Sunday Sermons

INTRODUCTION:

We’ve all been interrupted by something unexpected like illness, relationship issues, or financial hardships. But what if these interruptions were actually invitations into something greater? This Christmas season, we praise God for interrupting the world 2,000 years ago with the birth of Jesus, our Savior. Will you accept His invitation?

MAIN POINT:

God’s greatest invitations come through life’s biggest interruptions.

KEY VERSE:

Matthew 1:18

ALL SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Matthew 1:18-21, 24-25

INTRODUCTION:

The kingdom of God is characterized by unsettling generosity- the kind of generosity that gives the undeserving what they don’t deserve and regardless of how unright we’ve been, makes us right with God. So, what do we do when we’re faced with this math that doesn’t add up? And how do we respond to this unfair, unsettling system that Jesus came to invite us into?

MAIN POINT:

Grace is not fair because it is not earned. It is a gift of generosity given without comparison or limitation.

CHALLENGE QUESTION:

Who do you need to generously share grace with this with who may not deserve it?

KEY SECTION OF SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 20:1-16

ALL SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

John 1:14, Matthew 5:39-41

INTRODUCTION:

There is an unsettling solution for just about everything, and we can sum it up in one word- grace. It’s the undeserved, unearned, unearnable favor that Jesus came to offer us. So why wouldn’t we want Christianity to be true? And where should you start if it’s a word that was never part of the equation for you?

MAIN POINT:

We can’t experience grace until we are convinced we don’t deserve it.

KEY VERSE:

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." – John 1:14

ALL SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Matthew 9:11-14, John 8:1-11, Luke 23:32-33, 35, 39-43, Ephesians 2:8-9

INTRODUCTION:

We have so much to be grateful for, but often times we neglect expressing our gratitude which impacts our relationships with others and God. When we express gratitude, our perspectives, relationships, and experiences are positively impacted.

SERMON MAIN POINT:

Unexpressed gratitude is ingratitude.

KEY VERSE:

Luke 17:17

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS:

(1) Who are you grateful for?

(2) What are you grateful to God for?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES FROM SERMON:

Luke 17:11-19

INTRODUCTION:

“Rich” is defined as having more than you need. Paul says we “be rich” in how we give, serve, and love. This week we focus in on how we can “be rich” by loving unexpectedly.

MAIN POINT:

The way to Be Rich is to love unexpectedly.

KEY VERSE:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” – John 13:34-35

CHALLENGE QUESTION:

Who can you love unexpectedly today?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

1 Timothy 6:17a-18, Matthew 22:36-40, John 13:34-35, 1 John 3:11, 14

INTRODUCTION:

We can always think of someone who is richer than us when we base our riches on income. However, Paul defined “being rich” with more than we need. Think about the amount of drinking water available to you, the amount of clothes in your closet, or even the house for your car that you call a garage. How can we be rich by serving with what we have been given?

MAIN POINT:

The way to Be Rich is to serve sacrificially.

KEY VERSE:

"Command those who are rich in this present world…to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." – 1 Timothy 6:17a-18

CHALLENGE QUESTION:

What’s stopping you from meeting the needs you see?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

1 Timothy 6:17a-18, Matthew 25:31-46

INTRODUCTION:

Chances are that if you’re reading this, you’re in the 1% club. By international standards, you’re rich! So how do you be rich? The way to be rich is to be generous in how you give, serve, and love.

MAIN POINT:

The way to Be Rich is to give generously.

KEY VERSE:

"Command those who are rich in this present world…to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." – 1 Timothy 6:17a-18

CHALLENGE QUESTION:

What’s stopping you from putting God first by giving generously first?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

1 Timothy 6:17a-18, Proverbs 18:11, Ecclesiastes 5:10, Matthew 6:24

SUMMARY:

When nothing else seems to be working, we tend to throw up a prayer as a last result. But prayer isn’t weird, boring, or ineffective. Not only can prayer be effective, but prayer is also a transforming act for us. Praying the dangerous prayer, “Lord, send me,” releases you to be used by God in a way that makes a difference.

MAIN POINT:

Living a life worth living begins by praying “send me”.

KEY VERSE:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” – Isaiah 6:8

CHALLENGE QUESTION:

What’s preventing you from praying “Send me”?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Isaiah 6:8, Luke 10:30-34

INTRODUCTION:

All week long we have asked the Lord to search and know our hearts, to test us and know our anxious thoughts. We’ve asked Him to reveal any offensive ways in us and lead us in the way everlasting. What if we went a step further and prayed the dangerous prayer: “Lord, will you break me?” Praying this prayer will be painful, but it will take you deeper with God than you’ve ever been.

MAIN POINT:

Praying a dangerous prayer like “break me” is necessary for God to shape us into the masterpiece He created us to be.

KEY VERSE:

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the things he planned for us long ago.” – Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

CHALLENGE QUESTION:

What area in your life is God shining the light on that he wants to “break” next for you to become His masterpiece?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)

INTRODUCTION:

Prayer has the potential to radically transform our lives, but too often we choose to pray safe prayers. We scratch our heads wondering why nothing in our lives are changing even though we are praying. Doesn’t God hear us? During this sermon series, we will discover how to courageously pray in a dangerous way that requires us to continually invite God into our lives.

MAIN POINT:

Becoming all that God created me to be requires continually inviting Him to “search me”.

KEY VERSE:

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”– Psalm 139:23-24

CHALLENGE QUESTION:

When was the last time you asked God to “search me”?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)