Come and see the mountain! Now you might be thinking – this is all happening too fast! This morning did you open up your bulletin and think, is it Advent already? It isn’t even December yet!
Watch and Wait
Watch and wait! That is the cry throughout the ages, throughout the pages of Scripture, and that cry still goes out from pulpits across Christendom. It is the final Sunday of the church year. We end with an eye to the sky as we await the return of our Lord in glory. But that topic – watch and wait – isn’t a great one.
Wipe Those Tears Away
This is the time to remember those who have gone before us. They are not gone. Those who dies in Christ are alive! Wipe those tears away.
It Is Payback Time
It is payback time! You remember it well-last year’s homecoming game. The Midford Maulers defeated the Stanford Saints. It wasn’t close, but this year Stanford ready for Midford. You could say it’s payback time.
Reformed and Free
Reformed and Free is how we like to see ourselves. When Jesus spoke to God’s Old Testament people some two thousand years ago not all of them liked what Jesus had to say.
Increase Our Faith – Friends Again
Can we be friends again? The reality is that sometimes relationships in this life can be so completely damaged that they can’t be fixed. How does God restore relationships? Every sin that we commit doesn’t just hurt the people around us. Our sin first is an offense against our holy God. This Sunday we ask, “Lord, Increase our faith!” We will see how God works reconciliation.
Increase Our Faith – Total Dependence
Total dependence doesn’t sound like a great idea in our ear. We like to be SELF dependent. The Rich Young Ruler was looking for an 11th Commandment when he came to Jesus. What he found was a loving God who crushed his sinful pride.
Increase Our Faith – Persist in Prayer
I want to persist in prayer, but it’s hard. How do I know that my Lord listens? How do I know that he cares about me? What if the answer he offers isn’t good enough? Our God draws us into his promises through prayer.
Increase Our Faith – Delight in Duty
Can you delight in duty? How about delighting in a trip down the parkway? It’s almost that time again. The glorious colors of Carolina forests will erupt from the relatively boring green mountain sides. God paints the landscape!
Hard Truth – Money Fails in Death
Last week we learned the hard truth that while money can help make life easier in some ways, it cannot bring true happiness and fulfillment. This week we see that as much as money lets us down in life, its ultimate failure to deliver on its promises happens in death.
Hard Truth – Serve God With Money
Serve God with money. That is a hard truth. Our text from Luke 16 is one of the more confusing parables to folks. Yet, it’s message is simple. It’s not your money.
Hard Truth – The Found are Left
The found are left. On a certain level anything that is lost was at one point “found”, right? This point of logic matters spiritually because of how we look at the world around us. Where do you see yourself? Are you found or lost?
Hard Truth – Count the Cost
Our relationship with Jesus will put us in situations where we must decide where love for him ranks compared to love for other people and things. And Jesus is not content to be one of many important things in our life; he wants to be first.
Hard Truth – The Exalted Are Humbled
The exalted are humbled. I know it doesn’t always look that way, but it’s true! The word for exalt has the idea of something swelling in size. I suppose we picture the head of a movie star or some other celebrity that swells to twice its normal size.
Hard Truth – The First Will Be Last
The first will be last. That sounds like it could be a confusing truth. As we look at our text from the gospel of Luke we see the hard truth.
Hard Truth – Division
Hard truth doesn’t sound very fun, does it? But just like straight talk from the dentist who wants you to keep your teeth, hard truth from your God comes from a loving heart that wants to save souls. Yet we tend to think of God as… nice.
Focused on Heaven
Jesus wants focused followers. However, one of the things that can most easily get in the way of our focus is our earthly possessions. It is no surprise, therefore, that Jesus’ words so frequently focus his followers on wealth. Jesus’ followers don’t reject earthly wealth or despise it. They can be grateful for every good gift that comes from the hand of God. This Sunday we’ll cover worry, doubt, and our solution to those challenges – Jesús.
Focused on Living
Jesus wants focused followers. However, one of the things that can most easily get in the way of our focus is our earthly possessions. It is no surprise, therefore, that Jesus’ words so frequently focus his followers on wealth. Jesus’ followers don’t reject earthly wealth or despise it. They can be grateful for every good gift that comes from the hand of God.
Focused on Prayer
In a sense, prayer comes naturally to us. We want so we ask. We hurt so we cry out. We are frustrated so we vent. We are blessed so we give thanks. So we sometimes define prayer as “speaking to God from the heart.” Seems so easy. What does not come naturally, however, is the focused prayer God wants for us.
Focused on Service
We are focused on service this week. If you listen to the first part of this week’s message, you’ll hear in detail all that Abraham did for God – that’s all good. God allowed Abraham to do it after all. God didn’t need Abraham’s hospitality. This was something that Abraham needed to do for God. It’s a thankful heart.