by Sean Finnegan

According to Hebrew bible expert, Walter Bruegemann, all of us live by a script.  He contends that our society is constantly scripting us with technological, therapeutic, consumer militarism.  In the words of the Apostle Paul, we must fight this tendency by refusing to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  The gospel message itself offers us a whole new script.  It’s hopeful rather than pessimistic, motivated by love rather than fear, characterized by abundance rather than scarcity, provides us an anchor to weather the storms of this life, gives us lasting purpose, and makes sense of morals.  Ultimately, we all have to choose what kind of script we will live by. We are privileged and commissioned to give the world a foretaste of the kingdom through our actions and words, by modeling a new way of doing relationships, by performing outrageous acts of cross-shaped love to a world that is numb, consumeristic, obsessed with sexuality, terrified of extinction, and generally over busy, under paid, and bored.  We offer the world a new script. We are the people of God who have a prophetic message to deliver—a message of hope and forgiveness, a message of value and purpose, a message of freedom about a God who is dedicated to fixing up this place and who will one day send his son to make everything wrong with the world right.

The Good News

Effects of Believing the Gospel

by Keith Daniel

So often husbands make grandiose declarations in the heat of the moment whereby they bind themselves to a destructive or vengeful course of action that inevitably results in shipwrecking their marriages.  In this powerful sermon Keith Daniel provides sage advice for husbands and wives to stick together through the toughest times.  As always he illustrates the biblical principles he preaches with stories drawn from people who serve as examples for us–both positive and negative.  Whether you are married or thinking about getting married one day, this message–though simple–has the power to save you from inestimable misery and pain.

by Sean Finnegan

Ephesians 6.12 tells us our struggle is not really against other humans but against spiritual forces.  Learn how malignant powers influence people both directly (through demon possession) and indirectly (through the culture).  Hopefully, this message will open your eyes to what is happening behind the scenes as Satan works to keep people from believing the gospel message as well as take out those who already follow Christ.  At the end, I offer 7 specific examples of how the devil gains a foothold in our lives.  Even so, through the power of God we are able to shut down these vulnerabilities and overcome spiritual attacks.

“Greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist” –Keyser Söze, Usual Suspects

Eph 6.12

ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχάς, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις.

Because the struggle for us is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-powers of this darkness, against the wicked spirits in the celestial realm

how is it that malignant spiritual powers are behind flesh and blood actions?

Luke 4.31-36

31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are– the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

though you would think dealing with demon-occupied people would be harder, it’s actually easier

wake you up to Satan’s influence on our world

by nature we dance to the devil’s drumbeat

Eph 2.1-3

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

what indirect means does he use to infect us?

by Chris Date & Phil Fernandez

What does the bible teach about hell?  In hell do the damned experience eternal conscious torment or are they annihilated?  Phil Fernandes affirms the “traditional” view of  a fiery torture chamber whereas Chris Date defends the proposition that God will destroy people in the fire.  Obviously, I have a bias on this subject, having examined the many biblical texts that proclaim the wicked will vanish like smoke, be cut off, be no more, be destroyed, and perish.  Even so, how do we deal with the two or three difficult texts that talk of an eternal fire or an eternal punishment?  Listen in and hear one of the best conditional immortality apologists present a strong case for annihilationism while ably fielding objections and questions from Fernandes and the audience.  For more resources by Chris Date, check out rethinkinghell.com: a site that has a spectacular podcast that I highly recommend.

by Sean Finnegan

What’s the difference between God and Jesus.  Many Christians believe they are mysteriously one in being, but what do the scriptures teach?  It turns out the bible clearly distinguishes between these two individuals and their attributes preclude their metaphysical oneness.  Listen in to hear the evidence for why Jesus is the son of God not God the son.

This lecture was part of a class called “Exploring Scripture.”  To access more of this class, Exploring Scripture Class.

Who is God?

Who is God?

Are there any other gods besides Yahweh?

How many Yahwehs are there?

Other words we use to refer to Yahweh: God, Father, Savior, Lord, Most High, Almighty, Redeemer, etc.

Why do we call Yahweh Father?

Yahweh had a son

Who is Jesus?

Shared Attributes of God and Jesus

Chart of the Differences between God and Jesus (slide)

May we worship the same God that Jesus worshiped (John 20.17; Revelation 3.12)

by William Lane Craig

How do we know God really raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead?  If I say, “The bible tells me so,” what is the obvious next question?  “How do you know the bible is true?”  Of course, then I would need to launch into a full on defense of biblical inspiration.  But what if there were another way–a shortcut?  Rather than assume or prove the bible is God’s inspired book, what if we could still demonstrate that the thesis “God raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead” is the best explanation of the historical evidence?  This is precisely what William Lane Craig does in this excellent presentation.  He identifies four historical facts that believers and skeptics alike agree happened: the honorable burial, the empty tomb, the appearance experiences, and the belief in Jesus’ resurrection.  Join Craig, one of the finest apologists of the 21st century, as he lays out the historical case for Jesus’ resurrection with clarity and cogency.

by Sean Finnegan

Why did Jesus so often tell people to be quiet when they discovered he was the messiah?  Christianity is all about telling the world this truth.  In fact, Jesus’ last words–the Great Commission–include the mandate to spread the gospel around the world.  So, why was it that in his own ministry he was so reticent about who he was?  Was it because of humility or did he have another reason?  Listen to this message to find out about the messianic secret and the glorious moment when Jesus publicly announced his messianic claim during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

initial narrative (Mark 11.1-11)

messianic secret

the triumphal entry as revealing the ultimate secret

But what is a “Messiah?”

three ways: (coded actions)

but the Romans, the bad guys, would not like that, because they wanted to stay in charge

Jesus is Messiah! Jesus is Messiah! Jesus is Messiah!

by Keith Daniel

Hailing from South Africa, Keith Daniel is one of the best preachers I’ve ever heard.  His unmitigated passion and lived experience colors his biblical exposition in a way that urges the listener to be better for God.  This sermon is not really a sermon but a biography of his father.  In it Daniel recounts the remarkable life of his “daddy” who went through not only the Great Depression and World War II, but also came to make piles of money in the business world before realizing that he was about to lose his family due to his insane work habits and his alcohol addiction.  Although the audio quality is not very good, the content couldn’t be better.  Listen in to the phenomenal testimony of an unlikely man who changed so much that his wife once asked, “I don’t know who you are anymore,” since she was so overwhelmed by the dramatic change in his life.

by Sean Finnegan

Why do we believe that Jesus is the Jewish messiah?  What is our evidence?  Taking a look at contemporary miracle workers like Honi the Circle Drawer and Hanina ben Dosa, Jesus of Nazareth stands out as an exceptional healer and exorcist.  Taking our cue from ancient Jewish interpretations of Isaiah 53, we can see how Jesus of Nazareth best fits the prophesied suffering servant.  These two lines of inquiry intertwine in the historical Jesus to produce a compelling case that he really is the long-awaited Jewish messiah.

Miracles

Isaiah 35: The prophet envisions a renewed world when the desert will bloom, the weak will find encouragement, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, the mute will shout, and all will worship God joyfully.

Isaiah 61: God acts bringing good news to the afflicted, liberty to the captives, vengeance to the wicked, and comfort to all who mourn. His people will rebuild, serve as priests, and possess a double portion in the land. As the earth brings forth sprouts, so God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up.

Other miracle workers: Honi the Circle Drawer (1st century bc), Hanina ben Dosa (1st century ad)

Messiahs

Isaiah 53: He will not have a majestic appearance, but he will be despised, forsaken, acquainted with grief. He will bear our griefs and sorrows, be pierced through for our transgressions, be crushed for our iniquities. By his scourging we are healed. Oppressed and afflicted, he remained silent. He was cut off yet found his grave with the rich; thereby, he interceded for transgressors and justified the many.

Jewish sources that thought Isaiah 53 referred to the Messiah:

Other leaders of messianic movements: Athronges (4 bc), Judah the Galilean (ad 6), the Samaritan Prophet (ad 36), Theudas (ad 45), the Egyptian Prophet (ad 58), Simon bar Giora (ad 69), Simon ben Kosiba (ad 132)

Who best fits the Kingdom age and suffering servant prophecies?

by Craig Blomberg

This is one of those areas where, as a preacher, I can’t help but be very sensitive.  Although most pastors struggle with just enough to get by, a few have amassed great wealth or even embezzled people’s contributions.  Because of some very public bad examples, people tend to be leery of listening to pastors talk about finances.  However, it’s an extremely significant topic that the bible talks about quite a lot: both how to steward your possessions and how to give.  Join Craig Blomberg as he surveys the bible, basing his remarks on his book Neither Poverty nor Riches.  I think you will be surprised by the breadth of his presentation as well as gain some insight into this important topic.