Compass Weekly Sermons

What does it look like to be a citizen of the US and a follower of Jesus? What wisdom can we learn from Jesus to help us during election season? In this sermon, Pastor Will discusses the context around Matthew 22:20, showing that we can serve God and love our neighbor while obeying the laws of the land. We should view ourselves as exiles, waiting for the coming kingdom of God.

Link to first politics sermon from Living Faith Rhode Island (Victor Gluckin): https://youtu.be/8KYG4KqcNic?si=rpeSTfgZgGQR9X4T

In Matthew 16, Jesus begins to explicitly tell his disciples about his impending death. Peter responds to this news with a harsh rebuke, and Jesus rebukes Peter in response. In the wake of this confrontation, Jesus asks his disciples to follow him to their deaths if necessary. In this sermon, Pastor Will walks through Matthew 16:21-28, showing that Jesus will never lead us someplace he isn't willing to go first.

Who touched me? Surrounded by a crowd, Jesus asks what seems to be a silly question. Behind the answer to that question was a woman in real need who demonstrated real faith. In this sermon, Rev. Jerry Weller explores Mark 5:30 and the surrounding passage, showing that healing is available when we come to God through Jesus and that each journey is unique.

What can we learn from Peter walking on the water? Why did he doubt and why do we doubt? In this sermon, Pastor Will explores Matthew 14:31 and the account of Peter walking on the water, showing that Peter was learning something specific that he needed to learn to develop. Just like Peter, we are following Jesus, so we need to pay attention to what we can learn through the storms of life so that we can be ready when later storms come.

Many people like certain things that Jesus said, like the golden rule. But what happens when Jesus says something that challenges us? What happens when Jesus says something that causes us to decide between him and the world? In this sermon, Pastor Will explains Matthew 12:48, showing that the family of Jesus was dealing with immense pressure from outside, that Jesus did nothing to alleviate the pressure, and that, instead, Jesus wanted everyone present to make a decision about following him. We can learn from this and decide to follow Jesus no matter what.

This deep dive interview is a bit different. Instead of the usual diving deeper into a sermon, this is a special interview with Pastor Sean Finnegan. Sean and Will discuss nationalism, Christian nationalism, politics, and what it looks like to be a Christian in this age of division. In the end, Sean recommends direct action. As Christians, we may not be able to solve every problem in the world, but we can take direct action to love and bless those in our communities.

This interview was conducted before the full impact of Hurricane Helene was known. If you want to support the relief efforts, please go to www.nc.gov/donate or connect directly with ministries doing great work, such as Samaritan's Purse and Grindstone Ministries.

What is the relationship between healing and faith? In this sermon, Pastor Will discusses Matthew 9:28, showing that faith is a necessary condition in most healings. Each situation is unique, and we can look to God through His spirit to get the deliverance.

Who are we supposed to judge? How are we to rightly make judgments? How do we make sure that our perception is accurate? In this sermon, Rev. Jerry Weller explains Matthew 7:1-12, showing that we should focus on ourselves, give grace to others, judge (and avoid) sin, and love (and give mercy) to the sinner.

What does Jesus say about money? How should we deal with abundance or lack? In this sermon, Pastor Will walks through Matthew 6:25 and the surrounding context, showing that Jesus is challenging our imagination about living the kingdom of God in community today.

This is the first sermon in the series 12 Questions Jesus Asked. In this sermon, Pastor Will explains the difficult question found in Matthew 5:46, showing that no matter who our enemy is, we should pray for them and love them. In so doing, we will respond to the high calling of being like our God.