Sunday Sermons

All over the world we see injustice, brokenness, and evil with a lot of needs. We know something isn’t right and we want it to change. We want to make a difference, but where do we start? Can we even begin to make dent? Yes! On Global Impact Sunday, we focused in on what we are doing as a local church to do our part in transforming a specific part of the world: the Karen people from Burma. And guess what? You are invited to be a part of it. Together, we can help transform the Karen people.

Throughout this series, we discovered that our words have so much power. Words spoken to us have positively and negatively influenced the quality and direction of our lives. Similarly, words that we’ve spoken to others have done the same. One of the most negative kinds of words spoken about someone happens when they aren’t even present—gossip.

Our big mouths can be destructive, but they also have the power to build others up. What we say can impact the quality, and even the direction, of the lives of the people around us. But, there is one thing that stands in the way of us building others up. That one thing is bitterness.

Words are powerful! Your life, my life, our lives have been shaped by the words that have been spoken to us, over us, and about us. Words shape our childhood, marriages, social and work environments. Words impact your confidence, self-worth and even who you see in the mirror. The words we speak (our tongue) have more destructive power than any other part of our bodies. Our words control the trajectory of our lives and the lives of other. Words carry a lot of weight!

Have you ever opened your mouth and inserted your foot? Has you and your big mouth ever gotten you in trouble? We have all stuck our foot in our mouth at some point. We all want to be heard and understood. So, our natural inclination is to be slow to listen and quick to speak. But, that inclination damages relationships, which no one wants. One of the most powerful things we can do relationally is “be quick to listen and slow to speak.” The longer we listen, the more we learn, and the better chance we have of protecting ourselves from our own big mouths.

Belief is a force that accomplishes powerful things. It can lead to war or peace, division or harmony, and even changes history. When Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, the disciples and followers of Jesus were disheartened and lost their belief. But on that third day, when Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them in person, they believed and began what we know as Christianity today. So what do you believe?

More than ever, people are open to God and need the hope that Jesus offers. We are the light of this world, so how can our simple invitation lead to something greater in the lives of others? This week we wrap up our Ignite series as we learn to stay close, give hope, and go to God.

The privilege of sharing our faith isn’t limited to people who have been in church their whole lives. We are all called to make disciples and ignite the faith of others. We must be ready to be where, aware, and prepared at all times to share with others the reason for our eternal hope.

How we respond to life circumstances can ignite the faith of others. As our country is experiencing life changes during this time, fear has crept in and is spreading faster than Covid-19 itself. But we are a people who possess the power, peace, joy, and hope of the Spirit of God living inside of us. This is our greatest opportunity to ignite the faith of others and for our faith to be ignited as well.

When we discover a new TV show, restaurant, or band we love, we can’t wait to share about it. When it comes to something we are good at, we don’t hesitate to look for ways to help others. But when it comes to sharing about our faith, we’re much more hesitant. Why is that? Is it that we don’t feel qualified? Is it that we are too nervous, shy or scared of the potential response? Regardless of our reasoning, we all have a unique circle of influence and opportunity to ignite the faith of the people around us. And thankfully, it’s not as hard as we think. This week we discover that one of the easiest ways we can begin sharing our faith is through our stories.