Sermons by Pastor Matt Erickson (Page 29)
Making Space for Prayer
Jesus is the Master of prayer, and He makes space for prayer. We see this throughout the Gospel of Luke, and it comes clearest in Luke 5:16: “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” What does Jesus’ pattern of making space for prayer teach us about our own life of prayer? Pastor Matt kicks off the first part of a long-term exploration on the Gospel of Luke with a look at Luke 5:16, 6:12a, and 9:18a. Sermon Outline “Jesus often…
Messy Ends
The book of Judges ends (Judges 17-21) with an odd assortment of stories that take a different direction than the previous stories, leaving us with the sad state of affairs of a group of people with no leader where “everyone did as they saw fit” (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). SERMON OUTLINE “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” (Judges 21:25) Five Things We Can Accomplish without a Leader’s Help (Judges 17-18; 19-21) Mixed-up Worship…
The Bramble King: Abimelek
Abimelek (Judges 9:1-57) follows the way in which his father, Gideon, lived the latter part of his life, setting himself up as king by murdering his brothers and oppressing the people. Abimelek’s story is in one sense the conclusion of Gideon’s story, but it also shows us what happens when a ruler walks away from God. SERMON OUTLINE “Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’” (Judges 9:14 ESV) The Beginnings of the Bramble…
The Right Woman for the Job: Deborah
Deborah (Judges 4:1-5:31) is a prophet who receives the word from God and calls on Barak to rise up as the deliverer. Barak is unwilling to do the task unless Deborah is with him. What does this tell us about how God uses women and men for His purposes, even when we falter? SERMON OUTLINE “Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.” (Judges 4:4) Unlikely Deborah Prophet (Judges 4:4) Leader (Judges 4:5, 6,…
Lead with the Left: Ehud
The story of Ehud in Judges 3:12-30, “a left-handed man,” captures our imagination, but is striking culturally because left-handedness was a sign of weakness, possibly even physical defect. He does what is unexpected to win the day for God’s people under their oppression by Eglon, king of Moab. What does it look like to lead out of what is seen as weakness for unexpected victory? SERMON OUTLINE “Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a…
Incomplete
Judges begins in Judges 1:1-2:5 with Joshua’s death and the sense of incomplete conquest of the Promised Land. It is a picture of incomplete obedience and response to God, but also the sense of incompleteness we all have in life in terms of our accomplishment, abilities, and more. How do we recognize our incompleteness—sin, brokenness, disobedience—and what do we do about it? SERMON OUTLINE “The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, ‘I brought you…
Remember
On this Family Worship Weekend, Pastor Matt brings a message for all ages from Joshua 4, with a message of remembering what God has done in the past. (Joshua 4) SERMON OUTLINE “And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.” (Joshua 4:20) God is Doing Something We’re Joining in with God Remember in the Middle Remember on the Other Side DISCUSSION GUIDE What are some of your strongest memories from childhood? Why…
Devoted to Christ
Everything in Paul’s letter to the Colossians winds up with some final words about living a devoted life to Christ in Colossians 4:2-18. Sermon Outline “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.” (Colossians 4:18) Devoted with Words (Colossians 4:2-6) Words with God Words of gratitude Words about others Words with Others Words that are right on-time Words that connect Devoted with People (Colossians 4:7-18) Companions in service Companions in the journey DISCUSSION…
Relationships with Jesus at the Center
Even our relationships should be transformed with Christ at the center. Jesus changes everything, including the way we relate with our family, friends, co-workers, and more. In Colossians 3:18-4:1, Paul takes us into these intimate places of our lives so that nothing is left untouched by Messiah Jesus. Sermon Outline We Have Been Changed in ________________________: Four Images of Who We Are Now (Colossians 1:2, 18) The ________________________ – new identity The ________________________ – new belonging The ________________________ – new…
Dying to Live
In Colossians 2:16-23, Paul addresses the tendency to be deceived by human rules or pseudo-spirituality, calling believers toward the heart of spiritual formation, which is about growing in Christ through the gospel. Sermon Outline “Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules?” (Colossians 2:20) Don’t Let Anyone Judge You (2:16-17) Rules based in religious observance Shadows of realities found in…
Jesus, God’s Secret Revealed
Continuing with deep exploration of Christ as the revelation of God’s mystery and the gospel in Colossians 1:24-2:5, Paul talks about his defense of the gospel. This hints that there may be something within the Colossian setting threatening their faith in the pure gospel. For Paul it is all about Christ and the gospel. Sermon Outline “God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”…
Jesus the Revelation of God
Paul’s strong statement in Colossians 1:15-23 sets the tone of this whole section: “the Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” With a summary of the gospel and a deepened Christology than almost any other place in the New Testament canon, we encounter a powerful teaching on Jesus. Sermon Outline The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Colossians 1:15) Christ and Creation (Colossians 1:15-18a) The image The…