Sundays at PBCOB: Recent Episodes
Papago Buttes
This podcast contains recorded sermons from Papago Buttes Church of the Brethren in Scottsdale, Arizona given by our pastor, Jon Chubb.
On Sunday we looked at the second chapter of Zephaniah, as he called Jerusalem back to repentance and then pronounced doom on the four directions around him. This passage calls us to reflect on what true greatness looks like - not in military or monetary might, but in how we treat our neighbor.-Sermon from 04/21/2024
On Sunday we began a short new series, looking at the first chapter of the prophet Zephaniah. His opening words present a harsh message, as we see someone who is grounded in the belief that God's justice will prevail in the world.-Sermon from 04/14/2024
On Sunday Mitchell Miller (from Circle of Peace) dove into the various types of prayers we can embody in our lives. He referenced the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun that went into detail on these various prayer types.-Sermon from 04/07/2024
On Easter Sunday we looked at Luke 24:36-53 and the invitation that the Prince of Peace gives us all to become peacemakers with him!
-Sermon from 03/31/2024
This past Sunday we looked at Mark 11:1-25 and two troubling passage right in a row - the cursing of the fig tree and the cleaning of the Temple. Both of these are symbolic of Jesus' frustration with empty religion, of the crowds who are excited about the work of God only to yell "crucify" a few days later.
-Sermon from 03/24/2024
This past Sunday we looked at Luke 12:49-56 and the teaching that Jesus did not come to bring peace but division. This puzzling text can best be understood as a description of what happens as God shows up in new places (that there is often divisions and disagreements which follow) and not a literal command. The command for us remains to stay committed to Jesus and each other as we seek out a life shaped by faith.
-Sermon from 3/17/2024
This past Sunday we looked at Luke 16:1-15 and the parable of the shrewd/dishonest manager. This is indeed a puzzling story, as Jesus commends a man for being dishonest. Jesus gives is using a shocking example to say that if a shady person knows how to plan for the future, how much more-so should we, as residents of the Kingdom of God.-Sermon from 03/10/2024
This past Sunday we examined Matthew 6:16-18 as we spent our time talking about Lent and fasting. Everyone is encouraged and challenged to join with the global and historic church in entering a season of fasting together!-Sermon from 02/11/2024
This past Sunday we were blessed to have our friend Alisha Garber share, not music, but her preaching with us. You can see what some of her and Josh have been up to recently right here.-Sermon from 02/04/2024
This past Sunday we looked at Hebrews 10:19-25 as we looked back and celebrated the good things we have done and accomplished as a church last year. We as a church were able to give away/raise $11330.74 to give to different community groups over the course of the year, on top of all the other projects and things we had going on!
-Sermon from 1/28/2024
This past Sunday we looked at the Christmas story as found in Matthew 1:18-25 and focused in on the angel appearing to Joseph. Immanuel God is with us and we do not need to be afraid - that is what we mean when we say Merry Christmas to each other!-Sermon from 12/24/2023
This past Sunday we continued on with our Advent series, looking at Isaiah 9:1-7. Isaiah spoke about an unknown future date with the arrival of new baby. Matthew picks up on this and sees this identified with the arrival of Jesus.-Sermon from 12/17/2023
This past Sunday we continued on with our Advent series, looking at Micah 5:1-5. The unexpected Bethlehem would be used by God to bring the Messiah into the world and the unexpected Bethlehems of our day are where God continues to act.-Sermon from 12/10/2023
This past Sunday we looked at Ezekiel 37:15-28 as we began to explore our Advent series looking at prophetical promises of peace.
Ezekiel told of a coming day when there would true peace in the land and we live on the other side of part of this promise. We continue to embody the spirit of Christ as we face our own uncertainties.- Sermon from 11/26/2023
This past Sunday we looked at Philippians 2:1-11 and explored the idea of how to embody humility and fight for others in the process.- Sermon from 11/05/2023
This past Sunday we looked at Matthew 5:43-48 as we examined what it means to be a peace church in relation to concepts like war and the military. While you do not need to be in alignment with our denomination on this, you can read their official statement on the latest conflict in the Middle East right here.- Sermon from 10/29/2023
This past Sunday we looked at James 5:13-20 and the Biblical concept of anointing. While not a magical practice, receiving oil with prayer can be a helpful spiritual endeavor that helps to open up our trust in God for all things.- Sermon from 10/22/2023
This past Sunday we heard from our own James Payton, as he preached from Philippians 3:1-17 and about his journey of wanting to be a peacemaker. - Sermon from 10/15/2023
This past Sunday we looked at Mark 15:38 and the symbolism present in the Temple curtain being torn in two. We spent our time talking about how your church building can help show and teach what your church body believes and values. We intentionally built our space to be green friendly, as well as handicap-accessible - removing barriers that prevent folks from worshipping with us.- Sermon from 9/17/2023
This past Sunday we looked at Romans 12:9-21 and explored the theme of caring about peace as being an active call to make peace. Most of us are not necessarily called to start up new groups helping with peace and justice, but we can certainly support the work of various groups doing this through our prayers, our finances and sharing in and about their endeavors.- Sermon from 9/10/2023
This past Sunday Dr Dali shared about the work she is doing with CCEPI.
- Sermon from 9/03/2023
This past Sunday we looked at 1 John 1:5-10 as we explored looking at the blinds pots in our theological tradition. We talked about following Jesus at the expense of worshipping him, legalism, separatism and institutionalized loss of energy and focus. What would you potentially put on your list? -Sermon from 8/6/2023
This past Sunday we looked at Matthew 5:8 as we explored the second half to our faith tradition, that of Radical Pietism.
I referenced Pia Desideria a lot, which you can find out more about right here. We also have a copy in our library. -Sermon from 7/30/2023
This past Sunday we talked specifically about our own denomination, as well as hearing about how the recent Annual Conference went for myself and Brian McMillen. -Sermon from 7/23/2023
This past Sunday we continued our series on Anabaptism by looking at Matthew 16:13-20 and exploring a framework for what a local church can look like. -Sermon from 7/2/2023
This past Sunday we continued our series on Anabaptism by looking at Matthew 25:31-46 and exploring the idea of being good news to the powerless. -Sermon from 6/25/2023
This past Sunday we continued our series on Anabaptism by looking at Matthew 5:13-16 and exploring the idea of living in a post-Christendom society. Let's be the salt and light that Jesus calls all his disciples to be. - Sermon from 6/18/2023
This past Sunday we continued our series on being Anabaptist by looking at John 1:1-18 and the idea of having a Christ centered Bible. - Sermon from 6/11/2023
This past Sunday we started our series exploring the backstory to our faith tradition, by beginning to take a deep dive into "What does it mean to be Anabaptist?" Our text was from Mark 8:31-9:1 and we dove into the idea of importance of worshiping and also following Jesus. - Sermon from 6/4/2023
This past Sunday I shared highlights of my own story and faith journey with you all, centered on the theme of Psalm 66:16-20. Sharing our story is such an important thing and let us never grow weary in talking about the good ways God has been real to us in our past as well as our present. - Sermon from 5/21/2023
This past Sunday, we took part in the Church of the Brethren's National Youth Sunday, which explored the theme of "Stand Up, Even If You Stand Out". The text was from Romans 12:1-2 and we highlighted the importance of our young people here in our church as well as encouraging them to be bold in living out their faith. -Sermon from 5/14/2023
This past Sunday, we finished our look at the prophet Nahum, looking at chapter 3. With his fierce words, this ancient message stands as a warning to people of all ages in resisting the temptation of power and control (especially with tying the church and state together). - Sermon from 5/7/2023
This past Sunday, we continued our look at the prophet Nahum, with looking at chapter 2. Nahum continued on with a harsh message against Nineveh, which we contrasted against the words of Christ in Matthew 28. - Sermon from 4/30/2023
This past Sunday, we started looking at the prophet Nahum, a short, but impactful book. Nahum's message was one of doom. and gloom for Nineveh and at the core of his theology is a desire for justice to be enacted. What does justice in our own contexts look like? - Sermon from 4/23/2023
This past Sunday, we were joined by Ron Faus, as he preached on Mark 16:1-8. Like with the original disciples, we wrestle with the question of "now what", as we seek to understand how to embody the teachings of Christ in our own day and our context. - Sermon from 4/16/2023
This past Sunday, we celebrated Easter with the culmination of our stones sermon series...as Matthew 28 recounts, the stone has been rolled away and there are no more rocks! - Sermon from 4/9/2023
This past Sunday, we continued with our Lenten stone series, looking at Luke 19:28-40. This week, our focus is on seeing how we get frustrated with others who don't look/act/think like us and how we can better seek the beauty of diversity around us. - Sermon from 4/2/2023
This past Sunday, we continued with our Lenten stone series, looking at Mark 4:1-20. This week, our focus is on asking ourselves what sort of soil that we (and our church) are - what are the thorns and rocks that need to be removed? - Sermon from 3/26/2023
This past Sunday, we continued with our Lenten stone series, looking at John 8:1-11. This week, our focus is on the labels that we give others and how the call of Christ is to drop our stones. -Sermon from 3/19/2023
This past Sunday, we continued with our Lenten stone series, looking at Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. There is a time to throw away stones and a time to gather them. This week, our focus is on making time and space for others, to be present with those around us and find new ways to connect to the humans in our life. -Sermon from 3/12/2023
This past Sunday, we continued with our Lenten stone series, looking at the prophet Obadiah. He has a harsh word for Edom, condemning them for hiding in the power of their rock walls, while their neighbor/cousin Israel fell apart. The rocks we're carrying around this week point to our our richness and need to be aware of how we treat others, especially in the global sense. -Sermon from 3/5/2023
This past Sunday, we began our new Lenten series, which is using stones or rocks as our thematic link. Our first sermon was a discussion on Deuteronomy 5:1-22 and the Ten Commandments. The Commandments point to our pride and our need for redemption, which is what we can focus on this week as we carry around our rocks. - Sermon from 2/26/2023
This past Sunday, we looked at Psalm 42 as we began to explore the season of Lent together. You are hereby cordially invited to join with us all in this season of fasting! - Sermon from 2/19/2023
This past Sunday, we continued our series on the Psalms, looking at Psalm 114. This Psalm shows a proper balance of faith - of looking to the past and then being called to step into the story and seeing how God is leading us today. - Sermon from 2/12/2023
This past Sunday, we continued our series on the Psalms, looking at Psalm 88. This is the darkest of the Psalter and we spent our time focusing on the importance of being present with people in their suffering, versus our often quick resolve to offer unhelpful platitudes. -Sermon from 2/5/2023
This past Saturday, we continued our series on the Psalms, looking at Psalm 133. We spent our time reflecting on the imagery present in this Psalm, as we explored where we hope to journey as a church this year. -Sermon from 1/29/2023
This past Saturday, we continued our series on the Psalms, looking at Psalm 51. It's a psalm of lament, with David focusing on the fallout over Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite. -Sermon from 1/22/2023
This past Saturday, we continued our series on the Psalms, looking at Psalm 19. This is a hymn of praise, focusing in on God speaking to us through nature and God speaking to Israel through the law. - Sermon from 1/14/2023
This past Sunday, we continued our series on the Psalms, looking at Psalm 8. In this Psalm, David wrestles with the greatness of God and nature and his own status as a mere mortal. It's a good Psalm that causes us to wrestle with our own humanity, hopefully keeping us grounded in humility. - Sermon from 1/8/2023
This past Sunday, we started a new series, looking at Psalm 23. While we associate this Psalm with funerals, it's a song of praise intended for the living. - Sermon from 1/1/2023
This past Sunday, we spent our morning looking at Luke 2:6-7 and the idea that our Christmas celebrations don't need to be these perfect Hallmark ending endeavors. The original Christmas was filled with much goop and certainly ours can be as well! - Sermon from 12/25/2022
This past Sunday, we continued with our Advent sermon series, looking at Matthew 2:1-2 and the faith of the Magi. - Sermon from 12/18/2022
This past Sunday, we continued with our Advent sermon series, looking at Luke 2:39-40. We spent our time reflecting on the idea of God becoming human and what that means for us. - Sermon from 12/11/2022
This past Sunday, we continued with our Advent sermon series, looking at Luke 1:42-43. We spent our time reflecting on what it would be like for Eve and Mary to meet in person. - Sermon from 12/04/2022
This past Sunday, we started our Advent sermon series, looking at four different themes we encounter in the original Christmas stories. The first was on the theme of Virgin Birth (as found in Luke 1:34) and we focused our time on the idea that spiritual transformation is akin to this paradoxical idea in our faith. - Sermon from 11/27/2022
This past Sunday, we used Psalm 100 as a reference point for talking about the theme of thankfulness as worship. We heard from three folks in our congregation as to what they were thankful for! - Sermon from 11/20/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at 1 Corinthians 12:4-27, as we examined the metaphor of the church as a body. Just as we need eyes and ears, we also need armpits and spleens! - Sermon from 11/13/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at Genesis 27 and the story of Jacob stealing Esau's blessing. - Sermon from 10/30/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at John 9 and the healing of the man born blind. We spent our time looking at the switch from drama to comedy and examined how our own lives can mimic those in the story as well. - Sermon from 10/23/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at John 6:16-24 and the Walking on Water miracle. Here we see Jesus reveal more of his true nature to his disciples (a theophany!). - Sermon from 10/16/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at John 6:1-15 and the Feeding of the 5000 miracle. Jesus was the new Moses figure in this story but unlike the gathering of manna, there were numerous baskets of provision that were leftover, meant to symbolize the new provision of God. - Sermon from 10/9/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at Matthew 5:13-16 and examined the teaching of Christ to be salt and light. This sermon was a follow-up to the first message I preached in January 2022, about pursuing the question of "what kind of neighbor are we being to those around us?". - Sermon from 10/2/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at John 5:1-17, as we examined the third miracle in John's Gospel. Jesus healed the man by the pool and we spent our time exploring the idea that this man very likely did not want to be healed. - Sermon from 9/18/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at John 4:46-54, as we examined the second miracle in John's Gospel. Jesus healed the royal official's son, while calling the man to not just believe that he could do miracles, but that he was the miracle. - Sermon from 9/11/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at John 2:1-12 as we began our new series looking at the 7 miracles in John's Gospel. Jesus turns water into wine as a way of announcing he was doing something new in the world. Our temptation is often to turn wine back into water. - Sermon from 9/4/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at Judges 11:29-41 and the vow of Jephthah. There are many details to the story that can be understood in different ways, but regardless of this, the outcome is the same - Jephthah's words brought about his destruction and serves as a warning for our own use of words. - Sermon from 8/21/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at Ephesians 1:15-23 and explored Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus. He prayed that their hearts would continued to be guided by wisdom and that they'd understand Christ as the head of the Church, sitting at the right hand of God in heaven. Christ has the power, we do not. - Sermon from 8/14/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at 1 Kings 19:1-18 and explored Elijah's running from Jezebel. Elijah encountered God in the silence and not the earthquake or wind or fire - perhaps he realized there was never a moment when God was not with him. - Sermon from 8/7/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at Mark 1:35-39 and explored the theme of Jesus finding frequent times to pray in solitude. - Sermon from 7/31/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at Joshua 10:1-15 and spent our time diving into the prayer of Joshua for the sun to stand still. - Sermon from 7/24/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at Isaiah 1:1-20 and the complaint the prophet lodged against the Israelites. He was condemning their ritual worship and lack of concern for their neighbor. - Sermon from 7/17/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at Philippians 1:1-11 and examined Paul's prayer for the church at Philippi. - Sermon from 7/3/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at Luke 9:28-36, the story of Jesus' Transfiguration. The disciples went up on the mountain to pray with Jesus and got a bit more than they bargained for. - Sermon from 6/12/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at 1 Kings 3:1-15. Normally we think of prayer as us communicating with God, but here we have God reaching out to Solomon in a dream, presenting a genie-like request. Solomon's answer for wisdom is likewise something we should be in the pursuit of as well. - Sermon from 6/5/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at the moody and dark Psalm 137. The Psalmist recollects the horrors of being a victim of war and we spent our time trying to understand a Christ-shaped view of our response to violence in our world. - Sermon from 5/29/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at the Lord's Prayer (as found in Matthew) and some basics with that prayer. - Sermon from 5/15/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at the second half of the book of Jonah (using the New Jerusalem Bible, which is a bit tricky to find online). Jonah raged against the grace shown to the citizens of Nineveh and this too echoes our own frustrations at times. - Sermon from 5/8/2022
This past Sunday, we looked at the first half of the book of Jonah (using the New Jerusalem Bible, which is a bit tricky to find online). Jonah's story is so easily our story, in that we are called to show radical love and grace in the world and yet, we often run or nap instead. - Sermon from 5/1/2022
This past Sunday, we were blessed to have our friend James Payton preach on John 20 and the commissioning of the disciples by Jesus. - Sermon from 4/24/2022
This past Sunday, for our Easter message, we looked at Luke 24:13-35 and examined the theme of Jesus arriving to defeat the injustice of sin and death. - Sermon from 4/17/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Luke 20:45-21:4 and examined the consistent theme of Jesus arriving to frustrate the religious people. We looked at the story of Jesus' harsh words against the scribes in Luke 20 and how that was related to the actions of the poor widow putting in her copper coins in Luke 21. - Sermon from 4/10/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Luke 18:18-30 and examined the concept that Jesus arrived to condemn our hoarding of wealth. We talked about understanding the call to "sell everything you have and follow me" on a personal and corporate level. - Sermon from 4/3/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Luke 8:26-39 and examined the concept that Jesus arrived and exorcised demons. It's a topic that for many of us, we may feel somewhat conflicted about how to interpret or understand. In our message, we dove into understanding demons on both a metaphorical and literal level. - Sermon from 3/27/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Luke 8:40-56 and examined the interplay between Jairus' daughter and the woman with hemorrhaging. Both were healed and we spent our time going into the layers we may miss at first glance. Let us live out our calling to be a people of restoration as well. - Sermon from 3/20/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Luke 5:17-26 and examined the interaction of Jesus with the paralytic man. Jesus both forgave the man's sins and healed his body, pointing to the need to be people who both are offering healing to spiritual and physical issues in our world today. - Sermon from 3/13/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Luke 6:12-16, as we began our new Lenten sermon series (focusing in on the life of Jesus and some of the basics of what He was about). We talked about how Judas was labeled as a traitor up front and yet he was still called to follow. We also highlighted the diversity of the 12, focusing in on how Simon and Matthew would have been political rivals and yet, both were still called and followed. - Sermon from 3/6/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Matthew 6:16-18 and spent our time exploring the theme of Lent and fasting. Everyone was encouraged to fast on some sort of capacity - whether it's a traditional weekly food fast, or fasting from technology or something else, this is a great practice that ties us into the global and historic church. - Sermon from 2/27/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Proverbs 30:7-9 and spent our time exploring a wise versus foolish outlook and understanding of money. We all need our "daily bread" and a whole host of problems come our way when we have too little or too much. - Sermon from 2/20/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Proverbs 19:24 and spent our time exploring the topic of laziness, hard work and creativity. We as humans were designed to create and our work as Christians never expires! - Sermon from 2/13/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Proverbs 9:7-9 and spent our time exploring the topic of advice and wisdom. We should be open to having others in our life speak truth to us, but that also does not mean that every piece of advice given is helpful or worth listening to. - Sermon from 2/6/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Proverbs 30:33 and spent our time exploring the topic of anger. As a reminder, anger is an emotion we all experience and is neither good nor bad. But we can certainly be wise and foolish with how we handle anger and Proverbs has much to say about this topic. - Sermon from 1/30/2022
On Sunday morning we looked at Proverbs 18:21 and spent our time looking at various aspects to wise and unwise speech. - Sermon from 1/23/2022
On Saturday afternoon we looked at Proverbs 12:10 and explored a theology of the animal together. We dove into a big picture outlook of various passages that teach a respect of the animal. While the bible does not outright condemn eating meat, much of how we can go about this in our modern world would be considered foolish, in the biblical sense of the term. We also explored two major Christian arguments one could make for the case of vegetarianism. - Sermon from 1/16/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Proverbs 1:1-7, which helped to kickstart our new series on Proverbs. Solomon wrote (most of) this ancient book, which helps to guide us in the ways of wisdom. Proverbs require nuance in their understanding and ultimately are Pro Verbs (positive ways of living in the world). At 31 chapters, one can read a chapter a day and be done in a month - so if you have never explored this great book, now would be a great time! - Sermon from 1/9/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Luke 10:25-37, which is the infamous story of the Good Samaritan. The original story is one meant to shock, as the Samaritan would have been the hated enemy and the least likely to have thought to help. This parable calls us to a deep faith and as shared, it represents a good frame of reference as we begin 2022 - what does our place in our neighborhood loo like? This is the question I hope frames our discussion as we move forward this year. - Sermon from 1/2/2022
This past Sunday we looked at Isaiah 40:1-11, which was referenced in Matthew's Gospel as being fulfilled in John the Baptist. Isaiah announced restoration was coming for Israel and John's message was similar. We spent our time discussing our hope for the new year, despite the difficult times we find ourselves in. - Sermon from 12/26/2021
This past Sunday we looked at the fourth prophet Matthew mentions in his birth story of Jesus - this one being from Jeremiah 31:15-22. We focused in on the idea that while Christmas is seen as a jolly holiday, for many, this is a time of year that brings up various laments (along with the stress that's potentially common to us all). - Sermon from 12/19/2021
This past Sunday we looked at the third prophet Matthew mentions in his birth story of Jesus - this one being from Hosea 11:1-11. We spent our time examining Matthew's use of symbolism with Jesus - that he was the New Israel. But unlike the first Son of God, he did not fail in his desert wanderings, which set the stage for further good things. - Sermon from 12/12/2021
This past Sunday we looked at the second prophet Matthew mentions in his birth story of Jesus - this one being from Micah 5:1-6. We examined how this was understood as both something for the original audience and a future audience, culminating in the arrival of Jesus from the tiny town of Bethlehem. - Sermon from 12/5/2021
This past Sunday we began our Advent series, in which we'll be looking at the 4 prophetical texts mentioned in Matthew's birth story. The first prophetical text mentioned is Isaiah 7:1-17 - we dove into the controversy behind the reference to the woman Isaiah referenced and compared the first Immanuel with the second/new Immanuel. - Sermon from 11/28/2021
This past Sunday we heard some reflections on Proverbs 12:14 and the idea of being thankful. Myself and 3 others shared on what we have been thankful for over this past year. I was incredibly moved during this time and love seeing when folks are able to share about God's working in their lives in powerful and tangible ways. - Sermon from 11/21/2021
This past Sunday we finished up our 10 Commandments series by looking at the capstone of "You shall not covet". We focused in on the theme of coveting as a mutated form of desire, which causes us to go down an unsustainable path.
The encouragement was to flee from our typical consumerist mindset as we are entering in this season of Advent. I mentioned the organization Advent Conspiracy and would encourage you to use them as a resource during these next few months. - Sermon from 11/14/2021
This past Sunday continued our 10 Commandments series, by looking at #9 - you must not lie. We focused in the concepts of perjury and lying, with the call to be people marked by the truth, which help be people who are guided by Truth incarnate. - Sermon from 11/7/2021
This past Sunday continued our 10 Commandments series, by looking at #8 - you must not steal. We spent our time exploring how this command has gotten a bit more complex as we've advanced as a society. Ultimately we landed on the idea that having a spirit of generosity is the antithesis to stealing. - Sermon from 10/31/2021
This past Sunday continued our 10 Commandments series, by looking at #6 - Thou shalt not commit adultery (as found in Exodus 20:14). We focused in on the ideas of the harm of Internet pornography and abuse in marriages. Heavy themes for sure and as always, if you'd like to explore these (or other subjects) further, please do not hesitate to let me know. Two links I have found helpful on these topics can be found here and here. - Sermon from 10/24/21
This past Sunday continued our 10 Commandments series, by looking at #6 - No murder (as found in Exodus 20:13). We focused in on the idea of how this commandment isn't simply fulfilled by the avoidance of violence, as a call to be peacemakers in the world. - Sermon from 10/17/2021
This past Sunday continued our 10 Commandments series, by looking at #5 - Honor your father and mother (as found in Exodus 20:12). We focused in on the idea of loving and caring for all levels of society and the importance for the local church to be intergenerational. - Sermon from 10/10/2021
This past Sunday we got back into our 10 Commandments series, by looking at #4 - Keep the Sabbath (as found in Exodus 20:8-11). We focused in on the idea of the importance of Sabbath rest (how it's an act of trust and worship) and the importance of taking rest for ourselves and those "under" us as well. I referenced a church who paid off local medical debt and you can read about that right here. - Sermon from 10/3/2021
This past Sunday we heard from our friend, Mitch Miller, as he preached on Psalm 86. - Sermon from 9/26/2021
This past Sunday we heard the story of Zacchaeus, as told by Zacchaeus himself! I hope you enjoyed the narrative sermon style approach and it's something we may continue to dabble in from time to time. - Sermon from 9/19/2021
This past Sunday we continued on in the 10 Commandments, focusing in on #3 - don't be careless with God's name. We spent our time discussing how the command is much more than simply avoiding God's name as a curse word. There was a reference to restaurant servers loathing the post-church crowd and you can read more about that right here. - Sermon from 9/12/21
This past Sunday we continued on in the 10 Commandments, focusing in on #2 - don't make graven images. We spent our time discussing how idolatry worked in the ancient world and comparing that to how we can approach God in the same way. Idolatry is still very much all around us and like Israel, the temptation for us is in our syncretism. - Sermon from 9/5/2021
This past Sunday we started our new sermon series, based upon Exodus 20:1-17. Our focus will be looking at the 10 Commandments over the next 10 weeks. We covered some of the basic background material to these important laws and focused in on the idea of the 1st Commandment - to be putting Christ first in all things. - Sermon from 8/29/2021
This past Sunday was a bit of a different sermon, where we used Psalm 119:105-112 as the foundation. I shared a bit of my backstory and about a time where God appeared to me in a very real way. I hope you were encouraged by it and learned a bit more about me in the process. Looking forward to starting our next series together this week. - Sermon from 8/22/2021
We finished up our look at James this week, ending on 5:13-20. There's the simple call to be praying and like the rest of the message (aka - just do it!) we were encouraged to make prayer a priority. - Sermon from 8/15/2021
We looked at James 5:7-12 this past week, focusing in on the idea of patience. Often our lack of patience causes issues with ourselves and our neighbors and this text helps to ground us in the importance of remaining patient. - Sermon from 8/8/2021
We were blessed to have our friend James Payton preach for us this past Sunday. He continued in on our series on James, diving into the topic of how we understand the dynamic of rich versus poor. - Sermon from 8/1/2021
We looked at James 4:13-17 this past week and explored the theme of boasting (mainly, the idea of not boasting). We ended up focusing on two main ideas - the first being that money is not the sole object of our lives. It's easy for us to fall into the trap of always trying to work or grow, as this is what the general culture praises. The second point was related, in that we also need to take time to rest and enjoy life (as after all, James calls it a mist - we are here and suddenly gone). - Sermon from 7/25/2021
We looked at the latter half of James 4:1-12 this past week and the idea of "Friendship with the world is enmity against God". This is not a call to flee to the desert, but a continual reminder to follow heavenly wisdom - to seek Godly wisdom and humility. Our call as believers and a church (both local and globally) is not to try to rise to the top and control with power, but to see the true power of God as one of caring and loving and serving. - Sermon from 7/18/2021
We looked at the latter half of James 3 this past week, focusing in on earthly versus heavenly wisdom. Earthly wisdom is one guided by selfish ambition and envy, whereas heavenly wisdom is guided by humility. We narrowed in on the idea that "wisdom without works is dead", in that, true wisdom helps to shape our character, which impacts how we act in the world. We also focused in on the idea of the analogy of fruit, in that, faith is like a slowly planted tree, which bears fruit in time. It's okay if we have our struggles or haven't figured it all out yet. - Sermon from 7/11/2021
This past Sunday, we explored James 3:1-12 together - which went into our use of words. James had all sorts of warnings about speech and how we seem to be able to control so much in this life, except for our tongues. We end up both praising God and cursing our fellow humans with it. Our encouragement and challenge this week was to bring life to others - to find ways to bring small joy to those in our life by the use of our words. Give someone you care about a call, write a letter to an old friend, leave a note for your kids, reconnect with someone you may have had a falling out with etc. On the flipside, we are also challenged to pause when wanting to gossip or slander others and to look at our hearts and ask why we are feeling the need to say these things. Often our lips reveal something going on internally and this week provides a great opportunity for us to pause and work on that. - Sermon from 7/4/2021
This past Sunday, we explored James 2:14-26 together - the famous "faith without works is dead" passage. We talked about the seeming contradiction of, well which is it - faith or works? We took the angle that James was helping to correct an oversight in the early church - that as faith was spreading, some took the idea of being saved by grace as a license to simply continue with their lives without any changes. A true understanding of discipleship understands a changed heart leads to a changed life. We went into a very specific test case, of how to show love to panhandlers (as many of us struggle with what to do in these situations). We landed on the idea of taking action is probably better than no action and providing some sort of gift bag is a great way to show love. - Sermon from 6/27/2021
This past Sunday, we explored James 2:1-13 together, which was about the idea of favoritism. James' audience was bestowing favor among the rich and ignoring the poor - he had some harsh but pastoral wisdom in calling them out on this. We touched upon the subject of racism/prejudice, in that, we all have our blindspots and areas we could grow in. It's easy for us to get stuck in our bubbles, only listening to the voices that make us comfortable and as Christians, we should be able to get out of our tribal mindset and see across the aisle. We ended with a list of small ways to see new ideas around us. - Sermon from 6/20/2021
We continued to look at James 1:19-27 this week, focusing on the idea and the importance of listening well to others. - Sermon from 6/13/2021
I was excited to begin our first sermon series together this week, as we started to dive into the book of James. The basic take-away was that James is all about understanding how to live a wise life and for his audience, they needed help with having wisdom for dealing with persecution, with understanding their social standing before each other, and with how to understand temptations. While religious persecution is not something experienced in modern America, the idea of our needing wisdom for temptations and social standing certainly are for us. There's the very simple call of asking God for wisdom and this is something that will be granted to us! - Sermon from 6/6/2021
This past Sunday we looked at the idea of being made in the image of God, as found in Genesis 1. - Sermon from 5/30/2021