Sermons from September 2018
Faith in the Fire
In Daniel 3:1-30, Daniel’s three friends find their faith tested with the threat of idolatry and resulting punishment. What does it mean to have faith in a foreign land when the fire comes? Sermon Outline “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it…But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you…
Faith to Speak God’s Words
Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream that for which no interpreter can find meaning. Daniel seeks God in prayer and receives a revelation from God. When he gives a favorable response, all around recognize the power of God. (Daniel 2:1-49) Sermon Outline There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. (Daniel’s words to King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 2:28a) King Nebuchadnezzar’s Bad Dream: The Crisis (Daniel 2:1-13) Daniel Speaks What God Reveals (Daniel 2:14-45) Daniel Leaves the Results to God (Daniel 2:46-49)…
Faith in Exile
The story of Daniel begins with the exile from Jerusalem. What does it mean for the exiles to live out their faith in this place? Daniel and his friends provide us with an example of how to live our faith as exiles. We are in the world but not of it. We seek the peace of the city in which we are planted but it is not truly our home. (Daniel 1:1-21) Sermon Outline “Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief…
A Multi-Ethnic, Kingdom-Oriented Community
The church as a multi-ethnic, Kingdom-oriented community is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. What does it mean to move beyond the frameworks of divisive thinking, and rather to call us into a deeper grasp of Jesus’ prayer for unity and call to love? Key Passages: Ephesians 2:11-22; Revelation 7:9-10; Philippians 1:27, 3:20; Jeremiah 29:4-7 SERMON OUTLINE “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith… There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor…
An Intergenerational Family
The church is an intergenerational family, where we are all equally children of God by simple faith, yet also embracing the entire church, young and old, as having a place of belonging and value. What does it mean to move beyond the frameworks of generational thinking, and rather to call us into a deeper grasp of Jesus’ prayer for unity and call to love? SERMON OUTLINE “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be…