Category: Sermon Reflections

Open Doors and Open Hope

976656_70015868On Sunday we talked about the letter to Philadelphia. We also talked a little bit about Rocky and underdogs. We talked about how to preserve in the midst of difficulty, when the odds are stacked against you, and when hope seems low. Jesus realizes that the church in Philadelphia has little strength, that they are persecuted, and things are looking stacked against them. In essence they are underdogs. But Jesus believes that they can still succeed, overcome, and preserve. The reason that they are able to do this is the same reason that underdogs all over the world create upsets and win. It isn’t because of strength, skill, or even heart. Underdogs win because they begin to believe that they can win. That they can preserve. That they can make it.

The same thing is happening in the passage in Revelation. The church in Philadelphia can preserve because no matter how bad things get they can believe they can make it through. No matter how weak their strength gets they can still have hope. The reason for their hope is because of Jesus Christ. Jesus promises to hold open the door for them. Jesus promises that no one will be able to shut it. Jesus promises to be with them, to make them unshakable, claimed by God, and living in God’s city. So the Philadelphians can believe that these wonderful things will happen not because of their strength, but the strength of their Lord. They can trust and believe they will win even as the odds are stacked against them, because of Jesus Christ. Jesus is holding open the door to life and love, and no one will close it.

So on Sunday we landed on a simple point trust that in your difficulty Jesus is holding open the door. Let that truth give you hope, and strength. That even as things seem to stack against you, Jesus is holding the door open and no will ever be able to close it. Trust that he will lead you through it, and into a better future. Because the reality is our future depends much more on Jesus Christ than all the situations that surround us…

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Jesus will hold open the door…

Take Aways…

  • We root for the underdog because we can relate to striving in difficult situations
  • Jesus examines our actions to see what we believe
  • What do your actions say about you
  • Don’t we want to have a life that is firm, secure, everlasting and in the presence of God?
  • Underdogs win and preserve because of belief
  • You might have little strength but you can still have hope. Why? Because Jesus is holding the door open for you
  • Your future isn’t dependent on just you, but on Jesus Christ who holds the door open

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What made you laugh? What did you take away? What would Jesus see if he examined your actions? Where in life do you feel like the underdog? Where are you currently struggling? How might Jesus “hold the door open for you” in that situation? How would it feel for Jesus to claim you as your own? How might that help you keep going, and persevering?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Talk about with your kids that sometimes life gets difficult. Ask them when they’ve had difficulty in their life? Get them to share about any school troubles, or friendship issues. Remind them that Jesus promises even in the midst of real difficulty that he will be there for us, holding an open door to deeper life.

Challenge for this Week: Walk through the open door, and pray to Jesus as you do.

by Andrew Mills

Sleeping Sickness and Staying Wide Awake

On Sunday we looked at the letter to the church in Sardis. Sardis was a well known city for being wealthy and powerful. In fact, Sunrise on Fieldsthey were thought to be unconquerable. They were thought to be almost invincible. And some of us have felt that way about some of the relationships around us. But Sardis fell asleep…literally. Twice in their history they were conquered by invading armies because of stupid mistakes, falling asleep, and becoming complacent. Once a soldier went down a secret path to gather a dropped helmet…leading an army in to conquer an unprepared city. And then unthinkably it happened again. A city that was wealthy, powerful, and had all the potential to excel was conquered and devastated.
Maybe you’ve seen the same thing around you. Maybe you’ve seen relationships that we’re so full of potential, and promise but they fell apart. How do these things happen? Slowly and subtly. People fall asleep, they stop making an effort, they forget that all relationships require effort and faithfulness. So Jesus tells the church in Sardis wake up and be faithful. Wake up and be faithful. Don’t fall asleep, don’t become complacent, don’t think you have it all going on and forget to follow. This is the temptation in any church, marriage, or relationship…we become complacent. We start to take our calling, our spouse, or our friends for granted. And whenever this happens…soon things fall apart.
Jesus gives us this advice though. He says wake up and start again. Go back to the beginning and start to try to love again. Love afresh, put effort in, don’t let what was is good slip away because of forgetfulness. And yes it is hard. That is why in the letter to Sardis Jesus reminds them that some have been faithful. Some are doing it. Yes it is hard but it can be done, and if you wake up and are faithful you will win life.
So the main point is this: faithfulness and effort are needed for relationships to last. So are there any relationships where you need to wake up? Where you haven’t been faithful, where you have been forgetful, where you haven’t put forth effort? This is the perfect time during Lent to be reminded and to reflect on our relationships. But more than that it is the perfect time to act and even repent. Repenting means turning around and starting again. So in your marriage start again, give love like you used to. In your friendship start again, listen like you did in the start. In your church start again, remember your calling to care and act on it. Because whenever we fall asleep in our relationships death isn’t far away, but whenever we are faithful in them life is there to stay…

Sermon Notes

Big Idea: Wake up!

Take Aways…

  • Have we fallen asleep in our Christian walk?
  • What do our actions show we believe?
  • If you stay true, you will be victorious
  • Relationships fall apart slowly and subtly
  • Practical Points:
    • Realize if you are sleeping
    • Wake up and Take Action
    • Stay Awake by being Faithful

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What did you take away? When have you asked the question – “How did this happen?” How have you seen things fall a part slowly and subtly? Where in your life do you need to “wake up”? Are there any relationships in danger? How can you stay faithful and walk forward with Jesus? Where is he asking you to remain faithful?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Spend some time talking with your kids that important things mean putting effort into them. Tell them how family is important so you will be putting effort into it so that it won’t fall a part. Ask them how they’d like you put in effort – what they’d like you to do. Maybe it will be to play with them more, or to go to their hockey games, or other ideas. Listen and then put it into practice.

Challenge for this Week:

Recognize where your sleeping, wake up and take action, stay awake by being faithful…

 

 

by Andrew Mills

The Seriousness of Sin and Confession

On Sunday we talked about the seriousness of sin. Not a fun topic, but a revealing one. What I realized is that Jesus takes sin far more seriously than I do. I’m much more likely to ignore it, to cover it up, to forget it, or to compromise with it. Jesus calls it sin and deals with it.

At first I struggled with why. Why is there just not “grace” to all problems? Why do we have to name the sin, confess the sin, and repent from the sin? Why does it have to be so…personal.

Well, the answer should be clear. Because sin is personal, and it’s personal to Jesus. Sin brought him to death on the cross because that is where all sin leads to death. That is why Jesus is so insistent on dealing with it, because he doesn’t want us to go through the death he went through. He doesn’t want us to feel the force of death, sin, and darkness. So he comes to us and challenges us to name our sin, repent, and live in life. The goal of Jesus isn’t to be harsh, the goal is to bring healing.

sin

So on Sunday we ended with challenging ourselves to ask Jesus if there are any areas of sin, compromise, or darkness that we need to confess. I then challenged all of us to confess any areas of sin to a friend. Why make that step? Why not just confess it to God and be done? Well because sometimes our uneasiness of desiring to go to a friend in community reveals something about us. Dietrich Bonheoffer writes this, “Should we not find it easier to go to a brother than to the holy God? But if we do, we must ask ourselves whether we have not often been deceiving ourselves with our confession of sin to God, whether we have not rather been confessing our sins to ourselves and also granting ourselves absolution. And is not the reason perhaps for our countless relapses and the feebleness of our Christian obedience to be found precisely in the fact that we are living on self-forgiveness and not a real forgiveness”. If we want to avoid death we cannot live on self-forgiveness. If we want to live in life we need to do this together with community, and we can’t shy away from naming our sin.

Is it easy? No, naming our failures, regrets, guilt, and shame is rarely easy. The question though isn’t whether it is easy. The question is whether or not it is  freeing…and the answer to that is absolutely…

 

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Sin is serious business

Take Aways…

  • “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit”
  • I take sin far less seriously than Jesus.
  • Jesus takes sin seriously because Jesus died because of it.
  • Jesus doesn’t call it compromise, he calls it sin
  • The path to growing with him, involves dying to sin.
  • Whenever you are walking away from Jesus and his truth you are walking into the darkness.
  • Doing leads to becoming.

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What did you take away? What did you feel when you first read the passage? Were you surprised, shocked, or okay with it? When have you been tempted to compromise? What happened? Are there areas in your life now that you need to confess and change? How might you do that? Who are going to confess them too?

Discussion Questions for Young: Families Take a moment and ask them to tell you what they think sin is. Get any of their answers. Then tell them that a good way to think about sin is any action, thought, or desire that doesn’t look like Jesus. Share with them how when we don’t act like Jesus we miss the point, but that if we confess our sins Jesus will forgive us. Ask if there is anything to confess and make sure you confess your sins too. Share together and then walk forward together.

Challenge for this Week:

Confess and Repent of Any Sin to a Trusted Friend

 

by Andrew Mills

The gods of Greed, Hate, and Sex

On Sunday we looked at a difficult passage in the Bible. Some passages are difficult because they are hard to understand, confusing, or out of our context.

This passage was hard for none of those reasons.

This passage was hard because it called us to repent. It called us to follow Jesus. It reminded us that we live in an age with gods all around us that vie for our attention, worship, and loyalty. We live in a world where greed, sex, hate, violence, power, and self-image seek to hgodsave us follow them.

But our calling as Christians is to follow Jesus because following the path of greed, sex, hate, or power simply ends in darkness.

So on Sunday we listened to the call of Jesus to leave those things behind. That just as how 2000 years ago people were called to leave behind Athena the goddess of war, Dionysius the god of sex and wine, or the emperor the god of power and image; we are called to leave behind all the gods of our age if our witness is to have any power.

Jesus is clear in Revelation that if we compromise our character, it compromises our message. That while each god has its own temple in the world; he has no temple but us.

So this Lent we ask a deep question: “What does it mean to live faithful to you in this world”

This is a question worth spending time and reflecting on today, this week, this month, or for the rest of our lives…

Sermon Notes

Big Idea: Stay true…Live Differently

Take Aways…

  • The Spirit is whispering…are we listening?
  • The gods of Pergamum
    • Asclepius ~ known as the savior who healed
    • Athena ~ goddess of war and wisdom
    • Demeter ~ bathed in bull’s blood goddess of grain
    • Dynoisus ~ son of a god and human mother, drank to connect with him
    • Zeus ~ known as creator, life-giver, and had a huge alter
    • Emperor ~ had the right “to give or take life”, known as “lord”, declared “son of god”
  • In a pluralistic world compromise dilutes and confuses the message
  • Deep witness is shown through difference
  • You are Jesus’ temple in the city, you are his representation
  • Jesus says don’t tolerate compromise, because it is killing your light, witness, and life.
  • Our world is dominated by subtle gods of Greed, Sex, War, Self-Image, and Selfishness
  • Stay true, and turn to follow Jesus

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What made you laugh? What did you take away? How has the Spirit been speaking to you over the past few weeks? What “gods of our culture” are the most difficult for you to resist? What are some reasons for that? How is Jesus asking you to follow him, and him alone? How does compromise kill our message? What message are your actions sharing about you?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Spend some time with your kids watching TV. Yes watching TV. Look at the ads that are there. Ask them what they are showing, what they are teaching. Is it that if you have this “thing” you’ll be happy? Is it that if you look “this way” you’ll be accepted? Talk through the messages they receive, and share with them the message of the Bible. That God loves them as they are and that greed, lust, and hate lead to darkness.

Challenge for this Week

Repent from any of the gods of our culture that have captured you

 

by Andrew Mills

Remain Faithful and Win Life

On Sunday we explored the letter written to Smyrna in Revelation 2. There was a lot of difficult news for the church in Smyrna to hear. It heard that there would continue to be testing, persecution, and difficulty. But there was one beautiful verse in the end of the letter that gives hope, not only to them but to us as well…

Jesus says, “Remain faithful, even when facing death, and I will give you the crown of life”

Jesus simply says remain faithful and you will win life. He says hold on and you will win life. This is beautiful because sometimes in difficulty it seems impossible to win. Sometimes in chaos and hurt it seems like life is over. But here Jesus offers us a promise that even in the darkest times, when you are facing death, don’1346127_31038032t give up and you will win life.

This is a great reminder for all of us. Because isn’t this what we need in the dark? A reminder that the dark doesn’t win. A reminder that the dark doesn’t last. A reminder that we don’t have to conquer the darkness…we just need to hold on and we will win life.

This is what we need to hold onto in the middle of tragedy and difficulty. Not that whatever situation we are currently facing isn’t tragic, difficult, or even wrong. But that in the end the dark won’t win, it won’t last, and it won’t linger. In the end life wins. Isn’t that the whole message of Christianity in a nutshell? Death loses, and life wins if we can simply hold on…

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Be faithful and win life.

Take Aways… 

  • “Our failure to hear His voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it, that we want it only when we think we need it.” Dallas Willard
  • We need to truly be open to hearing the Spirit Speak
  • Jesus didn’t die because he said, “God loves everyone”. Jesus died because he challenged the system.
  • Jesus says, “Remain faithful, even when facing death, and I will give you the crown of life”
  • If you hold on, you will win life.

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What did you take away? What has helped you to hold on in a difficult time? Who has helped you to hold on in a difficult time? How can you thank them? If you are having a difficult time how can you reach out to someone? If you aren’t struggling how can you support those around you who are?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Spend sometime talking with your kids about some difficult times you’ve been through as a person. Help them to understand that they will come to difficult times but that Jesus helps us see it through. Give them a model and a story to remember when they go through difficulty.

Challenge for this Week:

Trust that Life Wins

by Andrew Mills

Duty is Dying Love

1407388_63124442On Sunday we started walking through the book of Revelation. We began with the first letter written to Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7. In it Jesus speaks highly about the orthodoxy and the beliefs of the church. Yet he holds one complaint against them, “you don’t love me or each other as you did”.

Love in Ephesus has cooled. Love is slowing, and their hearts are turning harder. While Jesus praises them for their right actions, he isn’t just looking for right actions he wants their heart.

Because the truth is that when love cools in any relationship doing our duty doesn’t last. Duty is depleted love. Duty is drowned love. Duty is dying love. And once the love dies there won’t be enough left to sustain the relationship.

So Jesus says to the church, and to us in any relationship where love is dying – start again! Start again! Go back to the things you did at first. Remember why you started this relationship in the first place. Stop doing things just out of duty, and start doing them out of gratitude, grace, and a desire to care in the relationship.

And as Lent starts on Wednesday I think this is a good time to reflect on our relationship with Jesus. Are there areas that have cooled? Are there areas of duty where love should abound? If so, how can you go back to the beginning and regain love? What actions can you start and what new attitudes can you bring to old actions?

Because one thing is clear: duty isn’t the same as love. And just as we all want deep love in our relationships so does Jesus…

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Go back to the things you did at first…

Take Aways…

  • “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches”
  • We are learning about dying.
  • Its easy for love to slide from a passion, to a duty, to being absent totally.
  • Our connection to Jesus Christ isn’t just based on having right beliefs, but having a right heart.
  • “Our orthodoxy will not save us, our traditions will not save us, our soup kitchens and social programs will not save us; what will save the church is Christ” Joseph Magina
  • Duty is depleted love. Duty is drowned love. Duty is dying love.
  • Go back to the things you did a first
  • “Lord, I don’t love you. I don’t even want to love you. But I do want to want to love you” – Mother Teresa

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: How have you ever experienced the “cooling” of love? What is it that keeps love strong and going? How is your relationship with Jesus? Is it cooling? What are some things you might be able to do to bring life back to the love? Who might be able to help in this?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Talk about how important it is to put effort into things that matter. Talk about how if your family matters that means putting effort into it too – that if you love someone you show them. Ask them who matters to them and how they can show them love. Help them to carry it out!

Challenge for this Week

Focus on building up your love for Christ

by Andrew Mills

Serving as the Path to Blessing

Minolta DSCOn Sunday we looked at how we are called to follow Jesus. We were exploring the posture, disposition, and attitude of an apprentice. Because doing the same things as Jesus won’t make us Jesus-like unless we have the same attitude as Jesus. So we discovered that the attitude of Jesus is one of self-sacrificial service.

Jesus commands his disciples to serve others (Mark 9:33-37), he also lays down a pattern for us to follow in John 13. Here he washes the disciples’ feet, sets an example, and gives up his position and privileges to serve. This is our model and this is our example.

I know what you might be thinking… “This is nothing new”. But the point isn’t whether or not this is new, but whether or not it is true. Because if it is true that the attitude of a follower of Jesus is service. If it is true that an apprentice of Jesus is to get rid of position, power, prestige, and privilege – then we are going to need to change how we live. Remember doing the same things as Jesus won’t make us Jesus-like unless we are doing them in the same manner as Jesus. Meaning unless we are serving, humbling ourselves, choosing the last position, giving away our rights, and wrapping a towel around our waist and washing someone’s feet ~ we aren’t truly following Jesus.

This is hard I know. Peter himself struggles with it, and he doesn’t want Jesus to wash his feet. But Jesus turns to him and says if you hold onto your ideas of privilege, position, and social standing you can’t be part of what I’m doing (John 13:8). If you don’t let me wash your feet, and then be a part of washing others’ feet – you are self-selecting out.

So yes this might not be a new teaching. But it is a true teaching. And that means it’s worth thinking about, but it’s even more worth acting on. The desert fathers say, “If you have a chest full of clothing and leave it for a long time it will rot inside. It is the same with the thoughts in our hearts. If we do not carry them out through physical action, after a long while, they will spoil and turn bad.”

So this week don’t think “loving thoughts”. Don’t just talk about the importance of serving. Get out there, get a bit dirty, and start serving like Jesus. Because Jesus ends his talk with his disciples reminding them this is what you are to do…and if you do, you will be walking in the path of blessing. Blessing for others and blessing for you…

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Service is the attitude of an apprentice

Take Aways…

  • Do you know the next step to grow with God?
  • If you have a chest full of clothing and leave it for a long time it will rot inside. It is the same with the thoughts in our hearts. If we do not carry them out through physical action, after a long while they will spoil and turn bad. Desert Fathers
  • Because we have so much…we forget who we are
  • We are called to serve everyone
  • Pride and position can stop us from looking like Jesus and following Jesus
  • Do you understand what I’ve done for you?
  • Jesus is giving us a pattern and an example of serving to follow
  • Serving is to be the attitude that shapes every action of an apprentice
  • If your life revolves only around you it will get small very quickly
  • Start serving and you will start changing lives Because you will be living life like Jesus

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What made you laugh? What did you take away? How has someone serving you changed your life? When have you served and been blessed because of it? When do you struggle most with serving? What areas in your life could you step back and take “last place” rather than first? Who is God calling you to serve in your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers? How might you do it this week?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Talk about the importance of serving with your kids. Share with them how it brings you closer to God and to others. Ask them to brainstorm some places, or ways they would like to serve. Maybe go to a soup kitchen. Maybe plan to clean up a neighbors front yard, maybe shovel a driveway. And then go do it! Also be sure to notice and praise your kids when they take initiative in serving.

Challenge for this Week:

Go and serve

by Andrew Mills

Followers of Jesus ~ Actually Follow Him and Step Out of the Boat

st_peterLast Sunday we looked at an interesting passage where Jesus comes to the disciples walking on the water. In the next moment Peter asks Jesus to call him out on the wind and waves. Jesus does, and Peter steps out. Then Peter starts to sink…

This seems to be the part that most of us remember and focus on. Somehow this has become a picture of Peter’s failure, when that misses the point completely. This isn’t a picture of Peter’s failure…but of Peter’s growth.

No one does anything perfectly the first time (expect maybe for Jesus). All of us learn through failing, succeeding, and trying again. What we forget is that growing often starts with failing. So when Peter starts to sink it’s not a failure, per say, but instead a moment where he grows.

Earlier that day Jesus had given him a clear command to feed the people. Peter refused. This time Jesus give Peter another clear command to come to him on the wind and waves. This time Peter doesn’t refuse but jumps over the side of the boat into the dark, turbulent waters. Peter is learning. And yes he sinks, but Jesus grabs him and together hand in hand they walk back to the boat. Peter learns that he can only do this thing  through and in Jesus.

This is the point for us, that we often are scared of failing. We don’t follow Jesus when he gives us clear commands (forgive, serve, give, follow, etc) because we are scared of failing. But here is the thing. Jesus isn’t scared of us failing, he is worried about us staying in the boat. Because Jesus knows that theory will never teach us better than hands on experience.

So if you want to grow as a disciple the next step is clear. Step out of the boat. When Jesus calls us…follow. Because that’s what disciples do.

We ended off the sermon with three ways to follow. First, get to know Jesus by reading the gospels this week. Read them and search not for information on Jesus, but for direction from him. Secondly, when you have direction, follow him and act on it. If you are moved by the difficulty of greed – step out of the boat – and give. If you are moved by the need to serve the poor – step out of the boat – and start. And lastly, get together with some other people because this isn’t meant to be a journey alone…but with Jesus and others…as we all try to step out of the boat to follow him…

Sermon Notes

Big Idea: Apprentices follow Jesus in action

Take Aways…

  • “Grace isn’t opposed to effort, its opposed to earning” Dallas Willard
  • The action of an apprentice is all about following
  • We see learning as becoming theory experts where Jesus sees it as mastering a craft
  • You will not grow without attempting things you cannot do
  • If Jesus is doing it, we can be part of it
  • Jesus doesn’t want to do ministry for the disciples but through the disciples
  • An apprentice follows Jesus even out into the wind and waves
  • You learn more through practice than through theory
  • Get to Know Jesus: Read the gospels this week listening for Jesus voice
  • Get Practicing: Take a step out when Jesus calls you
  • Get Together: Gather with friends to discuss the next steps Jesus is asking you to take

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What made you laugh? What did you take away? What did you think of the difference between earning grace and showing effort because of grace? How do you make sure we don’t just end up “knowing lots about Jesus” without actually “becoming like Jesus”? Has Jesus ever called you to do something before (i.e. get rid of anger, forgive, start a ministry, etc)? Did you follow through? What was the outcome? What might Jesus be calling you to do today? How will you do it? Who can help you in it?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Take a moment to sit down with your kids and talk about what “following Jesus” looks like to them. Talk about how for them it might look like sharing, forgiving, and reaching out to kids who don’t have friends. Talk about the specific things Jesus has called you to do in your life (maybe change jobs, talk to someone, or give up a grudge). Share how it made a difference and why it matters. Also share with them how you’d like to follow Jesus together as a family.

Challenge for this Week:

Get to Know Jesus (Read the Gospels), Start Following (Put into Practice what Jesus asks), Get Together (Share with Friends how you are trying to follow Jesus)

 

by Andrew Mills

Faith is Trust in Action

On Sunday we talked about how faith is really trust. It’s an active trust in Jesus. Brennan Manning writes this;

“If a random sample of one thousand American Christians were taken today, the majority would define faith as belief in the existence of God. In earlier times – almost nobody took that for granted. Rather, faith had to do with one’s relationship to God – whether one trusted in God. The difference between faith as “belief in something that may or may not exist” and faith as “trusting in God” is enormous. The first is a matter of the head, the second a matter of the heart.”

That’s what we explored, the matter of the heart trusting in Jesus. The point isn’t to believe that there is a God out there. The point is to have active trust in the person of Jesus as the Son of God who gives us life through his grace and gift. This is the point of being an apprentice to trust in Jesus. But this type of trust isn’t intellectual assent, or rational agreement. This is the type of trust with action, with movement, that actually has feet. Meaning that this type of trust needs to change how we live. That’s the whole point, that what we truly trust in we need to act on.

So I ended with this challenge and I think it’s a good challenge for anyone. To ask ourselves: What is one way we can actively trust Jesus this week? What is one thing we can do to act on our trust?

And depending on where you are at with Jesus what he might tell you is different. But I know he will be telling us all to take a step, and to take action. Because that’s what faith is – trust in action.

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: The heart of an apprentice is active trust

Take Aways…

  • The most crucial challenge for the church is whether or not we will become disciples of Jesus.
  • The world needs more people living like Jesus
  • Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Jesus Matthew 7:24
  • Can you say, “I know my next step to grow…”?
  • Faith is active trust in something, or someone.
  • Being an apprentice of Jesus starts with trusting in him
  • The difference between faith as “belief in something that may or may not exist” and faith as “trusting in God” is enormous. The first is a matter of the head, the second a matter of the heart.” – Brennan Manning

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What do you think the greatest challenge facing the church is? Where is your relationship with God right now – are you exploring him, growing with him, close to him, or centred on him? What is your next step to grow? What next step do you need to take to put your trust into action? What might Jesus be asking you to do? What is faith to you?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Take a moment to talk with you kids about “faith”. Say how it is like trusting, that just as how your kids trust you to provide for them, help them, guide them, by actively trusting – asking for help – and obeying. That trusting Jesus is like that. Ask them if they would like to trust Jesus or if they do.

Challenge for this Week:

Find one way to actively trust Jesus this week

by Andrew Mills

Chasing Stars to Jesus

On Sunday we looked at an odd story of Magi, stargazing, and finding Jesus. What we saw in Matthew 2 is a beautiful story of sacrifice, searching, and stargazing. We see Magi who have been diligently searching the Scriptures because they knew of the prophecy about the birth of the Messiah. We see them willing to sacrifice and travel over 700 miles to Jerusalem to welcome and worship the new king. We see them suffer through heartbreak and difficulty as they finally reach their destination to discover there is no king in Jerusalem. And worse than that, it seems like Israel as a nation isn’t even looking. Doubt and dejection becomes a temptation. But they press on, they keep following the star, wondering and hoping that it will lead them to the one they have set out months and months ago to find. And finally after miles and miles of travel, after cold nights, endless sacrifices, threats, and rough journeys they arrive to find Jesus. They find him. And I think this is a beautiful story about how to find Jesus.

I love this story because amidst all the heartbreak, set-backs, and sacrifices they get to meet with God. Even though at times they were looking for Jesus in the wrong places, and maybe not in the right way, God still guides them to him. What matters to Jesus is the heart that is searching for him and these magi have a heart that demonstrates sacrifice, perseverance, and audacious hope. I love this because this story reminds me to never give up searching for Jesus.

Maybe you know what it is like to search for God and feel disappointed. Maybe you know what it is like to give up and leave behind your context to find this King,only to become confused and unsure. Maybe you know what it is to search but still haven’t found Jesus.

Well, I think this story teaches us something profound: don’t give up. Keep going. Keep believing. Even if doubt tempts you to give up, hold onto hope that Jesus could be over the next hill. Because the magi hold onto to hope in face of difficult circumstances, and eventually they go over the next hill and discover Jesus. And so what I want to leave with you today is this…Jesus could be just over the hill…so if you are searching, don’t give up

Because the God that you’re searching for…is searching for you too…

Sermon Notes

Big Idea: Your heart matters most in finding God

Take Aways…

  • What matters most in a gift is the motive and meaning behind it
  • What matters most to God isn’t looking for him in the right way, or the right place. What matters is the heart that is looking for him
  • Is your heart ready and willing to follow, sacrifice, and celebrate to find Jesus
  • Don’t ever, don’t ever, don’t ever give up searching for Jesus.
  • Focus on getting your heart right and never give up looking for the God who wants to be found

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you in the sermon? What was new? What was different? When have you been given a gift with a “great motive”? What was the best gift you’ve ever received? Think about your motives. Are you searching for God? Are you willing to sacrifice for him? How might you sacrifice to find him this Christmas?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Take time to talk with your kids about what matters in giving and receiving. Tell them that the heart behind it is what matters most. Talk to them about Jesus and how that’s what matters most with him too.

Challenge for this Week

Examine your heart your searching for Jesus with, and ask what you might need to sacrifice to find Jesus…

by Andrew Mills