Do you have a role model?  Is there someone who provides a biblical vision for the kind of person you can become?  On Mother's Day, we will meet a potential role model for all of us – women and men, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, single and married. This role model does not have a name, but for some she is one of the most intimidating people in the Bible.  

The word humility, as with other terms in our modern western society, tends to take on varied definitions in our expressive vocabulary.  For example, someone might say, "I am humbled by your kind words" which could be a way of saying they have been honored and even undeserving.  Someone else might say, "I was completely humiliated in front of everyone" which would suggest that a person was embarrassed in the midst of a group. The scripture has a lot to say about humility because it is very important to God.  We are admonished to "clothe" ourselves in humility suggesting we should live that way all of the time.  In this sermon, we consider what humility looks like as a follower of Christ.

Mark L. Strauss, Ph.D., is University Professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego, where he has served since 1993. He is the author of various books, with expertise in the New Testament, Gospels, Hermeneutics, and Bible translation. He serves as Vice Chair of the Committee on Bible Translation for the New International Version. In addition to his academic work, he preaches and teaches regularly at churches and conferences (he served as College Ave's interim preaching pastor from 1998-2000). He is married to Roxanne, a marriage and family therapist, and they have three grown children.

This sermon is a review of our church values, our shared convictions that guide our actions.  These values bring clarity to the things that matter most at College Ave. They guide how we achieve our mission, to reconcile all people to God while we grow together in Christ.

Evangelism:  We value inviting others to join us in believing the Gospel and growing as Christ-followers.

Hospitality:  We value warmly welcoming people into our lives and homes.

How did I get here? /Where did we come from?

What went wrong? /What is our problem?

How do you fix it? /What is the solution?

What would it look like if everything was fixed?/How will things end for us? 

Generosity:  We value sharing all that we are and all that we have with one another.

Unity: We value unity in the midst of our diversity.

Community:  We value living in authentic community.