Engagement

In this third series on marriage we will be looking at the challenges of Engagement. I will again compare our relationship with Jesus to our earthly relationships.
In the scripture we find Nicodemus pursuing a relationship with Jesus. But he realizes he does not fully understand what is required to build a relationship. Furthermore he is fearful of what his Pharisee friends will think.
The engagement process is much the same. It takes work to build a relationship, and determine if this one relationship is worth all the changes and challenges it will present.

TheProposal

This second sermon in the Marriage series takes a serious look at our expectations for our spouse. When we ask them to marry us who do we expect them to be, and what do we expect them to do for us? Is our understanding of marriage based upon how they will fulfill us or on our honest desire to love and serve them?

I hope this will challenge you to look at your marriage relationship with a little more scrutiny to find more ways to love and serve your spouse.

Blind Date

This sermon is the first in a fun and serious look at the covenant of Marriage.
This week we look at our expectations. What is it when we first date someone that attract us to them? Do we focus on whether or not that person makes us happy, or the fact that we are happy serving them?
Of course the whole sermon is centralized around how Jesus (our Bridegroom) demonstrates his love for us.

Passionate Worship

This is the second sermon in the "Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations" series.
The challenge of encountering God in Passionate Worship is one of the most difficult concepts a congregation can face. We don't know what it would feel like to come face to face with the living God. (Maybe it would cause us all to come to worship with a different attitude)
So how do we change the way we approach worship?
Can we learn that it is not about what we get out of worship, but what we bring to worship that is really important? Can we come with an attitude of anticipation and excitement rather than a mindset of criticism?
Let's worship God.

I Know Him Not

In this second sermon of the Lenten Banner Series we take a look at Peter's denial.
There is something universally true about fact that we have all denied Christ and walked away from his love. (Isa 53:6) And we probably all face the fear that we have sinned too horribly to be forgiven.
Guilt has a sticky quality. It is like super glue and almost impossible to get it off of you. On occasion we even convince ourselves that God cannot forgive us.
But that is not true. When we look at the rooster it reminds us of our sin, our guilt like Peter's. But if we remember, Christ was headed to the cross at the same time as Peter was Denying him. His guilt was removed at the same time that that Peter created it.
The same is true for us. Christ has washed our sin and guilt away no matter what you have done.
Today if you still have some guilt or a barrier in a relationship, it is time to forgive just as Christ forgave you.