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Listening to God's Story

As theologian Mike Goheen notes in his book, A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story, preaching is an element of worship that deserves special attention. It is a powerful means by which God’s people may be nurtured and empowered for their missional calling.

Every Sunday, we seek to preach Christ and for us this means at least three things: “First, wherever we are in the Biblical story, our preaching will be oriented to and from Christ. The goal of preaching is to make Jesus Christ present. Second, Christ himself comes clothed in the gospel, and so the message is more than words; it is the power of God unto salvation. The message itself becomes the power of God to transform lives.” And third, as Lesslie Newbigin has noted, “The business of the sermon is to bring the hearers face to face with Jesus Christ as he really is.” Jesus is not simply a personal savior. He is Creator, Lord of history, Redeemer of all things, and final Judge.

The sermons below are embedded in recordings of the entire service. It's our sincere hope and prayer that as you listen to these sermons you will be touched by the power, presence, and person of Jesus. Enjoy!

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Unexpected Advent

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Unexpected Advent

This Advent we are preparing for the birth of Jesus by looking at Jesus family tree in Matthew chapter 1. Specifically, the stories of the five women who are mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy; Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.

Every family history includes stories of guilt, shame, disappointment and embarrassment. Like in Israel’s family, sometimes those emotions “attach” to certain people or moments in our family history too. Like damage from a house-fire, some of our memories and stories are so coated in shame or embarrassment or disappointment we toss them out like smoke-damaged family portraits.

Isn’t it interesting, then, that Matthew prepares us for Jesus’ arrival with a genealogy that includes the kinds of family portraits -and stories - we might otherwise leave out?

What would it mean to let the Gospel of Matthew prepare us for Advent?

December 18, 2022

Bathsheba's Grace

Speaker: Matthew Burns Series: Unexpected Advent Topic: Sermon Passage: Matthew 1:1,6, 2 Samuel 11:1-9,14-17,25-27, 2 Samuel 12:1-7,11-14

December 11, 2022

Ruth's Joy

Speaker: Matthew Burns Series: Unexpected Advent Topic: Sermon Passage: Matthew 1:1-6, Ruth 4

December 4, 2022

Rahab's Faith

Speaker: Matthew Burns Series: Unexpected Advent Topic: Sermon Passage: Matthew 1:1-5, Joshua 2:1-21, Joshua 6:22-25

November 27, 2022

Tamar's Hope

Speaker: Matthew Burns Series: Unexpected Advent Topic: Sermon Passage: Matthew 1:1-6, Genesis 38