Sermons on Ethics
The Second Sign: Healing the Son
This message explores Jesus’ second sign, which also takes place at Cana in Galilee, a healing of a noble official’s son, who was sick unto death. (John 4:43-54) Sermon Outline “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. (John 4:50) I. The Problem of Familiarity (vv. 43–45) The Samaritans entered into who Jesus was because they carried fewer assumptions. The outsiders found what the insiders missed. Familiarity can produce blindness that masquerades…
Living Water
This message explores Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, followed by the confession of the Samaritans that Jesus is “the Savior of the world.” (John 4:1-42) Sermon Outline “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” (John 4:13-14) Jesus Crosses Dividing Lines Socio-ethnic: Jews/Samaritans…
Black + Evangelical
On Monday, January 26, 2026, Pastor Matt Erickson was joined by Dr. Vincent Bacote of Wheaton College at our quarterly Eastbrook Forum to discuss the intersection of faith and racial identity around his new documentary, Black + Evangelical. Black + Evangelical is a feature-length documentary that profiles the history, struggles, and contributions of African American evangelicals. Taking us to the crossroads of faith and racial identity, Black + Evangelical is filled with candid interviews and eye-opening portraits of the resilient…
When the Respected Fall
This message explores the failure of David and Bathsheba, evaluating what happens and what could have gone differently. This will explore the nature of sin and temptation but also grapple with the apparent failures of those we might respect. This message is paired with the following week. (2 Samuel 11) Sermon Outline “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the…
The Woes of the Religiously Misguided
We explore the seven woes that Jesus speaks against the religious establishment and Jerusalem itself. (Matthew 23:1-38) Sermon Outline “So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:3) Three Critiques of Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees (23:1-6) They are inconsistent (23:3) They burden people (23:4) They are concerned with appearances and reputation (23:5-6) A Contrast for Jesus’ Disciples (23:8-12)…
Real Response
Jesus offers several pictures of appropriate response to Him and His teaching. How do we take in what He is saying and respond to it ourselves? Matthew 7:13-29 Sermon Outline “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching.” (Matthew 7:28) Two Ways: The narrow and wide gates (Matthew 7:13-14) The gate and the road to two different ways of life Beware!: the eternal outcome is the result of the way we choose Hear and…
Real Life
Exploring the beatitudes as being blessed with the good life with God accessible in Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:1-11 Sermon Outline “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.” (Matthew 5:1-2) Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount Matthew’s Gospel organized around 5 discourses 1. Matthew 5-7 2. Matthew 10 3. Matthew 13 4. Matthew 18 5. Matthew 24-25 The disciples as the…
Caught
In Genesis 39:1-20, Joseph works as a slave in the household of an Egyptian official, Potiphar, whose wife accuses him of misusing her after Joseph rebuffs her entreaties. Joseph is wrongly imprisoned because of the false accusation. How do we respond to temptation? And what do we do with wrongful accusations? Sermon Outline “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.” (Genesis 39:2) Joseph Caught by Potiphar (39:1-6a) From…
God of the Displaced Ones, Part 2
Pastor Matt concludes our second week MissionsFest with a message on the displaced and vulnerable ones in Scripture and in our society and what the church’s response can be. SERMON OUTLINE “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34) What is Holiness, Really? Holiness, Cleanness, and…
God of the Displaced Ones, Part 1
We were honored to have Jenny Yang, Senior VP of World Relief, with us to kick off the first weekend of our 2017 Missions Fest. SERMON OUTLINE ‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34) The Global Refugee Crisis Numbers, Facts and Figures Individual Stories Three…
The New Moses
Building from Jesus’ great Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49) we begin to understand that Jesus comes in the tradition of the great teachers of Israel, even becoming a new Moses. He answers the questions of the religious leaders and pushes them into territory they do not understand from Luke 20. SERMON OUTLINE He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Luke 20:25) Pharisees vs. Jesus Showdown (Luke 20:20-26) Pharisees…
The Sent Son
Jesus comes as the anticipated Son of God. This causes quite a stir, but why is it important? We will explore two passages to get our minds around this: Luke 20:1-8 (the authority of Jesus questioned) and Luke 20:9-19 (parable of the tenants). SERMON OUTLINE Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What should I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.” (Luke 20:13) The Sent Son and the Rejection of Authority (Luke…
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