Previous Sermon Series
Genesis: Made for God - Fall 2023
Gospel in Full Color - Spring 2023
Unstoppable Kingdom - Spring 2023
10 Commandments - Fall 2022
Daniel - Spring 2022
The Church: Acts - 2021
Resurrection Hope - Spring 2020
Ephesians - Fall/Winter 2019/2020
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
The Sermon on the Mount is, without doubt, Jesus’ most famous teaching. And yet, it has often been misunderstood and misapplied. This fall, we will be attempting to step more deeply into Jesus’ great sermon in order to follow in the ways of Jesus.
The challenge of Jesus’ Sermon is surprising. It’s familiarity and seeming simplicity conceals a depth and beauty that isn’t obvious at first. In fact, as you dive more deeply into the structure and content, it becomes a feast of imagery, challenge, and hope. Like always, I suggest that you spend some time with The Bible Project. They have produced videos and even a podcast diving more deeply into the Sermon than I can do in the sermon series context.
My hope for out time in the Sermon is much the same as it would have been for Jesus and his disciples. Like them, I want his Sermon to break through our religious defenses to draw us more deeply into Jesus. Like us, the followers of Jesus were religious people. They wanted to follow God, but too often, their faith became a religious chore instead of a transformed life, empowered by God’s presence and grace. Jesus wanted to change that. He wanted to give images that would stoke the imagination, challenge to our natural notions of what religious should be, and tempt us toward a greater hope than can be found on our home…a hope in the Light of World…the hope of Christ. Let’s go.
August 25, 2024
Each week, I’m going to use the same outline to look at the Sermon on the Mount. We’ll look at the Principle Jesus was articulating. In some ways, it may be a familiar idea to you. But, then we’ll look at the Counterfeit, or the various ways that it is possible to subtly undermine Jesus’ teaching by adopting attitudes and habits that LOOK LIKE following Jesus, but really aren’t. Then, we’ll deepen that reflection to examine how those Counterfeits create a Threat for us. There is danger in misunderstanding and misusing Jesus’ words. And Finally, we’ll look at the Opportunity that Jesus invites us into in each section of his teaching.
This week, I mentioned the historian Rodney Stark who wrote about the early Christians. HERE is a helpful summary of Stark’s argument.
If you want to explore more of the ideas around King and Kingdom, we’ll be hosting an adult Sunday School class this fall where we’ll be listening and discussing a podcast hosted by our own Rob McGarvey and Neil Placer called, A World in Tension. They have gathered lots of resources that touch on these themes.
September 1, 2024
When you have a change, go back and watch or read MLK’s I Have A Dream speech. It will inspire you about what is possible all over again.
Check out this deep dive from The Bible Project guys on salt and light and the rich biblical imagery that Jesus was playing off of when he used those metaphors.
I mentioned Rod Dreher and his book The Benedict Option. It’s very good and thoughtful, just perhaps not what I see as the preferred path in our times.
In case you want to dive more deeply into the sad story of Paul Hill, here’s the wikipedia page which will get you started in the right directions.
September 8, 2024
If you are interested in thinking more about the relationship of the law to the Christian, I can recommend Tim Keller’s sermon series on Galatians from all the way back in 1997/98. It' was a long series, but laid the foundation for gospel centrality and ministry at Redeemer. You can listen to the entire series HERE.
September 15, 2024
I quoted the Scottish pastor, Horatius Bonar, “The divine order then is first pardon, then holiness; first peace with God, and then conformity to the image of that God with whom we have been brought to be at peace.” You can find this in Bonar’s wonderful little book written in 1864, Gods Way of Holiness: Finding True Holiness through True Peace. HERE is a free copy, or you can buy a copy if you’d rather.
I mentioned Willian Cowper’s wonderful old hymn, Love Constraining to Obedience. Here’s an updated version of that hymn from our friends at West End Community Church in Nashville.
September 22, 2024
Here is the article from James Wood called The Autonomy Trap, where he writes about growing up in a broken family and the ways he navigated his own destructive desire to protect himself from being vulnerable by being unattached. It’s a beautiful and encouraging read.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was in prison in 1943 and his niece was marrying one of his good friends. He wrote a wedding sermon that was read at the ceremony. You can read the entire beautiful sermon.
If you want to see the latest statistics on marital happiness and divorce in the church vs. the non-church culture in America, the American Enterprise Institute has a nice summary of the latest findings.
For a more detailed look at the Bible’s teaching on Divorce and Remarriage, I can recommend two things: First, our denomination wrote a paper many years ago that details our view. This PAPER likely has more than what you may be looking for, but chapter 2 goes through most of the passages and questions you might wonder about. Second, there is no one “go-to” popular book or article on the issue that I have seen written recently (if you are aware of one, please point me toward it!). If you have specific questions, I’d love to sit and talk with you. Especially where abuse is a part of the issue in the marriage, these things need to be handled carefully and clearly.
September 29, 2024
I mentioned MLK’s sermon on How to Love Our Enemies. It’s a good look at some of his lesser known work.
I also talked about a recent article in The New Yorker magazine talking about the growing trend of people cutting off the difficult members of their families. It’s a fascinating look at how our obsession with self-protection is taking surprising turns.
October 13, 2024
I highly recommend Timothy Keller’s little book, The Prodigal God. If you read it, let me know. I’d love to sit and talk about it with you!
I also mentioned Kris Kristofferson and his song, Why Me Lord? Here’s a video of him telling the story of the song and performing it. It’s a fascinating look at how some people the dawning need for God.
October 27, 2024 - Matthew 6:25-34 - Anxiety
If you haven’t seen the old Bob Newhart sketch where he plays a therapist helping a women with anxiety, then do yourself a favor - HERE.
I didn’t mention it, but one of the most compelling looks into how our culture is dealing with the explosion in anxiety is Disney’s movie Inside Out 2.
To read one of the most insightful looks at the relationship between teen anxiety and our modern, technological world, you’ll want to reach Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation.
I mentioned that even the Wall Street Journal is talking about how anxiety is overtaking how we experience the world, especally the 2024 election - America is Having A Panick Attack Over the Election.
I mentioned David Zahl’s book Low Anthropology. It’s wonderful…and keep an eye out for his new forthcoming book on grace as rescue.
Finally, if you want to follow Marwan, the Lebanese pastor I mentioned, you can follow his twitter account HERE.
November 10, 2024 - Matthew 7:7-11 - Prayer
Jesus talks alot about prayer in his Sermon. I mentioned that some people think that the Lord’s Prayer is the center and highlight of the entire sermon…that everything relates back to that. And yet, I find may of us struggle in prayer. I’d love to recommend a few resources for you to think more deeply about prayer. One of these might be good things to read during the upcoming Advent season!
Paul Miller, A Praying Life - This is one of the most encouraging books on prayer out there.
Tim Keller, Prayer - This is a longer and more heady read. But it will help you really consider how you are approaching God in prayer and open up the opportunity to experience intimacy with God.
Adriel Sanchez, Praying With Jesus - This little book walking through the Lord’s Prayer is wonderful. Easy to read nad very devotional.
John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way - Not a book about prayer, per se. It’s a book about following in the ways of Jesus and creating the space for prayer. Comer has become popular in recent years after his The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. Both books are pushing against our busyness and inviting us into more intentional discipleship. We’ll likely spend more time of these ideas. But these books can help you take some steps forward in following in the grace of Jesus.
November 17, 2024 - Matthew 7:12-29 - Conclusions
If you haven’t see The Godfather in a while, it’s worth re-watching. But, just beware, the content isn’t for the sensitive conscience. Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful piece of art. HERE’s the scene with Michael becoming the “godfather” in more ways than one.
I mentioned Karen Swallow Prior’s recent article. I thought her words were so beautiful - “redemption is better than perfection”. I can’t recommend her and her writing highly enough. You can read more HERE.
HERE is Sandra McCracken’s version of Horatious Bonar’s old hymn, Upon a Life I Did Not Live.
Finally, I highly recommend Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship. But, below is a section quoted from:
“Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks' wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church's inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. What would grace be if it were not cheap?...
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”