Sermon Series

Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, and on the way, he is teaching his disciples how to live as a part of his kingdom. His teachings cover a wide range of topics: mercy, prayer, anxiety, generosity, priorities, and his radical inclusion of outsiders. Not everyone, however, is pleased with Jesus’ words. Along the road, Jesus has many encounters with the religious leaders who challenge him.  So, as he gives instructions to his disciples, he warns against the hypocrisy and pride of the religious establishment. Join us as we, not only, learn from Jesus’ teachings and warnings but experience his grace and power as we follow him.

Christmas is all about hope. Even in the midst of suffering, loneliness, and disappointment, the message of Christmas has always been that hope entered our world 2,000 years ago in the form of a baby born in Bethlehem. There are no genealogies, angelic declarations, or guiding stars. John starts his account of the life of Jesus much further back—to the beginning of all creation. He explains how God’s eternal wisdom that shaped the foundations of the universe can shape our current hope. This hope, however, does not come from gaining earthly power or knowledge, but through trusting a person— the eternal God that at a specific time and specific place in history, became human.

Since the Garden of Eden, there has been a powerful narrative at work in the world. It is the story of shame. We know it well: “I am not good enough. I don’t really matter. I don’t have what it takes. Something is wrong with me. I am a bad mom. I am a bad dad.” This story has devastating effects on our lives. It leads us into insolation, holds us back from using our God-given gifts, and prevents us from stepping into all our callings. Shame is an assault on God’s good creation. Yet, for many of us,  it is the narrating the story of our live

The Wisdom Literature books of Ecclesiastes, Job, and Song of Songs. These books give us a masterclass on how to navigate three universal experiences: the struggle for purpose, the longing for love, and the battle for hope. Philosophically, these books dive into the fundamental questions of life that span history, cultures, and continents: Is there meaning in this life? Why is there so much suffering? Where can I find real love? Spiritually, these books help us understand faith in the midst of searching, hope in the midst of suffering, and love in the midst of longing, while showing us a picture of our God to whom all goodness, truth, and beauty point. Ultimately, these books point us to Jesus who is the object of our faith, source of our hope, and aim of our lives.

We all live fragmented lives. Even on our best days, we wrestle with inconsistencies between how we actually live and how we want to live. What is the path to wholeness?  The book of James offers practical help for becoming whole people—living an integrated life where our actions and words reflect the core convictions of our faith. James brings a heavenly faith down to earth by showing us how to walk faithfully through sorrow, pain, anger, doubt, disappointment, temptations, and failures. He also shows us how to tangibly love and serve our neighbors.

The person of Jesus continues to fascinate people from all over the world, especially around Christmas. He was a Jewish carpenter from a small town born to an unwed teenager, but his impact on the world is unrivaled. So, who was Jesus really? How did he live his life? What did he accomplish during this short time on earth?

In this series, we are going to look closely at the life of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel gives us a clear account of Jesus’ identity, Jesus’ teachings, and Jesus’ purpose. Who was he really? What was his message? Why did he come?

The Apostle Paul was desperate to see the church become all that God had called them to be. So, in the middle of his letter to the Ephesians, he offers a prayer to God on their behalf. 2,000 years later, this prayer is one of the most famous in the New Testament. From this prayer, we are going to explore where God is calling us as a church and what it is going to take to get there.