Following the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites find themselves in the wilderness—a place of disorientation, testing, and revelation. This sermon explores the "Wilderness" as an evergreen metaphor for the Christian life. It is the mandatory field trip between deliverance and the Promised Land, where our fickle hearts are exposed, and our faith is refined. As we enter the season of Lent and prepare for a congregational digital fast, we examine how the desert serves as a paradox: a place of intense danger and lack, but also the "God country" where miracles and spiritual power are found.

Scripture References
Exodus 15:22–27: The waters of Mara and the transformation of bitterness.

Exodus 16: The grumbling of the community and the provision of manna.

Exodus 17:1–7: The striking of the rock at Horeb.

1 Corinthians 10:4: Paul’s identification of the Rock as Christ.

Key Points
The Paradox of the Desert: The wilderness is both a place of exposure and a place of divine intimacy. It is where visibility is low, familiar markers are gone, and we are forced to put one foot in front of the other.

The Necessity of Testing: You cannot trust what has not been tested. The wilderness reveals the true contents of the heart. It is a place of "wrestling" with God, learning to navigate relationship without causing harm.

The Teacher is Quiet: In the wilderness, the silence of God during the "test" is a primary challenge. However, promotion and spiritual clarity often lie on the other side of this silence.

Fickleness and Unholy Nostalgia: We are prone to wander. Within days of a miracle, we resort to grumbling and "unholy nostalgia"—selectively remembering the "meat pots" of our past captivity while forgetting the chains.

The Cross in the Wilderness: * The Tree at Mara: Just as the log made bitter water sweet, the Cross of Christ makes the bitter experiences of life drinkable.

The Struck Rock: In a divine reversal, God stands upon the rock to receive the blow of judgment deserved by the grumbling Israelites. Christ is the spiritual Rock who was struck so that we might receive the water of everlasting life.

Conclusion
There is no making it through the wilderness by trying harder or merely following rules. We must cling to the Cross. In the desert, pain is not the greatest danger; rather, the danger lies in where we turn for relief. If we turn to Christ, the one who was struck for us, we find that even the most desolate place is filled with His presence.

Calls to Action
Participate in the Digital Fast: Join the church-wide digital fast starting March 1st. Use the provided guide to redirect your focus from screens to God’s voice.

Identify Your Wilderness: Acknowledge where you are experiencing disorientation or testing. Stop "trying harder" and start clinging to the Cross.

Resist Grumbling: Be mindful of the urge to complain or romanticize past sins. Practice gratitude for God’s present provision, even when it is "manna" rather than "meat pots."

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Introduction

This sermon addresses the reality of the "dark night of the soul"—those seasons where God remains silent despite persistent prayer. By examining Psalm 77, we explore the tension between deep personal suffering and the historical faithfulness of God. Using the Exodus story as a backdrop, we see how the biblical pattern of "hiding before rescue" serves to prepare the heart for a more intimate revelation of the Divine.

Scripture References

• Psalm 77: The lament of Asaph and the remembrance of God’s wonders.
• Exodus 1–14: The narrative of revelation, rescue, and recompense.
• Matthew 27:46: Jesus’ cry of dereliction on the cross.
• Ephesians 2:4-7: God’s mercy in making us alive with Christ.

Key Points

• The Honesty of Lament: Asaph models a faith that is not afraid to cry out. Bringing raw emotion, insomnia, and even "moaning" to God is a form of worship. The Psalms give us a vocabulary for pain when our own words fail.
• The Reality of Divine Silence: Silence from Heaven is a normal part of the Christian experience. It does not necessarily indicate unrepentant sin; often, it is a "divine peekaboo"—a purposeful hiding that focuses our attention and prepares us for a clearer revelation.
• The Weight of Remembrance: When feelings suggest God has forgotten to be gracious, we must intentionally shift the weight of our perspective to history. Asaph concludes that God’s way is "holy" (set apart) by meditating on the Exodus.
• Building Personal and Community Monuments: Because we are prone to forget, we must create "altars"—recorded testimonies, family traditions, or shared community stories—that serve as tangible evidence of God’s past faithfulness during current storms.
• The Ultimate Rescue: Our hope is anchored in the Gospel. Just as the Red Sea was parted, Christ entered the waters of death to provide the final rescue. His resurrection is the promise that every "hidden face" of God will eventually be revealed.

Conclusion

Suffering is not the end of the story, but the tilling of the soil. God's footprints may be unseen in the "great waters" of our lives, but He leads His people like a flock. Whether through personal history, the community of the church, or the ancient story of the Exodus, we find the strength to hold fast until the hands of God part and we see Him face to face.

Calls to Action

• Record Your History: Start a "Family Poem" or a journal of "But God" moments to document specific instances of provision and rescue.
• Engage in Community: Share a testimony of grace with someone in your small group or pact to help build their faith.
• Pray the Psalms: This week, find a Psalm of lament that resonates with your current trial and pray it back to God as your own.

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A morning to invest in your marriage with guest speakers Dr. Dan and Kathie Jarrell from Western Seminary.

Designed to cultivate and tend to your marriage so it can thrive in the good times and the bad.

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In this guest sermon, Dr. Dan Jarrell challenges us to move from an "anemic" life of thin experiences to a "thick" life of substance, centered on God. Using his experiences in the Alaskan wilderness and the philosophical concept of "focal things and practices," he critiques our technological culture that values efficiency over engagement. We often commodify sacred things—like food, community, and even our relationship with God—turning them into products we consume rather than realities we participate in.

Scripture References
1 Samuel 8:1-22: The Israelites demand a king "like other nations" to fight their battles for them, rejecting God as their King. This illustrates the "device paradigm"—wanting a technology (a human king) to do the work of protection and provision, costing them their freedom and intimacy with God.

Matthew 11:28-30: Jesus invites the weary to find rest, contrasting with the striving of a hurried life.

John 10:10: Jesus came to give life "abundantly"—a life of substance, not anemic facsimiles.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26: The Lord's Supper as a focal practice given by Jesus to the church.

Key Points
Focal Things vs. Devices

Focal Things: Entities that provide a center for our lives (e.g., a family meal, the wilderness, God). They are sacred, cannot be commodified, and require our active engagement. They command our attention and participation.

The Device Paradigm: Technology often turns focal things into commodities to be consumed without effort (e.g., a thermostat instead of a hearth). We value things for what they do for us, not what they are.

The Cost of Efficiency We trade the "messy" engagement of real life for efficiency and control. In doing so, we get a "veneer" of life—an anemic facsimile.

Music: We listen to high-quality recordings but lose the ability to play instruments.

Warmth: We have heat (thermostat) but lose the gathering place of the hearth.

Spirituality: We want pastors to study for us or worship bands to usher us into God's presence, rather than engaging in the discipline ourselves.

Israel's Demand for a King (1 Samuel 8) The Israelites wanted a king to fight their battles—a "governing technology" to replace the active trust required to follow God. They gained a false sense of security but lost their freedom, their sons and daughters, and their intimacy with God.

Recovering the Sacred To counter this, we need focal practices—disciplined, communal habits that orient us toward what matters (e.g., family dinner, Sabbath, prayer, playing music). These practices require us to slow down, participate, and embrace the "burden" of engagement.

Conclusion
God sees us as focal things; He is consumed by His love for us. He invites us out of the hurry and striving of a technological world into the "thick" life of walking with Him. He left us a focal practice—Communion—not as a snack to fill us up, but as a discipline to make us hungry for Him, reminding us of His life, death, and promise to return.

Calls to Action
Choose One Focal Thing: Identify one sacred thing in your life (e.g., family, Sabbath, scripture).

Establish a Focal Practice: Choose one regular habit to honor that thing (e.g., daily family dinner with no phones, a weekly Sabbath hike).

Prepare for the Media Fast: As a church, we are moving toward a digital fast in March. Start considering how you will detach from devices to re-engage with reality.

Come to the Table: Engage in Communion not as a religious routine, but as a focal practice connecting you to Jesus and the global church.

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This sermon continues the "My Job Depends on Ag" series, using agricultural metaphors to explore the importance of stability and rootedness in the Christian life. Just as trees need to be planted by streams of water to bear fruit (Psalm 1), believers need to stay put—in a place, a community, and a calling—to flourish. However, our culture of hypermobility and fear of commitment (FOMO) often tempts us to run, leading to shallow roots and a lack of fruit.

Scripture References
Psalm 1:1-6: The righteous are like trees planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season.

Luke 8:26-39: Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac. The man begs to leave with Jesus, but Jesus commands him to "return to your home" and testify there.

Genesis 2:15: God puts Adam in the garden to "work it and keep it," exercising skilled mastery.

John 15:1-8: Jesus calls us to "remain" in the vine to bear fruit.

Proverbs 27:19: "As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart."

Key Points
The Power of Staying Put Like trees, we cannot thrive if we are constantly transplanted. Staying put brings:

Security: A safe place to grow.

Identity: We are shaped by the places we inhabit.

Skilled Mastery: Staying long enough to become a "whisperer" in your field or community.

The Freedom to Stay The story of the Gerasene demoniac challenges our desire to escape. Though he had every reason to leave his past behind (shame, isolation), Jesus sent him back home. True freedom isn't always going where we want; sometimes, it's the freedom to live a new identity in the same old place.

Embrace Obligation and the Ordinary To stay rooted, we must reject the "duty-free" life.

Obligation: Belonging requires responsibility. We are members of a body, called to bear with one another, not just consume.

Ordinary: Extraordinary lives are built on ordinary habits. Greatness comes from doing consistently what others do occasionally. We must embrace the mundane routines of faithfulness—in marriage, parenting, and discipleship.

Conclusion
"Everyone wants a revolution, but nobody wants to do the dishes." True discipleship (discipline) happens in the mundane. If we run from obligation and the ordinary, we will never grow deep roots. We are invited to take a vow of stability—to commit to a place, a people, and a purpose—trusting that God will produce fruit in due season.

Calls to Action
Commit to Stability: Identify where you are tempted to run (a relationship, a job, a church) and ask God for the grace to stay and grow.

Embrace the Ordinary: Stop looking for the "extraordinary" next thing. Commit to the ordinary disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, and faithful presence this week.

Invest in Your Marriage: Sign up for the marriage workshop on January 31st to intentionally invest in your relationship.

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In the second part of the "My Job Depends on Ag" series, this sermon addresses the often-dreaded spiritual discipline of waiting. We frequently try to avoid praying for patience to dodge trials, but trials are inevitable. The question isn't if we will wait, but how. Using James' analogy of the farmer, we see that waiting is not passive; it is an active, expectant dependence on God for a harvest we cannot control.

Scripture References

• James 5:7-11: "Be patient then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits... patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains."
• Psalm 27:14: "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
• Isaiah 40:31: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength..."
• 2 Timothy 2:3-6: Paul uses the soldier, athlete, and the hard-working farmer as examples of perseverance.
• 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: "Love is patient... love always perseveres."
• Mark 4:26-29: The parable of the growing seed, illustrating the slow, mysterious nature of Kingdom growth.

Key Points

1. Waiting is Active, Not Passive James points to the farmer who waits for the rains. For a first-century farmer, this wasn't leisurely; it was survival. His life depended on conditions outside his control. Similarly, waiting on God is an active posture of looking to Him as our source, surrendering our need for control.
2. Why We Wait
   • To kill entitlement: Waiting cures the "Veruca Salt syndrome" ("I want it now!").
   • To look to God: Waiting shifts our focus from the thing we want to the One who provides it.
   • To develop character: Patience is essential for spiritual maturity.
3. Hurry is the Enemy of Love First Corinthians 13 begins with "Love is patient" and ends with "Love perseveres." If we cannot wait, we cannot love. Hurry makes us incapable of connecting with God and others. Patience is simply the ability to wait with a heart of peace and hope.
4. The Kingdom Grows Slowly Jesus' parable of the seed (Mark 4) shows that Kingdom growth is often mundane, slow, and invisible. While we love "Pentecost moments," most growth happens through small, daily acts of obedience—prayer, listening, and faithfulness over time.

Conclusion

Waiting is not forever. James reminds us to be patient until the Lord's coming. Jesus, the ultimate Farmer, patiently suffered on the cross to forgive our impatience and secure our future. Whether He breaks through in this life or at His return, the wait will end. Until then, we are called to practice "slowing"—deliberately placing ourselves in positions where we must wait—to cultivate a heart of patience.

Calls to Action

1. Shift Your Perspective: View waiting not as a nuisance but as "patience practice"—an opportunity for your heart to grow.
2. Practice "Slowing":
   • Drive in one lane at the speed limit and use the time to pray.
   • Listen to people without your phone in your hand.
   • Take deliberate breaks from technology.
3. Pray for Patience: Stop avoiding it. Ask God for the grace to wait well.
4. Receive Prayer: If you are in a painful season of waiting, come forward for prayer to receive strength to persevere.

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Using agriculture as a metaphor for spiritual growth, this sermon focuses on the importance of cultivating a "root system" by keeping our hearts. Just as trees need roots to bear fruit, we must tend to our inner life to produce lasting spiritual fruit. We often prioritize the external—our "branches" of doing and achieving—while neglecting the hidden life of the heart.

Scripture References

• Genesis 2:4-9: God plants a garden and forms man from the dust (humus), reminding us of our humble origins.
• John 15:1-8: Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. The command is to "remain" or "abide," focusing on the connection (root) rather than striving for fruit.
• Mark 7:14-23: Jesus teaches that defilement comes from within the heart, not from outside circumstances.
• Proverbs 4:23: "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
• 1 Samuel 16:7: "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
• Ezekiel 36:26-27: The New Covenant promise: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you."

Key Points

1. Prioritize the Root Over the Fruit At the start of a new year, we naturally focus on external results (fruit). However, Jesus consistently points us to the unseen, hidden life (root). If we focus on remaining in Him, the fruit will take care of itself. We must resist the pressure to let our public persona outgrow our private character.
2. Keep Your Heart with All Vigilance The heart is not just emotions; it is the center of our being—mind, will, and desires. Like a musical instrument, it naturally goes out of tune and must be constantly tended. Proverbs 4:23 commands us to guard it above all else because everything in life flows from it. While the world (bosses, teachers, etc.) may only care about our production, God cares deeply about the condition of our hearts.
3. Stop Blaming and Start Investigating We often blame external circumstances or people for our reactions ("Look what you made me do"). But Jesus teaches that what comes out of us (anger, lust, pride) reveals what was already in us. Instead of blaming others for shaking the bottle, we should investigate what's inside.

Conclusion

Spiritual growth isn't just behavior modification; it's heart transformation. We cannot change our own hearts, but God can. The promise of the New Covenant is that God will remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. Our job is to tend the soil, stay connected to the Vine, and let His grace do the deep work of change.

Calls to Action

1. Invest in Your Marriage: Sign up for the marriage workshop on January 31st to intentionally shape your relationship.
2. Tend to Your Heart: Don't neglect your inner life for the sake of outer performance. Take time to stop and ask, "How is my heart doing?"
3. Journal Your Emotions: Use the simple exercise of writing down what you are Mad, Sad, Afraid, and Excited about to uncover what is truly going on inside you.
4. Stop Blaming: When negative reactions spill out, resist the urge to blame others. Ask God to show you the root of that reaction in your own heart.

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This sermon introduces the new year series, "My Job Depends on Ag," using agriculture as a metaphor for spiritual growth. The pastor begins with a confession about struggling to trust God with finances (both for the church's summer camp and the Amigo Row building project) and how asking for help led to miraculous provision. He emphasizes that spiritual growth is not like technology—it doesn't happen instantly with the push of a button. Instead, it's like farming: slow, incremental, often invisible, and dependent on creating the right conditions.

Scripture References
1 Corinthians 3:18: "And we all... are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory."

Romans 8:28-30: God's purpose is for us to be "conformed to the image of his Son."

Luke 8:4-15: The Parable of the Sower, illustrating four types of soil and the importance of perseverance for a harvest.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."

Key Points
Don't Settle for Less: The pastor's confession highlights the temptation to settle when tired of contending. Whether in finances, relationships, or faith, God often calls us to press on rather than accept the status quo. We need community to spur us on when our own faith is weak.

Growth is Like Agriculture, Not an App: Spiritual transformation is not a "zap" or a flash. It is organic, often invisible to the naked eye, and happens over time. Jesus used agricultural metaphors (soil, seed, harvest) because they accurately reflect how the Kingdom of God works.

Intentionality vs. Accident: No one accidentally gets a great marriage, a fit body, or a deep relationship with Jesus. While growth ultimately comes from God (like a tree growing), we must be intentional about creating the conditions for that growth (planting, watering, tending). We cannot drift into spiritual maturity.

The Parable of the Soils: Jesus explains that the same seed (God's Word) produces different results based on the soil of our hearts.

Path: The enemy snatches the word away.

Rocky Ground: No root; faith withers in testing.

Thorns: Choked by worries, riches, and pleasures; does not mature.

Good Soil: Hears, retains, and perseveres to produce a crop.

Conclusion
God has a plan for your growth in 2026. He desires your transformation even more than you do. While we must be intentional, we can rest in the promise that "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." We are invited to partner with Him, tending the soil of our hearts so that His Word can produce a harvest.

Calls to Action
Assess Your Intentions: On a scale of 1-10, how intentional are you about your spiritual growth? Move from hoping for accidental growth to planning for intentional formation.

Refuse to Settle: identify areas where you have stopped contending for God's best (marriage, health, faith) and ask Him for renewed faith to press on.

Tend Your Soil: As we begin this series, prepare your heart to receive God's Word. Identify any "rocks" or "thorns" (worries, distractions) that might be choking your growth.

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This sermon concludes the three-week series "God Our Home," connecting the longing for God's presence with the reality of Christmas. We recap that God's desire to dwell with His people is the entire storyline of the Bible—from Eden to the New Creation. However, significant barriers like disobedience, shame, lies, and God's holiness keep us from experiencing this intimacy.

The Good News of Christmas is that Jesus came to address every single barrier. He is the "obedience of the one" that makes many righteous. He clothes our shame so we can hide in Him rather than from Him. He reveals the true nature of the Father, dispelling lies. He comes full of grace and truth to make us holy, paying the entrance fee we could never afford. And He empowers us to forgive by first forgiving us.

Scripture References

• Revelation 21:3: "I will be your God, you will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst."
• Psalm 22:3: God inhabits the praises of His people.
• Deuteronomy 8:10-14: A warning not to forget God in times of plenty.
• John 8:28-29: Jesus' perfect obedience to the Father.
• Romans 5:19: "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."
• Colossians 3:3: "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
• Hebrews 4:15: We have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses.
• John 14:6-9: Jesus reveals the Father: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."
• John 1:14: The Word became flesh, full of grace and truth.
• Matthew 6:9-15: The Lord's Prayer, emphasizing forgiveness.

Key Points

1. Jesus Addresses Our Barriers
   • Disobedience: Jesus' perfect submission overthrows our rebellion. His obedience is credited to us, making us righteous.
   • Shame: Instead of hiding from God in shame, we can hide in Christ. He clothes us in His righteousness, fully knowing and fully loving us.
   • Lies: Jesus reveals the true nature of the Father, dispelling the enemy's lies about God's character.
   • Holiness: Jesus doesn't lower the standard; He pays the price. He comes full of grace and truth to make us holy and blameless in God's sight.
   • Unforgiveness: We are empowered to forgive others because we have been forgiven a debt we could never pay.
2. How to Not Miss His Presence Like the characters in the first Christmas story who did experience God, we must:
   • Worship: Adore Him to gain perspective and crush comparison.
   • Ponder: Like Mary, treasure God's work in your heart. Be curious and wonder about Him.
   • Seek: Like the Wise Men, actively pursue Him. Don't assume His presence; hunt for it.

Conclusion

We don't have to live separated from God. Jesus, Emmanuel, has come to bridge the gap. He has dealt with our sin, shame, and separation so that we can once again stand in the presence of a holy God—not with fear, but with boldness and joy.

Calls to Action

1. Invite Someone: 80% of people are willing to come to church if invited. Use this Christmas season to invite someone to the Fox Theatre service.
2. Worship & Ponder: In the busyness of the season, take time to worship and ponder what Christ has done to bring you near.
3. Come to the Table: As you take communion, reflect on the cost Jesus paid to remove every barrier between you and the Father.

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This sermon explores the deep longing for God's presence and the obstacles that obscure it. While we often associate God's presence with emotional experiences—tears or goosebumps—He is a constant reality. "Emmanuel" (God with us) is not merely a seasonal Christmas theme; it is the entire storyline of the Bible, from the Garden of Eden to the New Creation. God's relentless pursuit is defined by the promise: "I will be your God, you will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst." However, significant barriers often keep us from experiencing the face of God.

Scripture References

• Genesis 3:1-13: The Fall, introducing disobedience and hiding.
• Psalm 51: David's plea not to be cast from God's presence.
• Isaiah 6:1-5: The confrontation between human sin and God's holiness.
• Luke 2:41-52: Jesus' parents losing Him by assuming He was in the crowd.

Key Points

1. The Narrative of Presence The Bible is bookended by God dwelling with man. It begins in Eden, moves through the Tabernacle and Temple, finds its fulfillment in Jesus, continues in the Church through the Holy Spirit, and culminates in the New Creation where no temple is needed.
2. Seven Barriers to Intimacy
   • Disobedience: Sin naturally creates distance.
   • Hiding & Shame: Guilt says "I did something bad"; shame says "I am bad," causing us to hide from God.
   • Lies: The enemy deceives us about God's character and the severity of sin.
   • Holiness: God's unapproachable light exposes our darkness (Isaiah 6).
   • Unforgiveness: Jesus teaches that holding grudges hinders our prayers.
   • Busyness: Prosperity often leads us to forget the God who blessed us.
   • Presumption: Like Mary and Joseph, we can travel days assuming Jesus is with us in the "religious crowd" without actually consulting Him.

Conclusion

During the holidays, we celebrate God being with us, but the pressing question is: Are we with Him? It is dangerous to assume His presence while living distracted, disobedient, or unforgiving lives. Jesus came to remove every barrier—sin, shame, and separation—so that we could once again walk face-to-face with God.

Calls to Action

1. Stop Hiding: Come out of isolation. Confess your sin and let God cover your shame.
2. Check Your Assumptions: Don't assume God is with you just because you are at church. Actively seek His face daily.
3. Release Unforgiveness: Let go of grudges that block your experience of God's nearness.

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