http://destinationchurch.org Destination Church in Chicago Podcasts en Destination Church in Chicago Podcasts Destination Church in Chicago no Destination Church Sermons matt.sweetman@destinationchurch.org ℗ & © 2010 Destination Church in Chicago 720 In The Last Exorcism Reverend Cotton Marcus, a disillusioned preacher with over 47 exorcisms under his belt, takes a film crew with him to capture the exorcism of Nell Sweetzer and expose his ministry as being fraudulent. Things turn out rather differently than planned and Cotton comes face to face with a demonic spirit. In Acts 19 we read a similar account of itinerant Jewish preachers attempting to exorcise an evil spirit using the name of Jesus and Paul, but failing miserably. Earlier in the same chapter Paul lays hands on some disciples who have not yet received spiritual power. If the demonized have power, surely Spirit-filled Christians should have more? Come with us as we uncover one of the most neglected truths of scripture and experience the power of the Holy Spirit. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/blockbuster-faith-investigating-spirits http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-08-29-BlockbusterFaith-Investigating-Spirits.mp3 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:12:08 GMT Matt Sweetman Blockbuster Faith The Expendables are an elite group of mercenaries tasked with a mission to take down an evil dictator. This movie raises an important theme. The existence and origin of evil, oppression and suffering is a problem for everyone, no matter their spiritual inclination. Explore with us the horrifying Biblical account of Job, who lost his employees, his business and 10 children in 30 seconds flat. How could a good God allow suffering? http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/blockbuster-faith-understanding-evil--suffering http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-08-22-BlockbusterFaith-Evil-Suffering.mp3 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:11:18 GMT Matt Sweetman Blockbuster Faith EAT PRAY LOVE, being based on a true story, is ultimately a story we all experience. Even with great success in work and relationships there is an emptiness inside. Something that remains unsatisfied. Author Elizabeth Gilbert effectively draws us into her desperate loneliness, a personal prophecy she receives, and a journey of spiritual transformation. Listen to this weeks message and discover how strikingly similar her experience is to the Samaritan women Jesus meets at Jacobs Well. Learn how Jesus uniquely leads her into a living and personal relationship with the one true God. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/blockbuster-faith-navigating-my-spiritual-journey http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-08-15-BlockbusterFaith-Spiritual-Journey.mp3 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 04:21:10 GMT Matt Sweetman Blockbuster Faith Who is Salt? Loyal American agent or Russian spy? This question is important because it boils down to an issue of trust. Is she on our team or not? Her activity certainly brings into question her true identity. Christians should have a strong sense of identity. Paul writes in Ephesians 2 that we were dead and that now we have been untied and made alive in Christ! Join us as we explore our new identity in Christ. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/blockbuster-faith-discovering-true-identity http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-08-08-BlockusterFaith-Identity.mp3 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 04:18:31 GMT Matt Sweetman Blockbuster Faith In the The Sorcerers Apprentice the evil nemesis Maxim Horvath states that the world is about two things, power and control. Interestingly, witchcraft is a growing trend in our culture, but what is more predominant is the impact our desire for success has created in us. We all must own up to the issues we face of manipulation, whether given or received, and what Gods word says about it. Journey with us through the story of Ahab and Jezebel as we look at conquering control issues. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/blockbuster-faith-conquering-control-issues http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-08-01-BlockusterFaith-Control.mp3 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:59:34 GMT Matt Sweetman Blockbuster Faith You’ll be hard pressed to beat The A-Team for ingenuity. Well, perhaps MacGyver would give them a run for their money. In Luke 16, a manager is commended for being shrewd in his dealings with people. Even though scripture affirms and even commands this quality, we rarely hear much about the subject in church. In fact, those outside the Christian community often think Christians are naive and ill-equipped. Why is this? Check out this weeks message on cultivating ingenuity. Learn the bibles perspective on how to do a lot with a little and why this is so important to our faith. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/blockbuster-faith-cultivating-ingenuity http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-07-04-BlockusterFaith-Ingenuity.mp3 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 09:28:06 GMT Matt Sweetman Blockbuster Faith Sex and the City become a pop-culture phenomenon because it wrestled with issues of loneliness, independence, self-esteem and the fairy tale notion that true love awaits. And of course if you throw in some fashion and sex appeal you know it's going to be a smash hit! This second movie has received a lot of negative reviews, but that hasn't stopped the die hard fans. This sequel provides Destination with a fabulous opportunity to talk about a taboo subject in the church that has been greatly mishandled. Warning, some of this content is explicit! http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/blockbuster-faith-finding-intimacy http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-06-27-BlockusterFaith-Intimacy.mp3 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:50:26 GMT Matt Sweetman Blockbuster Faith If our goal is to build communities, not to be "right", we must approach our beliefs with a confident humility. In Acts 18 Apollos had been teaching publicly about Jesus but lacked understanding about baptism. It must have been a hard pill to swallow when Priscilla and Aquila privately corrected him. What can we learn about our attitudes towards others from this passage? How do we approach differences in theology? How much traditional bias do we have? How much pride or fear? Let's explore how the issue of baptism brings out attitudes in us that we must humbly address through Godly relationships. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/backbone-baptism http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-05-30-Backbone-Baptism.mp3 Sun, 30 May 2010 21:35:00 GMT Matt Sweetman Backbone In this message we look at the parable of the rich fool who made a number of crucial errors and lost his entire wealth over night. It doesn’t matter who you are, you can take a step in the right direction and bring your generous actions in line with the truth you already believe. Not just with your finances, but with your time and skills as well. Take a journey with us as we discover the secrets of a successful life through the practice of generosity. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/backbone-generosity http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-05-23-Backbone-Generosity.mp3 Sun, 23 May 2010 23:47:02 GMT Matt Sweetman Backbone Don't you hate making mistakes? Imagine if you could take a pill each day to give you wisdom beyond your experience? You'd be a fool not to take it. In this message we look at the life of King Josiah and how his world was turned upside down when he found a Bible for the first time. Learn how to harvest the wisdom of the ages from the only book inspired by God. Wisdom isn't built in a day, but it is built daily. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/backbone-the-word http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-05-16-Backbone-Word.mp3 Sun, 16 May 2010 02:14:11 GMT Matt Sweetman Backbone The scripture says that no matter what we are doing we should give thanks to God. This seems utterly impossible considering the normalcy of complaining in our culture. Nothing kills a spirit of thankfulness like whining, pity parties, cynicism or perfectionism. Yet, we are often very blind to our own complaining mindset, rationalizing our observations as constructive criticism. What we fail to realize is that complaining makes our problems worse. In Philippians Chapter 2 we are given some guidelines on how to turn our complaining into gratitude. Listen to this timely message and learn why complaining is really a missed opportunity for learning. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/backbone-gratitude http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-05-09-Backbone-Gratitude.mp3 Sun, 09 May 2010 23:13:37 GMT Matt Sweetman Backbone It’s often hard for us to ask for help because it can make us look weak. Yet, we cannot deny that our lives have been shaped by BIG asks. In fact, if you trace history back, the very reason Christianity spread to Europe and the Americas, is because early Christians gathered together for prayer, as recorded in Acts 13, and were sent on the very first missionary journey by the Holy Spirit. How we pray is one of the most important aspects of our faith because it reveals the authenticity of our relationship with God. Take a look at how Jesus teaches us to pray from Matthew 6. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/backbone-prayer http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-04-25-Backbone-Prayer.mp3 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 06:30:49 GMT Matt Sweetman Backbone Relationships are the most defining part of life. Studies show that marital happiness is far, far more important than anything else in determining personal well-being. Apparently joining any kind of monthly group results in the same type of happiness as doubling your salary. As a culture we have strongly undervalued relationships. The book of Romans in the Bible tells us that we belong to each other and that we need everyone God has placed in our lives. The foundation to lasting relationships is authenticity with ourselves. We must deal with our underlying fears and make an intentional effort to spend time together. Are we making decisions about our relationships based on convenience or our conviction of how God has designed us to live? http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/reboot-building-relationships-that-last http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-04-18-Building-Relationships-That-Last.mp3 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 06:01:58 GMT Matt Sweetman Reboot "Passion" and "Purpose" are common buzzwords when talking about how we are to live out our lives. God's word tells us that He has a plan for our lives and unless we understand that plan, that purpose, we will never be truly happy. But, before we can understand that purpose, we must embrace that our value is found in God, not in the opinion of others or in our own abilities. Listen as Matt talks about finding and living a truly joyful life, filled with clear purpose and abundant passion http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/reboot-following-your-passion http://destinationchurch.org/media/DestinationChurch.org-2010-04-11-Reboot-Following-Your-Passion.mp3 Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:45:20 GMT Matt Sweetman Reboot Easter is the most important holiday in Christianity. What does the resurrection of Christ mean for us today? How can we be assured that Christ is risen and how do we respond to those that would deny He is alive? http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/reboot-mastering-your-spirituality http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/reboot-mastering-your-spirituality.mp3 Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:07:20 GMT Matt Sweetman Reboot Women often face substantial hurdles in connecting to one another and developing true biblical sisterhood. Heather Sweetman & Alissa Van Someren dig deep and open up about some of those struggles, providing practical insight from their own experiences. In doing so, they (along with Matt Sweetman) give the guys some behind-the-scenes information on how to encourage, support and grow in friendship with the women in their lives. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/relate-biblical-sisterhood http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/relate-biblical-sisterhood.mp3 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:35:02 GMT Matt Sweetman Relate friendship,1_peter,sisterhood,women Often we think of people as a commodity and a way to improve our own lives. Common metaphors used for relationships include; we value people, we invest in people. We might say a relationship is bankrupt, this person is a real asset, or we talk about relational equity. We use and talk about love like money. At Destination Church we believe the Bible has deep wisdom to help us recover true relationships. This first message in our RELATE series deals with how to build Biblical brotherhood. Discover what lies in the heart of every man and how both men and women can grow in success as they affirm masculine qualities. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/relate-biblical-brotherhood http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/relate-biblical-brotherhood.mp3 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:45:38 GMT Matt Sweetman Relate brotherhood,friendship,guys,men,relationship What does it mean to have a real relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit? How does He function in our lives? Listen as Matt Sweetman talks about the four roles the Holy Spirit plays in our lives and how this helper and counselor guides us through life, and is the connecting point to relationship with Christ. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/in-jesus-the-holy-spirit-our-helper http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/in-jesus-the-holy-spirit-our-helper.mp3 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:42:07 GMT Matt Sweetman In Jesus jesus,holy_spirit,helper,counselor,spiritual_gitfts There is a conflict that exists between Christianity and the world. Just as someone who moves from one country to another is forever changed by the new culture and language, Christians are irreversibly changed by their faith and relationship with Christ. This change can often cause tension with old friends and those with other spiritual views, challenging our identity and loyalties. Listen as Matt Sweetman discusses navigating through this tension and the core of Christian identity. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/in-jesus-identity-determines-loyalty http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/in-jesus-identity-determines-loyalty.mp3 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:22:58 GMT Matt Sweetman In Jesus jesus,identity,world One of the most relevant question society asks is: how does someone really change for the better? At some point or another we've all broken the self help rules. In John 15 Jesus claims that he is committed to our greatness. He is committed to producing character in us. We don't need better programs or self-management, we need better character. The only way to get it is to be connected to the true vine - the source of life itself. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/in-jesus-real-transformation-only-happens-in-jesus http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/in-jesus-real-transformation-only-happens-in-jesus.mp3 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:57:43 GMT Matt Sweetman In Jesus transformation,change,growth,sanctification Peace is not a feeling, nor is it the absence of conflict, it is the restoration of relationship. Everyone seems to know that Christmas is about peace on earth. But what does that mean? In Luke 21 Jesus predicts than nations will continue to be at war with one another. In Luke 12 he affirms that being a Christian can bring division in some of the closest relationships in life. Jesus of course encourages us to seek peace and he is not encouraging nations to wage war. What he is telling us is not to be naive -- we should know what people are like -- and that these things will continue until he returns. So what is the peace on earth that Christ brings? It's not futuristic or symbolic. It's peace on earth. It's concrete. It's now. (Some content borrowed from Tim Keller's Christmas Peace message in 2005) http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/christmas-in-chicago-the-gift-of-peace http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/christmas-in-chicago-the-gift-of-peace.mp3 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:39:41 GMT Matt Sweetman Christmas In Chicago peace_is_not_a_feeling,nor_is_it_the_absence_of_conflict,it_is_the_restoration_of_relationship. The journey of fulfillment is everyones. The coming of Jesus into the world promises great joy for all people. We can look for this joy in two ways, inside or outside. If we look internally, through imagination, we can put restraints on the heart to produce good behavior and happiness. Or, we can look to the enjoyment of social laughter and interpersonal expressions of joy. Christians have known for years that 'a joyful heart is good medicine' (Prov 17:22). In John 16:20-22 Jesus promises joy in the midst of sorrow. It's a joy that no one can take away from us. Jesus is the master of joy. The only way to experience true joy is for it to be given to you by Jesus. It's not imaginary, it's not socially constructed, it's real, lasting and deep. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/christmas-in-chicago-the-gift-of-joy http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/christmas-in-chicago-the-gift-of-joy.mp3 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:01:44 GMT Matt Sweetman Christmas In Chicago joy,christmas,laughter Have you ever believed a lie? The defeat of our actions starts with the defeat of our mind. The most dangerous yet common error for a new church is to not take spiritual opposition seriously. It becomes very tempting to focus on clever strategy above spiritual health and spiritual advance. However, if we take our faith seriously then spiritual resistance is inevitable. Most of the opposition that a new church faces comes through tension from the relationships. Attack comes from inside. The only real weapon the enemy has against us is a lie. We should not be ignorant of his schemes. Being involved in Destination Church, with a passion to build communities that are loyal to Jesus, will get you on the fast track to spiritual maturity. Sure, we'll get beat up, but we'll be better of for it. Conflict is beneficial because it means we have to work on our relationships. Imagine a mature Christian community who effectively defeat the enemies lies and work together to reach Chicago. If you are picturing this in your mind, you are envisioning Destination Church in the near future. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-8 http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-8.mp3 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:12:07 GMT Matt Sweetman What Does It Take To Start A Church? church_planting,matt_sweetman,newfrontiers Culture believes that freedom of choice brings greater happiness and that our level of love determines our level of commitment. But this is not true. Harvard Professor Dan Gilbert has conducted many social experiments that prove this to be an incorrect assumption. In fact, love doesn't nurture commitment, commitment nurtures love. In Acts chapter 2 we see a blueprint for the church. Devotion to teaching, relationships, breaking bread and prayer. Our goal at Destination Church is to build communities that are loyal to Jesus. We want to prepare every person who visits for the day that they will meet Jesus face-to-face. Christianity is not a spectator sport so get out of the stands and into the field. The difference between a regular attender and church member is commitment. An effective membership class simply throws fuel onto the fire. 70% of believers begin serving at their church when someone asks them to. So, please serve at Destination Church because commitment nurtures love. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-7 http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-7.mp3 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:53:44 GMT Matt Sweetman What Does It Take To Start A Church? church_planting,matt_sweetman,newfrontiers It doesn't matter who you are, you will one day face a situation that will make you realize your life is not ultimately within your control. Prayer at this point seems like a valid option. The Bible says that the prayer of a righteous person has great power. Nehemiah in the Old Testament heard news of the shame and danger of the remaining people in Jerusalem. This caused him to pray. We can learn a number of lessons about prayer from this account. You need a place to pray, it's emotional, it requires persistence, it should be specific, it's about promises. Churches that lack in prayer will lack in power. If the prayer of a righteous person has great power what about the prayers of many righteous people? Imagine if we all valued prayer and persisted in asking God to save our friends. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-5 http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-5.mp3 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:04:27 GMT Matt Sweetman What Does It Take To Start A Church? church_planting,matt_sweetman,newfrontiers Invitations bring transformations. The greatest influencer of change in all our lives is the interruption and sometimes the aggravation of an invitation. Destination Church is full of people who have been invited to come. Launching large simply involves giving as many invitations as possible. The more invitations we give the more people can be transformed by Jesus. The Bible is full of invitations. In John chapter 1 Andrew invites Simon to see Jesus and Philip invites Nathaneal. Jesus personally invites all his disciples. An invitation must be intentional, specific, simple, persistent and prayerful. Only 5-10% of Christians have the direct gifting of evangelism. But, 90-95% of Christians are gifted for gathering. Invitation based evangelism is our primary strategy to build communities that are loyal to Jesus. 1 in 4 people will come to church on the first invitation. Most people will come after 5-6 repeat invitations. If everyone invited 4 people this week we would double next week. A Destination invitation brings transformation. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-4 http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-4.mp3 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:38:07 GMT Matt Sweetman What Does It Take To Start A Church? church_planting,matt_sweetman,newfrontiers It takes a committed core group of people functioning in their talents and calling to start a new church. But something much more fundamental is needed to start a church. Vision is critical to the success of a church plant. Clear, passionate and faith inducing vision is a must have ingredient if Destination Church in Chicago is to be established and experience gospel growth. Our passion is to build communities that are loyal to Jesus. Check out how we plan to embody that vision in Chicago. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-3 http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-3.mp3 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:34:15 GMT Matt Sweetman What Does It Take To Start A Church? church_planting,matt_sweetman,newfrontiers The Chicago River is the only river in the world that has been reversed and stayed that way. It was reversed to take away pollution from the city and solve the health issues responsible for 80,000 deaths. At Destination Church our passion is to build communities that are loyal to Jesus. Our goal is to reverse the flow of the city so that people follow God, which will in turn bring spiritual health to the city. It takes a core group of committed people operating in their God given abilities to launch a new church. Destination Church is in the process of identifying 9 launch teams to coordinate an effective public launch. By recognizing our spiritual gifts we can work together to engineer a river reversing plan that will transform Chicago. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-2 http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-2.mp3 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:07:57 GMT Matt Sweetman What Does It Take To Start A Church? church_planting,matt_sweetman,newfrontiers 80% of Americans will wake up on Monday morning and think "I hate my job". Studies also show that two-thirds of teachers have zero motivation to actually teach. How did we get into this mess? There are three main schools of thought regarding this topic. The deterministic model assumes that we are entirely shaped by the forces in our environment. The developmental model assumes that we can entirely become whatever and whoever we desire to be. With society subscribing to these first 2 models it is suspicious that we are still plagued by low self-esteem and insignificance -- they simply don't appear to be working. The 3rd and most satisfying view is the design model. We have been designed by God and when we discover our giftings and function in them we find the deep sense of fulfillment we are all looking for. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-1 http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-part-1.mp3 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:41:42 GMT Matt Sweetman What Does It Take To Start A Church? church_planting,matt_sweetman,newfrontiers We are breaking from our current teaching series on the gospel of John to focus on church planting core group development. This new series will be titled 'What Does It Take To Start A Church?'. We will be taking more time to look at our vision, research into our city, training in networking, exposing church planting pitfalls, developing community, serving and working together as parts of the body. This fits well with our move next week to a new meeting time and location. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-intro http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/what-does-it-take-to-start-a-church-intro.mp3 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:17:22 GMT Matt Sweetman What Does It Take To Start A Church? church_planting,matt_sweetman,newfrontiers Our relationship with Christ is defined by community. Our sense of community comes from being known by Christ and him calling us by name. The power of remembering someone's name cannot be under estimated, especially considering that Christ knows and uses our names. We hear God's voice best in community. Successful community is only achieved through individual loss. God has other sheep that he wants to bring into the flock. The difficulty of building community is worth it because the resulting faith and fruit is of greater value than the struggles we faced building it. Our passion is to build communities that are loyal to Jesus. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/john-10-and-11-community http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/john-10-and-11-community.mp3 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:07:12 GMT Matt Sweetman The Gospel of John: Having a relationship with Christ john_10,john_11,destination_church,matt_sweetman The human race is self-centered by nature. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could be free from the power of this destructive tendency? John, one of Jesus closest friends, writes in his gospel that 'whoever the Son [Jesus] set's free, is free indeed'. Some who follow Christ consider themselves to do be sinner-saints, not really free from the power of self-centered, and still bound to evil desires. We do not find this to be a biblical view. Explore how our relationship with Christ is defined by true freedom. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/john-8-and-9-freedom http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/john-8-and-9-freedom.mp3 Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:22:21 GMT Matt Sweetman The Gospel of John: Having a relationship with Christ john_8,john_9,destination_church,matt_sweetman Relationships are never formed through passivity. Instead, the best friendships form through intention and initiation. Action has to happen in the direction of another person. Plans need to be made and acted upon. Everyone loves it when a plan comes together. Our relationship with Christ is defined by a plan. It’s not just a small insignificant plan. Jesus has plans for every generation. Every day we have is numbered and planned by Jesus ahead of time. He has plans for this church in Chicago. Our purpose here is to prepare everyone in Chicago for the day they will meet Jesus face to face. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/john-6-and-7-the-plan http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/john-6-and-7-the-plan.mp3 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:56:43 GMT Matt Sweetman The Gospel of John: Having a relationship with Christ john The strongest relationships are formed through the greatest challenges. When people go through hardship for each other and survive they share a deep connection. A relationship with Christ is defined by a challenge he gives each of us. In John 4 and 5 we see Jesus relentlessly pursuing relationships with people through directly challenging them. He challenges the woman at the well by pinpointing her deepest trouble -- constant failing relationships. He provokes a deeper faith from the royal official who was facing the hardest test of his life -- the near death of his son. He challenges the lame man at the pool of Bethesda to be prepared to face the implications of having a relationship with God -- living without sickness. Finally, he provokes the religious minded through breaking their meaningless traditions. His ultimate goal is to provoke people into saving faith and partner with them to spread salvation. One sows and one reaps. The Samaritan woman at the well reaches her whole town. The royal official leads his whole household into faith. However, the lame man and the religious people never wonder at Jesus miraculous healing powers, nor rejoice over his gracious gifts, nor exercise trust in his words. Our relationship with Christ is defined by how we respond to the challenge he gives us. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/john-4-and-5-the-challenge http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/john-4-and-5-the-challenge.mp3 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:10:47 GMT Matt Sweetman The Gospel of John: Having a relationship with Christ Our relationship with Christ is defined by our motivation, not just our application. Ultimately, faith is not based on an act but a heart attitude. This is the nature of salvation. It is to be born again from above, to be turned from water into wine, to be spiritually transformed by believing in the ultimate miracle -- that the resurrection of Jesus is able to take away sin. Therefore, being reconnected with God is only possible through Jesus doing something deep in our hearts. Christians are transformers. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/john-2-and-3-transformers http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/john-2--3-transformers.mp3 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:47:54 GMT Matt Sweetman The Gospel of John: Having a relationship with Christ john_2,john_3,gospel John was one of Jesus closest friends. He wrote his gospel to show us how to have a relationship with Christ. In chapter 1 we see what action the various figures take to reveal what it means to have a friendship with the person of Jesus Christ. In the end it's the things we do that define our relationships, not simply what we say. Action counts. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/john-1-action-figures http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/john-1-action-figures.mp3 Sun, 02 Aug 2009 04:34:57 GMT Matt Sweetman The Gospel of John: Having a relationship with Christ john Religion teaches that we must keep to a strict high standard in order to please, appease and win the right to be blessed by God. It virtually has the same framework as atheism in that our own efforts achieve a higher purpose and enlightenment, but rather than reaching God we become our own God. The gospel is utterly different than these forms of self-righteousness. Instead, Jesus came down to live a perfect life and freely gives it to us. What a scandal! http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/religion-vs-gospel http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/religion-vs-gospel.mp3 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:38:40 GMT Matt Sweetman Religion teaches that we must keep to a strict high standard in order to please, appease and win the right to be blessed by God. It virtually has the same framework as atheism in that our own efforts achieve a higher purpose and enlightenment, but ... the_gospel Find out why community life is breaking down in society, how we can fix it and the vision of Destination Church. http://www.sermoncloud.com/destinationchurch/encouraging-community http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2840/encouraging-community.mp3 Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:30:58 GMT Matt Sweetman Find out why community life is breaking down in society, how we can fix it and the vision of Destination Church. community