Harambee Church

What does it all mean?

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:19:08 CDT

What is the Church? Why does the Church exist? What is the Church supposed to do? The Church is the Body of Christ nurturing the community within by the transforming power of the Gospel of Christ and sharing that work with those that are called outside the buildings walls.

The Glory of God in the Gospel of God, Reading the Cultural Texts Around Us

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:48:06 CDT

How does the gospel best move into a culture? Is it through power and influence, or is it through an informed band of believers living out their life on every level of human culture? How can we be involved with culture and engage it intelligently, without falling into the mechanisms and world systems that ultimately destroy it? How does the gospel story intersect the human one? Only by reading the culture, can we answer that question.

The Glory of God in the Gospel of God, How Has the Culture Shaped the Gospel?

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:07:21 CDT

We are called to be ambassadors of the Gospel of Christ to the culture by using the culture to illustrate it as Paul did to the Gentiles but we should not let the culture shape God's Gospel or our theology. The worldviews and philosophies within a culture often shape us without us knowing it. God gives Adam and Eve a clear story, yet they chose to believe in another “Has God said…?” (Genesis 3:1). It is this restructuring toward our own desire to be god that shapes the gospel we preach.

How Does the Gospel Lead Us?

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:56:38 CDT

We are blessed to have Jeff Vanderstelt return and speak again to our congregation on how we are shaped by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel to be missional to our communities in our everyday lives, rhythms.

How Does the Gospel Shape Us?

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:15:45 CDT

We are blessed to have Jeff Vanderstelt speak to our congregation on how the Gospel, through the Holy Spirit, shapes us through our submission to Christ.

The Glory of God in the Gospel of God, What is the Gospel?

Sun, 25 May 2008 21:32:51 CDT

What the Gospel is not: 1.The Gospel is Not Therapy 2.The Gospel is Not Law/Moralism 3.The Gospel is Not “Self Discovery” 4.The Gospel is Not “Enlightenment” 5.The Gospel is Not Social Restructuring/Nationalism The Gospel is God’s “Good News” of His in-breaking into human culture in order to justify and save His people (Through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ), and establish His kingdom/Lordship (Through the establishment of His Church) to the glory of His name.

The Glory of God in the calling of Motherhood

Sun, 11 May 2008 20:58:16 CDT

Mother's Day is a special day in our culture where we honor mother's of the past, present and future, and the impact they have had in our lives. We live in a culture where mothers are not valued in the way God intends them to be valued. We will see that the Scriptures have much to say about the significance that mothers have in the redemptive story of God.

Who Is the Holy Spirit, and Why Does It Matter?

Sun, 04 May 2008 19:48:56 CDT

The Holy Spirit may be the most misunderstood in all of scripture! Is He an energy force? Is He a manifestation of power much like Kali is a manifestation of Shiva in Hinduism? Is the Holy Spirit God, and what does He do? God’s mysteries are amazing, and I think a reminder of His infinite being and our finite minds.

Genesis: 25 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:24:51 CDT

Why does God chose whom he choses? In this passage we see three incidents where God seems to choose one group/person over another. The answer may be as simple as the gospel is more about God and His glory than it is for our own glory. God blessed Isaac, because He had chose this line of Abraham to be the line that would one day produce the Messiah. God continually appears as the sovereign one here, which leads us back to the question why again? Romans 9 attempts to answer this question, but I would also say that the story we have unfolded in these past 12 chapters also helps us understand, why.

Genesis: 24 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:10:14 CDT

We do not “Control” God in any way. This is true in healing, miracles, etc. These are done for God’s will, in His timing. Are we trusting God for key issues in our life? Do we consult God when it comes to decisions such as whom we are going to spend our lives with? What are you struggling with in regards to God’s will, and your life? Are we trusting that God loves us, and is acting on our behalf on a regular basis? Are we giving God gratitude for what He does regularly in your lives?

Genesis: 23 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:39:11 CDT

Death is ultimate and inevitable we cannot put our hope in temporal healings and desire to keep ourselves alive. Death reminds us of our mortality, and brings us into a sobering reality that our life, as we are living it, will cease someday. Death is not natural, and is the very thing that Christ conquers in His death and subsequent resurrection from the dead.

Genesis: 21 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:33:30 CDT

What is joy, what is blessing? Our church culture today spends much of its time fabricating joy, and chasing blessings that are fabricated, temporal and ultimately meaningless. There is one popular TV preacher (Identity withheld) that wrote, “God is a partner who exists primarily to make sure we’re happy.” It isn’t just a false gospel that can write this stuff, it is ultimately a joy robbing statement. If God exists for us, we can pity this world, because there is nothing greater than the things we can fabricate. There is nothing, or no one to worship, but ourselves, which is ultimately what aberrant theology does; move our eyes from Him, to ourselves!

Genesis: 20 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:00:34 CDT

Abraham was protecting himself or the promise. Either way he was trying to save himself on his own terms, and failed to trust God, and allowed his fear of man dominate his relationship with God and his wife. He often stumbled because of this fear, whether or not it was a fear of man, or a fear of his wife, he wasn’t able to be bold when he needed to be, because he was trying to protect some very dear things in his mind, and he feared giving them over to God.

Genesis: 22 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:35:36 CDT

In today’s epic, we will see not only an incredible transformation of Abraham’s heart, but an incredible picture of God’s grace in our own lives. Abraham displays a great faith, but the hero of this story remains God, who gave him that great faith. Faith is so often mischaracterized as: the more faith you have the more change you will see. However Jesus said that all it takes is the faith of a mustard seed (Very small seed) to move mountains, the size of your faith is not the issue, but the one whom which you place it.

Genesis: 19 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:36:28 CDT

The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as recorded in Genesis 19 is the object of ridicule and skepticism from many critics. Indeed, Genesis 19 is a difficult passage even for Christians, as it exposes us to one of the more terrifying aspects of God’s character, His justice. Today we will be taking a different approach to this story in an effort to show that if we understand it in way it traditionally has been interpreted (i.e., God exacting vengeance on a city that has become savagely orgiastic and therefore uncontrollable), we will have understood it in exactly the wrong way.

Genesis: 18 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:37:48 CDT

In this chapter we have an amazing interaction between Abraham and God that reveals important things about both Abraham’s and God’s character. What you’ll see is Abraham maturing significantly in his faith and God revealing to Abraham and to us his justice and grace. From this passage we’ll extract five characteristics and discuss their application for us today.

Genesis: 17 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:39:39 CDT

Why circumcision? That question has been asked forever, but I think there are at least a few things that can be added to the conversation. A ritual called circumcision expressed the sign of the covenant. The ritual, like many other rituals in the bible are not necessarily unique to the bible, and demonstrates that God is truly a missional God, who uses many customs in the culture he is speaking into in order to contextualize His message, and often complete the story with His own.

Genesis: 16 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:40:06 CDT

This week Sarai and Abram take the promise of GOD into their own hands rather than trusting and waiting on GOD in HIS perfect time. Our couple take an episode from Desperate Tent Wives and break the covenant GOD gave us through marriage. Any sexual act outside of this union is wrong because it deconstructs the sexual function from being pro-creative, emotionally satisfying and God glorifying to being only emotionally satisfying without the commitment of the other two. We are a work in progress, there will be many times in our lives that our doubts, and our desires will get the best of us, even when we are trying to please God with our desires. There will be times when we will give in to the desire to try and please God through your own works, instead of allowing God’s promise to be fulfilled in you.

Genesis: 15 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:40:36 CDT

God is our Protector and Our Prize; God’s Promise is Not Limited by Our Doubts; Faith Has Always Been the Gateway to God’s Righteousness; God is Completely Sovereign in our Missional Lives; God is The Faithful Covenant God: How does God’s sovereignty comfort you? How does it confuse you? What does it mean to have God’s righteousness counted on your account? What does this say about you and your identity in Christ? Are we supposed to understand it completely?

Genesis: 14:17-24 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:41:17 CDT

Can you imagine what it would be like to leave the comfort of friends and family for the complete unknown, and then realize the area you are led to is not a very friendly place, especially for your people? In this segment of scripture we see a couple of things that are intriguing. First, Yahweh is greater than any obstacle you will face, and secondly, He is also responsible to defeat the obstacles that would hinder His call on your life. Let’s journey on with Abram and Sarai, as God continues to reveal Himself and His vision to them in quite unconventional ways.

Genesis: 14:1-16 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:42:46 CDT

So often ignorant people look into the pages of the Old Testament and see a mean, capricious God. This is because they can only view the text horizontally from their own human, 21st century perspective. Our text today sounds like the gulf war (1991 version), with many nations participating, but these kings are more or less kings of cities, rather than countries. This is why “Kings” (Feudal Lords) would bind together to fight, because it would strengthen their armies against the surrounding Kings. Therefore Abraham’s armies of 318 would have been formidable, especially as it combined forces with the remaining armies of the defeated kings. This isn’t a story of great faith, or great warring; it’s a story of a great God who is sovereign in our lives, and who is providentially connected to His design and plan in the world.

A People Of Purpose

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:04:49 CST

The sum of the entire Bible and the entire gospel is God's glory in Christ. As the church, we are the everyday, practical-yet-incredible demonstration of that good news to the world. As such, our lives and every waking moment are part of a larger purpose; because we are God's people, and God's people have purpose.

Genesis: 13 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:43:24 CDT

Genesis 12:10-20 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:45:22 CDT

Genesis 12:1-9 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:44:51 CDT

God called Abram (“Exalted Father”) to make his name great on His terms. This story is the lynchpin connecting point between the history of humanity and the history of God’s elect; the history of the curse, and the history of the blessing. What’s interesting to see in this story, as well as the story of the whole bible, is God’s sovereign intent for His people and the world. He is not a tribal deity, and His “Chosen” do not exist for themselves, but for His glory and His mission, and it is also important to note that we will all be surprised who God’s “Elect” are!

The Transformation Series: The Living Water of the Spirit in Us

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:21:00 CST

In Christ, you have been made a fruit tree and enabled to bear fruit even in the midst of trial and pain. You are a child of God and no longer need to try and win anyone’s love and approval. You are free in Christ to enjoy the things that He has given you, and free to break the chains of sin in your life because you no longer need other things to bring you joy and significance.

Behold the King and His Kingdom!

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:16:51 CST

Follow along or listen to Mike Gunn as he guides us through the Historical Jesus and His importance to us and why we hold Advent and December 25th, as a time we revere the incarnate GOD and His purpose in time for all eternity.

The Transformation Series: A Change of Heart

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:49:01 CST

God wants us to show obedience out of love and loyalty, not out of law and conformity. The heart is central to obedience. Religion judges the outward appearance of man, and doesn’t see the heart. The idea of “Christ in your hearts,” is not a spatial thing; it is qualitative. It is all too often misused to mean some superficial choosing of Jesus to join our own agendas. This has to do with the Holy Spirit empowering you to live in the love of Christ in everything we do.

The Transformation Series: Keeping the Cross in Mind

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 21:36:44 CST

The Transformation Series: Why Are There So Many Thorns in My Garden?

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:47:16 CST

Notice that in many religious systems we are asked either to obey to be loved or to forsake “earthly” things in order to be made right. Yet both of those systems do not get rid of sin, motivate anyone, or change the heart. The Christian walk is not a life of seclusion and separation, but a life of redemption that continues to change a life to reveal what real life is like; expressing that life in a heart change, not a rule change.

The Transformation Series: Transformation from the Inside Out

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:12:26 CST

We are in a spiritual battle for our minds and our hearts. Everything in this world points you away from Christ toward the next best thing to fulfill you life. Our response is NOT to separate us from the world, because that doesn’t change our heart, rather we are to begin to seek God in word and prayer to change us so that we can engage our world in mission with a heart that is less pleased with the world, and much pleased with Christ.

The Transformation Series: Taking a Look at Real Reality

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:32:28 CST

Our world really has a hard time believing in the presence of evil personified in a being such as Satan. The Buddhist worldview says that the current world is an illusion Hinduism also believes that all matter is illusory and that our problems are a result from another life. Islam, says that the world is wicked because the world isn’t yet subject to “Shariah” (The laws of the Holy Quran). Marxism/Humanism says that evil is either a product of materialistic reductionism and/or inequity of capital distribution. The Christian message is not merely cognitive (Right thinking) or behavioral (Right actions); it is a surgery of the heart that only God can perform by entering into a relationship with Him based solely on the work of His Son on the cross.

The Transformation Series: The Good News of Life's Trials

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 01:17:56 CST

Have you ever felt alone during a struggle because you thought no one would understand? Are you hiding struggles and pain because you’re afraid of what someone may think? In the bible we see many circumstances of the results of sin in people’s lives, including the lives of those that are considered “godly.” The fact is, Heat is a human reality and many times we will believe the lie that God isn’t present. But according to His word, He is, and He cares.

The Transformation Series: Change God's Way

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 01:18:21 CST

As believers, it is important to see that God is present in the circumstances of our life, and that we need to see the “Big Picture,” which helps us understand that God is using our circumstances to help us change and be transformed into the image of His Son. That “Big Picture” consists of HEAT, THORNS, FRUIT, CROSS. Instead of trying to change our circumstances, God is trying to change our heart!

The Transformation Series: "It Takes a Village"

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 01:18:42 CST

All too often we approach our faith with a western, individualistic mindset. So we interpret passages to mean that they are to be carried out be me and me alone. If we are going to be more like Christ (Which we have seen is God’s goal for us), then we too must learn to live in community. It is living in community that we are truly human.

The Transformation Series: Who Are You Married To??

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 21:00:14 CDT

What is the goal of our faith? Well we know that the goal of Paul’s instruction is love which should give us a clue to God’s goal for us. We have a perfect metaphor for what God desires to have with us. He desires nothing more than a spouse desires for himself or herself. God demands our passion for Him. His jealousy is often seen as a flaw in His own character. This is simply not true. God seeks our praise because He, and He alone is praiseworthy!

The Transformation Series: Where is God Taking You?

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 18:11:16 CDT

Do we have what we need to live godly lives? How can our knowledge of eternity help us live presently? Why are people often spiritually ineffective? What is God’s goal for us? In these next few months we are going to be taking a look at how the gospel changes people, and what are the obstacles for transformation in our lives.

John 20:30-21:25 Grace at the Breakfast Table

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:49:02 CDT

Today, we see an ethereal vignette reminding us that God is motivated by His love, and the grace He bestows on all men. He is a gracious, good God! Our story centers on Jesus making breakfast for His disciples. God’s grace is found in the mundane, ordinary events in our human existence. In spite of all of our failures and sins, God still wants to commune with us.

John 20:1-29 A Resurrection of Hope

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:01:54 CDT

We have seen that Christ’s death and burial was purposed by God to kill our sins, and bring forth justice in His cross, and because of that we are free to live for God, and live with Him eternally! Today we will take a look at the importance of the resurrection, without which there would be no power in the promises that God makes to us in His Son, and we’d be dead in our sins, still working our way to a god that is impotent.

John 19:38-42 Secret Disciples!

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:19:55 CDT

Are you a “Secret Disciple?” Nicodemus and Joseph were both wealthy, religious, good men, searching for the kingdom, which is the right thing to do. They were righteous dudes, but they were overcome by the life of Christ, and ultimately changed by His death. What causes us to be transformed? First it is the power of the Holy Spirit transforming our lives, but secondly, it is our belief that in Christ we are “Dead to sin!”

John 19: 17-37 The Death of God, or the Glory of a King?

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 21:59:25 CDT

The cross is an enigma. It is an event that people can’t seem to come to terms with. It is a barbaric event that God used for His own glory, and our salvation! It speaks of sin, justice, love and the wrath of God. It is a symbol of balance, hatred, grace and shame. The cross is the defining point in human history. It is the event that unites heaven and earth, and clears the way for us to relate to God in a personal way.

John 18:12-19:16 The Ironic Coronation

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 21:27:18 CDT

It is so easy to blame the Jews or Pilate for the death of Jesus, and not come to a heartfelt understanding that it was in reality our own sins that sentenced Christ to that tree, and that shame. In spite of this, Jesus’ death happened because our sins indicted Him.

John 18:1-14 A Journey Into Glory

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 18:55:47 CDT

The fact is that those in power often persecute those that disagree with them. We have seen this all through history, and almost no one is exempt from this temptation. This is what Christianity did to Jews when they got in to places of power. The biblical reality is that both the Jews and the gentiles were culpable we are culpable and God was completely in control of His death.

John 17 Jesus Missional Prayer

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 18:52:47 CDT

As pastor John Piper writes, “His demand for supreme praise is His demand for our supreme happiness.” Atheist Ayn Rand once said that, “Admiration is the rarest and best of pleasures.” If this is true then what we admire is important, Jesus secures this glory as an act of love on the cross for our own sake. Therefore Jesus’ prayer for glory is ultimately a missional prayer for our joy and pleasure. Jesus makes it known that those that are in Him are secure in Him. If God chose us, we do not choose out. We are secure in His grace.

John 15:18-16:33 Ministering from the Margins of Persecution

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:12:17 CDT

No matter how you choose to live, and how you choose to love, you will be hated in some degree. The fact of the matter all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted by those in opposition to Jesus. Jesus is both passionate and explicit in this passage in reminding us of the reality of living in Him to truly forsake the world (System of thought) and love God is an act of God in our lives by His Spirit.

John 15:1-17 Fruitful Living

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:41:25 CDT

Abide in Christ! This command is the foundation for what is ultimately expected by God for those that believe. We as Christians are not called to sit on our hands but God has appointed us to bear fruit for the kingdom that we would live radically different lives in the here and now as we participate in God’s plan of redemption and the restoration of his kingdom.

John 14:1-31 Is Jesus The Way?

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:57:10 CDT

By Christ’s blood, we become everlasting participants in the Divine community of perfect Love. The problem for the unbeliever isn't that he can not find the true God, it is that He can not love the God who he finds sitting next to him at the dinner table. Not only has Jesus made it possible for us to love Him, He has also made it easy for us to love Him by sending the Spirit of God to us.

John 13:1-38 Becoming Good to Great

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:56:24 CDT

Until we are “Washed” by God, we are useless for any good works. This is indicative from Christ’s statement in verse 8 to Peter. This act of Christ leads to the Second meaning and duty that is Our Standard of Service/Humility in Christ. We are called to love like Christ loved, unconditionally! His love sacrifices for the other so that His father can be glorified, so that others can enjoy the glory of God! We are definitely in need of a foot washing in order to be experientially cleansed from our sin, but we must see that the gospel of Jesus Christ has cleansed us, and we are free to serve Him, and love Him, and then to love one another!

John 12:37-50 The Pain of Unbelief

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 22:15:23 CDT

Does God harden your heart, or does your unbelief harden your heart? This appears to be the question of the ages, and one that is a bit of a paradox, since they both appear true in scripture. Our choices bear responsibility and have grim consequences, but God in His sovereignty uses our choices to accomplish His will. Our will/choices are proximate, while God’s remains ultimate. God does not violate our will, but He is in complete control of the results. This may be the grand mystery of how this all works, but it is the heart of a loving God to save, which He has done to His glory through His Son Jesus Christ.

John 12:27-36 A New Kind of Power in Power 3

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 21:54:23 CDT

Death is not natural and rightly causes distress since we know it to be unnatural. Therefore fear and agony are normal responses. Jesus appears to have more fear and anguish than many men. How come? There are at least two good reasons for His response. First, death is not natural. Secondly, the agony that Christ is about to experience goes far beyond what any death could bring. He who was sinless was about to become sin, and separate from His Father.

John 12:20-26 A New Kind of Power in Power 2

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:20:30 CDT

We spend our time and money to make ourselves happy, but we never seem content. Jesus comes and gives Himself up for the sake of the world, and calls His people to do the same. The best way to fulfillment is in emptying ourselves at His cross, and drinking in His glory on our behalf.

John 12:12-19 A New Kind of Power in Power

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 20:55:29 CDT

While the world awaits a savior from oppressive regimes, Christ came to bring an end to death. Political upheaval may help to assuage human pain, but it doesn’t change hearts or give eternal life. Political change most often ends in its own form of corruption. It is for this reason that Jesus doesn’t pursue political power, even though He challenges the oppressive political figures of His day.

John 12:1-11 An Attitude Adjustment

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:13:11 CDT

We can easily get our priorities out of whack, and begin to serve God or the poor based on duty, guilt, fear and pride, and fail to recognize that when we properly place our affections on Christ, and the gospel transforms our life doing things like helping the poor become second nature. Christ has forgiven us but we must live our lives in constant reminder that we are sinners in need to repent for our sin.

John 11:45-47 The Tyranny of the Convenient and the Gift of Grace

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 18:38:20 CDT

It is God who is sovereignly working behind the scenes to use evil for His own glory. He is working to re-center self-centered people on the only center worth living for, God Himself. How often do we reject God for our own convenient reasons, and then justify them with solid reasoning? The religious establishment saw a man raised from the dead, and still had hearts that looked to their own convenience, and places of power. “The Romans will come and take away our place (Their religion) and our nation” (Their Ethnic Identity).

John 11:1-45 Sickness Not Unto Death!

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 19:55:18 CDT

Who have you lost? What have you lost? How is living in this fallen world painful? Is your Christianity mental only? Is yours based in bitterness towards God for the pain in your life? Our natural reactions are found in Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha, and the people who also loved Lazarus. Jesus wants to show us in a grand way that “This sickness will not end in death.” Our world is sick and messed up, and death is that grand reminder that this world is a messed up place. Jesus is going to use Lazarus’ death to set up the reality of His own death...

Romans 8:28-39 Living Free in Christ 6

Sun, 27 May 2007 21:03:36 CDT

We are either living according to the “Flesh” (Our self-saving, god-mitigating self), or we are living according to the Spirit (Grace, forgiveness, justification). Our salvation is wholly the work of God in our lives, and not our own mechanisms that often fill in the “Gospel Gaps,” that take place of the real gospel of God’s grace in a person’s life. This is where it all hinges on this doctrine of predestination. Our comfort and hope is in this reality, not our own strength, and religious ways to feel righteous. It simply isn’t up to you, but up to the God “who didn’t spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all.”

Romans 8:13-27 Living Free in Christ 5

Sun, 20 May 2007 01:48:53 CDT

If we live by the flesh (Our own self saving, self controlling mechanisms) we will die (Spiritually and eternally). Life’s circumstances have a huge bearing on our growth, and how the heat of life’s trials either move us toward God, resulting in repentance, faith and fruit, or move us away from God and toward the thorns that result in our hardened hearts, when we continue to operate in our own self control mechanisms.

The Unreal Woman: Proverbs 31

Sun, 13 May 2007 18:55:15 CDT

Our culture is a strange one. Depending on what magazine article or book you read, you could be led to believe that children and being a mom are an anathema, and a drain on your lifestyle, or that children are mini-gods to be worshiped and adored every moment of their waking days. Being a mom in today’s world is not an easy task. When we are guilted into trying to be a perfect mom, the task will only become more difficult. Moms need to find their identity and focus from Christ, and join Him in His mission in the world.

Redeeming the Compass of the Heart

Sun, 06 May 2007 21:40:20 CDT

Amongst all our many desires, aspirations, and longings is there any unifying purpose? What does the bible have to say? Do you worship God? Do you treasure God? We were created to worship our Creator. Worship is what we’re called to do.

Romans 8:1-13 Living Free in Christ 4

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:14:50 CDT

God is more concerned with your motives (Heart) than with your behavior (Actions). Behavior changes can be a mask for the sins of the heart, and changing behavior is not the goal of Christian transformation, loving God with our heart, mind and soul is, and loving our neighbor as a result of that change is certainly the goal of the gospel. So the gospel gives you the ability to change, and the method by which we can identify our real problem (Our desire to be our own gods), but it also goes beyond this to give us the power to change. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we change.

Romans 7:1-25 Living Free in Christ 3

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 20:58:43 CDT

Sin’s presence deeply indwells who we are, but it is our transformed nature that can “Mortify” our sin and battle against it motivated by God’s love for us, and empowered by His Holy Spirit to do it. Killing off sin has more to do with knowing who we are and what power exists in us and how imbedded sin is in the human condition than it does using behavioral modification techniques to change the things we do not like about ourselves. Romans 7 gives a picture of the human heart that the principles need to be applied to, while Romans 8 tells us how these principles are to be applied for transformation to be a reality.

Romans 6:15-23 Living Free in Christ 2

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:59:23 CDT

What does it take to push the “nice” person to the brink of their “true” self? We are all sinful and fall short of the glory of God, and in need of His grace in order to experience life in this life and beyond the grave. Holiness is truly an issue of the heart. It would be easy to judge a person’s “Good works” and say that person is a righteous person, but their heart is far from God.

Romans 6:1-14 Living Free in Christ 1

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:59:38 CDT

“Should we sin that grace may abound?” It is the clearest teaching in the bible that salvation is from God’s grace and not our actions. Now Paul rhetorically asks that question and some are actually accusing him. Today on the Lord’s Resurrection day, let’s focus on the death, burial and resurrection as the framework for our freedom, and the great hope we have in Christ! Basically, you will be enslaved to something, either God or something else.

John 10:19-42 The Far-Sightedness of a Hard Heart

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 23:43:59 CDT

G.K Chesterton once quipped, “What we need is a religion that is not only right when we are right, but right when we are wrong!” Hearts that are hard to the truth of God’s word cause division. The problem with a hard heart is that unless God acts on its behalf, it will remain hard. So when men reject Christ it is not because God makes them do it, but that He doesn’t do anything to change it.

John 10:1-18 The Good Shepherd

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 11:23:45 CDT

Welcome back Mike! Give us some wisdom from the scriptures: God is known in the OT as the shepherd of His people (Psalm 23, 80, 100; Isaiah 40:10, 11), and the gospels go into details in the two parables of the shepherd to explain how God, as the loving shepherd, goes out of His way for even one lost sheep. Imagery of the “Shepherd” is huge in both OT literature and extra-biblical literature. Jesus is both the gate (way in) as well as the shepherd (the protector once in).

John 9 Can You See Your Blindness?

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 18:58:34 CDT

Have you ever felt like you’ve been dealt a bad hand? Have you ever asked the question, why me, why this, or why now? Have you ever felt that you’ve been given an unfair deal in life and God is nowhere to be found? We come to a story here in John Chapter 9, where we find man who was dealt a bad hand in life. We’re going to take a look at this man. This story will help us understand what God’s purpose is in our struggles. We’re going to see a couple of ways that people in general react to the purposes of God. One of them brings life and the other brings death.

John 8:12-59

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:08:38 CDT

John 7:53-8:11 Being Transformed By Grace

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 22:38:13 CST

John7:10-52 How Truth Brings Forth Life

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 22:43:49 CST

Who’s your Jesus? Is He the prize or the prize giver? Is your life flowing with the river of life, or are still in the business of building cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water? In the midst of unbelief and the desire to kill Him, Jesus offers His enemies grace and a promise, which should remind us of our need to do the same. Jesus gained His sustenance from His Father’s word, and so should we.

John 6:59-71 The Hard Sayings of Jesus Pt. 2

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 18:17:30 CST

When Jesus looses the majority of his followers his disciples were grumbling and complaining that the words were too “hard” (“sklaros” hard, offensive, harsh). Christ asks them, “Does this offend you?” The word He used for offend is “skandalizo” (we get our word “scandalous” from this Greek root) and means stumbling block. Jesus isn’t afraid to offend humanity to prove a point. Would our Mega Church Preachers do the same?

John 6:26-58 The Hard Saying of Jesus Pt. 1

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:38:36 CST

Jesus begins to take on the crowd, and the religious leaders, and exhorts them to turn to Him in faith, and not spend their lives chasing a vaporous identity and a finite happiness. He (Jesus) is our sustenance, when we feed off of Him, and abide in Him and His words (Prayer, fasting, bible intake). This isn’t a formula, it’s an act of God on our lives, without which, we would continue to wallow in our self-focused agenda, and a practical Christ-less life. Jesus’ solution is Himself, not any self-help formulas.

John 6:14-24 Human Wisdom and Divine Sovereignty

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 11:51:30 CST

Do we “know” Christ? Has our witness been hampered by presenting a god that reflects more of our white middle class values than it does the gospel? What box are we trying to ‘force’ Christ to live in? Are you upset that God is not going along with your agenda? All of these things are easy to fall in to. Our darkened minds want so badly to see justice accomplished, but in our fallen state we inevitably create more chaos than we do solution.

John 6:1-15 Earthly Kings And Heavenly Messiahs

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 11:49:35 CST

If we approach Jesus as merely an earthly king to take care of our earthly wants and desires – if we ignore the needs of our fallen, sinful spirits, and only engage with God as a force for the betterment of our physical circumstance – Jesus will leave us.

John 5:19-47 Christ Revealed: Lord, Liar or Lunatic

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 12:20:45 CST

Jesus speaks of the work that He was sent to do, which He was in the process of doing; such as the revealing of His father’s kingdom, which would be secured by His work on the cross. This is a clear calling to life in God’s kingdom, where His will is done and we, like Christ, obediently honor Him. This is the gospel and the reason we exist.

John 5:1-18 Our Need for Healing

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 13:05:36 CST

John is taking us on a journey that slowly reveals the person of Jesus Christ, inundating us with penetrating encounters and vignettes of different human situations and responses. Our passage today is no different. We have another healing incident in the book, and each healing incident gives us more of an understanding of both our own propensity as humans, and deeper insight into the person and work of Jesus Christ.

John 4:43-54 Faith Enlarged

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 01:41:27 CST

There is no temporal joy (spouse, children, sex, food, money, etc.) that will ever fill the void left because of our separation from God. God is good to allow calamity so that we will turn to Him. Let’s not wait, let’s turn this new year into a year that we spend daily time with God in His word and begin a relationship that may have dried up years ago.

Matthew 2:1-12 The Pagan Witness of the Christ Child

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 16:48:26 CST

Every Christmas reminds us of the pagan nature of the festival , and causes many to question the origins of our own story. In our passage today we will see the reality of this witness to Pagan wise men who utilized their Pagan means to locate a divine end. God speaks in the midst of heresy because He is a gracious God who sheds His grace upon the wicked and the righteous.

John 4:4-42 Let the Nations Be Glad?

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 11:39:21 CST

Jesus intentionally crosses four major barriers. First He crosses a racial barrier. Secondly, Jesus crossed a religious barrier. Thirdly, Jesus crossed a gender barrier. Fourthly, Jesus crossed moral barriers. The reaching of the kingdom of God through God’s people is an intentional act. It’s an act that isn’t comfortable. Diversity and cross-cultural ministry is hard because we are more apt to care about custom than we are mission. In our attempt to worship God we center our worship on our desires and preferences, instead of God and His desires.

John 3:22-4:3 Joy or Bitterness; life or Death?

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:51:33 CST

It amazes me how cleverly John put this book together to tell his story clearly and with the vision for us to believe and worship his God, Jesus Christ. Our passage comes off the heals of a passage defining what being born from above is, and then turns to how bitter jealousy can rob our joy, right before he goes into an incredible story of worship in chapter 4. Let’s enjoy the feast!

John 3:1-21 New Beginnings or Transformed Lives?

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 20:08:20 CST

The most famous of all verses may be the most screwed up. It’s sort of the crown to a conversation that Jesus has had with Nicodemus, teaching him that salvation comes from above. We so often use this verse to talk about us choosing God, whereas this context is clear that it is a lot more about God choosing us, and cleansing us.

John 2:12-25 Righteous Indignation, Judgment and the Coming Kingdom of God

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 12:51:08 CST

The temple was created as a symbol of the place where God lived. It had become central to the Jewish worship instead of God. And it was the Jewish leaders who had lost their pure heart for worship, which resulted in an ungodly idolatry. When we don’t properly worship God, we don’t properly treat others as beings created in God’s image. It is easy to exploit the poor because we aren’t aware of the holiness of our Lord.

John 2:1-11 Wine, Weddings, and the Divine Party

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 12:46:27 CST

Listen as Mike Gunn preaches about John 2 1-11 Jesus' first miracle at the wedding banquet. Mike was still recovering from major knee replacement surgery earlier in the week. Suffering in pain as the Spirit led him to preach with clarity and passion. You don't want to miss this message.

John 1:35-51 The Glory of Christ and Our Mission pt. 2

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 11:25:32 CST

In an age of multiplying and conflicting informational images, we will become people that have been denuded of coherent stories, and in search of larger ones that can make sense of our existence and provide us with the hope and purpose we crave. The New Atheist consistently eschews the idea that there is a revelation outside of the natural order because it doesn’t fit their materialistic presuppositions, but our passage over these past few weeks have screamed out to us that God, who exists outside of time/space as the necessary cause of it, has revealed Himself in the word.

John 1-19-34 The Glory of Christ and Our Mission pt. 1

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 11:30:09 CST

John 1:1-18 was a missional song or poem describing the rest of the book’s content, introducing Jesus Christ as the Word, the one that reveals the Father. John departs from the poetic musings of the prologue (John 1:1-18), and moves into a narrative stretch telling the author’s version of the story of Jesus and His public ministry. Starting with the first two days, he reminds us what he was sent to do, and who is it that he was sent to be a witness of.

God is With Us

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 11:52:51 CST

No one in all of history has impacted this world to the degree that this man, Jesus Christ, did and does. Even our calendar reflects His influence: B.C. is before Christ and A.D. (Anno Domini) means “the year of our Lord.” More songs have been sung to Him, more paintings have been painted of Him, and more books have been written about Him than anyone who has ever lived in the history of the world. So the question remains to be answered: who is this Jesus? This is a question asked by Jesus Himself 2000 years ago, and is still being asked today.

What's So "True" About the Light?

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 12:38:01 CST

John is not contrasting true light with false light, but Christ’s light versus any other light. All other light (human wisdom, religion, etc.) is derivative, whereas Christ’s light is from the outside and eternal. This contrasts the Greeks’ understanding of light as an inner illumination of reason or conscience, and the Hebrew idea that the light is primarily written in the scriptures. It is the source of that light, and it comes “Into the world,” revealing something from outside our ability to know.

John: The Incarnation and the Mission of God Part 2

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 19:54:49 CDT

John takes us first backwards to remind us of our created purpose (have life by feasting on the glory of God), and then forward to the restoration of this life and light in Christ. We are created to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7). When we view God as a means to an end--instead of the end--we remain in the darkness (rejection of Him) and seek after other means for temporal pleasure.

John: The Incarnation and the Mission of God

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 11:56:21 CDT

John may be the clearest gospel and simplest to understand, yet it remains the most enigmatic and controversial of the four gospels amongst many scholars and skeptics. It is in John where we find clear evidence for the deity of Jesus Christ and that salvation is through Christ by the power of God alone, two concepts that are hard for any westerner to swallow in the 21st century.

Being Missional

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 12:13:34 CDT

GOD has sent believers to go out and share HIS gift of salvation to all nations to embrace and engage them in their culture. We as believers must be obedient to go and invite and encourage the unchurched in our areas to participate in the gospel story. The Spirit equips us and provides us with opportunities to do HIS will for HIS glory, even when we do not want to. This is worship.

The Gospel and Social Justice by Mike Gunn

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 11:57:48 CDT

What is the biblical idea of justice? Everyone from movie producers to Marxists have used justice as their mantra. Is justice just another disguise for fascism and bloodshed when your agenda gains power? What could a pacifist like Dr. King mean by his statement "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." ? Does God demand justice, and what does he mean by that? Pastor Tim Keller says, "The way you treat the poor speaks to the reality of how you regard God…And deep social conscious and a life poured out in deeds of service to others, especially the poor, is the inevitable sign of real faith, and real conviction with God." Justice is very important to God (see Isaiah 1:15-17). The question is, why does God care?