Not for Ourselves The life of faith is not measured primarily by how much it helps us or comforts us, or even in how many people we attract to worship, but in how much we love others and make the world a more just and loving place. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus uses the words of the Prophet…
A Story of Redemption Do you remember the story of Zacchaeus from Sunday School? It’s a simple story of the ‘wee little man’ who meets Jesus, but (seemingly) simple stories are often surprisingly complex. The story Zacchaeus reminds us that we all stand in need of redemption, and that we are never far removed from God’s love. Read Luke 19:1-10…
Wrestling with Love The story of Jacob wrestling with the angel is well-known, but what does it mean? Does God wrestle with us? Will we, like Jacob, find ourselves changed by our struggles with God? Read Genesis 32:22-31 in preparation for this Sunday’s sermon, Wrestling with Love. Join us Sunday at 9:00 You can download the bulletins from the…
The Upside Down The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man Although this parable is set in the afterlife, it’s about the here and now. The Kingdom of God is an upside down kind of place where the wealthy and powerful find themselves at the bottom of the heap and the lowly are lifted up and blessed. Read Luke 16:19-31 in…
The Lost and Found Sheep get lost. Coins get lost. We get lost. Being lost in a store or in a new city can be unsettling enough. Being lost in our life – feeling unsure about how we got here, or where we should go – can be a crisis. But it’s also a normal part of the human experience,…
Can You Believe It? (The Faithfulness of Authentic Questions) Scripture is filled with stories that stretch our imagination and challenge our understanding. What do we make of miraculous stories? Do we just accept them? Is it dangerous to question them? What does it mean to be faithful when it comes to questions about the Bible? Read Mark 4: 35-41 in…
Honest to God (The Importance of Authentic Witness) What does it mean to be a witness for Christ? What does it mean to bear witness to the Gospel? Are we supposed to knock on neighbors’ doors and invite them to worship? Or is there a deeper way that our lives demonstrate that a new world – one rooted in love…
How to Build an Authentic Community There are all kinds of gatherings, organizations, and groups to which we belong. But what marks authentic Christian community? How do we build the kind of community that is transformative for those who are in it, and for the common good of all? Read Romans 12:3-21 in preparation for this Sunday’s sermon, “How to…
What’s the Plan? Luke 12:13-21 is a slightly less well-known story, and a parable about the futility of planning for our own future. Does Jesus really want us to never think about the future, or to save some of our resources for tomorrow? Read Luke 12:13-21 in preparation for this Sunday’s sermon, “What’s the Plan?” Join us at 9:30 on…
What Should We Do? During the month of July, we’ll explore some questions raised by familiar stories from Luke’s Gospel. I’m looking forward to worshiping with you, friends! ~Pastor Clay Read Luke 10:25-37 in preparation for this Sunday’s sermon, “What Should We Do?” The story of the Good Samaritan asks us to reconsider what faithfulness looks like. What does it…
