"discipleship" Tagged Sermons (Page 2)
Discipleship 101: The Connection Between My Peace & Our Peace | Philippians 4:2-9
I worked on a ranch for a summer. While I was there I helped brand cows, run cattle through chutes, and even tagged one cow’s ear. I’m not much of an animal person, but I do know that in a cattle herd the health of one cow can affect the health of the whole herd. Sickness and disease can spread quickly, so you want to make sure each cow is healthy. If one cow becomes stressed, it can get sick,…
Discipleship 101: Philippians 2:19-3:9 | Two Great Disciples & One Garbage Disciple
Have you ever gotten sucked into one of those cheap magazine or buzzfeed quizzes that tries to tell you something about yourself? You answer a dozen questions and it categorizes you as a certain type of person (introvert, extrovert, shy, outgoing, etc.) or as a character from one of your favorite movies or books. I took a “Which Harry Potter Character Are You” quiz and got Severus Snape. Severus Snape is pretty much the bad guy for most of Harry…
Discipleship 101: Joyful Disciples | Philippians 2:12-18
Jesus and the 12 disciples walk into a restaurant and Jesus says to the hostess, “Table for 26 please.” So she says to him, “But there’s only 13 of you?” Jesus says, “Yes, but we all want to sit on one side.” Is it okay to tell jokes in church? Is it okay to laugh? I think so. But what if I were to tell you that the Bible actually encourages us to be joyful and happy as a church.…
Discipleship 101: Counter-Cultural Disciples | Philippians 1:27-30 (Tim Tebow vs. Colin Kaepernick)
What word would you use to describe our world right now? Chaotic? Angry? A mess? It seems like every week there’s a new story covering the strife in Washington and filling our globe. North Korea. Russia. Healthcare. The President. NFL. It seems like no matter the topic, our world is bitterly divided. But the great news is that Christians are in agreement! We are unified. We are at peace. We offer a safe-haven to those who want to get away…
Discipleship 101: The Difficulties of Discipleship | Philippians 1:12-26
As I was preparing this sermon on the difficulties of following Jesus this, I began to think about places we face hardship, and I thought of boot camp. I have not gone through boot camp, but my brother went to the Marine Corps boot camp. Boot camp is known for being really hard. You constantly drill, study, workout (sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, running), and this all culminates at the end in the crucible. The crucible is a 54-hour test where you’re…
Discipleship 101: The Servant Disciple | Philippians 1:1-2
What is a disciple? That’s not a word we hear very often. When you think of a disciple, you may think of a religious person who adheres to the teachings of Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Plato, or some other religious teacher or philosopher. Disciple means “learner” or “student,” but the idea of being a disciple seems to be less and less popular, at least among my generation, the millennials. According to a Pew Research Center study, more than one-third of Millennials…
M1: Modeling God’s Character | Galatians 5:19-26
In Galatians 5:19-26, the Apostle Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The flesh, or human nature, is self-focused, and willing to put me first at the expense of others. The flesh takes advantage of others sexually, through religion or fake spirituality, and anger or dominance. The Spirit on the other hand, transforms Christians to love others, put their needs first, and do so at great personal expense. This is only possible as…
Fruitfulness on the Frontline | Colossians 1:15-20
In Colossians 1:15-20 we are introduced to Jesus. Jesus is the son of God who is the perfect image of God, the Lord of creation, the head of the church, and is reconciling all things to himself. But why does that matter? How does it apply to me as I live my life? Jesus is the God who cares about all of creation. Everything is made through him, things we see like bananas and mountains, and things we don’t see,…
My Way vs. God’s Way | Genesis 11:1-9
Genesis 11:1-9 is the story of the tower of Babel. All the people of the world gather together not just build a city and tower, but to show God they are more interested in doing life their way than his way. The marks of a life lived for self instead of God are: 1) pride, 2) disobedience, and 3) idolatry. The signs of living life for God instead of self are the opposite: 1) humility, 2) obedience, and 3) worship.…
Called to Serve | Exodus 31:1-11
What’s the greatest thing you can imagine being a part of? For some, maybe it’s the Apollo Space Program that sent Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon. Today we’re given an even greater opportunity to join Jesus in serving God and building His kingdom. In Exodus 31:1-11 we see the leader of Israel, Moses, give his people a similar opportunity as they begin to construct the tabernacle. In this story we learn what a call is and three…
The Challenging Tomb | Matthew 28:1-10
The message of Matthew 28:1-10 is a message God entrusted to the most unlikeliest of people, those society looked down upon. This message has the power to test us and shake our beliefs. How will you respond? Will you let God shine through you in your weakness? Those who obey get to meet Jesus, experience him in his fulness, and worship him. Fear not! Jesus is risen. Go and tell!
The Road Less Traveled | Matthew 7:13-23
In Matthew 7:13-23, Jesus uses three lessons to teach his followers how to distinguish between his true followers and those that pretend or are just going through the motions. He uses the lesson of the broad path and the narrow path in verses 13-14, the lesson of the wolves and fruit trees in verses 15-20, and the lesson of calling on Jesus as Lord, but not really knowing him in verses 21-23. These verses are a challenge to really follow…