Sunday Sermons

This week in our series on the life of Abraham, we read about a family separation that comes from a consequential choice. When strife grows between Abram and his nephew Lot over grazing land for their herds, Abram graciously defers his right to the land, giving Lot first choice of it. While Lot’s choice, as we will see in the weeks to come, has grave consequences for his family, Abram remains faithful to God and receives confirmation of a blessing for his family that will last forever. This story paints a clear picture of two kinds of people, those who walk by faith and those who walk by sight (see 2 Corinthians 5:1-10). God is demonstrating that his plan for Abram is to make a people for himself, a people set apart from the world, a people who live by faith. But Abraham is just the beginning, as we know, Christ is the one who ultimately fulfills God’s plan by redeeming and then sanctifying a people for himself. So as you study this week, consider what it means for you to walk by faith and not by sight.

Psalm 141 is a song of lament, a cry to God for help. And as is often the case in the psalms, it is a cry for deliverance from evil. But what’s unique about this psalm is where it locates that evil. So often we see evil being an outside force that’s trying to get in. But in verses 3-4, David is praying that God protect him from the evil that comes from within him. As you study this psalm, think about the inclinations of your own heart. Remember that the goal of scripture isn’t just to help us see the outside world differently. It’s also a mirror to help us see clearly the reality inside our own hearts. And so, perhaps the greatest courage of David wasn’t to face the giant, but to face the truth of his own soul and ultimately to depend on the grace of God to save him.

The story of Abraham, formerly known as Abram, begins with a direct command from God: “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you,” (Genesis 12:1). That command and Abraham’s willingness to obey are just the beginning of God’s plan to redeem a people for himself, a plan that would ultimately be fulfilled through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we enter into this story, and look at this man of faith, spend some time thinking about your own faith journey. The writer of Hebrews says of Abraham that he “obeyed when he was called to go… [and] he went out, not knowing where he was going,” (Hebrews 11:8). Following God is an act of faith, a journey into the unknown. That’s the life that Jesus has called us into as well. But just like Abraham, if we trust in the God of the promise, when he says go, the unknown is the best place to be.

The story of Abraham is shaped by the incredible promises made to him by God. Take these away and chances are we wouldn’t be reading about him. Yet when we read these amazing promises from the LORD to Abram, we must realize these aren’t different promises made when things seemingly didn’t go according to plan. Instead, we need to understand that the LORD’s promises to Abram reflect his original design and intent to bless all of creation, only now the plan is tied to a specific family living in a specific land. How will God accomplish this worldwide plan to bless all the families of the earth through this one family?

Message from Pastor Chris Amundson on December 26, 2021

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on December 24, 2021

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on December 19, 2021

Making a Christmas list is a time-honored tradition. Think back to the outrageous requests you made of your parents year-in and year-out—whether they were copied straight from the toy catalog or whether they came simply from your own imagination. Regardless of how lengthy the list or how costly the items were, in child-like faith, there was always an optimism of what would appear under the tree on Christmas morning. In this week’s passage, Moses makes an outrageous request of the LORD: to see his glory. The only thing more outrageous than Moses’ request is the way in which the LORD fulfills the request.

Christmas brings with it a sense of wonder and magic. Seeing the faces of children light up at the various marvels of the season. The anticipation of maybe getting the long-desired present. The hope that the holidays will bring healing to a dire situation. For whatever reason, these all seem more likely to come true at Christmas. The question we must wrestle with is this: from where is our faith in Christmas “magic” coming? Does your sense of wonder come only from this season—or does it come from the true reason for the season?

As Christians living in a world that’s not our home, a world that ultimately rejects us, how are we to endure? How do we stand firm in our faith until the end, when Christ returns and delivers us to our ultimate salvation? Peter closes out his first letter with some important final instructions to make sure that those he’s writing to are well prepared for their final days in this world. And what we find is that it’s all about posture. If we are to endure, we must posture ourselves correctly by being humble before God, being aware of the devil’s traps, and being fully fixed on the hope we have in God’s ultimate plan for our lives. When we take on this posture of faith, we are able to endure until the proper time, when the mighty hand of our gracious and caring God will exalt us into His eternal glory.