My 10/25/15AM sermon, The Loving Life from 1 John 3:13-18, is now online (Small Group Questions are available too). The sermon got at love. How would you define it? In this sermon, I sought to unpack what I saw as 2 revelations of God’s love for us. This was a hard sermon to preach because I have such a hard time living these truths. I hope it’s helpful to you.
Weekend Recap – Love Out Of Identity
My 10/18/15AM sermon, Identity of Love from 1 John 3:10-12, is now online. This sermon tried to get at where these calls to love come from. And, rather than merely rushing to practice love, John compels us to examine our identity in Christ before we step in to the practice of love. It’s more about being before doing. So, this is my encouragement to examine your heart before you do the “doing” of the Christian life. I hope it helps you.
Weekend Recap – 10/11/15AM
My 10/11/15AM sermon, Marked By Righteousness from 1 John 3:4-9, is now online (the link also gives you the chance to download sermon notes/small group material). The point of the sermon, pretty simply, was to think about why we take sin so lightly and, once we considered that, to look to Jesus and the hope found in the Gospel. I hope you find it encouraging and useful as well.
Weekend Recap – 10/4/15
My 10/4/15AM sermon, New Relationship from 1 John 3:1-3, is now online. The idea in the sermon is that having a relationship with God changes things. In fact, you could say your past, present and future are affected because you know Him. I hope you’ll listen to this sermon and find help in it.
Weekend Recap – 9/27/15
My 9/27/15AM sermon, United to Christ from 1 John 2:28-29, is now online (this was also discussed with Small Groups). The sermon was kind of a final engagement of our hearts before chapter 3 to make sure we’re abiding. Specifically, abiding in the Gospel, or in Jesus Himself, is THE way we prepare for the end of this life. I also sought to marvel at how Jesus Christ is righteous and make some connections for how that relates to the way we live. I hope this sermon helps you.
Weekend Recap – Deception
My 9/20/15AM sermon, Deception from 1 John 2:26-27, is now online. The sermon encircled that ongoing theme in 1 John of abiding. You might think that the best defense about deception would be a good offense. But, in 1 John, the answer is abiding, not just abiding in the message, but abiding in Jesus, who is the message. I think if you listen to this sermon you, too, may be helped to fend off deceptions that come your way.
Abiding In Our Confession
My 9/13/15AM sermon, Abiding in Our Confession, from 1 John 2:22-25, is now online. The sermon is our there for your benefit, but I think this sermon affected me by pointing me to how confessing Christ as my Savior and Lord is manifested in abiding in Him for eternity. I push back against this at times seeking to carve out some other rogue identity. But only an identity in Him — highlighting who He is and what He’s done — will last forever. I hope this sermon helps you, too.
Identity – Relationship of Knowing…
My 9/6/15AM sermon, You Know It from 1 John 2:18-21, is now online. In this sermon, I unpacked John’s heart for the believer’s identity, a relationship with God through Jesus manifested in community and relevant for the here and now. I hope you find this helpful.
Weekend Recap – Loving the World and the Believer’s Identity
My 8/30/15AM sermon, Loving the World from 1 John 2:15-17 is now online. This sermon was a difficult one for me to prepare for. Part of the reason has to do with how much sloppy application is thrown around using this passage as the springboard. I wanted to make sure I understood exactly what John was saying and then proceed accordingly. The gist? Our identity can’t be wrapped in the world, after all the world is fading away with all that offers. It’s doing the will of God and abiding in the Father’s love that is the “forever” stuff. If our identity is there, loving the world won’t be an issue. Hope you’re helped by this one.
Weekend Recap – Bare Essentials
My 7/19/15AM Sermon, Bare Essentials from 1 John 2:12-14, is now online. The sermon examined the foundations of faith that exist in this passage from the wise pastor, John, to his readers. In it, we find encouragement for all that we’ve come to expect from John as we journey to know that we have eternal life.