Bridges Community Church Los Altos

Sovereignty and Responsibility - Romans 8-10 - Romans

Sun, 10 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Scripture contains numerous mysteries. One of the most perplexing we find in the Bible is: how God can be sovereign over all things, and yet, people still be responsible for their decisions and actions? This week, we will study a section of Scripture which addresses God’s sovereignty and our responsibility in regard to our salvation. Does God choose us, or do we choose Him? The answer presents us with both an immense comfort and a high challenge.

What About Israel? Romans 9, 10, 11 - Romans

Sun, 03 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The book of Romans contains unparalleled promises from God. Not only are we set free from our shame and guilt, but we are also guaranteed the brightest future. Perhaps most amazingly, all the wrongs against us will be redeemed. But that raises the question: what about Israel? Weren’t they promised all the same things? If so, are they getting them? If not, doesn’t God lose all credibility? This week, we’ll study how Paul addresses this question, and we will see that God is, as always, faithful.

Complete Redemption - Romans 8:18-39 - Romans

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us have heard that Jesus saves, Jesus redeems. But what exactly does that mean? What all is included? Is it simply that we go to heaven when we die, or is it more? This week, we will study the complete redemption provided through Christ and how it is more, much more, than simply a comfortable afterlife.

The Best Acceptance - Romans 8:1-17 - Romans

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

All of us long to be accepted and included. Known and loved. Some of us can search for acceptance in unhealthy ways. But in Christ, God offers an acceptance unlike any other. This week, we will study the acceptance we have in Christ, and what He did to make it possible.

New Life Lived the New Way - Romans 7 - Romans

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Paul leads us into his personal experience in the new life, but new questions arise: Are we truly released from the Law? Don’t we need the Law? If we desire to meet the Law of God, why do we have such a frustrating time trying to make it? Why do I feel like I can never win? Why is it so hard to live like a good Christian?

Resurrection Life - Romans 6 - Romans

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Jesus’ resurrection doesn’t only make eternal life possible, it opens up an entirely new way to live. A way to live in freedom and victory while being released from guilt and the pressure to prove ourselves. This week, we will study the new life we have in Him and how to embrace it.

Encouragement During Suffering - Romans 5 - Romans

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

One of our lingering questions is: if God is for me, then why am I going through this? If He really loved me, then wouldn’t He protect me from this? This week, we will see what hope the Gospel gives us in such moments. While it doesn’t answer all of our questions, it does give us comfort, and it can even help us to rejoice in the midst of our suffering.

Faith - Romans 4 - Romans

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Most of us probably know that being a Christian has something to do with faith. But what is faith, exactly? How do we know if we have it? And how can we develop it? This week, will we see what faith is, why it is essential, and what happens in our lives as a result.

Accepting the Payment - Romans 3 - Romans

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Christianity is unique in that God provides what is necessary for us to be reconciled to Him, to receive favor from Him, and to have a bright future. However, for many, this incredible gift is difficult to accept. Why? Because we first must recognize that we will never make it on our own. It pushes against our pride and self-sufficiency. This week, we will see how God makes our restoration possible and how we can accept it.

More Alike Than Different - Romans 1:24-2:24 - Romans

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

We’re not surprised when the Bible claims that those with no regard for God are far from Him. We assume immorality, corruption, and depravity would create distance between us and Him. But we are surprised when the Bible claims that the religious can be just as far from God—that those with a high regard for the law and rule keeping can miss Him as well. This week, we will see how each group has separated themselves from God and what might spark their reconciliation.

The Gospel - Romans 1:1-23 - Romans

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Romans is perhaps the most comprehensive explanation of the Christian faith ever written. From the opening verses, we learn that it is primarily about the Gospel—what Jesus has done for us. This week, we will introduce this inexhaustible topic, why it is needed, and how it powerfully shapes our lives.

The Brightest Future - Jeremiah 29:10-14 - The Whole Story

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Christianity offers the hope of an enormously bright future—one where we walk in harmony with God and each other. Even when we find ourselves in seasons of exile, uncertainty, or waiting, God’s promises remain steady. He is not finished with us, and He will bring restoration, renewal, and joy beyond what we can currently see.

The Promised Redeemer - Jeremiah 33:14-26 - The Whole Story

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Jeremiah sometimes has the reputation of being a prophet of doom and gloom, however, he also pins some of the most hopeful words in all of Scripture. After God’s judgment on the nation of Israel, they are promised an immensely bright future, and it begins with the One whom God will send. He will be a king and a priest unlike any that Israel had ever seen, and He will accomplish what no one else ever could: never-ending forgiveness, righteousness, peace, and victory.

Judgment - Jeremiah 25 - The Whole Story

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

While the topic of God’s judgment can make many of us uncomfortable, it is a repeated theme throughout Scripture and in the book of Jeremiah. This week, we study one such passage and see that God’s judgment is not only a necessary response to evil and injustice, but it is also a key way that we see the depth of His love for us.

The Necessity and Insufficiency of the Law - Jeremiah 17 and 31 - The Whole Story

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The Bible—and the book of Jeremiah in particular—is filled with commands and warnings. Yet as Christians, we believe our reconciliation with God rests not on what we do, but on what Jesus has done for us. So what role do these rules play? Are they optional, or are we meant to keep them? And if obedience matters, how does that fit with Jesus fulfilling the law on our behalf? This week, we’ll examine the purpose of the law, its limitations, and how Christ completes what we never could.

What Sin Does to Us - Jeremiah 5 and 7 - The Whole Story

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

We’ve all been there, at the precipice of some decision. We knew what we should do, but we also knew what we wanted to do—and those weren’t the same. We knew it was wrong, but we wanted it anyway. It looked so good, so enticing. So we went for it. And then we found out. While it might have been great initially, it eventually emptied us of joy, and in some cases, it hurt even worse. Such is the nature of sin. It’s not only harmful to us, it’s harmful to others, and it’s harmful to the world at large. This week, we will look at some of the effects of sin, why it’s so enticing, and how to escape.

What Went Wrong? - Sermon - Dan Stockum - Jeremiah 2 - The Whole Story

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

We probably all notice that something is wrong with the world, but what is it? Has the world always been like this, or was there a point in time when the problems started? More importantly, how will it get fixed? (Or will it?) This week, we will see the cause of all our problems, what God thinks about it, and ultimately, what He will do to restore what is broken.

Formed on Purpose for a Purpose - Jeremiah 1:4-10 - The Whole Story

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Is everyone designed with a special purpose or only some people? Does God knit each one of us together with a certain plan in mind? This week, we will study God's intentionality with Jeremiah and how it isn't just his story—it's all of ours.

A Great Savior Creates Great Faith - Luke 7:1-10 - A Great Savior Creates Great Faith

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Message from Derek Brown on January 4, 2026

Coming Home - Coming Home

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Message from Dave Kellejian on December 28, 2025

Christmas Eve 2025 - Christmas Eve

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Message from Dan Stockum on December 24, 2025

Seed of Ages - Genesis 28:10-17 - Christmas Prophecies

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Long before God spoke about Messiah through the prophets, He spoke about the Messiah with one family–Abraham’s family. This week, we will study the “seed” of Abraham who was promised through generations and came to bless all nations.

From the Root of Jesse - Isaiah 11:1-5 - Christmas Prophecies

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In our series, we’ve seen many prophecies foretell that the Messiah to come will be a king, and, in some ways, this passage from Isaiah is no different. However, rather than describe what the king will do when He arrives or hint at the king’s divine identity, in this passage Isaiah tells us what the coming king will be like. Specifically, we will see His heart, His perfection, and His power.

The Baby From Bethlehem - Micah 5:1-5 - Christmas Prophecies

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us are familiar with the Christmas carol about the small town of Jesus’ birth, but we may be less familiar with the Old Testament passage foretelling it. This week, as we study Micah’s prophecy about Bethlehem and the One who would be born in it, we will see the perfect unfolding of God’s plan—both then and for us today.

Comfort for Sinners - Isaiah 40:1-11 - Christmas Prophecies

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Isaiah offers immense comfort for his hearers—all wrongs will eventually be set right because of the One to come. But how could this be? As Isaiah speaks these words, Israel is destined for exile and their city will be destroyed because of their own unfaithfulness. Why would God promise such sinful people such a bright future? This week, we will study Isaiah’s prophecy and how it can give hope to all of us, especially if we feel like we don’t deserve it.

Beautiful Messengers - Missionary Commissioning

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Ever since the earliest days of Christianity, the church has sent missionaries. They weren’t content waiting for people to come and see, they wanted to go and tell. Our church is no different. This week, we will affirm God’s call on Steve and Shannon’s life to work alongside Restoration Ministries in Brazil, and see how our efforts align with those of the earliest churches.

The Light is Coming - Isaiah 9:1-7 - Christmas Prophecies

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

When the people of Israel and Judah found themselves in deep darkness, Isaiah's prophecy pointed to a time that would bring peace and righteousness, and a future hope. As we look at this familiar Christmas prophecy this week, we'll see that Isaiah's message of hope stretches far beyond Christ's arrival at Christmas. And in a world longing for peace and justice, God’s answer is not always what we would expect.

Prepare the Way - Malachi 3:1-4 - Christmas Prophecies

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

This is the time of year when we begin to experience the first few joys of the Christmas season. It won’t be long until our stores and radios will be filled with the decorations and sounds that remind us of Christ’s birth. In these weeks leading up to Christmas, we will study passages written long before Jesus came to earth that detailed exactly who to expect, why He must come, and what He would do when He arrived.

Bridges' Celebration: What God Has Done - Nehemiah 12 - Next85

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Often, it helps to begin a project with the end in mind—a vision for what it will be like when everything is completed. Along the way, there will be challenges and setbacks that would make it easy to turn around and give up. But by keeping the end of the story in view, we’re motivated to keep going. This week, we’ll study the end of the story of Nehemiah’s building project, and how it can help us with ours—at Bridges and for whatever we are building in our lives.

Bridges' Investment: What It Will Require - 1 Chronicles 29:1-22 - Next85

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Following where we believe God has led into our NEXT85 years will require something of us. Throughout Scripture, when God’s people began a project, they each brought what they could in order to help the effort. We will be no different. The dream for our future campus won’t happen without all of us participating. This week, we’ll look at what will be required of us, and the blessing for following.

Bridges Blueprint: What We Will Build - Next85

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Every Sunday, we literally sit in the dreams, sacrifices, and plans of people who came before us. We have a place to gather because they built it. But that raises the question: what is our responsibility to those who come after us? If we hope that Bridges remains a fixture in our community, what must we build to ensure that it happens? This week, we will dream about the future of our campus and how we can impact generations to come.

Bridges’ Legacy: What Will Last - 2 Corinthians 2:14-3:3 - Next85

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

85 years ago, a small group of ordinary men and women gathered with a simple vision: to plant a gospel-centered church here in Los Altos. They couldn’t see the future, but they knew one thing: God had called them to know and study His Word, to love their neighbors, and to plant seeds of the gospel of Jesus that would outlive them. And we at Bridges Community Church today are living proof of their faithfulness.

The question before us now in 2025 is this: what about the next 85 years? What kind of legacy will we leave behind for future generations?

Bridges’ Mission: Where We’re Going - 1 Timothy 2:3b-5 - Next85

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Every person, family, team, or organization is heading somewhere. They might have chosen their direction on purpose, or they might simply flow along with the current around them. We plan to be the former rather than the latter. But where are we headed? As we turn the page from the last 85 years of our church into the next, we remain true to our original mission, and this week, we will take a deeper look into our ongoing vision to display that people matter, truth matters, and the Gospel is our only hope in everything that we do.

Thanksgiving - Psalm 100 - When and How to Pray

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

We've seen throughout this series that various kinds of prayer align with the types of conversations we have with those closest to us, and thankfulness is no exception. If we don't express thanks in our relationships, we can forget having much connection in them. This week, we'll study a Psalm of thanksgiving showing us why God deserves our deepest gratitude.

Confession - Psalm 32 - When and How to Pray

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

When we hold onto or try to cover up our sins and weakness before God or before others—hiding them, excusing them, or pretending they don’t exist—it crushes us. It drains our strength and steals our joy. But Psalm 32 reveals that God has made a way for the guilty to be forgiven, for the burdened to be set free, and for that which is broken to be restored.

Lament - Psalm 13 - When and How to Pray

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us likely have a close friend with whom we feel absolutely free to share the deepest sorrows of our hearts. They listen to our burdens, and by doing so, they help us carry them. But what our relationship with God? Can we share with Him like that? Will He welcome our cries of despair or rebuke us for having them? This week, we will study one of the Psalms of lament where David pours his heart out to God and finds relief.

Wisdom and Guidance - Psalm 25 - When and How to Pray

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

We've probably all asked God for direction in our lives or for Him to show us the way that He wants us to go. But how does the Bible depict these kinds of prayers? This week, we will study Psalm 25 where David asks God for such guidance and how he finds a God who is more than willing to give it.

Trust - Psalm 62 - When and How to Pray

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The most foundational building block of any relationship is trust. With it, we can weather most anything, but without it, the relationship cannot survive. This week, we will see that our relationship with God is no different. To feel connected with Him or to experience His presence in our daily lives requires trust in Him. But how can we develop it? Whether we've never trusted God before or simply want to deepen our trust in Him, Psalm 62 gives a roadmap to get there.

Adoration - Psalm 19 - When and How to Pray

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

No relationship will survive without a healthy amount of affirmation and appreciation for one another, and our relationship with God is no different. As we begin our series on when and how to pray, we start with what should mark our communication with anyone–adoration.

Church as Family - Ephesians 2:17-22 - This is My Story

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Some of us grew up in stable family environments, while others of us experienced homes with ongoing change and upheaval. In either case, God intends the church to be a place of wholeness, peace, and support on which we can depend throughout all of life’s ups and downs. But what might this look like in practical application? And how can a church grow in this area? This week, we will study the familial connections in the early church and hear of a modern example.

Come and Hear - This is My Story

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

This week we continue our summer series with a few of our college and young adults, who will be sharing about their faith journeys. We will also hear from others who are getting baptized at the beach, followed by a brief message from Pastor Steve.

What Do You Do When You’re Not Sure? - John 20:24-29 - This is My Story

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The Bible reminds us that God remains on His throne, even amidst difficult times in the world or trying personal circumstances in our own lives. Despite this, however, the storms of life still have a tendency to challenge our certainty. What should we do in those moments?

Join us this week as we continue our “This is My Story” message series and explore how doubt is not something to hide or fear, how it can actually be the doorway to a deeper, more grounded faith, and how Jesus meets us in our uncertainty with patience and mercy.

Knowing the God Who Knows Me - Psalm 139 - This is My Story

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Psalm 139 is one of the most intimate and awe-inspiring reflections on the greatness of God in all of Scripture, as we are taken deep into the heart of a God who is infinite in power, perfect in knowledge, and yet profoundly personal in His love. In this week’s message, we’ll explore how God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and creative power don’t merely inspire fear and reverence—they invite trust, humility, and wonder. A God who knows you completely and still loves you unconditionally is not just great—He’s the only one truly worthy of your whole life.

The Rest of the Story - Mark 12:28-34 - This is My Story

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Each of us has a story, shaped by the steps we’ve taken to reach this very moment. But what comes next? What will the rest of our stories look like? When the whole story is written, what it will say? It’s a thought that is both exciting and perhaps a little daunting. Join us this week to reflect on what success means as we all embark on the rest of our stories.

Facing Challenges With (and Without) Friends - Job 16 - This is My Story

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000

We have probably all had seasons of tremendous difficulty where we suffered a loss, faced a crisis, or everything in front of us felt uncertain. But have we reflected back on the role of friends within those challenging times? The benefit of their presence versus the pain of their absence? This week, we will study our need for supportive friends, where we can begin to look for them, and we can be such friends for others.

Whom Shall I Send? - 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 - This is My Story

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Occasionally, an opportunity will appear before us, and we feel almost compelled to take it. While we may not know what all awaits us, we know we must go, and as a result, the entire course of our lives can change. This week, we'll dive into those moments and see how God's calling is always for our benefit and the benefit of everyone around us.

Worshiping While Doubting - 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 - This is My Story

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

All of us, at some point in our lives, will face circumstances that feel impossible—where we can't see a way forward, we might lose everything, and God may seem distant. What do we do in those moments? And is there any way those moments can help us grow rather than destroy us? This week, we'll study an account from the life of Jehoshaphat, who faced the total collapse of everything that he held dear. Yet, in the midst of his doubt and despair, his turned to God in worship.

Who Am I That I Should Go? - Exodus 3:7-12, 4:10-13 - This is My Story

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Moses didn't feel qualified to lead an entire nation or even speak in front of a group. In fact, he argued with God that he wasn't the right guy for the job. But yet, all these thousands of years later, we're still studying him. What made Moses who he was? This week, we'll see it wasn't his strength or confidence, but rather his humility that qualified him to lead.

Redemption Completed - Ruth 4 - The Gift of Relationships

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The book of Ruth began with famine, displacement, loss, bitterness, and bleak prospects for the future. But in Ruth 4, God does what only God can do: He graciously steps into ordinary faithfulness, risky obedience, and broken places, and He writes a better ending than anyone could have ever expected. Join us this week as we conclude our sermon series in Ruth and rediscover how God’s redeeming grace can transform even our darkest chapters into stories of hope and new beginnings.

God Uncomplicates the Complicated - Ruth 3 - The Gift of Relationships

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The third chapter of Ruth has puzzled biblical scholars for millennia. To be sure, we see people make decisions that may or may not have been motivated by entirely proper intentions. But we also see God’s faithfulness to everyone in the account. Their decisions (right or wrong) don’t stop His redemption. This week, as we study this puzzling chapter, we will find that God is faithful to all of us, in every moment, always.

Sovereignty and Connection - Ruth 2 - The Gift of Relationships

Sun, 25 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As Christians, we believe that God orders the events of our lives and orchestrates all of history toward a glorious conclusion. But does that mean we don’t have a role to play? This week, we’ll study how Ruth and Boaz each made their connection with one another possible and how they model healthy relationship—even God’s with us.

Seeds of Redemption - Ruth 1 - The Gift of Relationships

Sun, 18 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Sometimes in Scripture, we see God work in supernaturally miraculous ways: manna falls from heaven, the sick are instantly healed, or the dead are raised. Other times, God isn’t as overt in orchestrating history. But does that mean He isn’t working? In the book of Ruth, we see God guide His people in a way that we can all relate—through relationships. As we begin our four-week study of the book of Ruth, we will study the power of relationships to lift us out of tragedy, and ultimately, to heal the world.

Going Together - 3 John 2-15 - Finding Your Way

Sun, 11 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

None of life is meant to be lived alone, which means wherever God calls us, we need a team for support and encouragement. In this final week of our Finding Your Way series, we will study what Scripture requires of a church when it sends a missionary, and by extension, what we all need wherever God may send us.

Responding to God’s Call - Luke 9:57-62 - Finding Your Way

Sun, 04 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Obeying God is always a lot easier to talk about than to do.

Especially when it doesn’t make sense.

Especially when it costs something.

Especially when it feels like God is asking us to step away from what’s safe and comfortable and predictable.

Let’s admit it: Sometimes God’s will feels unreasonable. And yet, that’s usually right where obedience begins.

Understanding God’s Calling for Your Life - John 10:1-15 - Finding Your Way

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

At some point every one of us confronts a series of related questions of enormous consequence: How do I find and fulfill the central purpose of my life? What am I specifically supposed to be doing with my time? How should I go about making potentially life-altering decisions? When I ask God for wisdom or direction, how do I know that it’s actually God speaking and not just wishful thinking on my part? And what if I make the wrong decision?

A New Beginning - Luke 24:1-12 - Easter

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Easter instinctively feels hopeful to us. We have a sense that something is new. Something began. Something in which we can join ourselves. But what exactly is that? What started when Jesus rose from the dead? This week, we’ll study His resurrection, the new world it will eventually create, and why it provides so much hope.

The God Who Prays - John 17 - The Upper Room

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In our final week of our Upper Room series, we see Jesus pray. Prayer is how He chooses to spend the very last moments before He is arrested. And He prays, primarily, for us. This week, we will study Jesus’ prayer, how it communicates His deep abiding love for us, and why His desires for us are essential for our thriving.

From Sorrow to Joy - John 16:16-33 - The Upper Room

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

There’s one thing we can all be sure of, no matter where you are on your spiritual journey: There will be countless moments in your life that will simply make no sense, thereby threatening your peace and stealing your joy.

Fortunately, we are not left with only two options in these moments—either understand everything and rest in peace or understand little of what is going on around you and have no hope. The Bible actually tells us that there is a third way. A way to have sturdy, lasting joy that doesn’t rise and fall with the circumstances of your life. A way to be able to face sorrow and the uncertainty and confusion in your world with hope and confidence.

Trouble Expected - John 15:18-16:15 - The Upper Room

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Following Jesus isn’t meant to be easy. In fact, Jesus tells His disciples to expect the worst, the very worst, for their faith in Him. Yet, we are not left without hope or without help. Jesus promises we won’t be alone on our journey because we will have a strong guide leading our way. This week, we’ll study Jesus’ warning to disciples, the comfort He offers them, and how we can apply it to our lives today.

The Source of Life - John 15:1-17 - The Upper Room

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

We all look to something to reassure ourselves in times of difficulty. Whether it be relationships, prior achievements, or current status, we all count on something to pull us through seasons of uncertainty. But Jesus claims not all of these are as dependable as we might think. In fact, He says there is only one true source of life, only one reliable anchor for our hearts. This week, we will study what Jesus taught about the nourishment our souls need and where to find it.

Comfort, Comfort, and More Comfort - John 14:12-31 - The Upper Room

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As Jesus nears His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, it seems His mind is mostly on us, His followers. While He knows He will face a day worse than any of us can imagine, He wants us to be comforted, and He uses His final moments to reassure us of God’s goodness to us. This week we’ll study the comforts Jesus shares with His disciples and how they apply to our lives today.

Faithful to the Faithless - John 13:36-14:11 - The Upper Room

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Jesus knows Peter will soon lose faith and deny Him, but instead of chastising Peter, Jesus encourages him. This week we’ll study Peter’s denial, Jesus’ surprising reaction, and what it means for our faith today.

Facing Betrayal - John 13:18-30 - The Upper Room

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Judas stands not only as a looming figure in the biblical storyline, but as a name synonymous with the worst types of betrayal in popular culture. He turned over Jesus—an innocent man, his friend—to corrupt authorities who would crucify him. This week, we will study this tragic series of events and learn what it can teach us when we face hurt, loss, betrayal, and even evil.

Marked by Love - John 13:12-17, 31-35 - The Upper Room

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Love is harder than we think. Yes, we, of course, love our kids and grandkids and close friends and nice people and those who treat us well. But Jesus said that everybody naturally does that anyway (Matt. 5:47). It’s not very hard to love people who love us.

The real question is, will we also love those who harm or betray us? Will we keep on loving, even when it means bearing burdens with which we would rather not be bothered? Will we love when the people we love do not love us in return? Will we love those who are unlovely, undeserving, or ungrateful?

Loving others is challenging. God does not make it easy, but He does make it possible. And Jesus shows us what it looks like and how it’s done.

Unlimited Power, Unlimited Service - John 13:1-11 - The Upper Room

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In Jesus’ final private moments with His disciples, we see Him do something highly unusual. We see Him serve those closest to Him. We don’t typically expect people to spend the final night of their lives serving others, nor do we often witness leaders with enormous amounts of power get down on their knees and serve. But Jesus isn’t normal. He stands apart from the rest of us. And what He did for His disciples is exactly what all of us need.

Stewarding Finances Well- Deuteronomy 26 - - Use It Well

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Finances can be a touchy subject. It’s the number one point of conflict in marriages, and sometimes people choose to avoid church if the topic is scheduled for an upcoming Sunday (like this one). But while we might regard it as sensitive or uncomfortable, God doesn’t. He has given all of us financial resources, and He has a plan for how we can use them best. This week, we’ll study where generosity begins, why we love giving, and the joyous journey it can be.

Using Our Trials & Suffering Well - 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 - Use It Well

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

When it comes to Christian stewardship, we typically think about how to best use our time, our talents and experiences, or our finances, but what about being good stewards of our trials and our times of suffering? Rather than hiding our pain and pretending that everything is okay when it clearly is not, or rather than being trapped by our pain and never being able to move beyond it, how can our trials and seasons of suffering actually be used for our good, for the good of others, and for God’s greater purposes? Join us this week to find out how.

Using Our Words Well - James 3:2-12 - Use It Well

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

All of us, in one way or another, are able to communicate. Even babies can get their ideas across with cries or gestures. But why did God give us this ability? What is it for? Can we misuse it? This week, we'll study the power of words, their purpose, and the proper way to use them.

Stewarding God’s Kids - Deuteronomy 6:1-12, 20-25 - Use It Well

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

For some, working with children feels like a natural calling, while for others, it's not so instinctive. The truth is, God calls all of us to be involved in stewarding the children in our community. This week, we’ll explore this shared responsibility, the path it leads us on, and how we can remain faithful in guiding the next generation with purpose and perseverance.

Using Work Well - 1 Peter 4:7-11 - Use It Well

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

For some, a job is just a way to pay the bills. Others seem to have a career that perfectly fits their talents, skills, and personality. Whether you work to live or live to work, the truth is, work is an unavoidable and significant part of the human experience. This week, we’ll take a look at how work is part of God’s design and how we can better steward our work, and God-given talents, from the time we enter the workforce through retirement.

Using Time Well - Ephesians 5:1-21 - Use It Well

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Perhaps more than any other gift, we are aware that the time given to us is limited. We only have so many days on this earth. But how to use them well? This week, we’ll study why God gives us time, how to use it well, and what it looks like to waste it.

Connection - 1 Corinthians 16 - Called Out

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

As we come to the close of our study of 1 Corinthians, chapter 16 is one that some of us may be tempted to skip. It's largely a list of personal greetings, sprinkled with a few petitions. However, this chapter clues us into the importance of connection with others and what is necessary to form them and keep them.

Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas Eve! Join us tonight at 5:00pm for our annual Christmas Eve Service. Come light candles, sing familiar carols, read the Christmas story, and hear a message from Pastor Dan. All are welcome, and childcare will be available for ages 0-3 in the nursery.

The Resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15 - Called Out

Sun, 22 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is a bottomless wealth of hope with significance for all of our lives. This week, as we study the longest single text explaining its meaning, we’ll see its wondrous implications and how it fulfills our deepest longings.

The Most Excellent Way - 1 Corinthians 13 - Called Out

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Love is harder than we think. Of course we love our family, our friends, and those who treat us well. We love nice people. But Jesus says everybody naturally does that anyway (Matt. 5:47). That’s not hard. People love people who love them.

The real question is, will we also love those who harm us? Will we keep on loving even when it means bearing burdens we would rather not be bothered with? Will we love when the people we love do not love us in return? Will we love those who are unlovely, undeserving, or ungrateful?

Loving others is challenging. God does not make it easy, but He does make it possible. And He shows us how it’s done.

Gifts and Their Purpose - 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 14:1-5 - Called Out

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

We are often impressed by people who seem “gifted.” Whether it’s in sports, business, crafts, music, comedy, or something else, there are some people who stand out from everyone else. But what does that mean for us “normal” people? Do we have gifts as well? If so, where do they come from, and what is their purpose? This week, we’ll study Paul’s instructions regarding spiritual gifts, why God gives them to us, and how we are meant to use them.

Women (and Men) in Church - 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, 14:33-40 - Called Out

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Sometimes we encounter a biblical passage that seems confusing or even contradictory to other biblical passages. These comments from Paul regarding women in the church might likely be among them. But as we will see this week, his comments have contemporary significance, are not what they may seem on face value, and might, just perhaps, show us something important about God.

The Lord’s Supper - 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 - Called Out

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The cup and the bread—timeless symbols instituted into church practice by Christ Himself. In some Christian traditions, communion takes a central role in each service, while other traditions seem to minimize it. But what was it like in the early church? This week, we’ll study the early practice of communion and see how it outshines even the greatest of Thanksgiving feasts.

What Makes Leaders Great? - 1 Corinthians 4 and 9 - Called Out

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Nothing can make us desire great leaders quite as quickly as experiencing bad ones. But what exactly makes the difference? Are there certain qualities that great leaders share? Does God have a design for leadership? This week, we’ll study two contrasting styles of leadership, the role each of us can play regardless of our official title, and the ultimate litmus test for any leader.

Called to Compassion - Called to Compassion

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

One reason why the book of James is so challenging and practical is that it lays out a series of tests that are designed to help us understand what authentic Christianity looks like in action, so that we may then examine our own lives and faith to see how we measure up. And according to James, one of the things that a living, genuine faith ought to produce within us is Christlike compassion—the way we think about, speak about, and treat the poor and the vulnerable.

This Sunday, our mission partner Eric Prager (Executive Director of Baja Christian Ministries) will be the guest speaker for our annual “Compassion Sunday”. Join us as we consider this challenge from James, and be reminded that loving, caring for, and meeting the practical needs of the vulnerable and hurting all around us is the job of every single believer—as fundamental to our Christian living as evangelism, discipleship, and worship.

Deeper Than Right Versus Wrong - 1 Corinthians 8 & 10 - Called Out

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Christians don’t always agree on debatable moral issues, and we can struggle even more in how to treat people who don’t see them the same way that we do. But we’re not left without guidance. This week, we’ll study a murky moral issue in the first century church and how Paul instructed them to navigate it. Not only can his teaching help us better relate to one another, but it can be a powerful witness to the world that people on opposite sides can, in fact, continue to love and support each other.

Singleness and Marriage - Sermon - 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:40 - Called Out

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

When Christianity burst onto the scene, it upended existing views of both singleness and marriage. For the first time, single people were an esteemed demographic in a community, and marriage took on a new depth of meaning. This week, we’ll study God’s good design for singleness, sex, and marriage, and how it (still) applies to our lives today.

A Big Mess -1 Corinthians 5:1-6:11 - Called Out

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

We all, at times, can become discouraged by the darkness we see in our modern world and wonder if it will ever get better. The good news? The letter to the Corinthians provides us with surprising hope. They faced a culture far more immoral than ours, yet they laid the groundwork for a dramatic future renewal. This week we’ll see where Paul instructed them to begin and what it means for us today.

The Message, Wisdom, & Power of the Cross - 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16 - Called Out

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

While most people would agree that our world is broken, they may not all agree on how to fix it. Nevertheless, this week’s Scripture passage gives us a great foundation and framework from which to have such discussions, as it reminds us of the ultimate plan of God, the purpose of God behind His plan, why some reject that plan while others accept it, and why it all matters for us today.

How to Have Unity - 1 Corinthians 1:1-17, 3:1-23 - Called Out

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Division in the church is nothing new. It goes all the way back to the earliest gatherings of Christians, but that doesn’t mean that division is inevitable. This week we will see how Paul addresses the problem with the church in Corinth, and his prescription for creating unity when we disagree.

Goodness & Faithfulness -John 10:1-18 - The Fruit of God's Spirit

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Good. True. Right. Faithful. Honorable. Trustworthy. Admirable. We likely know people who live up to these characteristics, and we hope to be among them. But how are they actually developed in us—especially when some amount of corruption seems so much easier? This week we will see God’s desire to develop goodness and faithfulness in us, and how He accomplishes it.

Gentleness and Kindness - Matthew 11:20-30 - The Fruit of God's Spirit

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Jesus is meek, gentle, and humble of heart. But also . . . He confronts various people with some of the strongest language in Scripture. What are we to make of this? Is there some way the two images of Jesus can fit together? And how does Jesus’ behavior inform our own? When God develops gentleness in us, is it void of any severity? This week we’ll see the kindness in all of Jesus’ language and what it means for our interactions with those around us.

Patience & Self-Control - Proverbs 25:28 - The Fruit of God's Spirit

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The process of the fruit of God’s Spirit developing in your life is not a quick one. It would be wonderful if we could pray one day to have no more problems with, say, anger, selfishness, materialism, envy, or lust, and then when you woke up the next day those things were completely gone. However, we know from personal experience that it doesn’t work that way. And yet God continues to patiently and lovingly work daily within each of us by His grace so that the fruit of His Spirit is produced within us.

In this week’s message, we’ll give specific consideration to the topics of patience and self-control. We’ll look at why growing in these two areas is so crucial but also so challenging, and we’ll also see how they both work hand-in-hand with each other.

Peace - Romans 12:9-21 - The Fruit of God's Spirit

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Our world so often seems marked with conflict—conflict at home, conflict at work, conflict on the national stage. Many voices call for peace, but how do we actually get there? This week, we’ll see the resources God’s Spirit gives us to create peace in our conflicted time.

Joy- 2 Corinthians 4:7-18, 6:4-10 - The Fruit of God's Spirit

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

While we often cannot change our circumstances, Scripture often speaks of finding joy in the midst of them. This week we will explore one of the passages that speaks of a joy available to us, regardless of level of difficulty that we're facing. We'll discover Paul's source of joy that was so deep, it couldn't be shaken.

Love - 1 John 4:7-21 - The Fruit of God's Spirit

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

One of our deepest desires is to know that we are loved. When we have it, we can step out into the world with confidence even when we face seemingly unsurmountable challenges. When we lack it—when we feel rejected or unwanted—we can become riddled with insecurities. This week, we'll see the unconditional love of God, how we can be certain of it, and how it transforms us to love others.

The Fruit of God's Spirit - Galatians 5:16-25 - The Fruit of God's Spirit

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us desire more peace, joy, and patience in our lives, and we hope to remove things like jealousy, rage, and bitterness from our hearts. But how can it actually happen? It seems we need more than new behaviors, we need some of the deepest corners of our souls rewired. And what is powerful enough to give us that? This week, we begin a new series on the fruit of God’s Spirit—how it grows within us, and how we can participate in God’s amazing work.

Whoever Has Ears, Let Them Hear - Revelation 2-3 - This is My Story

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This summer, we’re hearing from our elders and various staff about how God has worked in their lives in similar ways to how He worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. This week, we'll hear from Elder Chair Todd Kjos about how various Christian communities and studying God's Word helped to develop his faith.

Something Needs to Change - Matthew 9:35-38 - This is My Story

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Many people could quickly identify any number of urgent physical and spiritual needs that plague so many around the world today, including in our own community. And we would likely have a lot of agreement as believers that something absolutely needs to change in order to address these matters. But this week’s message will also argue that something needs to change in our own hearts as well about these urgent needs. It will be a call to let what breaks God’s heart break yours, and to take action wherever God has placed you.

Courage from Caleb - Num. 13-14, Joshua 14 - This is My Story

Sun, 28 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This summer, we’re hearing from our elders and various staff about how God has worked in their lives in similar ways to how He worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. This week, we'll hear from Brad Cole about how the life of Caleb inspired him through various seasons of stepping out in faith and trusting God.

Lacking No Good Thing - Psalm 34 - This is My Story

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This summer, we’re hearing from our elders and various staff about how God has worked in their lives in similar ways to how He worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. This week, we'll hear from Laura Perez, our Associate Director of Worship and Young Adults, about how she has experienced the goodness of the Lord during various (and sometimes uncertain) seasons of her life.

Set Free - Mark 5:1-20 - This is My Story

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This summer, we’re hearing from our elders and various staff about how God has worked in their lives in similar ways to how He worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. This week, we'll hear how the faith story of Dave Kellejian, our Director of Student Ministries, intersects with that of a man in Mark 5 who had a life-changing encounter with Jesus, and whose story has far greater implications for our own lives today than most of us realize.

Paths Straight - Proverbs 3:1-12 - This is My Story

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This summer, we’re hearing from our elders and various staff about how God has worked in their lives in similar ways to how He worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. This week, we'll hear from Austin Ward, one of our elders, about how God weaved the concept of trusting in Him through many different seasons of Austin's life.

From Bargaining to Surrender - Genesis 28:10-20, 32:1-32 - This is My Story

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Becoming a Servant - John 21:14-17 & Matthew 6:25-27 - This is My Story

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This summer, we’re hearing from our elders and various staff about how God has worked in their lives in similar ways to how He worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. This week, we'll hear from Mark Liu, one of our church elders, about how God used the powerful stories of Jesus' time on earth among his people to teach Mark how to be a servant in his community.

The Veil is Taken Away - 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 & 4:3-7 - This is My Story

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This summer, we’re hearing from our elders and various staff about how God has worked in their lives in similar ways to how He worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. This week, we'll hear from Al Kruger, one of our church elders, about how God used pivotal circumstances and providential relationships throughout his life to bring Al to the point of faith in Jesus.

The God Who Sees - Genesis 16 - This is My Story

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This summer, we’re hearing from our elders and various staff about how God has worked in their lives in similar ways to how He worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. This week, we'll hear how the faith story of Alba Kellejian, our Director of Family & Children’s Ministries, intersects with that of a frequently overlooked character from the book of Genesis who learned firsthand that God often reveals Himself to us in the most unexpected ways and is aware of every minute detail of our lives.

Jonah is My Story - Jonah - This is My Story

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This summer, we’re hearing from our elders and various staff about how God has worked in their lives in similar ways to how He worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. This week, we'll hear how Pastor Dan’s story intersects with Jonah’s story. It is one of God’s faithfulness in the midst of rebellion, and how we often don’t surrender until we are in the depths.

How the Tables Have Turned - Esther 9-10 - Esther: Sovereignty in Silence

Sun, 26 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The Bible is filled with unexpected and dramatic accounts of reversal—stories in which a situation of despair, failure, or judgment is somehow miraculously transformed by God (often at the last moment) into one of hope, victory, and redemption.

We enjoy hearing those types of stories in Scripture, but we sometimes struggle to believe that God is really able and interested in reversing seemingly hopeless circumstances in our own lives. But as we wrap up our sermon series from the book of Esther this week, we’ll once again be reminded that God is always good and always wise and always at work (often behind the scenes), orchestrating events for His purposes, even when we cannot see a way out.

The Reversal Continues - Esther 8 - Esther: Sovereignty in Silence

Sun, 19 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

God isn’t only interested in restoring some of the brokenness in the world, He’s restoring all of it. This week as we study Esther chapter 8, we will see God reverse more of the terrible effects of evil and learn that His plan of redemption is far beyond what we could ever ask or imagine.

The Turning of the Tide - Esther 6-7 - Esther: Sovereignty in Silence

Sun, 12 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Up to this point in the book of Esther, not much has seemed to go right. King Xerxes is often drunk and impulsive; the villain, Haman, has run unopposed; Mordecai was overlooked and unappreciated; and the Israelites are facing extermination. The situation has looked rather bleak. However, in these chapters, we begin to see how God ties all those negatives into something positive—and how He will do the same for us.

How to Keep it Together - Esther 5:1-14 - Esther: Sovereignty in Silence

Sun, 05 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

All of us will face times of difficulty, stress, and disappointment. Some of those will be quite extreme (like Esther’s), while others will be more routine (like Haman’s). But not all of us will handle those situations with the same poise, grace, and rootedness. What makes the difference? How can we become people who remain steady, even when everything around us is crashing down? This week, we’ll look at the differences between Esther and Haman and find what helped Esther navigate her extreme circumstances so admirably.

For Such a Time as This - Esther 4 - Esther: Sovereignty in Silence

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Every one of us faces defining moments in our own lives. And some of these defining moments come unexpectedly and pass quickly, yet can have far-reaching consequences. Queen Esther found herself at just such a crossroads in Esther 4. And the fate of her own people, as well as her own life, was riding on how she would handle that defining moment. Join us for this week’s sermon as we discover not only how Esther processed this life-altering decision, but even more importantly, how God had prepared and led her to this very moment.

The Deck Is Stacked - Esther 2:19-3:15 - Esther: Sovereignty in Silence

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000

No doubt that we will all experience problems in our lives. Some of those will feel rather small and others will feel so large that we worry the world might end. However, no matter how small or large a problem may seem, God already anticipated it and has a solution in the works. This week, we’ll find that even the biggest problems are no problem for God. Victory is certain before the battle ever begins.

God Starts Where You Are - Esther 2:1-18 - Esther: Sovereignty in Silence

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000

We might believe that God only works with perfect people living perfect lives–or at least pretty good people, living pretty good lives. But the God of the Bible shows us time and time again He is willing to begin a journey with us starting wherever we are. This week, we encounter the woman who becomes Queen and see that she, like us, doesn’t begin her journey with God fully formed.

Even in a Place Like That - Esther 1 - Esther: Sovereignty in Silence

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Esther, chapter one. We can often make the mistake when we see corruption, when we see abuse of power, when we see greed, when we see systems and structures of sin, when we look at situations where there is so much wrong, so much broken, we think this will never be right. This sin seems to be part of the institution. It's too entrenched. Even if there is some kind of accountability structure.

There's nobles and wise men. But that has also failed. We see that just the whole thing makes us want to throw our hands up and walk away. And when we see circumstances like that, we can make the mistake that God has also thrown his hands up in frustration and walked away. We can think that even God has abandoned the, the scene.

Or if he hasn't abandoned the scene, we can make the mistake that if he's here, he must have lost control. He must not be able to do anything about all of this, just like we're unable to do anything about it. I mean, we might sing, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got the whole world in his hands. We might sing that, we might sign off on that doctrine.

But then we look around and it sure seems like there are some situations very not in his hands. There are some places that are so dark that we might begin to believe even God can't be at work in the midst of that. We might have those thoughts sometimes, but that would be a mistake. Scripture gives us instances, stories, historical counts of terribly corrupt, twisted, dark corners of the world. And then scripture shows that even in those places, God has not abandoned the scene.

We're getting a new sermon series today which will take us all the way to summer studying the book of Esther in the Old Testament. I'll give you some background on the book before we jump into chapter one. The setting is the capital city of Susa in the powerful kingdom of Persia. At the time, fifth century BC, Persia was the world leader in might, strength and wealth. A couple of generations before the Book of Esther, Persia, under King Cyrus, conquered the previous world power, Babylon.

Cyrus raided Babylon's treasuries, absorbed its peoples and lands, but then, curiously, Cyrus frees various people who had been taken captive by Babylon, including Israelites. They were able to return to Israel if they desired, and many of them chose to do so, but not all of them. Some communities of Israelites stuck around Persia under Cyrus. People in Esther's family who will show up later in the story, they stayed in Persia instead of going back to Israel. And of course, like all decisions, there were pluses and minuses to staying.

Sticking around probably provided a more stable life. In some ways, Susa was the richest city in the world. But it was less stable in other ways because after Cyrus, the line of succession of persian kings gets muddy. There was infighting, coups, multiple attempts to take the throne, backroom deals. But eventually, a man named Darius rises to power.

And once Darius wins out over his internal rivals, he turns outward and expands the empire even further. Darius conquered even more territories than Cyrus had before him. He enriched Susa even more. He was the unquestioned supreme ruler over the largest territory in the world. No one had authority to tell Darius no.

And like typical kings of the day, Darius had many wives. He had many children with those many wives. In fact, he had a harem of women to fulfill whatever he desired. His women, possessive pronoun, intentionally used his women, couldn't say no to him either. With one of those women, he had a son named Xerxes.

And by the time of the book of Esther, Darius has passed away. Xerxes now rules the empire. His greek name is Xerxes. His persian name is Ahasuerus. Depending on which version of the Bible you're reading, you may refer to him as Ahasuerus or Xerxes.

Xerxes, of course, grew up as the son of the king of the richest empire in the world. He would have been denied nothing, he would have worked for nothing. And then, when his father dies, Xerxes is handed control of this massive persian empire without really lifting a finger. So, not surprisingly, Xerxes seems to have a bit of a God complex. Xerxes would later carve into the side of a mountain, which is still there today.

The inscription Xerxes, the great king, the king of kings, king of all peoples, kings to the far end of the earth, son of Darius carved it into a mountain. That's thinking a lot of yourself. When Xerxes went with his troops to the battlefield, he did not fight alongside of them. Instead, servants would carry Xerxes on his throne with their hands and backs and shoulders, and they would carry him on his throne to a place where he could sit and overlook all the fighting. And his throne has rules which will show up later in the book of Esther.

If anyone touched his throne without permission, they were executed. If anyone even got too close, close to his throne without permission, executed. Because only Xerxes was worthy to have the status of the throat. Further, Xerxes, like persian kings before him, was so sure that everything he ever spoke was so true and so inerrant and so infallible that any law he ever decreed could not be changed. The idea was, if the king had said it, it was perfect the first time, so it would always be perfect.

It would never need to change. If one of the king's decrees needed to be changed later on, it would indicate what the king said in the first place wasn't infallible. But because the king speaks as the word of God, everything he says is perfect and will never need to be changed. That's a bit of a God complex. Further at the opening of Book of Esther, Xerxes is near the peak of his imperialistic conquest.

Xerxes never conquered as much as his father, Darius, but he did put down a couple of riots and then he had a campaign into Greece. You may remember the movie 300. It depicts the Persians fighting the Spartans at the battle of Thermopylae. The persian army vastly outnumbers the 300 Spartans. The Persians look like an endless sea of warriors.

Xerxes is depicted as this foreboding figure, and the Persians defeat the well skilled, well trained Spartans. Thermopylae was the peak of military conquest that Xerxes ever accomplished because pretty much immediately after that, the Persians are defeated in other parts of Greece and they retreat back home, where Xerxes spends the rest of his days working on massive construction projects to his own glory, like the inscription on the side of the mountain that he's king of kings. But in Esther, chapter one, Xerxes greek campaign hasn't happened yet. His win at Thermopylae and subsequent defeats occurred sometime during the Book of Esther, probably in between chapters one and two, because there's a gap of many years there.

But the point is, in chapter one here, Xerxes hasn't been defeated yet, so he has an air of invincibility.

He's never lost, and even his best victory is still out ahead of him. So he's on the uptick. In his mind, he would have no reason not to believe he has unlimited power. He certainly has unquestioned authority in his own kingdom. He seems unstoppable.

He's Xerxes the great. Everything has gone swimmingly easy his entire life. So the question at the opening of the book of Esther is, what will he do with all that power and influence? What is the boy who never needed to work for anything, who was given everything, who watched his dad have many children with many women, watched his dad conscript a harem? What's that kid gonna do when he grows up and takes over the kingdom that was handed to him on a platter.

It's not gonna be good. It's not going to add wholeness and stability to the world. It might mean prosperity for some, but it will mean oppression and abuse for others. So as we jump into chapter one, we will see the darkness of Xerxes kingdom. Where is God?

In a godless, hopeless situation. And finally, the one for whom Xerxes makes us long, the darkness of his kingdom. Where is God in all of this? And the one for whom Xerxes makes us long. So, first, the darkness of Xerxes kingdom, its obscene lavishness, debauchery and ill treatment of women.

Take those one at a time. So first, obscene lavishness. Xerxes could have used his essentially unlimited resources to better the world, to improve the lives of others, to build wholeness and goodness throughout his kingdom. Could have done it, didn't do it. Instead, he uses his resources to throw a party.

And not just any party, a 180 day party, a six month party, half a year party for all the nobles and officials of the land, all of them. Verse three, from his vast empire, all the officials. Hard to say how many people that would have been, but we're told, verse one, there are 127 provinces in his kingdom, so there's several officials from each one of those. Some commentators put the guest list in the thousands. We have never seen a party like this because when all these officials come into the palace, they are shown on purpose the great wealth of Xerxes.

They are given a golden goblet to drink from, and each golden goblet is different than the next. Verse seven, probably so each person could keep track of which Golden Goblet was his. You know, sometimes you go to a party and the host has those red plastic cups with the sharpie sitting next to the stack of cups for you to write your name on your cup so you don't get it mixed up with anybody else's cup. Been to that party? Well, Xerxes did the same thing, except the cup was made out of gold for each person.

How would you like to go to your office party and you leave with an individualized golden goblet that you were handed when you walked in? It's lavish, right? But not only were the cups gold, the couches were gold. Verse six. Xerxes had golden couches.

I can't imagine golden couches are very comfortable. But if you were going for a wow factor, if you're really trying to show off your wealth, if you want people to think you have a silly amount of money, go ahead and decorate with a few golden couches. And that's just the beginning of the palace opulence. Chapter one describes wall hangings, tapestries, floors, pillars. All of it is way over the top.

The most expensive, lavish excess that existed. Xerxes had it. Now, what's the problem with that? If you have it, why not show it off? Right?

The problem is, Xerxes wanted to make much of himself. The problem is verse four. He wanted to display the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. He was using his wealth arrogantly instead of using it for the benefit of others. And throughout the Bible, the point of having wealth, the reason God has given resources to anyone, is so they can elevate others, not self.

For instance, Ephesians 428. Why are we even supposed to work? Like, why do we have jobs? Why does that exist? Is it to boost our own ego, to make us feel important, to keep us busy?

No. We work Ephesians four so that we have something to give to those in need. That's a consistent message throughout the Bible. But xerxes party is not for others. It's not to give all the leaders in the kingdom a six month vacation.

That's not really the point of it. Instead, his party is a flex.

It's for xerxes to say, I know I'm great, and I want to make sure you know I'm great too. That's why he throws the party. It should serve as a warning for us. I mean, we won't flex as flamboyantly as xerxes, but it's an easy trap to fall into because greed is so slippery and so incremental, it creeps up on us. However much we have, we want just a little more, just a little more than the next guy.

So we don't feel bad about ourselves. We want to have enough so that we feel like we're behind someone else. A little better car, a little better house, a little better tv, a little better vacation. And whenever we feel like we've made it, we look over and see someone with a little more than us. And then we feel inadequate all over again.

Our focus is often, how do I get just a little more for me? How much closer to the top can I get? It's worth looking into our own hearts to see how much of that is in there. It won't feel like greed because we almost never feel greedy. Instead, it will feel like inadequacy.

It will feel like if only I had a little more, then I would be okay. And if that impulse runs unchecked in our hearts, and we have the resources to do it. The end of that road is obscene. Xerxes not only needs to have more than everyone else, he needs everyone to know he has more than everyone else. So one type of darkness in Xerxes Kingdom is this obscene lavishness for his own glory.

Second darkness in his kingdom. Xerxes encourages debauchery. He not only throws a six month party, he throws a six month party with an open bar. Verse seven. The royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king's liberality.

Verse eight. By the king's command, each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man as he wished. So you don't even have to walk up to the open bar. The open bar will walk up to you to fill your personalized golden goblet. For six months, all you can drink.

That's not a pretty picture. Maybe a few of those officials were keeping it together, but no chance all of them were. I'm remembering parties I went to in high school. Confession and spring breaks where people just cut loose, drank with no limit, how people acted, what it smelled like. Have you been there?

You don't need to raise your hand. And those spring breaks were just one week. Those high school parties were just one night. And I can remember, like, even my craziest friends, even the most unhinged of them, would sometimes say, I've overdone it. I need to pull back for a while.

And they would say that after one night or after one week, this was six months, 180 nights. I don't think we could overstate how bad it would have looked. The darkness, the depravity, destruction to yourself, to others, to property. Probably those golden couches are going to need a cleaning. It's bad.

We aren't given many specifics about what happened in that environment, but we are given one third darkness in Xerxes Kingdom. Ill treatment of women, degrading of women. No surprise if there are hundreds, if not thousands of men who are, as the text says, in high spirits from wine, which is a generous way of saying drunk. If there's a huge crowd of men wobbling in their shoes, what are they going to do? I mean, not all of them, of course, but as a group, what will they do?

Degrade women? It's the worst version of a frat house. It's the worst version of spring break debauchery. And it's what happened. It was predictably bad for women.

No wonder the queen, her name is Vashti. Vashti. While the men are having their party, Vashti gets the women out of there. Verse nine. She has her own separate gathering for women, and we don't know everything about her party.

That could have been just as bad as the men. Who knows? But apparently she didn't want women around the men, which tells you something. Xerxes, however, in high spirits, doesn't prefer this total separation from women. So he calls for the queen.

He says, fast day. Get out of here. Parade yourself around in front of all these men. I want to show off how hot you are. Show off?

You belong to me. Vashi sends a message back and says, no. No way I'm going in there and doing that. I will not be an object to be flaunted around in front of a bunch of drunken men. I'll stay right where I am.

Thank you. Which was the right thing for her to say. Of course it was the right thing for her to say. If you're curious, history rewards Vashti later. Not in the book of Esther.

Much later, when her son becomes king, Vashti is honored as the queen mother. Okay. But the immediate response to her refusal to be displayed as an object is Xerxes is enraged. Verse twelve. The boy who had never seen a woman or anyone else tell his dad no.

He cannot fathom Vashti's defiance, so he turns to his entourage. Verse 15, and asks, what are we gonna do about this guy? She can't act this way. She can't disrespect me like this. And all his officials say, you're absolutely right.

She can't do that. Who does she think she is? If she gets away with this, all the women are going to start acting this way.

And then someone says, I have an idea. Let's make a law which can't be revoked, because whatever you say is perfect, king. Let's make a law that says, vashti will never be in your presence again. And women throughout the land must not act this way to their husbands. Xerxes approved.

And so it is done. Vashti is deposed. The decree goes out to strike fear in the hearts of all the women of the kingdom. It's a pretty bleak picture of darkness, of depravity. It's godless.

It's the opposite of godly. And when we think of a situation like that, we ask God, where are you? With all this sickening behavior? Are you even here? We ask, where is God?

In a godless, hopeless situation?

At work. He is at work. One of the points of the book of Esther is that even in a godless, hopeless situation, God is at work. The book of Esther is unique in that God is actually never mentioned in the entire book, not once. 167 verses, zero times.

God is not there, it seems. There's no prophet speaking on behalf of God. There's no angel descending from above, no voice from heaven. No one even prays. We don't even know if anyone believes in God here, or if they're just culturally hebrew.

God's name is not in the book. It looks like he's not there. It looks like he might be totally absent from the situation, especially considering how dark and twisted it is. But scholars agree the absence of God's name or God's voice in Esther is actually a literary technique to emphasize God's presence, God's work, God's orchestration amongst events, even when he's silent, even when no one is talking about him, even in places that don't acknowledge his existence, even if no one believes him in him, in godless places, God is still there. Up to something.

Even in an obscene, drunken man party where women are ill treated, God has not left the scene. Doesn't mean God is okay with any of those behaviors. He certainly isn't. All those sins will be judged for sure. But he hasn't dropped the ball either.

And as we progress through the book of Esther, we will see God. Even though he's not mentioned, we will see him take this message that humans have created and wrap it into his beautiful purposes for the world. One of the lyrics of one of the songs that we sing in here often is all the wreckage of my choices. You have turned to life from ashes. All the wreckage of my choices.

There really is wreckage. We really can make a mess of things, but then God brings them back from the ashes. Have you seen him do that in your life? Have you seen him take terrible blunders and turn them into something beautiful? Doesn't mean it's okay to blunder.

Of course not. But at the same time, it means we can never mess up so bad that it derails what God is doing. For example, we just celebrated good Friday and Easter. We reflected on Jesus crucifixion, which of course, his crucifixion saved all of us that praise God for the crucifixion. Right?

But at the same time, how did his crucifixion come about? Through lies, betrayal, corruption, injustice. None of which is okay. It's all bad. Most pointedly, Satan entered Judas before Judas betrayed Jesus.

Luke 22 three. That's as pure evil as you can get. That's as not okay as you can get. And that betrayal will be judged. Jesus even says, judas, judgment will be so severe, it will be better if Judas was never born.

Matthew 26 24. It's not okay what Judas did. God doesn't make some kind of ends justify the means calculation. It's not that. But what it does show is God is so powerful that he can take even the most pure evil, turn it on its head, and make it accomplish something good.

It means we can't out sin God's redemptive plan. And by the end of Esther, we will see even these terrible events play into what God is up to, just like the crucifixion plays into what God's up to. Anytime evil thinks it has the upper hand, anytime evil thinks it has advanced, it has always only advanced toward its own demise. Always. Evil never wins in the end.

So I don't know what environment you find so dark and hopeless that you believe God could not be at work within it. If your workplace seems godless, if your school seems godless, if you think the highest levels of political leadership right, the backroom deals to corruption, if it looks godless and hopeless. Esther teaches us that God has not abandoned those situations. If he had not abandoned fifth century BC Sousa, as gross as it was, he has not abandoned any corner of our twisted world. And we will eventually find that even the most terrible, inexcusable situations, even the darkest moments of our own lives, God will use those as steps in the journey for what he is building.

He cannot be hindered. He brings redemption to his people. No one, anything, nothing anyone ever does will ever slow him down. God is at work in hopeless, godless places now. Finally, the one for whom Xerxes makes us long, the true king.

When we read of xerxes, something likely protests within us. It may just feel like discomfort or angst, but if we put words to those feelings, those words would say, that's not what a king should be like. Instead of a king using his power and influence to elevate himself, he should use it to elevate others. Instead of a king being on a throne that no one can approach and die if they do, he should be with his people, serve them in some way. Instead of a king being a loose cannon of drunkenness and debauchery, he should goodness and wholeness and stability in the world.

Instead of forcing servants to exalt him, he should exalt others. Instead of mistreating women, he should honor women. Right? We feel that when we read of xerxes in short, when we read of xerxes, we long for Jesus. We long for the king who lowered himself in order to elevate us.

Philippians two we long for the king who doesn't stay on his throne when we're in the battle of our lives, but he comes to fight and win the victory for us. First Corinthians 15 we long for the king who says, come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew eleven who says that we can approach him with confidence, not fear? Hebrews four even if we are children. Matthew eleven.

Who honors women at every turn? John four, John eight Luke seven Matthew nine on and on. Jesus honors women. We long for the king who gave himself for us, that we may be saved. We long for Jesus, and throughout Esther, even though God is never mentioned as we study it, the goodness of Jesus, the truth of Jesus, the need for Jesus will become more and more evident.

I am looking forward to the rest of the series, and I hope you can make it for all the weeks. Let's pray.

Father, we are grateful that you have not abandoned us. No matter how dark our world might look, we are grateful that evil will never win, that you cannot be thwarted, that even the darkest moments, Lord, you can wrap them into something that they never intended to be, but you can take our messes and make them beautiful. So, Lord, it is you that we trust, it is you that we hope for, and it is in Jesus name that we pray. Amen.

The Risen Christ - Good Creation

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the most unique event in the history of the world. It was witnessed by many, passed along through generations, and has stirred hope in the hearts of people for 2000 years. This Easter, we will dive into its uniqueness, significance, and necessity.

The Goodness of Work & Rest - Genesis 1:26-28, 31; 2:1-2, 15-18; 3:17-19 - Good Creation

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Our entire lives are, in a sense, spent either working or resting. Sadly, though, we don’t often think of our working or our resting in light of God and His Word. We either overvalue our work or we undervalue it; the same is true with our rest. In this week’s message, we will consider our work and our rest in light of God’s good character and actions. The God who finished His work of creation and then rested has made it possible for His people to discover new meaning in our own vocations, while also being able to receive and experience deep, abiding rest for our souls.

The Only ‘Not Good’ in Creation - Genesis 2:18-25 - Good Creation

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

When God looked at man and saw he was alone, God said it was “not good.” He responded by creating woman and therefore, fellowship, community, and connection. In the ages since creation, humans have changed little. We are still hardwired with a need for others. This week we’ll see the various ways our need can be met and how God continues to work for our social well-being.

The Goodness of Rules - Genesis 2:7-9, 15-17 - Good Creation

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Most of us probably understand that rules are a necessary part of life—if only because we’ve seen the mess created anytime there aren’t rules. But likely, very few of us would say we enjoy rules, especially when they seem to get in the way of what we want to do. This week, we’ll study God’s rules, why He gave them, and why they are exceedingly good. Perhaps surprisingly, we’ll find they are the path to freedom and life.

In God’s Image - Genesis 1:26-28 - Good Creation

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Christianity has tremendous resources to assign inherent worth and dignity to every human. Regardless of ability or background, Scripture teaches that every human life is equally precious. This week, we’ll see how this belief originates all the way back to creation, has altered the history of the world, and still has more to accomplish in our modern day.

All Creation Sings - Genesis 1:3-25 - Good Creation

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

A. W. Tozer once said that what comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. And if you want to cultivate better thinking about God, there’s arguably no better place to start than the creation account in the book of Genesis. So join us this week for our continuing sermon series in Genesis 1 and 2, as we take a closer look at the specific order of creation and consider what it tells us about God, about ourselves, and about God’s purposes for the world.

In the Beginning…- Genesis 1:1-2 - Good Creation

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Genesis one, one through two. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

We're launching a new series today on the goodness of creation, which will take us all the way to Easter. Studying just the first two chapters of the first book of the Bible. In researching for this series, it became obvious quite quickly that every culture that has ever existed on the face of the earth has a story explaining the creation of the world. Often those stories are called mythologies. But every culture has asked, where are we from?

How did we get here? How did anything get here? Those questions have mattered to every civilization on record. The ancient Greeks believed at the beginning there was nothingness, just pure chaos, unformed cosmos. And from that chaos emerged the earth.

Earth was personified. She had a name, Gaia. Then the female Gaia. Earth gave birth to the sky named Uranus. And then Uranus and Gaia procreated with each other and gave birth to the Titans, who were later overthrown, banished to the underworld, and were placed by different gods who warred with one another.

And it was those kind of third generation gods who were responsible for the rest of creation. That's Greece. Ancient Egypt had varying accounts of creation. The earliest God, ra, similar to the greek understanding, emerged from a chaotic state of the world and gave rise to an air God and a moisture God, who again procreated in ward with each other. One of those progeny was murdered by another one, which created a power struggle, which was eventually won by a God named Horus.

And from that narrative, the egyptian kings linked their chain of command to the creator gods and believed that warring for power was not only good, but was divine. Remember all this from your ancient history class in college. There will be a quiz later. I hope you're taking notes. The mayan gods, two of them anyway, decided to preserve their legacy by creating an earthbound species looking like them.

That's us, but not quite us. Because their first attempt to make man was from mud, they found that mud crumbled. The two gods then enlisted help from other gods, and together they decided to make man from wood. But those guys had no souls and soon lost loyalty to the creators, and the gods destroyed them by rain. The final version of man was constructed from maize, which is, of course, corn.

In the Mayan, which the Mayans regarded as sacred. Chinese mythology has a number of stories about creation, but one is when heaven and earth were yet unformed. A series of events eventually produced the original qi. Qi was then separated from what was pure and bright, which formed heaven. While that was heavy and not as pure, presumably congealed to form earth.

Then conjoining these essences of heaven to earth produced yin and yang. From there, we get seasons, hot, fire, cold, wind, sun, moon, planet, stars, soil, et cetera. Ready for your test?

Every culture has a story about where we started, how the earth was started. Every culture believes a story. Many of those stories from different cultures, many of them have overlapping elements with each other. Like Egypt and Greece have similar elements. Many of them have unique elements that's only found in that one particular story.

Sometimes stories from the same culture have contradicting elements because they came from a combination of several myths that were blended together. It doesn't take much digging to see that. But here's what we might not think about. One implication of our beliefs about our origins, whether this is intentional or not, one implication is that our origin beliefs inform our beliefs about our purpose. In other words, what we believe about how we got here informs what we think about why we are here, what we are to do with ourselves, our worth, our value.

It's similar to what psychologists will tell you about children. What children believe about their origin can mark their lives. If a child is told, especially repeatedly, if a child is told, we didn't want you, you were a mistake, you are a burden. Or if a child goes from one bad experience, foster family to another, and in all of those places receives the same message, and of course, there's great foster families and not so great foster families. But if the kid gets the message, I'm not wanted, that child's life is marked in a much different way than a child whose parents reinforce the message over and over and over.

We wanted children. We prayed for you before you arrived. We celebrated when you got here. The wanted kids and the unwanted kids lives will be marked in different ways. Not that their fates are bound, of course.

Their origin won't determine everything about them, but it matters. And similarly, our beliefs about our origin inform our beliefs about our purpose, our value, and everything else, both as individuals and as collective humanity. Christianity, contrary to many of the other origin stories, does not teach that creation arose out of nothing. Nor does Christianity teach that we're the product of less pure matter that didn't congeal to form heaven. Nor do Christians believe that we're the byproduct of divine wars.

Nor do we believe that we were made as playthings for the gods to mess with. Instead, christian beliefs about creation give us a footing for human worth and dignity. Give us reasons to care about our planet and our world. Give us a purpose for our work. Help us to know how to order our lives and how to relate to others.

In other words, the goodness of creation in the christian account informs really just about everything that we find significant, and it sets up the world in a way that we would want to live in it. And that will be our series until Easter. The Bible tells a story of the beginning that even if you aren't a Christian, even if you're a skeptic, even if you believe the earth and humanity and everything else is just the result of mindless forces with no intentionality, that we won some kind of cosmic lottery, there is no purpose behind the universe whatsoever.

Even you. The more you hear the christian account of creation, you might find yourself wanting it to be true.

Just like kids want to believe they came from parents who desired them, who prepared for them, who cherished them. Every kid wants to believe that about his or her parents. Whether it's true or not, every kid wants to believe I came from a place of wholeness and planning and love. So just like kids want to believe that, maybe even need to believe that, you may end up wanting to believe that all of existence didn't come from mindless forces with no purpose, or that we're here by accident, or that we're the result of fallout from divine wars.

The christian story may play a tune that resonates with something deep within you.

So as we begin our series, we begin, of course, at the beginning. Genesis is the first book of the Bible, written down some long time after the events of creation took place, most likely. And as we dive into chapter one, we will see. We came from order, not chaos. We came from love, and we came with delight.

We came from order, not chaos. We came from love, and we came with delight. So first we came from order, not chaos. The first words of the Bible are in the beginning, God created meaning. At the beginning, God was already there.

So we're already different than creation narratives, where chaos was first and God arose out of the chaos. The christian story is that order and intentionality preceded chaos. There is chaos. In the christian creation narrative, the earth was formless and void, unorganized. That's verse two.

But that's not what was first. God, in all of his complexity, existed before unorganized matter and actually small timeout. For a second. We should pause and define what we mean by the term before, because before isn't technically the right word. Before implies some passing of time.

There cannot be a before unless there is an after, which can't happen unless a clock is ticking. And the problem with that language is that time itself is a created thing. Time began as part of God creating, so time didn't precede creation, but God did. God preceded creation. He was existing without time.

We can't say how long he existed before time started because that would require time, and there was none. God just was. The christian story is that God never wasn't. God never emerged. He's the uncaused cause.

He's the unmade maker. He is holy, and he is perfect in every way. He created on purpose, with intentionality, and believing that type of origin versus a chaotic, disordered origin actually has implications for how we live our lives. Now, I'm not saying you need to sort out all of your existential questions in order to fix breakfast and go to work. Of course not, right?

Most of the time, we don't give much thought to where all of this came from and why. But with one creation narrative, the more you think about it, the more grounded you will be. The more purpose and significance you will likely feel versus other types of creation narratives. The more you think about them, the less grounded you will be, the harder it will be to find significant purpose or meaning for your life. Those other narratives will actually make you more unstable the more that you think about them.

Let's sort it through together. If you believe the world, every molecule, every atom, every electron that makes up all of existence, including yourself, if all of it was made on purpose by a designer who is himself, flawless, stable and eternal, if you believe that it will lead you to believe that you were made for a reason, regardless of what your parents told you, you were wanted, you have a purpose. If you really sort out all the implications of a designer who was complex enough to make the universe, whatever God could envision and construct the supposedly 13 billion light years of space down to the atomic level, who carved it all out on purpose, that designer must have had a reason to make you.

Like if you've been to the Vatican in Rome and you've seen the Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo, of course it's massive. You can't look at the whole ceiling at one time.

You have to look at it in little sections, and each little frame has so much detail that people have studied this tapestry for 500 years. But one thing you know, when you're looking at it, even if you're a novice, even if you've never taken an art class, you know all of it was on purpose. Every person painted every animal, every color, every brushstroke, all on purpose, right? It's not like when Michelangelo finished, he looked up and said, why didn't that guy have hair? Where'd that sword come from?

Who put that goat over there? Michelangelo knew every detail of what he was doing. It was all on purpose. And if you believe the universe is like that, created by a designer who knew what he was doing, it is much different than believing our origins are just chaos or meaninglessness. The christian belief is much different than the beliefs that we weren't really intentionally wanted, that we're just the byproduct, an accident of God's fighting, or that we came from somewhere without purpose, or all of existence is just kind of here without a reason for it being here.

And actually, if you believe the current scientific narrative without any kind of christian modification or addition onto it, any kind of christian overlay, the scientific narrative is not only did we come from somewhere without purposeful, intentional design, in addition to that, science would say, at the end of everything, we will return to nothingness. Science would tell us everything we ever do will eventually crumble because of entropy. The universe will run out of energy. And if you buy all of that without any kind of modification, it is more difficult to believe that you matter, because really, you don't.

Even if you try to construct your own purpose and meaning for your life, even if you say, well, the moments I have are all the moments that exist, and I've just got to give it my best for while I'm here.

Okay, give it a shot. But be honest with yourself. If everything you've ever done with your life, even the stuff that you think really matters, if all of that will crumble and descend into chaos from whence it came, and none of it will be remembered, because there will be no one to remember it, everyone you've ever loved or who has ever loved you, they will also crumble and return to insignificance if we came from meaninglessness and chaos, and we'll return to meaninglessness and chaos, if that's what you believe, sure, you can still get up and make breakfast and go to work.

You can. But in order to have the motivation to get up and make breakfast and go to work day after day after day, you kind of have to hide from what you believe.

You kind of have to keep your head in the sand a little in order to function in the world, because you're not part of a masterpiece. You're not part of an eternal plan. You're basically a, whoops, how'd that get there? And maybe worse than coming to exist without any purpose or reason. Maybe worse is that everything you ever do is also ultimately meaningless.

If you really dug into that belief and forced yourself to face all the implications of it, how many days could you get up and make your coffee? On the other hand, if you believe you were made on purpose for a purpose by an unfathomably brilliant engineer, the more you believe that and think about it, the more centered, grounded, stable you will become. You don't have to ignore the christian belief in order to function. The christian belief helps you function. Our beliefs have implications if we dig into them.

They have implications for how we make coffee in the morning. So we came from order, not chaos, which implies we have a purpose. Second, we came from love. Christians believe uniquely, no one else believes this. Christians believe that God is trinity, that God is three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Each of the three persons is fully God, yet each of the three persons is distinct from the other two persons. Further, we believe Father, Son and Holy Spirit have dwelled together without beginning, in perfect love and harmony since before, if we can use that word, since before creation, since pre existent eternity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit have loved one another. Which means, Christians believe, that love preceded just about everything else. That love is more primary than anything else. Love is what existence is really all about if it is what preceded existence, all of which comes from our doctrine of the Trinity.

Now, it is fair to say the concept of the Trinity is mostly from the New Testament. Jewish people don't believe God is trinity. However, there are hints and clues of God's triune nature throughout the Old Testament and even here in the creation narrative. Verse one, God created the heavens and the earth. Verse two, the spirit of God hovered over the waters.

Why say it that way? Why make a distinction between God and God's spirit unless there is a distinction which there is? Genesis one is very similar to what we find in the New Testament, John, chapter one, where John writes, in the beginning was the word, and the word was God, and the word was with God. He was with God in the beginning. Later, John refers to Jesus as being the word.

The idea is Jesus the Son is both God because he says he was God, and he's distinct from God because he says he is with God. And it's what we see with the spirit of God. Here in Genesis, the spirit is God, yet the spirit is distinct from father and son. It's a clue that there is trinity from the very first verse of the Bible, another clue of God's triune nature, not in our text from today, but still within the creation narrative when God creates humans. Genesis 126 he says, let us plural make man in our plural image, after our plural likeness.

God refers to himself, who is a singular being. In the plural, God is both one and three. If you have questions, and you should. The early church had questions too. They wrestled with this concept a lot.

In fact, they had many conferences trying to sort out. Very technical language, which I can't detail all of that now, but if you want way too much information, I recommend this book, which we have an image of by Robert Latham entitled the Holy Trinity. It is the most comprehensive yet understandable, I would say, explanation of all the different arguments that were ever had about the Trinity up to modern day. And he shows why the orthodox understanding of the Trinity stuck, why it's important. His book's about this thick get the revised version.

Go for it. But what is critical to know for today is that Father, Son and Holy Spirit have loved one another in perfect, unbroken, ceaseless adoration, exaltation, glorification of one another since forever. Father glorifies the Son and the spirit. Son glorifies the father and the spirit. Spirit glorifies the father and the Son.

In other words, God is not self promoting even within himself, he's always giving, promoting another. The father is focused outward, the Son is focused outward. The spirit is focused outward to the other two. It's love. Since forever without beginning, love has always been christians don't believe love as a created thing.

We believe love as an eternal thing, which importantly means we don't believe God created something in order to get love. He already had his love tank full. So he didn't create in order to get love. He created in order to share the love he already had in himself. God wasn't lonely before he created.

He wasn't needy. He didn't say, there is something lacking in me. Maybe if I make something else, it will give me what I need. He didn't say that. Like some grownups say, right?

Husband and wife can say things if they're having relationship trouble, they may say something like, maybe having kids will answer our problems. Side note, kids won't solve your problems. And if you are a kid who was brought into that kind of home, you know how unstable of a place it is. That's not why God created us. He was already whole within his triune, selfless love before we ever came into the picture.

Now, if God were not triune, if there were a God, but he was only singular, then love did not precede creation. Love is not eternal. Love could not have existed until God created something else to love or related. If there is no God and we just came out of chaos, then obviously love didn't have anything to do with creation. And in fact, love isn't even real, right?

It's just biochemical responses to whatever is firing in your head at that moment. And either of those beliefs, either a belief in a singular God who created but not out of love he created for some other reason, or if there's no God at all and therefore no love at all, either of those are much different origin narratives with different implications. If God created us to share the perfect love he already had within himself and he was already whole and complete, and if he thought this love was so wonderful that he wanted others to experience his wholeness and perfect love, that's a much different reason for existence than, say, a God who created to rule, a God who created only out of a display of power.

If a display of power is what drove the weaving of the fabric of the universe, that's a much different story than if an overflow of love wove the fabric of the universe. And it's a much different story than our existence just being the result of a long process of mindless forces that had no purpose behind it whatsoever.

Right? Those stories have different implications for how we live our lives. They have different implications about what is most important in the world. And you should ask yourself, what story helps you face your day? What story will create the version of the world that you want to live in?

Your options are love is most central to the order of the universe, power is most central, or the universe has no meaning whatsoever. Which one do you want to be true? Which one is going to lead you to treat people in the way that you should treat them? If you believe power is what's most foundational to how the universe works, that belief will create different types of civilizations than if you believe love is most central to how the universe works. Those beliefs will play out in our lives, in how we treat each other, what we prioritize, what we celebrate.

Right? So even if you're a skeptic, you might want to believe the christian origin story.

So we were made from order, not chaos. We were made from love. And now, finally, we were made with delight. In full disclosure, we don't get a sense of God's delight explicitly from verses one and two, so don't look for it there. But numerous commentators note elements of poetry throughout the rest of chapter one.

Most of chapter one is prose not poetry. So you can't define the whole chapter as a poem. Genesis one does not have the structure of a typical hebrew poem. However, Genesis one also does not match typical hebrew prose. It's kind of a blend.

The creation account doesn't totally match with other biblical genres, but it's almost as if the author burst into poetry at different moments. Because there's repetition, there's parallelism, there is a non prose structure. Each day there is a refrain. God said, let there be light. And God said, let there be an expanse.

And God said, let the waters gather. And each day the author writes, there was evening and there is morning. There is evening and there is morning. There is evening, and there was morning. And each day God called it good.

And God called it good. And God called it good. It's almost like the chorus of a song. In a song, you may have different verses, but then you come back and repeat the chorus. There are elements of that in Genesis one.

There are markers of poetry, or even a song, which, for those of you who might be worried if it is poetry, even if it was totally poetry, that doesn't make it less literal, but it does add nuances of delight and joy. It's similar. It's not the same, but it's similar to what we see in other places of scripture. A song accompanies a literal event, right? The angel tells Mary she will be with child and give birth to Jesus.

And after Mary visits her cousins, she sings about it. Luke one or Exodus 15, parting of the Red Sea, Israelites escaping from egyptian slavery, Moses and Miriam stop and sing a song about it. Those songs don't mean Mary wasn't literally pregnant or the partying of the Red Sea didn't happen. Right. A song about event doesn't make the event less literal, but it does give you an indication that there's joy and delight about the event.

And that's how we should see God creating. We know God had delight in creation not only because of these poetic elements, but also because God called everything good. After each day, over and over and over, he was very pleased with what he made. Or psalm 104, verse 31 says, may God rejoice in his works. Or like we studied when we were looking at Zechariah, God sings over us in delight.

Zechariah 317. God loves creating. He has so much joy over his creation that he burst into a song. That's how the world was made. That's how you were made by a God who made you on purpose out of an overflow of love within himself.

And he was delighted while he did it. That's how creation happened in one of the Narnia books. And if you're not familiar with the Narnia books, it is a children's fictional series written by C. S. Lewis, and it is an allegory of many things in christian theology.

And in one of the books, the magician's nephew, two children are transported back to the beginning of the creation of Narnia. They get to see nothing, become something. And what they see is Aslan, who? He's the Christ character. Throughout the books, Aslan is always depicted as a lion.

So they see Aslan the lion singing creation into existence. I cut out various paragraphs, so go read it yourself, because it's beautiful and too long to read the whole thing. But C. S. Lewis writes, in the darkness, something was happening at last.

A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away, and diggory. As one of the children, Diggory found it hard to decide what direction it was coming from. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once, but it was beyond comparison. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it. Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was the first voice was suddenly joined by other voices, more voices than he could possibly count. They were in harmony with the first voice, but higher up the scale and cold, tingly, silvery voices. The second wonder was the blackness overhead all at once was ablaze with stars.

They didn't come out gently, one by one, as they do on a summer evening. One moment there had been nothing but darkness. The next moment, thousand points of lights had leaped out. If you had seen it and heard it, you would have felt quite certain it was the stars themselves which were singing. And it was the first voice which had made them appear and made them the stars, sing at the same time, all the time.

The first voice went on singing. The voice rose and rose till the air was shaking with it. And just as it swelled to the mightiest and most glorious sound it had yet produced, the sun arose, and the earth was of many colors. They were fresh, hot, vivid. They made you feel excited until you saw the singer himself, and then you forgot everything else.

It was the lion, huge, shaggy and bright. He stood facing the risen sun. His mouth was wide open and song. And as he walked and sang, the valley grew green with grass. It spread out from the lion like a pool.

Then the song changed once more. It was far wilder. It made you want to run and jump and climb. And with the change of the tune showers of birds came out of the trees. Butterflies fluttered.

Bees got to work on the flowers as if they didn't have a second to lose. Then there came a swift flash, like fire, either from the sky or from the lion himself. And every drop of blood tingled in the children's bodies. And the deepest, wildest voice they had ever heard was saying, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia. Awake, love.

Think, speak.

That's probably not exactly what it was like when jesus did it, but it does give a picture of his joy. When he created. We were made with delight. We were made from love. We were made on purpose, for a purpose.

Now, if you know all of that, if you know the beginning of the story, then you would be able to correctly anticipate what a God like that would do. If and when we turned on him, when we betrayed him, when we ran away from him, if he made us on purpose, out of an overflow of his love with delight, as he did then, of course he's going to win us back when we run away from him. Of course he's not going to abandon us. Of course, if he put that much intentionality in us and has that much joy in us, of course he'll come run after us when we get ourselves in trouble.

Of course he would, which is exactly what he did on the cross.

Jesus took the mess that we've made of his world, the mess we've made of ourselves, the penalty we deserve for all of it. He took it onto himself to restore us to him. Of course he would want to restore us to him. If you know the beginning of the story and now you do, then you could predict the end.

If you have never trusted in his work to bring you back to him who delights in you, tell him today. Tell him. Jesus, I'm sorry I've run from you. Thank you for doing on the cross what was necessary to reunite me to you. All I want to do is be with the one who sang creation into existence.

Let's pray. Jesus, thank you for such a firm foundation to the origin of all that there is. Thank you that you are eternal and good and created within a purpose that is eternal and good. And you created us out of the love that you already had within yourself, and you created us with such delight. Lord, let us dwell on those beliefs.

Let us dig further into them and let us feel your love, desire for us as you cherish us and have a plan for our lives. We pray those things in Jesus name. Amen.

Hope in Exile - Colossians 3:1-15 - Exiled

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

As we conclude our series on exile, we’ll dive into what we perhaps need most when we’re living in a place that isn’t home: hope. There are days we can feel discouraged, days we might feel angry, and days we can feel exhausted by our world, but because of what God has done and the future He has promised, our days can also be filled with joyous hope.

Witnessing in Exile - 1 Peter 3:8-18 - Exiled

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

We probably prefer to share our faith in Christ with those who are eager and asking to hear all about it, and in a setting that creates no risk to our comfort whatsoever. But that’s not always the way it works, is it? Often, we’re sharing Christ with people who are suspicious or even antagonistic toward Christianity. The good news is that such settings actually provide unique opportunities to share our faith, and history would tell us those opportunities can actually be more effective.

Embracing Exile - Jeremiah 29:1-14 - Exiled

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah lived in a fragmented culture that did not have much consensus about what is right and wrong, what society should be like, and what we are all here for. And today, we as Christians also live in a similarly fragmented culture where there are many different competing visions of reality. This often leads to a heightened sense of estrangement, as we live and work as spiritual exiles in a place that does not really feel like home, and that cannot sustain and support the deepest needs of our hearts. How, then, are we as believers to live faithfully for God and come to embrace our exilic identity, in a place that is frequently opposed to, and sometimes even hostile towards, biblical values? Jeremiah 29:1-14 gives us an extremely practical blueprint.

Responding to Exile with Lament - Psalm 39:12-13; 126:1-6 - Exiled

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 12:00:00 +0000

As spiritual exiles in this world (1 Peter 1:1), all believers have known—or will come to know—some of the painful challenges related to living in a culture that is frequently at odds with and even inhospitable towards followers of Jesus. And when those moments inevitably arrive on our doorstep, and when explanations or quick solutions don’t seem to appear on the horizon, few things can be more freeing than to know that God understands, that our frustrations and questions and doubts do not fluster Him, and that He even invites us to come and to express our deepest feelings and to air our grievances before Him in trust. So join us for this week’s sermon, as we consider how the Bible gives voice to our pain and invites us to tap into the rich reservoir of the grace and mercy that God offers in the darkest moments of our lives.

Identity in Exile - 1 Peter 2:9-12 - Exiled

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Our identity is not only who we are, it determines how we see ourselves in relation to others and in relation to our world. It is the core from which everything we do springs. When we act in alignment with our identity, we thrive. When we act contrary to our identity, we feel it acutely. The question, then, is: what is our identity as believers and followers of Christ? How does who we are shape how we interact with our world—especially when our world doesn’t match our Christian identity? This week, we’ll study who the Bible says we are, and how it gives us confidence as we move out into the world.

In Exile - Exiled

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Exiled. The word brings to mind people stranded on a desert island or political leaders who were banished from their former country. But the Bible actually describes believers in Christ as exiles in this world. What does this mean? And how might framing our current cultural moment as exile help us navigate our daily lives? As we begin our 6-week focus, we will dive into this topic and discover God plan for us as...exiles.

Who I'm Meant to Be - Who I'm Meant to Be

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

As we step past the Christmas season and into a new year, we would do well to do an identity check. Who are you, anyway? Just one of the millions of people on planet earth? Or someone with special value in the eyes of our creator and maker? Knowing who God created you to be could make a world of difference in what you think and do in 2024.

Emmanuel Has Come - Emmanuel Has Come

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

At Christmas, we celebrate the unprecedented moment when God came into the world as a child. He came to be with us. He came to save. And He came to reign. He is where all the lights, and songs, and festivities of the season point, and if we listen, He is where our hearts are leading us.

The God Child - Micah 5:1-5; 7:8-9, 18-20 - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Throughout the Old Testament, there are many prophecies about the Messiah and what He will do. Remarkably, even though various authors never met and they wrote centuries apart from one another, they all paint the same picture. The Messiah will be born. The Messiah will reign forever. And the Messiah is God Himself. This week, as we study Micah’s prophecy of the birth and reign of Jesus, we will be drawn into the glory of the Christmas season and God’s unending love for us.

Sermon:

You, Micah, chapter five, verses one through five, chapter seven, eight through nine, and verses eight through 2018 through 20. Now muster your troops, o daughter of troops. Siege is laid against us with a rod. They strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. But you, O Bethlehem Ephraath, who are do little to be among the clans of Judah.

From you shall come forth for me, one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth. Then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel, and he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall dwell secure. For now he shall be great to the ends of the earth, and he shall be their peace.

When the Assyrian come to our land and treats in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men.

Rejoice not over me, o my enemy. When I fall, I shall rise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him. Until he pleads my case and executes judgment for me.

He will bring me out to the light. I shall look upon his vindication. Who is a God like you, pardoning inequity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance. He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us.

He will tread our inequities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

Thanks.

This is our last week in our series on the minor prophets. Next Sunday, of course, is Christmas Eve, and if you for some reason, have missed our many announcements, next Sunday on Christmas Eve, there will be no morning service. So if you come here at 10:45 a.m. Next Sunday, you will be by yourself. Instead of our morning service, we have our traditional evening candlelight service at 05:00 p.m.

Where the choir will sing. We'll have a short message from classic nativity text. And it is a great, if not the best, opportunity to invite someone to church. Because if you mention to your friends, neighbors, colleagues, and you say, hey, next week is Christmas Eve, do you want to come to church with me? I bet you will find people are more willing to come to church with you than they normally are.

Okay, but come at 05:00 p.m. Don't come at 10:45 a.m.. Okay, that's next week. Then two weeks after Christmas Eve. So that is three weeks from today, January 7, we are beginning our next 40 day all church focus, which means for six weeks, all of our life group material, all of our sermons, will align around the same topic.

We've recorded videos for life groups to use as we have in the past. And this year, we are studying why christians might not feel at home in our current cultural moment. What are we supposed to do if we feel our beliefs are not supported by many of the people around us? Or what is God's plan for us here in this time when, for instance, those in power don't always make the decisions that we think that they should? What should we do?

Should we bail on our culture? Should we just keep our head down and stay quiet? Should we flee to somewhere else that's more supportive of our beliefs? Should we try to force people to follow our beliefs like they might force us to follow theirs? Or is there a different approach?

How do we live in this kind of place in time? How do we live in a place that isn't home? How do we live when we are exiled, as the Bible calls it? And the Bible actually has a lot to say on that topic. It is hugely important as we enter 2024 for your individual peace, for how we interact with our neighbors, for our unity as a church.

It's what we need to study. We're starting January 7, so if you're not in a life group already, that is a great time to check one out. It's the beginning of the year. It's just for six weeks, so get plugged in again. That begins in three weeks.

Today, like we said, we're studying the Book of Micah, which includes one of the most well known Christmas references in all of the Bible, because Micah identifies the birthplace of the savior. So when Luke later gives his nativity account, he's actually referencing back to Micah. You might remember, for instance, Luke says, luke, chapter two, Joseph went up from Galilee to the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was at the house and lineage of David to be registered with his wife Mary, or his betrothed, who was with child.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end.

Have you heard that before? Maybe. If you have, then you have also heard Micah, because Luke ties what he says back to what Micah prophesied 700 years before it happened. The Christ will come from the tribe of Judah. More specifically, he will come from o little town of Bethlehem in his birth.

So when his mom is in labor and then she gives birth, as Micah describes it, it is a turning point in the history of Israel and really a turning point in the history of the world. So as we study this text from the book of Micah today, we will see who is the Christ? One reason we should consider the claim of who he says he is, and then the depth of his compassion. Who is the Christ? One reason we should consider his claim and then the depth of his compassion.

So first, who is the Christ? Who is this one who was born in Bethlehem? It is God himself. The Christ is God himself. Micah, along with many other biblical authors, really, throughout scripture, describes Jesus in what seems to be deliberately contradictory terms.

For instance, Micah here says a ruler will be born through very normal means. A woman is in labor. She gives birth. Nothing terribly unusual about that. It happens every day.

I know, like, if you witness a life being knit together in the womb, you realize it's miraculous, but it's like an everyday miracle. It's how every single one of us got here. So in a way, this ruler will be just like us, but yet in another way, totally unlike us. This ruler who is born has always been. Micah uses the phrase his coming forth was from ancient of days, verse two of chapter five.

And ancient of days is a specific phrase that means forever ago. So if you ask Micah, this ruler who was coming from, when does he come forth? Micah would say there was never a time that he was not. He always was. He is ancient of days.

He is from eternity past. He is without beginning. And yet simultaneously, there will be a moment in which he will be born. His existence preceded his birth. And then at the time of his birth, the infinite will become finite.

The timeless one will enter time. He will experience growth and aging even though he is ageless. It's seemingly contradictory, but it's how Jesus is always described. He is two things together that we don't think can go together. He is fully God and he is fully human.

And this is from an Old Testament prophecy about him. So in other words, it is not New Testament witnesses of Christ who invented the idea of the incarnation. It's laced throughout the Old Testament. For instance, I mean, Micah's account of this eternal God being born in Bethlehem. That should remind us of Isaiah nine, which we also hear a lot this time of year.

Right? For unto us a child is born, onto us a son is given. And the government shall be on his shoulders. And his name shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace, of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will sit on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

It's never ending. It's just like Micah. There is a moment when a birth occurs onto us, a child is born, unto us a son is given. And yet this child is mighty God from everlasting. He is Emmanuel.

He is God himself with us. So what? Emmanuel means God with us. He comes to David's throne to rule and establish peace, not for one lifetime, but forever. Micah says that he comes to establish peace to the ends of the earth.

Verse five. And people everywhere will dwell in security because of him. So both Isaiah and Micah are saying, the world has never seen a ruler like this before. He is God himself. This is the claim throughout the Bible about Jesus Old Testament prophecy or New Testament fulfillment.

It is how Jesus is always described. It is what Jesus said about himself many times, many different ways. He called himself the I am. So he used the name of God in reference to himself. He said, before Abraham was born, I am.

It's ultimately why he was crucified. The religious leaders accused him of blasphemy, that he, a man, claimed to be God. It is what is still controversial about Jesus today because many people, many, almost everyone in fact, are willing to say Jesus was a good teacher. He had some great ideas. Islam even calls Jesus a prophet.

They respect him. But if you start saying, I believe Jesus is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and end, the first and the last, the unmade maker of the universe, the judge of the living and the dead. He is the one who was, who is, and who is yet to come. If you say that about him, that's the dividing line. But if you're a Christian, that's who you believe he is.

It's a bold claim. So if you're not quite there yet, if you can't quite fall on your knees before Jesus and say, my lord and my God, Micah gives us some help. He gives us some evidence for why we might warm up to the idea that Jesus is who he says he is. This is not an airtight case. Nothing ever is.

But it's one piece of evidence that can help us. So, one reason to believe his claim that he is the ancient of days is that he comes from nothing to rule. Everything Micah mentions, this coming ruler, will be born in one of the least notable places in Judah, which is Bethlehem. It is not for nothing that we sing o little town of Bethlehem. We sing that because it's true.

Micah says Bethlehem is too little to be counted among the clans of Judah. Bethlehem is a totally insignificant nothingville. It's like when I used to go visit my grandma when she was still alive and in her town. One traffic light, no post office, right? The center of town just had a mailbox, one of those blue middle r shaped like drop points.

Pull the handle, and it creaks. In her town, that was the entire post office. You had to drive three towns over just to buy stamps. That's Bethlehem. And yet from Bethlehem, one shall come who will be great to the ends of the earth, who will reign forever and ever.

Micah intentionally draws our attention to how unlikely it would be for someone from such a humble birth could rise to such world renowned status and influence. And to be sure, of course, Jesus'renown status and influence still has yet more to come. Right? We're still waiting on the day when Jesus comes back, sets all the wrongs, right, eliminates all evil, ushers in complete peace and harmony as far as the east is from the west. Jesus has not done everything that Micah speaks of yet.

But even still, if you are a skeptic, so glad that you're here, but you've got to wonder how. How did someone from an oppressed little corner of the roman empire who had no family status, who had no material resources, who never carried an official title, who was executed as a criminal, how did he become unquestionably the most famous person in the history of the world, where still today, about a third of the planet is trusting in him for their eternity? How could he have pulled that off, especially in the time period he lived, right? Today, if you're a nobody, you can post something online, go viral.

You reach the world.

But then there was no system for that. In fact, there was systems to keep unknown people unknown. So how did he rise to the influence that he did? Or look at it another way, how many other people from that time period who actually did have tremendous power and influence? The people who commanded armies, who ruled regions, who had statues built in their honor, who had mausoleums for their burial?

How many of those very significant leaders have you even heard of today? Hardly any of them. And yet here's Jesus a nobody. Essentially everyone has heard of him. If you eliminate the possibility that there is something utterly unique about Jesus, something divine about him, it is hard to envision how he became as renowned as he is to the ends of the earth.

And that's the point. Starting with such humble beginnings points to, there must be something more about this ruler. If you compare Jesus to the founders of other religions that we still know about today, Muhammad, Buddha, they came from more influential families than Jesus did. Not that they didn't have difficulties to overcome themselves, but it's easier to plot a path to their fame than it is to do that with Jesus. And God wants it that way.

God wants us to look at Jesus and think, I don't really know how this could have happened unless he was who he said he was. Especially if you look beyond Jesus to the New Testament church, because again, after Jesus, it's the same question. How did a tiny persecuted group, tiny in a relatively short amount of time, gain enough influence to become the dominant religion in the roman empire? How did they essentially conquer Rome when they held no power, when most of their adherents were from powerless groups like women in the poor? How could they have won?

And these early christians, there's no evidence anywhere that they ever used a sword to gain influence like Muhammad eventually did. They never used a raid to protect themselves or their message, like Muhammad eventually felt like he must do. These christians won by losing, by being beat up, by being killed, by being shamed. And it worked. How does that work?

How do you conquer an empire by being defeated if there isn't something utterly unique about Jesus? I know of one pastor, when his kids were old enough to understand, just to show them how improbable the success of the early church was, this pastor planned a trip for his family to go to the Holy Land, go to Jerusalem, not to see any of the sites. They didn't even go to any of the tourist stops. Just to have a sense of how out of the way Jerusalem was in the, you know, it's way over there in the corner, especially Bethlehem small.

So they first went there, looked around, then immediately flew to Rome.

Three hour, 45 minutes flight from where Jesus started to where the power of the roman empire lived. Those cities are nowhere near each other, especially if you can't fly, and you can only walk or use tiny little sailboats. So they holy land, flew to Rome, got off the plane, and immediately saw how many crosses are still littered everywhere. They're on top of buildings, even non church buildings, but there's just as many churches as there are coffee shops. That's an exaggeration, but not by much.

So this tiny little nowhere ville, mailbox for a post office, small band of followers who had no power, who used no sword, who were persecuted by both the religious leaders and the Roman Empire. Somehow they defeated Rome when Rome was an unquestioned world power. How does that happen? Why do we today, as many people have noticed, I didn't come up with this, but why do we still today name our children Paul, who was one of the leaders of the early church, while we name our dogs Nero, who was the roman emperor at the time. How could Paul be more famous and admired than Nero?

And really, for many of us, the only reason we've ever even heard of Nero is because of how he persecuted christians. Right? These 2000 years later, it's really christians who have put Nero on the map, not the other way around. Like Nero is propped up by the Jesus crowd. Nero may not even be a name in our minds if he didn't get the christian bump, because besides Nero, how many other roman emperors can you name?

There were about 70 of them. What, you got three or four? So how did this powerless group gain more influence in the world than the most powerful answer? There's something special about Jesus. And just as a little aside here, scripture tells us Romans 811, the same power that worked within Jesus, lives within us as christians.

So don't ever think that you are too small to make a difference. In fact, being small might be an advantage, because God often uses the unexpected people to make a great influence in his kingdom. One corinthians 127. And following God chooses what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose the what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

God chooses what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing. The things that are so that no. 1 may boast in the presence of God. God often works in a way that leaves people no explanation for what happened, other than there's something about Jesus. So whoever you are, whatever your background, no matter if anyone even knows your name, God can do tremendous things through you.

Even if you come from Bethlehem, just follow God, obey him. Stay faithful in the smallest ways. Make as much about Jesus as you can, every chance you get and see what happens. If your legacy is tied to his legacy, you will be great because his legacy is forever and ever to the ends of the earth. But if you try to write your own legacy, you try to build your own kingdom, you probably end up like Nero.

Okay, side point over, get us back on track. Now we've said the Christ is God himself, and that fact has reinforced, not totally proven, by his humble beginnings. And now, finally, although there is much to say here, let's look at the depth of his compassion he advocates, even for the guilty. Micah writes, chapter seven. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him.

Until when will this be over? Until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out into the light. I will look upon his vindication. Who is a God like you, pardoning inequity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance.

If you read those verses closely, especially verse nine, it gives us a sequence of events that we would not expect, because Micah confesses. He admits, first, he has sinned against the Lord, and then second, the Lord will plead his case. Already. That is strange, because what case would you plead? What could a lawyer say if the client is guilty?

All right, well, you go up to the judge and say, well, yes, my client did it. You got us caught red handed. He is a sinner. The end. That's not much of a plea.

So what does he say? We'll leave that question hanging for a minute. But for now, just remember, some kind of plea is made on behalf of the sinner by the Lord himself. So then after the plea comes a judgment, a verdict comes down. And what would we expect that to be?

If the judge gives a verdict to someone who admits guilt, we expect the guilty to receive some kind of penalty. We certainly wouldn't expect a reward. But here's this guilty guy is now treated favorably. He's set free, sees vindication, the light of day. Which leads us questioning, how could that happen?

And it brings us back to the plea and the one who made it. It must have been quite a case made by God, the lawyer, the advocate in the courtroom, the Lord himself must have come up with something pretty good on behalf of the guy who admitted guilt. Micah doesn't give us a whole lot more information than that. But in the New Testament, we find out more about this divine advocate and the case that he makes. One, John two, one identifies Jesus as our advocate.

It reads, if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So Jesus stands before the throne of God and pleads our case. In other words, God is the judge and God is the defense attorney. It's not as cut and dry as, like, the Father is the judge and Jesus is the defense attorney. You remember Jesus said, the Father gives all judgment to me in the Trinity.

Every member of the Trinity is involved in every action of the Trinity. Feel free to send in a sermon. Question about that. All right. But the question for today is, what case does Jesus make on our behalf again?

Imagine you've been caught red handed. No doubt about it, you are guilty for sure. And now Jesus is your lawyer. What's he gonna say? He's not gonna claim that you're innocent, because that wouldn't be true.

He won't claim that a penalty isn't warranted because the penalty is warranted. So maybe you'd guess that he'd argue, hey, yeah, judge, my client's wrong, but I think he's getting a lot better. He's made some strides lately. Look at all the progress that's going on. He's on upward trajectory.

That's not the case he makes either, for many reasons, but one reason. I mean, think if the judge only lets you off because you're improving, what happens on the day that you do something worse than you've ever done before?

Which might be in all of our futures, none of us might have done the worst thing that we will ever do yet. And if our defense is built around improving, then it's going to fall apart on the days we don't improve. So Jesus can't say we're innocent. Can't say penalty isn't due. Won't say that we're improving.

Maybe he'll just plead for mercy on our behalf. Maybe he would say, yes, judge, my client is as guilty as it gets, but can you let it slide this time? Can we forget all about it? Can't you give him another chance? Come on, please.

That's not what he argues either. Because let me tell you, your forgiveness in Christ is much more secure than that. As Micah says here, we're not just given mercy. It's not like God says. Okay, I guess I can just let it slide this time.

You gave me a great sob story. Well done. You can go. But I'm not real happy about it. That's not the picture.

Instead, we're vindicated. Lord delights in us. That's more than mercy. That's something else. And again, first, John provides some information regarding what the Lord pleads in our case.

One John one nine. Probably many of us have memorized this verse. If we confess our sins, you know it, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins. Have you ever stopped to think about why John would use the word just in reference to forgiveness? Like, what does justice have to do with forgiveness.

Didn't it just say, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and merciful to forgive our know, he just let it slide, right? That's not what John says, because that's not the case Jesus makes on our behalf. Jesus doesn't argue for our pardon based on mercy alone. He doesn't say, can't we just let it go? Instead, Jesus argues for our pardon on the basis of justice.

In other words, if forgiving us is a just action, then withholding forgiveness would be an unjust action. Or to say it another way, not forgiving us. This is his case. Not forgiving us would be wrong. He said, unless God wants to commit an injustice, which he won't do, then he must forgive us.

And that's a pretty strong case if you can make it and Jesus does. Again, this is first John. But Jesus is the propitiation of our sins. Which means when Jesus advocates for us, he claims that the penalty which we owe is already paid. The picture is we walk into the courtroom, judge says, guilty payment is owed.

Jesus says, you're right, they are guilty. Not going to waste any time trying to prove they are innocent. But Jesus says what they owe is already paid. On the cross. When Jesus shed his blood and bore the curse of sin on our behalf, everything that we would ever owe for our sin has been paid.

So Jesus says, you must let them go. In fact, it would be wrong and unjust to demand any more payment from them because the court can't get paid twice. If a court levies a fine of even one more cent on my client, if you'd look at my client with a scowl, that would be unjust. Because it is wrong to penalize someone more when the penalty they pay has already been paid. Jesus says, on the basis of justice, not mercy, you've got to set them free.

That's as strong of a case as there is. We're not released on some small technicality. We're not released because the judge was in a good mood that day. We're released because the full penalty has already been served. Our advocate says, there is no way to punish us any further.

If you want to be just and we walk away free and clear, totally vindicated. So listen, when you are burdened with your sin, when you feel like God couldn't want anything to do with you, when you feel like if people knew everything that was in your heart or in your past that they would reject you, do not comfort yourself by saying, well, I think I'm getting better, though I hope you are. Do not comfort yourself by saying, well, I sure hope God won't lose his patience with me this time. I sure hope he gives me one more chance.

Again.

Don't you see how flimsy that kind of forgiveness is? Don't you see how unstable your vindication would be if it rested on any of those arguments? No. Instead, when you are burdened by your sin, rest in the confidence that what you owe has already been paid. And in fact, it would be wrong and unjust for God to demand any more penalty from you.

Hear Jesus say, I know all about your sin. I paid for every last drop of it. Everything that is due justice was served. Judgment came down, but it came down on me, not on you. As Micah says here, your sins have been cast into the sea.

They're totally gone. You stand before God spotless. No matter what's in your past, no matter what's in your future, you have an advocate who stood in your place. If you have never trusted him, tell him today. Say, Jesus, I want you to plead my case.

I need you to plead my case. I'm guilty, but through you I can be free. Let's pray. Father, thank you for Jesus, our advocate. Thank you that he is a propitiation for our sins.

Thank you that he stands and pleads our case. Thank you that we will never owe, ever, because he has paid. Let us see your vindication that you have provided. Lord, let us feel the light of day on our faith. Let us rejoice that our sins have been cast into the sea as far as the east is from the west.

We trust Jesus. We love him. We put our faith in him. We celebrate him this season, and always it's in his name we pray. Amen.

Advent: Preparing through Worship - Malachi - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

The season of Advent is a time to look back to Christ’s first coming as a baby born in Bethlehem, and to look forward to his second coming when he will return to renew and redeem every part of fallen creation. It is therefore a time to prepare our hearts, to reflect upon the promises of God, and to anticipate the fulfillment of those promises. It is a time for remembering and rejoicing. And so, as we continue our sermon series this week in the Minor Prophets, we’ll take a closer look at what the book of Malachi has to say to us about this process of anticipation and preparation.

The One - Zechariah 9:1-12 - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

We often hope for someone who can restore goodness to the world, who can provide lasting peace, or who can simply bring security or comfort to our hearts. We look for such a “savior” in all sorts of leaders, philosophies, friends, and romances, but they never fully deliver for us—at least not for long. However, this week, we’ll find our longings are not vain. There is One who delivers. There is One who saves. And He has come to all of us.

First Things First - Haggai - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

What if something which you thought had no value actually turned out to be incredibly valuable, and other things you thought had value actually turned out to have no value at all? One of the Bible’s most frequent themes is that we often invest in things that don’t matter, won’t satisfy, and can’t sustain us. And this week’s sermon will highlight a rather obscure Old Testament prophet who will make this point to us in a powerful way.

Finding Thankfulness - Habakkuk 3:17-19 - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Not all of us approach the holiday season with a spirit of joy and thanksgiving. Many of us face struggles that make it difficult to give thanks. Habakkuk was no different. In fact, his circumstances were likely more challenging than anything most of us will face. However, even in that season, Habakkuk was able to give thanks with sincerity. This week, we’ll study this ancient prophet and find that his source for joy is still available today.

Our Biggest Cheerleader - Zephaniah 3:8-20 - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Sometimes we just need to hear that someone is for us. That someone delights in us. Even when (perhaps especially when) we’ve chosen a path that is anything but praiseworthy, we look for someone—anyone—to look on us with approval. This week, we’ll study the book of Zephaniah, where God not only showers us with praise but delights to do so.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Tarshish - Jonah - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

People often ask God to speak to them because they feel distance from Him or even doubt whether He is even there. But what if God is continually speaking to us? What if the issue is not God speaking but our listening and obeying? What if God is asking all of us to “Love our Enemies” and instead we would rather argue with God and do our own thing? Loving our neighbor was not God’s gentle suggestion to keep busy till we die, but it’s a critical part of who we are as Christ followers and how the world will see Jesus living in us. This week we will dive into the life and story of Jonah to learn how much God loves the world and how merciful and patient He is when we refuse to do the same.

Toxic Conflict and Its Cure - Obadiah 1 - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

There are times that conflict can be healthy and helpful to refine people into better versions of themselves. Then there are other times when conflict is destructive or even toxic. But how do we know what kind of conflict we are in? And is there a way to bring the temperature down when it becomes unhealthy? This week, we’ll study the book of Obadiah, learn God’s surprising approach to conflict, and how it can help us even when we face seemingly impossible conflicts today.

Our Impartial God - Amos (select verses) - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

As we continue our sermon series this week in the Minor Prophets, we come to the book of the prophet Amos. And the key theme of Amos is the universal justice and impartiality of God. In other words, God plays no favorites, and the principle of reaping whatever we sow applies to all. Moreover, He is not moved by irrelevant external appearances, no matter how powerful or clever or wealthy or well-networked we are. All are judged by the same measure.

This is the message of Amos, a sobering and convicting book that challenges our assumptions and stretches us, but that also contains a surprising message of hope for all of us that we desperately need to hear.

The Day of the Lord - Joel 2 - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Many of the prophets describe The Day of the Lord as one of both judgment and renewal. God will finally, in the end, hold all wrongs accountable and bring lasting peace and goodness to the world. But how do we know which one we will personally experience: judgment or renewal? Is The Day of the Lord a message of warning or of hope? This week, we’ll investigate this Day, its severity and goodness, and what it means for our lives.

God’s Love Story - Hosea 2:14-3:2 - God Speaks: Minor Prophets

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

The prophets of the Old Testament often give us a window into God’s complex heart. On the one hand, they show the depth of God’s grief and anger when His people reject Him. On the other hand, they show God’s never ending love and the lengths to which He will go to be with us. This week, as we begin studying the minor prophets, we will see the ups and downs of God’s Love Story—the greatest love story ever told.

A Simple Song for a Complex Life - A Simple Song for a Complex Life

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Life this side of The Fall is tough. What do we do when we have seasons of fear, hurt, anger, and sadness? This small psalm scratched out with haste by a king in crisis helps us to understand how to handle the difficulties of the believing life. And ultimately, where to find our joy.

About our guest speaker: Josh Squires is the Minister of Counseling for First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC where he has served for nearly a decade. He holds degrees in Psychology (B.S.), Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling (M.A.), Divinity (M.Div.), and is currently working on a PhD in Biblical Counseling. Josh is a regular contributor for John Piper’s Desiring God as well as The Gospel Coalition. He and his wife Melanie have been married for more than 20 years and they have 5 children.

Christian Warfare - Ephesians 6:10-24 - Inclusion Then Action

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Living the Christian life is not without opposition. In fact, we’re instructed to expect a battle because we face an enemy who is determined to destroy every ounce of goodness in the world. This week, as we finish Ephesians, we’ll study how to engage the battle with confidence that it is already won.

Marriage, Kids, and Slavery - Ephesians 5:21-6:9 - Inclusion Then Action

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0000

One of the many ways the Gospel changes us is in the area of our relationships. This week, we'll investigate what characterizes Christian relationships, why they are different than so many of the relationships found in the world, and how they liberate us into a new way of living.

Be Imitators of God - Ephesians 5 - Inclusion Then Action

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Spend a few minutes with small children, and you’ll be reminded that kids typically become adept at an early age at watching and listening to and imitating the behavior of others.

Ephesians 5 explains that the Christian life is similar: as we mature in faith and as God’s image bearers who have been changed by the message of the gospel, we too should increasingly seek to imitate our heavenly Father in order that we may look more and more like Him. This week’s sermon will help us to better understand what that process looks like.

Everything New - Inclusion Then Action

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0000

We expect to find apples on an apple tree. And we expect to find oranges on an orange tree. But what kind of fruit could we expect to see from Christians? If someone has experienced new inner life from Christ, what markers would be visible on the outside? This week, we’ll study how Christ’s work on our behalf changes us—not from the outside in, but from the inside out.

Confidence During Difficulty - Ephesians 3 - Inclusion Then Action

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Have you ever seen someone with great confidence and poise during a difficult season? Have you ever wondered how such peace could be possible? This week, we study a passage where Paul explains the reasons he isn’t shaken even though his circumstances seem disheartening, and we will learn how his security can be ours as well.

But God… - Ephesians 2 - Inclusion Then Action

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

One way to summarize the message of the Bible is with the phrase, “But God.” For instance, Scripture teaches the world was descending into chaos and sin, but God. Or we learn our hearts were more aligned to ourselves than others, but God. Or our problems were too much for us to overcome, but God. In other words, God intervened. This week, we’ll take a look at His intervention, why it was necessary, and how it changes everything.

Inclusion Then Action - Ephesians 1 - Inclusion Then Action

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

We all look for a sense of security in the world—some way to know that we will be okay in the end. But how secure are all the various options where we can place our trust? Will they really keep us safe forever and ever? This week, we'll look at the security that Jesus provides and how it outlasts and outshines every other impostor.

Help for God’s Forgetful Children - Help for God’s Forgetful Children

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Forgetful is us. It’s what we are. Not always, but often enough that we need help, because some of the things we could be forgetting are really important. Fortunately there is a lot of help for God’s forgetful children in God’s Word.

Every Day is a Mission Trip, Mark 6:7-13 - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000

It can seem easy to have a missional mindset—to remember that people matter, that God’s truth matters, and that the gospel is our only hope—when we go on a short-term mission trip to some place outside of our own context. But what if we took that same approach with the people we interact with on a daily basis? How might that change the way we live?

Finding Jesus - Mark 10:46-52 - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Some of us may feel Jesus is too remote to find. Others of us may feel that we have too much baggage in our lives to be able to find Jesus. But this week, we’ll see all of us, no matter what barriers might be in the way, have an opportunity to find the One for whom we have been searching.

Big Faith? - Mark 10:13-31 - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000

If faith is something so easy that even a child can do it, then why do we, as grown ups, sometimes struggle? What's our real problem with following Jesus? Might it have nothing to do with faith at all? This week, we'll look at those who embraced Jesus. those who hesitated, and those in between. For all of us, our real hope isn't so much the amount of faith we can muster, but instead, the One who comes to save.

The Realities of Marriage & Divorce - Mark 10:1-12 - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000

In a culture with a decidedly unbiblical view of marriage and divorce, Jesus’ words in Mark 10:1-12 may sound extreme. However, since God designed marriage for His glory and for our good, we would be wise to listen to Him. And gratefully, God’s grace is sufficient when we fall short of His designs for marriage. So, in this week’s message, we will look at Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce, because as followers of Jesus, the entirety of our lives—including our approach to our most important relationships—matters and belongs to Him.

The Path to Greatness - Mark 9:30-50 - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 02 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000

The world is made up of all kinds of people: dog people and cat people; mountain people and beach people; morning people and evening people; right-brained people and left-brained people; coffee people and anything-but-coffee people. And the list could go on. But among all of the incredible diversity of interests, values, and idiosyncrasies of humans, all of us are strangely similar in one area of interest: self-interest. Self-interest is one of the few things that unifies us as the human race, and it has a more powerful grip and it takes a greater toll on all of us than we could ever imagine.

In the midst of a me-first world, though, Jesus gives us an entirely different example for us to follow.

Glory and Problems - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Message from Dan Stockum on June 25, 2023

The Way of the Cross - Mark 8:27-38 - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Repetition can be a really effective teacher because sometimes, frankly, we don’t “get it” the first time (or sometimes even the second or third time). In fact, it may not be until, say, the tenth or eleventh time that a valuable lesson begins to sink in for us. And if you’ve ever experienced that, take heart! You’re in good company, because the same could be said of Jesus’ own disciples. In reality, we all have a shared collective need for divine intervention in order for us to truly begin to see and to “get it” when it comes to understanding who Jesus really is, what he came to do, and what that means for all of us.

Do You Still Not Understand? - Mark 8:1-26 - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Nothing Required - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Sometimes it feels like we run to Jesus in desperation. Other times it feels like Jesus shows up in our lives totally unannounced and unexpected. Either way, there is only one thing we need to have—nothing at all.

The Heart of the Matter - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 28 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Mark 7:1-23 points us to a really hard reality—namely, that it is entirely possible to have all of the outward trappings of religion, to have others commend you for your spiritual example, and for your life to be going well, and yet still lack a genuine love for God and desire to do His will. Like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, we too are quite capable of hypocrisy and of going through the motions of religion externally, while being completely blind to our condition, prioritizing the wrong things, and being out of step with God internally.

How can we avoid falling into this dangerous trap? Join us for this week’s message from the Gospel of Mark.

Lord of the Storm - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 21 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000

While probably none of us look forward to the storms of life, every single one of us will need to face them. The disciples, of course, were no different…except for the fact that when they faced their storms, Jesus was physically present with them. This week, we will study what it means for Jesus to be present with us during our seasons of fear and uncertainty and how He really does make all the difference.

He Knows What You Need - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 14 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000

One of the most consistent traits of Jesus that we see throughout the book of Mark is His pattern to meet people exactly where they are. This week, we see Jesus meet people in their various needs and respond with compassion and care. As we will learn, it’s the same response He has for each one of us—no matter how desperate our need.

Your Turn - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 07 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Jesus’ plan for His disciples was not simply for them to listen and learn forever. Eventually, they needed to step out and represent Him to the world. This week, we’ll look at the moment when the disciples turned from listeners to doers and see that Jesus has a similar plan for each of us.

The Sacredness of Life - The Sacredness of Life

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

In this Sunday’s message, we will be taking a 1-week break from our sermon series in the Gospel of Mark in order to focus our attention on the very important issue of abortion and the sanctity of life. What does God’s Word have to say about what it really means to be “pro-life”? How does Scripture direct us as Christ-followers to think and to act about this matter? How should we speak about this admittedly-polarizing issue today to those in our culture—and in the church—who have questions or objections? And how can we not only speak up on behalf of the unborn, but also use our freedoms to truly love our neighbors and to extend tangible support to mothers and families and to any and all who are vulnerable in our world today?

The Offense of Jesus - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

While many people loved, followed, and even worshiped Jesus, there were those who did not. For some, Jesus was just too offensive to trust. This week we’ll look at what made it so hard for some people to accept Jesus and, at the same time, we'll see that His offense actually meets our greatest need.

Trusting God in Desperate Moments - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Most of us naturally find it much easier to affirm God’s goodness and to express trust in Him at a general level, and when life is predictable and going well, than it is to keep trusting Him when troubles and uncertainty begin to come our way and fear and anxiety grip our hearts.

The fact is that there will be times when we won’t know how God will provide. Plans will fall through. People will disappoint us. Things will go wrong. There will be moments or even seasons of uncertainty and desperation, when hope seems distant, and God seems to be ignoring our plight and our prayers. What then?

Imperishable - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Easter. When the impossible becomes possible. When the unbelievable becomes believable. When hope becomes reality. When the patterns of death and destruction that seem so normal in our world are completely overturned and reversed. Jesus Christ rises from the dead–and changes everything.

Growing Like a Seed - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us would like to experience more growth in our spiritual lives. Even those of us who have been Christians for many years look forward to what God has for us next. But how does spiritual growth actually work? What is our role? What is God’s role? In our passage this week, Jesus compares spiritual growth to the organic growth of seeds, and we’ll see our growth isn’t for us alone, but is actually for the whole world.

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Jesus? - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Many people didn't know quite what to do with Jesus. Some seemed to be embarrassed by Him. Others believed Him to be evil. But then, some saw Him for who He was, and it changed everything for them. This week, we'll look at these competing claims, and see what makes the difference between choosing one over the others.

A New & Better Way - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, there was never any shortage of controversies, accusations, and objections. This was due to the revolutionary nature of his teachings and actions, because they introduced a completely new paradigm, upending people’s expectations and calling for a complete reversal of old habits of living and thinking.

When you stop to think about it, not much has changed since then. For many, Jesus still disappoints and offends and confuses. So, join us this week as we continue to read through the Gospel of Mark and wrestle with the surprising message of what Jesus has to say about who is and who is not righteous before God, about the relationship between the Old Testament law and Jesus’ ministry in the New Testament, and why these things matter for us today.

The Paralytic, the Tax Collector, and the Rabbi - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us are naturally curious about the type of people who will be welcomed by God, and many of us probably have our own assumptions regarding who might be “in” and who might be “out.” The people in the first century weren’t any different. They, like us, drew circles of inclusion and exclusion, but what we will see this week is that Jesus completely turned their assumptions on their heads. To the surprise of everyone, Jesus included even the most unlikely of characters into His Kingdom.

The Kingdom Starts to Move - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +0000

When Jesus came to earth, it marked the beginning of a new kingdom. A kingdom where evil would be conquered, suffering would be eliminated, and people could live in unity with one another. This week, we’ll study the first advances of this new kingdom and the differences it made in the lives of those who experienced it.

Beginning the Journey - Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Following Jesus

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Every journey has a beginning—a moment when we leave what was and step toward what’s next. Those moments are often filled with anticipation of where the path will lead us. This week, we will study the beginning of Jesus’ journey, where He is heading, and what we need in order to follow.

Attaining Fullness in Christ - The Blessing of Church

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us have heard the phrase, “speak the truth in love,” but what does it mean? And why does Paul in his letter to the Ephesians emphasize it as what we must do to grow spiritually? This week, we’ll study the critical role of speaking into one another’s lives, and the wondrous blessing that it is.

The Gift of Bearing Burdens - The Blessing of Church

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Whenever there is some type of national or global tragedy, where there is shock and grief, we want to point fingers, assign blame, and offer solutions. And some of this is, of course, appropriate. However, Scripture reveals that one of our first responsibilities to each other is to carry each other’s burdens. Carrying one another’s burdens is one of the greatest privileges we have as Jesus-followers. But it’s also one of the biggest challenges as well. Find out why and what we can do about it in this week’s message.

The Gift of Singing - The Blessing of Church

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 12:00:00 +0000

When you think about a weekly gathering of the church, your image of a service will no doubt include music, most of which involves congregational singing. But why do we sing in church? Is it simply a long-standing tradition, or does Scripture give us direction on what our gathering time should look like (or better yet, sound like)? This week we will take a look at why singing together as a church is a gift and a blessing to all who participate.

The Blessing of Elders - The Blessing of Church

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Often, to get where we are going in life, we need some help. We need some counsel. And we definitely need correction. As it turns out, our spiritual development isn't that much different from any other type of progress. We need some help. We need some counsel. And we definitely need correction. One of the blessings of church is that God has built into the very structure of the organization the means for us to develop as Christians. This week, we'll study the blessing of elders, why they are necessary, and how they help us move forward in our relationship with God.

Spiritual Gifts for the Common Good - The Blessing of Church

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Have you ever noticed how uniquely adapted each animal seems to be to its particular environment and way of life? On land, a duck waddles along ungainly on its webbed feet, while in the water, it glides along smooth as glass. Or a rabbit can run with ease, using great bursts of speed, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one swimming laps.

What's true of animals is also true of Christians. God has not made us all the same. He never intended to. He deliberately planned that there would be differences, variations, and even supernatural capabilities (referred to in the Bible as spiritual gifts) distributed throughout the Body of Christ. So join us for this week’s message as we consider how these unique and divinely-given gifts, when properly discovered and developed, honor God while also bringing everlasting good to the Church and to the entire world.

Face to Face - The Blessing of Church

Sun, 08 Jan 2023 12:00:00 +0000

There are certain advantages of in-person relationships that just cannot be attained any other way. While many of us only became acutely aware of the advantages we were missing during the pandemic, humans have been built to be physically present with one another from the beginning. This week we will study the need we have to be together and the blessing that comes when we are.

A Fresh Start - A Fresh Start

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 12:00:00 +0000

It’s common at this time of year to think about a fresh start – a new beginning or a restart in the new year. Yet because of past unkept resolutions, some might think, “Why bother?” This Sunday’s New Year’s Day message will focus on a fresh start that seemed unlikely, but played out 2,500 years ago, and the learning is still relevant today.

God With Us - Christmas 2022

Sat, 24 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Christmas is when we celebrate the miracle of God coming to be with us--of God coming to be with humanity who has run away from Him and broken His world. But Christmas tells us more than God wants to be with us, it tells us that God wants to restore and redeem. This week, we will see God's desire to save even the most unlikely of places and amongst the most unlikely of people.

Jesus In: Expectation - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 18 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us know how it feels not only to wait on God, but to wait on God for a long time to move in our lives. Believe it or not, this type of expectant waiting is a common experience among God’s people throughout the Scriptures. In fact, it is so common that the ancient scribes who arranged the order of the Old Testament books did so in a way that heightened the reader's expectation and longing for God to move. As we conclude our series of Jesus in Every Genre, we will see that He is the final and complete fulfillment of the bursting expectation of the Old Testament.

Jesus In: The Return - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Throughout Scripture, we see God's heart to provide a wonderful home for humanity, and even though we often break the goodness that He creates, God is not deterred in His mission. He will provide a wonderful home for His children. This week, we will see how Jesus brings that home to us, and what it means for our future.

The Way of the Exile - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000

We don’t often think about it, but the theme of “exile” is one of the biggest themes in all of the Bible. And the reason why it is so helpful to consider the various Old Testament stories of Israel when they were in exile, taken from their homes and immersed into a new culture that was hostile to God and to their faith, is because it helps us to think about the question: How do I live out my Christian faith today, while residing in a fragmented culture that is frequently indifferent or even hostile to my faith, and that does not sustain and support the deepest needs of my heart?

Jesus In: The Kings - 2 John 12 - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000

When the Israelites asked for a king, they were asking for more than a political leader. They were asking for peace and security from some source other than God. This week, we’ll look at the

disappointments we will always encounter when searching for peace and security outside of God, and God’s surprising response to our rejection of Him.

Unknown: Ephesians 5:15 through 21 look carefully. Then how you walk not as unwise, but as wise making the best use of the time because the days are evil, therefore, do not be foolish. But understand what the will of the Lord is, and do not get drunk with wine for that as debauchery, will be filled with the spirit, addressing one, another in Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs singing and making

Unknown: King Melody to the Lord with your heart giving. Thanks always and for everything to God, the father and the name of our Lord. Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Unknown: Thank you, Joanna.

Unknown: So over the past year, we as a church, in our weekly Gathering time have sung over 300 songs together. If we account for repeating songs, my records show that we sang 113 different songs and of those 113, 57 of them are songs that you can find in your Hymnal in front of you. The average service had about 25 minutes worth of music. So for the

Unknown: I estimate that we sang about 1,300 minutes together that's over 21 hours of singing.

Unknown: So what's the deal with singing? Why do we sing so much in church? And as we explore today's passage in Ephesians together, we will look at why we seeing what we sing and how we sing. That's why we sing what we sing and how we sing. So, why do we sing? First of all, we are created to sing

Unknown: You've probably heard these words from Psalm 139 that's a for you formed. My inward Parts, you knitted me together. In my mother's womb, I praise you for. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Unknown: I praise you for. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and, and scripture is filled with language like this, especially in the Psalms it says, I praise you. I exalt you, I bless you. I sing to you. In fact, it says that all of creation, sings and worships God, Psalm 64 says all the Earth worships, you sings praises to you, they sing praises to your name.

Unknown: But humans have an, especially unique ability to worship and sing. See, we are made in the image of God. And speaking of being created to sing, did you know that human vocal cords? Develop, when a baby is still in the womb, the vocal cords are in place around week 12 and functional long before a chart. A child is born. You could sing before you could breathe are on your own.

Unknown: Tell me if we weren't created to sing. Why do I struggle? Struggle? To remember what I had for breakfast, but I can remember the lyrics to obscure B-side songs that I haven't heard in 20 years. Why do I struggle to memorize simple? Passage of scripture, but I can sing to you all 50 states in alphabetical order and I can sing the u.s. presidents in order. Washington Adams, Jefferson Madison Monroe Adams Jackson Van Buren Harrison, Tyler Polk, Taylor Fillmore. And so on.

Unknown: And we are created to sing.v

Unknown: Not only are we created to sing? We are called to sing. Not only do we have that ability to sing, but we should want to sing God. Started this conversation through creation and then he continues the conversation through scripture so we can know him. And how do we respond to that Martha? Martin Luther sums it up like this. He says, let God speak directly to his people through the scriptures and let his people respond with.

Unknown: Grateful songs of praise.v

Unknown: So, what does Scripture say about singing? And it's quite a lot, actually, apparently singing is a big deal to God, because there are over 400 references to singing in scripture. At least 50 of those references are direct commands. Psalm 9 says, sing praises, to the Lord who sits enthroned in Sion tell among the people, his deeds, Psalm 96, oh, sing to the Lord, a new song, sing to the Lord, all the Earth, sing to the Lord blesses.

Unknown: Name tell of his salvation day today. Psalms not only give us these direct commands to sing. They also give us Reasons. Why We Sing Psalm 147, says praise the Lord for, it is good to sing praises to our God, for it is pleasant and a song of Praise is fitting. Some 106 gives us Hicks historical examples of singing. It says, then they believed his words, they sang his praises.

Unknown: Raise Psalm 95 acts as a call to worship a call to join together and singing it says, oh come let us sing to the Lord. Let us Make a Joyful Noise to the rock of our salvation.

Unknown: And of course the book of Psalms would talk about singing. I mean it's literally a collection of 150 worship songs. So let's look at other examples in scripture of singing and second Samuel, when the Ark of the Covenant is brought back into Jerusalem David and the house of Israel celebrated by singing playing instruments and even oh yes dancing in second Chronicles when King Hezekiah cleanses the temple after they offered a sacrifice on the altar, the whole congregation

Unknown: Saying and they played symbols Harps liars, and they blew trumpets.

Unknown: When they celebrated the Passover under King Hezekiah still in second chronicles, it says that they praised the Lord day by day singing, with all their might to the Lord in Nehemiah. As they dedicated the rebuilding of the wall, they celebrated with gladness with Thanksgiving and with singing Isaiah explains what will happen when God redeems. His people in chapter 51 it says joy and gladness will be found in her Thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

Unknown: And therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion and everlasting, Joy, shall be upon their head. We moved to the New Testament, both the gospels of Matthew. And Mark, they both document that after finishing, the Passover meal in the upper room Jesus and his disciples saying a him in Acts 16, we read that while in prison Paul and Silas together prayed and sang hymns, both Ephesians and Colossians.

Unknown: Us to address one another with singing and in Revelation 5 after the slain lamb took the scroll from the right hand of him who is Seated on the throne, all of the creatures and Elders in the throne room sang, a new song saying worthy, are you to take the scroll and to open its seals?

Unknown: That's less than 20 of the 400 references to singing in scripture. So, God spends that much time. Talking about singing, We had better, pay attention. So we are created to sing. We are called to sing. And if singing is such a big deal,

Unknown: what is it that we should be singing?

Unknown: What should we sing Our passage today tells us to address one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. I have to admit. When I started doing research for this message, I was excited to finally discover what Paul meant when he said Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs in his letters to both the Ephesians and the Colossians

Unknown: And after hours of research, the answer is we're still not sure. I mean, we can draw some conclusions. There's things were going to talk about here. But in reality, I've heard people use this passage to justify why hymns are better than modern worship songs, and we should only sing hymns and worship. I've also heard people use this passage to say, why modern worship songs are better than hymns. And we should only sing modern worship songs in church.

Unknown: This passage doesn't say either one of those things. This passage can't be used to put one style over another. And so, let's take a look about why. It says that Psalms hymns and spiritual songs starting with Psalms, the Greek word for Psalms to, No, Surprise is a direct reference reference to the Book of Psalms. We call it the psalter a collection of 150 songs written throughout Jewish history. Several

Unknown: All of which written by King David himself, they were used for prayer for times of devotion and in their services and in their festivals, it was part of the scripture that they had available to them. When Paul wrote this letter, the root word of Psalms though, predates the psalter itself. It literally means plucking of a string or the sound from a stringed instrument because the Psalms were originally accompanied songs, they were accompanied by

Unknown: The instruments commonly available in their day, you'll notice as you read through psalms, many of them have instruction or two names at the beginning. For example, Psalm 61 starts out to the choirmaster with stringed instruments. Psalm 45 says, to the choirmaster according to the lilies and the Hebrew word here, translated, according to the lilies is believed to either be the name of the tune that you would sing that song to or it was the instrument that

Unknown: It played the tune that you would, that would accompany the singing of that song. So the Psalms were accompanied, they were sung. And so, we know Paul is, at the very least, instructing us to sing songs from available scripture, and possibly, even encouraging us to use the common available instruments.

Unknown: Okay, so now the word hymns, the word Paul uses here has a much broader meaning than one would think. And to be blunt, hymns doesn't mean sing songs out of the hymnal, that you'll find in the Pew in front of you.

Unknown: It can't mean that because in reality, none of the songs printed in the hymnal that we have here. Existed, when Paul gave this instruction to sing to one another in hymns, in fact, the oldest him Melody. We have printed in our Hymnal and that you'll find printed in most modern hymnals is be thou my vision.

Unknown: And that dates back to the early 8th Century more than 600 years after Paul's letters. And even be thou, my vision has been edited changed re harmonized and sounds nothing. Like it would have sounded over 1,000 years ago. So even the oldest hymns that we have record of were at some point considered contemporary and modern, even the hymns and Corrales written in harmonized by Bach, would have sounded modern and edgy to the earlier generations of Hill,

Unknown: The guard Von bingen and Guillaume do fi and Giovanni palestrina and for those listening that aren't as excited about music history. As I am, those are Church composers from the 12th 15th and 16th centuries. All that to say back when st. Francis of Assisi wrote, the hymn All Creatures of our God and King a whopping 1200 years. After Paul wrote his letters back then the music of Bill Gaither and I love Bill Gaither. But back then the music of Bill Gaither might as well have been heavy metal and would have been

Unknown: hemmed as too. Radical inappropriate in the harmonies outlawed in the church.

Unknown: All of the music, we have record of now at some point.

Unknown: It was Modern. And Paul's, Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Cannot be used to justify one generation or style of music over. Another, in any direction.

Unknown: Okay. So what does the word hymns mean? Or what did it mean? When Paul wrote this letter in the Greek word for hymns, who noise?

Unknown: That's used in Ephesians, and in Colossians was a common word in Greek culture. Meaning a scription of praise to the gods, it was used throughout Antiquity both in and out of the church with both sacred and secular meanings in the first century. The one difference is Jewish and early Christians, really would have meant a song of praise to our God, to the one true God, but it was also used throughout all of the culture with

Unknown: a wide variety of style. Sing hymns of praise to the one true God.

Unknown: All right, in the third word is songs. The Greek you word used here for songs as oh, dice. It's simply the word for song. It's a word used both in and out of church and it's a word with as Broad and generic as a meaning as possible. It could have meant love songs. It could have meant Tavern songs or battle songs. It's the word you would use when referring to a song by Garth Brooks or Taylor Swift. It's the same word. We would use to say when I'm done preaching, we're going to sing a song. It's the

Unknown: Same word used in Revelation 5 when the elders sang a new song, it's the all-encompassing word for song, any genre any style. So Paul makes a modification here and he uses the word spiritual sing spiritual songs. He's not modifying the style, simply the content, sing the songs for the church, not the songs for the culture.

Unknown: Song related to the spirit, not the culture, he's not modifying the style, simply the content. So while Scholars continue to bait debate, the fine points of Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And some thinks that thinks that me and sing Jewish songs, Greek, songs and other songs, or some thinks that means scripture songs, praise songs and personal testimony songs or some even assert that Psalms, hymns. And spiritual songs means old songs, new songs, and spontaneous songs made.

Unknown: Up on the spot, there is agreement among scholarship on one point and that is Paul is drawing from a variety and diverse collection of music available to the church and the Psalms in the early hymns that they would have had included, upbeat songs songs of lament songs of reflection songs with theological instruction, thought songs with personal testimony songs with historical facts and songs that span the entire Continuum of human emotion.

Unknown: So, what should we be singing? When we address one another in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as we gather together as a church.

Unknown: All of this, we will sing variety.

Unknown: Variety, we're going to sing old songs. Will sing new songs will sing old songs that sound like new songs. Will sing new songs that sound like old songs. Will sing songs of instruction songs, have testimony songs that quote scripture songs to God, songs about God songs to each other. We will focus more on content than style or genre.

Unknown: When we were coming out of the pandemic shutdowns and we were looking at relaunching our in-person gathering Services here at Bridges. The leadership asked me, what would our worship look like and sound? Like it was challenging for me to think through if if you weren't here before the pandemic, we had two different Services, each Sunday morning, the same sermon. But two different styles of music and now we would be joining together in one service.

Unknown: I was excited about that choice and I'm grateful that we are all together at the same time in the same place. Now, it is such a joy to gather together but I got asked, are we going to sound like this church over here or we going to sound like that church over there? Are we going to sound like the music? I found online? Or are we going to sound like this church? I heard on the radio, are we going to use instruments? I heard in this CD or we going to use the instruments in this YouTube video.

Unknown: And it became obvious to me. What the answer was. No.

Unknown: We're not going to be any of those. We're not going to try to be any of those churches or music teams. No matter how famous or popular at least not on purpose and we're not going to try to mimic anyone except Bridges Community Church.

Unknown: So I dubbed our worship style uniquely Bridges, not unique, in the sense that were unlike anyone else or that. We're going to go out of our way to be different. But we are going to worship God, in a way that God has uniquely gifted this body of believers.

Unknown: And I believe that God has truly gifted this body of Believers with talent. That is beyond measure. I am absolutely spoiled by the teams of people that I get to work with every week. So On Any Given Sunday rather than sounding exactly like the new song that you just heard streaming on Spotify, this room is going to be filled with sounds like like Mike Rivers sitting down at the piano. Like he does so well and it's going to be filled with the sounds of David's

Unknown: I'm playing piano or cello or let's face it any instrument we put in his hands because that man is a genius. That's right.

Unknown: I told you I'm spoiled and we'll have Danny on drums and most weeks. We'll have Billy on the base or this month. Billy is touring Chile. So we get James on base.

Unknown: James you have been a fantastic addition to this team and I'm so grateful we got to work with you this month and I really hope that we get to work with you. Long after January is over. Thanks for being with us. Can we thank James for being with us one more time? Seriously thanks man.

Unknown: And when we have enough violin, Viola and cello players in town will have a string section and when we have enough trumpets and trombones and saxophones will have a service with big band Tunes like we did back in December or like Al's email to me called it. It sounds like Chicago was leading worship today, I'll take that as a compliment by the way.

Unknown: And no matter who sing the original track that streaming on Apple music here at Bridges, it's going to sound just a little bit better because Laura is going to be leading it.

Unknown: Along with Beth and along with Pat and Jane and Dean and Kirby land on harmonies like we've never heard and no matter how hard I try, I've been accused that everything icing is going to be just a little bit country and listen and let's be honest when I get going when I'm thinking about what we're seeing about, I am not going to stand still because I just don't have the ability because let's face it. If this afternoon, I jump off the couch in a fun.

Unknown: Burris Applause because the 49ers score a touchdown, I better do the same thing. When we're singing about the resurrection of Jesus.

Unknown: And then when we can will later in the choir, as many people are willing to show up whether seasoned Pro or a rookie vocalist, and you want to sing in the choir, you let me know. We will sign you up.

Unknown: And all of that everything that's happening on this platform up here, we are going to join together with all of you. A couple hundred of our dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ and we are going to lift up a sound and it will be glorious. It'll be beautiful. It will be an offering tube of praise to God. That will be uniquely Bridges.

Unknown: And above all else. There is one thing that I promise it will be

Unknown: It will be true.

Unknown: We will sing the truth more than carefully crafting and curating, the style, the songs, this church sings will be filled with the truth. The truth matters, and the top criteria of any song we choose to lead in this church must be true. Whether it was written yesterday or hundreds of years ago, it must not compromise, the truth of scripture, the parallel passage from Ephesians 5 is Colossians 3 and it says and let the word of Christ dwell in

Unknown: Well in you richly teaching and admonishing, one another and all wisdom singing, Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, the word of God matters, truth matters. And to be honest with you, I care far more about truth in song than style or genre in stone in song.

Unknown: So, more than everyone in here, liking a song that we sing. I would rather each person in this room be infected with the theologically true earworm. Instead of loving a song that we sang together, I would rather the resurrection of Jesus, infect your mind deeper than baby shark instead of thanks for the him. I would rather hear I can't stop singing that song about the cross. So what will we sing? When we gather together we will sing a variety of musical styles.

Unknown: Tile and we will sing the truth.

Unknown: So, the next question, how will we sing?

Unknown: We return to our passage. It says singing and making Melody to the Lord with your heart giving. Thanks always and for everything to God, the father, in the name of our Lord. Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Unknown: When we worship we worship vertically. I think that part is obvious, many of us know that we sing to God, and that's vertical worship, and it's obvious on songs, like, Lord, I need you or I need thee every hour, or even a song, like Battle Belongs because we say The Battle Belongs to You.

Unknown: But if we only sing vertically, we are missing a vital piece of worship, because we can sing vertically alone.

Unknown: I do that all the time. Big surprise usually when I'm driving in the car but we are instructed here in verse 19 not just dissing vertically but to address one another, you can't address one another and song by yourself. You can't address one another cozied up in your pjs watching an online service.

Unknown: Psalm 149 says, praise the Lord sing to the Lord, a new song, his praise in the Assembly of The Godly in the assembly together with the church in order to address one another, we must be with one, another sing and make Melody with one another to one another. That's what we're doing when we're singing. So many of our worship songs just a few minutes ago. I sang the words to this I hold my hope is only Jesus for my life.

Unknown: Life as holy bound to his. Oh, how strange and divine I can sing all is mine yet. Not I, but through Christ in me. Who am I singing that too?

Unknown: I certainly singing it to Jesus himself, he can hear, he knows my heart when I sing those words.

Unknown: That's also for everyone else in the room. That is horizontal nature of singing together. We need both to sing vertically and we sing horizontally. So the next time you sing it Is Well with My Soul. Remember that you're telling God, it Is Well with My Soul but you're also telling everyone else in this room and everyone else in this room is telling you

Unknown: Seminary, professor and esteemed church music historian. Donald husted, says music in church is fourfold. It's Proclamation, education, pastoral care and fellowship. It's Proclamation because we Proclaim God's Mighty works. Like when we sing A Mighty Fortress. Is Our God. A bulwark. Never fading.

Unknown: It's education As we sing to one another. We make instructions with like take-home theology, we call it. Like, when I sing the words, nothing in my hand. I bring simply to the cross. I cling, we're teaching theology.

Unknown: It's pastoral care as Houston says because since music isn't acknowledged healer of the human spirit.

Unknown: That made me think of when we Sing Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow.

Unknown: Because He Lives all fear is gone.

Unknown: And it's Fellowship. Like when we sing, like, when we sang this morning, come let us worship the king. Come, let us bow at his feet. Now, any of these songs Could Be Sung vertically, they could be sung in the spirit of testimony, but they cannot fully function without the horizontal aspect of congregational singing, You Can't Proclaim educate offer care or Fellowship in musical isolation.

Unknown: So we sing vertically and we sing horizontally.

Unknown: But I know what you're thinking.

Unknown: You're thinking what if I can't sing? What if I don't sound so good?

Unknown: That answer is pretty simple. Do it anyway.

Unknown: The psalmist, says, Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord. See, singing is an act of worship and scripture teaches us that worship should be a sacrifice of. Praise Hebrews 13:15 through him. Then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Unknown: Romans 12:1, Steve just preached on this a couple weeks ago. Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters in view of God's Murphy, Mercy to offer your bodies as Living Sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. That is your true. And proper worship worship is an offering of sacrifice to God in response to what he has already done for us.

Unknown: So we sing vertically. We sing horizontally and we sing sacrificially.

Unknown: The Book of Leviticus outlines the sacrificial system of worship. And while we don't worship by offering animal sacrifices anymore on the altar, we learned that these sacrifices start with sacrifice.

Unknown: It sounds a little weird at first but bear with me here, the animal that was to be offered was to be without blemish whether a bowl or a lamb or a goat. It must be the best that you have from your flock with out blemish. See offering up your leftovers isn't a sacrifice.

Unknown: But if you continue to read through Leviticus you see that if you couldn't afford a lamb or a goat often, you could bring two turtledoves or two pigeons, see the sacrifice or the offering of worship was based on your ability to produce the offering, bring the best that you have to the temple.

Unknown: I'm reminded of the Widow's Mite. Jesus tells the story of the Widow who only has two small coins to us for her offering.

Unknown: Bring the best you have to offer to the temple.

Unknown: The may be the best, you have to offer as an out-of-tune out of time fumbling and stumbling through the lyrics that more closely resembles an injured alleycat rather than an operatic oratorio, but let that be your Widow's Mite of melodic worship.

Unknown: I can think of plenty of wonderful vocalist who sang beautifully.

Unknown: But don't know the Lord so can't offer musical authentic musical worship. And I've known many people who would self-diagnosis not having a musical bone in their body who regularly bring a sacrificial offering of song that would not please your ear but would melt your heart.

Unknown: And just this week my wife Casey reminded me of the lyrics to a song called dandelions by the Christian ska punk band Five Iron Frenzy. Yes I said Christian ska. Punk band

Unknown: But dandelions is a song that describes a mother receiving freshly picked Dan dandelions from her child and cherishes them as yellow flowers instead of weeds.

Unknown: The lyrics, say all that I've ever wanted was to give my best to you. Lord search my heart. Created me, something clean dandelions. You see flowers in these weeds?

Unknown: C.s. Lewis says it like this all our offerings weather of music or martyrdom.

Unknown: Are like the intrinsically worthless present of a child, which a father values. Indeed. But values, only for the intention

Unknown: Our best attempts to recreate a Bob Ross landscape would never come close to the overwhelming beauty of God's creation. Yet the one who spoke into existence every last detail of the Yosemite Valley receives a toddler's cran scribbled. Stick figure attaches it to the fridge and says you made this for me. Well done.

Unknown: God wants our heart intention over, Perfection. So we sing with our heart, sacrificially, with the best that we have to offer. He doesn't want lip service. No matter how lovely Jesus makes this clear when he chastises the Pharisees saying you Hypocrites. Well, did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, in vain, do they worship me?

Unknown: He wants authentic sacrificial Melody that flows from an understanding of what God has done we sing because even on the days we otherwise can't muster a peep and let's face it. We don't always feel like singing We Are compelled to sing anyway.

Unknown: Paul writes in second Corinthians for Christ's love, compels us because we are convinced that one died for all and therefore, all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Unknown: On the night, Jesus was to be arrested.

Unknown: He gathered with his disciples in the upper room, he knew what was coming.

Unknown: He explained to them, that he would be betrayed. He instituted the Lord's Supper saying, this is my body given for you. And this cup is my blood of the Covenant, which is poured out for many for the Forgiveness of sins.

Unknown: He knew what was about to happen.

Unknown: And yet, he gave, thanks.

Unknown: And then it says, right before they went to the Mount of Olives, you remember the Mount of Olives where Jesus would ultimately pray, my father. If it be possible, let this cup pass from me right before they went to the Mount of Olives. It says, they sang A Hymn.

Unknown: Jesus knowing full. Well, what was about to happen? Sang with his disciples.

Unknown: And as Jesus was hanging on the cross, he cried out with a loud voice. My God. My God. Why have you forsaken me?

Unknown: Now, he may have been crying out in anguish, but he was quoting a song.

Unknown: Psalm 22 to be exact.

Unknown: And there on the cross, he breathed his last.

Unknown: And he gave up his spirit.

Unknown: Jesus gave up his songs so that we may lift up a Melody. Jesus lost his song so that we may find our voice Jesus saying alone, isolated lonely and broken. So that we might sing together United and with grateful hearts and when Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, he made sure that all who Trust on him will never lose their song again. He ensured that death would no longer be the final Cadence, but only a segue into the next movement. Oh,

Unknown: Death. Where is your Victory death? Where is your sting for the melodic? Overtones of the redeemed will ring out throughout eternity.

Unknown: And on that day, when we see the throne room all who are adopted into the family of God will be singing a new song and it will not cease.

Unknown: That's what it means, singing and making Melody to the Lord with your heart giving. Thanks always and for everything to God, the father, in the name of our Lord. Jesus Christ.

Unknown: Not that I'm happy for my current circumstances right now.

Unknown: but remembering that, no matter the circumstances I'm in now

Unknown: even though I don't deserve it.

Unknown: Jesus, Paid my debt.

Unknown: My sin has been forgiven.

Unknown: and so,

Unknown: We sing.

Unknown: Would you pray with me?

Unknown: Lord. God, we thank you for the gift that is music. We thank you for the gift that we can lift our voices together in a uniquely Bridges way that we, as a family can come together and we can sing to you and we can sing to each other and that through those songs, we can remember things like nothing in my hand. I bring simply to the cross. I cling.

Unknown: And God, we can remember that yet. Not I but through Christ in me.

Unknown: We can remember what your son Christ has done for us.

Unknown: And we thank you that Jesus gave up his song on the cross.

Unknown: We thank you that he cried out on the cross and three days later he rose from the grave so that we will be singing for all eternity and God I am. So grateful for that God, I pray that on the days. I don't feel like singing you fill my heart.

Unknown: With a Melody that I can just burst out in singing remembering what you have done for us.

Unknown: And for that, we thank you. We love you. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Thankful - Thankful

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000

This Thursday is Thanksgiving here in America. And while Thanksgiving is a day specifically dedicated to gratitude, the fact is that giving thanks each and every day ought to be a way of life for the people of God, not just a once-a-year occurrence. So, whether you’re in a season where giving thanks to God has been easy and consistent, or whether you’ve been finding that your “gratitude tank” has been running pretty low lately, this week’s Scripture message will remind us how giving thanks to God daily -- even in the most challenging of circumstances -- can transform our lives and draw us closer to Him.

Jesus In: The Prophets - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000

For many of us, reading about God’s wrath in the Old Testament is more than a little unsettling. It seems strange to us that a God of love could cause so much destruction, and we certainly don’t turn to those passages when we need to be comforted. But what if God intended those passages for our comfort? What if we have missed something important? What if those passages are meant to tell us about Jesus? This week, we’ll see how even the wrath in the Old Testament can fill us with hope and captivate us with Jesus.

Why the Church Must Lead - Why the Church Must Lead

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000

The word justice is often heard in the wider culture today, but what does justice actually mean? The Bible consistently shows us that our God is a God of justice. And moreover, Scripture tells us that, at its core, justice means caring for and meeting the deepest needs of the vulnerable in our communities -- the poor, the widow, the fatherless, and the foreigner. And sadly, there may be no more vulnerable group in our world right now than the millions of people, including many children, who live unprotected today from modern slavery, sex trafficking, and abuse.

This Sunday, we are honored to have Dr. Eddie Byun as our guest preacher. Dr. Byun is the head of Talbot Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program, the author of a number of books, and the producer of an award-winning documentary about sex trafficking in Korea. Dr. Byun will help us to deepen our understanding of God’s heart for justice, to discover the hard realities of modern slavery (locally and globally), and to discern where we as followers of Jesus can best join God to, Lord willing, see a decrease and maybe even an end to trafficking in our lifetimes.

Walking with Wisdom - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 12:00:00 +0000

If you are going to be able to avoid making an absolute mess of your life, the Bible repeatedly tells us that there is something absolutely essential you must have: Wisdom.

Why does Scripture insist that possessing wisdom is more valuable than having intelligence, charisma, relationships, wealth, credentials, favorable life circumstances, or anything else we could desire (Prov. 3:13-15)? Where does wisdom come from, and how do we find it? And why do some people have wisdom, while others don’t? We’ll address these questions and more in this week’s sermon.

Jesus in: The Temple - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us seek to connect with God, and some of us have even gone to great lengths to search for Him. Perhaps a pilgrimage. Perhaps a retreat or conference. Perhaps simply going to church. Counter to what we may believe, however, God is not elusive. He has, in fact, come to us. And in time, we will fully be with Him once again.

Jesus in: The Law - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us could remember (or guess) at least a few of the 10 Commandments. And many of us are often surprised by some of the other laws that God gave to Israel when we read the Old Testament. But as followers of Christ, how many of these laws apply to us? And why do we follow some and not others? This week, we study the reasons God gave the law to Israel, how they find their fulfillment in Christ, and what they mean for our lives today.

Jesus in: The Exodus - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 12:00:00 +0000

The Passover. The Exodus. One of the most famous stories in the history of the world. God liberates His people from slavery and 400 years of oppression through a series of miraculous events. For some, it’s a story of God’s faithfulness. For others, it can be offensive or even egregious. But perhaps, more than anything else, it’s supposed to teach about the heart of God displayed through Jesus Christ.

Jesus in Creation - Jesus in Every Genre

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 12:00:00 +0000

You’re definitely not alone if you have ever read or heard an Old Testament passage taught, and then wondered something like, “Why is this crazy story even in the Bible?” or, “Why should we even bother with the Old Testament? What does it have to do with our lives today?”

This week, we will begin a new sermon series entitled “Jesus in Every Genre,” and the point of the series is to search the Scriptures in order to find answers to these types of common questions so that we can then begin to make more sense of the Bible and ultimately see how Jesus is on every page, in every character and story, and in every type of writing found in Scripture -- even in the Old Testament. It all points to him.

People Truth Gospel Part 3 - People. Truth. Gospel. Part 3

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 12:00:00 +0000

In this three part series, we define the mission and vision of Bridges Community Church. With everything we do, we strive to show: people matter, truth matters, and the Gospel is our only hope. Each of the three weeks will unpack more of how we will fulfill this vision, and Lord willing, change the world.

People. Truth. Gospel. Part 2. - People. Truth. Gospel. Part 3

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 12:00:00 +0000

People Truth Gospel Part 1 - People. Truth. Gospel. Part 3

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 12:00:00 +0000

In this three-part series, we define the mission and vision of Bridges Community Church. In everything we do, we strive to show: people matter, truth matters, and the Gospel is our only hope. Each of the three weeks will unpack more of how we will fulfill this vision and, Lord willing, change the world.

Kept From Losing Heart - Kept From Losing Heart

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 12:00:00 +0000

In a day when people are losing heart, a message of hope could be a timely and welcome relief. Especially if you’re on the verge of giving up, falling apart, or burning out -- or you know someone who is. It may seem like our circumstances are unprecedented, but history says not. Case in point: the Apostle Paul. He could have lost heart in his crazy world but he didn’t. And his story still speaks into our story today.

Alignment - Summer in the Psalms

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Everything created by someone was made for a purpose. Kids' toys, computer programs, cars, air purifiers…all have a specific reason they exist. But what about us? Were we also made with a purpose in mind? God says that we were. This week, we’ll examine what that purpose is, what’s at stake if we are out of alignment, and the One who can set us right again.

Don’t Forget to Remember - Summer in the Psalms

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Throughout the Bible we see that God is uniquely concerned about His people’s memory. Indeed, because we are so prone in the busyness of our lives to forget God -- to forget His unchanging character, His faithfulness and provision in the past, His work in our lives today, His plans for our future, and our utter need for Him every moment of every day -- Scripture repeatedly calls us to be intentional about stopping to remember.

The Bible’s exhortation for us to remember, however, is calling for something far deeper than mere mental recall. It is dealing with something far more transforming than just counting your blessings. In this week’s message, we’ll specifically discover why we need to remember, what we need to remember, and how we need to remember. New to BCC, click here to let us know how we can help you.

Dealing with Our Doubts - Summer in the Psalms

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 12:00:00 +0000

In moments or seasons of suffering or discouragement, it’s tempting to allow yourself to doubt the existence, goodness, or wisdom of God. We reason with ourselves that somehow, some way, these moments of suffering or pain or injustice are evidence that God is less than who He has depicted Himself to be.

What are we to do with our doubts? Ignore them? Give into them? Punish ourselves for having them? The psalmist in today’s Scripture -- Psalm 73 -- dealt with these very questions himself and gives us valuable guidance that can help us whenever we’re faced with doubt.

The Good King - Summer in the Psalms

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 12:00:00 +0000

We've all seen the benefit a good leader can bring to an organization and the harm a bad leader can cause--particularly if the leader is self-serving. The ancient Israelites made the same observation, except they also knew the ultimate leader they were waiting for wasn't currently in their midst. The leader they hoped for was one who really would set all the wrongs right and heal every wounded heart in the world. This week, we'll look at the identity of that leader and how we can enjoy His good reign.

It's All About Relationships - Summer in the Psalms

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0000

The cliche reminds us that none of us will say at the end of their our lives, "I wish I had spent more time at work." We instinctively know that life is mostly about relationships. This week, we'll discover that God intended it that way from the beginning. He ordered the world such that we are at our best when we are in relationship with Him and others, and when something is wrong in one of those relationships, we lose life itself.

Wrestling with the Imprecatory Psalms - Summer in the Psalms

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Many people turn to the Psalms for joy and encouragement, to sing praises to God, and to be reminded of His character and unfailing love. But every once in a while, we come across in the psalter what are known as the “imprecatory psalms,” which some people have not-so-affectionately come to call the “cursing psalms” or the “hate psalms.” That’s because the imprecatory psalms are those in which the author graphically calls down calamity, destruction, and God’s anger and judgment on his or her enemies.

What are we supposed to do with these types of psalms, particularly since they sound so unchristian and foreign to the spirit of Jesus on the surface? How can they help us to minister and to pray, and how do we apply them? We’ll explore these issues in this week’s message.

Untouchable - Summer in the Psalms

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Some video game characters have the ability to become invincible. If this “god-mode” is activated, nothing can harm them. They can walk straight through all kinds of dangers without getting a scratch. The Psalmist seems to claim that God has given him a similar ability. Snares, terrors, destructions, and enemies will have no hold on him because he takes refuge in the Lord. But is this true? And if so, how can we activate it? This week, we’ll look at the tremendous promises in this Psalm and how they are even better than they might appear at first glance.