Sermons on Culture
Smyrna – Suffering Well | Revelation 2:8-11
Sermon Revelation 2:8-11 | Letters From Jesus: Smyrna – Suffering Well To the Church in Smyrna 8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do…
Troubling Truth | Acts 17:1-9
Pastor Ron introduces us to Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica as he begins a new sermon series entitled “A Better Life Now”. Discussion Questions 1. Suffering and Death were great hurdles or obstacles for the Jews to believe Jesus was Messiah. What are some of the common hurdles or obstacles for people today to believe Jesus is who He says He is? 2. How does the gospel trouble you? 3. Jealousy was a problem here. (Note: Prov.14:30; James 3:16: Mark 7:22)…
Escape From Our Boxes | Mark 7:24-30
As Pastor Ron continues our series in the book of Mark, we explore how we can see beyond our own perspective. Watch Here Discussion Questions 1. What is the main point of this passage? 2. Explain the exchange between Jesus and the woman. 3. How does “normal life” limit our perspective and opportunity to accept and serve those different from ourselves? 4. Earlier Jesus chided the disciples for their “little” faith. Here Jesus commends this woman for her “great” faith…
Why Serve God? | Malachi 3:13-18
Listen as Pastor Ron continues our series in Malachi, “Why So Apathetic?”. How are we motivated to serve God? Watch Here Discussion Questions 1. Why do you think so many pastors leave the ministry? 2. Why are believers hesitant to step forward to serve the Lord? 3. Has the church fostered a self centered christianity? If so, how? 4. What rewards are there for serving God?
God, What Do You Want From Me? | Malachi 3:6-12
Listen to this message from Pastor Ron as we explore the topic of giving as presented in Malachi. Watch Here Discussion Questions 1. Do you think believers today suffer repercussions for “withholding from God? 2. What do you think are some reasons believers don’t give more to God and His work? 3. What kind of blessings can we expect if we are giving God His “due”? Why? 4. If believers gave an amount based upon “what they decided in their…
Does God Care? | Malachi 2:17 – 3:6
Our view of justice may not always align with God’s justice. Listen to this message as Pastor Ron continues his series in Malachi. Watch here Discussion Questions 1. Are there ways and times when we “project” our attitudes and viewpoint upon God? How can we avoid this? 2. Do we sometimes confuse satisfaction with justice? 3. How do we know from this passage that God’s love for us precedes His exacting justice for breaking covenant with Him?
Lack of Leadership | Malachi 2:1-9
In this message from Malachi 2, Pastor Ron explores the great responsibility that comes with biblical leadership. Discussion Questions 1. In light of Malachi 2:1-9 and James 3:1; why are pastor/teachers judged with greater strictness? 2. How can we lend to effective (successful) ministry rather than failure by our pastor? 3. What are the essential responsibilities of a pastor? 4. Why do so many pastors either fail or leave the ministry?
Why Jesus Came | Luke 4:14-30
We are starting a new sermon series focusing on Jesus’ pastoral ministry with this message from Pastor Ron on “Why Jesus Came”. What can we learn from Pastor Jesus? Watch Here Discussion Questions 1. For what purpose do you work? 2. What are the boundaries of your comfort zone? 3. What are some of the reasons we remain in our comfort zone?
The Highest Court | Acts 25:1-22 (When we face injustice)
Have you ever faced injustice? Have you ever been treated unfairly? Maybe a boss mistreated you at work, or a family member or friend did not treat you right. Maybe you can think of a family member or friend who has experienced injustice. My dad told me the story of how he was let go from his job for something he had not done, and it was painful for him. Maybe you’ve faced something similar. As we look at the…
Unexpected Deliverance | Acts 23:12-35
There’s something wrong with our youth; and I don’t mean our teenagers. I mean the children. There’s this thing that they are just addicted too. It gets in their brains. They always want to watch it, and sing it. That’s right, I’m talking about the dangers of Encanto, Disney’s newest adventure for the whole family. We watched Encanto a couple weekends ago and now we’re listening to Surface Pressure and We Don’t Talk About Bruno so many times. Here’s the…
Part 10. A Flourishing Future | Revelation 21:1-6; 22:1-5
I grew up in a mountain town in Colorado called Estes Park. Estes is famous for being the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. One of the tallest mountains in Colorado is right outside of town, a 14-thousand-footer named Long’s Peak(14,259 feet). But growing up in Estes, I never climbed Long’s Peak. We heard all the horror stories of people falling, getting stuck, and dying, and I didn’t want to risk it. And then I moved away to sea-level and…
Part 9. “H” – Help the Needy | Zechariah 7:8-12 & Matthew 25:31-46
We’ve been working through the word “F.L.O.U.R.I.S.H.” in our Faith & Flourishing in Politics sermon series. Today we’re finishing our acronym. Let’s review: F – Faith, Not Fear (or “faithful presence”) L – Love God & Neighbor (enemies too) O – Other Peoples’ Good (shalom/common good) U – Understanding & Wisdom R – Reign of Christ I – Image of God (Imago Dei) S – Speak Prophetically H – Help the Needy Last week we talked about speaking prophetically. We…