When something doesn’t work out the way we expect, we ask, “what went wrong?” In the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25:14–30, we consider what went wrong with the servant who squandered their single talent, and how they could go from being a wicked and slothful server to a good and faithful servant. … [Read More…] Own It! The Pathway to Becoming a Faithful Servant
As Paul wraps up his letter to the Ephesians, he gives one final charge to stand firm in the faith. And to do so, he uses the imagery of a Roman soldier armed for battle as an analogy of spiritual armament. In this sermon, we’ll explore what the Armor of God is all about. … [Read More…] Standing Firm
The Gospel shapes all of life. The Gospel doesn’t just matter on Sundays, the Gospel matters ALL days. It saturates and permeates and consecrates every facet of our lives. And to illustrate how the Gospel shapes all of life, Paul then goes to the heart of where most people do life: at work and … [Read More…] The Gospel at Work and Home
In this sermon from 1 Corinthians 3: 1–18, we explore Paul’s admonition to the church in Corinth to “be the church.” Paul’s intention is to push back against growing disunity and immaturity taking place within the congregation. A church is a people, not a building, but there are good churches and bad churches. Many … [Read More…] How To Be The Church
In chapter 5 of Ephesians, where the Apostle Paul has been exploring the implications of the Gospel for every facet of our Christian lives, he lays out the Christian understanding of marriage. The Christian understanding of marriage is radically different from the understanding of marriage found in both traditional and modern cultures. In Traditional … [Read More…] Sacred Marriage
There’s tremendous power in the quiet, organic, incremental, growth of the life of God planted in us. When the seed of the Gospel is planted within us, as the Father redeems us in the Son by the power of the Spirit, the new life of God starts growing within us. And we may not notice … [Read More…] Children of Light
In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus tells two short parables the church historically calls “The Parable of the Treasure Hidden in the Field” and “The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value.” This sermon explores three questions about the parables: 1) What is the kingdom of heaven? The Kingdom of Heaven in the same … [Read More…] Is God the Supreme Treasure of Your Soul?
“In God’s family, we choose to live differently.” That’s pretty much what Paul is saying in Ephesians 4. Now that we’re alive as sons and daughters of God, now that we’re members of His family, the house rules have changed. This new family doesn’t live like other families do. It’s all different. 1) The … [Read More…] New Life
The second half of Ephesians is about how God means us to live now that we are His children. Who we are shapes what we do. This passage from Ephesians 4:1–16 is about growing up. It’s about who we’ll be when we’re all grown up in Christ, and it shows us how we’ll get … [Read More…] Together We Grow
During Missions Week 2023, guest speaker Rev. Michael Allen challenged us with two passages from Matthew 22:35–39 and Matthew 28:16–20. Pastor Michael Allen currently serves as the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Together Chicago, an organization that catalyzes faith, business, community, and government leaders to inspire hope and affect peace and justice in Chicago communities. … [Read More…] Your Response to the Great Commission and Great Commandment
