Sunday Sermons

As we begin a new year (and a new decade!) we are taking the month of January to “Recalibrate” together as a church. We want to think together about where we are headed both personally as individuals and corporately as a church. In order to do that effectively we need to be able to answer the question, “What is the one thing we all need to give ourselves to?” Thankfully, we are not left in the dark; God has given us the answer to that question in his word. The one thing that we need to align everything on is this one simple, biblical, timeless goal: to know Christ.

Message from Chris Amundson on December 29, 2019

Our Portraits of Grace series concludes with the story of Mary.

This Advent we are looking at the very first Christmas passage in the bible: Jesus’ family tree (Matthew 1:1-17), which highlights five women, whose surprising inclusion in this tree serves to highlight God’s grace. This week we look at the story of Bathsheba.

This Advent we are looking at the very first Christmas passage in the bible: Jesus’ family tree (Matthew 1:1-17), which highlights five women, whose surprising inclusion in this tree serves to highlight God’s grace. This week we look at the story of Ruth, a widow from Moab that entrusts her life to the LORD and pledges her life to care for her mother-in-law who has also been widowed. How will they survive? Through Ruth’s courageous steps of faith, the LORD meets her and Naomi’s needs while also demonstrating his steadfast love to his people by providing King David through whom eventually comes King Jesus.

This Advent we are looking at the very first Christmas passage in the bible: Jesus’ family tree (Matthew 1:1-17), which highlights five women, whose surprising inclusion in this tree serves to highlight God’s grace. This week we look at the story of Rahab. She was an outcast in almost every possible way. But God used her in a very surprising way (1) to build strong and courageous faith in his people, (2) to deliver them, and (3) to use her family line to bring forth Jesus, the King and Savior of the world.

Sunday officially marked the beginning of the Advent season. This year, we’ll look at an unfamiliar Advent text: the genealogy (family tree) of Jesus that opens the Gospel of Matthew, which contains a very surprising element: five special women used by God to further his unfolding plan of redemption. We begin with the story of Tamar, a woman who risked her life in order to secure justice. God used this surprising situation to further the line of Judah, a line that would one day lead to Jesus, the King and Savior of the world.

Colossians has taught us what it looks like to be established in Christ. But a rooted and mature faith is not one that only focuses on inward growth, but turns outwardly as well. In this passage, Paul calls the Colossians to a diligence in prayer—both for the protection of their faith as well as for the further reach of the gospel (4:2-4). In this same vein, he instructs them “walk and talk” with those outside the gospel in mind, calling them to see their own evangelistic responsibilities. Lastly, he gives them some final instructions as well as brings greetings from those who labor alongside of him. All of this serves to remind God’s people of the end to which he has called us: To see Christ exalted throughout the earth.

Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus we have not only been forgiven of our sins but have been given new resurrection life. Therefore, we do everything in His name (3:17). Last week we saw this applied to marriage & family (3:18-21). This week it extends to our “work” - to whatever it is that we do (3:22-4:1). We are to honor those “over us” by being obedient, hard workers, and those “under us” by being just and fair bosses (3:22; 4:1). Ultimately, we are to do our work for Christ (3:23-24) and we are to work in light of what we get from Christ (3:24-25). In the end, it is Christ who gives meaning to our work.

Colossians gives us one of the clearest pictures of the supremacy of Christ in who he is and what he has done (see chapters 1-2). All throughout chapter 3 Paul has been opening our eyes to the implications of Christ’s supremacy for how we live our lives now, culminating in 3:17: we should do everything in the name of the Lord. This week Paul applies that general principle to areas where we spend most of our lives: in our marriages (3:18-19) and our families (3:20-21). Next week this will also extend to our work (3:22-4:1). As the risen and exalted Lord, we need to recognize Christ’s authority over every aspect of life.