Pastor Chris Thomas Sermons: Recent Episodes
Pastor Chris Thomas
Listen as Pastor Chris meanders through the story of God each week and explores what it means for our stories.
We definitely don’t find mourning high on the “blessings” list but Jesus continues his kingdom declaration by talking about those who mourn. What does it mean for us to mourn as Christians and how is it a part of our calling to mourn the brokenness of the world as Jesus did?
Jesus speaks more about money than any other topic. Is wealth a bad thing in and of itself? Jesus warns about the pursuit of wealth as our end goal but wealth can be used for God. When Jesus talks about being “poor in spirit” it is more about a disposition before God the Father than […]
This week I start a new series on the Beatitudes at the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. For Matthew’s gospel, the Kingdom of Heaven is an important theme. In the first teaching of Jesus’ that Matthew records, Jesus sets the tone for what the Kingdom will be about. What do the Beatitudes have […]
The world has thrown us a curve ball when it comes to our ideas about fellowship. As we end our series on practices every Christian should do, we look at how the principle of fellowship can still be accomplished in these days of COVID-19.
God has been generous toward us in his mercy and love. We are called as Christians to be generous with the blessings God has given to us. What does it look like to live a life of generosity toward God and others? We take a look at the parable of the Good Samaritan to think […]
God has blessed us with so much in life let alone the grace and mercy we have received through Jesus. We see a regular practice throughout scripture of giving thanks to God for all God has done. Do we have thanksgiving on our lips first or grumbling? Listen in as I talk about how to […]
We are totally forgive by God in the grace offered to us in Jesus Christ. What keeps us hiding from God still? Confession is an important practice in the Christian life that helps us to come before our creator vulnerable, trusting, and ready to turn from our sinful ways. Listen in as we reflect on […]
Today I talk about the practice of prayer and how important it is in developing a relationship with God. Through prayer we bond with God and learn God’s heart so that we can be like God and follow God’s will for our lives.
We hear a lot about meditation these days as an important practice for mental and physical health. Christian meditation takes after the Jewish practice of meditation focusing your mind on God’s revealed word to learn God’s will for you. We look in this sermon how to develop this practice in your life. One practice we […]
God promises to always be with us but sometimes it can feel like God is far away. Why is that? In this sermon I look at how we can sharpen our awareness of God’s presence in our daily lives.
Fasting has been a hot topic the last couple of years with fad diets. Fasting has also been used for spiritual purposes in religions around the world for many millennia. What does Christian fasting look like and what is the point of it? Listen this week to find out and learn how you can practice […]
We are called into a relationship with God because the source of our life is found only in God. How can we know God’s will for us unless we listen? In this sermon I examine the ancient practice of listening to God and challenged all of us to spend intentional time listening.
There are many long standing disciplines in the Christian faith worth re-capturing for today. God likes to speak to us as we still ourselves before him. In this sermon I look at how important silence and solitude is and challenge us to find time for it.
Today I take a look at the story of Pentecost as I wrap up my series on the appearances of Jesus after the resurrection. The coming of the Holy Spirit gives us Jesus’ presence in a whole new way promised by God for a long time. What does it mean for us to live in […]
Jesus appears one last time to his disciples before he ascends into heaven to be at the right hand of the Father. While in Jerusalem the disciples share one more meal with Jesus and he commands them to stay put in the city until the Spirit comes upon them. He reminds them one more time […]
This morning I take a look at one of Jesus’ last appearances to his disciples. In this appearance Jesus invites his disciples into the mission he began. What is this mission? How do we understand our part in that mission today? Come think with me on one of the most popular passages in Christianity.
What does it mean for us to pass down the faith given to us? Do we recognize those who faithfully poured into our lives, passing their faith on to us? On this Mother’s Day I examine the idea of what it means to pass on our faith and recognize the role our mothers and fathers […]
Jesus appears once again to his disciples but this time in Galilee as he had promised. The disciples went there to wait for him but soon got anxious and returned to what they knew best, fishing. After a night of no luck, Jesus shows up and reminds them of their calling to be fishers of […]
Jesus Appears to the those disciples he was closest to and gives them some words of affirmation and encouragement. What do we learn about Jesus’ resurrection and the hope we have from this encounter? Listen in and reflect with me.
Jesus walks a journey with two of his disciples and they don’t recognize he is. He opens the scriptures to them and they still don’t recognize him. How is Jesus walking with you today that you don’t recognize?
Who was the risen and victorious King on Easter? The same king who went to the cross. We look at Matthew’s account of the resurrection this Easter morning.
We start a new worship series today on Palm Sunday looking at the appearances of Jesus around the Easter story. Today we look at John’s account of the Palm Sunday events and how Jesus’ actions don’t always match up with our expectations.
Have you ever felt like life was unfair? Jonah definitely did as he ran from God’s call to preach a message to the Ninevites. This week we finish our series on Jonah by looking at God’s response to Jonah’s rebellion.
Today I continue a series started by my colleague Rev. Renee Roederer. We are taking a walk through the book of Jonah and this week I am exploring chapter three. We like life when we can maintain our illusion of control but sometimes God comes along and does something to destroy that illusions. How do […]
Guest preacher Rev. Renee Roederer continues our look at the book of Jonah for Lent. This week Jonah prays from the belly of a whale. In what ways do we choose to communicate with God during times our relationship gets off track?
Guest preacher Rev. Renee Roederer begins a new Lenten series for us on the book of Jonah. What happens when our relationship with God gets off track and we go Wayward toward our own desires and ignore God’s call? Listen in as we begin this series on Jonah.
We all encounter conflict in this life. We wrong someone, or they wrong us. How do we make sure that conflict is resolved in a healthy way? Jesus has some words to us and I examine how those words apply today and what situations they may not apply.
In this final installment of the “Social?” series I examine the ease at which we swing toward negativity online. The biblical principle is clear that we are to use our speech to build up and encourage those around us. Will we choose to see others as Jesus sees them or follow the way of the […]
My good friend and guest preach Rev. Isaac Chung continues our journey to examine what it means to be social beings in today’s world. Looking at biblical principles this week we explore what it means for us to help make one another better humans in this journey of life together.
We are made in the image of God. What does that teach us about our social nature? God is selfless community for all eternity. A mystery contained in the revelation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How can be selfless in our motive and activities in the virtual world. Join me in exploring this […]
This week I look at what it means to be a social creature in today’s world by talking about how community strengthens us. We need one another to be stronger by design. What ways does Social Media and today’s technology help us in this endeavor and what pitfalls are there?
Today I start a new series examining the essential human nature as a social creature. We are created to work best in community with others. Technology throughout human history has impacted how we interact but the desire to be social has always been there. What can we learn about our social nature to apply to […]
Have you ever realized how strange the story of the magi from the east visiting Jesus is? Today I contemplate the inspiration of the famous hymn “As With Gladness Men of Old” and how it connects to this strange story in the gospel of Matthew.
The night that Jesus was born was unlikely to be silent, so why does the hymn “Silent Night” resonate so much with the Christmas season? I contemplate the inspiration of this hymn and how it can be an analogy of peace and stillness before God even when our lives are busy and noisy.
Today I reflect with out Church’s kids on the presence of angels at the birth of Jesus. The shepherds share the news with the most unlikely folks in a nearby field watching their sheep.
I reflect on the beautiful contradiction of the Christmas story, God become human in Jesus. God provided a rose in the desert. A blooming rose in the frigid winter.
I continue to look at the hymns of advent and Christmas this week by exploring the setting of Jesus’ birth and inspiration for “O’ Little Town of Bethlehem”
Today I begin a new series inspired by the music around the story of Christmas. This week is “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” written by Charles Wesley to remember the waiting of Israel for the messiah fulfilled in Jesus and our waiting today for Jesus to return.
There is so much more beauty in the world than we typically see. God makes all things beautiful in the end, even that which is dark and ugly now. Are we willing to see life through the eyes of God and recognize beauty in its unusual forms?
God is a God of innovation. If we really examine the scriptures it seems God is always up to something new. God is doing something new now. Are we open to seeing the new thing God is doing and join it?
Often we get stuck in nostalgia when we look back to our past. God calls his people to look back regularly but never in a desire to go back to the “good ol’ days” but to see how God was always faithful in the past so that we can trust him today.
Every year I explore the life of two prominent Christians from History. One during the Fourth of July weekend from the USA, and another on Reformation Sunday from somewhere else in the world. This year we are taking a look at Mother Teresa.
Guest speaker Rev. Isaac Chung finishes our series on mission by exploring what would happen if we did the whole mission Jesus gave to us and not just one part. Come see with us what Balanced Mission may look like.
Rev. Isaac Chung shares with us in our series about mission. What role does providing for those in physical need play in what God has Sent us to do? As we care for the physical needs of others we show we care for people holistically and earn the right to be heard when we share […]
I continue to look at our mission as the Church. Jesus was Sent into this world and has Sent us to join in that mission. In this sermon we look at Jesus’ care for those most vulnerable and our responsibility to care for those at risk of being oppressed by the world.
In the second week of my mission series I examine how we are sent to proclaim the good news of Jesus to those around us. Jesus saw part of his mission being proclaiming the kingdom and so he sends us with the same mission. When we miss this part of the mission, we may do […]
Jesus was Sent to this world on a mission. When he ascended into heaven, he gave that mission over to his Church to continue it in his name. In this sermon, we look at how Jesus saw his own mission through the prophet Isaiah and in turn what our mission is to be.
Today I conclude my short series on ways we practice encountering God daily. In this last of our series we look at why we study the Bible, some obstacles to our study of the Bible, and a few principles to help us as we study the Bible.
I continue my look at practices to help us encounter God daily. “Meditation” is talked about the through the Psalms and alluded to in other Scriptures. Church tradition has placed meditation high on the list of spiritual disciplines. This week I will explore the topic of meditation and look at two simple forms you can […]
I start a new series this week on what it means to “Encounter” God daily. We tend to look at our time with God as “devotions” but that puts an emphasis on our side of the relationship and ignores the presence God wants to share with us. Starting our exploration about daily encounter with God […]
In this last week of my series on what it means to be “The People of God” I take a look at the analogy used more informally, “Family”. The Scriptures refer to Christians as brothers and sisters, and Sons of God. What do these sayings mean for who we are in the world?
In the New Testament Paul uses the analogy of the “Body” when talking about the Church. What can we learn from this analogy to help us better be the People of God? This week I take a deeper look at this analogy and what it teaches us.
God has called his people his “Bride” throughout the scriptures. What does it mean that we are the Bride of God? In this sermon I take a look at the intimate relationship God has invited us into.
What is the Church? For the next four weeks, I will be examining the major analogies Scripture uses to talk about the People of God to better understand our role as the Church. The first in this series is focused on the analogy of being the “Temple” of God.
Every year I preach two biographical sermons based on Christians from history. During the weekend before the Fourth of July I usually focus on a Christian from American history. This year I preached about the life of Billy Graham and how his life can teach us how to follow Jesus as we share the gospel […]
Worship is far more than what we do when we gather together. Gathering together for worship is intended to fuel a life of worship outside of our gatherings. This week we take a look at how our lives are supposed to be lived in constant worship.
Continuing our look at worship, we explore the role of music. Why is music so important to us and how should we understand music in worship?
The second sermon on a series on Worship, we look at how the Story of God is represented in Symbols during our worship. Our lives also become a symbol of God’s grace and mercy when we live into God’s story for our lives.
This is the beginning of a new preaching series on Worship. This week we look at how the Story of God plays such a big role in our worship and how our own stories add to the worship of the author of those stories.
What is the Bible? How do we understand how our holy texts reveal God’s story to us and illuminate our own stories. We contemplate the scriptures and try to figure out a healthy way to approach them.
What does it mean that God is revealed to us in his word? We start a new series here on Easter exploring God’s revelation to us. In this sermon we examine how Jesus is the living Word of God and therefore the perfect revelation of God to us.
This week we explore Jesus’ last week. What does Jesus’ final seven days speak to our journey on The Way? Jesus’ actions are provacative and enforcing the rest of his three year ministry. Do his actions on Palm Sunday as he entered Jerusalem convict us today of the uncoverted parts of our lives?
Jesus ministered to those that were cast out from society and those who were in prominence. Jesus showed all respect and diginity as image bearers of God. Are we too judgemental of those around us? Do we hold on to grudges and hurts, refusing to forgive? Jesus calls us to follow after him in being […]
Only God has the power to control the wind and the waves. Jesus shows his power in being able to command the wind and waves of a storm while at sea with his disciples. Do we trust in him in the midst of our own storms in life?
Arguably the central message of Jesus’ ministry and teaching is that God’s Kingdom has come on earth in a new way in Him. Paul takes this message to a universal message later by calling Jesus Lord, a description normally held for Caesar. What does it mean for those who follow in the Way of Jesus […]
Jesus was a healing force to all around him. He did not discriminate between the poor or rich but healed all who came to him in faith. He even healed some who weren’t asking for it. Are we willing to be healed by Jesus? Do we believe he can heal us? Are we willing to […]
Starting a new series for Lent, we are exploring the ministry of Jesus in the midst of his realy historical context. Come walk the way with us as we start with Jesus’ baptism and temptation. What a weird way to start the ministry of God’s promised Messiah. Come explore with us what it means that […]
Suffering is common to us all but what are we to do in the midst of it? God offers us hope in spite of our various sufferings. How can we lean on God’s promises in the midst of the darkness? God has redeemed suffering by entering into suffering and making our suffering into a way […]
In this sermon I examine the feeling of deep loss which comes in the midst of suffering. We experience loss in far more situations than the death of someone we love. A divorce, job shift, or any other life change can trigger a sense of loss. Without supporting one another through these feelings of loss, […]
In this sermon I examine what it means to feel deep sadness in the midst of suffering and yet still surrender to God. This is no easy task and takes discipline and work in times we are not suffering so that we have built the faith which can rely on God when things go wrong.
Continuing our journey through the shadowlands, this sermon explores the denial we sometimes get trapped in when we don’t like the pain of the shadowlands. Sometimes we need to acknowledge the suffering in order to move through the shadowlands well.
Continuing our journey through the shadowlands, this sermon explores the anger which rises up as we experience suffering. How do we handle the anger when it comes and do we let it turn us away from God or toward him?
Every human being experiences some sort of suffering in this world. When we walk through those times of shadows it can be difficult to navigate life. What does the Christian faith have to say about our journey through the Shadowlands? In this sermon we explore the initial emotions felt when we are suddenly Plunged into […]