Sermon Notes
Sermon Series: Rooted in Confidence
Rev. Mat Grover
Psalm 23
“Lead on”
"The prophet has shortly expressed, in the first verse, the import of the whole Psalm, viz. that whoever has the Lord for his Shepherd, shall be in want of nothing. He attempts nothing more in the whole Psalm than to expand, in fine glowing words and comparisons, how well it is with those who are the Lord's sheep." – Martin Luther
Ezekiel 34: 14-16
I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.
“God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way, without bothering about religion. God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not there. There is no such thing.” C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Under the guidance of the shepherd YAHWEH we find:
“He makes me lie down” – REST
"He leads me beside still water” – REFRESHMENT
Trust in the One Who created you, the One Who cares for you, for in Him, we have rest, in Him we find refreshment and nourishment.
Sermon Notes
Sermon Series: Rooted in Confidence
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
Psalm 23
“Powerful and Personal”
Psalm 23 was written by David. Many of David’s Psalms show lament, struggle, and surrender. This particular Psalm oozes confidence in Who God is and how God acts. My hope for all of us during the next six weeks is to saturate ourselves in Psalm 23 so we can approach life rooted in the confidence of Who God is and how God acts so we can stand firm amidst the winds of life.
The Lord is my Shepherd
The word “Lord” contrasted with the word “shepherd” is an interesting juxtaposition. It is almost like combining the words “King” and “Peasant” together, combining the words “holy” and “comforter.” It describes God as both grandeur and yet personal. It really is a beautiful combination.
Yahweh
Also pronounced as Jehovah, comes from a verb which means “to exist.” Yahweh is considered the most powerful name of God. Yahweh becomes known as all-powerful to the Israelites. Yahweh becomes known as King over all of the earth.
Shepherd
As a child it is easy for us to get our head around and to embrace God as our shepherd, a guide, protector, and one who knows us by name. But as we get older, we tend to rely on our own strength, our own knowledge, and we find ourselves wandering and even sometimes lost trying to find our way home.
“I shall not want” … “I have all I need”
David in this Psalm is trying to say, “when we know in our depths that we belong” that is when we truly experience freedom and abundance. When you say the words, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” you are proclaiming profound words that God is concerned about you as a person and that our Creator gives you deep purpose and meaning.
Be rooted in the understanding that you belong to God!
Sermon Series: Hearing God
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
Acts 9:10-19
“Promptings”
We are in the middle of our Sermon Series Hearing God. I do believe God is constantly trying to get our attention because He loves us. There are times in all of our lives where we are just stopped in our tracks and we suddenly feel like God is speaking to us.
Theme: One of the ways God speaks to us is through promptings, Kairos moments.
I am defining promptings as holy moments when we experience nudges from God that can feel like an inner conviction, a restlessness towards action, an anguish feeling, or even a passion that causes us to act.
How can we know when a whisper is from God?
Over time as we learn to listen to God’s whispers, we start to develop some filters that help us determine when something seems to be from God rather than ourselves. A few weeks ago I shared some filters that Dallas Willard suggested. Today I want to suggest four questions:
God, is this prompting truly from You?
Is it scriptural?
Is it in tune with my own character?
What do people I most trust think about it?
The theological term for discovering if something is from God or not is discernment, where we determine, discern, wrestle with what we are hearing from God.
Sometimes I wish God would speak to me in an audible clear voice. But I am afraid God does not often speak in this way. I believe God speaks through promptings, whispers or through a quiet voice because in the wrestling of the discernment process as shared above, in the seeking of truth, intimacy with God is created.
Sermon Notes
Rev. Mat Grover
1 Kings 3:1-15
“Dreams”
95% of brain activity is beyond our conscious awareness.
“In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on mortals, while they slumber on their beds, then He opens their ears and seals their instruction.” Job 33:15-16 (adapted from NRSV)
1 Kings 3:10-15 (NIV)
“The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, ‘Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to Me and keep My decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.’ Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.”
The God Dream Test
1. God-given dreams won’t contradict Scripture.
2. God-given dreams will confront prejudice.
3. The meaning of the dreams isn’t always immediately discernible.
4. If you want to establish God’s reputation, you might have to risk yours.
God gives us dreams to keep our hope alive and draw us closer to Himself to remind us about His love and grace for us.
What are we doing to quiet the static noise in our lives in order for us to better hear what God is trying to say?
Sermon Series: Hearing God
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
Nehemiah 1:1-5
“Hopes and Heart Strings”
Our sermon series is based on the book, Whisper, by Mark Batterson. He describes different modalities or ways God speaks. Today we are going to look at a way God speaks to us that sometimes we can take for granted, and that is through our “desires.”
Psychologist Abraham Maslow made this statement, “A musician must make music, a builder must build, an artist must paint, a writer must write, if they are to be at peace with themselves.”
Often God speaks to us through the way He designed us, through our desires, hopes, and heart strings.
God speaks to us through our emotions. Sometimes in our society emotions get a bad rap. Even in faith circles, folks tell you to not put too much stock in emotions. But if you look at the stories of the Old and New Testament emotions fill the pages.
Our emotions often stir us to respond to God’s whispers.
- · God speaks through our tears of sadness and joy.
- · God speaks and stirs us to respond when we see injustice.
- · God speaks and stirs in our pocketbooks when we feel the need to give to an organization we believe in.
- · God speaks and stirs us to respond when we volunteer for something that tugs at our heart.
When it comes to the Holy Spirit stirring in our lives, it is not good enough to just hear the voice of God and relish in the intimacy. We are called to obey and respond to the very voice that is calling our name.
Allow the Holy Spirit to blow in your life and bring you back to what is really important in your life.
Sermon Series: Hearing God
Rev. Connie Randall
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Key of Keys
The First Language: Scripture
“The Bible is not just my starting point; it’s the final authority when it comes to matters of faith and doctrine. I believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God - Truth with a capital T.”
- Mark Batterson
The apostle Paul described Scripture as God-breathed in 2 Timothy 3:16. When we read Scripture, we’re inhaling what the Holy Spirit exhaled thousands of years ago. We’re hearing the whisper of God in breath tones.
The Bible was composed by more than 40 writers over 15 centuries in 3 languages on 3 continents. The authors range from farmers, fisherman, and kings to poets, prophets, and prisoners of war. It covers nearly every subject matter under the sun: law and history, poetry and prophecy, cosmology and theology. Yet, despite the fact that it touches on hundreds of controversial topics, it doesn’t contradict itself. In fact it reads like one book from start to finish. And that’s because there is one Author, the Spirit of God.
· One way or another, get into God’s Word so His Word gets into you. Then the Holy Spirit can quicken it when and where and how He wants.
· The Bible is our picture frame. It redefines possibility: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
The surest way to get into the presence of God is to get into the Word of God. It changes the way we think, the way we feel, the way we live, and the way we love.
Reflection:
Begin a Bible reading plan today! Asking the Holy Spirit to speak God’s truth to you.
Become doers of the Word, watch and see what God does!
Sermon Series: Hearing God
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
1 Samuel 3:1-9
Listening Hearts
At Pentecost in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit descended on the Disciples and they were filled with the Spirit which gave them power and courage. They performed miracles, signs and wonders. They experienced new life through the Holy Spirit.
There are always three main questions about the Holy Spirit:
- Who is the Holy Spirit?
- What does the Holy Spirit do?
- How do we access the Holy Spirit more and more in our lives?
The goal of this sermon series is to crack the door to have us open our hearts more to the power of the Spirit in our lives. Especially when it comes to hearing God. The presupposition and assumption of this sermon series is that God does indeed speak to us today and God does this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Theme:
If you want to experience more of the power of the Holy Spirit, if you want to hear more of God’s voice, it takes a posture and attitude where we are saying to God, “Speak, Lord, for I want to listen.”
Most of the time the Holy Spirit does not speak in the extraordinary, through fire, earthquakes, or trembling. Rather, most of the time, the Holy Spirit speaks to us quietly but powerfully through scripture, through prophetic words of others and through speaking to our hearts. But we have to be ready to listen.
Reflection:
Invite the Holy Spirit to fill every corner of your life…say to the Lord, “Speak, Lord, for I want to listen.”
Now go out this week looking and listening for God’s whispers in your life.
PULPIT SWAP!
We are excited to have Reverend Alison Harrington, Pastor of Southside Presbyterian as our guest preacher. Over the years we have partnered with Southside Presbyterian with their feeding program and many of their other initiatives, so we thought it would be fun in light of being part of a Presbytery of Connectional Churches that we would hear from each other. The Reverend Alison J. Harrington became Southside's Pastor in January, 2009, bringing with her a passion for Christ and for social justice. In the Fall of 2014, Alison was named by the Center for American Progress as one of 15 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2015, she was honored as the 2016 Distinguished Alumna for SFTS, and most recently was recognized as one of the "10 Women of Faith Leading the Charge Ahead" by Sojourners.
SERMON NOTES
John 20:19-23
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
“Waiting”
Over the years many of you have emailed and approached me about seasons in your life where you struggled because God had you waiting, in transition, or seasons, where you are not sure if God has made sense in your life. Waiting periods can feel like unanswered prayer. Depending on how we look at these seasons they can cause us to be filled with fear or be filled with anticipation. Post-Easter, post-Resurrection was one of these seasons for the Disciples. It was filled with the unknown.
Liminality (from the Latin word līmen, meaning "a threshold") The liminal state is characterized by ambiguity, openness, and is a period of transition where one's sense of identity dissolves to some extent, bringing about disorientation.
Theme: In times of waiting or in times of the in-between, we are on the threshold of God’s giving us a new sense of purpose.
John 20 tells us that Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon the Disciples.
In Luke 24, Jesus says, “And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Most of us go through seasons in our lives where we are waiting, a pregnant season of transition that can either cause us to be filled with fear or be filled with anticipation.
The key is seeing these seasons as a time of anticipation, the key is seeing these seasons as a time that God is giving us a new sense of purpose, the key is staying and waiting.
It ultimately goes back to trusting and waiting.
SERMON NOTES
Luke 14:16-23
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
“Come to the Table”
All of the macro and micro design of the universe points to something greater than ourselves. We get to behold creation. We were created to be in a relationship with the Creator where we can experience His wonder, peace, and purpose.
Theme: The Parable of the Great Banquet illustrates God’s Kingdom, where He loves all of us no matter what we have done or who we are. We are invited to God’s great Banquet, the Kingdom of God.
This scene of the Banquet is a prophetic image of Jesus’ redemptive and restorative plan for the world. Easter is a sunrise in the middle of complete darkness. Jesus on the cross paid for our sins once and for all and declared “it is finished.” We are no longer slaves. We are free. We are restored. We are home again to the place of love.
1. The Kingdom of God is about us experiencing God’s wonder and beauty.
2. The Kingdom of God is about experiencing the peace we have knowing that God loves us as we are.
3. The Kingdom of God is also about us having a purpose to love others.
This parable also gives us a model on how we are to love as God loves. We are called to “care” others into the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God is a “we” thing, it is a community where we have a purpose as individuals to “care” others into the Kingdom. This is where we pray with our feet.
I want all of you to leave today knowing Jesus is saying to you, trust me, follow Me, sit with Me, My Grace and Mercy is for all those who are in need of a savior. You are invited to come and experience My great embrace.
SERMON NOTES
Mark 13
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole/
Parables of Mark
“Live Ready Now”
I always like to think of Palm Sunday as the dress rehearsal for Jesus’ coronation as King. A dress rehearsal looks like the real thing but it is not the final thing. Our last parable in our series is two images we find in Mark 13:27-28 that describes our waiting for Jesus’ final return, that is often referred to as Jesus’ second coming.
Now, the beginning of Mark 13, leading up to the parable of Jesus’ return, is some of the toughest and most complex passages in the Gospel of Mark. Mark 13 is often seen as Apocalyptic literature which is a theme of Jewish literature that would utilize vision and imagery that often concerns itself with final events at the end of time. Jesus and Scripture warn us that before Jesus’ return there will be pain here on earth. However, He eventually reassures us that the end, ends with Him.
I want to argue that Mark 13 is giving us a historical perspective and an ultimate perspective.
First, there is the historical perspective.
Jesus was indeed prophesying and warning the disciples about a real event that was going to take place in 70 A.D. Titus, the adopted son of the Emperor at the time, burnt the Temple, destroyed Jerusalem, and crucified many. The world as they knew it had ended.
Second, there is an ultimate perspective.
Jesus in the parable here points to the “Parousia.” That is a fancy word to describe Jesus’ appearing as the King of all the world in His return to earth.
This passage is given to us for a very specific reason: to prepare followers of Jesus to stay faithful to Jesus no matter what happens.
This is what we proclaim on Palm Sunday: Jesus is King. Jesus is indeed returning, and we need to live ready now! We are called to trust and be faithful.
SERMON NOTES
Mark 12:1-11
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
The Parables of Mark
“Breaking Down the Barriers”
A few days after the cleansing of the temple, Jesus is being attacked by the religious leaders. They are trying to trap Him and eventually kill Him.
In the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus declares that as they reject Him, now the Kingdom of God will be given to others, you and me. No more barriers.
Theme: Let’s set God free in our church and in our personal lives.
In the Parable of the Tenant…
· The Landowner is God,
· The Son Who was killed is Jesus,
· The Wicked Tenants are the religious leaders,
· The Rejected Servants are the prophets of Israel who warned Israel, but Israel did not listen.
The New Tenants are the disciples, you and me, the followers of Christ. The New Covenant.
Jesus was symbolically showing in the cleansing of the Temple and with this Parable of the Tenants that the Spirit of God was going to abide in the heart of the believer. No longer would people worship God in the Holy Temple. No longer did your faith have to go through the religious leaders. Rather, God will be set free through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. The triune God exists as three persons, but one being. We have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the helper, guide, or comforter. The person of the Godhead Who dwells among us.
What are the barriers that keep God from running free in your life?
What are the barriers in your life that keep the Holy Spirit at a distance?
SERMON NOTES
Mark 4:1-20
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
Parables of Mark
The Path From the Ears to the Heart
Today we are going to look at one of Jesus’ first parables, the Parable of the Sower, found in Mark 4. It is also found in Matthew and Luke. The farmer scatters seeds on different soils.
As I was sharing last week, in order to understand the parables we have to understand the Kingdom of God. Jesus was not announcing a political, material kingdom that is bounded by geography, but instead, He was declaring that God’s reign, rule, and way of living is available to anyone who would “enter in” and receive it by faith.
Theme: We must open our ears and hearts so Jesus can take root.
Our ears and hearts must connect.
Let’s look at the parable a bit closer…
· The seed, the message of the Kingdom of God, is first sown on the hard path where when people hear it, it gets snatched up immediately.
· Next in the parable, the seed is sown on rocky ground where when people hear it, it eventually dies without roots.
· Third, the seed is sown on thorny soil, where when heard, the things of the world choke it out.
· And finally, the seed is sown on good soil, they hear the word and it penetrates, producing much fruit.
You can see a common theme when you start to look at lives of those who have been transformed by Christ. They are people who let the words of Jesus penetrate their heart.
SERMON NOTES
Mark 2:16-22
Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
Parables of Mark
New Wineskins
Today we start our new sermon series on the Parables of Mark. There are roughly seventy-four parables in all of the Gospels, depending how you count it. There are ten parables in the Gospel of Mark.
What is a Parable?
Equally with performing miracles Jesus told stories. Stories that were able to get under the skin of his listeners. Parables were often seen as earthly stories with heavenly meanings.
Today we are going to look at a parable found in Mark 2:21-22. But again, in order to understand the parable, we have to understand the whole context. The parable was in response to the Pharisees complaining about Jesus.
Jesus is using an image of old wineskins, old structures that will not hold new wine. It won’t work. Jesus is trying to say that if we put this new work of God into the thought forms and behavior patterns of John the Baptist movement or even the Pharisaic movement, all you will get is an explosion. Jesus is saying the Kingdom of God has authority and power that is a shatteringly new thing.
What is this Kingdom that is New Wine?
Jesus was not announcing a political, material kingdom that is bounded by geography but instead he was declaring that God’s reign, rule, and way of living is available to anyone who would “enter in” and receive it by faith.
Theme: We are the Wineskins, how we live our lives as believers determines if the world will see the New Wine of Jesus.
If you have not figured it out, we believers, we the followers of Christ, are the wineskins, we are the heralds of the Kingdom of God with what we say and how we live our lives.
SERMON NOTES
Rev. Jim Toole/Anxious for Nothing
Philippians 4:6-8
Meditation
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:6-8
We need good, healthy thinking combined with a good dose of relationship and trust with God.
Theme: Focus your thoughts and cling to Christ.
The word used for “think” or “meditate” in verse 8 is a familiar word in Greek. It is logizomai. From that word, we get the word for logic.
Paul is making a simple point, anxiety is best faced when we meditate on clear thinking and not negative thinking. When we meditate on our blessings, when we think about what is good in our lives, when we ponder things to praise God, when we get excited about our calling in the Kingdom of God, and when we share hope with others.
We also need to cling to Christ in our hearts.
The secret to a less-anxious living is not as much about doing more, but rather it is about abiding in Christ through every situation. Our goal is not to have everything figured out about our future. Our goal is to hold on to the hand of the One Who does and He is One Who will never let go.
Meditation Exercise
Look into your mirror piece and ask yourself these following two questions. Listen for God to speak to you (remember compassionate thoughts, not condemning thoughts).
1) How does God see you?
2) What does God want to tell you about yourself?
SERMON NOTES
Rev. Jim Toole/ Anxious for Nothing
Philippians 4:4-7
Peace
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
Peace is often seen as an internal state relative to our outward circumstances. Peace often is equated with happiness, family, our money, nature, and less stress.
The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom. It is defined as a totality of safety, satisfaction, blessing, completeness, and wholeness.
The Greek word for peace that is found in the New Testament means deep rest, freedom and security.
Theme: We must find peace in God and not our circumstances. God is the only one who can give us deep rest, freedom, and security.
Peace is part of God’s character as we often see God referred to as the God of Peace.
Peace is one of the great blessings God gives those who follow him.
God regularly commands His people to seek and pursue peace.
If we relate to God as peace, as shalom, as our completeness, we have assurance even if our circumstances are unsolvable.
Ken Sande in his book, describes Peace Makers as people who breathe grace. They draw continually from the goodness, peace and power of Jesus and then they exhale love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom to their daily encounters in life.
As we draw continually from the goodness, peace, and power of Jesus, then we exhale love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom to our daily encounters in life. We are called to experience peace and be peace makers.
SERMON NOTES
Rev. Jim Toole/ Anxious for Nothing
Philippians 4:4-7
WHAT IS IN THE BASKET?
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippian 4:4-7
Today we are going to look at making our requests known to God as found in verse six.
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Often, I use the phrase, “We have to let things go.” But for many things that cause us great stress and anxiety, it is less about letting it go and more about entrusting it to God.
Theme: We can entrust our heart’s desires to God
According to Max Lucado the terms prayer, supplication, and request are similar but not identical.
Prayer is general devotion, worship, and praise.
Supplication suggests humility as we bring our concerns before God.
Request is a specific petition with particulars.
If prayer, supplication, and making our request known to God are ingredients to encountering God, then the container that holds our prayers together is a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving.
Entrusting our heart’s desire to God requires habitual attention and communication with Jesus. God calls us to bring specific concerns small or large and make them known to Him.
What is it in your life you need to entrust to God?
What is it you need to put in a basket and let go of it and give to God?
SERMON NOTES
Rev. Jim Toole/ Anxious for Nothing
Philippians 4:4-7
Non-Anxious Presence
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
Last week we talked about rejoicing in verse four.
Today we are going to look at gentleness as found in verse five.
Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
The Greek word translated here as “gentleness” describes a temperament that is seasoned and mature. It is levelheaded, tempered, steady and fair. It is the opposite of erratic and panic.
There is a leadership term that I discovered years ago that revolutionized how I want to be as a Pastor. It is called being a Non-Anxious Presence.
It is a term made famous by Edwin Friedman; it is defined as a leader who responds with thoughtfulness, instead of reacting. Under conditions of extreme anxiety, most people become an anxious presence, lacking restraint and acting on impulse.
What would it look like for us to be people who, in the midst of conflict and turmoil, are a calm steady presence?
Theme: Being a non-anxious presence/gentleness is both a conscious choice and a reliance on the One who gives us our confidence.
There is static noise in all of our lives. There is the pressure we feel in society to get it all just right. If we put our confidence just in our own abilities, at some point we will not only fail, we will feel pressure and anxiety from within ourselves. As followers of Christ we must make the choice to have confidence that we have a Savior and God who is near.
We can’t forget the best part of this verse. As we make the choice to live in the confidence that our God is near and is holding us firm, it allows others around us to know God is near them as well.
Rev. Jim Toole/ Anxious for Nothing
Philippians 4:4-7
Sovereignty of God
This week we are starting a five-week sermon series based on the book, Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV)
Max Lucado describes four admonitions that lead to the wonderful promise of peace:
· Rejoice in the Lord
· Ask God for Help
· Leave your concerns with Him
· Meditate on Good Things
Rejoicing in the Lord
For Paul rejoicing was a byproduct of an internal confidence in the sovereignty of God.
Theme: Rejoicing is not just a feeling, but equally a decision to be deeply rooted in the confidence that God is in control and that God is good.
Sovereignty is a fancy theological term that has been used throughout Church History meaning God is the ultimate source of all power, authority, and everything that exists.
At the core of our Theology has to be the sovereignty of God. When small tears of doubt penetrate this core belief then suddenly we find ourselves taking matters in our own hands, we feel like we have to control things and eventually we can feel the weight of the world. When we wash ourselves with the truth - that we have a God and Savior Who is carrying not only the ills and tragedies of the world but is carrying our burdens as well - it is water to our soul. Being rooted in the Confidence that God is in control and God is good starts to filter and cleanse the anxiety that often haunts us.
Rev. Mat Grover
“Live Every Day”
Philippians 3:12-16
“Live Every Day”
Jonathan Swift who wrote Gulliver’s Travels had an unusual greeting for others- “May you live every day of your life!”
Philippians 3:12-16
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.
1. Forget yesterday – build on it – build from it
2. Live today – where you are – giving all you have
3. Trust tomorrow – because God is there
Are we as individuals and as a church living “every day of our lives”? Are we living abundantly?
In the new year, what do we need to do, as a church and as individuals to live life fully and press on towards the goal of Jesus Christ?
SERMON NOTES
Joseph / Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
Matthew 1:18-21
“The Beautiful Rhythm”
Theme: “Seeing an Angel” and “Being an Angel.”
We are called to experience the power of God and be the power of God to others. It is this beautiful rhythm for Advent, the holidays, actually for life where we encounter God and we respond. There is a fine line between the light of Christ we receive and the light of Christ we share with others. It is often intertwined, sometimes indistinguishable. Encounter and response is not just a rhythm we do, eventually it becomes an infusion of who we are becoming.
First, we must experience the power of God.
It all starts with opening our heart for God’s power to indeed do a miracle in our lives. My hope during this Christmas season is that all of us can slow down just enough so we can encounter God afresh.
What is the Christmas miracle you need in this season?
Where do you need a message from God?
Where do you need to encounter Jesus?
Second, we must be the power of God to others.
My prayer for all of us this Christmas season is for us to experience God’s power but also be God’s power. Again, it is this beautiful rhythm where we encounter God and we respond. Often God’s miracles are through people like you and me.
During the Christmas season we feel pressure to experience joy. It can feel at times that we are trying to manufacture joy, but joy really comes when we experience peace within our soul. Again, there is this fusion of experiencing joy and being joy for others.
Questions:
1. As you experience a miracle, who are you called to be a miracle to?
2. As you experience God’s power, how are you to demonstrate God’s power?
3. As you experience the light of Christ in your life, where are you called to be the light of Christ.
4. Where are you called to be and give joy?
SERMON NOTES
Joseph / Rev. Jim Toole
Matthew 1:18-20
Messy
Today we are on the second week of our Advent sermon series where we are looking at Christmas through the eyes of Joseph.
Theme: The Redemptive Story of God Is Messy
I. The story of God coming to us as Jesus, the incarnation is messy.
II. Jesus’ ministry is often messy.
III. The Cross is messy.
IV. Through the resurrection there is blessing and redemption.
The Redemptive Story is indeed messy because redemption is about God turning our messiness and brokenness into a blessing.
In Matthew, the Christmas Story, the story of Jesus, the story of God becoming one of us, starts off with a scandal. Mary becomes pregnant and Joseph is not the father. Joseph faced a dilemma, he could call off the marriage, but in this culture, this would bring extreme shame upon Mary and in some circumstances, she could be stoned to death. The other option would be to divorce her and Mary would not be disgraced, rather he would. Joseph decided not to take the easy road but the higher road even though it was going to leave him with a lifetime of shame.
If we want to experience restoration/redemption then we must first acknowledge our mess.
If we want to experience restoration/redemption then we must also reveal ourselves.
• We must reveal ourselves to ourselves.
• We must reveal ourselves to God
• We must reveal ourselves to others.
Question: During this Advent season what reality do you need to face, large or small, to acknowledge and reveal to God?
SERMON NOTES
Joseph / Rev. Jim Toole
1 Corinthians 15:55-58
Faithfulness
Today we are starting a new sermon series looking at Joseph of Nazareth. The primary resource I will be using is the book, Faithful by Adam Hamilton. We often hear more about Mary in the birth narrative. There is relatively little in Scripture, only sixteen verses in the Bible mention Joseph by name.
Theme: Faithfulness is trusting God and following His call even when we do not understand it all.
Joseph had a very important role in the redemptive story of all of creation. But he never got to see the fulfillment of it in his lifetime.
N.T. Wright describes that often we Christians are content with separating our future hope from present responsibility. If God is going to transform this present world and renew our whole selves ,then Paul reminds us that we are not to sit idle in the here and now waiting for our future. Rather we are to live faithfully in the present. Your labor is not in vain.
Faithfulness really is about asking ourselves:
“Who” and “How” is God calling me to live right now in my life? Not yesterday, not tomorrow but in the here and now.
Faithfulness is taking one step forward at a time even when it does not make sense.
What does being faithful look like for you in this season of your life?
SERMON NOTES
Wesley Challenge / Rev. Jim Toole
John 7:37-44
Relationship With God: an Upward Focus
Methodist Pastor Chris Folmsbee is one of the first to take the 21 Questions of the Holy Club and turn them into a 21 day devotional for self-reflection and spiritual growth. This devotional, The Wesley Challenge, has taken off across our country and churches are challenging their members to take the 21 Day Wesley Challenge, and so do I challenge all of you.
Upward Focus (Questions 1-7)
Is Jesus real to me?
Am I enjoying prayer?
Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscious is uneasy?
Did the Bible live in me today?
Did I disobey God in anything?
Do I pray about the money I spend?
Do I give time for the Bible to speak to me every day?
Is Jesus real to me?
Who is Jesus to you? What would your quote about Jesus be?
Jesus is to me…
Am I enjoying prayer? Did the Bible live in me today?
There is an underlying assumption in these questions that we need relationship with God. When we dissect Jesus philosophically or even theologically or when we put Jesus into a box we lose sight that ultimately Jesus needs to be defined not just by what we believe of Him but how we relate to Him. How we relate with Jesus starts affecting what we believe of Jesus.
Knowing God versus Experiencing God
We need to know Jesus with our heart and mind?
My hope as we go through the Wesley challenge and prayerfully ask ourselves these 21 questions that it will stir a small awakening in our souls.
SERMON NOTES
Stewardship/ Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
Acts 6:1-7
Holy Chaos
After lots of feedback, research, discernment and discussion we discovered three priorities we want to focus on for the next several years in addition to the things we are already doing.
Church Priority 1 - Church Life
Church Priority 2 - Family Ministries/Discipleship
Church Priority 3 - Communications for the 21st Century
Based on the analysis of the Action Learning Team and input from both staff and committees, Session has implemented these changes:
• Permanently change from a 3 Pastor Model to a 2 Pastor Model
• Change Cluster Structure from 4 to 3 Clusters (Church Life and Family Ministries Cluster, Evangelism and Outreach Cluster, Support Cluster)
• Change Pastor Mat’s title and job description to Associate Pastor of Church Life and Family Ministries
• Maintain Adult Discipleship Director
• Increase Care Ministries by adding an Assistant Director of Care
• Communication Coordinator (Digital Media, Web, Publications)
• Missions/Outreach – ensure and maintain strong missional focus
We believe these changes will help align us as a church to be who we are called to be in the 21st Century. But I want to be very clear here: if we are to be a healthy church in the 21st century it will take all of us!
Theme: It takes all of us!
If we want to be a healthy church, it takes all of us offering all of ourselves.
If we want to be a healthy church, it takes all of us being sent out.
To be a church that is intergenerational, missional, Biblical, cares for our city, cares for our world, and cares for our own church community, it will not always be smooth sailing. It will be more like Holy Chaos. We will need to be a church where everyone is being called to use their specific gifts!
SERMON NOTES
Creed / Rev. Dr. Jim Toole
1 Corinthians 15:42-44
“What Is Heaven Like?”
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Today we are going to look at the Resurrection and Life Everlasting. The whole idea of eternity/heaven is a difficult concept to wrap our mind around. None of us has a very good mental model of what eternity looks like. Even though the Bible does not give us any conclusive description of what Heaven will be like, there are glimpses in Scripture.
The historical theological view of Heaven is twofold.
Christ’s return will usher in a New Creation, a New Earth, and a New Heaven.
Christ’s return will usher in the moment that all who have died will rise again.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NRSV)
So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NRSV)
For the Lord Himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.
All the sunrises and sunsets, symphonies and rock concerts, feasts and friendships are but whispers. They are a prologue to the grander story and an even better place. Only there, it will never end.
“Its not on sin, but Grace”
Creed / Rev. Mat Grover
Romans 3:23-24
Belief in the forgiveness of sins is only good news if we first understand that we need forgiveness, and to make sense of that understanding we must first understand sin.
The word for sin in the New Testament is ἁμαρτία (harmartia) meaning missing the mark. It is used in Greek Tragedy to refer to the fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero.
1. We all need forgiveness.
Romans 3:22-23 he says the righteousness of God through faith in in Jesus is for all who believe, for there is no distinction, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
2. God forgiveness is for us all.
Psalm 103:9-12 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
3. Because we are forgiven, we must forgive.
Ephesians 4:31-32 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Homework:
Where do you need to ask for forgiveness? From God? From Yourself?
Where do you need to forgive others and work towards redemption?
