Life is like a pressure cooker. The stress often threatens to take us apart bit by bit.
Amidst all the craziness, how can we keep our sanity? Better yet, how can we keep our serenity? This week’s vivid gospel story offers important clues.
The Way We Were
There is a constant tension between the comfort of the familiar and the adventure of the unknown. Most of us tend to prefer the comfort of the familiar — to the point that we easily get stuck, resist change, and sometimes long for the past.
In today’s scripture, Jesus challenges us to “let go” and embrace God’s constant creative work in our lives. Are you up to the challenge?
Jesus’ Prescription For Positive Living
Bad things happen every day. Often it’s people who disappoint us, and we get so upset. Other times, it’s not people, but our circumstances that seem impossible and make us feel helpless. Either way, staying positive is a constant battle.
Becoming negative is so easy. Jesus faced the same challenges, but triumphed over them. How?
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Weird People
Have you ever felt boxed in, like you can’t be genuinely yourself because others might think you’re weird? And how many times do we do the same thing to others — imposing our expectations on them, or even on God?
In the Bible, some of the most stunningly effective characters were the “weirdest.” This sermon looks at John the Baptist and how God used John’s weirdness to prepare the way for Jesus.
Equilibrium
Life pushes and pulls us in many directions. It’s easy to get wobbly and out of balance.
Jesus faced the same push and pull — all the same tests we do — yet managed to keep his center. How did he do this?
Imagine
In this sermon we ask ourselves what God may be trying to do in the world today, and how our church fits into that big picture. As we do so, Pastor Jeff will share an exciting announcement about our future.
Not What I Expected
Life has a way of throwing us curve balls — unpleasant, unexpected surprises. In such times, how do you react? Some tend to fall apart, while others survive and thrive through the crisis. What makes the difference?
This sermon examines how Jesus’ Father and Mother reacted to all the disruptions surrounding his birth.
Roots
Two of the four Gospels begin with long genealogies tracing the ancestral roots of Jesus. Why? Who cares if Jesus’ great, great, great, great grandfather was Manasseh or Enoch or Bo Diddley?
This Sunday kicks off a study of the life of Christ by tracing Jesus’ roots — asking what we can learn about him and ourselves in the process.
Kvetching
It’s everywhere, all around us, everywhere we go — even inside us. Negative words come so naturally, especially in the workplace.
But when we say negative things, are our words simply descriptive or actually creative? Do our words simply reflect a reality that already exists, or do they actually create and reinforce reality? The Bible offers an interesting answer that could, literally, change the world around you.
Selling Out or Stepping Up
Suppose you had the chance to win a million dollars by telling one little white lie. Would you? And if you did, would it really matter? Would God care? Should you care?
This sermon resumes our series Thriving at Work by asking what integrity looks like and why it matters.
Saved to What?
This sermon explores that most loaded of Christian words — salvation.
You’ve probably heard a preacher say (or shout), “If you died right now do you know for sure you would you go to heaven, or would you go to hell?”
Is that even the right question? Maybe we could ask, “In your life right now are you living in heaven, or are you living in hell?” Join us as we explore what the scriptures say.
Pleasing Mom
When you were growing up, what did you Mother want you to be? How about your Father? Moms and Dads have enormous power to shape our internal definition of success. Sometimes that’s good; sometimes it’s not.
This sermon explores how we define career success.
Work to Live (or) Live to Work
Some people have a tendency to hide in their work, while others have a tendency to hide from work. Which is more likely to snare you? Exactly how does a person find the right work/life balance?