "Favoritism–Not Hostility–Causes Most Discrimination"2. “This is God’s chosen lot. He had one opportunity only of living our life, and He chose to be born of parents too poor to present more than two doves at his presentation in the temple.” -F.B. Meyer3. Stories on NY Church: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/02/carl-lentz-and-the-trouble-at-hillsong; https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/05/us/carl-lentz-hillsong-pastor.html; https://pagesix.com/2020/12/28/hillsong-church-operated-like-a-nightclub4. “How terribly, then, have the theologians misrepresented God…Nearly all of them represent him as a great King on a grand throne, thinking how grand he is, and making it the business of his being and the end of his universe to keep up his glory, wielding the bolts of a Jupiter against them that take his name in vain. But brothers, have you found our king? There he is, honoring and kissing little children and saying they are like God. There he is at table with the head of a fisherman lying on his bosom, and somewhat heavy at heart that even he, the beloved disciple, cannot yet understand him well. The simplest peasant who loves his children and his sheep is the true type of our God beside that monstrosity of a monarch.” -George Macdonald, "Christ In Creation"
The Great Con | Anger = Righteousness - James 1:19-20 - Tom Parker by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Sermon Resources:1. “Wisdom is that quality of heart and mind which is needed for the right conduct of life.” -Fenton Hort2. “Cynicism creates a numbness toward life. Cynicism begins with a wry assurance that everyone has an angle. Behind every silver lining is a cloud. The cynic is always observing, critiquing, but never engaging, loving, and hoping. To be cynical is to be distant. While offering a false intimacy of being "in the know," cynicism actually destroys intimacy. It leads to bitterness that can deaden and even destroy the spirit.” -Paul E. Miller, "A Praying Life: Connecting With God In A Distracting World"
Sermon Resources:1. “The majority of politicians are interested not in truth but in power and in the maintenance of that power. To maintain that power it is essential that people remain in ignorance, that they live in ignorance of the truth, even the truth of their own lives. What surrounds us therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.” -Harold Pinter, "Art, Truth, and Politics"2. “So the Scribes and Pharisees set James on the pinnacle of the Temple and called to him: "O thou, James the Just, to whom we all ought to listen, since the people are going astray after Jesus the crucified, tell us what is the door of this Jesus?" And with a loud voice he answered: "Why do you ask me concerning the Son of Man? He is the Savior. He sitteth himself in heaven on the right hand of the great Power, and shall come on the clouds of heaven." And when many were convinced and gave glory for the witness of James, and said, "Hosanna to the Son of David," then again the same Scribes and Pharisees said to one another, "We were wrong to permit such a testimony to Jesus; but let us go up and cast James down, that through fear they may not believe him." Accordingly they went up and cast James down. And they said to one another, "Let us stone James the Just," and they began to stone him, since he was not killed by the fall, but he turned and knelt down saying, "I beseech thee, Lord God Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And a certain one of them, one of the fullers, taking the club with which he pounds clothes, brought it down on the head of the Just; and so he suffered martyrdom. And they buried him there on the spot, near the Temple. A true witness has he become both to Jews and Greeks that Jesus is Christ.” -Hegesippus, "Church History: Book II"3. "Truth forever on the cross, Wrong forever on the throne,—Yet that cross sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own." -James Russell Lowell, "The Present Crisis"4. “All kinds of experiences will come to us. There will be the test of the sorrows and the disappointments which seek to take our faith away. There will be the test of the seductions which seek to lure us from the right way. There will be the tests of the dangers, the sacrifices, the unpopularity which the Christian way must so often involve. But they are not meant to make us fall; they are meant to make us soar. They are not meant to defeat us; they are meant to be defeated. They are not meant to make us weaker; they are meant to make us stronger. Therefore we should not bemoan them; we should rejoice in them. The Christian is like the athlete. The heavier the course of training he undergoes, the more he is glad, because he knows that it is fitting him all the better for victorious effort. As Browning said, we must "welcome each rebuff that turns earth's smoothness rough," for every hard thing is another step on the upward way.” -William Barclay, "DSB: James"
God Let Loose | Intercessor - ROMANS 8:14-27 - Clint Leavitt by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Sermon Resources:1. “The first thing about America that strikes observation is an innumerable multitude of men incessantly endeavoring to obtain the petty and paltry pleasures with which they glut their lives. Each of them, living apart, is a stranger to the fate of the rest; his children and his private friends constitute to him the whole of mankind. As for the rest of his fellow citizens, he touches them, but he does not feel them.” -Alexis de Tocqueville, "Democracy in America"2. “We have been led to believe that the self is sacred. Just as in an earlier time it was thought never fitting to deny God, now it seems never right to deny oneself.” -Robert Bellah, "Habits of the Heart"3. “We’ve forgotten we belong to one another.” -Mother Teresa4. "A Hidden Life," film directed by Terrance Malick5. “The most important thing in your life is not what you do. It is who you become.” -Dallas Willard6. “We often seek to find ourselves somehow in the work of making others happy. Therefore we throw ourselves into the work. As a result we get out of the work all that we put into it: our own confusion, disintegration, and unhappiness. It is useless to try to make peace with ourselves by being pleased with everything we have done. In order to settle down in the quiet of our own being we must learn to be detached from the results of our own activity. We must withdraw ourselves, to some extent, from effects that are beyond our control and be content with the good will and the work that are the quiet expression of our inner life. We must be content to live without watching ourselves live, to work without expecting an immediate reward, to love without an instantaneous satisfaction, and to exist without any special recognition.” -Thomas Merton, "No Man Is An Island"
Sermon Resources:1. Death By Vending Machine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_vending_machine#:~:text=Death%20by%20vending%20machine%20%2D%20Wikipedia,machines%20from%201978%20to%201995.2. “We have generally come to expect immediate returns on our investments of time and resources. If we have a need, we have only to find the right place, product, or procedure and our needs will be met. It is not surprising that we tend to become impatient with any process of development that requires of us more than a limited involvement of our time and energies…Often our spiritual quest becomes a search for the right technique, the proper method, the perfect program that can immediately deliver the desired results of spiritual maturity and wholeness. If we can only find the right trick, the right book or the right guru, go to the right retreat, instantly we will be transformed into a new person at a new level of spirituality and wholeness.” -M. Robert Mulholland, "Invitation To A Journey"3. “The truth about significant soul transformation is this: change is possible, but it is harder than we want and it takes longer than we expect.” -James Cofield and Richard Plass, "The Relational Soul: Moving From False Self to Deep Connection"4. “Our spiritual journey is not our setting out (by gathering information and applying it correctly) to find God (as an object “out there” to be grasped and controlled by us). It is a journey of learning to yield ourselves to God and discovering where God will take us.” -M. Robert Mulholland, "Invitation To A Journey"
God Let Loose | Where's The Power - Acts 1 - 2 - Clint Leavitt by Midtown Presbyterian Church
- “Their founder [Jesus] taught them that they should be like brothers to one another, and therefore they despise their own privacy and view their possessions as common property.” -Lucian of Samosata, early opponent of Christianity2. “The impious Galileans [Christians] support not only their poor, but ours as well.” -Emperor Julian of Rome3. “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the coming one. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"4. “The Revelation has 404 verses. In those 404 verses, there are 518 references to earlier scripture. If we are not familiar with the preceding writings, quite obviously we are not going to understand the Revelation. John has his favorite books of scripture: Ezekiel, Daniel, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Isaiah, Exodus. But there is probably not a single canonical Old Testament book to which he doesn’t make at least some allusion.” -Eugene Peterson, "Reversed Thunder"5. “Throughout this book, as in much of the Bible, the sea is the dark force of chaos which threatens God’s plans and God’s people. It is the element from which the first monster emerged. It is contained in Genesis by God, ‘contained’, that is, both in the sense that it is there as part of the furniture and in the sense that its boundary is strictly limited. Evil is only allowed to do enough to overreach itself and to bring about its own downfall. But in the new creation there will be no more sea, no more chaos, no place from which monsters might again emerge.” -N.T. Wright, "Revelation For Everyone"6. “This sung faith served to deepen the capacity of the slaves for endurance and their ability to absorb their suffering, and it taught a people how to ride high in life, how to look squarely in the face those facts that argue most dramatically against all hope, and to use those facts as raw material out of which they fashioned a hope that their environment with all its cruelty could not crush. This enabled them to reject annihilation and affirm a terrible right to live.” -Howard Thurman, "The Negro Spiritual Speaks of Life and Death"7. “There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach.” -J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Return of the King"
Brand New | The Resurrection Of The Dead - 1 Cor. 15:35-58 - Daniel Barth by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Sermon Resources:1. “Of course God will forgive me; that’s his job!” -Heinrich Heine2. “The so-called real world of men and money and power hums merrily along in a pool of fear and anger and frustration and craving and worship of self. Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom to all be lords of our tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the center of all creation…In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” -David Foster Wallace, "This Is Water"3. “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself. If we let Him, He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly, though of course on a smaller scale, His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long, and in parts painful, but that is what we are in for. Nothing less.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"
Brand New | Dealing Differently With Suffering | Gayle Parker - 1 Peter 1:3-9 by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Sermon Resources:1. "One Nation Under God," by Jon McNaughton, 20142. "Head of Christ," by Warner Sallman, 19413. Digital reconstruction of first century Jewish man: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3359548/Is-real-face-JESUS-Experts-use-forensics-reveal-Christ-looked-like.html4. "I want to say to you that most of our brokenness cannot be simply taken away. It’s there. And the deepest pain that you and I suffer is often the pain that stays with us all our lives. It cannot be simply solved, fixed, done away with…What are we then told to do with that pain, with that brokenness, that anguish, that agony that continually rises up in our heart? We are called to befriend it.Suffering is a period in your life in which true faith can emerge, a naked faith, a faith that comes to life in the midst of great pain. The grain, indeed, has to die in order to bear fruit and when you dare to stand in your suffering, your life will bear fruit in ways that are far beyond your own predications or understanding. Spend some time each morning doing nothing but simply sitting in the presence of God and praying, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Gradually, God will enter your heart in a new way and bring new light into your struggle.” -Henri Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish To Freedom5. “We do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia, for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”-2 Corinthians 1:8-9
Sermon Resources:1. “We don't believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true.” -Dallas Willard, "Renovation of the Heart"2. “Do you love your faith so little that you have never battled a single fear lest your faith should not be true? Where there are no doubts, no questions, no perplexities, there can be no growth." -George MacDonald, "The Curate’s Awakening"3. “We live in a culture that has, for centuries now, cultivated the idea that the skeptical person is always smarter than the one who believes. You can be almost as stupid as a cabbage, as long as you doubt. The fashion of the age has identified mental sharpness with a pose of doubt, not with genuine intellectual method and character.” -Dallas Willard, Hearing God: Developing A Conversational Relationship With God4. “I believe in Christ and confess him not like some child; my hosanna has passed through an enormous furnace of doubt.” -Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Last Notebook | 1880-18815. “I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption…For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom.” -Aldous Huxley, Ends and Means6. “What we have to remember is that our eyes are not all we have for seeing with, maybe not even the best we have. Our eyes tell us that the mountains are green in summer and in autumn the colors of flame. They tell us that the nose of the little girl is freckled, that her hair usually needs combing, that when she is asleep, her cheek is flushed and moist…But all these things are only facts because facts are all the eye can see. Eyes cannot see truth. The truth about the mountains is their great beauty. The truth about the child is that she is so precious that without a moment's hesitation we would give our lives to save her life if that should somehow ever become necessary. It is not with the eyes of the head that we see truths like that, but with the eyes of the heart.” -Frederick Buechner, "The Seeing Heart"
Sermon Resources:1. Audio clip is not our own - from Disney's "Zootopia" (2016)2. Sloth is "aversion to the divine good in us." -Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae"3. “Sloth is not to be confused with laziness. Lazy people, people who sit around and watch the grass grow, may be people at peace. Their sun-drenched, bumblebee dreaming may be the prelude to action or itself an act well worth the acting. Slothful people, on the other hand, may be very busy people. They are people who go through the motions, who fly on automatic pilot. Like somebody with a bad head cold, they have mostly lost their sense of taste and smell. They know something's wrong with them, but not wrong enough to do anything about. Other people come and go, but through glazed eyes they hardly notice them. They are letting things run their course. They are getting through their lives.” -Frederick Buechner, "Wishful Thinking"4. “The puzzle is why so many people live so badly. Not so wickedly, but so inanely. Not so cruelly, but so stupidly. There is little to admire and less to imitate in the people who are prominent in our culture. We have celebrities but not saints. Famous entertainers amuse a nation of bored insomniacs. Infamous criminals act out the aggressions of timid conformists. Petulant and spoiled athletes play games vicariously for lazy and apathetic spectators. People, aimless and bored, amuse themselves with trivia and trash. Neither the adventure of goodness nor the pursuit of righteousness gets headlines.” -Eugene Peterson, "Run With The Horses"5. Article on "languishing:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html6. “To our chagrin we discover that the declaration of self-determination has issued not in a race of free, masterly humans, but rather in a race that can be described by its poets and dramatists only as bored, vexed, frantic, embittered, and sniffling.” -Thomas Howard, "Chance or The Dance?"7. “Sloth is the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive only because there is nothing it would die for.” -Dorothy Sayers, "Letters to a Diminished Church: Passionate Arguments for the Relevance of Christian Doctrine"8. “Can you hate the world enough to want to change it, and yet love it enough to see it worth changing?” -G.K. Chesterton, "Orthodoxy"9. Boston Globe study: https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2018/05/19/don-get-too-comfortable-america-relentless-pursuit-convenience-and-relaxation/liWGIaQgFNWMXVU7Pvl0rN/story.html10. "The Lonely Century," by Noreena Hertz11. “‘Nothing’ is very strong: strong enough to steal away a man's best years not in sweet sins but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why, in the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man is only half aware of them, in drumming of fingers and kicking of heels, in whistling tunes that he does not like…You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy [God]. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the ‘Nothing.’ Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” -C.S. Lewis, "The Screwtape Letters"12. Prayer from the Breastplate of St. Patrick
Glittering Vices | Gluttony | Matthew 5:6 - Gayle Parker by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Join us this Lenten season for a transformative journey as we delve into the depths of human nature with our sermon series titled "Glittering Vices." In this series, we will courageously confront the timeless struggles that plague our souls – the seven deadly sins.As we explore each vice, from vainglory to greed, envy to wrath, we will uncover the deceptive allure that they hold, captivating us with their glittering promises of fulfillment and always leading us instead to spiritual, emotional, and physical ruin. Through reflection we will learn how so many of our regular behaviors can easily stem from these seven vices, and how learning to repent and return to God in the midst of them can lead us to the sort of eternal life Jesus came to bring us. Join us as we journey through the shadows of our souls, seeking redemption and embracing the light of God's love.Listen as Pastor Clint explores the sin of wrath this week through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. We'll see wrath's primary symptoms, the way they are prevalent in our hearts and culture, and the prescription Jesus gives for them.Sermon Resources:1. Mark 3:1-62. Mark 10:13-163. Ephesians 4:264. “Think how we feel when we see someone we love ravaged by unwise actions or relationships. Do we respond with benign tolerance as we might towards strangers? Far from it. We get angry. Anger isn’t the opposite of love. Hate is, and the final form of hate is indifference. The more a father loves his son, the more he’s angry at the drunkard, the liar, the traitor in him.” -Becky Pippert, "Hope Has Its Reasons"5. “He who is not angry when there is cause sins, for unreasonable patience is the hotbed of many vices; it fosters negligence, and incites not only the wicked but the good to do wrong.” -John Chrysostom6. Colossians 3:87. James 1:98. Proverbs 14:299. Proverbs 19:1110. “He is a fool who cannot be angry; but he is wise who will not remain so.” -English Proverb11. “The most important thing in your life is not what you do. It is who you become.” -Dallas Willard12. Road rage studies: https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/road-rage-statistics/13. Yale study on social media: https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/430608-trending-science-social-media-making-us-angrier-study-reveals14. “Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back–in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.” -Frederick Buechner, "Wishful Thinking"15. “My anger has too often seemed out of proportion–that is, too great or too little, more often too great–for the occasion that gave rise to it. My anger has more often distressed those I love than it has afflicted those at whom I was angry. My anger has not carried me far enough toward changing what legitimately enrages me.” -Garret Keizer, "The Enigma of Anger: Essays on a Sometimes Deadly Sin"16. “Every time you decide to let your anger smolder on inside you, you are becoming a little less than fully human. You are deciding to belittle yourself. And if you are the sort of person who sneers at everybody and calls them names, the fire inside you may eventually become all that’s left of you, as Gehenna–the smoldering garbage dump of ancient Jerusalem–may take you over completely.” -N.T. Wright, "Matthew For Everyone"17. "Love Your Enemy," sermon by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sermon Resources:1. "Rethinking Sex: A Provocation," by Christine Emba2. Washington Post Article on sex: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/17/sex-ethics-rethinking-consent-culture/3. NYT Article on sex: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/07/opinion/sex-consent-dating-boundaries.html4. CNN Study on American sex lives: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/12/health/young-americans-less-sex-intl-scli-wellness/index.html#:~:text=Young%20Americans%20are%20having%20less%20sex%20%E2%80%93%20and%20they%20can't,survey%20data%20from%20US%20adults.5. Pew study on dating dissatisfaction: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/nearly-half-of-u-s-adults-say-dating-has-gotten-harder-for-most-people-in-the-last-10-years/6. “The bodily exposure that arouses and accompanies sex can be profoundly symbolic and powerfully healing if it’s the concrete sign of what’s happening in the whole relationship…Mutual disclosure and tender acceptance is not the activity of a moment but the fabric of a lifetime’s weaving.” -John White, "Eros Defiled"7. “Contrary to Mrs. Prude, sex is not a sin. Contrary to Hugh Hefner, it’s not salvation either. Like nitroglycerin, it can be used either to blow up bridges or heal hearts.” -Frederick Buechner, "Wishful Thinking"8. “I cannot keep a bird from flying over my head. But I can certainly keep it from nesting in my hair or biting my nose off.” -Martin Luther9. “Chastity is a pro-love lifstyle, and therefore a virtue one needs whether single, married, old, or young. It is not something you need only when dating or surfing the internet; it is a quality of one’s character, evident in all areas of life. It is a project of becoming a person with an outlook that allows one to selflessly appreciate good and attractive things--most especially bodies and the pleasures they afford--by keeping those goods ordered to the good of the whole person and his or her vocation to love. Christianity’s fundamental question is, “How can my life--my thoughts, my choices, my emotional responses, my conversation, and my behavior--make me a person who is best prepared to give and receive love in relationship with others.” --Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung, “Glittering Vices”
Join us this Lenten season for a transformative journey as we delve into the depths of human nature with our sermon series titled "Glittering Vices." In this series, we will courageously confront the timeless struggles that plague our souls – the seven deadly sins.As we explore each vice, from vainglory to greed, envy to wrath, we will uncover the deceptive allure that they hold, captivating us with their glittering promises of fulfillment and always leading us instead to spiritual, emotional, and physical ruin. Through reflection we will learn how so many of our regular behaviors can easily stem from these seven vices, and how learning to repent and return to God in the midst of them can lead us to the sort of eternal life Jesus came to bring us. Join us as we journey through the shadows of our souls, seeking redemption and embracing the light of God's love. Watch as Pastor Clint explores one of the most overlooked of the Seven Deadly Sins in our American, consumeristic culture: the sin of greed. Sermon Resources:1. John Paul Getty III - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Getty_III2. “We must shift America from a needs to a desires culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old have been entirely consumed. Man’s desires must overshadow his needs.” -Paul Mazur3. “Our enormously productive economy…demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption.” -quoted by Rodney Clapp, Why The Devil Takes VISA: A Christian Response to the Triumph of Consumerism4. Forbes study on number of ads we see: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/08/25/finding-brand-success-in-the-digital-world/?sh=388cf9f626e25. Study on American consumerism: https://gitnux.org/consumerism-in-america-statistics/6. “There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed.” -Buddha7. “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” -Socrates8. “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more that is poor.” -Seneca9. “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.” -Mahatma Gandhi10. “In this way, greed is a sin directly against one’s neighbor, since one person cannot overabound in external riches without another person lacking them, for temporal goods cannot be possessed by many at the same time.” -Thomas Aquinas, "Disputed Questions on Evil" 11. “The myth of scarcity ends in despair. It gives us a present tense of anxiety, fear, greed, and brutality. It produces child and wife abuse, indifference to the poor, the buildup of armaments, divisions between people, and environmental racism. It tells us not to care about anyone but ourselves–and it is the prevailing creed of American society.” -Walter Brueggemann, "The Liturgy of Abundance, The Myth of Scarcity"12. “If you want storehouses, you have them - in the stomachs of the poor.” -Basil of Caesarea
In a world marked by division, isolation, and loneliness, we are a people in desperate need of radical love and connection in the ordinary parts of our lives and world. Join us at Midtown for our new teaching series entitled Won’t You Be My Neighbor?: Radically Ordinary Hospitality, as we go on a spiritual journey of exploration, mining the riches of Jesus’ life and teaching to explore the radical practice of neighboring and examining the ways that this ancient and timeless practice can get us caught up in the present work of the Kingdom of God in our own time. Together we’ll challenge the prevalent culture of division by emphasizing the importance of building authentic relationships across societal boundaries, provide practical guidance on fostering a sense of community in our homes and world, examine how to break down walls of hostility that isolate and divide, and ultimately combat the epidemic of loneliness through intentional acts of kindness and inclusion, that all people might come to a knowledge of their identities as beloved children of God and might experience His love and grace in their own lives.Watch/listen as Pastor Clint closes our series by examining Jesus' actions in John 13, and how we become people who get the power to go and wash feet in our own livesSermon Resources:1. “I grew up in the ghetto, and I did not have a positive opinion of police officers. Policeman were siccing dogs and water hoses on people.” - François Clemmons, Interview With StoryCorps2. “He who wraps the heavens in clouds wrapped round himself a towel. He who pours the water into rivers poured water into a basin. And he before whom every knee bends in heaven and on earth and under the earth knelt to wash the feet of his disciples.” -Severian of Gabala3. “Jesus was well aware that he was about to be betrayed. Such knowledge might so easily have turned him to bitterness and hatred; but it made his heart run out in greater love than ever. The astounding thing was that the more men hurt him, the more Jesus loved them. It is so easy and so natural to resent wrong and to grow bitter under insult and injury; but Jesus met the greatest injury and the supreme disloyalty, with the greatest humility and the supreme love.” -William Barclay, Daily Study Bible on John4. "A house show feels like a true faith community…The lead singer is less than two feet away from thirty people who are screaming the same thing. Punk rock teaches the same inversion of power as the Gospel. You learn that the coolest thing about having a microphone is turning it away from your own mouth.” -Julien Baker, Interview with the New Yorker5. “We choose: we follow the dragon and his beasts along their parade route, conspicuous with the worship of splendid images, elaborated in mysterious symbols, fond of statistics, taking on whatever role is necessary to make a good show and get the applause of the crowd in order to access power and become self-important. Or we follow the Lamb along a farmyard route, worshiping the invisible, listening to the foolishness of preaching, practicing a holy life that involves heroically difficult acts that no one will ever notice, in order to become, simply, our eternal selves in an eternal city. It is the difference between wanting to use people around us to become powerful and entering into covenants with the people around us so that the power of salvation extends into every part of the neighborhood, the society, and the world that God loves.” -Eugene Peterson, Reversed Thunder
In a world marked by division, isolation, and loneliness, we are a people in desperate need of radical love and connection in the ordinary parts of our lives and world. Join us at Midtown for our new teaching series entitled Won’t You Be My Neighbor?: Radically Ordinary Hospitality, as we go on a spiritual journey of exploration, mining the riches of Jesus’ life and teaching to explore the radical practice of neighboring and examining the ways that this ancient and timeless practice can get us caught up in the present work of the Kingdom of God in our own time. Together we’ll challenge the prevalent culture of division by emphasizing the importance of building authentic relationships across societal boundaries, provide practical guidance on fostering a sense of community in our homes and world, examine how to break down walls of hostility that isolate and divide, and ultimately combat the epidemic of loneliness through intentional acts of kindness and inclusion, that all people might come to a knowledge of their identities as beloved children of God and might experience His love and grace in their own lives.Sermon Resources:1. Rosaria Butterfield Testimony: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/january-february/my-train-wreck-conversion.html2. “Whether the issue is marriage and sexuality or morality and care for the poor...the data suggests that in many crucial areas evangelicals are not living any differently than their unbelieving neighbors.” -Ron Sider, "The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience"3. “In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.” -Robert Karris, "Eating Your Way Through Luke’s Gospel"4. “It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of table fellowship for the cultures of the Mediterranean basin in the first century. Mealtimes were far more than occasions for individuals to consume nourishment. Being welcomed at a table for the purpose of eating food with another person had become a ceremony richly symbolic of friendship, intimacy, and unity. ” -Scott Bartchy, "Table Fellowship"5. “Jesus addresses her with words usually reserved for the conclusion of miracles of healing: “your faith has made you whole;” and he sends her away “in peace” (shalom). Such language cannot be limited to “spiritual” well-being or even to “physical” vitality, but speaks of a restoration to wholeness, including restoration to the full social intercourse from which she has been excluded.” -Joel B. Green, NICNT on Luke5. “It’s hard to convince people that a God they can’t see loves them when a church they can see doesn’t even seem to like them.” -John Alan Turner6. “The word sinner...is not a word that places humans somewhere on a continuum ranging from angel to ape, assessing them as relatively “good” or “bad.” It designates humans in relation to God and sees them separated from God. Sinner means something is awry between humans and God.” -Eugene Peterson, "The Contemplative Pastor"7. “Touched with a sensible regret (notice, not morbid or shameful, but sensible, true, accurate), I confess to Him and ask His forgiveness, I abandon myself in His hands that He may do what He pleases with me. The King, full of mercy and goodness, far from chastising me, embraces me with love, makes me eat at His table, serves me with His own hands, gives me the key of His treasures; He converses and delights Himself with me incessantly, in a thousand and a thousand ways, and treats me in all respects as His favorite.” -Brother Lawrence, "Practicing The Presence of God"
Won't You Be My Neighbor | Time, Interruptions, and New Life - Mark 5:21-43 - Clint Leavitt by Midtown Presbyterian Church
In a world marked by division, isolation, and loneliness, we are a people in desperate need of radical love and connection in the ordinary parts of our lives and world. Join us at Midtown for our new teaching series entitled Won’t You Be My Neighbor?: Radically Ordinary Hospitality, as we go on a spiritual journey of exploration, mining the riches of Jesus’ life and teaching to explore the radical practice of neighboring and examining the ways that this ancient and timeless practice can get us caught up in the present work of the Kingdom of God in our own time. Together we’ll challenge the prevalent culture of division by emphasizing the importance of building authentic relationships across societal boundaries, provide practical guidance on fostering a sense of community in our homes and world, examine how to break down walls of hostility that isolate and divide, and ultimately combat the epidemic of loneliness through intentional acts of kindness and inclusion, that all people might come to a knowledge of their identities as beloved children of God and might experience His love and grace in their own lives.Listen as Gayle Parker explores Jesus' story of the Kingdom dinner in Luke 14, and how it teaches us to ask three important questions:-What's Your Excuse?-What's Your Motivation?-Will You Persist?Sermon Resources:1. "We make our friends; we make our enemies, but God makes our next door neighbor." -G.K. Chesterton2. "You were meant to house the fullness of God." - John of Kronstadt3. Scene from "A Man Called Otto:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgtPf9ci_JM
Editorial Note: Pastor Clint accidentally misstated two denarii as two weeks' pay in the first century; two denarii was two days' pay In a world marked by division, isolation, and loneliness, we are a people in desperate need of radical love and connection in the ordinary parts of our lives and world. Join us at Midtown for our new teaching series entitled Won’t You Be My Neighbor?: Radically Ordinary Hospitality, as we go on a spiritual journey of exploration, mining the riches of Jesus’ life and teaching to explore the radical practice of neighboring and examining the ways that this ancient and timeless practice can get us caught up in the present work of the Kingdom of God in our own time. Together we’ll challenge the prevalent culture of division by emphasizing the importance of building authentic relationships across societal boundaries, provide practical guidance on fostering a sense of community in our homes and world, examine how to break down walls of hostility that isolate and divide, and ultimately combat the epidemic of loneliness through intentional acts of kindness and inclusion, that all people might come to a knowledge of their identities as beloved children of God and might experience His love and grace in their own lives.Sermon Resources:1. Fred Rogers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers2. “I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there's some way of using this fabulous instrument to nurture those who would watch and listen." -Fred Rogers, "Fred and Me, An Appreciation - CNN Interview"3. Study on the effects of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/476163-mr-rogers-and-the-importance-of-social-and-emotional-learning/#:~:text=So%20powerful%20was%20his%20unique,with%20other%20children%20and%20adults.4. “The culture flows from the assumption that the accumulation of commodities will make us safe and happy.” -Walter Brueggemann, "An Other Kingdom"5. Study on hopelessness in America: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/10/51percent-of-young-americans-say-they-feel-down-depressed-or-hopeless.html6. Study on antidepressant prescriptions: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/antidepressant-prescribing-increases-by-35-in-six-years#:~:text=Prescriptions%20of%20antidepressants%20rose%20by,the%20sixth%20consecutive%20annual%20increase.7. “Most Americans watch Friends instead of making friends.” -Robert Putnam, Keynote Address - Harvard University’s Mental Health Awareness Week8. Global Peace Index: https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GPI-2023-Web.pdf9. “I imagine that the first question the priest and Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But by the very nature of his concern, the good Samaritan reversed the question: If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’” -Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Strength To Love"10. “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” -G.K. Chesterton, "Orthodoxy"11. “Therefore set aside a room in your house to which Christ may come; say, “This is Christ’s room; this is set apart for him.” Even if it is very simple, he will not disdain it. Christ goes about “naked and a stranger”; he needs shelter: do not hesitate to give it to him. Do not be lacking in compassion.” -John Chrysostom, "Homily 45 on the Acts of the Apostles"12. “What would the church’s love look like if it showed up dozens of times a week in small but profound ways: cooked meals, prayers prayed, songs sung, Scripture studied, games played, parties thrown, tears shed, reconciliation practiced, resources given? What if our homes stopped being the places we hid from the world but havens to which the world comes for healing?” -Jon Tyson, "Sacred Roots: Why Church Still Matters in a Post-Religious Era"
Abide | Developing A Rule Of Life - John 15:1-11 - Gabby Gustafson by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Are you yearning to unearth joy in unexpected places, even in desolation? Join us as we trek through a captivating exploration of defiant joy, guided by Gayle Parker as she unpacks Isaiah 35 and probes the longing for joy, its unexpected breakthroughs, and the comforting promise of eternal joy.
We invite you on a journey through the Advent season, a time that beckons us to reflect on peace - a peace that goes beyond surface-level tranquility and embraces profound spiritual harmony. Watch as Rev. Luke Parker explores Isaiah 9 and the promise of peace in the midst of a peaceless world, and what this teaches us in our own time of seeming peacelessness.
In life, disappointment can feel like a constant companion. But what if there was a way to defy this disappointment with hope and trust? Listen as Pastor Clint begins the Advent season by exploring how we can navigate life's disappointments through the lens of the biblical figures, Ahaz, Isaiah, Mary, and Joseph. Together, we'll journey into the labyrinth of disappointment and emerge with a defiant hope, using lessons from these historical figures and wisdom from Viktor Frankl's experiences. This sermon is a call to become a community of defiant hope, a beacon of light in a world often shrouded in darkness.Sermon Resources:1. Study on the myth of progress and upward mobility: https://isr.umich.edu/news-events/news-releases/exceptional-upward-mobility-in-the-u-s-is-a-myth-international-studies-show/#:~:text=Exceptional%20upward%20mobility%20in%20the%20U.S.%20is%20a%20myth%2C%20international%20studies%20show,-September%205%2C%202012&text=ANN%20ARBOR%2C%20Mich.,a%20mansion%20on%20a%20hill2. "Lost In The Cosmos," by Walker Percy3. “Cynicism creates a numbness toward life. Cynicism begins with a wry assurance that everyone has an angle. Behind every silver lining is a cloud. The cynic is always observing, critiquing, but never engaging, loving, and hoping. To be cynical is to be distant. While offering a false intimacy of being "in the know," cynicism actually destroys intimacy. It leads to bitterness that can deaden and even destroy the spirit.” -Paul E. Miller, "A Praying Life: Connecting With God In A Distracting World"4. “Hope is not about the future. Hope is about the present, which obviously has to do with the future. But it is a virtue that is cultivated in the present. It fills the present with energy. It connects the two comings of Jesus so that we are now to participate in them…I don’t know one thing about the future. I don’t know what the next hour will hold. There may be sickness, accident, personal or world catastrophe. Before this day is over I may have to deal with death, pain, loss, rejection. Still, despite my ignorance and my being surrounded by tinny optimists and cowardly pessimists, I say that God will accomplish his will, and I cheerfully persist in living in the hope that nothing will separate me from Christ’s love.” -Eugene Peterson, "God's Message for Each Day: Wisdom from the Word of God"5. “If a prisoner lost hope in his future, he was doomed…One of my friends in the camp had a dream that the war would end March 30. He was convinced the dream was a revelation, but as the date drew nearer, it became clear from the news reports the war was not ending. On March 29 he began running a temperature. On March 30 he lost consciousness. On March 31 he was dead. His loss of hope had lowered his body’s resistance to all of the diseases in the camp…Life in a concentration camp exposes your soul’s foundation. Only a few of the prisoners were able to keep their full inner liberty and strength. Life only has meaning in any circumstances if we have a hope that neither suffering, circumstances, nor death itself cannot destroy.” -Viktor Frankl, "Man’s Search For Meaning"
Watch as Pastor Clint explores an often-mentioned and little understood aspect of the Christian life: honor. Sermon Resources:1. “Honor is the operating system of God.” -Jon Tyson, "Creating a Culture of Honor"2. Study from the National Academy of Sciences: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.14141461113. “This “outrage industrial complex” works by catering to just one ideological side, creating a species of addiction by feeding our desire to believe that we are completely right and that the other side is made up of knaves and fools. It strokes our own biases while affirming our worst assumptions about those who disagree with us.” -Arthur C. Brooks, "Our Culture of Contempt"4. “When you see my face, hope it gives you hell. When you walk my way, hope it gives you hell. If you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well. Then he's a fool, you're just as well, hope it gives you hell.” -The All American Rejects, "Gives You Hell"5. “Scandal is great entertainment because it allows people to feel contempt, a moral emotion that gives feelings of moral superiority while asking nothing in return. With contempt you don’t need to right the wrong (as with anger) or flee the scene (as with fear or disgust). And best of all, contempt is made to share. Stories about the moral failings of others are among the most common kinds of gossip, they are a staple of talk radio, and they offer a ready way for people to show that they share a common moral orientation. Tell an acquaintance a cynical story that ends with both of you smirking and shaking your heads and voila, you’ve got a bond. Well, stop smirking. One of the most universal pieces of advice from across cultures and eras is that we are all hypocrites, and in our condemnation of others’ hypocrisy we only compound our own.” -Jonathan Haidt, "The Happiness Hypothesis"6. APA study on dishonor: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/04/rejection7. “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.” -C.S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory"8. Story of Daryl Davis: https://www.npr.org/2017/08/20/544861933/how-one-man-convinced-200-ku-klux-klan-members-to-give-up-their-robes9. “To desecrate dead bodies is to deny the significance of their life, which is, in turn, to deny God’s creative activity.” -David Atkinson, "The Bible Speaks Today"
For those who missed our service today, here is a special recording of the full audio from our chartering service, including our installation of Reverend Clint, our ordaining of Midtown's elders, and our sermon from Gayle Parker on 1 Samuel 30. Enjoy!
What do you do without having to think about it? That is, what sort of behaviors, responses, habits, thoughts, or words flow naturally in and through your life without you having to consciously consider them? The way we answer that question leads us straight down into a foundational part of our humanity: our character. It’s the thing we don’t have to decide about because it’s already formed within us. It’s the identity that ignites the rest of who we are and how we live. Character is, as the Greek philosopher Heraclites once put it, our fate: the person we ultimately become, through the joys and griefs of our lives, always begins and ends with the forging of our inner beings. The scriptures, and Jesus Himself, have always articulated this to us, writing of a God who “looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7) who writes the goodness of His law onto the hearts of His people (Jeremiah 31:33), and who proclaimed the message that one must become “born again” (John 3:3) and “transformed by the renewing of their minds” (Romans 12:1-3). In a world where it seems brokenness, evil, injustice, and pride rule, the scriptures remind us that the way forward is not more productive people, or more politically powerful people, but more deep people, shaped by the way and work of God. And we find one of the principal case studies for this truth in the book of 1 Samuel in our bibles, where we are presented with rich and complex characters from the story of Israel that are meant to create pause and reflection in our own lives on how we can become people of character today. Join us this Fall as we explore eleven central components to a life of character with God revealed to us through the vibrant stories of Hannah, Samuel, Saul, Jonathan, and David, and how these components can make us transformed people in a world desperately longing for leaders and people of character.Listen as Tom Parker preaches on 1 Samuel 25, exploring how the story teaches us about the centrality of listening to wise counsel.
We live in a world full of vengeance. Social media. Liam Neeson movies. Batman. For as long as we've been around, we've built our societies upon the notion that retribution and vengeance can really bring the peace and restoration we're hoping for. Yet over and over again it has failed. So what can we do to bring the peace and restoration we're hoping for.Watch as Pastor Clint unpacks the story of David's encounter with Saul in 1 Samuel 24, learning how David's example points us to the life-giving practice of repaying harm with good.Sermon Resources:1. “To take vengeance on one’s enemies is nobler than to come to terms with them; for to retaliate is just, and that which is just is noble; and further, a courageous man ought not to allow himself to be beaten.” -Aristotle, Rhetoric2. Execration texts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execrat....3. Before He Cheats, by Carrie Underwood4. Gives You Hell, by The All-American Rejects5. "Forgiveness, Health, and Well-Being: A Review of Evidence for Emotional Versus Decisional Forgiveness, Dispositional Forgiveness, and Reduced Unforgiveness," by Everett L. Worthington, Charlotte Van Oyen Witvliet, Pietro Pietrini, and Andrea J. Miller - published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, August 20076. “A person that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds fresh which otherwise would heal.” -Francis Bacon, Of Revenge7. “To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back–in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.” -Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking8. “It is a serious thing to live in a society of image of God bearers, to remember that the dullest, most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, to some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal…The weight of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it.” -C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory9. “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago10. "The Book of Forgiving," by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu11. “Pain that is not transformed is transferred.” -Ronald Rolheiser
It was an honor to host Tommy Nixon, CEO of Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI), at Midtown this Sunday - UYWI is a non-profit committed to developing urban leaders who will shape the future of the Church. Watch as Tommy leads our community through the present challenge of a lack of leaders in the church, and also teaches us the solution: becoming RARE Christians as witnesses in our culture.Learn more about UYWI at uywi.org!
- “She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts, She's Cheer Captain, and I'm on the bleachers, Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find, That what you're looking for has been here the whole time, If you could see that I'm the one, Who understands you, Been here all along, So, why can't you see? You belong with me, You belong with me.” -Taylor Swift, You Belong With Me2. “But it's my right to be hellish, I still get jealous.” -Nick Jonas, Jealous3. “We must shift America from a needs to a desires culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things [read: to envy], even before the old have been entirely consumed. Man’s desires must overshadow his needs.” -Paul Mazur4. Study on envy: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/193216/1/dp11922.pdf5. Study on medical effects of envy: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=1848#:~:text=Envy%20and%20jealousy%20also%20add,with%20some%20forms%20of%20cancer6. “Discussing envy is akin to treading on a territory of unseen warfare. Hidden, improvised explosive devices abound…This volatile sensitivity attests to why envy may be of titanic relevance in human psychology.” -Dr. Frank John Ninivaggi, in Learned Mindfulness7. “As a moth gnaws a garment, so does envy consume a person.” -John Chrysostom8. “Envy is the consuming desire to have everybody else be as unsuccessful as you are.” -Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking9. Envy and Avarice, by Victor Hugo10. “Envy senses no pleasure, satisfaction, joy, or glee, only the mental pain of absence, privation, and unbearable intolerance needing deletion.” -Dr. Frank John Ninivaggi, Learned Mindfulness11. “Of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all.” -Joseph Epstein, Envy12. “The fundamental attitude of the envious is directly opposed to love. To love is to seek others’ good and rejoice when they have it. To envy is to seek to destroy others’ good and sorrow over their having it.” -Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung, Glittering Vices
Sermon Resources:1. hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia - the fear of long words2. “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die. 'He that will lose his life, the same shall save it,' is not a piece of mysticism for saints and heroes. It is a piece of everyday advice for sailors or mountaineers. It might be printed in an Alpine guide or a drill book. This paradox is the whole principle of courage - a man cut off by the sea may save his life if he will risk it on the precipice. He can only get away from death by continually stepping within an inch of it. A soldier surrounded by enemies, if he is to cut his way out, needs to combine a strong desire for living with a strange carelessness about dying. He must not merely cling to life, for then he will be a coward, and will not escape. He must not merely wait for death, for then he will be a suicide, and will not escape. He must seek his life in a spirit of furious indifference to it; he must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine.” -G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy3. “True courage is facing your heart’s greatest nightmare and doing the right thing anyway.” -Tim Keller, Sermon on Jan. 25, 20044. Bob Newhart - STOP IT sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvujypVVBAY5. “The thematic purpose of this exceptional attention to physical detail is obvious. Goliath moves into the action like a man of iron and bronze, an almost grotesquely quantitative embodiment of a hero, a hulking monument to an obtusely mechanical conception of what constitutes power and courage.” -Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative6. “The intent of the encounter is to make clear yet again that Yahweh “saves,” not with the conventions of human warfare but in Yahweh’s own inscrutable ways.” -Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation Commentary7. “That suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage...that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed.” -Ivan Karamasov, The Brothers Karamazov
Sermon Resources:1. “Welcome to the internet! Have a look around; Anything that brain of yours can think of can be found; We've got mountains of content, some better, some worse; If none of it's of interest to you, you'd be the first…Could I interest you in everything all of the time? A little bit of everything all of the time? Apathy's a tragedy, and boredom is a crime. Anything and everything, all of the time.” -Bo Burnham, Welcome To The Internet2. “Impatience is inner restlessness…experiencing the moment as empty, useless, meaningless. It is wanting to escape from the here and now as soon as possible.” -Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill, and Douglas Morrison, Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life3. “After the war I moved to India, just as Partition was tearing the nation apart. In that land of poverty and omnipresent suffering I learned that pain can be borne with dignity. It was there, too, that I began treating leprosy patients, social pariahs whose tragedy stems from the absence of physical pain…In the United States, a nation whose war for independence was fought in part to guarantee a right to “the pursuit of happiness,” I encountered a society that seeks to avoid distress at all costs. Patients lived at a greater comfort level than any I had previously treated, but they seemed far less equipped to handle suffering and far more traumatized by it.” -Dr. Paul Brand, Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants4. “Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.” -Simone Weil, Notebooks of Simone Weil5. “The work that God does in us when we wait is often more important than the thing for which we wait.” -Erwin Lutzer6. “The word patience never means the spirit which sits with folded hands and simply bears things. It is victorious endurance and constancy under trial. It is Christian steadfastness, the brave and courageous acceptance of everything life can do to us, and the transmuting of even the worst into another step on the upward way. It is the courageous and triumphant ability to bear things, which enables someone to pass breaking point and not to break, and always to greet the unseen with a cheer.” -William Barclay, Letters of Peter and Jude
Sermon Resources:1. “You may be an ambassador to England or FranceYou may like to gamble, you might like to danceYou may be the heavyweight champion of the worldYou may be a socialite with a long string of pearls But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” -Bob Dylan, "Gotta Serve Somebody"2.“Freedom is not given to us merely as a firework to be shot off in the air. There are some people who seem to think that their acts are freer in proportion as they are without purpose…That is like saying that one is richer if he throws money out the window than if he spends it. Neither the spending of money nor the waste of money is what makes someone rich. He is rich by virtue of what he has, and his riches are valuable to him for what he can do with them. As for freedom, it grows no greater by being wasted, or spent, but it is given to us as a talent to be traded with until the coming of Christ.” -Thomas Merton, "No Man Is An Island"3. Study on America's overwork problem: https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_071326/lang--en/index.htm4. Pew Research Study on Dating: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/nearly-half-of-u-s-adults-say-dating-has-gotten-harder-for-most-people-in-the-last-10-years/5. “We have been led to believe that the self is sacred. Just as in an earlier time it was thought never fitting to deny God, now it seems never right to deny oneself.” -Robert Bellah, "Habits of the Heart"6. “Their request is nothing less than a change in Israel’s foundational commitment to God…This rejection is not a new happening but is characteristic in the history of Israel (v. 8). The whole history of Israel is one of “forsaking” and going after other gods. This request for a king is one more step in the continuing performance of mistrust (c.f. Psalm 106). The issue of monarchy in God’s speech is perceived as Israel’s unwillingness to have God as the source and rule of life.” -Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation CommentaryJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
What do you do without having to think about it? That is, what sort of behaviors, responses, habits, thoughts, or words flow naturally in and through your life without you having to consciously consider them? The way we answer that question leads us straight down into a foundational part of our humanity: our character. It’s the thing we don’t have to decide about because it’s already formed within us. It’s the identity that ignites the rest of who we are and how we live. Character is, as the Greek philosopher Heraclites once put it, our fate: the person we ultimately become, through the joys and griefs of our lives, always begins and ends with the forging of our inner beings. The scriptures, and Jesus Himself, have always articulated this to us, writing of a God who “looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7) who writes the goodness of His law onto the hearts of His people (Jeremiah 31:33), and who proclaimed the message that one must become “born again” (John 3:3) and “transformed by the renewing of their minds” (Romans 12:1-3). In a world where it seems brokenness, evil, injustice, and pride rule, the scriptures remind us that the way forward is not more productive people, or more politically powerful people, but more deep people, shaped by the way and work of God. And we find one of the principal case studies for this truth in the book of 1 Samuel in our bibles, where we are presented with rich and complex characters from the story of Israel that are meant to create pause and reflection in our own lives on how we can become people of character today. Join us this Fall as we explore eleven central components to a life of character with God revealed to us through the vibrant stories of Hannah, Samuel, Saul, Jonathan, and David, and how these components can make us transformed people in a world desperately longing for leaders and people of character.Sermon Resources:1. “The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to feel important.” -John Dewey2. "UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why It Matters," by David Kinnaman3. Stats on the great church exodus: https://www.keylife.org/articles/the-great-dechurching-what-is-at-stake/4. “Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude.” -Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost For His Highest"5. “Symptoms of depression and feelings of insecurity, inferiority, and fear of failure are the hallmarks of a late modern society” where people have become “entrepreneurs of self.” -Byung-Chul Han, "The Burnout Society"6. “When we are who we are called to be, we will set the world ablaze.” -Catherine of Siena
Character Matters | Gratitude - 1 Samuel 1 - 9.10.23 - Gabby Gustafson by Midtown Presbyterian Church
- Attention Economy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_economy#:~:text=Attention%20economics%20is%20an%20approach,Davenport%20and%20John%20C2. Interview with Sean Parker: https://www.axios.com/2017/12/15/sean-parker-unloads-on-facebook-god-only-knows-what-its-doing-to-our-childrens-brains-15133067923. Tristan Harris biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_Harris4. Phantom Vibration Syndrome: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3677878/5. Losing to Goldfish in attention spans: https://www.wyzowl.com/human-attention-span/6. “The largest, most standardized, most centralized form of attention control in human history.” -James Williams, tech ethicist at Oxford University7. "I Used To Be A Human Being," by Andrew Sullivan8. “You need to die and be raised. You need to come out altogether from the shadowy powers that operate within the present creation, doomed as it is to decay and perish. You need to belong instead to God’s new world, the new creation that is being brought in to replace the old. The truly human life you seek — the life of a genuine, glad holiness that runs right through the personality — is to be found in that new world.” -N.T. Wright, "Colossians For Everyone"9. “Never in so short a time has any other set of ideas, religious, political, or economic, without aid of physical force or of social or cultural prestige, achieved so commanding a position in such an important culture.” -Kenneth Scott Latourette, "A History of the Expansion of Christianity"10. “Paul is certainly not pleading for an other-worldliness in which the Christian withdraws himself from all the work and activities of this world and does nothing but contemplate eternity….From now on the Christian will view everything against the background of eternity and no longer live as if this world was all that mattered. This will obviously give him a new set of values. Things which the world thought important, he will no longer worry about. Ambitions which dominated the world will be powerless to touch him. He will go on using the things of the world but he will use them in a new way. He will, for instance, set giving above getting, serving above ruling, forgiving above avenging. The Christian's standard of values will be God's not men's.” -William Barclay, "Commentary on Colossians"11. “The first and most basic thing we can and must do is to keep God before our minds. This is the fundamental secret of caring for our souls. Our part in thus “practicing the presence of God” is to direct and redirect our minds constantly to Him. In the early time of our “practicing” we may well be challenged by our burdensome habits of dwelling on things less than God. But these are habits–not the law of gravity–and can be broken. A new, grace-filled habit will replace the former ones as we take intentional steps toward keeping God before us. Soon our minds will return to God as the needle of a compass constantly returns to the north. If God is the great longing of our souls, He will become the pole star of our inward beings.” -Dallas Willard, "The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship"12. “The real problem of humanity is that we have stone-age emotions and brains, medieval institutions, and God-like technology.” -E.O. Wilson
Listen as Pastor Clint explores the practice of Sabbath, and how this ancient practice--woven into the very fabric of creation--serves as our cure for busyness. Sermon Resources: 1. “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” -Ecclesiastes 1:8 2. “Desire alone, of acquiring goods and possessions for ourselves and our nearest friends, is insatiable, perpetual, universal.” -David Hume 3. “I can’t get no satisfaction.” -Mick Jagger 5. Article on workism: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/religion-workism-making-americans-miserable/583441/ 6. Study on overwork in American culture compared to other cultures - see International Labor Organization stats in "Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus," p. 140 7. A.J. Swoboda, "Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World" 8. C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity" 10. “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you.” -Augustine of Hippo, "Confessions" 11. John Walton, Commentary on Genesis 12. “In the relentless busyness of modern life, we have lost the rhythm between work and rest. All life requires a rhythm of rest. There is a rhythm in our waking activity and the body's need for sleep. There is a rhythm in the way day dissolves into night, and night into morning. There is a rhythm as the active growth of spring and summer is quieted by the necessary dormancy of fall and winter. There is a tidal rhythm, a deep, eternal conversation between the land and the great sea. In our bodies, the heart perceptibly rests after each life-giving beat; the lungs rest between the exhale and the inhale. We have lost this essential rhythm. Our culture invariably supposes that action and accomplishment are better than rest, that doing something--anything--is better than doing nothing. Because of our desire to succeed, to meet these ever-growing expectations, we do not rest. Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that would show us where to go, we bypass the nourishment that would give us support. We miss the quiet that would give us wisdom. We miss the joy and love born of effortless delight. Poisoned by this hypnotic belief that good things come only through unceasing determination and tireless effort, we can never truly rest. And for want of rest, our lives are in danger.” -Wayne Muller, Sabbath: Finding Rest, "Renewal, and Delight In Our Busy Lives" 13. Study on overwork: https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/26/working-more-than-50-hours-makes-you-less-productive.html 14. Study on Microsoft work experiment: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50287391 14. Seventh-Day Adventist Life Expectancy: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/seventh-day-adventists-life-expectancy_n_5638098 15. “The Sabbaths are our great cathedrals.” -Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Sabbath" 16. “He who wants to enter the holiness of the day must first lay down the profanity of clattering commerce, of being yoked to toil. He must go away from the screech of dissonant days, from the nervousness and fury of acquiring. He must say farewell to manual work and learn to understand that the world has already been created and will survive without the help of man. Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul. The world has our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else.” -Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Sabbath" 17. “Sabbath is not simply the pause that refreshes. It is the pause that transforms. Whereas Israelites are always tempted to acquiring, Sabbath is an invitation to receptivity, an acknowledgment that what is needed is given and need not be seized.” -Brueggemann, “Sabbath As Resistance: Saying No To The Culture of Now” 18. “If the devil can’t make us bad, he’ll make us busy.” -Corrie Ten Boom
Listen as Pastor Clint kicks off our series on busyness by examining one of Jesus' primary cures to busyness: the practices of silence and solitude.
Sermon Resources: 1. Harvard Business Review and Gallup studies on busyness: https://hbr.org/2023/03/beware-a-culture-of-busyness 2. Columbia University study on busyness: https://hbr.org/2016/12/research-why-americans-are-so-impressed-by-busyness 3. APA Study on busyness: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-85298-001 4. Study on how often we touch our phones: https://www.brusselstimes.com/232851/people-touch-their-smartphone-over-2600-times-a-day-research-shows 5. "Horror vacui" (the fear of vacancy) -Baruch Spinoza 6. Meyer Friedman and "hurry sickness:" https://www.forbes.com/sites/palomacanterogomez/2019/02/01/ten-intelligent-ways-to-combat-your-hurry-sickness/?sh=79f3179b572e 7. "Hurry Sickness: Is The Quest to Be All and Do All Costing Us Our Health?" by Rosemary Sword and Philip Zimbardo: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-time-cure/201302/hurry-sickness 8. "We suffer from interior immigration." -Douglass Steere 9. “Busyness seems to be a determination not to ‘miss out on life.’ Behind much of the rat race of modern life is the unexamined assumption that what I do determines who I am. In this way, we define ourselves by what we do, rather than by any quality of what we are inside. It is typical in a party for one stranger to approach another with the question, ‘What do you do?’ Perhaps we wouldn’t have a clue how to respond to the deeper question, ‘Who are you?’” -James Houston, "The Transforming Friendship: A Guide To Prayer" 10. “Strained by the very mad pace of our daily outer burdens, we are further strained by an inward uneasiness, because we have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power. If only we could slip over into that Center! If only we could find the Silence which is the source of sound!” That is, “If only we could deeply, fully, richly experience the life-giving presence of God.” -Thomas Kelly, "Testament of Devotion" 11. “I am so busy now that if I did not spend three hours each day in prayer, I could not get through the day.” -Martin Luther 12. “To pray is to descend with the mind into the heart, and there to stand before the face of the Lord, ever-present, all seeing, within you.” -Theophan the Recluse 13. “We think of solitude as a station where we can recharge our batteries, or as a corner of the boxing ring where our wounds are oiled, our muscles massaged, and our courage restored by fitting slogans. But that is not the solitude of John the Baptist, of Anthony or Benedict. For them solitude is not a private therapeutic place. Rather, it is the place of conversion, the place where the old self dies and the new self is born, the place where the emergence of the new man and the new woman occurs. Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude, we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusion of the false self. Solitude is the place of the great struggle and the great encounter - the struggle against the compulsions of the false self and the encounter with the loving God who offers the substance of the true self.” -Henri Nouwen 14. “Silence is God’s first language.” -John of the Cross 15. “The friend of silence draws near to God.” -John Climacus
If most of us are being honest, we likely consider prayer to be a weak point in our spiritual lives. We find it hard to make time to pray; we find it unproductive in a world obsessed with hurry and productivity; we feel guilty for not praying often enough, and yet when we finally set aside the time to do so, we find ourselves distracted or confused, not sure how to proceed. Rather than serving as a life-giving connection to a redemptive, loving, and restorative God in the midst of a broken world, prayer becomes a chore or a bore or a guilt-riddled religious game. We often find ourselves, as Jesus’ earliest disciples did, wondering how we can begin to pray. Join us as Midtown as we wade into the challenging waters of prayer, exploring the way that the Psalms teach us authentic, genuine prayer, and how their model can provide us structures for how we begin to relate to and know God more fully in our own lives today.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores an inevitable experience in our spiritual journeys, but one we often don't give enough space to explore: it's the experience of doubt. Psalm 73 teaches us not only what this experience looks like, but how we can healthily navigate through it - doubting words to God become God's words to doubting people.
Sermon Resources: 1. Skeptics Study - join here: https://www.midtownpres.org/skeptics-welcome 2. “I believe in Christ and confess him not like some child; my hosanna has passed through an enormous furnace of doubt.” -Fyodor Dostoyevsky 3. “We live in a culture that has, for centuries now, cultivated the idea that the skeptical person is always smarter than the one who believes. You can be almost as stupid as a cabbage, as long as you doubt. The fashion of the age has identified mental sharpness with a pose, not with genuine intellectual method and character.” -Dallas Willard, Hearing God: Developing A Conversational Relationship With God 4. Feelings of hopelessness in America: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/10/51percent-of-young-americans-say-they-feel-down-depressed-or-hopeless.html 5. Antidepressant usage: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/antidepressant-prescribing-increases-by-35-in-six-years#:~:text=Prescriptions%20of%20antidepressants%20rose%20by,the%20sixth%20consecutive%20annual%20increase. 6. “The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth.” -Peter Abelard 7. “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue…Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” -Rainer Maria Rilke, “Letters To A Young Poet” 8. “I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption…For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom.” -Aldous Huxley, Ends and Means 9. “Yes, doubt will come, even to the one who follows Christ. But the only person who has a right to leap forward even with a doubt is someone whose life bears the marks of imitation, someone who by a decisive action at least tries to go so far out that becoming a Christian can still be a possibility. Everyone else must hold his tongue; he has no right to put in a word about Christianity; least of all against.” -Soren Kierkegaard 10. Sheldon Vanauken, A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy, and Triumph
If most of us are being honest, we likely consider prayer to be a weak point in our spiritual lives. We find it hard to make time to pray; we find it unproductive in a world obsessed with hurry and productivity; we feel guilty for not praying often enough, and yet when we finally set aside the time to do so, we find ourselves distracted or confused, not sure how to proceed. Rather than serving as a life-giving connection to a redemptive, loving, and restorative God in the midst of a broken world, prayer becomes a chore or a bore or a guilt-riddled religious game. We often find ourselves, as Jesus’ earliest disciples did, wondering how we can begin to pray. Join us as Midtown as we wade into the challenging waters of prayer, exploring the way that the Psalms teach us authentic, genuine prayer, and how their model can provide us structures for how we begin to relate to and know God more fully in our own lives today.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores the topic of lament, specifically looking at the way in which injustice and mistreatment spark anger in us, and how we healthily learn to deal with those feelings by being honest about them, praying through them, and limiting them
Sermon Resources: 1. “If it’s human it’s mentionable, and if it’s mentionable, it’s manageable.” -Fred Rogers 2. “Prayer, we think, means presenting ourselves before God so that he will be pleased with us. We put on our Sunday best in our prayers…It is easy to be honest before God with our hallelujahs; it is nearly impossible to be honest before God in the dark emotions of our anger. So we commonly suppress our negative emotions. Or, when we do express them, we do it far from the presence of God, ashamed or embarrassed to be seen in these curse-stained bib overalls. But when we pray the psalms, these classic prayers of God’s people, we find that will not do. We must pray who we actually are, not who we think we should be. In prayer, all is not sweetness and light. The way of prayer is not to cover our unlovely emotions so that they will appear respectable, but expose them so that they can be enlisted in the work of the Kingdom.” -Eugene Peterson, "Answering God" 3. “It is an act of profound faith to entrust one’s most precious hatreds to God, knowing they will be taken seriously.” -Walter Brueggemann, "The Message of the Psalms" 4. “Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back--in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.” -Frederick Buechner
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If most of us are being honest, we likely consider prayer to be a weak point in our spiritual lives. We find it hard to make time to pray; we find it unproductive in a world obsessed with hurry and productivity; we feel guilty for not praying often enough, and yet when we finally set aside the time to do so, we find ourselves distracted or confused, not sure how to proceed. Rather than serving as a life-giving connection to a redemptive, loving, and restorative God in the midst of a broken world, prayer becomes a chore or a bore or a guilt-riddled religious game. We often find ourselves, as Jesus’ earliest disciples did, wondering how we can begin to pray. Join us as Midtown as we wade into the challenging waters of prayer, exploring the way that the Psalms teach us authentic, genuine prayer, and how their model can provide us structures for how we begin to relate to and know God more fully in our own lives today.
Listen as Gabby Gustafson explores the practice of contemplative prayer and the power it carries in an often over-noisy world.
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If most of us are being honest, we likely consider prayer to be a weak point in our spiritual lives. We find it hard to make time to pray; we find it unproductive in a world obsessed with hurry and productivity; we feel guilty for not praying often enough, and yet when we finally set aside the time to do so, we find ourselves distracted or confused, not sure how to proceed. Rather than serving as a life-giving connection to a redemptive, loving, and restorative God in the midst of a broken world, prayer becomes a chore or a bore or a guilt-riddled religious game. We often find ourselves, as Jesus’ earliest disciples did, wondering how we can begin to pray. Join us as Midtown as we wade into the challenging waters of prayer, exploring the way that the Psalms teach us authentic, genuine prayer, and how their model can provide us structures for how we begin to relate to and know God more fully in our own lives today.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores the conception of confession and how it leads us to profound freedom and joy in our spiritual lives.
Sermon Resources: 1. "Man is the cruelest animal.” -Friedrich Nietzsche 2. “Truth and untruth often co-exist; good and evil often are found together." -Mahatma Gandhi 3. "If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 4. “The state we find ourselves in is sinful, quite independent of guilt.” -Franz Kafka 5. “When a person is getting better they understand more and more clearly the evil that is still left in them. When a person is getting worse they understand their own badness less and less.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity" 6. “Anyone God uses significantly is always deeply wounded…On the last day, Jesus will look us over not for medals, diplomas, or honors, but for scars.” -Brennan Manning, "Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin’s Path To God" 7. “True confession is neither self-condemnation–to be merciless with anyone, even ourselves, is no virtue–nor casual evasion. Overconscientiousness becomes morbid; underconscientiousness becomes indifference and decay.” -George Buttrick, "A Simple Regimen of Private Prayer"
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If most of us are being honest, we likely consider prayer to be a weak point in our spiritual lives. We find it hard to make time to pray; we find it unproductive in a world obsessed with hurry and productivity; we feel guilty for not praying often enough, and yet when we finally set aside the time to do so, we find ourselves distracted or confused, not sure how to proceed. Rather than serving as a life-giving connection to a redemptive, loving, and restorative God in the midst of a broken world, prayer becomes a chore or a bore or a guilt-riddled religious game. We often find ourselves, as Jesus’ earliest disciples did, wondering how we can begin to pray. Join us as Midtown as we wade into the challenging waters of prayer, exploring the way that the Psalms teach us authentic, genuine prayer, and how their model can provide us structures for how we begin to relate to and know God more fully in our own lives today.
We live in a culture of discontent: all around us we are constantly being told that we need more or better in order to live peaceful and satisfied lives, and the result is often anxiety, worry, and fear. What can we do to experience peace-filled lives in such a world? Watch as Pastor Clint explores Psalm 103 and its solution to discontent: gratitude.
Sermon Resources: 1. "The Century of Self" documentary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self 2. “We must shift America from a needs to a desires culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old have been entirely consumed. Man’s desires must overshadow his needs.” -Paul Mazur 3. Edward Bernays: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays 4. “You have taken over the job of creating desire and have transformed people into constantly moving happiness machines, machines which have become the key to economic progress.” -Herbert Hoover, speaking to public relations experts in 1928 5. “Gratitude is the awareness that life in all its manifestations is a gift for which we want to give thanks. The closer we come to God in prayer, the more we become aware of the abundance of God’s gifts to us. We may even discover the presence of these gifts in the midst of our pains and sorrows. The mystery of the spiritual life is that many of the events, people, and situations that for a long time seemed to inhibit our way to God become ways of being united more deeply with him. What seemed a hindrance proves to be a gift. Thus gratitude becomes a quality of our hearts that allows us to live joyfully and peacefully even though our struggles continue.” -Henri Nouwen 6. “Now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” -John Steinbeck, East of Eden 7. “In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer 8. “To be a saint (read, a Christian) is to be fueled by gratitude, nothing less. Gratitude is the basis of all holiness. The holiest person you know is the most grateful person you know.” -Ronald Rolheiser
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Join us below: Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurch Instagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.pres Website: www.midtownpres.org Community Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groups Sunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
If most of us are being honest, we likely consider prayer to be a weak point in our spiritual lives. We find it hard to make time to pray; we find it unproductive in a world obsessed with hurry and productivity; we feel guilty for not praying often enough, and yet when we finally set aside the time to do so, we find ourselves distracted or confused, not sure how to proceed. Rather than serving as a life-giving connection to a redemptive, loving, and restorative God in the midst of a broken world, prayer becomes a chore or a bore or a guilt-riddled religious game. We often find ourselves, as Jesus’ earliest disciples did, wondering how we can begin to pray. Join us as Midtown as we wade into the challenging waters of prayer, exploring the way that the Psalms teach us authentic, genuine prayer, and how their model can provide us structures for how we begin to relate to and know God more fully in our own lives today.
Listen as Pastor Clint introduces many of the hurdles we face when we enter into prayer, and then explores Psalm 20 and the practice of intercessory prayer.
Sermon Resources: 1. Interview with Justin Rosenstein on social media: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia 2. “We, for every kind of reason, good and bad, are distracting ourselves into spiritual oblivion. It is not that we have anything against God, depth, and spirit, we would like these, it is just that we are habitually too preoccupied to have any of these show up on our radar screens. We are more busy than bad, more distracted than nonspiritual, and more interested in the movie theater, the sports stadium, and the shopping mall and the fantasy life they produce in us than we are in church. Pathological busyness, distraction, and restlessness are major blocks today within our spiritual lives.” -Ronald Rolheiser, "The Holy Longing: The Search For A Christian Spirituality" 3. “If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer. Intercession is a way of loving others…it is selfless prayer, even self-giving prayer. In the ongoing work of the kingdom of God, nothing is more important than intercession.” -Richard Foster, "Prayer: Finding The Heart's True Home" 4. “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” -Karl Barth 5. Christine Caine and A21: https://www.a21.org/ 6. News of "AmericaFest" at Phoenix church: https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/the-growing-religious-fervor-in-the-american-political-right-this-is-a-jesus-movement/ 7. “This way of praying was an antidote against a way of believing that vests power in a person to provide ultimate security and success…The king could not, in any separated and independent way, be the basis or content of trust.” -James Mays, "Interpretation: Acts" 8. “Leave your plans in man’s hands and they get manhandled.” -Chance The Rapper, "Child Of God" 9. “God has dignified humanity with causality.” -Blaise Pascal 10. Story of Tyler and healing of Van from "Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools," by Tyler Staton 11. “Intercessory prayer is spiritual defiance of what is in the way of what God has promised. Intercession visualizes an alternative future to the one apparently fated by the momentum of current forces. Prayer infuses the air of a time yet to be into the suffocating atmosphere of the present. History belongs to the intercessors who believe the future into being. Even a small number of people, firmly committed to the new inevitability on which they have fixed their imaginations, can decisively affect the shape the future takes. These shapers of the future are the intercessors.” -Walter Wink, "History Belongs To The Intercessors"
The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.
Listen as Tom Parker wraps our series by examining Paul's writing and work near the end of his life, and how Paul's fidelity teaches us how we can become people of maturity who finish well.
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The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.
Listen as Pastor Clint examines Paul's interactions in Athens, and how we can learn to engage our own culture today by going where Paul goes, seeing what Paul sees, and doing what Paul does.
Sermon Resources: 1. Study on religious demographics in the U.S.: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/modeling-the-future-of-religion-in-america/ 2. Charles Blondin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Blondin 3. “The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” -Martin Luther 4. “In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” -David Foster Wallace, "This Is Water" 5. Pete Docter on "Soul:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePzoKVVHuQg
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The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores Acts 15 and the famous Jerusalem Council, where the early church, by the work of the Holy Spirit, establishes once and for all the remarkable role of grace in the story of the Gospel, working together to fight against ledger card living in all its destructive aspects
Sermon Resources: 1. “The bible was written for us, but it wasn’t written to us.” -Dr. John Walton 2. “What comes to our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” -A.W. Tozer 3. “The questions that truly matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by these words— “Come to Me.” Our Lord’s words are not, “Do this, or don’t do that,” but— “Come to me.” If I will simply come to Jesus, my real life will be brought into harmony with my real desires. I will actually cease from sin, and will find the song of the Lord beginning in my life.” -Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest 4. “Christianity is the proclamation of the end of religion, not of a new religion, or even of the best of all religions. If the cross is the sign of anything, it's the sign that God has gone out of the religion business and solved all of the world's problems without requiring a single human being to do a single religious thing. What the cross is actually a sign of is the fact that religion can't do a thing about the world's problems - that it never did work and it never will.” -Robert Farrar Capon 5. “Not only do we relinquish anything which will cause our judgmentalism of others, but we are also to remove anything which will cause them to judge us and miss our message. Habits, quirks of behavior, irrelevant beliefs and associations which cripple us in getting through to people must go! No strings can be attached to people or to the extent to which we will go to reach them with unqualified love.” -Lloyd John Ogilvie, "The Drumbeat of Love"
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The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores the story of Peter and Cornelius found in Acts 10 and how it teaches us to become heavenly wrecking balls in a world of prejudicial walls
Sermon Resources: 1. Wall Street Journal study on accents: https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-ATWORKB-358 2. Harry Lee Poe story: https://www.jacksonsun.com/story/opinion/2020/06/19/prejudice-and-hatred-both-damaging-opinion/3224004001/ 3. “More than any of its competitors it attracted all races and classes… Christianity gloried in its appeal to Jew and Gentile, Greek and barbarian. The Greek and Roman philosophies never really won the allegiances of the masses; they appealed primarily to the educated, the morally and socially cultured. Christianity drew the lowly and unlettered multitude, yet also developed a philosophy which commanded the respect of many of the learned…Christianity, too, was for both sexes, whereas at least two of its main rivals were primarily for men. The Church welcomed both rich and poor…No other group, therefore, took in so many groups and strata of society. Here, the question must be raised: Why did it first appear in Christianity?...It is the uniqueness of Jesus which seems the one tenable explanation. Without Jesus Christianity would not have sprung into existence, and from him and beliefs about him came its main dynamic.” -Kenneth Scott Latourette (Yale), A History of Christianity 4. “In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds.” -Henri Nouwen
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The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.Listen as Jordan Gustafson recounts the story of Saul's conversion in Acts 9, and how the story surprises us with the second conversion of Ananias as well.Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.Listen as Gayle Parker explores the famous story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, and how it teaches us to listen to the little promptings of the Spirit in our own lives.Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.Listen as Pastor Clint explores one of the more challenging passages from the book of Acts in the story of Ananias and Sapphira, and the way it teaches all of us to ruthlessly eliminate deception from our lives.Sermon Resources1. Study of lying on resumes: https://standout-cv.com/usa/study-fake-job-references-resume-lies#how-many2. "Humbuggery and Manipulation: The Art of Leadership," by Frederick George Bailey3. Review of presidential statements: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmarkowitz/2021/04/30/who-lied-more-during-their-first-100-days-biden-trump-or-obama/?sh=3cd74a6a1a894. “The majority of politicians…are interested not in truth but in power and in the maintenance of that power. To maintain that power it is essential that people remain in ignorance, that they live in ignorance of the truth, even the truth of their own lives. What surrounds us therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.” -Harold Pinter, "Art, Truth, and Politics"5. Study on middle schoolers lying: https://brandongaille.com/24-nose-growing-statistics-on-lying/6. “There is perhaps nothing that so marks us as human as the gift of speech…By speaking, we can reveal the hiddenness of thought, we can express the subtlest as well as the most devastating of emotions, we can heal, we can make poems, we can pray. All of which is to say we can speak truth—the truth of what it is to be ourselves, to be with each other, to be in the world—and such speaking as that is close to what being human is all about. What makes lying an evil is not only that the world is deceived by it, but that we are dehumanized by it.” -Frederick Buechner, "Wishful Thinking"7. “If we are looking for insurance against want and oppression, we will find it only in our neighbors' prosperity and goodwill and, beyond that, in the good health of our worldly places, our homelands. If we were sincerely looking for a place of safety, for real security and success, then we would begin to turn to our communities - and not the communities simply of our human neighbors but also of the water, earth, and air, the plants and animals, all the creatures with whom our local life is shared.”―Wendell Berry, "The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays"8. “The Holy Spirit releases all the resources of God into the life of the believer so that, in response, they can release all of their resources to God. Then, in turn, the Spirit utilizes those surrendered resources for the needs of the people in our lives–not just our lands, but our love and affection, our caring and assistance, our listening and sharing, our comfort and courage. Any time we withhold ourselves in refusing to give affirmation and assurance, we sin against the family of God.” -Lloyd John Ogilvie, "The Drumbeat of Love"9. “There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” -C.S. LewisJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.Watch as Midtown's pastoral apprentice, Gabby Gustafson, explores the ramifications of Peter and John's miraculous healing from Chapter 3, and shows us how their example teaches us to get into good trouble.Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.Listen as Pastor Clint explores the first miracle of the apostles in the book of Acts, and shows how the Holy Spirit is immediately expanding their vision and growing their expectation for what is possible in God's new Kingdom.Sermon Resources:1. Tim Noble and Sue Webster Shadow Series: https://shadowsculptures.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/tim-noble-and-sue-webster/2. The Nicanor gate was "adorned in a costly manner, as having much rich plates of gold and silver.” -Josephus, early Jewish historian3. “God is forever available, forever being received. Not in pomp or glory or radiance, but in infirmity, foolishness, in nothingness. God chooses what human nature discards and human prudence neglects, out of which he works his wonders and reveals himself to all souls who believe that is where they will find him.” -Jean Pierre de Caussade, "The Sacrament of the Present Moment"4. “These are peculiar, technical words used of a medical man. The word translated “feet” is only used by Luke and it occurs nowhere else. It indicates his discrimination between the different parts of the human heel. The phrase “ankles” is again a medical phrase to be found nowhere else. The word “jumping up” describes the coming of something suddenly into socket of something that was out of place, an articulation of a joint. This then is a very careful medical description of what happened in connection with this man.”-G. Campbell Morgan5. “The lordship of God, to which healings witness, restores creation to health. Jesus’ healings are not supernatural miracles in a natural world. They are the only truly ‘natural’ thing in a world that is unnatural, demonized and wounded.” -Jurgen Moltmann, The Way of Christ6. “I believe that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage...that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed.” -Ivan Karamasov, "The Brothers Karamazov"Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
Our mission at Midtown is to invite people into a transformative relationship with Jesus by being with Jesus, belonging to community, and blessing the world.Listen as Pastor Clint explores how we are stepping into this together as a church in the coming year, and the ways you can take your next step in our community!Sermon Resources:1. Letter from Pliny to Trajan in 112 CE about the early Christians: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontlin…20third%20centuries.2. Journal article on the explosive growth of early Christianity: www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?scrip…hor%202009%3A481).3. “Never in so short a time has any other set of ideas, religious, political, or economic, without aid of physical force or of social or cultural prestige, achieved so commanding a position in such an important culture.” -Kenneth Scott Latourette (Yale), A History of the Expansion of Christianity4. “More than any of its competitors it attracted all races and classes… Christianity gloried in its appeal to Jew and Gentile, Greek and barbarian. The Greek and Roman philosophies never really won the allegiances of the masses; they appealed primarily to the educated, the morally and socially cultured. Christianity drew the lowly and unlettered multitude, yet also developed a philosophy which commanded the respect of many of the learned…Christianity, too, was for both sexes, whereas at least two of its main rivals were primarily for men. The Church welcomed both rich and poor…No other group, therefore, took in so many groups and strata of society. Here, the query must be raised: Why did it first appear in Christianity?...It is the uniqueness of Jesus which seems the one tenable explanation. Without Jesus Christianity would not have sprung into existence, and from him and beliefs about him came its main dynamic.” -Kenneth Scott Latourette (Yale), "A History of Early Christianity"5. “Though we have our treasure-chest, it is not made up of purchase-money, as of a religion that has its price. On the monthly day, if he likes, each puts in a small donation; but only if it be his pleasure, and only if he be able: for there is no compulsion; all is voluntary. These gifts are…not spent on feasts, and drinking-bouts, and eating-houses, but to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons confined now to the house…for nothing but their fidelity to the cause of God’s Church, they become the nurslings of their confession.” -Tertullian6. “The impious Galileans support not only their poor, but ours as well.” -Emperor Julian of Rome7. “They abstain from all impurity in the hope of the recompense that is to come in another world. As for their servants or handmaids or children, they persuade them to become Christians by the love they have for them…when they see the stranger they bring him to their homes and rejoice over him as over a true brother.” -Apology of Aristides8. “People caught up in the love of God not only began to give thanks for their daily bread, but daily offered to God whatever they had that might speak that gracious love to others. What is far more dangerous than any plan of shared wealth or fair distribution of goods is a God who dares impose on us divine love. Such love will not play fair. In the moment we think something is ours, or our people’s, that same God will demand we sell it, give it away, or offer more of it in order to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or shelter the homeless, using it to create the bonds of shared life. This will be the new direction born of this movement.” -Willie James JenningsJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
The resurrection isn’t the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the revolution. Following Easter, join us for our Sunday gatherings at Midtown as we explore the book of Acts, which follows the earliest years of the church and provides a profound glimpse into the revolutionary nature of the Kingdom of God. This isn’t simply the start of a new religious sect that we reflect on appreciatively; it isn’t simply another social group we recall and draw inspiration from; it is the reporting of the cosmic drama of God and humanity, together in partnership to bring flourishing to all things, the same cosmic drama we participate in today. This is the remarkable next of the resurrection.Listen as Pastor Clint opens the series by examining the ascension of Christ and how it ignites the powerful Kingdom of God into and throughout the entire world.Sermon Resources:1. “I looked and looked and looked, but I didn't see heaven or God.” -Yuri Gagarin2. “He had to leave them in one dimension to return in a greater demonstration of power. He left as Jesus of Nazareth, resurrected and victorious; He returned as the Holy Spirit, indwelling and found everywhere.” -Lloyd John Ogilve, Drumbeat of Love: The Unlimited Power of the Spirit as Revealed in the Book of Acts3. “Christians themselves are discovering, by means of the Spirit, that the reign of God is much wider than they themselves thought or expected.” -Justo Gonzalez4. Greg Boyle and Homeboy Industries: https://homeboyindustries.org/5. “Christ has no body but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which He looks with compassion on the world. Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which He blesses the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are His body.” -St. Teresa of AvilaJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
He is risen! Watch as Pastor Clint teaches on Luke 24, and the transformative ways that the Easter story shakes us out of our comfort and into a new sort of life.Sermon Resources:1. “He is the hinge of history. He is the hope for the oppressed. He is the inspiration of the dying. He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords. He is the greatest teacher who ever lived, the greatest mind that ever thought. He sparked the greatest movement ever spread. He offered the greatest gift ever given. He alone mastered life. He alone conquered death. He alone overcame sin. He alone becomes more present in each passing year. He is the son of God, the Savior of the world, the victorious risen King.” -John Ortberg2. Study on hopelessness in young Americans: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/10/51percent-of-young-americans-say-they-feel-down-depressed-or-hopeless.html3. “If your Christian faith is not shot through with all sorts of reasoning and thinking, it’ll never last through the ups and downs of life in this world. Christian faith is certainly more than reasoning and thinking, but it’s not less.” -Tim Keller4. “If Easter means that Jesus Christ is only raised in a spiritual sense, then Easter is only about me and finding a new dimension in my personal spiritual life. But if Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead, Christianity becomes good news for the whole world, not just for me, news which warms our hearts precisely because it isn’t just about warming hearts. Easter means that in a world where injustice, violence, and degradation are endemic that God is not prepared to tolerate any such thing. And that we will work and plan with all the energy of God to implement the victory of Jesus over them all. Take away Easter and Marx was right to accuse Christianity of ignoring the problems of the material world. Take away Easter and Freud was right to say Christianity is wish fulfillment, and Nietzsche was right to say it is for wimps.” -N.T. Wright5. “To repent doesn't mean to feel sorry about, to regret. It means to turn, to turn around 180 degrees. It means to undergo a complete change of mind, heart, direction. Turn away from madness, cruelty, shallowness, blindness. Turn toward the tolerance, compassion, sanity, hope, justice that we all have in us at our best.” -Frederick BuechnerJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
For more than 600 years, Christians have embraced a meditative practice called the Stations of the Cross, designed to prompt earnest and deep reflection on the passion, love, sacrifice, and grace of Christ depicted in the final moments of His life and death. Each of these stations captures a different portion of the scriptural depiction of Christ's last hours.To participate in this practice with Christians around the world and throughout history, we at Midtown have commissioned local artists and artisans to reflect on each of these stations and creatively express them in visual form, accompanied by an audio reading of each of the biblical passages that accompany the stations here. You can listen to the readings on your own if you are unable to attend the art show, or listen to them as you proceed through the entire experience. We encourage you to take these few minutes to reflect on the work of Christ on the cross and what it means for you today!
We live in a world constantly bombarding us with messages about who we are, what the good life looks like, and how we can obtain it. In a culture carried by the whims of personal desire and comfort, we hear values like “follow your heart;” in a culture where we are constantly divided from one another, we start to believe that our spite is justified; in a culture that is constantly blaming others, we jump into the blame game. Yet each of these notions lead us not to life, freedom, or peace, but further into death, captivity, and anxiety. In Jesus’ ministry, He regularly spoke against all sorts of notions that we consider commonplace today, and in listening and applying His words together, we will find a lasting, peaceful, joyous life in the midst of a culture mired in anxiety, division, and hatred.Listen as Pastor Clint explores the notion: You've Heard It Said, "Be Worried and Fearful," but Jesus says to you, "Seek First The Kingdom," and how His wisdom has the power to free us from our worldly worry.Sermon Resources:1. Study on American wealth: https://www.sportofmoney.com/how-rich-are-americans-on-a-global-scale-very-rich/#:~:text=39%25%20of%20the%20world%27s%20millionaires,share%20is%20at%20%24145.8%20trillion.2. “Most people are being crucified on a cross between two thieves: yesterday's regret and tomorrow's worries.” -Warren Wiersbe3. William Barclay's Commentary - Story about doctor and son: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/matthew-6.html4. “Our Heavenly Father has provided many delightful inns for us along our journey, but he takes great care to see that we do not mistake any of them for home.” - C.S. Lewis5. “Worry about the future doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” -Corrie Ten BoomJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
We live in a world constantly bombarding us with messages about who we are, what the good life looks like, and how we can obtain it. In a culture carried by the whims of personal desire and comfort, we hear values like “follow your heart;” in a culture where we are constantly divided from one another, we start to believe that our spite is justified; in a culture that is constantly blaming others, we jump into the blame game. Yet each of these notions lead us not to life, freedom, or peace, but further into death, captivity, and anxiety. In Jesus’ ministry, He regularly spoke against all sorts of notions that we consider commonplace today, and in listening and applying His words together, we will find a lasting, peaceful, joyous life in the midst of a culture mired in anxiety, division, and hatred.Listen as Pastor Clint explores our culture's epidemic of loneliness, and the way Jesus responds to the common notion, "I am alone."Sermon Resources:1. Vivek Murthy - 19th U.S. Surgeon General and author of "Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection In A Sometimes Lonely World"2. Harvard study on American loneliness: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b7c56e255b02c683659fe43/t/6021776bdd04957c4557c212/1612805995893/Loneliness+in+America+2021_02_08_FINAL.pdf3. “I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me; God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's hosts to save me…Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me. I arise today.” -Excerpt from the Prayer of St. Patrick4. “The spiritual task is not to escape your loneliness, not to let yourself drown in it, but to find its source. This is not so easy to do, but when you can somehow identify the place from which these feelings emerge, they will lose some of their power over you. This identification is not an intellectual task; it is a task of the heart. With your heart you must search for that place without fear.” -Henri Nouwen5. “What seemed primarily painful may then become a feeling that, though painful, opens for you the way to an even deeper knowledge of God’s love.” -Henri Nouwen6. “The Christian needs another Christian who speaks God's Word to them. They need them again and again when they become uncertain and discouraged, for by themselves they cannot help themselves without belying the truth. We need our brother or sister as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. We need our brother or sister solely because of Jesus Christ. The Christ in our own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of our brother or sister; our own heart is uncertain, our brother’s or sister’s is sure.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life TogetherJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
We live in a world constantly bombarding us with messages about who we are, what the good life looks like, and how we can obtain it. In a culture carried by the whims of personal desire and comfort, we hear values like “follow your heart;” in a culture where we are constantly divided from one another, we start to believe that our spite is justified; in a culture that is constantly blaming others, we jump into the blame game. Yet each of these notions lead us not to life, freedom, or peace, but further into death, captivity, and anxiety. In Jesus’ ministry, He regularly spoke against all sorts of notions that we consider commonplace today, and in listening and applying His words together, we will find a lasting, peaceful, joyous life in the midst of a culture mired in anxiety, division, and hatred.Listen as Gayle Parker explores the radical power of Christ's unconditional love, and what that says to us in a world that so quickly tells us we are unworthy of love.Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
We live in a world constantly bombarding us with messages about who we are, what the good life looks like, and how we can obtain it. In a culture carried by the whims of personal desire and comfort, we hear values like “follow your heart;” in a culture where we are constantly divided from one another, we start to believe that our spite is justified; in a culture that is constantly blaming others, we jump into the blame game. Yet each of these notions lead us not to life, freedom, or peace, but further into death, captivity, and anxiety. In Jesus’ ministry, He regularly spoke against all sorts of notions that we consider commonplace today, and in listening and applying His words together, we will find a lasting, peaceful, joyous life in the midst of a culture mired in anxiety, division, and hatred.Watch as Pastor Clint explores our American comfort culture, and the way that Jesus challenges those assumptions in His calling of disciples to follow Him--even when that means leaving behind their comfort and security.Sermon Resources:1. Boston Globe article on American comfort culture: https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2018/05/19/don-get-too-comfortable-america-relentless-pursuit-convenience-and-relaxation/liWGIaQgFNWMXVU7Pvl0rN/story.html2. "The comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -John F. Kennedy in a Yale Commencement address, https://www.jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-kennedy-speeches/yale-university-196206113. Opioid overdose deaths: https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates#:~:text=Opioid%2Dinvolved%20overdose%20deaths%20rose,with%2080%2C411%20reported%20overdose%20deaths4. Sea of Galilee Boat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee_Boat5. “We had to [suddenly] double-pin all the tent-ropes, and frequently were obliged to hang with our whole weight upon them to keep the quivering tent from being carried up bodily into the air…the whole lake was lashed into fury; the waves repeatedly rolled up to our tent door, tumbling over the ropes…they came down suddenly, and often when the sky is perfectly clear.” -W.M. Thomson, "The Land and the Book"Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
We live in a world constantly bombarding us with messages about who we are, what the good life looks like, and how we can obtain it. In a culture carried by the whims of personal desire and comfort, we hear values like “follow your heart;” in a culture where we are constantly divided from one another, we start to believe that our spite is justified; in a culture that is constantly blaming others, we jump into the blame game. Yet each of these notions lead us not to life, freedom, or peace, but further into death, captivity, and anxiety. In Jesus’ ministry, He regularly spoke against all sorts of notions that we consider commonplace today, and in listening and applying His words together, we will find a lasting, peaceful, joyous life in the midst of a culture mired in anxiety, division, and hatred.Listen as Pastor Clint examines Jesus' parable on examining the log in our own eye, the way that refutes our culture's tendency to blame or damn others, and how Jesus' process can lead us to true transformation in the midst of our difficulties with others.Sermon Notes:1. Study entitled "Less Evil Than You" at the University of Chicago: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/media-relations-and-communications/press-releases/holier-than-thou-or-less-evil-than-you-the-true-nature-of-self-righteousness2. “People evaluate themselves by adopting an ‘inside perspective’ focused heavily on evaluations of mental states such as intentions and motives, but evaluate others based on an ‘outside perspective’ that focuses on observed behavior for which intentions and motives are then assumed.” -Nicholas Epley and Nadav Klein, "Less Evil Than You"3. Barna study on the perception of Christians by non-Christians: https://www.barna.com/research/a-new-generation-expresses-its-skepticism-and-frustration-with-christianity/4. “No person knows the strength of another person’s temptations. The person with the placid and equable temperament knows nothing of the temptations of the person whose blood is afire and whose passions are on a hair-trigger. The person brought up in a good home and in Christian surroundings knows nothing of the temptation of the person brought up in a slum, or in a place where evil stalks abroad. The person blessed with fine parents knows nothing of the temptations of the person who has the load of a bad heredity upon his back. The fact is that if we realized what some people have to go through, so far from condemning them, we would be amazed that they have succeeded in being as good as they are.” -William Barclay, Commentary on Matthew5. "The Wounded Healer," by Henri Nouwen
We live in a world constantly bombarding us with messages about who we are, what the good life looks like, and how we can obtain it. In a culture carried by the whims of personal desire and comfort, we hear values like “follow your heart;” in a culture where we are constantly divided from one another, we start to believe that our spite is justified; in a culture that is constantly blaming others, we jump into the blame game. Yet each of these notions lead us not to life, freedom, or peace, but further into death, captivity, and anxiety. In Jesus’ ministry, He regularly spoke against all sorts of notions that we consider commonplace today, and in listening and applying His words together, we will find a lasting, peaceful, joyous life in the midst of a culture mired in anxiety, division, and hatred.Listen as Gabby Gustafson explores the challenging teaching of forgiveness from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and how this notion runs so counter to a culture that is often insistent on maintaining grudges, and insisting self-righteousness.Sermon Resources:1. “Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"2. Justo Gonzalaez, "The Apostle's Creed For Today"3. Desmond Tutu, "The Book of Forgiving" - Four Steps to Forgiveness:a. Tell The Storyb. Name the Hurtc. Extend Forgivnessd. Restore or Release the RelationshipJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
We live in a world constantly bombarding us with messages about who we are, what the good life looks like, and how we can obtain it. In a culture carried by the whims of personal desire and comfort, we hear values like “follow your heart;” in a culture where we are constantly divided from one another, we start to believe that our spite is justified; in a culture that is constantly blaming others, we jump into the blame game. Yet each of these notions lead us not to life, freedom, or peace, but further into death, captivity, and anxiety. In Jesus’ ministry, He regularly spoke against all sorts of notions that we consider commonplace today, and in listening and applying His words together, we will find a lasting, peaceful, joyous life in the midst of a culture mired in anxiety, division, and hatred. Watch as Pastor Clint explores the common contemporary mantra, "Follow Your Heart," the ways that it has pervaded our hearts and minds, and the radical alternative Jesus teaches us in order to find true, lasting life: to take up our cross and follow him. Sermon Resources:1. “We have been led to believe that the self is sacred. Just as in an earlier time it was thought never fitting to deny God, now it seems never right to deny oneself.” -Robert Bellah, "Habits of the Heart"2. “When Jesus calls someone He bids them come and die.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "The Cost of Discipleship"3. “The cost of non-discipleship is far greater…Non-discipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness, that stands in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring. The cross-shaped yoke of Christ is after all an instrument of liberation and power to those who live in it with him and learn the meekness and lowliness of heart that brings rest to the soul…The correct perspective is to see following Christ not only as the necessity it is, but as the fulfillment of the highest human possibilities and as life on the highest plane.” -Dallas Willard, "The Spirit of the Disciplines"Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
At Midtown Presbyterian Church, our mission is to invite people into a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. We borrow this language of transformation from the scriptures, where we are encouraged as Christians to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:1-2). Being a Christian isn’t simply about information - it is about transformation, becoming people whose entire beings embody the way and work of Jesus in every part of our lives. With this goal in mind, we at Midtown have developed an introductory curriculum, alongside a library of resources, events, sermons, and podcasts, designed to help transform our community into Christlikeness.Listen as Pastor Clint explores Jesus' command to make disciples in Matthew 28, and how the language Jesus uses helps us recognize what witnessing is and isn't and guides us to do it well in our world.Sermon Resources:1. Resources on being covered by the "dust" of your rabbi: see Avot 1:4, from the Jewish Mishnah2. “The governing assumption today, even among professing Christians, is that we can be ‘Christians’ forever and never really become disciples…The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who are identified as ‘Christians’ will become disciples–students, apprentices, practitioners–of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom in every corner of human existence. Will they break out of the churches to be his Church–to be, without human force or violence, his mighty force for good on earth, drawing those around them toward the eternal purposes of God?” -Dallas Willard, The Great Omission3. Lifeway resource on percentage of Christians who witness to their neighbors: https://research.lifeway.com/2019/04/23/evangelism-more-prayed-for-than-practiced-by-churchgoers/4. Lifeway resource on openness to spiritual conversations: https://research.lifeway.com/2022/02/22/most-open-to-spiritual-conversations-few-christians-speaking/5. See Barna's "Recapturing Evangelism" resource6. “Do you love your faith so little that you have never battled a single fear lest your faith should not be true? Where there are no doubts, no questions, no perplexities, there can be no growth.”--George MacDonald7. “If we only had eyes to see and ears to hear and wits to understand, we would know that the Kingdom of God in the sense of holiness, goodness, beauty is as close as breathing and is crying out to be born both within ourselves and within the world; we would know that the Kingdom of God is what we all of us hunger for above all other things even when we don't know its name or realize that it's what we're starving to death for. The Kingdom of God is where our best dreams come from and our truest prayers. We glimpse it at those moments when we find ourselves being better than we are and wiser than we know. We catch sight of it when at some moment of crisis a strength seems to come to us that is greater than our own strength. The Kingdom of God is where we belong. It is home, and whether we realize it or not, I think we are all of us homesick for it.” -Frederick BuechnerJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
At Midtown Presbyterian Church, our mission is to invite people into a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. We borrow this language of transformation from the scriptures, where we are encouraged as Christians to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:1-2). Being a Christian isn’t simply about information - it is about transformation, becoming people whose entire beings embody the way and work of Jesus in every part of our lives. With this goal in mind, we at Midtown have developed an introductory curriculum, alongside a library of resources, events, sermons, and podcasts, designed to help transform our community into Christlikeness.Listen as Pastor Clint explores the topic of work, and how Christianity provides a transformative picture in contrast the the dehumanizing "workism" of our culture.Sermon Resources:1. “In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” -David Foster Wallace, "This Is Water"2. Article in The Atlantic on the danger of workism: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/religion-workism-making-americans-miserable/583441/3. WHO release on "burnout:" https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases4. Gallup study on work dissatisfaction: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.gallup.com/opinion/chairman/212045/world-broken-workplace.aspx?g_source%3Dposition1%26g_medium%3Drelated%26g_campaign%3Dtiles&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1676240261221924&usg=AOvVaw20mRPI12X-mCikBC6XuTWW5. "Culture says, “I am what I do.” Scripture says, “I do what I am.” -John Mark Comer6. Vocational Question: “At this point in your journey, how do you envision your call to God’s mission in the world?"Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
At Midtown Presbyterian Church, our mission is to invite people into a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. We borrow this language of transformation from the scriptures, where we are encouraged as Christians to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:1-2). Being a Christian isn’t simply about information - it is about transformation, becoming people whose entire beings embody the way and work of Jesus in every part of our lives. With this goal in mind, we at Midtown have developed an introductory curriculum, alongside a library of resources, events, sermons, and podcasts, designed to help transform our community into Christlikeness.Listen as Pastor Clint explores the characteristics that made the early church so transformative in the world: their inclusive and diverse fellowship, and unselfish and sacrificial giving, and their connection to the ultimate source of such thing - Jesus. Learn how we can become that sort of transformative community in our own community today!Sermon Resources:1. Letter from Pliny to Trajan in 112 CE about the early Christians: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/pliny.html#:~:text=These%20letters%20concern%20an%20episode,the%20second%20and%20third%20centuries.2. Journal article on the explosive growth of early Christianity: http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0259-94222012000100076#:~:text=The%20calculation%20of%20Stark%20to,%3B%20Schor%202009%3A481).3. “We slaughter a fierce ox; we strangle a mad dog; we plunge the knife into sickly cattle; children who are born weakly and deformed we drown.” -Seneca, early Greek stoic4. Study on the divisiveness of American politics: https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/frenchpress/activism-and-apathy-are-poisoning-american-politics/5. See redlining: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redlining6. See John Brown University for prohibitions of interracial marriage until the 21st century: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGUwcs9qJXY&t=14s7. “God’s vision for his people is not…to form a colorblind uniformity of sanctified blandness. Instead God sees the creation of a community of different cultures united by faith in his Son as a manifestation of the expansive nature of his grace. This expansiveness is unfulfilled unless the differences are seen and celebrated, not as ends unto themselves, but as particular manifestations of the power of the Spirit to bring forth the same holiness among different peoples and cultures for the glory of God.” -Esau McCaulley, "Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope"8. “Their founder [Jesus] taught them that they should be like brothers to one another, and therefore they despise their own privacy and view their possessions as common property.” -Lucian of Samosata, early opponent of Christianity9. “The impious Galileans support not only their poor, but ours as well.” -Emperor Julian of Rome10. “This was an angelic commonwealth, not to call anything of theirs their own. Forthwith the root of evils was cut out.… None reproached, none envied, none grudged; no pride, no contempt was there.… The poor man knew no shame, the rich no haughtiness.” -John Chrysostom
At Midtown Presbyterian Church, our mission is to invite people into a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. We borrow this language of transformation from the scriptures, where we are encouraged as Christians to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:1-2). Being a Christian isn’t simply about information - it is about transformation, becoming people whose entire beings embody the way and work of Jesus in every part of our lives. With this goal in mind, we at Midtown have developed an introductory curriculum, alongside a library of resources, events, sermons, and podcasts, designed to help transform our community into Christlikeness.Listen as Gayle Parker explores the central topic of church, and what Peter's words on holiness can teach us about the essential nature of the church in the life of the Christian community.Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
At Midtown Presbyterian Church, our mission is to invite people into a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. We borrow this language of transformation from the scriptures, where we are encouraged as Christians to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:1-2). Being a Christian isn’t simply about information - it is about transformation, becoming people whose entire beings embody the way and work of Jesus in every part of our lives. With this goal in mind, we at Midtown have developed an introductory curriculum, alongside a library of resources, events, sermons, and podcasts, designed to help transform our community into Christlikeness.Listen as Pastor Clint explores the subject of disciplines, the ancient practices Christians have embraced to abide in the love and character of Jesus and embody it to the world. While they may sound intimidating at first, a deeper understanding of their history and application reveals how important they are to our own spiritual journey, and how they can actually shape us into the people we are made to be.Sermon Resources:1. Study on the average amount of advertisements Americans are exposed to per day: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/08/25/finding-brand-success-in-the-digital-world/?sh=388cf9f626e22. Study on the shrinking of human attention spans: https://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/3. "“Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.” -Richard Foster, "Celebration of the Disciplines"4. Rich Villodas - Example of "dippers" vs. "dwellers"5. "Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom." -Soren Kierkegaard6. “In the conduct of one’s own life it is soon obvious, as many have learned the hard way, that empty freedom is a snare and a delusion. In following what comes naturally or easily, life simply ends in confusion, and in consequent disaster. Without discipline of time, we spoil the next day the night before, and without the discipline of prayer, we are likely to end by having practically no experience of the divine-human encounter...We have not advanced very far in our spiritual lives if we have not encountered the basic paradox of freedom, to the effect that we are most free when we are bound. But not just any way of being bound will suffice; what matters is the character of our binding." -Elton TruebloodJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
At Midtown Presbyterian Church, our mission is to invite people into a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. We borrow this language of transformation from the scriptures, where we are encouraged as Christians to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:1-2). Being a Christian isn’t simply about information - it is about transformation, becoming people whose entire beings embody the way and work of Jesus in every part of our lives. With this goal in mind, we at Midtown have developed an introductory curriculum, alongside a library of resources, events, sermons, and podcasts, designed to help transform our community into Christlikeness.Listen as Pastor Clint explores the subject of prayer, something that was foundational for Jesus but so often difficult for us. How do we restore our prayer lives? As it turns out, we're not the first ones to ask the question: Jesus' disciples similarly asked Him, "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus' response is found the famous Lord's Prayer, a template the illuminates the transformative significance of prayer in our own lives and gives us a structure in our own prayer lives.Sermon Resources:1. “We, for every kind of reason, good and bad, are distracting ourselves into spiritual oblivion. It is not that we have anything against God, depth, and spirit, we would like these, it is just that we are habitually too preoccupied to have any of these show up on our radar screens. We are more busy than bad, more distracted than nonspiritual, and more interested in the movie theater, the sports stadium, and the shopping mall and the fantasy life they produce in us than we are in church. Pathological busyness, distraction, and restlessness are major blocks today within our spiritual lives." -Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing: The Search For A Christian Spirituality2. Interview with Justin Rosenstein on our distracted culture: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia3. “The whole reason why we pray is to be united into the vision and contemplation of God to whom we pray.” -Julian of Norwich4. "How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings From A Leading Neuroscientist," by Andrew NewbergJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
At Midtown Presbyterian Church, our mission is to invite people into a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. We borrow this language of transformation from the scriptures, where we are encouraged as Christians to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:1-2). Being a Christian isn’t simply about information - it is about transformation, becoming people whose entire beings embody the way and work of Jesus in every part of our lives. With this goal in mind, we at Midtown have developed an introductory curriculum, alongside a library of resources, events, sermons, and podcasts, designed to help transform our community into Christlikeness.Listen as Pastor Clint introduces the first two parts of this new series--the Story of God and Scripture--by examining the tale of two disciples walking the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus after the resurrection of Christ and their encounter with Jesus on the road, through the scripture, and in the bread.Sermon Resources:1. "Head of Christ," painting by Warner Sallman, 19412. Digital reconstruction of first century Jewish man: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3359548/Is-real-face-JESUS-Experts-use-forensics-reveal-Christ-looked-like.html&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1673215179086216&usg=AOvVaw3v8O_Smn9ZzJDAmd_wj7gS3. Hopelessness in American teenagers: https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/04/american-teens-sadness-depression-anxiety/629524/4. Hopelessness in American 20-somethings: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/10/51percent-of-young-americans-say-they-feel-down-depressed-or-hopeless.html4. Antidepressant usage spike: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/antidepressant-prescribing-increases-by-35-in-six-years#:~:text=Prescriptions%20of%20antidepressants%20rose%20by,the%20sixth%20consecutive%20annual%20increase.5. Access the full Transformed Life curriculum here: https://www.midtownpres.org/transformed-lifeJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
Whether you’ve been raised in the church or not, we all know the centrality of Jesus to the Christmas story. While Jesus is certainly the “reason for the season,” the stories surrounding His birth include a variety of other perspectives. The bible sees Christmas as the historical culmination of God’s grand story of redemption, and when the Gospel authors tell that story, they want their readers to see it through the eyes of those involved. During this Advent season, we will spend our Sunday gatherings exploring the characters of Christmas, and how their perspectives might speak to us as we approach Christmas this year. We’ll explore Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17), a reminder that Christmas is the culmination of God’s faithfulness through millennia; we’ll see the tale through Zechariah’s eyes (Luke 1:5-25, 57-66), reminded of the importance of believing the promises of God, even when they sound impossible; we’ll hear of the quiet, simple trust of Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25); we’ll explore the liberating nature of God’s care for the lowly from Mary’s eyes (Luke 1:26-56); and then we’ll unpack the importance of the birth of Christ for all of us, from our own perspectives, on Christmas together!Watch as Gayle Parker explores the story of Mary, and how God works in the most unexpected places.Sermon Resources:1. Image and passage from "The Gospels," interpreted by Joel School-Tanis2. There are two different words in Greek for “blessed.” The first one is "eulogemene." It is used when Elizabeth says that Mary is blessed among women” and “blessed is the fruit of your womb .” This means that people will talk about Mary and her baby, not in the whispers of gossip, but with reverence and praise. Luke is telling us from the beginning that the story of Jesus is not going to follow the rules about who is important and who is not. The second word is "makaria." Elizabeth used that word when she says “Makaria/blessed is she who believed.” This word is the same word that is used when Jesus preaches, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” This blessing is not a promise that we will be rescued from hard times, saved from suffering, or have every bad thing turn good. Instead, the blessing is the joy that fills us when we open ourselves to the reality of God’s love, God’s promises, and God’s presence that is with us no matter what we face. The story of Jesus is not going to follow our expectations of what victory, or salvation, or “good news” might mean. Luke’s gospel is not like the stories that we are used to. Luke is telling us to listen to voices we’re used to ignoring and to revere and praise voices we thought were all wrong. Luke is telling us to consider that the world’s blessings may look like curses and kings may look like they need a diaper change. - Kate Kooyman
Whether you’ve been raised in the church or not, we all know the centrality of Jesus to the Christmas story. While Jesus is certainly the “reason for the season,” the stories surrounding His birth include a variety of other perspectives. The bible sees Christmas as the historical culmination of God’s grand story of redemption, and when the Gospel authors tell that story, they want their readers to see it through the eyes of those involved. During this Advent season, we will spend our Sunday gatherings exploring the characters of Christmas, and how their perspectives might speak to us as we approach Christmas this year. We’ll explore Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17), a reminder that Christmas is the culmination of God’s faithfulness through millennia; we’ll see the tale through Zechariah’s eyes (Luke 1:5-25, 57-66), reminded of the importance of believing the promises of God, even when they sound impossible; we’ll hear of the quiet, simple trust of Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25); we’ll explore the liberating nature of God’s care for the lowly from Mary’s eyes (Luke 1:26-56); and then we’ll unpack the importance of the birth of Christ for all of us, from our own perspectives, on Christmas together! Listen as Pastor Clint explores the story of Silent Joseph, the husband of Mary, and what his wordless story tells us about who God is, who we are, and what it means for us today.Sermon Resources:1. Millennial Nativity -https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2016/nov/23/segways-and-selfies-its-the-hipster-nativity2. “They either hated him and wanted to kill him, they were afraid of him and wanted to run away, or they were absolutely smitten with him, worshiped him, and gave their whole lives to him.” -John Stott, "Basic Christianity"Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
Whether you’ve been raised in the church or not, we all know the centrality of Jesus to the Christmas story. While Jesus is certainly the “reason for the season,” the stories surrounding His birth include a variety of other perspectives. The bible sees Christmas as the historical culmination of God’s grand story of redemption, and when the Gospel authors tell that story, they want their readers to see it through the eyes of those involved. During this Advent season, we will spend our Sunday gatherings exploring the characters of Christmas, and how their perspectives might speak to us as we approach Christmas this year. We’ll explore Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17), a reminder that Christmas is the culmination of God’s faithfulness through millennia; we’ll see the tale through Zechariah’s eyes (Luke 1:5-25, 57-66), reminded of the importance of believing the promises of God, even when they sound impossible; we’ll hear of the quiet, simple trust of Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25); we’ll explore the liberating nature of God’s care for the lowly from Mary’s eyes (Luke 1:26-56); and then we’ll unpack the importance of the birth of Christ for all of us, from our own perspectives, on Christmas together! Listen as Tom Parker explore the story of Zechariah, and what this perspective teaches each of us about the reception of Jesus in our own lives.Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
What do a list of strange names in an ancient document mean to us today? As it turns out, a lot...Watch as Pastor Clint explores the genealogy of Jesus and how this seemingly random collection of people actually communicates central themes about the whole of the Gospel message.Sermon Resources:1. “One gets the impression that Matthew pored over his OT until he could locate the most questionable liaisons possible in order to insert them into his record.” -F. Dale Bruner, Commentary on MatthewJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.Listen as Pastor Clint explores the story of Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian man who provides an example of what faithfulness to God looks like in the midst of a world falling apart: being responsive, resourceful, and resolute.Sermon Resources:1. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” -Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.2. “They [the officials] kept trying to find ways to avoid the reality of judgment, to think in other categories than those of right and wrong, sin and irresponsibility. One of their substitute ways of thinking was in terms of loyalty and disloyalty. Patriotism was used to muddle the sense of morality: “Our beloved country is being attacked and we must be loyal to it; in times of crisis it is not right to criticize your leaders. It is disloyal, an act of treachery.” Using nationalist language is far easier than taking responsibility for righteousness in the nation. Far easier to shout patriotic slogans than to work patriotically for justice.” -Eugene Peterson, "Run With The Horses"Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.We are crowd-conditioned people: the more crowds flock to something, the more inclined we are to think that thing is worth flocking to. Yet so often this crowd-conditioned instinct leads us to unhealth. Listen as Pastor Clint explores the story of the Rechabites in Jeremiah 35, and how we can learn from them in our crowd-conditioned world by implementing two practices: listening to the right voice and living with holistic integrity.Sermon Resources:1. Partnerships between big tobacco and Hollywood: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2602591/2. Prevalence of smoking in America: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470496/#r33. Lung-cancer deaths: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/death-rates-through-the-20th-century4. Bandwagon effect, or bandwagon bias: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwagon_effect5. The phrase "chronological snobbery" was coined by C.S. Lewis in his autobiography, "Surprised By Joy"6. List of authors who have tried to cheat the system to get their book onto the NYT Bestseller List: https://lithub.com/8-notable-attempts-to-hack-the-new-york-times-bestseller-list/7. Stop and Hear The Music Metro Experiment with Joshua Bell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnOPu0_YWhw&t=6sJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.Watch as Gabby Gustafson explores how Jeremiah's seemingly unwise purchase of land actually points us to a profound picture of hope and trust in a God who brings life on the other side of exile.Sermon Resources:1. "The Mad Farmer Liberation Front," by Wendell Berry - https://cals.arizona.edu/~steidl/Liberation.htmlJoin us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.Christianity is in exile in the Western world: if current trends continue, between 1950 - 2050 the number of self-identifying Christians will have dropped by more than 50%. So how are Christians to live in the world as exiles? Listen as Pastor Clint unpacks this shift and how Christians today can learn from the work and words of Jeremiah in his own time of exile. In this famous passage from Jeremiah 29, explore how God teaches followers not to isolate from culture, but to settle in, seek the flourishing of the society around them, and signify hope in God's ultimate coming shalom.Sermon Resources:1. For resources on Christendom and Post-Christendom, check out "The Next Christendom," by Philip Jenkins and "To Change The World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World," by James Davison Hunter2. On Gen-Z Religious Demographics: https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/generation-z-future-of-faith/3. On the future of Christianity in America: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/modeling-the-future-of-religion-in-america/4. “The church is one of those former power brokers who once enjoyed a place of influence at the cultural table, but has been chased away from its place of privilege and is now seeking to find where it belongs amidst the ever-changing dynamics of contemporary culture” -Lee Beach, "The Church in Exile: Living in Hope After Christendom"5. Exile is "being an outcast within one’s own country” -Paul Tabori6. “If we are looking for insurance against want and oppression, we will find it only in our neighbors' prosperity and goodwill and, beyond that, in the good health of our worldly places, our homelands. If we were sincerely looking for a place of safety, for real security and success, then we would begin to turn to our communities - and not the communities simply of our human neighbors but also of the water, earth, and air, the plants and animals, all the creatures with whom our local life is shared.”― Wendell Berry, "The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays"7. "Christians are distinguished from others neither by country, nor language...nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines...following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners...they marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all people, and are persecuted by all...they are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified...they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honor.” -Epistle to Diognetus8. Information on the McDowell Miracle Mile: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2015/10/27/phoenix-mcdowell-road-miracle-mile-refugee-immigrant-diversity/74682840/Join us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.presWebsite: www.midtownpres.orgCommunity Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org
What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.We are busy people living in a busy world, and it causes us to seek life in the rapid and immediate. Yet our culture seems more anxious, lonely, and depressed than we ever have - our insta-culture is failing to provide us the lasting life we're looking for. Listen as Pastor Clint explores the life of Jeremiah, which served as a salve to the futile, shallow pursuits of his own world and led Jeremiah to a robust, holistic, meaningful life. As it turns out, true life doesn't come through the rapid and immediate: it comes through a long obedience in the same direction.Sermon Resources:1. Study on smartphones: https://www.businessinsider.com/dscout-research-people-touch-cell-phones-2617-times-a-day-2016-72. “Horror Vacui” - Baruch Spinoza3. "passion for the immediate and the casual..." Gore Vidal, "Matters of Fact and Fiction: Essays"4. “The anxiety is so deep within the emotional processes of our nation that it is almost as though neurosis has become nationalized.” -Edwin Friedman, "A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix"5. Camino de Santiago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago6. “The essential thing in heaven and in earth is that there should be a long obedience in the same direction that thereby results, in the long run, in something which makes life worth living—virtue, art, music, dancing, reason, spirituality—anything whatsoever that is transfiguring, refined, foolish, or divine.” -Frederick Nietzsche, "Beyond Good and Evil"Join or follow us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.pres/Website: www.midtownpres.org/Community Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org/
Important note: Pastor Clint unintentionally exaggerated the prevalence of lament in the Psalms in the introduction this week. Lament makes up around one-third of the book of Psalms as we have them in our scriptures, not two-thirds as originally misstated.What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.Listen as Pastor Clint explores the insufficient ways that our culture teaches us to deal with our pain and suffering, and how the scriptures chart a way through suffering to life and peace on the other side.Sermon Resources:1. “We do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia, for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” -2 Corinthians 1:8-92. Russell Moore story from his book, "Adopted for Life"Join or follow us below:Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurchInstagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.pres/Website: www.midtownpres.org/Community Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groupsSunday Services: www.midtownpres.org/
What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.
Listen as Gayle Parker explores Jeremiah's imagery of the potter and the clay, and what this striking image of artistry and correction speaks not only to Judah in Jeremiah's day, but to us today.
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What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores Jeremiah's famous sermon outside the temple gate - as it turns out, true worship of God isn't simply about the words we say in holy spaces, but the lives we live outside of them. Worship without justice isn't worship.
Sermon Resources: 1. Elmina Castle - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmina_Castle 2. “Whether the issue is marriage and sexuality or morality and care for the poor...the data suggests that in many crucial areas evangelical Christians are not living any differently than their unbelieving neighbors.” -Ron Side, The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience 3. "I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them, and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." -Amos 5:21-24 4. “Whoever says, ‘I abide in Him,’ ought to walk as He walked.” -1 John 2:6
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What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores the powerful images that Jeremiah uses in Chapter 3, showing God's indictment, infinite love, and invitation to Israel, Judah, and us: come back home.
Sermon Resources: 1. "The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion In The Making of Consciousness," by Antonio Damasio 2. “As a handful of sand is thrown into the ocean, so are the sins of all flesh as compared with the mind of God.” -Isaac of Nineveh 3. “But I am a great sinner, say you. "I will never cast out," says Christ. But I am an old sinner, say you. "I will never cast out," says Christ. But I am a hard-hearted sinner, say you. "I will never cast out," says Christ. But I am a backsliding sinner, say you. "I will never cast out," says Christ. But I have served Satan all my days, say you. "I will never cast out," says Christ. But I have sinned against light, say you. "I will never cast out," says Christ. But I have sinned against mercy, say you. "I will never cast out," says Christ. But I have no good thing to bring with me, say you. "I will never cast out," says Christ.” -John Bunyan 4. True story of Maria and Christina from "No Wonder They Call Him Savior," by Max Lucado
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What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It’s in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we’ve held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed.
Listen as Pastor Clint opens our new series on Jeremiah - the wisdom of this book teaches us all about how we respond to the world when things fall apart. In Jeremiah 1, we learn the foundation of the book lies in a crucial reality: that Jeremiah, and we, are called amidst a place, personally, and for a purpose.
Sermon Resources: 1. Diane DeFontes Story: https://www.911memorial.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/Dianne%20DeFontes%20Transcript.pdf 2. “Can we hate the world enough to change it, and yet love it enough to think it worth changing? Can we look up at its colossal good without once feeling acquiescence? Can we look up at its colossal evil without once feeling despair? Can we, in short, be at once not only a pessimist and an optimist, but a fanatical pessimist and a fanatical optimist?” -G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy 3. “Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life...all of our life.” -Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved
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What is your immediate response to those who have hurt you? For many of us, it's retaliation - our hearts, and the culture around us, has conditioned us to "get even," to bring upon those who have hurt us the same (or, in some cases, more) pain than we have received from them. Yet this sort of response only seems to bring us more and more violence.
Listen as Pastor Clint unpacks one of the more difficult teachings of Jesus, one that is so often neglected (even by Christians), and yet proven to be transformative when embodied by Christians throughout history.
Sermon Resources: 1. "Don’t just do something, stand there!” -Simone Weil 2. Six Principles of Nonviolence, from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/sites/mlk/files/lesson-activities/six_principles_of_nonviolence.pdf
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Back in 1980, there was an impending crisis looming tall in the cascade mountains of Washington. Mt. St. Helens, an active volcano, was showing signs that it was near erupting. Authorities worked to evacuate the area in preparation, and news stations got their helicopters and cameras ready. Then, on May 18th, at 8:32 am, it happened. With an energy equivalent to 1500 atom bombs, the volcano spewed rock and superheated gas outward at speeds of up to 400 MPH; the surrounding area was decimated.
Yet not all was lost. In the midst of the ash and the rubble were what scientists call "refugia:" small ecosystems of life protected under stones and trees. From these "refugia" sprung new life on the mountain: they were refuges where new life could come in the midst of destruction.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores how the Christian church can become a "refugia" in our world today: by remembering the dignity of creation, practicing care of creation, and living our capacity in creation, the church can become a place where life springs forth in the midst of a world that is in ecologically dire straits.
Sermon Resources: 1. IPBES Report on earth's Ecosystem - https://ipbes.net/global-assessment 2. U of A Report on American Food Waste: https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2004/11/26/US-wastes-half-its-food 3. "Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth," by Debra Rienstra - Pastor Clint borrows the analogy of refugia for the church from this book. 4. For graphics on order in Genesis 1, email us at clint.springpeople@gmail.com
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We live in a world that is more sexually liberated than ever, where our personal sexual desires and encouraged and a multitude of structures exist to help us pursue what we feel when we feel it. Yet, according to multiple studies from Pew Research, Americans are less relationally satisfied than they've ever been, and are actually opting to have less sex than they have in decades. As it turns out, the liberated hookup culture of our world has not provided us the freedom we've longed for. So what can we do in a world such as this?
Listen as Pastor Clint explores Jesus' words on sexual intimacy, and how He charts a path towards life, healing, and wholeness in a world full of relational brokenness.
Sermon Resources: 1. Washington Post and New York Times articles calling for a new sexual ethic: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/17/sex-ethics-rethinking-consent-culture/ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/07/opinion/sex-consent-dating-boundaries.html 2. Pew Research and CNN studies citing an unprecedented lack of relational satisfaction: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/nearly-half-of-u-s-adults-say-dating-has-gotten-harder-for-most-people-in-the-last-10-years/ https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/health/valentines-day-love-marriage-relationships-wellness/index.html?utm_source=pocket_mylist 3. “The culture flows from the assumption that the accumulation of commodities will make us safe and happy.” -Walter Brueggemann, "An Other Kingdom" 4. “Desperate cuts require desperate cures.” -F. Dale Bruner, "Commentary on Matthew"
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In a world of pollution, degradation of human bodies, neglect of refugees, and a lack of care for the poor, among other tragedies, Mother Teresa penned this precise and profound insight in an essay on working towards peace. Her words reveal her reflections on an underlying epidemic in humanity, and particularly in the global West: throwaway culture. We inhabit a world where unwanted items and unwanted people are disposed of, neglected, or overlooked. We’ve forgotten we belong to one another, and our economic, political, social, and sometimes even religious spaces characterize such disposability. What can we do in this sort of world? Where can we begin unworking our throwaway culture?
As it turns out, there is great wisdom contained within the pages of the bible that can help us make sense of and navigate these questions. Throwaway cultures aren’t new in human history; rather, as we look through the pages and stories of the bible, we find the wisdom of God and of Jesus speaking directly to similar dynamics across history and providing a way to navigate them in our own times.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores the topic of cancel culture, and how Jesus provides us an alternative way of dealing with the brokenness and injustice that surrounds us.
Sermon Resources: 1. “Today, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” -Mother Teresa 2. “In your efforts to defeat the monster, be sure you don’t become the monster.” -Frederick Nietzsche
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No video for this week's sermon
Listen as guest preacher Jordan Gustafson wraps up our series entitled 'Dependence,' exploring Psalm 46 and its connectedness to the famous hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul."
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What is your story? What do you want your story to be?
Listen as Pastor Clint explores Psalm 107, and the way in which the poetic storytelling teaches us to reflect on our own stories today:
Sermon Resources: 1. "In the particular is contained the universal." -James Joyce
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What do you do with your emotions?
Listen as Pastor Clint explores the common approaches our world takes to emotion, and how Psalm 124 gives us a guide to responding healthily in the midst of our distress.
Sermon Resources: 1. "Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable” -Fred Rogers 2. “Life can only be understood looking backward; but it must be lived looking forward.” -Soren Kierkegaard
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"Religion...is the opium of the people," penned Karl Marx, the famous philosopher and sociologist. Indeed, oftentimes it seems that the story of Christianity--a story of resurrection of the body and life everlasting--is an escapist, pie in the sky fairy tale meant to keep people "drugged" from real engagement in the world. Yet the bible, and church history, has something far different, and far more radical, to say about such ideas. It is in these two phrases that we find a reality that defeats death and hones the here and now.
Sermon Resources: 1. VW Commercial - "Those Guys" - link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgGg4TNvhME 2. "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people." -Karl Marx 2. "Death may be the greatest of all human blessings.” -Socrates 3. “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven.” -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
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We live in a world full of vengeance. Social media. Liam Neeson movies. Batman. For as long as we've been around, we've built our societies upon the notion that retribution and vengeance can really bring the peace and restoration we're hoping for. Yet over and over again it has failed. So what can we do to bring the peace and restoration we're hoping for. Listen as Pastor Clint unpacks the next line in the Apostles' Creed: the forgiveness of sins. Looking at Jesus' parable of the forgiving king and unforgiving servant, we find that the true way to peace and restoration doesn't come through vengeance, but through forgiveness.
Sermon Resources: 1. "Forgiveness, Health, and Well-Being: A Review of Evidence for Emotional Versus Decisional Forgiveness, Dispositional Forgiveness, and Reduced Unforgiveness," by Everett L. Worthington, Charlotte Van Oyen Witvliet, Pietro Pietrini, and Andrea J. Miller - published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, August 2007 2. "The Book of Forgiving," by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu 3. “In heaven, there are only forgiven sinners. There are no good guys, no upright, successful types who, by dint of their own integrity, have been accepted into the great country club in the sky. There are only failures, only those who have accepted their deaths in their sins and who have been raised up by the King who himself died that they might live. But in hell, too, there are only forgiven sinners. He forgives the badness of even the worst of us, willy-nilly; and he never takes back that forgiveness…The sole difference, therefore, between hell and heaven is that in heaven the forgiveness is accepted and passed along, while in hell it is rejected and blocked. In heaven, the death of the king is welcomed and becomes the doorway to new life in the resurrection. In hell, the old life of the bookkeeping world is insisted on and becomes, forever, the pointless torture it always was…The only thing that can keep us out of the joy of the resurrection is to join the unforgiving servant in his refusal to die.” -Robert Farrar Capon, "The Parables of Grace"
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What's your masterpiece? Listen as Pastor Clint explores the next line in the Apostles' Creed (the communion of saints), and how the masterpieces of others that have come before us help us on our own spiritual journeys.
Sermon Resources: 1. "The Last Leaf," by O. Henry 2. "A Hidden Life," by Terrence Malick
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There's a curious phrase near the end of the Apostles' Creed: we affirm the holy catholic church. It is easy for that to just sound like religious speak - what do we actually mean when we use words like holy, catholic, or church? Listen as Pastor Clint unpacks this statement by looking at the first days of the church in Acts 2.
Sermon Resources: 1. Study following 2021 election: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10050039/More-HALF-Trump-voters-want-red-states-secede-union.html 2. “God sees the creation of a community of different cultures united by faith in his Son as a manifestation of the expansive nature of his grace. This expansiveness is unfulfilled unless the differences are seen and celebrated, not as ends unto themselves, but as particular manifestations of the power of the Spirit to bring forth the same holiness among different peoples and cultures for the glory of God.” -Esau McCaulley, "Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope" 3. “Let him who cannot be alone beware of community... Let him who is not in community beware of being alone... Each by itself has profound perils and pitfalls. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and the one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation and despair.” -Bonhoeffer, "Life Together"
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We live in a world that loves to throw around the word 'spirit.' Yet the meaning of that word is, often, ambiguous; if you asked 10 different people to define it, you'd likely get 12 different answers.
Christians use this word 'spirit' as well, and in this next installment in our series entitled "Christianity Uncomplicated," Pastor Clint explores how the Christian understanding of 'spirit' is far from ambiguous. Instead, the Christian affirmation of the Holy Spirit has the power to transform our individual lives and the world around us!
Sermon Resources: 1. Trinity graphic borrowed from 'BibleProject' video on God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAvYmE2YYIU&t=59s 2. "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"
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We're a culture that has grown used to asterisks - we inherently assume that hiding underneath any claim of good news is some sort of bad news. And when we arrive to the statement that Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead, many of us assume it to be bad news hiding under good news. Watch as Pastor Clint unpacks the significance of these words in the creed and in the scriptures - it turns out the judgment of Christ isn't bad news at all, but is actually an essential part of the good news of the Gospel. The judgment of Christ is good news because we need it, because it gives us freedom, and because it is Jesus that brings it.
Sermon Resources: 1. “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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When we think of hell, we often carry with us certain pictures and images. More often than not, those images are formed less by what the bible actually says, and more by what our culture has depicted. Watch as Pastor Clint unpacks the story that the bible truly unfolds, how the bible's is far more a picture of heaven and earth than it is heaven and hell, and how Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension prove three things about Himself: that He is a brother, a savior, and a king.
Sermon Resources: 1. "People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, “If you keep a lot of rules I’ll reward you, and if you don’t I’ll do the other thing.” I do not think that is the best way of looking at it...Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other." -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity" 2. “He went in and captured the colors like a conquering hero, flinging open the doors and rummaging around among the devils so that one fell out through a window and another through a hole in the wall.” -Martin Luther, sermon at Torgau 3. “Here is someone who wants to be one of us, a comrade of the outcasts, a brother of the blind, and a companion of the lonely, the suffering, and the dying. He appears among them without privileges, sharing their fate, the Savior of the world–incognito.” -Helmut Thielicke, "I Believe: The Christians Creed
What exactly do Christians believe? There are so many different denominations and non-denominational churches around the world. Churches split because they disagree about all kinds of things. Is there any place that we can go to find out the essentials of the Christian faith? Any place we can go to discover what all Christians believe? Yes. The Apostles Creed is one of those places. The word “creed” comes from the Latin “credo” which means “I believe;” this is one of the earliest unified statements of faith in the Christian world, likely dating back to the 2nd century. Along with the Nicene Creed, The Apostles’ Creed is undoubtedly the most used, most familiar and most authoritative creed of Christianity. It has defined what it means to be a Christian for centuries and across languages and cultures. This is the single most fundamental expression of the Christian faith. Every week, we will be looking at the phrases in this creed and exploring what it means to say “I believe…” as a Christian, and how this actually changes our lives.
Listen as guest preacher Steve Beard, from Mountain View Presbyterian Church, walks us through the significance of the next phrase in the creed: "Suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, buried," and how this experience of Jesus shapes us even today.
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What exactly do Christians believe? There are so many different denominations and non-denominational churches around the world. Churches split because they disagree about all kinds of things. Is there any place that we can go to find out the essentials of the Christian faith? Any place we can go to discover what all Christians believe? Yes. The Apostles Creed is one of those places. The word “creed” comes from the Latin “credo” which means “I believe;” this is one of the earliest unified statements of faith in the Christian world, likely dating back to the 2nd century. Along with the Nicene Creed, The Apostles’ Creed is undoubtedly the most used, most familiar and most authoritative creed of Christianity. It has defined what it means to be a Christian for centuries and across languages and cultures. This is the single most fundamental expression of the Christian faith. Every week, we will be looking at the phrases in this creed and exploring what it means to say “I believe…” as a Christian, and how this actually changes our lives.
Listen as Gayle Parker preaches on the birth narrative of Jesus, and how we learn three different things about Christ from the narrative: His Lordship, His miraculous conception, and His remarkable entrance into the world.
Sermon Resources: 1. "I Believe," by Helmut Thielicke - a book all about the Apostle's Creed; get a copy and give it a read!
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What exactly do Christians believe? There are so many different denominations and non-denominational churches around the world. Churches split because they disagree about all kinds of things. Is there any place that we can go to find out the essentials of the Christian faith? Any place we can go to discover what all Christians believe? Yes. The Apostles Creed is one of those places. The word “creed” comes from the Latin “credo” which means “I believe;” this is one of the earliest unified statements of faith in the Christian world, likely dating back to the 2nd century. Along with the Nicene Creed, The Apostles’ Creed is undoubtedly the most used, most familiar and most authoritative creed of Christianity. It has defined what it means to be a Christian for centuries and across languages and cultures. This is the single most fundamental expression of the Christian faith. Every week, we will be looking at the phrases in this creed and exploring what it means to say “I believe…” as a Christian, and how this actually changes our lives.
Listen as Pastor Clint unpacks the foundational claim of all Christians, that God is a Father and Almighty, and what His infinite and intimate nature means for Christians -- in science, in prayer, and in life.
Sermon Resources: 1. “God has, in fact, written two books, not just one. Of course, we are all familiar with the first book he wrote, namely Scripture. But he has written a second book called creation.” -Francis Bacon, "Advancement of Learning" 2. ”let no person … think or maintain that they can search too far or be too well studied in the book of God’s word, or in the book of God’s works; but rather let men endeavor an endless progress or proficiency in both.” -Charles Darwin quoting Francis Bacon in "The Origin of Species" 3. "The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life.” -Steven Hawking
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What exactly do Christians believe? There are so many different denominations and non-denominational churches around the world. Churches split because they disagree about all kinds of things. Is there any place that we can go to find out the essentials of the Christian faith? Any place we can go to discover what all Christians believe? Yes. The Apostles Creed is one of those places. The word “creed” comes from the Latin “credo” which means “I believe;” this is one of the earliest unified statements of faith in the Christian world, likely dating back to the 2nd century. Along with the Nicene Creed, The Apostles’ Creed is undoubtedly the most used, most familiar and most authoritative creed of Christianity. It has defined what it means to be a Christian for centuries and across languages and cultures. This is the single most fundamental expression of the Christian faith. Every week, we will be looking at the phrases in this creed and exploring what it means to say “I believe…” as a Christian, and how this actually changes our lives.
Listen as Pastor Clint examines the first phrase of the Apostles' Creed--"I believe in"--and how it points, clarifies, and distinguishes the Christian community in powerful ways.
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"He is risen!" Christians often say odd things like this, and it can be confusing to know exactly what they mean. Watch as Pastor Clint unpacks the life-changing depth underneath that sort of statement, and why it might be worth looking into in our lives, even today.
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There’s a form of artistic expression that originated in Japan a few centuries ago - it’s called Kintsugi. It’s a combination of two Japanese words: “kint,” which means gold, and sugi, which means “to mend.” Kintsugi begins with pottery that has been broken, shards of plates, cups, and bowls that are no longer able to function as they were intended. Then the artist, after collecting and getting to know these broken pieces, will create special mixture, laced with gold, and mend the pieces together again. This is done out of a deep care for the pottery itself, a belief that it’s never impossible to redeem and restore these pieces to their original purpose.
Here at Midtown Presbyterian Church, on Good Friday, we remember that Jesus has done the same thing for the pottery of our lives. Each of us, in our own ways, has strayed from our true humanity, choosing to believe and embody brokenness, darkness, and lies about who we are and how we are to live. This is evident in the world around us through things like oppression, war, injustice, and poverty. It is also evident in our own hearts through things like greed, envy, lust, and pride. We are all reminded every day of the brokenness and death we have wrought in the world.
Yet we also believe that the story doesn't end with our brokenness. God, in His great mercy and love, has come to heal our broken lives and broken world through the cross of Jesus Christ. It is on this cross that Jesus descends into the death that our sin has created and absorbs that death into Himself, that we might be freed from it in our own lives. Christ bore our sin in his body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. So each year, we gather as a community to remember what Christ has done for everyone, and recognize its significance in our own lives, individually and collectively. This is what makes this Friday good.
Watch as Rev. Gayle Parker explores the story of Judas, and how the Judas chromosome truly lives in each and every one of us.
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Jesus had a beef with the many of Jewish religious leaders of His time. In some cases these leaders were doing things or teaching things that were unnecessarily burdensome; in other cases they lacked integrity; in other cases they were violently opposed to everything God was doing in Jesus. In talking to his disciples about these leaders, he often used a unique word: “Woe!” “Woe to you when all speak well of you …!” (Luke 6:26) “Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds; and neglect justice and the love of God…” (Luke 11:42) “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry….” (Luke 6:25). These “Woes” are teaching words for us today, pointing us to the way that Jesus calls us to love God and love others.
During the season of Lent, we will be taking a step back and trying to hear whatever Jesus might have for us in these “Woes” by imagining them as “Whoas!” We are going to take the time to listen to Jesus, who says in each of these statements, “Whoa! Stop where you are! Remember the things and the people that I value, and come back! Embrace those things that I value!”
Listen as Pastor Clint explores Jesus' woe to the major religious centers of His day, and what this teaches us about the Christianity: that it is not a story of religious insiders and outsiders, but a story of stubborn hearts and humble hearts.
Sermon Resources: 1. "That's Interesting..." practice suggested by Steven Macchia for an interview with the Renovare podcast - link: https://renovare.org/podcast/steve-macchia-practicing-a-preference-for-god 2. Practicing a Preference For God: Reuben Job - Upper Room Books 3. "Lord, where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood, as to understand. To be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned And it's in dying that we are born...To eternal life." -The prayer of St. Francis
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Jesus had a beef with the many of Jewish religious leaders of His time. In some cases these leaders were doing things or teaching things that were unnecessarily burdensome; in other cases they lacked integrity; in other cases they were violently opposed to everything God was doing in Jesus. In talking to his disciples about these leaders, he often used a unique word: “Woe!” “Woe to you when all speak well of you …!” (Luke 6:26) “Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds; and neglect justice and the love of God…” (Luke 11:42) “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry….” (Luke 6:25). These “Woes” are teaching words for us today, pointing us to the way that Jesus calls us to love God and love others.
During the season of Lent, we will be taking a step back and trying to hear whatever Jesus might have for us in these “Woes” by imagining them as “Whoas!” We are going to take the time to listen to Jesus, who says in each of these statements, “Whoa! Stop where you are! Remember the things and the people that I value, and come back! Embrace those things that I value!”
Listen as Gabby Gustafson, one of our lay leaders at Midtown, preaches on the great reversal of Jesus' woe to the Pharisees in Luke 6, and how their insatiable desire for more ultimately caused them to miss the Kingdom of God in their midst.
Jesus had a beef with the many of Jewish religious leaders of His time. In some cases these leaders were doing things or teaching things that were unnecessarily burdensome; in other cases they lacked integrity; in other cases they were violently opposed to everything God was doing in Jesus. In talking to his disciples about these leaders, he often used a unique word: “Woe!” “Woe to you when all speak well of you …!” (Luke 6:26) “Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds; and neglect justice and the love of God…” (Luke 11:42) “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry….” (Luke 6:25). These “Woes” are teaching words for us today, pointing us to the way that Jesus calls us to love God and love others.
During the season of Lent, we will be taking a step back and trying to hear whatever Jesus might have for us in these “Woes” by imagining them as “Whoas!” We are going to take the time to listen to Jesus, who says in each of these statements, “Whoa! Stop where you are! Remember the things and the people that I value, and come back! Embrace those things that I value!”
Listen as Pastor Clint explores Jesus' critique of the tithing practice of the Pharisees in His day, and of the burdens of the lawyers in His day, and how their error reminds us all of the importance of remaining close to the source.
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Apologies for the poor audio quality this week!
Jesus had a beef with the many of Jewish religious leaders of His time. In some cases these leaders were doing things or teaching things that were unnecessarily burdensome; in other cases they lacked integrity; in other cases they were violently opposed to everything God was doing in Jesus. In talking to his disciples about these leaders, he often used a unique word: “Woe!” “Woe to you when all speak well of you …!” (Luke 6:26) “Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds; and neglect justice and the love of God…” (Luke 11:42) “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry….” (Luke 6:25). These “Woes” are teaching words for us today, pointing us to the way that Jesus calls us to love God and love others.
During the season of Lent, we will be taking a step back and trying to hear whatever Jesus might have for us in these “Woes” by imagining them as “Whoas!” We are going to take the time to listen to Jesus, who says in each of these statements, “Whoa! Stop where you are! Remember the things and the people that I value, and come back! Embrace those things that I value!”
Watch as Pastor Clint explores Jesus' exposing of the pride of the Pharisees in His day, who were seeking power and prestige through outer praise and respect from their peers. It turns out that, while their pursuits may have earned them praise, the results were really death and destruction.
Sermon Resources: 1. “When ministry becomes performance, then the sanctuary becomes a theater, the congregation becomes an audience, worship becomes entertainment, and man’s applause and approval become the measure of success.” -Warren Wiersbie 2. “The God of Christianity isn’t the violent God of archaic religion, but the non-violent God who willingly becomes a victim in order to free us from our violence.” -Rene Girard 3. “If you are uncertain of which of two paths to take, choose the one on which the shadow of the cross falls.” -Bishop George Walpole
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Jesus had a beef with the many of Jewish religious leaders of His time. In some cases these leaders were doing things or teaching things that were unnecessarily burdensome; in other cases they lacked integrity; in other cases they were violently opposed to everything God was doing in Jesus. In talking to his disciples about these leaders, he often used a unique word: “Woe!” “Woe to you when all speak well of you …!” (Luke 6:26) “Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds; and neglect justice and the love of God…” (Luke 11:42) “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry….” (Luke 6:25). These “Woes” are teaching words for us today, pointing us to the way that Jesus calls us to love God and love others.
During the season of Lent, we will be taking a step back and trying to hear whatever Jesus might have for us in these “Woes” by imagining them as “Whoas!” We are going to take the time to listen to Jesus, who says in each of these statements, “Whoa! Stop where you are! Remember the things and the people that I value, and come back! Embrace those things that I value!”
Listen as Pastor Clint explores Jesus' words to the Pharisees about their handwashing practice, and how they may need to turn their lives inside out to truly connect with God.
Sermon Resources: 1. “Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don’t have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.” -Isaiah 1:11-13, MSG 2. Public Belief, Private Belief, and Core Belief - Michael Novak 3. Outside in vs. inside out questions - email us at clint.springpeople@gmail.com for this graphic!
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Jesus had a beef with the many of Jewish religious leaders of His time. In some cases these leaders were doing things or teaching things that were unnecessarily burdensome; in other cases they lacked integrity; in other cases they were violently opposed to everything God was doing in Jesus. In talking to his disciples about these leaders, he often used a unique word: “Woe!” “Woe to you when all speak well of you …!” (Luke 6:26) “Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds; and neglect justice and the love of God…” (Luke 11:42) “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry….” (Luke 6:25). These “Woes” are teaching words for us today, pointing us to the way that Jesus calls us to love God and love others.
During the season of Lent, we will be taking a step back and trying to hear whatever Jesus might have for us in these “Woes” by imagining them as “Whoas!” We are going to take the time to listen to Jesus, who says in each of these statements, “Whoa! Stop where you are! Remember the things and the people that I value, and come back! Embrace those things that I value!”
Listen this week as guest preacher Tom Parker takes us into another one of Jesus' "woes," walking us through the crucially important actions of repenting, rebuking, and forgiving, and how Christians willingness to do each of these is crucially important to an experience of the fullness of life in Christ.
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We can be just as lost in our goodness as we can in our badness. Listen as Pastor Clint explores the perspective of the elder brother after the prodigal son has returned home, and how Jesus teaches us that everyone is lost, everyone is loved, and everyone is led to respond.
Sermon Resources: 1. “The father loves each son and gives each the freedom to be what he can, but he cannot give them the freedom they will not take…The father seems to realize, beyond the customs of his society, the need of his sons to be themselves. But he also knows their need for his love and a ‘home.’ How their stories will be completed is up to them…The father’s love is not dependent upon an appropriate completion of the story. The father’s love is only dependent on himself and remains part of his character. As Shakespeare says in one of his sonnets: ‘Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.” -Arthur Freeman, professor and pastor
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Stories are central to the human experience; we love to tell them and love to listen to them, and we tend to walk away from them having been changed in some way. Jesus was a master storyteller: He had a way of telling stories (the Bible calls them parables) that forced His audience to ask profound and relevant questions about their lives.
We've all got an idea of who God is: a judge, a teacher, an impersonal force. Yet the picture of God that Jesus gives us is radically different than the pictures of other human religions and, as it turns out, far more transformative. Listen as Pastor Clint explores the Parable of the Loving Father, and what this tells us all about God.
Sermon Resources: 1. "For over fifteen years I have been asking people of all walks of life from Morocco to India and from Turkey to Sudan about the implications of a son’s request for his inheritance while the father is still living. The answer has always been emphatically the same...the conversation runs as follows: Has anyone ever made such a request in your village? Never! Could anyone ever make such a request? Impossible! If anyone ever did, what would happen? His father would beat him, of course! Why? The request means--he wants his father to die.” -Kenneth Bailey, from "The Cross and the Prodigal: Luke 15 Through The Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants" 2. “Leaving home is living as though I do not yet have a home and must look far and wide to find one…I leave home every time I lose faith in the voice that calls me the Beloved and follow the voices that offer a great variety of ways to win the love I so much desire.” -Henri Nouwen, "The Return of the Prodigal Son"
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Stories are central to the human experience; we love to tell them and love to listen to them, and we tend to walk away from them having been changed in some way. Jesus was a master storyteller: He had a way of telling stories (the Bible calls them parables) that forced His audience to ask profound and relevant questions about their lives.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores Jesus' parable of the rich fool, and how Jesus is calling us to move from a life of scarcity to a life of abundance.
Sermon Resources: 1. "All The Money In The World" - 2017 film detailing the life of the Getty family 2. “There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed.” -Buddha 3. “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” -Socrates 4. “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more that is poor.” -Seneca 5. “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.” -Mahatma Gandhi 6. “There is enough food to feed the world, but if the food were simply fully distributed, the market for food, as we know it, would collapse.” -Walter Brueggemann, An Other Kingdom 7. “If you want storehouses, you have them in the stomachs of the poor.” -St. Basil
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Stories are central to the human experience; we love to tell them and love to listen to them, and we tend to walk away from them having been changed in some way. Jesus was a master storyteller: He had a way of telling stories (the Bible calls them parables) that forced His audience to ask profound and relevant questions about their lives.
Watch this week as Tom Parker unpacks Jesus' parable of the banquet, reminding us of the enduring questions that it provokes.
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Stories are central to the human experience; we love to tell them and love to listen to them, and we tend to walk away from them having been changed in some way. Jesus was a master storyteller: He had a way of telling stories (the Bible calls them parables) that forced His audience to ask profound and relevant questions about their lives.
Watch this week as Gayle Parker explores Jesus' parable of the unfruitful tree, and what Jesus' words in this story teach us about the way God works in our own failures and brings fruit from their midst.
Sermon Resources: 1. "People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall." -Thomas Merton 2. "When you make your work your identity … if you're successful it destroys you because it goes to your head. If you're not successful it destroys you because it goes to your heart—it destroys your self-worth. [Faith in Christ] gives you an identity that's not in work or accomplishment, and that gives you insulation against the weather changes. If you're successful, you stay humble. If you're not successful, you have some ballast …. Work is a great thing when it is a servant instead of a lord." -Tim Keller, interview with MSNBC
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Stories are central to the human experience; we love to tell them and love to listen to them, and we tend to walk away from them having been changed in some way. Jesus was a master storyteller: He had a way of telling stories (the Bible calls them parables) that forced His audience to ask profound and relevant questions about their lives.
Listen as Pastor Clint explores Jesus' Parable of the Ten Pounds, and how Jesus' story prompts some enduring questions in us, even today. Who is you king? What have you been given? What do you fear?
Sermon Resources: 1. "The Hidden History of Anna Murray Douglass" - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/hidden-history-anna-murray-douglass-180968324/ 2. Kingdom graphic created by Pastor Clint - email him at clint.springpeople@gmail.com for more info
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Stories are central to the human experience; we love to tell them and love to listen to them, and we tend to walk away from them having been changed in some way. Jesus was a master storyteller: He had a way of telling stories (the Bible calls them parables) that forced His audience to ask profound and relevant questions about their lives.
Watch as Pastor Clint explores one of the most famous of Jesus' stories--the Parable of the Good Samaritan--and how it may not quite be how you remember.
Sermon Resources: 1. “I imagine that the first question the priest and Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But by the very nature of his concern, the good Samaritan reversed the question: If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’” -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 2. Graphics created by Pastor Clint - email at clint.springpeople@gmail.com for more info
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Stories are central to the human experience; we love to tell them and love to listen to them, and we tend to walk away from them having been changed in some way. Jesus was a master storyteller: He had a way of telling stories (the Bible calls them parables) that forced His audience to ask profound and relevant questions about their lives.
Watch as Pastor Clint explores Jesus' story about the lost sheep, and what this tells us about Jesus and ourselves.
Sermon Resources: 1. Graphics created by Pastor Clint - email at clint.springpeople@gmail.com for more info 2. “Only the man who has had to face despair is really convinced that he needs mercy. Those who do not want mercy never seek it. It is better to find God on the threshold of despair than to risk our lives in a complacency that has never felt the need of forgiveness. A life that is without problems may literally be more hopeless than one that always verges on despair.” -Thomas Merton, "No Man Is An Island" 3. Why the Super-Successful Get Depressed: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/01/26/why-the-super-successful-get-depressed/?sh=67dd40bf3850 4. Children of the Affluent: On Their Well-Being: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17710193/
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Stories are central to the human experience; we love to tell them and love to listen to them, and we tend to walk away from them having been changed in some way. Jesus was a master storyteller: He had a way of telling stories (the Bible calls them parables) that forced His audience to ask profound and relevant questions about their lives.
As Pastor Clint introduces this series, we look at the purpose of parables: they force us to listen and respond. Jesus' Parable of the Sower shows us how this works, and how, though many people can hear the message of Jesus, they may not truly be listening to Him.
Sermon Resources: 1. Jesus' True Message of Heaven and Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy2AQlK6C5k 2. The Learning Pyramid - https://www.educationcorner.com/the-learning-pyramid.html 3. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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What does it mean to have true peace? Watch as Gayle Parker explores the prophetic words of Micah and explores what they mean for us as we seek peace, in our lives and in the world.
We had an audio issue with recording this sermon - sorry for the low audio quality here
Sermon Resources: 1. "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." -Mother Teresa
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What if there was a way to see all that is broken in the world, and yet still rejoice? What if there was a way to be completely honest about the darkness in and around us, and still dance and sing and shout with joy?
Pastor Clint explores how the prophet Zephaniah shows us how this is possible, rooting our reasons for rejoicing in the forgiveness, delight, justice, and nearness of God, all made manifest in the person of Jesus.
Sermon Resources: 1. “If you want storehouses, you have them in the stomachs of the poor.” -St. Basil the Great 2. “I kept running around in large or small circles, always looking for someone or something able to convince me of my Belovedness. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved.” Being the Beloved expresses the core truth of our existence.” -Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved
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You're invited! This Advent season, 2021, join us as we look at the invitational nature of Jesus' arrival in the world, exploring the messages of the prophets as they looked forward to the day where God would come to redeem and to restore.
Our culture is constantly telling us to return to the Christmas season--and to the duties of our regular lives--in a certain way. Yet so many of us often find ourselves overwhelmed, anxious, and self-focused. Join us as Pastor Clint explores the prophet Malachi, and how Malachi's response to his own cultures unsatisfactory pattern can teach us something about what it means to 'return' in our own day today.
Sermon Resources: 1. “the coins in the offering plate cost them nothing, their discards for the poor, the remnants of their time, and the grudging gifts of their talents...Worship became a perfunctory, sometimes tiresome service, or at best a sleepy duty, ineffective to change or touch anything in the worshipers’ hearts and lives.” -Elizabeth Achtemeir, Commentary on Malachi 2. 75% of Americans view members of the opposite political party as enemies to be opposed, not neighbors to be loved: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10050039/More-HALF-Trump-voters-want-red-states-secede-union.html 3. 5% of regular churchgoers tithe: https://www.vancopayments.com/egiving/church-giving-statistics-tithing#:~:text=5%25%20of%20churchgoers%20tithe%20(Church,%25%20(Health%20Research%20Funding). 4. Stats on Spiritual Conversations: https://www.barna.com/research/sharing-faith-increasingly-optional-christians/ 5. Stats on volunteering in the U.S.: https://lifewayresearch.com/2018/07/26/data-paints-a-picture-of-volunteerism-across-the-nation/ 6. “Christ has no body now on earth but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” -Teresa of Avila
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You're invited! This Advent season, 2021, join us as we look at the invitational nature of Jesus' arrival in the world, exploring the messages of the prophets as they looked forward to the day where God would come to redeem and to restore.
This week, Caleb Shocklie explores the idea of hope, and how the prophet Jeremiah teaches us the nature of the coming hope found in the Messiah.
Sermon Resources: 1. "Hope regards two things: the good which it intends to obtain, and the help by which that good is obtained." -Thomas Aquinas 2. "The salvation spoken of here is speaking of the kingdom of Christ, because if it is not then it is just a temporal salvation of an earthly kingdom. If he is speaking of an earthly government or kingdom then the salvation would be temporal." -John Calvin
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Listen as Steve Beard offers a commissioning service for Pastor Clint in this special ordination celebration!
What do fried chicken and following Jesus have in common? More than you might think... Listen as Pastor Clint explores Paul's words in Romans 12 about true Christian transformation and what it looks like in our lives today.
Sermon Resources: 1. "My Way" is the most popular funeral song in the U.K. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190520-why-my-way-is-the-most-popular-funeral-song
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How can dirty feet be beautiful? Guest preacher Gabby Gustafson gives us the answer, exploring Paul's words in Romans 10 and the invitation to proclaim and share the Gospel message.
Low audio quality this week due to a technical error - sorry for the listeners
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Listen as Pastor Clint explores the power of God's love, and how understanding this love - in the past, present, and future - transforms our life for good.
Sermon Resources: 1. "God does not will all things, but God is at work in all things." -James Edwards, Commentary on Romans 2. "I believe that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage...that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened.” -Ivan Karamasov, "The Brothers Karamasov", by Fyodor Dostoevsky
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What do we do with our pain and suffering? Join us as Pastor Clint takes on this universal question, and how the story of Jesus responds.
Sermon Resources: 1. No Cure For Being Human, by Kate Bowler 2. "The Christian is involved in the human situation. Within he must battle with his own human nature; without he must live in a world of death and decay. Nonetheless, the Christian does not only live in the world; he also lives in Christ. He does not see only the world; he looks beyond it to God. He does not see only the consequences of man’s sin; he sees the power of God’s mercy and love. He does not only see :37 seconds on the clock; he sees his QB. Therefore, the keynote of the Christian life is always hope and never despair. The Christian waits, not for death, but for life.” -William Barclay, "The Epistle to the Romans"
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Listen as guest preacher Rob Dalrymple continues in our series on Romans, answering the crucial question for us as Christians: what happens after grace? What does life look like for the Christian now?
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Listen as Pastor Clint explores The Gap - not the clothing outfitter, but the Gap between who we know we ought to be and who we currently are. Learn what Paul's exploration of The Gap has to say to us in our day today, and about who God is in the middle of it.
Sermon Resources: 1. “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?...One and the same human being is, at various ages, under various circumstances, a totally different human being. At times he is close to being a devil, at times to sainthood. But his name doesn't change, and to that name we ascribe the whole lot, good and evil.” -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, "The Gulag Archipelago" 2. “By the law, through which I know God, I am enabled to will to do good; by the same law, through which I am known by God, my success in doing evil is clearly exposed. Thus my noblest capacity becomes my deepest perplexity; my noblest opportunity, my uttermost distress; my noblest gift, my darkest menace." -Karl Barth, "The Epistle to the Romans"
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So grace is a great idea, but what does it actually do in our lives? Listen as Pastor Clint compares grace to a good map, which tells us where we are and where we are going, and how this actually starts to transform our lives, bit by bit.
Sermon Resources: 1. "“A crucial eccentricity of the Christian faith is the assertion that people are saved by grace. There's nothing you have to do. There's nothing you have to do. There's nothing you have to do.” -Frederick Buechner, "Beyond Words" 2. "Grace, then, means neither that men can or ought to do something, nor that they can or ought to do nothing. Grace means that God does something.” -Karl Barth, "The Epistle to the Romans"
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So grace is a great idea, but what does it actually do in our lives? Listen as Pastor Clint compares grace to a good map, which tells us where we are and where we are going, and how this actually starts to transform our lives, bit by bit.
Sermon Resources: 1. "“A crucial eccentricity of the Christian faith is the assertion that people are saved by grace. There's nothing you have to do. There's nothing you have to do. There's nothing you have to do.” -Frederick Buechner, "Beyond Words" 2. "Grace, then, means neither that men can or ought to do something, nor that they can or ought to do nothing. Grace means that God does something.” -Karl Barth, "The Epistle to the Romans"
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Listen as Pastor Clint takes us through the famous first words of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and how Jesus "re-tweets" from the Hebrew scriptures to paint a powerful and provocative picture of the kingdom of heaven.
Sermon Resources: 1. Shadow Art by Tim Noble and Sue Webster - http://www.timnobleandsuewebster.com/ 2. "Can you hate the world enough to want to change it, and love it enough to see it worth changing?" G.K. Chesterton, "Orthodoxy"
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Join us for the next sermon in our "Radical Faith" series, as guest preacher Rob Dalrymple takes us through the challenging story of Abraham and Isaac, and what this story says about our control today.
Sermon Resources: 1. Horatio Spafford, author of "It Is Well With My Soul"
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Sometimes God just needs to give us a new umbrella...
Join us for the next installment of our "Radical Faith" series, where Pastor Clint explores the story of three strangers showing up at Abraham and Sarah's doorstep, how God works through those strangers, and what we learn about trusting in God in the process.
Sermon Resources: 1. "“The comedy of grace as what needn’t happen and can’t possibly happen because it can only impossibly happen in the dark that only just barely fails to swallow it up.” -Frederick Buechner, "Telling The Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale 2. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, I. 2 pp.1-10)
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Polygamy? Control? Lizards? Watch as Pastor Clint continues in our series "Radical Faith," this time exploring the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, addressing the challenges that this text poses to us, and ultimately who we find God to be in the middle of all of them.
Sermon Resources: 1. Clip used is from "Game Night," owned by Warner Bros. Pictures - we do not own this clip. 2. “For you will certainly carry out God's purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John.” -C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain 3. "The Great Divorce," by C.S. Lewis
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Join us in our new sermon series looking at the story of Abram in the book of Genesis, and what this story has to teach us about God, faith, and ourselves in the 21st century.
Our friend Jackie Parks takes us through Genesis 13, where Abram is faced with conflict for the second time, and where we learn what entrusting ourselves to God in the midst of our conflict looks like.
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Join us in our new sermon series looking at the story of Abram in the book of Genesis, and what this story has to teach us about God, faith, and ourselves in the 21st century.
Pastor Clint starts the series off by examining how God's call to Abram in Genesis 12 is a call to risk his comfort, and how Abram's risk of his identity, control, and trust leads him to a greater life than any he could have had otherwise.
Sermon Resources: 1. "The barrenness of Sarah is an effective metaphor for hopelessness. This text tells us there is no foreseeable future. There is no human power to invent a future. The human race and human history have just hit a dead end. It’s over.” - Walter Brueggemann, "Genesis" 2. “You cannot become human on your own. Surely that is why, in Jesus’s sad joke, the rich man has as hard a time getting into Paradise as the camel through the needle’s eye because with his credit card in his pocket, the rich man is so effective at getting for himself everything he needs that he does not see that what he needs more than anything else in the world can only be had as a gift. He does not see that the one thing a clenched fist cannot do is accept…” -Frederick Buechner, "A Crazy, Holy, Grace" 3. “The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self — all your wishes, and precautions — to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are trying to do instead. For what we are trying to do is remain what we call “ourselves,” to keep personal happiness as our great aim in life, and yet at the same time be “good.” We are all trying to let our mind and heart go their own way — centered on money or pleasure or ambition — and hoping, in spite of this, to behave honestly and chastely and humbly. And that is what Christ warned us you could not do. As He said, a thistle cannot produce figs. If I am a field that contains nothing but grass-seed, I cannot produce wheat. Cutting the grass may keep it short: but I shall still produce grass and no wheat. If I want to produce wheat, the change must go deeper than the surface. I must be ploughed up and resown.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"
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In our modern culture, church has become complicated. At Midtown, we want to be a place where we can remember and focus on the essentials of the Church and who embody those essentials as clearly as possible.
Watch here as Pastor Clint details Midtown's mission, values, and vision, returning to where the Church began back in Acts 1-2 and giving language to describe how we can become that sort of Church in the 21st century.
Sermon Resources: 1. "There is no clearer way to discern the presence of God’s Spirit than to identify the moments of unification, healing, restoration, and reconciliation. Wherever the Spirit works, divisions vanish and inner as well as outer unity manifests itself.” -Henri Nouwen, "Life of the Beloved"
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Join us as we continue in our sermon series, "Christ's Vision For The Church." This week, Jackie Parks closes the series by examining how we as the church embodies the reality of the Gospel to fight the powers of sin, death, and decay in our world.
Sermon Resources: 1. "The Screwtape Letters," by C.S. Lewis 2. "The Drama of Ephesians," by Tim Gombis
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Join us as we continue in our sermon series, "Christ's Vision For The Church." Listen in this week as Pastor Clint explores Paul's "household code" in Ephesians 5 and 6, and how Paul's words remind us as Christians to inhabit our culture with radically different understandings of ourselves, one another, and the world.
Sermon Resources: 1. "The Letters to the Galatians and the Ephesians," by William Barclay
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Join us as we continue in our sermon series, "Christ's Vision For The Church." Listen as Pastor Clint outlines "ledger card" spirituality, and informs us how Christ's arrival frees us into an entirely new way to live.
Sermon Resources: 1. "“We please Him most, not by frantically trying to make ourselves good, but by throwing ourselves into His arms with all our imperfections, and believing that He understands everything and loves us still.” - "The Root of the Righteous," by A.W. Tozer 2. Chapter 2 of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Pete Scazzero 3. "Whether the issue is marriage and sexuality or morality and care for the poor...the data suggests that in many crucial areas evangelicals are not living any differently than their unbelieving neighbors.” -"The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience," by Ron Side
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Join us as we continue in our sermon series, "Christ's Vision For The Church." This week, guest preacher Caleb Shocklie explores the importance of unity within the church, and that when we unify around the essentials of our faith, God can create a transformed world through the church.
Sermon Resources: 1. "Life Together," by Dietrich Bonhoeffer 2. "Love going forth from your soul, and taking up its abode as it were in ours." Joseph H. Thayer, definition of agape love
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Join us as we continue in our sermon series, "Christ's Vision For The Church." This week, Pastor Clint explores the prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21, examining the three ways Paul mentions that lead the church to become the redeeming and restoring body of Christ in a broken world.
Sermon Resources: 1. "Mere Christianity," by C.S. Lewis 2. "The Drama of Ephesians," by TIm Gombis 3. "Life Together," by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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Join us as we continue in our sermon series, "Christ's Vision For The Church." This week, Pastor Clint explores how the Gospel breaks down all of the dividing walls in our world, and in the process creates a church that is free of those walls.
Sermon Resources: 1. Rita Snowden - https://www.amazon.com/Books-Rita-Snowden/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ARita+Snowden 2. "Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope," by Esau McCaulley 3. "The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians," by William Barclay
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Join us for Pastor Clint's first Sunday as he kicks off a new series entitled "Christ's Vision for the Church"! Learn how the music of creation has been skewed, and how Christ is bringing music back to the world through His church.
Sermon Resources: 1. “The word sinner...is not a word that places humans somewhere on a continuum ranging from angel to ape, assessing them as relatively “good” or “bad.” It designates humans in relation to God and sees them separated from God. Sinner means something is awry between humans and God.” -Eugene Peterson, "The Contemplative Pastor" 2. “Man is divided from man; class from class; nation from nation; ideology from ideology...What is true of the world of outer nature is true of human nature. In every human there is a tension; every human is a walking civil war, torn between the desire for good and the desire for evil; they hate their sins and love them at one and the same time.” -William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians 3. Homeboy Industries: https://homeboyindustries.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjwzruGBhBAEiwAUqMR8GKEAl2btEROs5-QdPIm3XY7xehnpuiXRjg-5bap5yUhVLuWPoORUBoCo14QAvD_BwE
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Listen in as Luke Parker preaches his last sermon as the pastor of The Spring Midtown! We are immensely thankful for all that Pastor Luke has done to shepherd and form this community that is always learning to become more like Jesus.
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Join us as Luke Parker shows us what we can learn about freedom from the story of the demoniac in Luke 8!
Sermon Resources: 1. "Surprised by God," by Chris E.W. Green
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Join Pastor Luke as he explores the powerful message of the resurrection, and how the Gospel message transforms every part of us, removing the sting of death and freeing us into true, abundant life here and now!
Sermon Resources: 1. "The Time You Have (In Jelly Beans) - zefrank1; link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOksW_NabEk 2. "Mere Christianity," by C.S. Lewis
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Listen as Luke Parker describes the healing of the paralytic, and what we can learn about Christ's ability to heal all of us - inside and out.
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Join Pastor Luke as he journeys into Paul's description of spiritual gifts in his letter to the Corinthians, and how the picture of the church as a body is essential to being living this new life as Jesus followers. We need us - all of us!
Sermon Resource: 1. Assorted Writings - Joni Erickson Tada 2. Story of the Body - Albert Tate, https://alberttate.com/
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Join us this Mother's Day as we explore the story of Lois and Eunice, Timothy's grandmother and mother, and learn how their sincere faith can rekindle the fire of the gifts of God in us!
Sermon Resources: 1. "Paradiso" by Giusto de' Menabuoi 2. "The only opportunity you will ever have to live by faith is in the circumstances you are provided this very day: this house you live in, this family you find yourself in, this job you have been given, the weather conditions that prevail at this moment." -Eugene Peterson, "Run With The Horses"
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Listen as Pastor Luke Parker explores the story of Gideon in Judges 6, and what we can learn about God's ability to work in us and through us, even in the most dire of circumstances.
Sermon Resources: 1. "Some people say 'God will never ask me to do something I can’t do.' I have come to the place in my life that, if the assignment I sense God giving me is some thing I know I can handle, I know it is probably not from God. The kind of assignments God gives in the Bible are always God sized are always beyond what people can do because he wants to demonstrate his nature, his strength his provision his kindness to people and to a watching world. This is the only way the world will come to know him." -Henry Blackaby, "Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God" 2. Homeboy Ministries, Greg Boyle - https://homeboyindustries.org/
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Join us as we explore the significance of Jesus' walking on water, and how Peter's response teaches precisely what a life of faith looks like today.
Sermon Resources: 1. "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” -Teddy Roosevelt
- "If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat," by John Ortberg
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For the second time, we are bringing you a special service called Story Sunday, an opportunity for numerous members of our community to share what God has been doing in their lives, and to describe to each of us how their gifts are being used to bring about flourishing for themselves, their neighbors, and the world. Listen in on these real testimonies of everyday Christians who learn, love, and live like Jesus, for the restoration of Phoenix! Story Time-Stamps: Sarah | 1:41 - 14:28 Tim | 14:30 - 34:20
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Join us as we explore the Gospel from all parts of scripture, learning from the Lord the power of His grace and love.
Listen as Pastor Luke explores the story of Naaman's healing in 2 Kings 5, and what we can learn about the grace of God and its transformative power in our lives today.
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Join us as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and what it means for us, for our relationships, and for the world at large! Listen in as Luke Parker lively retells the story as we find it in the gospel according to Matthew, and reminds us that no power--not even one so great as death--can separate us from the love of Jesus. He is risen!
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Join us as we commemorate Jesus' arrival to Jerusalem on this Palm Sunday! Luke Parker revisits the story with us, revealing the powerful political, social, and spiritual implications of the Messiah's kingship in the world.
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Join us for Week 5 of "Christian Atheism," exploring how Jesus's words in the Sermon on the Mount actually create real, tangible change in how we live, and reveal the upside-down Kingdom of Christ.
Listen as Jackie Parks discusses the connectedness between our treasures and our hearts, and how identifying who or what we submit to can define our lives. Learn more about The Spring Midtown at the links below!
Sermon Resources: "Commentary on Matthew" by F. Dale Bruner
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Join us for Week 4 of "Christian Atheism," exploring how Jesus's words in the Sermon on the Mount actually create real, tangible change in how we live, and reveal the upside-down Kingdom of Christ.
Listen as Clint Leavitt takes us into the challenging waters of sexual desire, and how understanding the purpose of human sexual desire in "shalom" helps us to navigate and challenge elements of unhealthy sexuality that abounds in our world today.
Sermon Resources: "An Other Kingdom" by Walter Bruggemann "Commentary on Matthew" by F. Dale Bruner (includes citation from Martin Luther) "Down The Rabbit Hole" by Holly Madison "Fight The New Drug" website includes research and statistics on the devastating effects of pornography on our brains, relationships, and the world.
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Join us for Week 3 of "Christian Atheism," exploring how Jesus's words in the Sermon on the Mount actually create real, tangible change in how we live, and reveal the upside-down Kingdom of Christ.
Listen as Luke Parker explores the challenging command Jesus gives on anger, and how a real application of His words can serve as a transformative power in our world.
Resources from the sermon: 1. "Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better," by Brant Hansen
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Join us for Week 2 of "Christian Atheism," exploring how Jesus's words in the Sermon on the Mount actually create real, tangible change in how we live, and reveal the upside-down Kingdom of Christ.
The Spring Midtown exists to invite people into transformative relationship with Jesus Christ! Take the next step in your spiritual journey today by connecting with us.
Resources From The Sermon: 1. "Obey" design by Shepard Fairey 2. "The Cost of Discipleship," by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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Join us as we kick off a new series entitled "Christian Atheism," exploring how Jesus's words in the Sermon on the Mount actually create real, tangible change in how we live, and reveal the upside-down Kingdom of Christ.
Listen as Clint Leavitt explores what it meant to be salt of the earth and light to the world, and how these commands of Jesus reveal the sort of force His church is called to be in the world.
Resources From The Sermon: 1. "The Creation of Adam," by Michelangelo 2. "The Epistle To Diognetus," author unknown
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Special episode for Ash Wednesday!
Create space this evening for listening and contemplating "The Start," a spoken word poem by Clint Leavitt. Then, spend some time reflecting on these questions: -What parts of my life might need to change so that I can become more focused on Christ and the life He has called me to? -What practices can I take to implement these changes? -What regular spiritual disciplines can I pursue with added focus during this season (i.e. prayer, fasting, solitude, etc.)?
To learn more about Lent, check out our Lenten devotional, which will be released on Sunday, February 21st at thespringmidtown.org.
What does the Christian story have to do with feet? Listen as Luke Parker concludes our series on spiritual conversations with a resounding message about the power of the Gospel message.
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Listen as Luke Parker explores the process of becoming a follower of Jesus, and how--when we learn to simply build relationships of trust with those in our everyday lives--God can do incredible things in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and world.
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Listen as Luke Parker explores the important reminder that witnessing to others is about far more than our words.
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Listen as Luke Parker examines Philip's invitation to Nathanael, and how this sort of invitation to "Come and see" serves as an example in a world in desperate need of hope.
Watch as Luke Parker kicks off our series on spiritual conversations, and how we can learn from Paul's conversations with ancient Greek philosophers in our own dialogues today!
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For the final week of 2020, we have a special service for you called Story Sunday! For many of us, this year has been challenging and maturing, life-giving and tear-jerking. We also know, as a community of people committed to following Jesus, that God has been at work in the middle of this crazy year. So we felt it was important to take the time to hear a few stories, from real members of our community, to be reminded of who God is and what God is doing. Listen to these real testimonies of God's work this week, and be reminded of God's presence in our midst! Story Time-Stamps: Laurie | 2:10 - 14:58 Andrew | 15:03 - 28:18 Alex | 28:20 - 37:40
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Merry Christmas!
In a year full of fear, join Luke Parker as he explores the Christmas story, exploring the angelic command to "Fear not."
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In a year consumed with power, we remember what Christ's arrival has sparked.
"Power" - poem by Clint Leavitt
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In a year that has been complicated for many of us, we look forward during this advent series to the simplicity of the Gospel message, and the hope that it carries for each of us this year.
Listen as Tom Parker walks us through Paul's words in Ephesians 2, reminding us of the rich mercy that arrives to us in the person of Jesus.
In a year that has been complicated for many of us, we look forward during this advent series to the simplicity of the Gospel message, and the hope that it carries for each of us this year.
Listen as Luke Parker takes us into the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10, and explores how this passage can teach us much in this Christmas season.
Listen as Luke Parker explores Paul's words about Jesus in Colossians 1, and how these words indicate to us the importance--and power--of Jesus' arrival in the world, and how it radically transforms our lives.
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In a year that has been complicated for many of us, we look forward during this advent series to the simplicity of the Gospel message, and the hope that it carries for each of us this year.
Listen as Gayle Parker explores the power of Jesus as "Immanuel," or "God with us," and how God's presence in Christ changes our lives in a way presents never could.
As you and your family prepare for Thanksgiving, listen as Clint Leavitt explores the irony of our American celebration of the holiday, and the Thanksgiving feast alternative that Jesus invites us to instead!
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Listen as Luke Parker outlines the definition of hypocrite, the ways we live as our fake selves instead of our real selves, and the necessity of always praying as our real selves before a loving Father.
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Listen as Luke Parker explores evil and temptation, and how this prayer teaches us a way through evil in a way that nothing else in the world can, transforming our lives in the process.
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Listen as Luke Parker explores the power of true forgiveness, and how the practice can have radically transform our world.
Resources from this sermon: -Research and Website of Dr. Fred Luskin, "Learning To Forgive": https://learningtoforgive.com/ -Robert F. Smith Debt Forgiveness Story: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/billionaire-pays-34-million-settle-morehouse-student-loan-debt-class-n1057321 -"Wishful Thinking" by Frederick Buechner
In times like these, we are constantly being reminded of the importance of prayer. This reminder has prompted us as a church community to reflect on the prayer that Jesus taught us, commonly called 'The Lord's Prayer.' Join us as we go line through line and unpack the power of these timeless words.
Listen as Luke Parker reminds us of the importance of remembering the Lord's providence in all things, and how this transforms not only our own lives but the lives of all those around us.
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In times like these, we are constantly being reminded of the importance of prayer. This reminder has prompted us as a church community to reflect on the prayer that Jesus taught us, commonly called 'The Lord's Prayer.' Join us as we go line through line and unpack the power of these timeless words.
Join us as Clint Leavitt discusses the competing wills of our world, and how the will of God can change not only our lives but our neighborhoods and communities, bringing heaven to earth in transformative ways.
In times like these, we are constantly being reminded of the importance of prayer. This reminder has prompted us as a church community to reflect on the prayer that Jesus taught us, commonly called 'The Lord's Prayer.' Join us as we go line through line and unpack the power of these timeless words.
Listen as Luke Parker discusses the importance of our allegiances, and how an allegiance to the Kingdom of God can lead to transformation that can be found nowhere else in the world.
Sorry for the lower quality audio this week - we have some microphone troubles!
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In times like these, we are constantly being reminded of the importance of prayer. This reminder has prompted us as a church community to reflect on the prayer that Jesus taught us, commonly called 'The Lord's Prayer.' Join us as we go line through line and unpack the power of these timeless words.
Listen as Luke Parker leads us into the importance and significance of the words, "Hallowed be Your name."
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In times like these, we are constantly being reminded of the importance of prayer. This reminder has prompted us as a church community to reflect on the prayer that Jesus taught us, commonly called 'The Lord's Prayer.' Join us as we go line through line and unpack the power of these timeless words.
Visit thespringmidtown.org to learn more!
Join renowned scholar Dr. Jim Edwards (again!) as he concludes our (Re)constructing series by responding to some difficult questions about Christianity in relationship to other world religions. Can the truth of God be found in all religions? Would a loving God really send sincere believers of other faiths to hell? Hear these questions and more!
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Join us as we converse with lifelong biblical scholar James Edwards, Professor Emeritus at Whitworth University, about the trustworthiness of the bible! How reliable is the text we have today? How do we read the bible well? You won't want to miss this insightful and formative conversation with an experienced researcher and scholar!
Hell. A topic many of us don't want to talk about, and one that raises lots of objections. What is hell for? Could a loving God really send people there? How do Christians actually respond to hell?
Join Clint Leavitt as he walks through hell with us, and shows that hell might be less about some distant future, and more about the here and now.
Welcome to (Re)constructing, a sermon series devoted to questions that skeptics and Christian alike ask about faith! Listen as Luke Parker explores the topic of science and faith, and how both subjects actually improve one another.
Concluding our journey through Nehemiah, Luke Parker reminds us of the joy that this walk with the Lord gives us, and how reflecting on God's story of redemption provides us eternal strength.
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Join us as we continue our journey in Nehemiah! This week Luke Parker explores the importance of remaining focused and finishing our work for the Kingdom well, especially when our culture and world is constantly pulling us away.
Listen as Luke Parker outlines the type of sacrificial, humble leadership that Christians are called to embody, and how following Christ's example in this way can make us powerful agents of hope and change in our world.
2 August 2020
Join us in our series through the book of Nehemiah and the importance of learning how to rebuild what is broken around us. Today Gabby Gustafson walks us through the foundation of God's just character, and how this leads us to both call out injustice in our world and work together to participate with God in the justice of the Kingdom.
Listen as Pastor Luke teaches us about the work of rebuilding the things that are broken right in front of us, and the importance of persevering through opposition to that work. In a time where there is much to rebuild, this is #here #now #us.
In a world full of shattered walls, we as followers of Jesus are called to be people who work to repair what has been broken. Listen as Luke Parker explores what this work of rebuilding truly looks like in a year ravaged by brokenness.
Listen as Luke Parker introduces the story of Nehemiah, whose realization of Jerusalem's destruction leads him to grief and mourning, even for sins he didn't commit, and how learning to repent and plead with God is the first step to rebuilding a broken world.
Listen as Clint Leavitt explores the art of challenging one another, an act that--if we learn to do well--can result in powerful transformation in each of us, and in the world at large.
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Join Luke Parker as he takes us into Paul's letter to the Ephesians, where we begin to learn about the forgiveness Christ gives us, and how this starts to transform everything we do.
Listen as Luke Parker explores how Paul's words in Colossians 3, when implemented, can change our lives and the world at large.
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Join Luke Parker in examining Paul's invocation to "bear one another's burdens," and what that looks like in our current complicated world.
Listen as Luke Parker leads us through Paul's words in Romans 12, imploring us to bring paradigm-shifting, enemy-loving compassion and action to a world in desperate need of it.
For many of us, this season is a storm, a disrupting force in our lives. We want to be people who turn to God in its midst, learning how to lament, how to handle isolation, how to wrestle with whether God cares, how to have encouragement in a storm, and how to emerge with mission from a storm. Listen as Luke Parker walks us through how to lament in this season, particularly of the ways our black brothers and sisters are being oppressed on a regular basis, and how remembering the source of the fire of Pentecost can transform us and our world.
For many of us, this season is a storm, a disrupting force in our lives. We want to be people who turn to God in its midst, learning how to lament, how to handle isolation, how to wrestle with whether God cares, how to have encouragement in a storm, and how to emerge with mission from a storm. Listen as Luke Parker examines the reality of human hubris, the ways in which it distorts our sense of reality, and how a return to humility, prayer, and common sense is corrective for our broken world.
For many of us, this season is a storm, a disrupting force in our lives. We want to be people who turn to God in its midst, learning how to lament, how to handle isolation, how to wrestle with whether God cares, how to have encouragement in a storm, and how to emerge with mission from a storm. Listen as Luke Parker examines what we can learn from the story of Job, engaging the genuinely both suffering and hope and creating a reimagined life anew.
For many of us, this season is a storm, a disrupting force in our lives. We want to be people who turn to God in its midst, learning how to lament, how to handle isolation, how to wrestle with whether God cares, how to have encouragement in a storm, and how to emerge with mission from a storm. Join Luke Parker as he takes us into the story of the storm on the Sea of Galilee, learning with the disciples what faith looks like in the midst of a raging storm.
For many of us, this season is a storm, a disrupting force in our lives. We want to be people who turn to God in its midst, learning how to lament, how to handle isolation, how to wrestle with whether God cares, how to have encouragement in a storm, and how to emerge with mission from a storm. Listen as Luke Parker teaches on Jesus's story of the two houses, and ultimately what building on the rock changes in the inevitable coming storms.
For many of us, this season is a storm, a disrupting force in our lives. We want to be people who turn to God in its midst, learning how to lament, how to handle isolation, how to wrestle with whether God cares, how to have encouragement in a storm, and how to emerge with mission from a storm. Listen as Luke Parker takes us into the lament of Joel as he writes of a storm of massive proportions in the lives of the Israelite people, and how such a storm can teach us how to lament well in our current pandemic.
He Is Risen! Listen in as Luke Parker reminds us of the power of Christ's resurrection, conquering death and ushering us into entirely new life.
Join Luke Parker for another Midtown Monday, this time a deep dive into Psalm 27!
Listen here on the podcast or head to YouTube to watch the video!
Hello friends of The Spring Midtown podcast! We are starting a new special series on the show in this unprecedented season of quarantine called Midtown Mondays; Luke Parker will be leading us through the Psalms, examining what they are saying to us about God, ourselves, and a life of faith in the modern world.
The video versions of these talks are also available on our YouTube channel, and include more images and visual analysis of the texts, so be sure to check those out.
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There’s an old saying “everybody wants to look good but nobody wants to go the gym.” Sometimes it’s good to revisit things we know, but don’t always live into. Lent is a season of repentance, turning away from things that are holding us back from thriving in Christ and turning toward his transforming character. As Easter approaches we will be examining the cultivation of godly character, knowing that in the process some things must be greater than others. Listen as Luke Parker walks us through the virtue of diligence within Christianity, and how this diligence cultivates hope in our often (and current) fear-filled world.
There’s an old saying “everybody wants to look good but nobody wants to go the gym.” Sometimes it’s good to revisit things we know, but don’t always live into. Lent is a season of repentance, turning away from things that are holding us back from thriving in Christ and turning toward his transforming character. As Easter approaches we will be examining the cultivation of godly character, knowing that in the process some things must be greater than others. Listen this week as Luke Parker explains that Generosity > Greed, and how a God-shaped understanding of money frees us to gain from giving our wealth and possessions away.
There’s an old saying “everybody wants to look good but nobody wants to go the gym.” Sometimes it’s good to revisit things we know, but don’t always live into. Lent is a season of repentance, turning away from things that are holding us back from thriving in Christ and turning toward his transforming character. As Easter approaches we will be examining the cultivation of godly character, knowing that in the process some things must be greater than others. Listen as Gayle Parker reminds us how Courage > Fear, and how we as believers can live a with a God-shaped imagination in our lives.
There’s an old saying “everybody wants to look good but nobody wants to go the gym.” Sometimes it’s good to revisit things we know, but don’t always live into. Lent is a season of repentance, turning away from things that are holding us back from thriving in Christ and turning toward his transforming character. As Easter approaches we will be examining the cultivation of godly character, knowing that in the process some things must be greater than others. Listen as Gabby Gustafson guides us through the truth that Self-Control > Indulgence in our lives, and how the Spirit of God can develop this virtue in this Lenten season in each of us.
We live as people of hope in a world dying without it. The more we understand the power of the hope that lives within us the more urgency we have to be a point of contact between Jesus and the broken world around us. Peter wrote us a letter explaining that we are on a Mission of Hope (1) As we love and are loved; (2) As God’s own people; (3) In whatever setting we find ourselves; (4) When we suffer; (5) Because we live differently; (6) As agents of God’s grace; (7) In humility; (8) To the very end. This is life-changing not merely for us, but for those around us. Listen as Luke Parker guides us through how we endure in this hope alongside one another, empowered by Christ!
We live as people of hope in a world dying without it. The more we understand the power of the hope that lives within us the more urgency we have to be a point of contact between Jesus and the broken world around us. Peter wrote us a letter explaining that we are on a Mission of Hope (1) As we love and are loved; (2) As God’s own people; (3) In whatever setting we find ourselves; (4) When we suffer; (5) Because we live differently; (6) As agents of God’s grace; (7) In humility; (8) To the very end. This is life-changing not merely for us, but for those around us. This week, Clint Leavitt will remind us the otherworldly Gospel power of humility, and how giving our lives up to Christ gives us transformative and eternal value.
We live as people of hope in a world dying without it. The more we understand the power of the hope that lives within us the more urgency we have to be a point of contact between Jesus and the broken world around us. Peter wrote us a letter explaining that we are on a Mission of Hope (1) As we love and are loved; (2) As God’s own people; (3) In whatever setting we find ourselves; (4) When we suffer; (5) Because we live differently; (6) As agents of God’s grace; (7) In humility; (8) To the very end. This is life-changing not merely for us, but for those around us. Listen as Luke Parker guides us through what it means to be stewards and agents of God's grace, giving away our gifts for the sake of loving others.
We live as people of hope in a world dying without it. The more we understand the power of the hope that lives within us the more urgency we have to be a point of contact between Jesus and the broken world around us. Peter wrote us a letter explaining that we are on a Mission of Hope (1) As we love and are loved; (2) As God’s own people; (3) In whatever setting we find ourselves; (4) When we suffer; (5) Because we live differently; (6) As agents of God’s grace; (7) In humility; (8) To the very end. This is life-changing not merely for us, but for those around us. This week Luke Parker examines the 'aroma' of Christlike living, and ultimately how our ability to be strengthened by difficult circumstances serves as a witness of the Gospel to the rest of the world.
We live as people of hope in a world dying without it. The more we understand the power of the hope that lives within us the more urgency we have to be a point of contact between Jesus and the broken world around us. Peter wrote us a letter explaining that we are on a Mission of Hope (1) As we love and are loved; (2) As God’s own people; (3) In whatever setting we find ourselves; (4) When we suffer; (5) Because we live differently; (6) As agents of God’s grace; (7) In humility; (8) To the very end. This is life-changing not merely for us, but for those around us. This week, Luke Parker examines Peter's words on how this hope is made manifest in the midst of immense challenge and suffering in our lives.
We live as people of hope in a world dying without it. The more we understand the power of the hope that lives within us the more urgency we have to be a point of contact between Jesus and the broken world around us. Peter wrote us a letter explaining that we are on a Mission of Hope (1) As we love and are loved; (2) As God’s own people; (3) In whatever setting we find ourselves; (4) When we suffer; (5) Because we live differently; (6) As agents of God’s grace; (7) In humility; (8) To the very end. This is life-changing not merely for us, but for those around us. This week, Luke Parker reminds us that this hope is always rooted in our own contexts, and that the love and service of Christ is made to be embodied in every area of life, from our political actions to our most intimate relationships.
We live as people of hope in a world dying without it. The more we understand the power of the hope that lives within us the more urgency we have to be a point of contact between Jesus and the broken world around us. Peter wrote us a letter explaining that we are on a Mission of Hope (1) As we love and are loved; (2) As God’s own people; (3) In whatever setting we find ourselves; (4) When we suffer; (5) Because we live differently; (6) As agents of God’s grace; (7) In humility; (8) To the very end. This is life-changing not merely for us, but for those around us. In this sermon, Luke Parker takes us through the living hope that the eternal love of Christ gives us, and how that hope alters our interaction with the world around us.
The Christmas season should be JOY-FULL! We joyfully anticipate the coming of Christ - the fact that he came and the fact that he will come again is the best news the world could ever receive. To enter into this season is to enter its fun and laughter, because the message of the season is JOY to the world! In this series of sermons, we will be looking at the rich, beautiful message John gives us regarding the meaning of the coming of Jesus thousands of years ago alongside some of the most beloved Christmas movies of our time. Get ready to reflect on scene from Rudolf, Muppet Christmas Carol, Grinch, Charlie Brown Christmas, and Elf as they put a smile to your face and help you hear the incarnation of our Lord as the message of Joy to the World. This week, Tom Parker examines the inexhaustible grace of God, for you and for me, which has arrived in the flesh in the person of Jesus.
The Christmas season should be JOY-FULL! We joyfully anticipate the coming of Christ - the fact that he came and the fact that he will come again is the best news the world could ever receive. To enter into this season is to enter its fun and laughter, because the message of the season is JOY to the world! In this series of sermons, we will be looking at the rich, beautiful message John gives us regarding the meaning of the coming of Jesus thousands of years ago alongside some of the most beloved Christmas movies of our time. Get ready to reflect on scene from Rudolf, Muppet Christmas Carol, Grinch, Charlie Brown Christmas, and Elf as they put a smile to your face and help you hear the incarnation of our Lord as the message of Joy to the World. This week, Luke Parker outlines the eternal nature of Jesus and how this brings us joy, for it shows us that Jesus was always there for us, will always be there for us, and is always there for us.
The Christmas season should be JOY-FULL! We joyfully anticipate the coming of Christ - the fact that he came and the fact that he will come again is the best news the world could ever receive. To enter into this season is to enter its fun and laughter, because the message of the season is JOY to the world! In this series of sermons, we will be looking at the rich, beautiful message John gives us regarding the meaning of the coming of Jesus thousands of years ago alongside some of the most beloved Christmas movies of our time. Get ready to reflect on scene from Rudolf, Muppet Christmas Carol, Grinch, Charlie Brown Christmas, and Elf as they put a smile to your face and help you hear the incarnation of our Lord as the message of Joy to the World. This week, Clint Leavitt discusses the joy of enlightenment that we receive in the true light of Jesus, and how this far surpasses any reflection of light we perceive in the world!
In this series we are seeking to listen critically to the advice the world gives for living the good life. While our culture has wisdom to offer, if we’re not careful, we can end up worshipping the wrong things. This week, Gayle Parker discusses the younger son in Jesus's Parable of the Two Sons, revealing how making our lives "all about the journey"--a motto we hear echoed all over our culture--can actually prove detrimental to our hearts and minds.
In this series we are seeking to listen critically to the advice the world gives for living the good life. While our culture has wisdom to offer, if we’re not careful, we can end up worshipping the wrong things. This week, Luke Parker will discuss the older son in Jesus's Parable of the Two Sons, and how our attempts at morality can often be misguided, missing the true target of knowing Jesus.
In this series we are seeking to listen critically to the advice the world gives for living the good life. While our culture has wisdom to offer, if we’re not careful, we can end up worshipping the wrong things. This week, Luke Parker will navigate the way our culture views love, and how we get our own loves out of order when we listen to this advice.
In this series we are seeking to listen critically to the advice the world gives for living the good life. While our culture has wisdom to offer, if we’re not careful, we can end up worshipping the wrong things. In this sermon, Clint Leavitt examines the cultural narrative that prioritizes the approval of others, identifying how the voice of the people is insufficient and how the voice of God breaks through instead.
In this series we are seeking to listen critically to the advice the world gives for living the good life. While our culture has wisdom to offer, if we’re not careful, we can end up worshipping the wrong things. In this sermon, Gayle Parker examines the cultural narrative that tells us our life must be entirely focused on our worldly success, monetary and otherwise, and how following that advice can lead to our ruin. As a wise man once said, “Where your treasure is your heart will be also… no one can serve two masters.”
In this series we are seeking to listen critically to the advice the world gives for living the good life. While our culture has wisdom to offer, if we’re not careful, we can end up worshipping the wrong things. In this sermon, Tom Parker examines the cultural narrative that tells us our life must be entirely focused on family, and how following that advice can lead to our ruin. As a wise man once said, “Where your treasure is your heart will be also… no one can serve two masters.”
Luke Parker wraps up our series on Jonah, reminding us that--just like Jonah himself in Chapter 4--we are all still under construction.
22 September 2019 | Jonah 1 17 - 2 10 -- Gabby Gustafson by Midtown Presbyterian Church
August 4th, 2019 | Stay Thirsty [Rev. 3:14-22] - Luke Parker by Midtown Presbyterian Church
July 28th, 2019 | An Open Door [Rev. 3:7] - Caleb Shocklie by Midtown Presbyterian Church
July 15, 2019 | Don't Mistake Patience for Permission [Rev 2:18ff] by Caleb Sho by Midtown Presbyterian Church
July 8, 2019 | Be Careful Who/What You Trust [Rev 2:12-17] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
June 16, 2019 | Strong Biblical Women- Women in the Early Church [Romans 16:3-1 by Midtown Presbyterian Church
June 9, 2019 | Strong Biblical Women- Abigail [I Samuel 25:14-35] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
May 12, 2019 | Strong Biblical Women- Lois and Eunice [2 Tim 1:5; Acts 16:1-4] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
May 5, 2019 | Strong Biblical Women- Deborah & Jael [Judges 4] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
April 28 | Strong Biblical Women: Puah and Shiphrah [Exodus 1] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
March 31, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 16:28-end] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
March 24, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 15:1-11] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
March 10, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 14:1-14] by Clint Leavitt by Midtown Presbyterian Church
February 24, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 13-1-20] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
February 17, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 12:20-26] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
March 3, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 13:31-35] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
February 10, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 12:1-11] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
January 27, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 11:1-16] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
January 20, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 10] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
January 6, 2019 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 9 Part 1] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
First Sunday After Christmas: Hope as a New Imagination [1 Peter 1:3-7] by Clint Leavitt by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Advent 2018, Wk. 3: Hope for Those You Love [Rom 8:25-27, 9:2-3; Luke 1:78-79] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
Advent 2018, Wk. 2: Hope for the Future [Rom 8:18-25; Luke 2:36-38] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
November 25, 2018 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 8] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
December 3, 2017 | Finding Courage in the Christmas Story [Luke 1:26-38] by Luke Parker by Midtown Presbyterian Church
December 25, 2017 | Finding Courage in the Christmas Season 2017 [John 1:17-18] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
August 5, 2018 | "It's Go Time" [Joshua 14] by Tom Parker by Midtown Presbyterian Church
March 18, 2018 | Seven Words that Will Change Your Life: ENOUGH by Midtown Presbyterian Church
December 17, 2017 | Finding Courage in the Christmas Season [Matthew 2] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
November 18, 2018 | Loved, Invited, Transformed [John 7] by Jordan Gustavson by Midtown Presbyterian Church
December 10, 2017 | Finding Courage in the Christmas Story [Luke 3:1-18] by Midtown Presbyterian Church
August 19, 2018 | "It's Go Time" [Joshua 24] by Luke Parker by Midtown Presbyterian Church
July 29, 2018 | "It's Go Time" [Joshua 12] by Luke Parker by Midtown Presbyterian Church