Original Sin
Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-15 Why is this world so full of sin (evil) and suffering? The answers in our American culture range from circumstances, to conditioning, to our chromosomes as the cause of our sin. The various solutions offered are politics, economy, education, counseling and self-help. What if our circumstances, conditioning and chromosomes aren’t the cause of our…
Deity of Jesus
Matthew 16:13-28 Those who dare to look beyond the prejudices and encounter the historical person and work of the real Jesus Christ are never ever the same. The name Jesus means, “God is salvation.” The title Christ means, “Messiah who delivers.”
Why Doctrine Matters
2Tim 3:12-4:5 When pilots fly into storms, they must follow their instruments even when it contradicts their feelings, or they’ll inevitably crash. So, it is with Christians, when we face the storms of life (i.e. smart skeptics or suffering), we must follow our instruments (doctrine) or we won’t survive!
Soul Keeping- Two Ways
Psalm 139 Everyday we manage our image in an attempt to gain what we all want- authentic relationships and unconditional love. What would you give for a relationship where all pretense is stripped away and you are fully known and fully loved? Is that even possible? What would you do if you found it? It’s the idea behind this sermon series and the book of Psalms, your soul…
You Were Made for This
Psalm 95 Everyone is made to worship. It is what we do and who we are. The world is NOT divided into people who worship and people who don’t worship. It is divided into people who worship created things and those who worship the Creator (Rom 1:25). You were created by God, for God, to give glory to God. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him!” –…
Resting in God
Psalm 91 What are your greatest fears? In a fallen world it’s easy to be overwhelmed by fear, worry and anxiety. Mass shootings are becoming more frequent, drug overdoses are epidemic, add to that the bereavement of family and friends dying, the battling of serious illness, relational betrayal and financial reversal and you’ve got the making of a nervous breakdown.
Longing for God
Psalm 84 Our inconsolable human longing is evidence that we were made to see, savor and show the riches of God’s Glory.
Where is Your Refuge?
Psalm 46 The world is full of false kingdoms or fortresses (sandcastle kingdoms) that crumble at the slightest bit of struggle or opposition. Your job, house, money, car, kids, sports, shopping, social media, friends, etc. are sandcastle kingdoms that will inevitably fall. If you find your refuge in these worldly things, then when the storm hits you will find yourself…
Taste and See
Psalm 34 The Gospel is not only intellectually sound but also experientially satisfying. Christ not only appeals to our minds (rational) but also fills our hearts (relational). The 18th Century Puritan Jonathan Edwards likened it to this…It is one thing to know intellectually that honey is sweet but it’s altogether another to experience the sweetness of honey on your…
Abandoned by God
Psalm 13 Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Feeling abandoned by God is more common than most people want to admit. The reason we’re not quick to admit it is because we’re afraid most of our friends would shake their heads and wonder if we’re a Christian. David is a giant in Scripture, a person “after God’s own heart” (1 Sam13:14), yet we find David talking about…