JR.'s Sermons

Marvel's WandaVision explores our desire to hide from grief and pain. It's easier to look to the past, to pine for the Good Ole Days than it is to imagine a future on the other side of pain. But Jesus assures us that the light of his truth is better than the darkness of our self-deception. By faith, we can hope that what's ahead of us is greater than what lies in our past.

What does it mean to be a truly WILD church? On Pentecost Sunday, we're looking back at what God has shown us since Easter and considering what it means to be a revolutionary church!

There's a way of being religious that closes us up to people who aren't like us. When we walk that path, we can't be the people Jesus calls us to be to the people Jesus calls us to love. How can we remain open? We follow Paul to Athens to see a picture of bold, open faith - faith that can transform the wild!

Dr. Daniel White Hodge joins us this Sunday to invite us into the wild. What does faith that makes space for mystery look like? And how does Jesus invite us to follow him there?

If you were to make a list of people least likely to want to know Jesus, who would be at the top of that list? Paul's encounters in Acts 16 were a strong message to the early Church that no one is off limits. The Holy Spirit is working in even the wildest among us!

When we start to question foundational aspects of our faith, it feels scary. When others begin to question, we feel threatened. But "deconstruction," as this process has become known, is a vital part of a healthy, vibrant faith. It's a process that's not predictable and not quick. But Paul's nearly two decades between conversion and mission work offer a window into the good that comes when we trust that God is not only not threatened by questions, but working with us to have a deeper and stronger faith than ever.

We don't like people who rock the boat. People who don't follow the rules. We call them savages. But it's often true that the truly savage are those who enforce the status quo. How can we find the courage to face the God who invites us to be changed, to come... into the wild?

What does it mean for us to be truth-tellers? How we tell stories matters. The lynching of Stephen in the early church reveals how we can re-narrate the stories of our culture for justice and hope. What stories are we telling today?

Easter is about a revolution. Beyond the eggs and bunnies, beyond the new outfits and sunrise worship, beyond all that is something wild, something unpredictable. Something a little dangerous. Welcome to a church in the wild!

What does it take to be on top? Jesus final temptation - to rule the world if he'll worship the devil - is a clue. What kind of test was that? And how does it shed light on the path Jesus calls us to walk today?