Looking for Life in this Life
Christmas Eve Homily
God, Interrupted
God's Work in Senegal and Here
Playing Not to Lose
The Problem With Being Good
Jesus’ third story in Luke 15 is his most famous – the parable of the lost son. But the story is not really about the younger son, who ran away from his father. It is about the older son who never ran. This morning we see the false loyalty and subtle arrogance of the older brother, and the consistent mercy of the Father.
A Wasteful and Extravagant God
Jesus’ third story in Luke 15 is his most famous – often called the parable of the Prodigal Son. This morning we see that “Prodigal,” which means “wasteful and extravagant,” may better describe the father (and God our Father) than the son in the story. Hear why it is good news that God is wasteful and extravagant.
Ten Coins
Jesus tells three kingdom stories in Luke 15 which introduce mystery into our understanding of God. In the second, a woman loses a substantial amount of money. Of course, she goes to great effort to find the lost money. It’s a simple story, but it turns some of our misconceptions of God upside-down. Contrary to popular opinion, God our Father is not a difficult-to-please father.
Ninety Nine Birds in the Hand
Jesus tells three kingdom stories in Luke 15 which introduce mystery into our understanding of God. In the first, a shepherd makes a very illogical decision. This story delights the sinners around Jesus and offends the religious people. Where does God’s heart lie, and how does that confront our own misunderstandings?
Faith Like a Child
Jesus didn’t only tolerate children; he welcomed them and sought them out. And to those who thought they were too busy for children, he had some sharp words: “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
What does Jesus call us to, when he calls us to receive the kingdom of God like a child?
Grace Changes You
In Luke 5 Jesus causes Simon, a fisherman, to haul in the catch of a lifetime. So many fish that his boat begins to sink. Then Simon leaves the catch of fish on the shore to follow Jesus.
If you had just landed the catch of a lifetime, what would motivate you to leave it behind?
Related
Mercy in the Darkness (Zechariah's Song)
Zechariah finds himself unexpectedly at the crossroads of longing and fulfillment, as his son, John, becomes the last great prophet before Jesus. In his song, he grapples with the mercy of God—how God promises mercy and how God provides mercy. And we find that God’s mercy often takes unexpected turns.
Worship in the Darkness (Mary's Song)
When Gabriel tells Mary she is pregnant with Jesus, we usually focus on why this is such good news. And it is. But for Mary, it’s complicated. Mary is young and unmarried, and her baby bump means sure social condemnation and exile. Yet she sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit rejoices in God my savior.” How can she sing such an exuberant song when her future is murky and uncertain?
Something Good Is Going On Inside
At one point Luke describes a group of friends who are willing to cut a hole in the roof of a house where Jesus is staying, just to lower their paralyzed friend through the ceiling to Jesus can heal him. To what lengths would you go to encounter Jesus? Listen as Ryan Tankersley, a pastor from our sister church, New Hope Baptist Church, challenges us to seek God no matter what.
The Good Samaritan
Most Christians are familiar with Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. Most American states even have “good samaritan laws.” This morning we spend some time with a very familiar story, asking the same question as the Jewish expert in the law who talked with Jesus: “What does it mean to love my neighbor?”
The Far Side of Suffering
Palm Sunday is a day filled with tension. We rejoice that Jesus our King enters Jerusalem triumphantly, yet he is only days from being sentenced to death. Why would God allow worship to coexist with suffering, and how can we reconcile the two?
Browsing for the Kingdom
Jesus teaches us to spurn anxiety about our physical needs, but in the middle of a virus outbreak, that seems difficult. How do we avoid anxiety?
Jesus tells us to shift our focus. “Do not seek after those things, but seek God’s kingdom.”
What does it look like to seek his kingdom? Does that mean we shouldn’t think about the virus at all?
Seven Last Words: Into Thy Hands / It Is Finished
“Into thy hands I commit my Spirit,” Jesus says in Luke 23; and in John 19, “It is finished.” These are Jesus’ very last words before he dies in each respective gospel.
The more we understand the context in which the words were said—especially in light of the temple curtain which was torn in two—the more we see how Jesus’ death is significant for our lives. This is no mere academic exercise; Jesus’ death means the forgiveness of all our sins and a radically new life for the Christian.
Seven Last Words: Today You Will Be With Me In Paradise
“Today you will be with me in paradise,” Jesus promised one of the two criminals who was crucified beside him. This famous promise gives great comfort to Christians, but it also raises questions.
Can God really forgive a death row inmate at the last possible second? Are there crimes or people that God will not forgive? What limits does God’s mercy have?