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: The Humble Disciple | Philippians 2:1-11
Have you ever heard of a humble brag? A humble brag is a display of false modesty. People do this on Twitter all the time, and thankfully, one user has compiled some of the most humble humble brags. “Can we start a media campaign to question how I got into Columbia, too? Still scratching my head about how I got accepted & demand answers!” – Annie “I just did something very selfless. But more importantly, it was genuine & I…
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 Praying Disciple | Philippians 1:3-11
Have you ever thought about how you might act if you were to meet someone really important? What you would say? How you would talk to them? If I were to meet Prince William and Kate (formerly Middleton), the Duchess of Cambridge, I’m not sure how I would act. Should I bow or shake their hands? Should I do both at the same time? What should I say to them? How long should I talk to them? This is William…
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…
What We Believe: Heaven | Revelation 21:1-4
When you think of heaven, what do you think about? Our popular conceptions of heaven are usually a bit weird, and a bit boring, and are more influenced by film, television, and culture than the Bible. Did you ever watch the 1969 movie The Littlest Angel? An eight-year old shepherd boy from Biblical times dies and goes to heaven, only to discover, heaven is really boring and serious. Everyone wears robes, which are a light shade of pink, and spend…
What We Believe: Hell | Matthew 25:31-46
What happens when you die? In 2005, a group of theologians tried to answer this question. This group, self-titled Modest Mouse, wrote down what they believed in an album called Good News for People Who Love Bad News. In their hit single “Float On” they sang this… And we’ll all float on OK (x3) And we’ll all float on alright Already we’ll all float on Now don’t you worry we’ll all float on alright Already we’ll all float on alright…
What We Believe: The Mission of the Church | John 20:19-23
Thierry Mirone is a French Missionary and Church-Planter from France to France. He has served in many different capacities, including Director of Champfleuri where we sent our youth team this summer, Director of Youth for France Mission, and most recently he, his wife Valarie, and his three sons, Jonathan, Lucas, and Silas, are part of a church-plant team in Aix Les Bains. He is now entering a new stage of ministry to do as the Regional Director of France Missions,…
What We Believe: The Church | Matthew 16:18
What is the church? Have you ever asked that question. I want you to imagine two college friends getting lunch together, Matt and Ben. In college, they both volunteered in Intervaristy, a Christian ministry to students, so they’ve always known each other as strong Christian friends. Now, five years later, they’re sitting outside on the deck of a small café, Matt prays for their meal, and they begin to chat about their lives. As they dig in, Matt tells Ben…
What We Believe: Salvation | Ephesians 2:1-10
IV Salvation We believe that Jesus Christ secured forgiveness for sin and the gift of perfect righteousness through his obedient life, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead.[1] We believe that those who repent[2] and put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ[3] alone[4] as Lord and Savior receive eternal life.[5] Through the work of the Holy Spirit (regeneration) they are delivered from condemnation[6] and become a new creation.[7] Sermon Ephesians 2:1-10 Made Alive in Christ As for you,…
What We Believe: Sin & Mankind | Genesis 1:26-27; 3:8-9
Bernie shared a little story with me this week about a farmer who never wanted to go to church, in spite of being asked by his wife over and over again. One day, when his wife was just too tired to go, he decided to make her happy by going to the service. When he got back, his wife asked, “How was it?” The man replied, “Good.” So she asked, “What did the pastor preach on?” He answered, “Sin.” She…