Sermons on Spiritual Disciplines (Page 9)
Prepare
In Luke 3:1-38, John the Baptist appears as a forerunner to the Messiah. John is the Elijah-like prophet foretold, crying out in the wilderness for people to prepare for the Lord. Jesus comes to be baptized and we know He is the one for whom we all have been preparing. SERMON OUTLINE “The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for…
Praying With the Master
When Jesus faced arrest and crucifixion, He draws away with His disciples to pour out His anguish before the Father. In that place of anguished prayer in Luke 22:39-46, Jesus yields to the Father’s will. What does it look like for us to pray with the Master in the midst of anguish? Sermon Outline “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44) The Noticeable Pattern of…
Praying Like a Master
When the disciples had spent enough time with Jesus, they asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). With the disciples, we need to learn from Jesus’ essential teaching on prayer in Luke 11:1-12. Sermon Outline “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1) The What of Prayer (Luke 11:1-4) Addressing the Father Declaring His Name and His Kingdom Requesting what we need: provision, forgiveness, endurance The How of Prayer (Luke 11:5-10) With shameless audacity By asking, seeking, knocking The…
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…
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,…
Oriented to Christ
If we have been set free through the gospel with a new identity through the centrality of Jesus Christ’s work, then our lives should be different. Our thoughts, our words, and our actions should reflect the new beginning won for us in Christ. Pastor Ruth Carver unpacks Paul’s words in Colossians 3:1-17. Sermon Outline Orient your life to Christ by setting your mind on these things (v. 1-4) Your identity is in Christ Your life is hidden in Christ You will…
Praying to the Center
Prayer is the environment in which we connect deeply with God and one another through the gospel. In the beginning of his letter to the Colossians, Paul doesn’t merely talk about prayer, but prays into the presence of God as he opens the letter (Colossians 1:1-14). This shows us the priority and place of prayer in our lives. Sermon Outline “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you” (Colossians 1:3) Starting with…
Hearing God in the Darkness: Job’s Encounter with the Living God
Many times in the midst of suffering we ask God to reveal Himself or His truth into our lives. When God does speak to Job in Job 38:1-42:6, He reminds Job of how small he is in comparison to the greatness of God. How do we learn from Job about appropriate listening to God in the times of suffering? (Job 38-42:6) Sermon Outline “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5) Job’s longing to…
Reverence in the Darkness: Job’s Response to God in Suffering
What does it look like to turn to God in the midst of suffering? How do we recognize the reality of suffering, understand the nature of suffering, evaluate the cause of suffering, and grow through suffering? (Job 1:1-2:13) Sermon Outline “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21) Setting the Stage for Job Overview of the Book of Job Prelude (Job 1:1-5) Acts 1 (Job 1:6-22) Cosmic face-off, part…
Still God
Life is noisy—metaphorically, in our busyness, if not literally. It can be hard to stop; it can feel impossible to stop, tough to deal with silence. Like Elijah, we keep running, motivated by fear and anxiety. But God says to stop and listen; God will show up not in the noise, but in the quiet. His quiet leads us into a response of faithful mission and apprenticing others. We will look at God’s questions, hearing God, having appropriate community, moving…
Be Still
How do we simplify and focus our lives to become the best people in God with the best use of time in our busy world? Elijah runs himself ragged after a successful ministry, struggling to rest and hear from God. We will examine things like solitude, silence, simplicity, and appropriate view of limits for self and others. Key passages: 1 Kings 19; Psalm 46:10 Sermon Outline “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God’” (Psalm 46:10) “Come away…
Occupied to the End
(1 Peter 4:1-11) Sermon Outline “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude” (I Peter 4:1) Since Christ suffered in His body; join in His suffering and serve Him the rest of your earthly days. Suffering with Christ (1 Peter 4:1-6) Arm yourselves—A call to arms and ready for battle Prepare yourself Breaking from sin—Not sinless perfection or second work of grace Choosing Christ and the obedient way Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane…