“Discernment, dominion, decompression”. When we read the opening text of the Bible, what do we learn about ourselves? That our calling is magnificent, yet without Jesus, we cannot fulfill it.

“Ordering a Chaotic Identity.” Identity has become a chaotic concept — and much of what we do can be summarized as the desire to bring chaos into order. The God who turned chaos into order in creation is the same Creator who, in Jesus, can bring order to our chaotic identity.

“Nodding Off at Church”. When the holidays are over, time suddenly feels like a scarce resource, and rest becomes a greater challenge — we start nodding off. If rest marked the end of the work week for Israel, rest in Jesus marks the beginning of our real work as Christians.

“Lord, I can’t rest!”. We make plans to rest — but they are often frustrated, aren’t they? Staying close to Jesus will give us the rest we truly need, and the compassion to sometimes lay our rest aside.

“Work and Rest: friends or foes?” We are trained to think about work and rest in terms of an opposition, a question of either/or. But with Jesus, we find that the two not only can coexist, but are a true foretaste of our eternity with God.

“Lord, Teach Us to Rest!”. We often treat rest as something we do only when we’re tired — so why does the Bible begin with an untiring God resting? In Jesus — the man who grew tired and the God who never does — we find real rest in the finished work he has already done.

“How generous should this Church be?”. Money and generosity can look like the lowest priority for a Church — but are they? Jesus, who gave everything, is both the how and the why for a Church saved by his freely given blood.

We are always ready to speak about the things we love — and more than that, we love best when we share what we love. The salvation that Jesus brings must fill our hearts and our mouths, calling us to a life of sharing this good news.

This sermon is called “Misplaced Worship”. You just have to be alive to worship something and it’s really easy to worship the wrong thing with a good intention. When Paul and Barnabas were seen as gods they tore their garments—this should be our attitude towards the difference between true worship and idolatry.

Biblical text: Acts 14:8-18