Pastor Rob continues with the fourth in a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith.
Why
Lutheran? Just like there lots of flavors of Ice Cream, there are lots
of "flavors" of Christian churches. Given all of these "options", why
go for the whole "Lutheran" thing. Pastor Rob's answer: Because we all
need spaces of grace!
Unpacked a bit more -- we all hunger to
be accepted in an incredibly judgmental world. Pastor Rob offers that
the only way to finally get rid of judgement is not through ignoring or
trivializing sin, but rather giving it to Jesus Christ.
A reflection on Luke 18 and the power of a community of confessing our sins.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Why Series, Part 3: The Church
October 20, 2019
Season of Pentecost
Pastor Rob continues with the third in a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith.
Why the church? Given all of the crazy and brutal history of organized religion, why the church? Pastor Rob's short answer: Because we can't do it alone! Just like the world marathon record was broken by an amazing team, we are called into the race of faith with others.
A reflection on Isaiah 2 and the power of a community of faith.
Season of Pentecost
Pastor Rob continues with the third in a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith.
Why the church? Given all of the crazy and brutal history of organized religion, why the church? Pastor Rob's short answer: Because we can't do it alone! Just like the world marathon record was broken by an amazing team, we are called into the race of faith with others.
A reflection on Isaiah 2 and the power of a community of faith.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Why Series, Part 2: Why the Bible
October 13, 2019
Season of Pentecost
Pastor Rob continues with the second in a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith.
Reflecting on the healing of Naaman (2 Kings 5), Pastor Rob looks at the question of "Why" the Bible. Acknowledging the incredible cultural gap between the world of the Bible and our own, Pastor Rob reflects on how can still discover real people with real problems in the Bible; they in turn encounter a real God with real love and real power. In our life and world with real problems, we can learn from Scripture how we encounter the love and power of God.
The conclusion of the sermon is a reflection on the core problem in the Bible story: The division between two tribes of people. We still struggle with this problem today. Pastor Rob proclaims how God challenges, inspires and ultimately deals with the tribal instinct of humans.
Season of Pentecost
Pastor Rob continues with the second in a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith.
Reflecting on the healing of Naaman (2 Kings 5), Pastor Rob looks at the question of "Why" the Bible. Acknowledging the incredible cultural gap between the world of the Bible and our own, Pastor Rob reflects on how can still discover real people with real problems in the Bible; they in turn encounter a real God with real love and real power. In our life and world with real problems, we can learn from Scripture how we encounter the love and power of God.
The conclusion of the sermon is a reflection on the core problem in the Bible story: The division between two tribes of people. We still struggle with this problem today. Pastor Rob proclaims how God challenges, inspires and ultimately deals with the tribal instinct of humans.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Why Series, Part 1: Why Jesus?
October 6, 2019
Season of Pentecost
Pastor Rob launches a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith. We started on Sunday with "Why Jesus?" Reflecting on John 6 and Acts 16, we look at how God's love for the world in poured out in the cross and resurrection of Jesus. We then looked at some current events, both Brandt Jean's forgiveness of his brother's killer and his mothers' words of challenge and lament, to consider how the cross and resurrection show up in our world today.
Season of Pentecost
Pastor Rob launches a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith. We started on Sunday with "Why Jesus?" Reflecting on John 6 and Acts 16, we look at how God's love for the world in poured out in the cross and resurrection of Jesus. We then looked at some current events, both Brandt Jean's forgiveness of his brother's killer and his mothers' words of challenge and lament, to consider how the cross and resurrection show up in our world today.
Hardness of Heart
September 29, 2019
Season of Pentecost
The story of the rich man and Lazarus (from Luke 16) is perhaps one of Jesus most haunting parables. It paints a vivid picture of what hardness of heart looks like...and intends to scare of us of its consequences. Pastor Rob reflects on how our hearts can grow hard and what God intends to do about this problem. Unfortunately, it is not as easy problem to fix!
Season of Pentecost
The story of the rich man and Lazarus (from Luke 16) is perhaps one of Jesus most haunting parables. It paints a vivid picture of what hardness of heart looks like...and intends to scare of us of its consequences. Pastor Rob reflects on how our hearts can grow hard and what God intends to do about this problem. Unfortunately, it is not as easy problem to fix!
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
In but not Of the world
September 22, 2019
Season of Pentecost
The three parables of Luke 15 (lost sheep, lost coin, lost son) portray a beautiful image of God's economy, where there is always enough and mercy is the currency. Luke 16...well...not such much! In Luke 16 the shrewd get praised and the corrupt move ahead.
Pastor Rob reflects on how Jesus calls us to be disciples "in" this world, a world in which the shrewd are rewarded and money seems to be speak the loudest. Yet we are called to be "of" a different kingdom, a different economy, a place in which God's love provides enough for each person.
Being "in" but not "of" this world is not at all an easy thing! A special shout out to Stephen and Jodi Swanson for their work being "in" but not "of" this world!
Season of Pentecost
The three parables of Luke 15 (lost sheep, lost coin, lost son) portray a beautiful image of God's economy, where there is always enough and mercy is the currency. Luke 16...well...not such much! In Luke 16 the shrewd get praised and the corrupt move ahead.
Pastor Rob reflects on how Jesus calls us to be disciples "in" this world, a world in which the shrewd are rewarded and money seems to be speak the loudest. Yet we are called to be "of" a different kingdom, a different economy, a place in which God's love provides enough for each person.
Being "in" but not "of" this world is not at all an easy thing! A special shout out to Stephen and Jodi Swanson for their work being "in" but not "of" this world!
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Grace with no Asterisk
September 15, 2019
Season of Pentecost
We spend a great deal of time carefully selecting which photos we put on social media and which we delete, crop or filter. In this sermon, Pastor Rob talks about our discomfort with the parts of life that don't look great. We sometimes assume that if we just took enough spiritual vitamins and absorbed enough grace, that these "need to be cropped and edited" parts would go away. In this case, grace comes with an asterisk, a whole lot of conditions and restrictions. Instead, Pastor Rob reflects on the grace proclaimed by Saint Paul, which comes without an asterisk - no ifs, ors, or buts. It comes from the cross and speaks of God's love for us even in the brokenness, the messiness and sin of our lives.
A handful of Scripture is cited in the sermon: Exodus 32, Psalm 51, 1 Timothy 1 and Luke 15.
Season of Pentecost
We spend a great deal of time carefully selecting which photos we put on social media and which we delete, crop or filter. In this sermon, Pastor Rob talks about our discomfort with the parts of life that don't look great. We sometimes assume that if we just took enough spiritual vitamins and absorbed enough grace, that these "need to be cropped and edited" parts would go away. In this case, grace comes with an asterisk, a whole lot of conditions and restrictions. Instead, Pastor Rob reflects on the grace proclaimed by Saint Paul, which comes without an asterisk - no ifs, ors, or buts. It comes from the cross and speaks of God's love for us even in the brokenness, the messiness and sin of our lives.
A handful of Scripture is cited in the sermon: Exodus 32, Psalm 51, 1 Timothy 1 and Luke 15.
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