Compass Weekly Sermons

This session heavily depends on the foundation of Sessions 2 and 3, especially 3. We explore baptism in the epistles, showing that the use of the word "baptism" follows the example in the gospels and the book of Acts.

In this session, we look at two major figures of speech and how they impact the study of baptism: symbolism and typology.

The purpose of the Psalms is to relate to God on an emotional level. God desires a real relationship with His people, so we can bring our whole lives to Him, including our emotions. In this sermon, Pastor Will walks through Psalm 8, inviting us to experience the sense of wonder and awe that originally inspired King David 3,000 years ago.

Peter's story doesn't end at Pentecost with a big megachurch and a book deal. In fact, his role changes dynamically over the rest of his life. And by the end of his life, when he's writing the letters we now have in our Bibles, he's sharing the most distilled versions of the teachings he had received and practiced for years. Peter is an amazing example of a faithful minister.

Peter's story as portrayed in scripture seems larger than life at times, just like a fishing story. But unlike the fishing stories your dad may have told you growing up, Peter's story really happened. Join Amanda Dunn as she weaves her way through Peter's early years of discipleship to Jesus. As you do, you will find plenty to learn from and apply to your own discipleship journey.

What did Peter go through in the last days before Pentecost? What would it have been like to be a part of the early Jesus movement after Jesus's ascension? In this sermon, Pastor Will walks through the first few chapters of Acts, showing that the earliest disciples helped the new generation learn to follow Jesus well in community.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has three final teachings. The common theme that underscores all of them is the importance of obedience. In some sense, we could say that the final word of the sermon is this: obedience matters. We want to faithfully follow Jesus because his way is the way to life, now and in eternity.

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus commands us to enter the narrow gate and follow the narrow path. Part of this is because Jesus wants us to be judged righteous at his return. The other part of this, however, is that life on the narrow path is much more fulfilling than living any other way.

At the end of the main body of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to seek his Father in prayer and to treat everyone as we ourselves would like to be treated. In this sermon, Pastor Will works through Matthew 7:7-12, showing that we should seek God at all times, even in our anger and frustration, and endeavor to balance love and obedience.

There's quite a puzzle at the beginning of Matthew chapter 7. At first, it seems like Jesus is against people judging each other. But then, just verses later, Jesus teaches us to discern things about other people. In this sermon, Pastor Will explains that Matthew 7:1-6 is about us being generous towards others in not condemning them in judgment. We should still use godly wisdom and discernment in all that we do.