MESSAGES
Listen
&
Watch
Making Everything New! (Knowing Jesus Better)
Christmas is all about Immanuel – God with us! It’s all about God wanting us to know this in a profound way as He brings the birth of Jesus before our eyes. Every human being longs to know that they are not alone, especially in the brokenness – the knowing - that things are not right in our world and in our lives. Our longings bubble up at Christmas and God brings us face to face with a brother who is Immanuel – God with us! As a friend of mine once said, “no one can ever say that God is not there; that He doesn’t care; that He hasn’t done anything; for the Child is born – and that changes everything! It makes everything new!”
In the next few weeks, we focus on the gift that this is meant to be in your lives. We focus on this baby that would turn our world upside down and make everything new! We focus on knowing Jesus better!...And living in His gifts in our lives!
Have you ever noticed how quick all the Christmas decorations come down? It’s as if everyone is trying to “get back to normal” at warp speed! It’s as if the brokenness of our existence is so familiar that we are all frightened to actually embrace a different way…even the way of hope, joy, peace, and love, the very things we deep-down long for. But the whole reality of Christmas is that God has something better for us than the “normal.” He has Jesus. Immanuel. God with us. And He is meant to “make everything new!” This then is our focus; “Making Everything New – Knowing Jesus Better!” What might this mean for your life?
Weekend of Dec.29th/30th New Beginnings
“God’s mercies are brand new every morning.” Lam.3
“Behold, I am making everything new!” (words from Jesus in Rev.7)
Where do you need a new beginning in your life? God wants you to know Jesus better. He wants you to know Him as the One who brings and gives new beginnings! What might this mean for you?
Weekend of Jan.5th/6th New Heart
How do you see yourself before the face of God? And how does this color how you see others? Today, God would rock our world with a picture of how God sees us…and others. God wants you to know Jesus better. He wants you to have a new heart. What might this mean for you?
Weekend of Jan.12th/13th New Connections (1)
The first day of High School Summer football practice I didn’t know hardly anyone because I went to a different grade school. But a couple of guys I did know quickly introduced me to everyone and all of a sudden I was part of the family. Has this ever happened to you with a friend and their family group? To know Jesus better is to understand what new connections He would bring into our lives; to understand life in a whole new sense of family. What might this mean for you?
Weekend of Jan.19th/20th New Connections (2)
When I got my first real job (in a grocery store) the people I worked with became almost a second family. And when I met Jane and got married her family became my family – and vice versa. To know Jesus better is to understand what new connections He would bring into our lives; to understand life in a whole new sense of family. What might this mean for you?
Weekend of Jan.26th/27th New Growth (1)
Lee Genter. He was a good friend of mine in the seminary with whom I would have long talks about theology. Looking back (and don’t ever tell him – I don’t want him to get a “big head!”) God worked through that relationship and those conversations to grow me as a person and pastor. But that’s the way it works – right? You could state the above exponentially with my wife…or my children (don’t tell them!), my parents, and many others throughout my life. How about you? Today we see what Jesus has to say about this as we look to know Him better; as He shows us how He works the gift of new growth into our lives! What might this mean for you?
Weekend of Feb.2nd/3rd New Growth (2)
Who do you call if you have a plumbing problem? Or your car won’t work? Or you have a financial decision to make? Most of us look for an authority we can trust – right? And when we find them we go back again and again – right? How about you? Today we see and know better the authority of Jesus. What might this mean in your life as He works the gift of new growth?
Weekend of Feb.9th/10th New Paradigm (1)
Sorry. I use this word “paradigm too much. But I couldn’t help it. A paradigm is a way of looking at life. Jesus would give us the gift of a foundational, startling new beginning in how we see ourselves in the life we live. He said it best, “when you lose your life, you find it.” Today, as we come to know Jesus better, He would work this new beginning in each of us. What might this mean for you?
Weekend of Feb.16th/17th New Paradigm (2)
A paradigm is a way of looking at life. A new paradigm is a way of seeing things differently. Today, Jesus would give us a shocking new way to see reality…and where we fit into it as one who follows Him. Today, we come to know Jesus - and the lens through which He sees life – better. What might this mean for you?
Weekend of Feb.23rd/24th New Awe
What causes you to pause in awe? Is it a sunset in the Sierras or over the ocean? Is it the power of a storm or the crash of a 20 foot wave as it hits the shore? Is it an athletic feat or a musical performance? Is it the mystery of life or even our existence? Today God would reveal just a bit the glory and power of Jesus face to face! He wants us to know Him better so that we can live brand knew in the awe of this Savior who has come for us! What might this mean for you?
Who Is This Jesus who Comes at Christmas?
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him.” Matthew 3:16
Matthew 1, Mark 1, Luke 3, and John 1; Each Gospel has at it’s very beginning the account of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist with the Holy Spirit of God being poured over Him “without measure” – that is, “without limit” - as it says in John 3. This must be pretty important!
But what is God trying to teach us about this Jesus who was born in Bethlehem but whose ministry begins with His Baptism as He is anointed with the Holy Spirit without measure as recorded in all four Gospels? What are we supposed to know from this? How is this supposed to touch our hearts and strengthen our faith relationship with Jesus? And how is this meant to guide us as the people on whom God’s Spirit has been poured, in the lives we live with Jesus, this one who was born on Christmas for us? This is our focus in our Wednesday Advent worship as we learn anew and remember who this Jesus is as the ANNOINTED ONE (the MESSIAH!) of God and what it means for us. May God’s Spirit be poured over us in our worship, study, and lives!
Wednesday, Dec. 5th Jesus, Our Prophet (He Proclaims the Message. He is the Message.)
Did you know that in the Old Testament, often when God chose, called, and appointed a Prophet, He was anointed with oil to signify that the Holy Spirit would empower him to carry out his calling in the power of God, the Holy Spirit? Jesus is our Great Prophet. The Spirit was poured out on him without measure! But what does this mean for us? And what does it mean that the Spirit has now been poured out on all of God’s people? What is it God wants us to know, to joyfully receive, and to live in?
Wednesday, Dec.12th Jesus, Our Priest (He Makes the Sacrifice. He Is the Sacrifice.)
Did you know that in the Old Testament often when God chose, called, and appointed a High Priest, he was anointed with oil to signify that the Holy Spirit would empower him to carry out his calling in the power of God, the Holy Spirit? Jesus is our Great High Priest! The Spirit was poured out on him without measure! But what does this mean for us? And what does it mean that the Spirit of God has been poured out on every Christian and each of us is declared and called to be a priest of God? What is it God wants us to know, to joyfully receive, and to live in?
Wednesday, Dec.19th Jesus, Our King (He is the King of all!...He Rules for Us!)
Did you know that in the Old Testament often when God chose, called, and appointed a King, he was anointed with oil to signify that the Holy Spirit would empower him to carry out his calling in the power of God, the Holy Spirit? Jesus is our Great King! The Spirit of God was poured out on him without measure! But what does this mean for us? And what does it mean that the Spirit of God has been poured out on every Christian and we are called a KINGDOM…who will REIGN on the earth? What is it God wants us to know, to joyfully receive, and to live in?
Christmas Stories
Have you ever seen one of those Christmas Hallmark movies? My mom loved those things! And to be honest, Jane and I used to curl up together and watch one of them every so often as well. Have you ever seen one? Every one of them is set during the time of the Christmas Holidays – as it is pictured in these movies, a kind of a “magic time,” a time when heaven and earth is moved so that love and romance can happen!
Each movie is a story about someone who has been touched by disappointment or tragedy in their lives but are having to face it alone (indeed, oftentimes the tragedy is being alone when they do not want to be alone!) – without that someone special who loves them - and who they love - and who will do life with them. The story is always about how that “special someone” comes into their life, and how, in the very special season of Christmas through situations and story lines that are at times almost magical, befitting the season, they are connected, fall in love, and by the end of the movie will live happily ever after! These movies are love stories - stories of love and joy and peace and hope – in the midst of a magical season where seemingly it can all happen! And we get to watch!
Tell me, why do you think we do – watch, that is? It seems to me it is because we all long for these kinds of stories in our lives and our world; stories of hope and love and peace and joy. And during this time of Christmas we dare to hope it is possible, even if it is in a kind of “fairy-tale like” movie.
As we approach Christmas this year, we want to share some Christmas Stories with you, stories of hope and love and peace and joy, the kind of stories we all long after. But the most wonderful thing is that these stories are not Hallmark Movies. They are real. And they not only bring to you – your story - what we all long after, but they will also help you to bring these same things – hope and joy and peace and love into this real world…into the stories of those who are close to you as well as those who are farther away.
Merry Christmas!
Weekend of Dec. 1st/2nd Stories of Hope That Won’t Let You Down (Merry Christmas!)
I remember one Christmas when I was hoping I would get my first bike….and I got it!...I remember another Christmas when I was hoping for a certain toy but all I got was clothes – hope dashed! How about you? Today we focus on stories of Christmas hope – a hope that will never let you down!
Weekend of Dec. 8th/9th Stories of Love Shining Brightly (Merry Christmas!)
What do you remember the most about Christmas? Is it what you did or what you got or what you ate?...or who you were with?...Family, friends….people. People who loved you and showed you that love; and people for whom you did the same! Today we focus on stories of love shining bright for us at Christmas….and how our Christmas love can shine brightly on others.
Weekend of Dec. 15th/16th Stories of Peace That will Last(Merry Christmas!)
This is an interesting time of year. We talk about it being “the holidays” – literally a time to slow down and “take a holiday” but we tend to fill our lives with more and more, with everything going faster and faster until finally we feel like we are missing whatever it is this season is all about! Into the midst of the storm, God comes with His Christmas Peace…to receive and relax in….and to share.
Weekend of Dec. 22nd/23rd* Stories of Joy …Released! (Merry Christmas!)
Do you remember the story of Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol?” Once the “spirit of Christmas” touched his heart, he could not contain his joy! He was so filled with joy it had to be released! Today we focus on stories of Christmas joy released…and how it can be released in our lives as well! JOY to the world!
How the Kingdom of God Works
How the Kingdom of God Works…
And Our Place in It…Head, Heart and Hands
“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90: 12
God is there….and here. He is close. He is the all in all. Every human being knows this deep down in our souls. From the most ancient of civilizations to this day, human beings have searched after God, intrinsically knowing that God holds the answer to the knowledge of eternity – which He Himself has placed within our hearts. (Eccl.3:11) We all know that we literally are “here today and gone tomorrow,” yet eternity awaits….and God and His kingdom hold both the key to eternity and the key to living our lives for what counts right now….to living our lives in the fulfillment and joy and purpose for which we were created!
Jesus talked a lot about the kingdom. He centered it in Himself. He said, talking about Himself, “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near (literally, right here in front of you!). Repent (literally, change your mind – receive what I bring), and believe the Good News. He showed by His life what it looked like to live in the kingdom. And He told stories -called parables – about how the kingdom works, inviting us to receive it all and live in it!
In the next few weeks we look at some of these stories that Jesus told about how the kingdom of God works….as He shows us also our place in it, Head, Heart, and Hands…as He shows us what life is meant to be about as people of the Kingdom of God!
“O Lord, teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
Weekend of Nov.3rd, 4th “Kingdom Paradigm” (Living in the Kingdom Picture)
Early in our marriage I got the impression that Jane was angry over something. I can’t remember the details – as with so many things, they don’t matter and get lost with time. But I do remember that my response was to decide to get angry in return…until Jane took my hands in hers after dinner one night, and looking into my eyes with great concern said, “Brad, what’s wrong? I’m so concerned about you!” I was seeing things through a completely wrong paradigm. Jane wasn’t upset with me at all. And even if she was, I should have seen things through the filter, the paradigm, that she loved me and only wanted the best for me. A paradigm is a way of seeing things – a filter through which you understand and respond to things. It is essential that we see things through a correct paradigm. Today, Jesus shows us the paradigm through which to see things – and to live – in the Kingdom. Interested?
Weekend of Nov.10th, 11th “Kingdom Math” (Living in the Kingdom Equation)
Basic math. Negative numbers. Quadratic equations. Geometry proofs. Trigonometry functions. Calculus…. well, you get the point. There are many types of math and if one is to function in that realm, they must know the equations. God has a math as well – and like many things of God, it is hidden in mystery. For instance, the math for God who dwells in His essence as the Trinity is 1+1+1=1. Today, we look at God’s Kingdom math. It too is a mystery. But if we are going to live in the kingdom, we really need to understand the math! Interested?
Weekend of Nov.17th, 18th “Kingdom Vision” (Living with Kingdom Eyes)
They say that Ted Williams (one of baseballs’ all-time great hitters) could actually see the stitching on the baseball as it was coming to home plate traveling at 90 miles per hour! It pays to have good vision! I remember when I was coaching, another coach walked up to me in the middle of a game and told me to have the running back “cut back” right after he got through the line of scrimmage. I did – and it went for a touchdown. The other coach had “seen something.” But note this, If Ted Williams had never swung the bat his vision would have been wasted and if I had never told the running back to “cut back” the vision of that coach would have been wasted as well. Today, Jesus would give us “Kingdom Vision” in a way that perhaps we have never understood – SEEN before – so that we can LIVE with “Kingdom Eyes.” Interested?
Weekend of Nov.24th, 25th “Kingdom Urgency” Living in the Kingdom NOW)
My son, Jeff, is an emergency room/trauma nurse. He tells the story of how one shift they brought in the husband of the doctor who was the Chief of Staff. While Jeff immediately recognized the signs of severe sepsis and began to take action, no one else caught it or believed him. In fact, the head nurse was so busy talking with the man’s wife (remember, she was the Chief of Staff of the hospital) trying to “make points” and assuring her they had everything handled, that she told Jeff to “calm down and quit acting like it was so urgent.” But being Jeff – and this being his patient – he refused, living in the urgency that the situation deserved, saving the man’s life. The next day the Chief of Staff pulled him aside privately in her office and thanked him for saving her husband’s life. Today, Jesus would give us “Kingdom Urgency.” He would hold up the situation in which we live our lives and how this by necessity points us to living our lives in the “urgency of the Kingdom” RIGHT NOW. Interested?
The Apostle's Creed
Where are you looking for something you can trust to live by? That’s what this series is about!!!
The Apostle’s Creed. No, it was not written by the Apostles. Rather, it is a short summation of the writings of the Apostles - the New Testament – as the Holy Spirit gave them the words. It is a summation of who God is, what He did, and what this means for us.
And even though it does not date back to the Apostles, it has been around a long time. It was first used around 325AD in what is today modern France as a Baptism Creed. Why? Because it explained/declared/witnessed to this God in whose Name they were Baptized. It was a confession – a declaration, a witness of the faith.
But it is called a CREED. Think about that a minute. So often we think about a confession or CREED as simply a statement of what one believes. But a CREED is far more than that. It is something one lives by – isn’t it? When one was Baptized into the Name and reality of God, they were also saying, “this is the reality – the Creed – I will live by.” And for close to 1700 years, Christians to this very day have used these words -this CREED - to declare, “This is what I believe and this is the reality under which I will live my life!”
In the next few weeks we will focus on the eternal truths of the New Testament – written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by the Apostles – yet summarized in the Apostle’s Creed. We will not look at this CREED simply from the idea of WHAT – what we believe, the content of our faith – though, of course, this will be our beginning place. Rather, we will look at this ancient CREED for what it is – a CREED – something to touch our hearts and move our hands; something to live by!
Where are you looking for something you can trust to live by – Head, Heart, and Hands? That’s what this series is about!
Sat./Sun, Sept. 8th/9th Origins 1: Who is God? (Focus on Relationship!)
Origins. Beginnings. “Who God is” is the foundation of all beginnings. To know who God is gives us a window into who we are and really all reality. Everything – including ourselves - begins with God. Everything -including ourselves - comes from God. Where do you long to know, see, and live in the “big picture.” This is our focus today, Head, Heart, and Hands!
Sat./Sun, Sept.15th/16th Origins 2: The Creator God (Does it make a difference?)
A number of years ago I remember seeing in college a film of Dr. Leakey discovering “Lucy,” who at the time – since discredited - was held up as our “earliest ancestor.” What I remember the most is the hushed, reverent, awe-filled tones used in the film, almost as if they were in worship, talking about our supposed origin as humans. Why would this be so since every one of these people would espouse a theory that says all of life only got here by chance and man is just another animal? Maybe it is because deep down we all know this isn’t true. Maybe deep down, in a place we can’t get away from, we understand our existence to be the stuff of awe and mystery…and it is! This is our focus today, Head, Heart, and Hands!
Sat./Sun, Sept. 22nd/23rd Jesus (Who is he? What did he do?)
There are a number of short films where a “man on the street” approached is used as an interviewer and cameraperson ask people in a low-key way who they think Jesus is….or was. The answers span from “I don’t think he ever existed” to “He was a good man” to “He was a son of God” to “He was a prophet” to “He was THE Son of God.” Today this is our focus; Who he is. What he did. But not just to know in our heads…rather to know in our hearts and to live by. Jesus: Who he is. What he did. Head, Heart, and Hands!
Sat./Sun, Sept. 29th/30th Jesus (What is he doing NOW?)
Now THIS is a GOOD question! Have you ever thought about it? How would you answer it? And what would be your basis for your answer? And can we ever know for sure? Or do we have to “put our brains on the shelf” and just speculate? Today, we focus on knowing for sure what Jesus is doing NOW and what this means for us; Head, Heart, and Hands!
Sat./Sun, Oct.6th/7th Jesus (The Rest of the Story!)
Our society – and humankind in general seems fascinated by world doomsday scenarios. Just look at all the movies that have been made with this as the story! It’s as if we know it’s all got to end sometime. But have you noticed that these same movies always seem to have a hope for a tomorrow in them?...even if it’s for a few or on another planet? Why do you think this is so? Today it seems as if we focus on the opposite end of origins. And in a sense, we do as we focus on the other end of the timeline….the end. But maybe in Jesus this end becomes a new beginning. This is our focus today; Head, Heart, and Hands!
Sat./Sun, Oct. 13th/14th The Spirit (Who is this guy?)
Have you ever had someone knock on your door whom you did not know? How much do you trust them when you first open the door? How about when you meet someone new in another way? Before we begin to trust someone we need to get to know them – right? Today we focus on “getting to know” the Holy Spirit so we can learn to trust Him more; Head, Heart, and Hands!
Sat./Sun, Oct. 20th/21st The Spirit (How does it all work?)
I know nothing about how a car engine works….BUT I know enough. I know enough to put gas in it. I know enough to put oil in it. I know enough to take it to the mechanic when the little lights come on. I know enough to turn the ignition key and I know enough to drive it. I can take full advantage of the car even though I honestly do not know how it all works; I just trust it works. So it is with the Holy Spirit. This is our focus today; Head, Heart, and Hands!
Sat./Sun, Oct. 27th, 28th The Bottom Line: Grace!! (Reformation Day Celebration!!)
If you could take all of the letters in the words of the Apostle’s Creed and put them in a blender, the one word that would come out is GRACE. Five hundred years ago a man -Martin Luther - rediscovered this for it had been largely lost and most lived in a darkened world void of grace. We – together with all Christians who know this God of grace – joyfully remember and celebrate this gift! Grace; Head, Heart, and Hands!
Life Animated (Revisited!)
He (Jesus) did not say anything to them without using parables. Matthew 13:34)
Can you believe it? August marks the beginning of a new school year!! Back to school we go! What a great time to revisit this fun and exciting special focus! This year we will be using the classic animated children’s films Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. This is going to be a blast! It will be like “going to the movies” but even better! Come and check it out! And bring your friends! It just may make “going back to school” a little easier! Oh, and we just may have an “ah-ha” experience or two as we see how these stories reveal things about ourselves and how our stories intersect with the story of God for us in Jesus! Don’t miss out on this fun adventure!
Our lives are made up of stories. Perhaps this is why we are story tellers. Books. Plays. Musicals. Films. Aesop’s Fables. Ancient Greek tragedies. Shakespeare. It seems that humankind has always had a need to tell stories. Stories are meant to explain our existence. They point to a voice within each of us that whispers to us of a “backstory,” a greater story behind our stories which somehow intersects with our individual stories to make sense of our lives.
Through these stories we almost instinctively try to answer “the big questions” that are part of each of us. Stories are a window into our soul. They can touch our hearts or communicate a point to us in a way that mere words cannot hope to do. They can give us that “aha” moment of truth like no other medium. Jesus often told stories, called parables, even coming to the point where He only spoke using these stories. In this way, He intersected God’s story with our stories.
Embedded in the stories we tell are the longings of our souls…which all, finally, point to the only place these longings can be met; Jesus. On these three Sundays, we will use these three stories in film to examine our human condition, the longing of our souls, our need for a greater story, and how the greater story of God in the Savior meets us squarely in this place of need. Whatever your age, this series will connect with you in your story with the story of Jesus!
Sat./Sund., August 11th/12th Beauty and the Beast
Ok. This is a classic! Great characters! Wonderful music! But what does this movie reveal about ourselves and our stories….and how God’s story connects with our stories? What does this movie say of the ancient questions we are asking that are embedded in the stories we tell over and over again? What are we trying to explain? What are we trying to understand?...and where does God’s story in Jesus connect to it all? Come and see!...and maybe, for the fun of it, before this Sunday gather together your family and/or friends and watch the movie one more time!
Sat./Sun., August 18th/19th Cinderella
Another classic. A tale of evil making another feel worthless and alone. (Can you relate? Have you ever felt this way?) A tale of help given in a hopeless situation. A tale of good triumphing through love! Why do we tell such stories? Why do we call them “classics?” And how does this story fit into our story and how the story of Jesus intersects with ours? Come and see!...and maybe, just for the fun of it, before this Sunday gather your family and/or friends to watch the movie one more time!
Sat./Sun., Sept. 1st/2nd Sleeping Beauty
Once again, an absolute classic story! A story of intrigue and rescue! A story of good vs. evil. A story with a villain and with a hero. A story where love triumphs! Why do we tell such stories? And how do these things fit into our story and how the story of Jesus intersects with ours? Come and see! …and maybe, just for the fun of it, before this Sunday gather your family and/or friends to watch the movie one more time!
“Knowing the Heart of God….And Living In It!”
"Knowing the Heart of God... And Living In It!"
Humankind has always sought to know God and to live in Him….because deep down every single human being knows that God is there. How about you?
The Bible says, “God has set eternity in the hearts of humankind; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Eccl.3:11) But then, we really don’t need the Bible to tell us this, do we? If you were to calculate the number, out of all of the billions of people who have ever lived, who have claimed they believe that there is no god, it would be so small as to be statistically irrelevant! In truth, these people are anomalies in the overwhelming statistical and historical reality of a universal belief of humankind that God is there.
We see this reality reflected in our own time as many thought the decline of Christianity in Europe and the USA would mean the end of religion – that is, an end to a human “spirituality” that sought out a reality beyond space and time that stretched into eternity. But this has not been the case. Both in Europe and especially in the USA we have remained a “spiritual” people seeking some type of “spiritual” truth. Humankind just seems to know deep down in the very essence of who they are that there is an eternal reality; a reality grounded in God.
Yet, throughout human history, we see humankind searching but not finding; longing but not being fulfilled; desiring to know truth but left empty.
The Bible says the truth is not something we need to discover or to achieve or to earn. Rather, the Bible says that the truth has come to us. His Name is Jesus and He is “the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” In Jesus is the heart of God revealed; in Jesus is the answer to what we all seek, the One who can fulfill every longing; the One who is the truth that fills us up.
In the next few weeks, in 4 three-week mini-series, we will look to know and receive the heart of God revealed finally in Jesus; And we will look to be empowered to live in it! For this is what we all seek!
Humankind has always sought to know God and to live in Him….because deep down every single human being knows that God is there. How about you?
Mini-Series #1…The Inviting God
Have you ever been on the outside looking in?...And then someone invited you in? How did it feel? In this short three week series God would have us know Him as the One who invites us in….This is God’s heart toward us!...And this is how he would empower us to live toward others!
Saturday and Sunday, May 5th/6th “It’s Personal”
When my oldest son was in the 4th or 5th grade a number of kids in his class asked him personally if he would play on their little league baseball team. It’s nice to be wanted. Even though it was a longer drive, we let him do it. Did you know you are personally wanted by God?...That He would touch your heart with His heart-feIt invitation? It’s nice to be wanted….And it’s a gift to have such a heart towards all.
Saturday and Sunday, May 12th/13th “It’s Relevant”
“Ontogeny recapitulates philogeny.” It is something I had to learn in detail in an advanced Biology class in college where, just as we finished the final, we were told that it was no longer thought to be true…Did you ever have to learn something in school that you knew would NEVER be relevant in your life? God’s invitation to you – from His heart to yours – will never be irrelevant. It is a gift to receive and a gift to live in!
Saturday and Sunday, May 19th/20th “It’s Not Something He Wants Us to Miss!”
Have you ever driven cross country in the Midwest and as you are approaching some restaurant or museum there are huge signs –one after another over a number of miles perhaps even on the sides of huge, old truck trailers – advertising the attraction or eatery? They really don’t want you to miss their invitation! Did you know God, in His great love for you that doesn’t want you to miss the invitation, does very similar things? Did you know that we are called to do the same?
Mini-Series #2…The Connecting God
Have you ever experienced a time when you weren’t sure you were welcome in a particular situation? Awkward, wasn’t it? Throughout the Bible God’s heart is revealed as the One who breaks down the barriers so we can see and know His wide open arms of welcome and friendship as well as His heart of hospitality towards us in every situation and every moment. In the next few weeks we explore what this means for us both to receive it and live in it!
Saturday and Sunday, May 26th/27th Hospitality: You are WELCOME Here!
When I would bring friends home, my dad had a way of making them feel welcome...as if they belonged with us!...and he firmly believed they did! His concern and care for them expressed in genuine hospitality was transparent and real! I remember when my dad died Ernie Perez, a close friend of mine from High School that I had not seen in 20 years came to his funeral…that’s how connected he felt to my dad. The hospitality of God; You are welcome here!...to receive it and to live in!
Saturday and Sunday, June 2nd and 3rd “I Call you Friend!”
The first day Jane and I got to the Seminary, I went to the Administration Office, got squared away, and then was immediately asked if I would help move in another student and his family who had just gotten there. So I worked with Lee all afternoon and got him and his family moved in. But the thing I remember about that day? We each offered the other one the hand of friendship in ways too numerous to count. We remain close friends to this day. Today, we see the heart of God in that He offers us the hand of friendship…and empowers us to do the same.
Saturday and Sunday, June 9th/10th “Here for the Duration”
Have you ever sung a version of the song “On Top of Old Smokey?” Most of them talk about someone being all alone on top of a mountain without….something they desperately need. God, in His love, NEVER leaves us “on top of Old Smokey.” He NEVER says, “Your on your own now!” No, in His love He stays connected….and He would empower us to live this same way toward others.
Mini-Series #3….The Discipling/Apprenticing God
The story goes that when someone asked Michelangelo how he could sculpt such beautiful works out of the stone, he said that he saw the figure in the block of stone and all he did was to bring it out. God sees us as who we are in Christ and what we can become in Him! By His Spirit, in His love, He works to sculpt His work of art in each of us! We were made for great things!
Saturday and Sunday, June 16th/17th “Special Made for a Purpose”
Have you ever seen the movie “Chariots of Fire?” It is a movie about the English men’s track and field team at the 1924 Olympics. There is a character in the movie who is a Christian and says, “I was made to run. When I run I feel God’s pleasure.” Do you have that one thing –or perhaps a couple of things – that you know you were just “made to do?” In truth, God has put each of us together special and unique and then has gifted us even beyond this with His Spirit to do special and unique things. What will this mean for you?
Saturday and Sunday, June 23rd/24th “Doing Life Together”
Have you ever heard the phrase, “learning by osmosis.” Basically what it means is that just as when you throw salt in a glass of water and over a few seconds it spreads through the entire solution, so too when we spend enough time doing life together with someone, they tend to “rub off” on us. So, God wants to do life with us so He can rub off on us…but He also wants us to do life with each other, so that who we are in Christ can rub off on each other as well. Jesus does NOT leave us alone. He comes to do life with us. Such is God’s heart toward us.
Saturday and Sunday, June 30th/July 1st “On the Job Training”
Have you ever “learned by doing?” It really is the only way to truly learn how to do something. I mean, you can talk about it, diagram it, understand it, see someone else doing it, but until YOU do it, you will not truly learn how to do it and get better at it. (If you have ever been on a football team and remember the first scrimmage of the year you know exactly what I mean!) Jesus taught His disciples through “on the job training.” And He still does. He just uses us to do it. He does NOT leave us alone. He comes to us. Such is God’s heart toward us.
Mini-Series #4…The Sending God
John 3:16 is the most well-known verse in all the Bible. It says in part, “For God so loved the world that He SENT His Only Begotten Son…” Jesus was sent to us and for us by God the Father! We have a wonderful, loving, sending God! And then Jesus, following the Resurrection, says to His disciples, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you!” This is our focus in the next few weeks!
Saturday and Sunday, July 7th/8th “A Way of Life”
Not long ago I had a cataract removed from my left eye. It was really quite amazing to go from seeing hardly anything out of that eye at all to 20-20 vision. But the thing that I wasn’t prepared for was how all the colors were so crisp and clean and vivid! It was amazing to see like that again! This kind of transformation gift is what God gives us as people who see themselves as SENT just as Jesus was SENT! As Paul wrote in the book of Philemon, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith (in word and deed!), so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ!”
Saturday and Sunday, July 14th/15th "Always to Others"
Jesus came for all. We are sent to take Him always to others. We are pleased and privileged to have the recently retired Rev. Ted Hartman with us who has served our district with distinction for many years as the Mission Executive. May God, the Holy Spirit, bless His message and witness to us this morning!
Saturday and Sunday, July 21st/22nd "Our Student Ministry"
On this very special day, our students and Student Ministry will be featured. These young people are not simply the “church of tomorrow” but the church of TODAY! This will be a lively, joyful, insightful day of celebration!
Saturday and Sunday, July 28th/29th “We (Together!) Are The Body of Christ!”
Have you ever heard the phrase, “perception is everything?” What it is saying is that perception is powerful because it frames how one sees things, whether it is how one sees another, or how one sees themselves. What is your perception of the people of God, the church? The Bible depicts us as being SENT together on a mission – to actually join Jesus on His mission! We are an army on the move! And the Bible says the gates of hell (gates here being defensive weapons since we are the ones doing the attacking) shall not prevail against us! This is our focus today!
Saturday and Sunday, August 4th/5th “Experience Is A Great Teacher”
Did you ever teach a young person (maybe your own son or daughter) how to drive a car? You can talk about it and rehearse it and have them watch you, but they really won’t learn until they actually do it. Today we focus on ways that we can intentionally gain experience through doing by going on “short term mission trips.” Why? It is what Jesus did! We can do some great things! And we can grow in our everyday discipleship!
Finding Jesus: Monday through Friday!
(God’s Easter Gift To You!)
Were you ever in a Math class in school where someone said something like, “This is crazy! When will I ever have to use this stuff in my real life? It’s just not relevant!”?
The point of this series is that Jesus is relevant not just on Saturday or Sunday but on Monday through Friday as well! Interested?
Sat. March 31st and Sun. April 1st Finding Hope: Monday Through Friday! Easter Celebration!
Easter will be awesome! Great crowds of God’s people connecting with God and one another in worship…and then over breakfast and conversation as we share our lives. And the worship!...Exciting, joy-filled, worship with great music and song! And the reality of the victory of the Savior… “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”…But this morning, it is on the above theme that we especially focus. Biblical hope is certainty….certainty in what Jesus has done for us. And don’t miss this; It is a hope – a certainty – that is relevant and is meant to be with us Monday through Friday – not just on Saturday and Sunday! Where do you need this gift of Easter hope in your Monday through Friday life?
Sat. April 7th and Sun. April 8th Finding Peace and Purpose: Monday – Friday!
Peace: How are you doing with that?...not just on the weekends but Monday through Friday? And purpose…does the Monday through Friday grind sometimes feel pointless? Today we focus on a peace that is relevant not only on Saturday and Sunday but on Monday through Friday as well. And we focus on a purpose that is not only for the Sunday moment but also transcends the Monday through Friday grind. Where do you need this Easter gift of peace and purpose in your Monday through Friday life?
Sat. April 14th and Sun. April 15th Finding A Second Chance: Monday – Friday!
Sometimes we would be shooting hoops in the driveway when my dad got home from work. I can still remember him saying again and again - wanting to make one shot before he went in the house to see mom - “one more,” “one more,” “one more,” until he made it. Where do you need “one more” – a second chance? This is our Easter focus today. And this second chance is not just for Saturday and Sunday; it is to take into your Monday through Friday life as well. Where do you need this Easter gift of a “second chance” in your Monday through Friday life?
Sat. April 21st/Sun. April 22 Finding Success and Connectedness: Monday-Friday!
Where are you chasing after success in your Monday through Friday life?....and how’s that working for you? And where, in the struggle to achieve, do you feel disconnected and alone? Today we focus on the success and connectedness that the Resurrected One would give us; not just on Saturday and Sunday but also in our Monday through Friday life. Where do you need this Easter gift in your Monday through Friday life?
Sat. April 28th and Sun. April 29th Finding Your Place: Monday through Friday!
When I was 8 years old my older brother and I walked to the falls at Yosemite National Park from where my family was camped in the meadows. It was a long walk for an 8 year old. (I even remember the grass being over my head in the meadows when we began and the switchback trails looking as wide to me as a highway lane does today.) But I knew my place. I followed my older brother and I was content. He led. I followed. And even though it was a challenge, everything went great. Are you sometimes searching for your place in your Monday through Friday life? Today we focus on the Easter gift of finding your place…And it is not only for Saturday and Sunday but for your Monday through Friday life as well! Where do you need this Easter gift in your Monday through Friday life?
Diamond Vision
Early in my Sophomore year in High School, just before Christmas, I had the opportunity to see “A Christmas Carol” (ie. “Scrooge.”) in a “theatre in the round”
in Hollywood. (I remember I was a Sophomore because a pretty Senior girl who had tickets asked me to go and even drove…but my high hopes were soon dashed….but that is another story!)
The play was wonderful! However, I kept wondering how it was being viewed by the people across from me as well as from the various angles in the audience that circled the performance. I mean, literally, every seat would see the play a little differently….like a many faceted diamond! After the play, we even took some time to circle the stage trying to picture how each angle saw the play!
Jesus –and what He means to us – is like a many faceted diamond. In one sense, He means the same for each of us….but in another, who He is and what He offers to us is different for each one of us depending on what we are going through in our lives. Further, even as we individually live our lives in the constant change of circumstances and struggles, He is there for us every day exactly as we need Him to be, a multi-faceted diamond! Perhaps this is why the Bible has four different books that narrate Jesus life – to begin to show us this many-faceted diamond that IS Jesus! Perhaps this is why, in the first chapter of the book of Romans alone, the word Gospel – Good News – is used seven times concerning Jesus! Jesus is Good News for each of us in every facet of our lives!
In the next few weeks, we will explore Jesus in “Diamond Vision,” looking to understand a little better the many faceted ways that His love would touch our lives and the lives of all in the multifaceted realities of our lives. This is Good News!...to receive and to give away! Where/how do you need a Savior in your life?
Each message will feature a unique video. If you want to share the video on it's own they are available on our videos page.
Sat.,Sun., February 17th/ 18th “Falling Plates”
Growing up, our ever day plates were made out of Pyrex – pretty much unbreakable unless you were really trying. But on special days such as Thanksgiving or Christmas or a Birthday, mom would get out “the good plates.” These were different. If you dropped one of these, it would shatter. And on top of this, these plates had been passed down from my mom’s mom to her. They were MUCH MORE valuable than the Pyrex plates. Today, we compare our lives to falling plates – not the Pyrex kind but the Valuable kind – and how Jesus would put us back together. This is Good News!... to receive and to give away!
Sat./Sun., February 23rd/24th “Freedom Within”
These are two common words put together in an uncommon way, yet expressing the longing of each of us. Freedom. We usually talk about this in a way that focuses outside of ourselves in the sense of, “being free to do what I want.” Within. What is inside of us. Hidden. Private. But what if we brought the “within” out into the light? Where/how are you in a prison – enslaved – inside? And what would it mean to be free. Because Jesus brings freedom….inside! This is Good News!... to receive and to give away!
Sat./Sun., March 3rd/4th “Paper Hats”
Hats. A cowboy wears one type of hat. A ship’s captain another. And a common sailer another. And a king another! In a sense, the kind of hat we wear determines how we see things…and how we live in our world. How do you see things? What hat are you wearing? And how is that working for you? Did you know that Jesus came to give us a “new hat?”….a new way of seeing things? And did you know that it was meant to change everything?” Where do you need this? This is Good News!...to receive and to give away!
Sat.,Sun., March 10th/11th “Flow”
When we were in Denver, a large water pipe ruptured across the street from the church. They had it fixed in a couple of days, strongly telling us that the water was fine. Yet, for days afterward, when we turned on the water, it came out brown and fresh and healthy!...so we can be healthy. Today, we focus on the “water” we drink for our soul. How healthy has it left you? Did you know Jesus is called the “water of life?” Here is refreshing, clean, healthy, water for your soul, whatever your need! This is Good News!...to receive and to give away!
Sat./Sun., March 17th/18th “The Search”
On one backpacking trip, my brother and I were hit with an unexpected blizzard. It was so fierce, we got out the maps and walked out a shorter way. When we got home, we found out my parents had called “Search and Rescue” who were getting ready to try to find us. The problem? They would have looked in the wrong area!....Where are you lost in your life? Where do you hope someone is searching for you? Where do you need to be found? There is someone who is searching and who knows right where you are! His Name is Jesus. And He has come, and is coming for you! This is Good News!...to receive and to give away!
Sat./Sun., March 24th/25th “Newly Forged”
Do you remember the first “Karate Kid” movie? The patience of a young man, who has come to an old Karate Master to learn Karate, is sorely tried as he is told to do such things as paint a fence and wax old cars. Finally, he loses his trust and with it his patience, calling out the older man….who then shows him that the movements he was doing over and over again in the work was training him in the movements of Karate. In a sense, they were “forging him” to be what he wanted to be. Where, deep down, do you want to be –perhaps even need to be - “different?”….maybe even not knowing what this means? What would you say if you were told that Jesus, somehow, through every experience and all situations, is working according to His plan to forge you into exactly who you should be as you walk in Him? This is Good News!...to receive and to give away!
Pray Under The Cross
Lent is a time when we focus on the cross and what this means for us. As we do this, one does not need to look far to find our Savior praying; His wonderful and moving prayer for Himself, His disciples and finally, for “all who would believe in Him through their message” – for us! – spoken on the Thursday night before He died; His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane –“Father, may your will be done!” – and it was as He went the way of the cross; and His prayers on the cross –“Father, forgive them,” “My God, why hast though forsaken me?,” and “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
But prayer – this communion with God – is not just for Jesus. It is a gift given to each of us through what Jesus did on the cross. In fact, when His disciples, seeing His intimacy with God through prayer, came to Him asking Him to “teach us to pray,” He graciously did so. And He does so for us as well.
Ash Wednesday – February 14th Dear Children/Holy Name
We come in repentance confessing our sins. Through the cross of Jesus we are declared to be His own dear children and are renewed in living to Hallow His Name! What does this mean for our prayers? (Note: This worship includes both the imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion.)
Wednesday, February 21st -Kingdom/Will
The gracious kingdom of God and the gracious will of God is inextricably bound together. What does this mean for us in our prayers?
Wednesday, February 28th- Bread
See the depth and brilliance of Jesus as He simply yet powerfully teaches us to pray for “bread.” What does this mean for us in our prayers?
Wednesday, March 7th - Forgiveness
Forgiven: the gift of a state of being received and a way of life to live in. What does this mean for our prayers?
Wednesday, March 14th- Temptation/Evil
The gift of victory over all our enemies – received and lived in! What does this mean for our prayers?
Wednesday, March 21st- Kingdom, Power, Glory
The certainty of God’s Kingdom, Power, and glory seen in the cross. What does this mean for our prayers?
This is Jesus
When I was in the 8th grade a friend and I slipped out of the house about 10pm to toilet paper the principal’s house (because we LIKED him!). We walked about two miles to his house, realized we had “hit it perfectly” because he was not home, and proceeded to masterfully cover everything with toilet paper. Just as we turned to go, a police car rolled up and there was no mercy. But as we were sitting in the back seat of the police car (you ever noticed there is no door handles in the back seat of a police car?) up walks my father. He had quietly followed us in the car to make sure we were ok! He then proceeds to have a laughing conversation with the police officers and soon we are in his car on the way home. That was my dad. He was ALWAYS there for us!
Have you ever told a story about your mom or dad or someone else to try to communicate what they are/were like and who they are/were? It’s what we do, isn’t it? It’s how we can communicate in ways that are powerful and hit the mark.
For instance, right now you know my father much better than if I had just said, “he was always there for us.”
And yet, there will always be questions…”how did he see us go?” “Why did he let us sit in the police car?” “What did he say to the policeman that was so funny…yet “freeing?” There is always questions, but the truth of the story still stands: “my dad was always there for us.”
In the next few weeks, we are going to look at some stories about Jesus in the Bible that were written so that we might really –intimately and personally – in the midst of the great mysteries and questions of our lives, know Him and who He is and what He does for us…for you. THIS is JESUS!!...And even in the face of all the questions and mysteries of our lives, THIS STANDS!
Saturday/Sunday, January 6th/7th “He Is One Who Is King of All….My King!”(Coming of the Wisemen)
Mystery. Questions. They are always with us when it comes to Jesus. Yet, through them all this story is told to establish deep within us that Jesus is the King of all who has come to be our gracious king. THIS is Jesus!
Saturday/Sunday, January 13th/14th “He Is The One Who Forgives My Sins!”
Mystery. Questions. Deep down, each of us longs to be unconditionally loved and accepted. But what does this mean and who can do this for us so that we know it’s real, even with all the hard stuff we live through together with all the questions this brings? Jesus can. It’s called the forgiveness of sins. It’s why He came. THIS is Jesus!
Saturday/Sunday, January 20th/21st “He Is The One Who Meets My Needs”
Mystery. Questions. Where are you in need? Physically, relationally, provisionally, spiritually? Amidst the mystery and questions of life, where can you turn in complete confidence to have those needs met? And how can you be sure? At Thanksgiving everyone –religious or not – stops and remembers to be thankful for all they have. Why? Perhaps it is because every human being is acutely aware of the many variables including health and opportunity upon which hangs our ability to meet our needs. Perhaps, because finally, we are not the ones who meet are needs but rather it is Another who provides all things for us. THIS is Jesus!
Sat./Sun., Jan. 27th/28th “He is the One Who Understands My Temptation”
Mystery. Questions. In the intricacies, mysteries, and questions of life, where/how are you tempted to do what you should not do or to not do what you should? Is there one who really understands and can help in the multifaceted shadows of your personal struggles to do right? Yes. THIS is Jesus!
Saturday/Sunday, February 3rd/4th “He Is The One Who Calms My Fears”
Mystery. Questions. In the mystery and questions of life all of humankind seems to live in multi-faceted fear. It is different for each of us as each of us live through unique and different experiences. Yet, we all have fears. What fears reside in you? There is One who can calm them once and for all. THIS is Jesus!
Sat./Sun., February 10th/11th “He Directs My Path. He Secures My Eternity.”(The Transfiguration of Jesus)
Mystery. Questions. Have you ever heard the poem, “Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood?” The point is that the traveler has a decision to make – which way to go – and the choice will make “all the difference.” Is there one who can guide our lives in the “forks in the road?”…who can, amidst all the questions and mysteries, lead is in the path that “makes all the difference?” Yes! THIS is Jesus!