Category Archives: Sermon Series

Discipleship, Jesus, Preaching, Sermon Series, Sermons

Bringing the Heat

This Summer, I’ve been preaching out of Proverbs for my Summer Sermon Series: Wisdom for Living. Since it’s 4th of July weekend I decided to stick with the fireworks theme and talk about what God’s Word has to tell us about handling Relational Conflict. Light that fuse!

Where there are relationships, you will find conflict. When people interact and bump up against each other there will be conflict – big and small. Our culture loves to disagree over so many things: race, religion, family issues, politics, world views. You name it and people are fighting over it.

Now you might say, “Micheal, surely those of us who love Jesus don’t have to worry about conflict in the church!” After you’ve stop laughing and finished wiping the laughter-tears away, read this story:

In 1995, a man named Chuck Noland was stranded on a desert island after a horrific crash. He was alone on the island for nearly twenty years until a passing freighter spotted him on the beach last February. When his rescuers told him that they were there to take him home, he was overjoyed. Noland asked them if they would accompany him to the shelter he had built so that he could retrieve some of his belongings. When the group arrived at the shelter, they were amazed at how big and beautiful his island home was. Then someone noticed another structure to the right, larger and more grand than his home. When they asked Nolan what the other structure was he told them that it was his church – the place where he worshipped. Amazed at what Nolan had been able to build there in the jungle all by himself, the group turned to head back to the rescue ship. That’s when the saw a third building just as large and grand as the other two. They asked what this was and Nolan said in a hushed tone, “That’s the church I used to go to.”

BOOM!

The truth is that there is no perfect church because there are no perfect people. Churches split and relationships crumble, not due to conflict, but though the way we handle conflict. There are ways to approach conflict that can be life-giving and there are ways that can be soul-crushing. The number one reason that the church is irrelevant, ineffective, and gasping for air can be tied back to our unwillingness to deal with and work though conflict biblically.

As followers of Jesus Christ we must learn how to effectively deal with conflict when it arises. It is my hope through this lesson will help us, in light of our relationship with Jesus, RETHINK conflict and RELEARN how to effectively and positively deal with it in your life.

Here is what I truly believe: when we learn how to biblically handle conflict we will REVEL in our relationship with Jesus, experience RESTORED relationships with one another, and we will better REVEAL to the culture around us the God who pursues and redeems relationships broken by conflict.

 

 

Sermon Series, Sermons

2013 Sermon Series: The Word Overview

Series Title: THE WORD
This Week: THE WORD ABOUT THE WORD

life by the book_wide_t_nt

Passages:
John 1:1
Psalm 119:16
Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV11
Psalm 119:11

Series message: The Bible isn’t simply a book. It is actually a collection of 66 books, written by over 40 authors, over the course of thousands of years, on 3 different continents. The Bible tells stories, sings songs and poems, lists rules and regulations, and recounts history. It address topics as wide ranging as love, hated, life, death, family, war, sin, suffering, fear, joy, worry, worship, choices, and wisdom. However, there is ONE THEME that is constant in all this diversity: God, the creator of all things, is at work redeeming the world through his love and grace. The Bible is not just a book; it is the Living Word of God.

This week’s message: The Bible is the world’s bestselling book (and it’s most shoplifted) yet many people today take The Word for granted. If we truly want to know about God and his desire for our lives than we must make The Bible a TOP PRIORITY in our lives. It is my prayer that this week’s message will help you fall in love with God’s Word. Let The WORD feed you. Let The WORD minister to you. Let The WORD change you. Let The WORD shape you.

Why is this important? Statistics show that nothing has a greater impact on our spiritual growth and development than ENGAGING with God’s Word. When we READ Scripture , God reveals himself to us- his character, his will, and his desire for our lives. When we MEDITATE on His Word, God can speak to us through the noise of our day and call us to repentance and new life. When we LIVE out the invitation and challenge of Scripture, we are demonstrating our FAITH that God’s ways are greater than anything else we can choose. However, most of us are missing out on this incredible opportunity to know God and His will for our lives. Our Bibles sit unused on a shelf or on our desks or in our cars. The Bible is the way we can connect to God and his desire for our lives.

What do I want people to do with this message? I want everyone to be awakened to the potential spiritual growth that can come from ENGAGING with THE WORD everyday. I want people listening to this message to be inspired, encouraged, equipped to read their Bible- reflect on Scripture and it’s meaning for their lives. The Bible must function as the DNA of the church. I want people to become crazy passionate about connecting with God through THE WORD.

What is the single most persuasive idea? THE WORD of God is the greatest opportunity we have to come to know the story of God and his work of redeeming us through his love and grace. When we make reading our Bibles a top priority we will be changed.

Week One: THE WORD ABOUT… THE WORD
Week Two: THE WORD ABOUT… GOD
Week Three: THE WORD ABOUT… YOU & ME
Week Four: THE WORD ABOUT… JESUS
Week Five: THE WORD ABOUT… LIFE

Bible Study, Discipleship, Mission, Preaching, Sermon Series, Sermons

NEXT: Identify with Jesus

Earlier this month I started a new sermon series entitled, NEXT: Taking Your Next Steps in Faith. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus gives us the goal of Spiritual Growth when he says that we are to increase in our Love for God and our love for Others. Next Steps help us grow in our love for God and others by giving us the opportunity to put our faith into practice by following or obeying what he is calling us to do.

In each week, I have had a specific agenda for those listening to my words.

In week one, I was clear that I wanted us to take the next step to CONNECT WITH A CHURCH. A church isn’t a building or an address in Google Maps. A church is a group of people who seek out God together, live together, and work together in order to bring glory to Jesus Christ. Connecting to a church doesn’t mean your growth is automatic or that growth only happens within the four walls of the church. However, when you CONNECT with a group of disciples you are putting yourself in an environment where you can grow in RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ, your FRIENDSHIP with God’s people, and your INFLUENCE with those who are far from God.

The following week I my agenda was to get all of us to ENGAGE WITH GOD’S WORD. According to Move: What 100 Churches Reveal About Spiritual Growth (Hardback, Kindle), the number one catalyst for spiritual growth whether you’ve been a Christian for 5 minutes or 50 years is reflecting on Scripture or ENGAGING with God’s Word. That looks a little different than simply reading your Bible everyday. To ENGAGE encompassing READING the Word, THINKING about what God is saying to us, PRAYING that God will reveal himself and his will to us, and LIVING out what you see God calling you to.

This week, I want those who have not yet been baptized to take that next step to privately and publicly IDENTIFY their lives with Jesus Christ through being BAPTIZED.

Baptism can be an emotional topic to discuss because everyone has different opinions and traditions depending on how they grew up. My motivation isn’t to teach on how everyone else is wrong or misguided. I have one goal and that is to invite and challenge those who have not yet been baptized to do so. 

There are three things that I want to avoid with this week’s message on Baptism:

  1. I don’t want to cause conflict. There was a time in my life when I thought I knew everything there was to say about baptism. At our Christian high school, I can remember starting quite a few arguments with my classmates around this subject. “The Bible told you to do it, you should do it.” was my line and I delivered it with all the care and concern of General Rommel taking North Africa. I was too bombastic and failed to understand that we all come to this topic with our own personal histories. The last thing that I want to do is create conflict around what is, by far and away, the best way to IDENTIFY yourself with the message and person of Jesus Christ.
  2. I don’t want to cause pain. Typically what happens when we begin to talk about baptism is that some pain and angst begins to well up inside of us when we think about friends and family members- primarily those whom have passed away- that were not baptized. We begin to worry about Uncle Sal or we get hurt because someone suggested that our friend may be downstairs when we believe they are upstairs. When I’m discussing baptism I want those that I’m sharing with to think about their own decision in the here and now. I do not want to speculate about theological positions or postulate on things that I just do not and cannot know.
  3. I don’t want to cause confusion. I want everyone who chooses to IDENTIFY with Jesus Christ through being baptized to be sure of their decision. I don’t want someone to look back and be confused about the reasons why they were baptize or to question their own salvation. Baptism paints a perfect picture of what Jesus did on our behalf and is a beautiful expression of our relationship with him. Just as Jesus died for our sins, we are to die to ourselves and our ways of living life. Jesus as Jesus was buried and in the tomb for three days, so we are buried under the water. Just as Jesus was raised to life again through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit empowers us to live the resurrection life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

In my past, I am sure that I caused some conflict, pain, and confusion when I have argued about baptism. If you were one of those people, I am truly sorry. I promise this weekend, I will take more care as I discuss this highly emotional topic.

My goal this weekend will be to invite others to IDENTIFY with Jesus through taking the next step and being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Discipleship, Life, Sermon Series

Weird

This week I’m starting a new sermon series entitled, WEIRD, based on the book by Craig Groeschel. The message is one that I think everyone needs to hear and I am excited to share it with our church body over the coming weeks.

We spend a great portion of our lives pursing what we perceive as normal. We want the cushy job, the big house, the perfect wife, and extra-ordinary children. We want the fast car, the corner office, and the dream vacations. We spend countless hours and tons of money working to achieve these things so that we will just like everyone else. The problem is that in the pursuit of normalcy we are paying a heavy toll.  

Most of us feel like we are no longer in control of our time and schedules. Others dictate where go, when we need to be there, and how much of our time they will consume. As a result, most of us feel overworked and burned out. Normal isn’t working.

Did you know that average household credit card debt is well north of $15,000? As some one smarter than me has said, “We spend money that we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like.” Ain’t that the truth! For too many there is too much month left at the end of the money. Normal isn’t working. 

I once read that the average marriage in the US lasts 8 years. I have underwear older than that! Unfortunately, marriages often die long before the divorce is official. Many people start off their relationship with their spouse with a lot of heat and passion and hopes and dreams. However, after too many unmet expectations and a lack of communication many couples never make it the finish line together and instead opt out emotionally, physically, and relationally. Normal isn’t working.

As for our other relationships, most of us struggle to feel connected to real deep and meaningful friendships. We drive into our garages, shut the door before we exit the car, and hang out alone in our backyards (or air conditioned homes- I live in TX). We are an isolated and lonely generation with more digital acquaintances than genuine friends engaged in life together. Normal isn’t working.

The good news is that you were not designed to have a normal life. God doesn’t call you to live like the rest of the world. He empowers you to live like His Son, Jesus Christ.

You aren’t supposed to be Normal. You’re invited to be Weird.

Jesus tells us that there are people that pursue normalcy and where that path leads. He said, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” As plain as he can say it, Jesus tells us that the pathway to a “normal life” ends in pain, heartache, and difficulty. Thankfully, this warning comes with hope.

Jesus tells us there is another way.

“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

There is a road that leads to life. It is a bit out of the way. This isn’t a highway or boulevard. It is a hidden trail leading away from where everyone else is headed. This road isn’t to be taken lightly. If we choose this road it might feel uncomfortable. To take this road choices have to be made and changes have to occur. But at the end of this narrow road… there is… life.

One road leads to an unsustainable pace and burnout. The other to intentional living and soul-giving rest.

One road leads to crushing debt and an unsustainable life style. The other leads to financial peace and the ability to bless others.

One road leads to broken marriages, families torn apart, and a generation suffering from the emotional fallout. The other leads to One-ness, unconditional love, and a marriage that displays the love of God to all who see you.

See, Normal isn’t working.

It’s time to be Weird.

Sermon Series, Sermons

Get Back- Sermon Series

Happy Memorial Day!!!

I’ve been putting the finishing touches on my outline for our summer sermon series today. I have been feeling a push to walk our congregation through the book of Ephesians and I am really excited about it.

In Revelation 2:4, Jesus tells the church in Ephesus that they have forgotten their love and affection for Him and his people. Jesus then invites them to return back to the relationship they once had with him.

The church of today would do well to look to the church in Ephesus and to heed the call of Jesus to return to our first love. It’s time we fell back in love with Jesus.

It’s time to Get Back.

getbacktemp2

Get Back – A Study in the book of Ephesians
Week 1- Back to Where You Once Belonged (Ephesians Introduction)
Week 2- Across the Universe (Ephesians 1:1-10)
Week 3- Baby You’re a Rich Man (Ephesians 1:11-22)
Week 4- Here Comes the Sun (Ephesians 2:1-10)
Week 5- Come Together (Ephesians 2:11-22)
Week 6- Ticket to Ride (Ephesians 3:1-13)
Week 7- Got to Get You Into My Life (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Week 8- All You Need Is Love (Ephesians 4:1-16)
Week 9- A Day In The Life (Ephesians 4:17-32)
Week 10- Revolution (Ephesians 5:1-20)
Week 11- PS I Love You/Two of Us (Ephesians 5:21-6:9)
Week 12- The End (Ephesians 6:10-24)

I am so excited about what God may do through this series. The plan will be to use this outline. We may not go 12 weeks with it but we’ll see where God leads us.

I am honored and blessed that I get to share the Gospel of Jesus each week. I look forward to sharing more from Ephesians here on the blog. Keep an eye out for all summer.

Until next time… Have a great week!

(I’d love to say that I came up with the artwork completely on my own. I got inspired by a series on Elisha from Elevation Church a few years ago that used this title and artwork that looked just like this. I messed around with some files in Photoshop and came up with this. I got real close.)

Jesus, Ministry, Sermon Series, Sermons

Sneak Peek

On Sunday I’m wrapping up our series UNSTOPPABLE on the life of Elisha. Our next sermon series is…

King's Speech iPad Wallpaper

THE KING’S SPEECH will be a study in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has so much to say to us about LIFE, PRAYER, WORRY, and what it means to really FOLLOW HIM. I am so excited about this series! We kick it of on March 27th!