Grace Alone Online

This is a sermon in two-parts. The first part is today, the second part is next week. There are some interesting things that happen at Pentecost. Why the tongues of fire? Why preaching on the porch? Why so many languages? What does this have to do with you and me? We're taking a different approach to the traditional Acts 2 material to look at Pentecost in a new way.

"Enough is enough!" A phrase

Our series on "Stop Running Scared" continues in these Sundays following Easter. Today we explore something that affects everyone: the Fear of Failure.

PLEASE GOOGLE THE PAINTING "REMBRANDT THE STORM ON THE SEA OF GALILEE" for this podcast.

Today we are going to do something a bit different, known as Visio Divina.  This Latin phrase meaning “divine seeing”.  It’s like Lectio Divina but instead of listening to God through his Word we will reflect on God’s message through art. Visio Divina also invites us to personalize Christian truth by taking it deeply into our hearts.  Today we’re going to meditate using Visio Divina. Assisting us is a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn called “Fear in the Storm”.

From Easter through Pentecost our theme is Stop Being Afraid.  Our goal is to move from fear – living paranoid when events uproot you from your comfort zone in life, to faith – being prudent in your actions and decisions even though they may make you feel uncomfortable.  Moving from paranoia to prudence we are moving from those things that make you fear and feel uncomfortable, to act prudently saying, Forsaking All I Take Him - meaning Christ. Death is probably our greatest fear. Dreams fade. Seasons of life wind down. Jobs come to an end. Children go away to college. Relationships terminate. As happens in all lives, death comes.  We all die.  And it just keeps on coming in so many ways, shapes and sizes. But you never think about death coming to congregations.  But death appears here as well.  Death and loss affect your comfort zone.  Beginning with pets, as children you may remember a favorite pet that died – or consider one of your own children’s pets – How did you handle it?  How did you handle a loved one’s or a close friend’s death?

Last week we had a guest preacher so I missed a podcast. This week we start a series called "Stop Being Afraid." It will take us through the next few weeks to Pentecost.

the most primal emotion we have is being afraid. The most used phrase in all of Scripture is "Don't be afraid!" Wonder why? tune in over the next few weeks and see how you and I are set free from fear to flourish in our lives.

Raised from the dead, all creation has new life through Him. He restores a New World Order that belongs to God alone and those who place their trust and follow Him.

Christ crucified for the life of the world.

"Take and eat. This is my body given for you. Take and drink. My blood of the New Covenant" of salvation for all through faith in Christ.

When it comes to sermons, I find Christmas, Palm Sunday, and Easter to be the most challenging.  Everyone knows the stories.  How can I approach the text in