Meeting Jesus in Lent I. LESSONS of the LENTEN journey.A. Our TENDENCY to look ELSEWHERE. (Is. 30)B. God’s RESPONSE to HUMBLE need. (Is. 37)C. The FUTILITY of IDOLS. (Is. 44)D.
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Fourth Sunday of Lent 2023 | Isaiah 58 & Matthew 6
The Fasting God has Chosen I. The Trap of Religion (Is. 58:1-5; Mt. 6:1-21)A. It becomes an Act (Mt. 6:2,5,16; Amos 5:21-23)B. It becomes a Transaction (Is. 58:3; Mt. 6:2,5,16;
Read moreThird Sunday of Lent 2023 | Isaiah 44:1-28
Watch What You Worship I. FOLLOWING the FLOW of the text. (v.1-28)A. A PROMISE filled with HOPE. (v.1-5)B. One KING over EVERYTHING. (v.6-8)C. Idols: A PRACTICE of FUTILITY. (v.9-20)D. REMEMBERING
Read moreSecond Sunday of Lent 2023 | Isaiah 37:1-38
Hezekiah: Praying under Pressure I. The King RESPONDS to the THREAT. (Is. 36; 37:1-13)A. Acts of REPENTANCE and HUMILITY. (v.1)B. A TURNING toward GOD. (v.1-4)C. God’s COMFORTING words in RESPONSE.
Read moreFirst Sunday of Lent 2023 | Isaiah 30:1-31:1
Running toward Egypt I. The WORLD Isaiah is SPEAKING into. (Is. 36-37)A. Israel is AFRAID of ASSYRIA. (Is. 28-31) B. They are LOOKING for a DEFENDER. (30:1-7)C. And UNWILLING to LISTEN.
Read moreLet me tell you a story – Part 8 | Matthew 25:31-46
The Least of These… I. A PARABLE or a VISION of the future? (v.31-46)A. A DIFFERENT kind of COMING. (v.31)B. A PROCESS the people UNDERSTOOD. (v.32-33)C. The sheep INHERIT the
Read moreLet me tell you a story – Part 7 | Matthew 25:14-30
It’s About More Than Your Talents I. All the PARABLES in CONTEXT.A. INTRODUCING: “The KINGDOM is like…”B. CHARACTERIZING: The reality of GRACE.C. JUDGING: When the Kingdom fully COMES. Jesus’ use
Read moreLet me tell you a story – Part 6 | Matthew 21:33-46
A Poem, a Song, an a Dream I. The LEADERS have LOST the PLOTA. God CREATES (Gen. 1-2)B. Humanity REBELS (Gen. 3)C. God WORKS to RESTORE His KINGDOM II. So
Read moreLet me tell you a story – Part 5 | Matthew 20: 1-16
The Kingdom Functions Differently I. A STORY with a huge TWIST. (v.1-12)A. The NEED of a LANDOWNER. (v.1)B. The PROMISE of fair COMPENSATION. (v.2,4)C. The constant STREAM of arriving WORKERS.
Read moreLet me tell you a story – Part 4 | Matthew 18:21-35
Reckless and Extravagant Forgiveness I. The IMPORTANCE of a parable’s CONTEXT. (Mt. 18:10-20)A. The TEACHING that comes BEFORE. (v.15-20)B. The PARABLE prior to the TEACHING. (v.10-15)C. How to treat a
Read moreLet me tell you a story – Part 3 | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Wheat, Weeds, and Waiting I. The WORLD as we KNOW it.A. The KINGDOM of HEAVEN is like… (v.24)B. The FARMER and his ENEMY both sow seed… (v.24-25)C. The CROPS grow
Read moreLet me tell you a story – Part 2 | Matthew 13:44-46
“A Tale of Two Treasures” I. Why Parables?A. The Left-handed Power of Stories (Isaiah 55:8-9)B. The Robustness of Stories (Matthew 13:52)C. The Disclosing Power of Stories (Matthew 13:35) II. A
Read more“Let me tell you a story” – Part 1 | Matthew 13:3-23
The Sower and the Seed I. Why do you SPEAK in PARABLES? (v.10-17)A. Different TYPES of POWER. (Mk. 8:31-33; Lk. 19:44)B. Our PREFERENCE for RIGHT-HANDED power. (Jn 6:15)C. A STORY
Read moreChristmas Day service | Matthew 1:1-17
A Different Kind of Christmas Story I. Nothing says CHRISTMAS like a GENEALOGY. (Mt. 1:1-17)A. Genealogies THEN and NOW.B. It’s MORE than just a FAMILY tree. (Lk. 3:23-38)C. It’s a
Read moreFourth Sunday of Advent | Is. 52:13-54:10
And the greatest of these is love… I. Section #1 – A PICTURE of JESUS. (Is. 52:13-53:12)A. Not the GOD we were EXPECTING. (52:13-53:3)B. The BURDEN he CHOOSES. (53:4, 7-9)C.
Read moreThird Sunday of Advent | Is. 35:1-10
The impact of a God who comes to us. I. POETRY for DESPERATE times. (v.1-10)A. Poetry is to “TRANSPORT” more than “TEACH”. (v.10)B. NOTICE where the poem is LOCATED. (Chap.
Read moreSecond Sunday of Advent | Is. 11:1-9
Peace Starts in Unlikely Places I. Let’s START with the picture of PEACE. (v.6-9)A. All CREATION in HARMONY. (v.6,7; Rom. 8:19-22)B. No NEED to FEAR. (v.8-9; 1 Jn 4:18)C. ROOTED
Read moreFirst Sunday of Advent | Isaiah 1:21-2:5
Hope – A Vision of a Coming Hope I. A CONTEXT much like ours TODAY. (1:21-31)A. A CONTINUAL downward TRAJECTORY. (v.21-23)B. The WEAK suffer, the POWERFUL don’t care. (v.23)C...
Read moreForming A People – Part 10 | Exodus 40:17-38
Forming a Worshipping People I. Drawing NEAR to the God AMONG us. (v.17-38)A. The ALTAR – A reminder of our NEED. (v.29; 27:1-18; 38:1-7)B. The LAVER – There is HOPE
Read moreForming A People – Part 9 | Exodus 33:12-34:10,29-35
The God who Forms His People I. Moses has a HUNGER for GOD. (33:12-23)A. It’s a DEEP and RELATIONAL longing. (v.12-14)B. It sees RELATIONSHIP as COMMUNAL. (v.15-17)C. It SEEKS to
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