The crowds are celebrating on the road with palm branches waving, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Then, just five days later, the crowds are crying out, "Crucify him!" Why do the readings for today move from Palm Sunday to Good Friday so quickly? We need to see that Palm Sunday is a prelude to Good Friday – they are inextricably linked: you can't have one and not the other. In this sermon, Phill Pearson preaches from Mark 11:1-11 and Mark 15:1-39 and explores how Palm Sunday leads to Good Friday and how they are inextricably linked.
Grady Buhler preaches from Hebrews 5:1-10 and John 6:1-15. Considering the story of Jesus feeding the 5000, we look at how Saint John wants us to read and interpret this story.
To the Apostle Paul, being alive means being close to the very source of life, God. Life is intimate proximity to God; death is separation from God. Today's sermon on John 12:20-36 and Ephesians 2:1-10 looks at the purpose for Jesus' life, death and resurrection, as well as how those events invite us into a new way of life.
In today's gospel (John 2:13-22) we read St. John's account of what is known as the "Cleansing of the Temple." Like so many passages in John's gospel, this passage contains layers of meaning. Jesus is fulfilling Old Testament prophecies and also speaks of himself as the meeting place between humans and God.
Grady Buhler preaches from Romans 8:31-39 and Mark 8:31-38 on following Jesus for who Jesus is, rather than for what he gives us.
Rob Collis preaches from Mark 1.9-13 looking at Jesus' baptism and temptation in the wilderness. We're invited to consider our own experience with temptation – and what baptism means for us as we walk through the wilderness.
This week Phill Pearson preaches from 2 Peter 1.13-21 and Mark 9.2-9, and explores the story of the Transfiguration. Throughout the Bible, people encountered God at the top of the mountain; but when Jesus went up with his disciples, they discovered that God was already beside them. As Phill unpacks the significance of this realization for us, he invites us to behold Jesus for ourselves, and by gazing upon him, to be transformed into his image.
“What is the mission of the Church in the world?” This World Mission Sunday Grady Buhler preaches from Revelation 7:9-17 and Matthew 28:16-20 and explores how Jesus gave a very precise answer to the question of what the Mission of the Church in the world is.
As we continue in the season of Epiphany, this week Grady Buhler preaches from 1 Corinthians 8.1-13 and Mark 1.21-28, and explores the significance of how Jesus taught with his own authority, and why it matters that all authority belongs to Jesus.
As we continue in the season of Epiphany, this week Rob Collis preaches from Mark 1.14-20, and explores the encounter Jesus had with his first disciples when he called them to follow him. There are three parts to this encounter: calling, following, and becoming. Looking at each of these in turn, he helps us to how, just as Jesus calls the disciples come and follow him, and promised to transform them by his power and presence working within them, so too is he calling each of us. The question becomes: Will we give him our ear to listen to what he has to say?
This week Phill Pearson preaches from 1 Samuel 3.1-20 and John 1.43-51, and as he looks at the two epiphany moments in these stories as people hear the God speaking, he explores the responses people have to hearing the word of the Lord.
Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the season of Epiphany! This week Grady Buhler preaches from Ephesians 3.1-13 & Matthew 2.1-12. Following the journey of the magi when they came to visit and worship Jesus as a baby, he identifies four moments in their journey which serve as a map for our own growth in the Christian life, as we seek to hear for ourselves how Jesus is calling us to himself.
This Chistmans Eve, Grady Buhler preaches from Luke 2:1-20, and unpacks the significance for how God came to us in the form of a baby, and how Jesus comes to be our Lord.
This week Grady Buhler preaches from 1 Thessalonians 5.12-28 and John 3.22-30, and as he unpacks Paul's instructions to rejoice always, he explores the questions: What is Christian joy? And how do we begin to cultivate it? He begins by helping us to see that joy is in some way related to grace, and is ultimately experienced through the recognition of grace; from there he looks at Paul's instructions to the Thessalonians, and encourages us to fan into flame the gift of joy in our own lives.
This week Rob preaches from 2 Peter 3.8-15, and explores how we can read and understand challenging passages of scripture. Using the collect for the Second Sunday of Advent, he encourages us to follow the pattern: hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest to read any passage of scripture, and shows us how to do that using 2 Peter.
Advent is a season of waiting as we prepare for Jesus to come -- both as he came first as a baby, and as he comes to us now, but more importantly, Advent prepares us for when Jesus will come again as judge and king. This week Grady Buhler preaches from 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 and Mark 13:24-37, and explains what it means that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead.
This week Phill Pearson preaches from 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, and explains why the church celebrates Christ the King Sunday, and also what it means for Christ to be king.
This week Grady Buhler preaches from Acts 8:14-17, and as he explains the significance of confirmation and the laying on of hands, he helps us to see the embodied nature of the Christian faith.
Join us this Sunday as we welcome our new lead pastor, Grady Buhler! This week, Grady preaches from Matthew 25.1-13, and invites us to be filled with Jesus' healing presence.
This Sunday we celebrate our 10 year anniversary! This week Rob Collis preaches from Psalm 126, and invites us into the journey of the Psalms of Ascent, which pilgrims used to sing together as they traveled to Jerusalem. As we explore and recall this journey of faith together, he invites us to consider the what, where, and when of our own journey, and to rediscover God's goodness for ourselves, no matter what season we find ourselves in.
This week Rob Collis preaches from Luke 17.20-37. In this passage, the Pharisees and the Disciples keep asking Jesus about the Kingdom of God, and Jesus keeps answering them – but he’s answering the question they would be asking, if only they knew what he knew. As Rob explores this passage, he tried to cut through some of the noise and confusion around this conversation, so that we can actually hear what Jesus is saying about the Kingdom of God.
Join us this Sunday as we continue in our series in the Gospel of Luke. This week Phill Pearson preaches from Luke 17.1-19, and as he explores Jesus' teachings on Sin, Faith and Duty, he invites us into a life marked by forgiveness.
This week Rob Collis preaches from Luke 16.19-31. As he unpacks Jesus' parable about the rich man and Lazarus, he explores the question: in light of the kingdom of heaven, what does it mean to not waste our lives?
This week Phill Pearson preaches from Luke 16.1-17, and as helps us understand Jesus' parable of the dishonest and shrewd manager, he invites us to see that we are stewards of the kingdom of heaven, and we're called to make friends for that kingdom.
This week Lloyd Lee preaches from Luke 15.11-31, and as he unpacks the story of the prodigal son, he invites us to consider what is stopping us from entering into the Father's heart?
This week we're excited to have Shannon preach for us from Luke 15.1-10. As she unpacks Jesus' parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, she invites us to discover the delight God has towards us in Christ, and to experience afresh the joy of being found.
This week Phill Pearson preaches from Luke 14.25-35, and unpacks Jesus' teaching about what it means to follow him. He helps us see that everything in life requires something of us - everything has a cost to it - and Jesus wants us to make sure we know up front.
This week we take a break from our Luke series as Rob Collis preaches from Ezekiel 47.1-12. As he unpacks the end of Ezekiel's vision, he explores the significance of two of the things Ezekiel glimpsed, the temple and the river, and invites us to experience the living water of God's presence in our own lives.
Join us this Sunday as we continue in our series through the Gospel of Luke! This week, we're excited to have Colton Welpton preach for us from Luke 14:15-23, as he explores Jesus's parable about the Great Banquet, and what this means for us when it comes to hospitality.
Join us this Sunday as we continue in our series through the Gospel of Luke! This week, Rob Collis preaches from Luke 14.7-14, and unpacks a dinner conversation Jesus had with some leading religious figures in his day. While everyone around the table were watching to see what Jesus would do, he also had his eyes on them; and as he saw them, he saw their hearts, and invited them to see themselves in a different way.