Hoover Church of Christ Sermons

Hoover Church of Christ Sermons

By Hoover Church of ChristReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
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Hoover Church of Christ Sermons episodes

  • Children: A Heritage from the Lord

    Is there a greater responsibility than that given to parents? We have many families-with-children in our congregation, and most of us probably wring our hands in despair at times over the challenges that come with being parents. Every era has its challenges, and ours certainly contains its share: changing views regarding sexuality, the always-on, always-available entertainment culture, increasingly busy schedules, etc. . . . What do we do? How do we raise kids who love the Lord and resist the pressures of our time?

    We’ll reflect on these questions tomorrow, along with the psalmist who hints at the answer with these beginning words: “Unless the Lord builds the house . . .”

    31 min
  • Dead Bones that Live

    Judah was in a truly desperate situation—exiled in Babylon with no hope of ever getting home (from a human perspective, at least). To illustrate their situation, God takes Ezekiel and by the Spirit puts him in a valley of dry bones. There was no sign of life in them, representing Judah’s hopeless existence.

    But then God breathed new life into them, and he told Ezekiel what this vision meant. God would breathe new life into his people and restore them to their land. And, as you may remember, this is exactly what happened. God raised up a Persian king who defeated the Babylonians and let the people return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls, the temple, and their lives.

    The story had real significance to the exiled people, of course, but perhaps it’s appropriate to extrapolate certain applications from the story to our lives. It applies to our spiritual situations—we were (or are) dead in our sins and consequently helpless and hopeless (see Ephesians 2:1-10). But God stepped in through Jesus Christ . . .

    Perhaps it also applies to other desperation situations in which we find ourselves. Can God resurrect a dead marriage? Can he restore the faith of our children or other loved ones? Can he heal our addictions? Can he take truly hopeless situations and breathe new life into them?

    The valley of dry bones says he can. And of course, we see that most clearly in the dead body that lay in the tomb from Friday till everything changed on Sunday morning, foreshadowing our own future resurrections when our “dry bones” will live again. God loves to breathe new life into things that are dead.

    35 min
  • From Calm to Chaos

    What should we do when life goes from calm to chaos in an instant? The answer and point of the lesson is this: In our darkest hour we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence knowing that we will be received not with judgment, but with sympathy and mercy. Why should we expect such a reception?

      In Hebrews 2:14-18 we learn that (see also Hebrews 4:14-16):
        He was made exactly like us: fully human in every way.
        This qualified him to be the perfect high priest providing for us the perfect sacrifice.
        That he could give the gift of mercy and sympathy in our time of need
        That he was tempted in every way exactly like us, and although he did not sin he did suffer greatly because of temptation, just like us. It wasn’t easy for him.
        In short in any and all circumstances Jesus knows exactly how we feel.
        Since Jesus knows how we feel by walking a mile in our shoes let’s take a walk for just one day: 24 hours in Jesus’s shoes. That day is recorded in Mathew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6.
          The day begins with Jesus alone by the sea of Galilee, in peaceful tranquility.
          Then his peace is shattered by the news that John has been beheaded.
          Next the 12 apostles come back from their first missions trip full of excitement over healing the sick and casting out demons, and they brought a crowd.
          Jesus immediately puts the 12 in a boat and they escape to the other side of the sea.
          When they arrive there is a crowd of over 5,000. He tends to them, heals them, and teaches them all day long and feeds them with 5 loaves and 2 fish.
          At the end of the day he teaches the 12 in private, then sends them in boats back across the sea.
          Jesus then sends the crowds away and retreats to a mountain to pray all night.
          He then begins walking across the sea in a storm. The apostles spot him and are afraid. Peter tries to walk on water but fails.
          When they reach the other side, Jesus gets no rest . . . another large crowd awaits them.

          What a 24-hour-period! Can there be any doubt that the Jesus knows exactly how we feel when life goes from “Calm to Chaos”?

          51 min

        About Hoover Church of Christ Sermons

        From the publisher's feed

        Our church family here is a loving, close-knit group of Christians trying our best to live for Christ. We’re not perfect, of course, but we’re striving each day to let God’s Word be our guide for everything we do—in everyday life, at work, at school, at church. . . everywhere. Many of us come from different backgrounds, and we work in various fields, but we share a common love for Jesus Christ and His church and look for opportunities to share that love with others.