In the consumer world we live in where everyone is trying to sell you something we have to be careful that the church doesn’t become about a faith transaction as opposed to faith transformation. Through this sermon we look at three transactional normalities in church that work against transformation.

Part 1 of a series of sermons looking at how church traditions started and discovering what is ultimately important for the church to practice. Here we look into how certain religious practices have overshadowed the importance of the Holy Spirit.

In the final part of our Stand Out series we use the story of Jesus healing a woman with a long-lasting illness as an example of how through desperate faith we can stand out before Jesus.

Being a follower of Jesus means copying the character of Jesus. Jesus was a great friend to those He met. Through the story of the friendship of David and Jonathan we hear how to be a friend to others like Jesus was a friend.

Would you consider your life beautiful? Are others attracted to the things you value by the way they see you live? Followers of Jesus are called to be witnesses to the presence and power of God. In this teaching we see by example how we can only stand out as witnesses if we are experiencing that presence and power for ourselves.

While we often consider matters like faith and obedience to be of greater importance, worship plays a central role in our relationship with God. If we want to be “standout” followers of Jesus then we must adopt the practice of true, spiritual worship. Today’s teaching points us to the example of an unlikely hero in the art of worship.

There are times in life when we go through the fire of trials. Using the story of the four men in the fiery furnace we are encouraged to stand and not crumble when the fire gets hot, for God is always with us.

Using the story of Gideon we kick off our Stand Out series seeing how it was his choice to stand out in his own home which propelled him to be the standout leader for his nation. When we stand out to make peace in our home, God will stand out for us outside the home.

In the course of daily life we come under the influences of so many things that impact our thinking, our choices, and our actions. Without constant attention, we can easily be led away from the things that matter to God to the things that are valued by our culture. The good news of this teaching is that there is always a way out of that trap, back to the fullness of new life in Jesus.

Sociologists today speak of the growing phenomena of “hyperindividualism” – a radical focus on self that forsakes the good of society and leaves many feeling disconnected and isolated. In this teaching we look at how people are to be welcomed into community through the practice of Christian hospitality so that no one is left to feel alone or unwanted.