Posts from February 2018
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on February 28, 2018
Sermon Title: “Learning to trust God: He is ‘for us’” Text: Romans 8:31-39 Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s complete study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) In the sermon from a week and a half ago we studied the importance of trusting God: it changes everything about us, from the way we face tragedies to the way we handle successes to the consistency with which we obey. All of us want…
Who’s Winning?
Sometimes I look at the world and get a little discouraged. I see inexplicable violence, blatant perversion, rampant materialism, and I worry about the future. I know they’re not, but sometimes like it looks like the bad guys are winning. The composers of the Psalms had the same thought, apparently, because thoughts like these are all over the place. Why are you letting them win, God? What are we supposed to do? Where are you? Why aren’t you doing something?…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on February 21, 2018
Sermon Title: Trust Changes Everything Text: 2 Kings 18:1-18 Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s complete study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) This idea permeates Scripture: the basis of our relationship with God—at least on our part—is learning to trust him completely and unreservedly. Most of us struggle at times with doubt, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty: anxiety over a health problem, struggles with relationships, difficulties in child-rearing, doubts about the future…
Too busy
Mary and Martha were like a lot of siblings—they loved each other like crazy, and sometimes they just drove each other crazy. Can you relate? This story about them always makes me laugh—Martha asks the Son of God to help her settle a little sisterly spat. Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on February 14, 2018
Sermon Title: Atonement: Covered by the Cross Text: 1 John 1:7-2:2 Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s complete study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) This was the last sermon in a four-part series on biblical words/themes that help us understand the overall Story of Scripture. The first three were Glory, Holiness, and Covenant, and Sunday’s sermon was on Atonement. “Atonement” is based on a Hebrew word group that has “cover” as…
Can’t Wait
Jesus might come back today . . . does that thought scare you? It frightened me when I was a kid. I’d hear a loud clap of thunder and think briefly that this might be it. Am I ready? Am I going to heaven? What if I’m not? The Bible has a much different emphasis, though, at least for believers. Notice the thread that runs through these verses: And be like men who are waiting for their master to come…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on February 7, 2018
Sermon Title: Love God. Love People. But How? Text: 1 John 4:7-21 Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s complete study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) As you know, our theme for 2018 is Love God. Love People. Change the World. That’s easy enough to say, and it’s so obviously taught in Scripture that none of us would argue against its importance. But still, this question remains: we want to do it,…
What matters
I’m not sure why, but we don’t talk a lot about Jesus’ second coming anymore. It might be because it’s often associated with some radical versions of Christianity—long-haired, unkempt men on street corners holding big “Turn or Burn!” signs. Or it could be because we’re pretty comfortable with life the way it is, and comfortable people don’t really long for this world to end. But there’s a reason it’s mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament . . .…