I Am The Good Shepherd
In order to communicate who He was, Jesus used metaphors. John records seven of these “I am” statements of Jesus. Sheep and shepherds were familiar to Jesus’ audience, and they were often used as an illustration of God and His people in Hebrew scripture (Jeremiah 23:1-6, Ezekiel 34, Isaiah 40:11, Psalm 23, Psalm 95:6-7). These... Read More
The Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we remember Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection; unity among believers; covenant of grace; and spiritual nourishment. When we celebrate Christ’s sacrifice we remember that Christ bore our sins in His own physical body on the tree, and our sins were judged and died with Christ when he died on the... Read More
Belonging, The Key to Spiritual and Emotional Growth
Growth toward spiritual maturity is a major goal of the Christian life, and the love that fuels belonging relationships is essential for growth to happen. Christ’s death and resurrection make belonging possible (Eph. 2-4). The barriers between humans and God and between humans has been removed through the shedding of the blood of Christ unto... Read More
Liberty or License
Many people have the idea that “liberty” means freedom to do whatever I want with no restrictions. What Paul meant by liberty is freedom to belong to the Messiah and God’s people without keeping the Old Covenant. Paul talks about the “hope of righteousness.” The word “hope” indicates that something is not yet fulfilled. By... Read More
Thoughts on Galatians 4
A major underlying issue Paul is addressing in Galatians is his fear that the church might get sidetracked by heresies, especially related to what it means to be a member of the Messiah’s people. Paul was concerned about idol worship; the observance of holy days, months, seasons, and years; and there was always the concern... Read More
Making Disciples in Christ
In Matthew 28:18-20 Christ says the mission of the church is to go to all people groups and 1) baptize or submerge the people in relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and 2) teach the people to do the things Jesus wants them to do. The focus of this sermon is on the... Read More
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