October 6, 2024
Kings of Israel & JudahSaul: Kings of Israel & Judah
by Pastor Peter
Saul, the first king of Judah, is overwhelmed by his duties. But instead of his uncertainty leading him to trust God more, it leads him to a toxic form of insecurity that destroys his reign. He serves as a cautionary tale for believers about the importance of faith in God when things are difficult.
MoreSeptember 29, 2024
The Apostles' CreedLife of the Spirit
by Pastor Peter
The final section of the Apostles' Creed looks, on first inspection, like a random grab bag of leftovers, but the common theme that runs through it is the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who believe. By the Spirit, we overcome our differences to become a single church, by the spirit's…
MoreSeptember 22, 2024
The Apostles' CreedThe Exalted Son
by Pastor Peter
Jesus' humiliation leads to his eventual exaltation as he is raised and ascends to heaven. This week we look at The Apostles' creed where it says that after three days Jesus rose from the dead, he ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father Almighty and from there he will…
MoreSeptember 15, 2024
The Apostles' CreedThe Suffering Son
by Pastor Peter
In this sermon we look at the first half of the second article of the Apostles' Creed: The passages about the suffering of Jesus. The Son is God's message about himself to the world, and it is a very different message about God than we might suppose.
MoreSeptember 8, 2024
The Apostles' CreedGod the Father Almighty
by Pastor Peter
In this first installment of our dive into the Apostles' Creed, we look at what it means to say, "I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. Belief in God means acting in accordance with the belief that God is Father--he loves what he has created. It means believing that God…
MoreAugust 18, 2024
Using Wisdom Well
by Pastor Peter
When Solomon succeeds his father David as king of Israel, God gives him every advantage he needs to succeed--Wisdom, Wealth and Fame. Despite his great wisdom, Solomon's life is derailed by his pursuit of money, sex and power. His legacy is the division of Israel and the process that led to Israel's and Judah's eventual…
MoreAugust 11, 2024
Studying Scripture
by Pastor Peter
Most Christians spend little to no time reading their Bible. This may be because the Bible seems weird or because they're unsure of what to read or how to read it. In this week's sermon, Pastor Peter looks at strategies for studying the scriptures, how to pick a translation to read and what tools can…
MoreJuly 21, 2024
A New Kind of Leader
by Pastor Peter
We're all familiar with leaders who use their authority to their own advantage. We may feel that's just how leaders always operate, but Jeremiah promises us that God will send a different kind of leader. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus who leads through humble service. Jesus calls us to follow him using humble service…
MoreJuly 14, 2024
A Transformed Mind
by Pastor Peter
HIstory is littered with examples of people who did terrible things in God's name. This is because we perceive God through cultural lenses that distort our understanding of what his will is. We see this tragically in the story of Jephthah who offers his daughter as a sacrifice in payment for a military victory. He…
MoreJuly 7, 2024
Miracles of JesusRaising the Dead
by Pastor Peter
In Jesus' miraculous raising of Lazarus, we see how Jesus enters into our suffering, how Jesus has authority over death (both literal and figurative) and how a new life will inevitably cause hostility with people living the old sort of life.
MoreJune 30, 2024
Miracles of JesusA Miraculous Mulligan?
by Pastor Peter
A Mulligan is a do-over in golf. Many times in life, we feel like we could use a Mulligan, but in Mark chapter 8, when it appears that Jesus needs one in a miracle seemingly gone wrong, we might be concerned. In this sermon, we examine how this isn't an instance of Jesus needing two…
MoreJune 23, 2024
Miracles of JesusFreeing the Oppressed
by Pastor Peter
We might assume that being pure means keeping away from sin. And since God is absolutely pure, he must stay as far away from sin as possible. But we see, in the incarnation, that this isn't true. Holiness doesn't stay pure by being distant from sin, but being different than sin. Jesus goes on a…
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