In short, discipleship means to follow. The calling of the four fishermen in the gospel of Mark includes a prompt call by Jesus to follow and a prompt response by the fisherman to follow Jesus. These actions would put these men on course to fulfill a new assignment. That new assignment would shape the trajectory of the rest of their lives.
We begin our sermon series with focus on the baptism of Jesus. It is an appropriate place to begin a year of sermons. We will take a look at the baptism of Jesus and why baptism is a “mark” of discipleship.
Strangely, of all the women in the genealogy of Jesus, we know less about Mary’s background than all the others. Nonetheless, Mary has been cemented in the collective memory of God’s people as she played a momentous role in the life of Jesus from birth to death. On this Christmas Eve, we will briefly explore Mary’s role in birthing Jesus, who would be the Hope of all humanity, the Peace on earth, the Joy of human’s desiring and the Love of God personified.
If we believe the story of Bathsheba was most Scandalous, Tamar’s story might make the case for a close second or a tie for first. Tamar was a widow who sought care, security and well-being in a society that was hard on single women. She concocted a sordid scheme to meet her needs. Out of desperation, she secured what she wanted and what she needed. For her efforts, she too has been rewarded with being inextricably linked to the Messiah and included in his genealogy. In the season of waiting, how does Tamar’s story invoke the spirit of love and care?
Ruth receives the distinction of being 1 of only 2 women who have a book of the Bible named after her. She is a remarkable woman whose story is beautifully told in the book that bears her name. She is a woman of integrity, honor and loyalty. Her life brought joy to a situation that was bombarded with tragedy and bitterness. During the season of Advent, how can Ruth encourage us to embrace and share Joy?
There is no coded language here. Rahab was a prostitute. She lived in a land that would eventually be conquered by the nomadic Israelites. She lived in the Promised Land given to Israel by God. Her actions proved to be beneficial to the eventual residents of the land. Not only is she mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy, she is mentioned in the book of Hebrews as a example of great faith. How does faith in God secure peace in a season of waiting?
In this introductory sermon we will explore the genealogy of Jesus. We will highlight the unique inclusion of women in a Jewish genealogy. Not only is it uncommon to include women, the women who are included all possess scandalous narratives. Bathsheba’s story might be the most scandalous. How does Bathsheba’s story invoke feelings of Hope in a season of waiting?
Connecting to purpose is much to do about the act of discovering who God created you to be. As such, there are so many tools and resources that have been developed to help this process. The church (the community of faith) has also offered itself to be a resource. This is why we have committed to partner with God to help men, women and children connect to their purpose and connect to God’s bigger purposes. In this final sermon, we will share resources and the blessing of being involved in God’s church as a way to discern your purpose.
Some have achieved the goal of identifying their purpose, yet few spend time creating spaces to feed and host their purpose. A “Rule of Life” is a crafted list of items to start doing, to continue doing or stop doing. Someone described a “Rule of Life” a trellis that helps us abide in Christ and become more fruitful spiritually. It is an intentional, conscious plan to keep God at the center of everything we do.” Again, following Jesus’ lead, we will explore how creating a rule of life will help us connect to purpose.
Author Simon Sinek encourages individuals and businesses to “start with why”. His belief is that our productivity and effectiveness improve significantly when we do things knowing why we are doing them. In attempting to connect to purpose, it is vital to see our inseparable link to Jesus and the blueprint he left us. We explore Jesus who knew his why and invites us to live in concert with him as he leaned into his purpose on earth.
The end of Chronicles ends with a decree from the King of Persia. He prompts all those interested to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. This last line leads many to believe that the book of Chronicles was written as a text to encourage those who were working on rebuilding Jerusalem. We have considered the wretched histories of Israel and Judah during the monarchal period. There was some good, a lot of bad and a great deal of ugly. One constant good was Yahweh, the one true God. His consistent love and care for his people, despite their rebellion remains a constant for us today. God is good… All the time!
We have explored the good, bad and ugly of Israel’s monarchy. This week we will focus in on perhaps the most despicable of all of Judah’s kings. The details of Manasseh’s reign are shocking and his actions may have sealed the tragic fate of Judah. Yet, in the face of this ugly episode, God’s character really takes center stage. Manasseh’s evil might be outshined by his confession and repentance. In that space God forgave and restored. It wasn’t too late for Manasseh.
One could argue that the collective history of Israel and Judah’s kings is completely evil. However, there were some kings that stand out for their righteous and God-fearing behavior and policies. Josiah and Hezekiah are standouts for their efforts in trying to lead in a way that harmonized with God’s way and will. We will take a brief look at these two kings.
One of the most fascinating features of Israel’s history is the division between the 10 northern tribes (Israel) and the 2 southern tribes (Judah). This division essentially created two separate nations who shared a common heritage and origin but would often fight against one another as well as adhere to different religious sensibilities. The division would put both nations on a sordid history of chaos, convent breaking and eventual downfall. We will highlight the hazard of disunity in the plight of following God’s way.
David’s dynasty was secured by the promise and word of the Lord. The throne would always be occupied by someone from the bloodline of David. Solomon, David’s son, would serve as David’s first successor. Solomon was wise, he was wealthy, and he was wild! Solomon’s extravagance could be seen in his elaborate plans to build a temple for God and a palace for himself. The contrast of what Solomon did for God and what he did for himself serves as a window into Solomon’s complicated biography.
Israel’s Greatest King was David! He was a shepherd, a musician, a great warrior and a passionate worshipper of God. And, he also committed some of the most horrific acts toward others. David’s story is a complicated tale. His life seemed to embody fully the title of this sermon series. Hence, we will consider the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Saul's selection started with promise. He was tall, dark and handsome. He had the stamp of approval from Samuel, perhaps one of the greatest judges and prophets of all time. But Saul was hardheaded, arrogant and paranoid. Obedience isn’t a word affixed only to dog training. It is a word that communicates the proper and life-giving reaction toward God’s way. Saul provides a cautionary tale regarding the downward spiral as a result of disobedience.
The book of Samuel represents the story of transition. Israel will transition from being a collection of tribes to a centralized nation ruled by a monarch. The biggest mark of this transition might have been captured in a request made by the people: “Give us a king to govern us!” How will this request and the granting of this request impact the trajectory of Israel’s story? What do we invite into our lives when we reject God as king?
Elijah’s ministry is a message of repentance. It is a call to God’s people to turn back to God, to submit to God’s plan to turn their hearts back again to Him. The repentance Elijah preaches is not simply a decision of the mind, it is an authentic turning of one’s heart. When our hearts are turned, we are ready to embrace God.
