These sketches/outlines are taken from messages delivered in SVCC's Sunday morning worship services.
We all want to find meaning behind suffering. The pain of loss is too sharp; the sting too deep to ignore. It is human nature to try to find a reason for pain. But no explanation quite answers the haunting question: why?
Jesus says a storm is coming and a sentence is being handed down. Are we prepared? According to the Bible, we have no umbrella big enough to protect us from His fiery storm, and no bank account rich enough to pay our spiritual debts.
These stories beg the question: what does it look like to a Christian to work the night shift?
Has God ever answered your prayers with a rebuke?
No one is easier to manipulate than a hungry performer. Driven to feed our insecurities by pleasing whatever crowd we can attract, the entertainer in us will do whatever it takes, no matter how disturbing or degrading, to capture that crowd’s flitting attention.
What are you afraid of? The dark? Scary movies? Bills? Public speaking?
“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.” (v33)
Jesus doesn’t deny that Mary is blessed. However, He goes on to say that any one of us is more blessed than Mary if we hear God’s word and obey it.
You haven’t heard of the red dragon of Christmas? He’s right there in John’s nativity account.
Last week we read about the noble wise men. This week we read about shepherds. Wise men don’t usually hang out with shepherds. And gods don’t usually hang out with men.
God is not ashamed to make his home among us. Why should we be ashamed to spend time with one another?
Part of the meaning of Christmas is that in Christ, all barriers that we think are important – rich, poor, weak, strong, disabled, differently-abled, black, white (and every other beautiful shade of brown) – are forever erased.
