What Zechariah is Dreaming of this Christmas I. FINDING our FOOTING in Zechariah.A. UNDERSTANDING the CONTEXT. (1:1-6)B. DISCERNING the literary STRUCTURE. (Chap. 1-6)C. HOPE is the HEART of the MESSAGE
Read moreTag: Advent
Christmas 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 moreAdvent 2021 – Christmas Sunday | Luke 2:21-40
The Slow but Sure Plan of God I. A life ROOTED in OBEDIENCE. (v.21-40)A. A NAME filled with MEANING. (v.21; 1:31)B. Every act in ACCORDANCE with the LAW. (v.21-24,39) Luke
Read moreAdvent 2021 – Week 4: Love | Luke 2:1-20
The Coming of Love…to all people I. REFLECTING on the Bethlehem JOURNEY. (v.1-7)A. The EPITOME of POWERLESSNESS. (v.1-5)B. The BEST they could with what they HAD. (v.6-7) It’s a story
Read moreAdvent 2021 – Week 3: Joy | Luke 1:39-56
A Sharing of Joy I. Elizabeth: A MOMENT of CONFIRMATION. (v.39-45)A. A GIVING of the SPIRIT. (v.41)B. A DEEP sense of KNOWING. (v.42-44)C. A BLESSING for BELIEF. (v.42,45) Last week
Read moreAdvent 2021 – Week 2: Peace | Luke 1:26-38
The Pathway to Peace I. Same ANGEL, very different STORY. (v.26-38)A. A YOUNG and unmarried WOMAN. (v.26-27)B. A DIFFERENT type of QUESTION. (v.34)C. An active EMBRACING of the CALL. (v.38)
Read moreAdvent 2021 – Week 1: Hope | Luke 1:5-25; 57-80
A Song of Hope I. The OTHER birth STORY. (v.5-25, 57-66)A. A FAITHFUL but BARREN couple. (v.5-7)B. A ONCE in a LIFETIME event. (v.8-17)C. Even FAILURE to believe gets USED.
Read moreFourth Sunday of Advent 2020 | Jeremiah 33:1-16
LOVE ~ From Big and Beyond to Small and Beside I. God is BIG and BEYOND. (v.1-13)A. ACKNOWLEDGING our limited VIEWPOINT. (v.1-3)B. WHAT God will do – RENEWAL. (v.4-13; Jer.
Read moreThird Sunday of Advent 2020 | Jeremiah 31
JOY: Grace Found in the Wilderness I. A Story of EXILE and RETURN A. From SLAVE to FAMILY Jer. 31:1, 9, 20, 22 B. From TORN DOWN to REBUILT v.
Read moreSecond Sunday of Advent 2020 | Jeremiah 14:1-22
Longing for PEACE in the Crisis I. Front row SEATS for a CRISIS. (v.1-16)A. DESCRIBING the DEVASTATION. (v.1-6) B. CRYING out for HELP. (v.7-9) C. God’s RESPONSE. (v.10-12) D. Looking
Read moreFirst Sunday of Advent 2020 | Jeremiah 1:1-19
Honesty Makes Way for HOPE I. The CALL of a PROPHET (v.1-16)A. Real PEOPLE, real PLACES, DIFFICULT times. (v.1-3) B. Jeremiah’s FEELINGS of INADEQUACY. (v.4-6) C. Clinging to SOVEREIGNTY, WORD,
Read moreAdvent 2019 – Zechariah’s Dreaming Of… ~ Part 4 | Zechariah 3:1 - 4:14
The Power Behind the Priest and King I. Dream #4 – The PRIEST is PURIFIED. (3:1-10)A. The ACCUSATIONS are… TRUE. (3:1-3)B. God’s DECISION, not our WORTHINESS. (3:2-5)C. Called to FOLLOW
Read moreAdvent 2019 – Zechariah’s Dreaming Of… ~ Part 3 | Zechariah 2:1-13; 5:1-4
“I will live among you…” I. Dream #3 – A CITY without WALLS. (2:1-5)A. The REBUILDING is COMING. (1:16, 2:1-2)B. The LOGICAL STEP to take. (v.2)C. SOMETHING better than WALLS.
Read moreAdvent 2019 – Zechariah’s Dreaming Of… ~ Part 2 | Zechariah 1:18-21; 5:5-11
Two More Unusual Dreams I. I’m dreaming of HORNS and CRAFTSMEN. (1:18-21)A. SCATTERED by the POWERFUL. (v.18; Micah 4:13, Dan. 7:24B. SAVED by the… CRAFTSMEN? (v.19-21; Zech. 4:6) These dreams
Read moreAdvent 2019 – Zechariah’s Dreaming Of… ~ Part 1 | Zechariah 1:1-17; 6:1-8
We Wait in Hope I. Zechariah – MINOR prophet with a MAJOR message. (1:1-6)A. The CONTEXT of this BOOK. (Jer. 25:11, 33:11-14; Ez, 5:1-2)B. The STRUCTURE of the DREAMS. (Zech.
Read moreFourth Sunday of Advent 2018
Advent 2018: The King is Coming – Part 4 What Love Looks Like Matthew 1:18-25 December 23, 2018 I. Love is RARELY what you EXPECT. (v.18-19)A. She’s EXPECTING…that’s UNEXPECTED. (v.18)B.
Read more