Soma Spokane Sermons
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Our study in Hebrews comes to a close with an incredible one-sentence summary of the entire book: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever! Over 13 chapters, the author of Hebrews has shown us the sufficiency and uniqueness of Jesus, urging us to leave behind all the substitutes and distractions, and to press on in faith and obedience. In this Easter message, we celebrate all Jesus has done in history, his personal presence with us today, and his future renewal of all things. Because Jesus alone is "yesterday and today and forever," we can trust him completely and worship him unceasingly!
This Palm Sunday, we look at a savior who entered the holy city, only to leave it again. The shouts of the crowds and the bustle of the elite's religion didn't entice Jesus to stick around. Jesus was compelled by a deep compassion for all people, especially the lost. Jesus was constantly finding his way to the margins. He constantly drifted toward the outsiders on the edges of society. Hebrews 13 tells us that he "suffered outside the gate to sanctify the people through his own blood." Likewise, we should go to him outside the camp, bear the reproach he endured, and there find our hearts encouraged by his grace.
Hebrews 11 is a long list of biblical figures who “by faith” conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, quenched the power of fire, and were tortured unto death. They were made strong out of weakness, because of the one in whom they placed their faith. Hebrews 12 turns the corner and says “since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Chapter 12 is a call to keep our eyes on Jesus, keep our faith in Jesus, and repent of our desire to quit and drop out of the race. We all face hardships, we all struggle with sin, we’re all disciplined by the Lord for our good, and as a result, we’ll all be tempted to quit at some point along the way. The challenge of Hebrews 12 is to repent of that desire to quit: “lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,” consider Jesus and the opposition he faced, consider the great cloud of witnesses around him, and carry on in God’s strength.
Hebrews 8-10 is a rich exposition of the supremacy of Jesus and his sacrifice over the sacrificial system and high priests of Judaism. The old system was a mixed bag: God gave his people a way to deal with the sin problem, but it actually served to continuously remind them of the sin problem. It was simply insufficient, unable to really cleanse the conscience of the worshipper, and sin's guilty weight remained. But Jesus, by means of his self-offering, has done perfectly and in reality what the priests could only do imperfectly and figuratively. By offering himself as a perfect sacrifice, through the shedding of his own sinless blood, Jesus removed sin's weight and condemnation, and opened full, free, and unfettered access to God! Therefore, we can draw near to God with assurance and we can stir one another to love and good deeds.
Hebrews 5-7 contains one of the strongest warnings in the entire New Testament, a text that has been a cause of anxious concern for disciples across the ages. On one hand, the authors are befuddled at the ongoing immaturity of the church, and are challenging the seeming passivity: They are like nursing infants when they should be mature adults helping to feed others. On the other hand, they know this church is capable of love, service, and persevering faith. The call is to grow up, becoming a people solidly grounded in the basics of faith and fully equipped for everyday lives of service and ministry. In the middle, the authors warn that what starts as a refusal to grow up can become an inability to grow up, where our hearts become hard and we sever ties with Jesus altogether. There's only one solution: Go forward, in faith and patience, having the full assurance of hope in Jesus!
The unknown author of Hebrews has a 2-fold purpose in this profound letter: To wake us from spiritual slumber and to compel us to see the all-sufficiency of Jesus. Built around 6 strong warning texts, Hebrews is designed to call the reader to wake up, pay attention to their spiritual state, and turn from anything and everything that is clouding their vision and numbing their experience of the all-sufficiency of Jesus. Hebrews 3 and 4 tell us that the Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword, cutting to the deepest places within us, performing surgery in the human heart - but only if we let it. Hence, the resounding warning of these chapters is “do not harden your hearts” as the Israelites did in the wilderness. Whenever conviction comes, through God’s Spirit and God’s word, we have a choice to make: will we repent in soft-heartedness and receive the truth, or will we harden our hearts and persist in our sin?
The unknown author of Hebrews has a 2-fold purpose in this profound letter: To wake us from spiritual slumber and to compel us to see the all-sufficiency of Jesus. Built around 6 strong warning texts, Hebrews is designed to call the reader to wake up, pay attention to their spiritual state, and turn from anything and everything that is clouding their vision and numbing their experience of the all-sufficiency of Jesus. In 2:1 we get our first warning — pay attention, lest we drift! — and the author paints a vivid picture of the way we naturally go off-course in following Jesus. Lent is about seeing and naming that drift and making a decision to move the other way. Thankfully, Jesus is eager to help us as we cry out to him in repentance! In repentance, we turn from our distractions and renew our attention and affections in all Jesus is and all he's done for us.
It feels almost impossible to believe: Jesus says it is better for us to have the Holy Spirit with us than for us to have Jesus himself with us. The arrival of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, is a magnificent upgrade to Jesus' mission and ministry! In the Spirit, every single disciple of Jesus across time and space has direct access to the same presence and power of God that Jesus himself enjoyed. If that is true, then knowing and trusting the Spirit ought to be one of our highest priorities as disciples. This Sunday, we wrap up our series on the Promise of the Spirit, looking at how the Spirit comes as our Guide, personally directing each of us and all of us as a church family on mission. We'll celebrate the coming together of River's Edge and Soma Spokane into one body, tell the story of how the Spirit guided us into this partnership, and collectively ask the Spirit to continue to lead us as we live as brothers and sisters on mission in the things to come.
In the Upper Room, as Jesus prepared his disciples for his departure, the anxiety grew and the fear was likely palpable. What would it be like without Him right in front of them? How would they make it in an antagonistic world without Him as a compass? Jesus assured them that it would be better for them after he departed. The Helper (The Ghost) would arrive! This wouldn’t only be to the advantage of the disciples, the Spirit's arrival would be better for the world. The Spirit will correct the church about right living regarding justice, and then through a corrected Church, He will bring right living and justice to a world ruled by evil forces. The Spirit corrects and empowers the Church!
Depending on your church background, there are a lot of misguided notions about the third member of the Godhead. Thankfully, Jesus is really clear and spends quite a bit of time explaining to his disciples what exactly they ought to expect when he sends the Spirit. In John 14-16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure, and for their role in carrying on his mission and ministry. They’re afraid and uncertain, and the promise of Jesus' ongoing presence with them by the Spirit is his solution to their worry! There’s a wealth of resources in the Holy Spirit, and in this series, we'll explore all Jesus' promises to give us when the Spirit dwells in us. This week we look at Jesus' promise to empower us by the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Jesus.
Depending on your church background, there are a lot of misguided notions about the third member of the Godhead. Thankfully, Jesus is really clear and spends quite a bit of time explaining to his disciples what exactly they ought to expect when he sends the Spirit. In John 14-16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure, and for their role in carrying on his mission and ministry. They’re afraid and uncertain, and the promise of Jesus' ongoing presence with them by the Spirit is his solution to their worry! There’s a wealth of resources in the Holy Spirit, and in this series, we'll explore all Jesus' promises to us when the Spirit dwells in us. This week we look at how the Spirit works in union with the word of God - calling us to remember God's word, reinforcing what is true, and empowering our life in Christ.
Depending on your church background, there are a lot of misguided notions about the third member of the Godhead. Thankfully, Jesus is really clear and spends quite a bit of time explaining to his disciples what exactly they ought to expect when he sends the Spirit. In John 14-16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure, and for their role in carrying on his mission and ministry. They’re afraid and uncertain, and the promise of Jesus' ongoing presence with them by the Spirit is his solution to their worry! There’s a wealth of resources in the Holy Spirit, and in this series, we'll explore all Jesus' promises to us when the Spirit dwells in us. This week we look at Jesus’ promise to not leave us orphaned, and the Spirit’s role in bringing every disciple a deeper sense of God’s loving presence.
Depending on your church background, there are a lot of misguided notions about the third member of the Godhead. Thankfully, Jesus is really clear and spends quite a bit of time explaining to his disciples what exactly they ought to expect when he sends the Spirit. In John 14-16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure, and for their role in carrying on his mission and ministry. They’re afraid and uncertain, and the promise of Jesus' ongoing presence with them by the Spirit is his solution to their worry! There’s a wealth of resources in the Holy Spirit, and in this series, we'll explore all Jesus' promises to us when the Spirit dwells in us. This week we look at the context of these promises and begin asking Jesus to give us the fullness of His Spirit.
In the days of Jesus’ life, people came to know him from the ground-up — they walked with him, watched and listened to him, experienced his reality, and in real time came to know him as Savior and Lord. After his death and resurrection, as the first disciples reflected on all he was and all he did, they came to know Jesus from the heavens-down, comprehending his deity and his descent to humanity. In this series, we’ll unpack four of the New Testament’s most exalted claims regarding the deity of Jesus, marveling at the humility of his descent in his first Advent. This week we look at John 1.1-18, wrapping up our series by asking, "What difference does Advent make?"
In the days of Jesus’ life, people came to know him from the ground-up — they walked with him, watched and listened to him, experienced his reality, and in real-time came to know him as Savior and Lord. After his death and resurrection, as the first disciples reflected back on all he was and all he did, they came to know Jesus from the heavens-down, comprehending his deity and his descent to humanity. In this series, we’ll unpack four of the New Testament’s most exalted claims regarding the deity of Jesus, marveling at the humility of his descent in his first Advent. This week we look at Philippians 2:5-11 and see how Jesus did not hold onto his equality with God for his own advantage, but humbled himself, to serve us and sacrifice himself so humanity could draw near to God!
In the days of Jesus’ life, people came to know him from the ground-up — they walked with him, watched and listened to him, experienced his reality, and in real-time came to know him as Savior and Lord. After his death and resurrection, as the first disciples reflected back on all he was and all he did, they came to know Jesus from the heavens-down, comprehending his deity and his descent to humanity. In this series, we’ll unpack four of the New Testament’s most exalted claims regarding the deity of Jesus, marveling at the humility of his descent in his first Advent. This week we look at Colossians 1:15-20 and see the preeminence of Christ - his surpassing worth - in all things!
In the days of Jesus’ life, people came to know him from the ground-up — they walked with him, watched and listened to him, experienced his reality, and in real-time came to know him as Savior and Lord. After his death and resurrection, as the first disciples reflected back on all he was and all he did, they came to know Jesus from the heavens-down, comprehending his deity and his descent to humanity. In this series, we’ll unpack four of the New Testament’s most exalted claims regarding the deity of Jesus, marveling at the humility of his descent in his first Advent. This week we look at Hebrews 1:1-4, and see Jesus as God’s exclusive, inclusive, and intrusive self-revelation.
A.W. Tozer has said what we conceive God to be like in our deepest heart is the most important thing about us. At a deep level, our image of God shapes almost everything about us, particularly how we relate to God, to one another, and even to ourselves. In Exodus 33-34, Moses makes a bold request of God: Show me your glory! It is a desire to know what God is really like and to know it at a deep, pervasive, life-shaping level. God's response is surprising: He declares his name (YHWH!) and his character to Moses, letting Moses in on God's own deepest heart reality. Between now and Thanksgiving, we're looking at Exodus 34.6-7, the most often quoted verses in the Bible by the Bible, taking God's self-revelation seriously and asking YHWH to meet us by his Spirit, to open the eyes of our hearts, and to make us know the full reality of his Name. This week, we unpack the final statement - God's eagerness to forgive paired with his commitment to justice - and feel the tension at the heart of the biblical narrative.
A.W. Tozer has said what we conceive God to be like in our deepest heart is the most important thing about us. At a deep level, our image of God shapes almost everything about us, particularly how we relate to God, to one another, and even to ourselves. In Exodus 33-34, Moses makes a bold request of God: Show me your glory! It is a desire to know what God is really like and to know it at a deep, pervasive, life-shaping level. God's response is surprising: He declares his name (YHWH!) and his character to Moses, letting Moses in on God's own deepest heart reality. Between now and Thanksgiving, we're looking at Exodus 34.6-7, the most often quoted verses in the Bible by the Bible, taking God's self-revelation seriously and asking YHWH to meet us by his Spirit, to open the eyes of our hearts, and to make us know the full reality of his Name. This week, we look at what it means for God to be slow to anger, that his anger is both warranted and restrained.
A.W. Tozer has said what we conceive God to be like in our deepest heart is the most important thing about us. At a deep level, our image of God shapes almost everything about us, particularly how we relate to God, to one another, and even to ourselves. In Exodus 33-34, Moses makes a bold request of God: Show me your glory! It is a desire to know what God is really like, and to know it at a deep, pervasive, life-shaping level. God's response is surprising: He declares his name (YHWH!) and his character to Moses, letting Moses in on God's own deepest heart reality. Between now and Thanksgiving, we're looking at Exodus 34.6-7, the most often quoted verses in the Bible by the Bible, taking God's self-revelation seriously and asking YHWH to meet us by his Spirit, to open the eyes of our hearts, and to make us know the full reality of his Name. This week, we look at what it means for God to be gracious, his action of coming to rescue the undeserving and ill-deserving.
A.W. Tozer has said what we conceive God to be like in our deepest heart is the most important thing about us. At a deep level, our image of God shapes almost everything about us, particularly how we relate to God, to one another, and even to ourselves. In Exodus 33-34, Moses makes a bold request of God: Show me your glory! It is a desire to know what God is really like, and to know it at a deep, pervasive, life-shaping level. God's response is surprising: He declares his name (YHWH!) and his character to Moses, letting Moses in on God's own deepest heart reality. Between now and Thanksgiving, we're looking at Exodus 34.6-7, the most often quoted verses in the Bible by the Bible, taking God's self-revelation seriously, and asking YHWH to meet us by his Spirit, to open the eyes of our hearts, and to make us know the full reality of his Name. This week, we look at God's Mercy, his baseline emotion toward our frailty, weakness, and brokenness, asking what it means to trust him as our compassionate Father.
In September our Soma family turns 19, and as we do most years we’ll spend the month revisiting the core priorities and key practices that have shaped us into who we are. Our mission statement names our core priorities: Forming whole-hearted disciples of Jesus, in life-shaping relationship, for everyday disciple-making. We use 4 simple practices — Gather, Go, Grow, Give — to help make the mission actionable by every member of the body, calling us out of alternative narratives and allegiances, to give ourselves unreservedly to Jesus, His Way, and His mission. Our desire is that you’d name 1-2 key habits for each category, and then we will commit ourselves to them for the coming year, linking arms to stay on mission together. This week we remember our story, commit our lives, and celebrate!
In September our Soma family turns 19, and as we do most years we’ll spend the month revisiting the core priorities and key practices that have shaped us into who we are. Our mission statement names our core priorities: Forming whole-hearted disciples of Jesus, in life-shaping relationship, for everyday disciple-making. Over the course of September, we’ll dig into each piece of that mission by studying Colossians 3-4. In addition, we use 4 simple practices — Gather, Go, Grow, Give — to help make the mission actionable by every member of the body. Our desire is that you’d name 1-2 key habits for each category, and then commit yourself to practice them over the coming year as a way to link arms and stay on mission together. This week we look at how we can wrap our everyday lives into the mission of Jesus through prayer, witness, and finding your role in the local church.
n September our Soma family turns 19, and as we do most years we’ll spend the month revisiting the core priorities and key practices that have shaped us into who we are. Our mission statement names our core priorities: Forming whole-hearted disciples of Jesus, in life-shaping relationship, for everyday disciple-making mission. Over the course of September, we’ll dig into each piece of that mission by studying Colossians 3-4. In addition, we use 4 simple practices — Gather, Go, Grow, Give — to help make the mission actionable by every member of the body. Our desire is that you’d name 1-2 key habits for each category, and then commit yourself to practice them over the coming year as a way to link arms and stay on mission together. This week we look at the necessity, power, and purpose of life in community.
In September our Soma family turns 19, and as we do most years we’ll spend the month revisiting the core priorities and key practices that have shaped us into who we are. Our mission statement names our core priorities: Forming whole-hearted disciples of Jesus, in life-shaping relationship, for everyday disciple-making mission. Over the course of September, we’ll dig into each piece of that mission by studying Colossians 3-4. In addition, we use 4 simple practices — Gather, Go, Grow, Give — to help make the mission actionable by every member of the body. Our desire is that you’d name 1-2 key habits for each category, and then commit yourself to practice them over the coming year as a way to link arms and stay on mission together. This week we look at how whole-hearted disciples of Jesus are formed.
We want to become a praying church. A people who allows prayer to be the power of what we do together, who pray Scripture-fed and Spirit-led prayers, who seek intimacy with God that leads to fulfillment of his purposes in us, through us, and around us. We want to seek his face, cultivate his presence, and position ourselves to meet with him. To that end, we’re looking at biblical prayers from all across the Storyline of Scripture. Each week we’ll look at the context (understand where we are in the story and how that shapes the pray-er and his/her prayer), the content (what is emphasized, requested, described, etc.) of the prayer, and the connections (how we can or should use each prayer as a model for our own engagement with God). We’ll practice praying together each week, using the prayer as a model. This week we look at prayer in Revelation.
We want to become a praying church. A people who allows prayer to be the power of what we do together, who pray Scripture-fed and Spirit-led prayers, who seek intimacy with God that leads to fulfillment of his purposes in us, through us, and around us. We want to seek his face, cultivate his presence, and position ourselves to meet with him. To that end, we’re looking at biblical prayers from all across the Storyline of Scripture. Each week we’ll look at the context (understand where we are in the story and how that shapes the pray-er and his/her prayer), the content (what is emphasized, requested, described, etc.) of the prayer, and the connections (how we can or should use each prayer as a model for our own engagement with God). We’ll practice praying together each week, using the prayer as a model. This week we look at a prayer for the Church in Acts.
We want to become a praying church. A people who allows prayer to be the power of what we do together, who pray Scripture-fed and Spirit-led prayers, who seek intimacy with God that leads to fulfillment of his purposes in us, through us, and around us. We want to seek his face, cultivate his presence, and position ourselves to meet with him. To that end, we’re looking at biblical prayers from all across the Storyline of Scripture. Each week we’ll look at the context (understand where we are in the story and how that shapes the pray-er and his/her prayer), the content (what is emphasized, requested, described, etc.) of the prayer, and the connections (how we can or should use each prayer as a model for our own engagement with God). We’ll practice praying together each week, using the prayer as a model. This week we look at Nehemiah’s prayer.
