Emmanuel Presbyterian Church

Disbelieving for Joy

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000

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Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Easter

Luke 24:13-49 (ESV)
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Sermon Outline
The resurrection of Jesus is perplexing and our world is complicated, so it is worth asking what Easter is about if we want to experience the joy and wonder of it:

1. Easter is about Jesus in our messy world.

v21 “but we had hoped…”
v26-27 “was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

2. Easter is about a spiritual transformation where God reveals what brings us life.

v16 “their eyes were kept from recognizing him”
vv30-32 “he took the bread… and their eyes were open… ‘did not our hearts burn…?’” (vv34-35 - “he is risen indeed”)
vv44-48 “he opened their minds to understand the scriptures…”

3. Easter is about God granting peace so we can have joy even while things are being worked out.

v36 “Jesus himself stood among them… ‘peace’”
v41 “they disbelieved for joy”

Prayer of Confession
Our life-giving God: even as we hear the good news with hope, we confess our unbelief. There are things we don’t want to believe, and there are things we don’t want to do. We admit the problem is deeper than we have discerned and we are guilty in ways we have not acknowledged. Forgive every sinful thought, word and action. We want the peace and joy offered to us in Christ, but our hearts are hard and our minds resistant to belief. We thank you that you are gracious, giving us what we have not earned, and generously granting life in such a costly way. Transform us so we see Jesus and that we come alive with new life in him. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What about life or our world doesn’t make sense? How do those things affect you?
What about Christianity doesn’t make sense? What don’t you understand, or have trouble believing?
What is the significance of Jesus’ death? What is the significance of his resurrection? How can anyone best learn and understand why he had to suffer and enter into glory?
What keeps you from “seeing” Jesus? As you reflect on yourself, is there anything that may prohibit you from recognizing him, his presence, the meaning of his teachings or what he did?
Have you ever had a spiritual experience where you sensed God’s presence or activity? If so, what was it like? What did you experience? What were the circumstances?
If you begin to see how all things come together in Jesus, and that God and His plan are more remarkable than you could have imagined – what would you expect to experience?
How does the gospel bring joy? What in the story of Jesus’ sufferings and glory can bring you gratitude, wonder, hope, or some experience of goodness?
How can you deal with the questions you still have, or the confusion you still experience? What are healthy ways of trusting God, following Christ, and living faithfully even when it is hard, or you lose a sense of its purpose?

Redeemed Workers

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 16:00:00 +0000

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Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 3:22-4:1 (ESV)
22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

4:1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Sermon Outline
Colossians 3 contains a foundational principle that helps us as we strive to live wisely in our world.

1. What is the principle?

v23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (3:17)
v24 “You are serving the Lord Christ.”

2. How is it applied?

v22 “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters”
4:1 “Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”

3. Why is it important?

v23 “work heartily”
v22 “not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.”
v24 “from the Lord you will receive the inheritance”

4. When do you draw on this?

v24 “from the Lord you will receive... You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Prayer of Confession
Our sovereign Lord, who rules the heavens and the earth: have mercy on us. We have not done all things for your glory. We have not honored you from the depths of our hearts. We have sinned, having fallen for the lies of this world. Forgive our abuse of power, the arrogance with which we have looked down on others, and where we have harmed rather than protected. Forgive our rebellious spirits, all our selfish actions, and all the ways we have been hypocritical. We have not honored you with our work or the things you have entrusted to us. Release us from the power of sin and lead us in the way of freedom. May whatever we do, in word or deed, be done in the name of Christ, our savior and Lord. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

How are we to do “all things” in the name of Christ? Which parts of your life is Christianity obviously relevant to? Which parts of your life are hard to understand how it connects with following Christ?
Who are some of the people whose approval you want or need? Why?
What are some of the ways corruption makes its way into the work place? How can work be dehumanizing? What temptations do you face in the work you do? What, in your work, do you find most stressful?
What can make work meaningful and rewarding?
In an extremely corrupt work arrangement, like slavery, what options does a suffering worker have? What possibilities should Christians in those circumstances consider?
Why is it important for people with power to understand they are accountable to Christ? Does this inspire you to better steward your power? Does it make you fearful? Why?
How can it help workers to know that Jesus sees all that we do, cares, and will reward his followers?
What does it say about Jesus that he took the form of a servant to free his people from their sin and misery? What does this reveal about God? What does it expose about the world?
In your current work (whether employment or whatever you do), what limitations do you need to accept? What is meaningful? What is problematic enough that you should not ignore it? How can you make the most out of whatever opportunity you have?
How do you need to follow Jesus in your current situation? Is there an opportunity to do something good? Do you need to draw on his strength? Do you need to repent of something? Do you need courage to make a decision? Pray about your circumstances and watch and respond as you go about this week.

Compassionate Roots of Evangelism

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:00:00 +0000

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Sermon Outline

Speaker: Tim Craig
Sermon Series: Retreat 2026

Matthew 9:35-10:15 (NIV)
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Prayer of Confession
Almighty and most merciful Father; we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have left undone those things that we ought to have done; and we have done those things that we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. And grant, O most merciful Father, for your Son Jesus Christ’s sake, that we may hereafter live a godly and righteous life, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

Flourishing Family

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 16:00:00 +0000

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Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 3:18-21 (ESV)
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Sermon Outline
1. Trusting God’s Design

Genesis 1
Day 1: light/darkness >> Day 4: sun, moon, stars
Day 2: sky/water >> Day 5: birds/fish
Day 3: land/vegetation >> Day 6: animals/humans
Genesis 1:27 – God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

2. Obeying God’s Calling

[18] Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
[19] Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
[20] Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
[21] Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

3. Relying on God’s Power

[18] Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
[19] Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
[20] Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
[21] Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, your design for the world is good and orderly. You intended for flourishing and harmony, yet we have failed to live according to the callings you have given us. Instead of seeking the good of others, we pursue our own power and selfish ambition. Too often we allow others to struggle so that we might benefit. Forgive us for not trusting your design, following your calling, or relying on your power. Lord Jesus, you are the rightful head and authority over us. You gave up your life so that we might flourish. Help us to trust your leadership. By the power of your Spirit, make us people who seek the flourishing of others and bring honor to your name. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
How does seeing creation as ordered and not random shape how you think about God?
Why do you think people today often assume that hierarchy automatically means inequality? How can there be equality but difference?
What parts of Paul’s teaching do you think would have felt counter-cultural then, and what parts feel counter-cultural today?
How might the principles of this household code shape how the different generations in the church care for and relate to each other?
Living out these callings often requires putting someone else’s needs before our own. Why do you think sacrificial love in relationships can feel so costly?
Why is our relationship with Jesus essential for living out these roles well? Consider the qualifies that Paul uses: e.g. “as is fitting in the Lord” and “for this pleases the Lord.”
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Be Thankful

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 16:00:00 +0000

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Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV)
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Sermon Outline
Gratitude is not simply a benefit of the Christian life, but it is at the heart of what it means to be Christian.

1. Who are you?

v15 And be thankful.

2. What do you have?

v16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

3. What do you do?

v17 “…do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks…”
v16 “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”

Prayer of Confession
Our merciful God, we look to you seeking change from our patterns of looking away from you. We are guilty of pride and we bear of shame. We have been deceived, yet we have blamed you and others for the misery that has followed. We have been complainers, gossips, slanderers and accusers. We have not sufficiently valued the good in our lives and we have failed to return thanks to you. We have taken you and your gifts for granted. We have used these grievances to justify our sinful actions. Forgive us. We thank you for the word of Christ that speaks good news to us. Cleanse us of sin and may we do all things in the name of Jesus Christ, through whom we give thanks to you. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

How often do you give thanks to God? When you do give thanks to God, what is it for?
What are the themes of your complaints? What are regular sources of dissatisfaction? Where do you see patterns of taking things for granted in your life?
How does shame shape your internal narrative? What negative patterns or ruminations are frequent for you?
What is the lure of pride? Why does it feel good to have more or be better than others?
How can understanding God’s grace open your eyes to recognize the treasures we have in Christ? What of the gospel message can stir thanksgiving in you?
Why is a prayer of thanks before eating a valuable habit?
What has God given you that you can steward in service to Him? How can you do your daily tasks in a spirit of generosity towards God or others?
What does it mean to do all things in the name of Jesus?
How can singing be a means of expressing thanks, and when are opportunities to do it? How can singing be a means of drawing you in to a thankful spirit?

Harmony

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

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Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Sermon Outline
In a fractured world, Christ restores harmony by clothing us in His love and ruling our hearts with His peace.

1. Longing for Harmony

v14 which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

2. Covered with Love

v14 And above all these put on love

3. Ruled by Peace

v15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body.

Prayer of Confession
Our wise God and Father, we long for peace while we suffer dissonance. Corrupt desires have ruled our hearts. We have worn sin like a garment. We have not been peacemakers. Our thoughts, words and actions have caused harm and division. Forgive us. We look to Christ, the only one worthy to take the highest place. We marvel that we are called into his body, and that you graciously cover us in your love. We pray with thanks in the name of Jesus, who is our peace. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

If you have had an experience of feeling at peace, what were you experiencing? Or, if you are longing to be at peace, what is it you are hoping for? What is present and what is absent in that experience?
What sorts of internal conflicts do you experience? What tensions are commonly present?
What are some key causes of interpersonal conflict? What causes division in the world?
How does love promote peace? What are the qualities of Christian love?
Why is God’s love crucial for our having peace with God? How does the love of Christ bring peace to specific aspects of our lives?
How does love “bind things together in perfect harmony?” What does it mean to “put on love?”
Who or what is in charge of your heart? How can Jesus become the one who guides you in each decision?
When you are being overwhelmed by temptation, what can you do so that Christ is ruling in your heart and over your life? How can you get through those periods faithfully?

Forgiveness

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

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Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Sermon Outline
1. When do we forgive?

[13] … if one has a complaint against another…

2. What does forgiveness look like?

[13] … if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other…

3. How can we forgive?

[13] … if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
[2:13] And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, we live in a world of broken relationships where we have been wronged against, and we have wronged others. Our offenses are not always accidental, but often intentional. Instead of mending what’s been broken, we withhold forgiveness. We want others to pay for what they’ve done. Jesus, your grace is amazing because you gave us complete forgiveness before we uttered a word of confession. You bore the cost of our sin, and you did not make us pay. As you have forgiven us, may we forgive one another. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Paul assumes that in the church there will be situations when people will hurt one another, and these won’t be accidents. Have you witnessed or experienced any “complaints” in the church?
How would you define and describe forgiveness?
What do you find difficult and challenging about forgiveness?
Paul uses the language of “forgiving each other” as though forgiveness will be ongoing. Have you had a situation where you’ve been challenged to forgive someone in an ongoing way?
Paul shares that the basis for our ability to forgive others is because Jesus has forgiven us. How does this help you to forgive? How might you still struggle to forgive?
If Jesus’ forgiveness towards us was full and complete, how does that give you assurance and comfort? What if his forgiveness was partial?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Blessed Are the Meek?

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

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Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Sermon Outline
Maturing involves seeking and growing in the character of Christ. (v 12)

1. Do we value these characteristics?

compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience

2. How did Jesus display these characteristics?

Put on then…

3. Can we attain these characteristics?

as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved

Prayer of Confession
Our merciful God, we turn to you in weakness, admitting our guilt. We have neglected and mistreated people, rather than having compassion and acting with kindness. We have been prideful and selfish; we have judged and treated others harshly. In our desperation to be strong we have faked it and have misused the power we had. Even acts that appear kind sit on faulty foundations of fear, apathy or a desire for comfort and ease. Forgive these and all our sins. We turn to you because you are compassionate, patient and kind. Help us in the name of Christ, in whom we are chosen, holy and beloved. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Which character traits or virtues do you value most? List your top 3 traits (what you appreciate, not necessarily which you have).
Which of the characteristics (pick 1) of Colossians 3:12 is most developed in you? Which is hardest for you? They are: a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, patience.
Do these traits make us or vulnerable? What are the characteristics of a strong person?
Which character traits of Jesus stand out most to you? What do you admire most in him?
Was Jesus strong? If so, in what way? If not, what did he lack? Does he meet the worlds standards of strength?
How does the crucifixion reveal Jesus’ strength? What are we meant to see that should move us to recognize greatness in him because of what he did?
How can a relationship with God help form you gain these character traits? Why is receiving compassion, kindness and patience from God important for your healing and growth?
Do you relate to God in a way that stirs growth and change in you? How does the call to follow Jesus help safeguard against forming God in our own image or as a projection of our own desires?
How does the character of God create a solid foundation for us? Why is it important to recognize we cannot manipulate God, or that God is not reactive (He remains in control of what He does and doesn’t lose control based on what we say or do)?

Put Them All Away

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 3:5-11 (ESV)
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Sermon Outline
Maturing in the fulness of the life Jesus invites us into requires intentionally putting an end to former ways.

1. What is the problem?

v5 “what is earthly in you”
v5 “covetousness, which is idolatry”
v5 “sexual immorality…”
vv8-9 “anger…”
v6 “On account of these the wrath of God is coming”

2. How do you address it?

v5 “Put to death”
v8 “put them all away”
vv9-10 “put off the old self with its practices”

3. Why is this important?

v11 “but Christ is all, and in all”
v10 “the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator”
v11 “Here there is not…”

Prayer of Confession
Our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer: you invite us to seek the things that are above, but we have oriented our lives towards the things of earth. We confess we have been covetous. We have been ruled by selfish desires. We have fixated on things people have, and have treated people as though they were things. We are guilty of the very ways you have warned us to put aside. Our lips have exposed that our hearts are not right. Forgive every expression of sin, and free us from the power and presence of sin within us. We turn to you, receiving the life of Christ through faith, and commit to walking in him. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Does it seem that the world that you see and experience is all that there is? How do people live when they assume there is nothing beyond this world and that life ends when you die? What changes with the belief that there is a God we can know and that we are eternal beings?
What are some good things that are natural to you (desires, instincts, habits)? What are some problematic things?
How does corruption make good desires harmful? What happens when people are controlled by problematic desires? What is the impact?
What are helpful ways of trying to control problematic desires? What should we avoid?
Which model for dealing with your sin is most appealing to you: fighting it/going to war to defeat it (put to death); putting it away (recognizing it needs to be contained and dealt with); putting it off (like changing an old garment)? Are you neglecting any of the means or approaches? Why?
What happens if you focus only on the good things offered in Christianity and pay no attention to the hard work of dealing with sin? What happens if your focus becomes dealing with sin and you ignore the positive aspects of looking to God with hope and for satisfaction?
What does it mean that Jesus offers us a “new self” which is being renewed after the image of its creator?
What are simply implications of “being renewed”? What are reasonable expectations for a maturing/growing life?

Seeking the Things Where Christ Is

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Sermon Outline
Setting your sight on the heavenly goal orients you for a life of growth towards it.

1. Seek the Things Above

v1 “seek the things that are above”
v2 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”

2. Where Christ Is

v3 “For you have died,” v1 “If then you have been raised…”
v4 “Christ who is your life”
v1 “the things that are above, where Christ is”

3. You Will Appear with Him

v1 “…seated at the right hand of God.”
v3 “your life is hidden with Christ in God”
v4 “you also will appear with him in glory”

Prayer of Confession
Our Lord and Savior, have mercy on us. We have erred in pursuing things that could never satisfy. We have neglected looking to you. Our minds, set on earthly things, have generated shameful thoughts. We have acted regretfully. We have failed to live in this world in accordance with the glorious things you have made known. Forgive every sin. We remember the death of Christ on our behalf, and take hold the life given us in him. Renew our minds and guide us towards the life of honor and glory. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What do you think about? Where does your mind naturally go (what is it “set on”)?
What do you seek after? What do you hope to acquire, value, make sacrifices for? Why?
How can you set your mind on things above?
How can you be more consistent in thinking about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise? (Philippians 4:8)
What can you do when your mind is focused on negative things?
Why is important to understand that Jesus comes to find us? How does Jesus seeking you, calling you, and giving himself for you, help you seek the things where he now is?
How can your identity be shaped more by looking to where Christ is? What can you learn about yourself? How can you grow into what is shown to you there?
What are some of the implications of your life being kept safe where Christ is? How can this help you live differently in the world?
What about the future hope of glory encourages your soul? What are you hopeful for? How can you ground yourself more in that hope so it shapes how you think and perceive?

Freedom in the Gospel

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 2:13-23 (ESV)
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Sermon Outline
1. The allure of self-made religion

[16] Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
[20] …why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—[21] “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” [22] (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?

2. The burden of self-made religion

[23] These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
[20] If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations.

3. The freedom from self-made religion

[13] And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
[15] He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Prayer of Confession
Our gracious God, you have made clear for us the way of salvation, and yet we turn instead to the many laws and regulations of self-made religion that promise life but never satisfy. We cannot save ourselves. Lord, we need the rescue of Jesus. We turn to him for freedom, for he has given us forgiveness and he has disarmed the rulers and authorities. By your Spirit, help us to enjoy being with Jesus more and more each day, and to live in the freedom he has won for us.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Paul says that self-made religion has the appearance of wisdom. Why do you think this is the case?
What versions of self-made religion do you see today?
What does Paul mean when he says that the practices of self-made religion are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh?
How have you seen rules or expectations become the goal rather than a tool in spiritual life?
In what ways do you struggle with doing things for Jesus rather than enjoying him?
Describe how you might struggle to rest in grace instead of striving or proving yourself.
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Self-Made Religion

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 2:15-23 (ESV)
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Sermon Outline
Those who desire to grow spiritually must focus on Christ and be discerning of the lure of self-made religion.

1. The Danger of Being Puffed Up

v18 “…going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind”

2. The Fear of Disqualification

v17 “These are a shadow… but the substance…”
v18 “Let no one disqualify you” [v16]

3. The Need to Hold Fast to Christ

v20 “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why…”
v17 “the substance belongs to Christ”
v19 “not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body… grows with a growth that is from God.

Prayer of Confession
Our God, you are so great we should abound with thanksgiving and eagerly walk with you. We confess we have been apathetic and lukewarm. When we have demonstrated greater fervency, it has often been infected with pride. We are guilty of forming faith and practices around our own desires. We have been fooled by those who appeal to these desires. Our thoughts and actions have not honored you. We are immature, needing forgiveness as well as guidance. We ask, in the name of Christ, that you forgive our sins and nourish us so that we grow in him. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Are you more typically ambivalent and lax in your walk with God, or overzealous? Are you content, believing your walk with God is healthy? What do you observe?
Can you be “too devoted” or enthusiastic in following Christ?
What distinguishes a highly enthusiastic and engaged faith that is healthy, from one that is problematic?
Does a “reasonable mind” require denying supernatural elements of Christianity? How do you discern what is true and real? How can you identify what is false?
How can churches create social pressures that appeal to ego or fear? What are some of the dynamics of an unhealthy Christian community? What might you see or experience?
How does Jesus set us free from the powers of the elemental spirits of this world?
How can you live free of the lure of these spirits and from the unruly desires withing you?
What does it mean to hold fast to Christ?
What are some of the means God provides for your growth within the body of Christ? How does church and Christian community provide nourishment from God?

The Circumcision of Christ

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 2:6-15 (ESV)
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Sermon Outline
Real enduring growth flows out of the change that begins with the unique work that Christ does.

1. Circumcision

v11 “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands… the circumcision of Christ”

2. Crucifixion

v13 “you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh”
v14-15 “canceling the record of debt that stood against us… nailing it to the cross…He disarmed… put… to… shame”
v13 “God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses”

3. Baptism

v12 “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God…”

Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, who works powerfully for your people: forgive all our sins. We have not been thankful for your sacrificial love. We have not believed that your ways lead to life. We have trusted in our own judgements even when they have conflicted with your teachings. We have acted on corrupt desires, even when we recognized they lead to death. We have not been faithful to the covenant nor honored our relationship with you. Our hope is in Christ, who cancelled the record of debt that stood against us. Forgive us in him. Cleanse us and fill us with your Holy Spirit as we look to you with faith and give thanks for your grace. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Are you abounding in thanksgiving? How often do you experience envy, resentment, or in some way dissatisfaction because you feel like you don’t have enough? What are some of the themes of negativity that persist in your life?
Jesus calls us to a new way of life. How would you describe it? How does it work? What don’t you understand about it?
Why is God concerned about our hearts?
Why is the work of Christ described as a circumcision of the heart?
How does the crucifixion of Jesus bring forgiveness to us? How does it work?
How can reflecting on what Jesus did for you help with your struggles of shame or efforts to be free from all that holds you captive?
What does baptism picture? What are we supposed to see when we observe a baptism?
What does it look like to have faith in the powerful working of God?
What changes can you make this week to make progress in walking “in Christ”? How will you try to think differently? What habits will you put aside? Which will you take on?

Staying Focused

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we have sinned against you and against our neighbors, in thought, word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

What is this Mystery?

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 1:24-2:5 (ESV)
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Glory and Peace

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Advent

Luke 2:1-21 (ESV)
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Sermon Outline
Reflecting on glory and peace in the song of the angels (v14) will help clarify why Christmas is worth celebrating.

1. Glory

v1 “a decree… from Caesar Augustus”
v9 “an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them”
v18 “And all who heard it wondered”
v20 “the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God”

2. Peace

v14 “on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased”
v10-11 “the angel said to them, ‘Fear not… I bring you good news of great joy… a Savior’”
v15, 17 “When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds… made known the saying… concerning this child”
v13-14 “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God… and on earth peace…!’”

Prayer of Confession
Our glorious God, we praise you and rejoice at the good news of Jesus’ birth. Hear us as we admit our sin and appeal for forgiveness. We have sought our own glory, and are guilty of pride, envy, arrogance and idolatry. We have forfeited peace and struggle with the consequences. We have been troublemakers, not peacemakers. We humbly admit our need of your grace, and we marvel at your kindness. Forgive our sins. Thank you for the peace given to us in Christ. May all glory go to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Questions for Reflection

How are you feeling this season? How are you feeling about Christmas? Why? What are you looking forward to? What are you dreading?
What do you imagine the shepherds saw when the angels appeared? What did they hear (what did it sound like)?
Do you postpone peace in pursuit of glory? Have you given up striving for glory because you want to be at peace? Which is more of a priority in your life right now (peace or glory)?
What evidence is there that the world is not at peace with God?
Why is the birth of Jesus good news? What benefits come because he came into the world? How is Jesus a gift to the world?
How do we receive peace from God? What did Jesus do so that we would have peace with God?
How do we “give” glory to God? What attitude and actions should you cultivate?
As you practice receiving peace and giving glory, what will help set a clearer trajectory for a life of joy?

How Will This Be?

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Scripture Texts

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Lessons & Carols

Luke 1:26-38 (ESV)
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Matthew 1:18-23 (ESV)
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).

Struggling to Mature

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Sermon Outline
A life that deepens in Christ includes struggling (1:29-2:1) as part of the maturing process.

1. Proclaiming Christ

1:28 “ Him we proclaim…”
2:2-3 “God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

2. Suffering for Christ

1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church”
1:29 “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

3. Maturing in Christ

v28 “…that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
v27 “this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Prayer of Confession
Our great God, you have made available to us all the riches of wisdom and knowledge. Yet we have not trusted you, walked with you, or loved you. We confess our sins and turn to you for forgiveness. We have set our hearts on earthly treasures while neglecting the treasure of Christ. We have been more concerned with our bodies than with the body of Christ, your church. Comfort has been a greater priority than love for others. We have been childish, but not child-like. We thank you that through the remarkable love of Christ we have the hope of glory. Cleanse and renew us. Sustain us by the powerful working of your Spirit so that we have strength to walk in a manner worthy of Christ. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What forms of suffering do you assume are a normal part of life? What forms of suffering do you not understand, or leave you confused or make it difficult to believe in God?
What encouragement can readers of Colossians take from the costly sufferings Paul endured in order to bring the gospel to us and to offer teaching and help?
Why is it important to stay focused on Christ? What is challenging about remaining focused on Christ?
How does a person “look to Christ”? What should you do?
How can challenges push you grow? What kinds of trials should Christians expect to be part of their growing process?
How can you draw from the power of God to be sustained when enduring difficulties?
Is there anything you are doing or failing to do that is hindering your maturing in Christ? What can you start to do differently?

Reconciling All Things

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 1:15-23 (ESV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Sermon Outline

Why we need reconciliation (v.21)
How Jesus reconciles (v. 20-22)
What this means for how we live now (v. 23)

Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, you created the universe for wholeness and flourishing. Harmony and peace were meant to be ordinary elements of day to day life. But we have brought ruin and created distance from others, ourselves, and you. Forgive us for our evil deeds, both seen and unseen. Forgive us for our hostile thoughts. In your mercy and kindness, you did not start all over again, but you sent your Son, Jesus, to reconcile all things to himself. We do not deserve this gift of reconciliation. Help us to remain in Jesus and be firmly secured in the hope of the gospel. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
The brokenness of the world reveals that there is distance from others, ourselves, and from God. Where do you feel this distance in your own life?
Sometimes, even the slightest doubt or suspicion can take away intimacy and contribute to more distance. How have you seen this to be true?
God is the one that initiated reconciliation. Why is this significant?
Jesus “presents us holy, blameless, and above reproach.” Reflect and mediate on this truth. How might this be an encouragement to your soul?
The gospel is meant to be our foundation for all of life. Describe how we might treat it as one option among many.
What might continuing in the faith look like for you in this season?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

The Greatness of Christ

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[a] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Sermon Outline
We are invited into the reforming and reordering of all things in Christ, who is far greater than we imagine.

1. Christ is first.

vv17-18 “he is before all things… he is the beginning”
v15 “he is the image of the invisible God”, v19 “for in Him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell”

2. Christ holds all things together.

v17 “in him all things hold together”
v20 “through him to reconcile all things, whether on earth or in heaven”

3. Christ is above all.

v15 “the firstborn of creation”, v18 “the firstborn of the dead”
v18 “he is the head of the body… that in everything he might be preeminent”

Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, our Creator and Redeemer, you who are above all: we admit our sin and shortcomings. With pride we have sought to take the preeminent place. With greed we have been lured into believing there are things greater than you. With corruption we have failed to act honorably toward you or others. With shame we admit that we are broken people and cannot fix ourselves. We thank you that Christ, who gives life to all, has given us new life. We ask for the forgiveness of our sins. Renew us by the Spirit that binds us to Christ, in whom all things are held together. The kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, forever. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What do you see as “preeminent” in our world? What do people put first, value most, get most excited about, etc.?
Why is it hard to see that Jesus is preeminent?
What is meant by the phrase “if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus”? What are you supposed to do?
How is looking to Jesus like keeping your “eye on the ball”? How can you keep your eyes on Jesus throughout a typical day? In extraordinary circumstances?
How does Christianity provide meaning in life? Does life make sense? Are you experiencing a sense of purpose?
In what areas of your life would you benefit from reordering things with Jesus as your guide and teacher? Where do you feel like you most need to give attention?
Why is it good news that Jesus is above all? Are you confident Jesus is worthy of that position? What concerns do you have?
What are some implications of Jesus being over all, and all things being accountable to him?
Do you ever have a sense of the transcendence and glory of Christ? What can you be attuned to in order to help you recognize the greatness of Christ? What can you expect to happen within you if you can more consistently connect with the exalted Christ?

Growing Wise

Rev. Charles Drew — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 01:34:58 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 1:9-14 (ESV)
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Sermon Outline
We mature spiritually as we align with God’s will, so we should seek growth in the following areas:

1. Understanding

v9 “asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”

2. Action

v10 “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”

3. Endurance

v11 “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience”

4. Attitude

vv11-12 “with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light”

Prayer of Confession
Our wise God, we don’t want to walk in darkness. We admit we often have the attitude “not thy will be done, but mine.” We have not sought to understand your will. In fact, we have tried to ignore it. We have contradicted it. We have sinned in thought, word and deed. We recognize our ingratitude, and we admit stubborn resistance to rejoice in you. Grant us forgiveness. Fill us with the knowledge of your will so that we walk with wisdom in a manner pleasing to you. Strengthen us with your power, according to your glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

How do you pray for other people? Aside from specific needs, what do you (or should you) ask God to do in the lives of others?
What does it mean to know God’s will? What kinds of things should Christians know? What can we not know?
What role does learning play in the Christian life? What are some ways learning happens?
How are actions (what we do) part of the learning process?
What does it look like to draw strength from God? How can your endurance be with strength that God provides?
What is needed to get through periods where you are not experiencing joy?
Is it possible to choose to rejoice? Are there things you can do that are authentic and faithful when you are not feeling joyful?
What role does thanksgiving play in the Christian life? How can prayers of thanksgiving be a more frequent part of your day?
How does the concept of inheritance inform how we can live? What is implied? What do you have that you did not earn? What are you doing with what has been entrusted to you?
What does it look like to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord”? What attitude and posture should you have?

Hope, Faith and Love

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 1:3-8 (ESV)
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

Sermon Outline
The gospel message of grace produces life that evidences itself in hope, faith and love.

1. Hope

vv3-4 “We always thank God… since we heard…”
v5 “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven”

2. Faith

v4 “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus”
v6 “you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth”

3. Love

v4 “and of the love that you have for all the saints”
v8 “has made known to us your love in the Spirit.”

Prayer of Confession
Our God and Father, we need your grace. Forgive our misplaced hopes. We have deep longings, yet we seek satisfaction apart from you. We have many firm convictions and opinions, yet insufficient faith in you. Our love always falls short. Our actions evidence corruption, and fail to evidence being alive in your Spirit. True grace has come in Christ, so in him we appeal for forgiveness and mercy. Revive us as we look to the hope laid up for us in heaven. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What is the gospel? What are the key components of this message, that is described as “the grace of God in truth.”
What are your deepest desires? What, most basically, do you really want? What do you absolutely need?
What are your hopes? What things do you look to in order to realize those hopes? What are the top 3 things where you think “if I had that, I would be satisfied”?
How is Christian hope “laid up in heaven”? What does that mean?
How is faith the “instrument” of salvation? What saves us? How does one connect with what saves?
What happens when faith is weak? How can your faith be strengthened?
How are faith and love connected to hope? What are some ways hope feeds faith and love?
What changes when you truly believe that God loves you?
Why does the work of the Spirit in a person have to manifest itself in love?
Which of the three – faith, hope, love – do you need to give particular attention to in this season of life?

Our Guide in Maturing

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 1:1-8 (ESV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

Sermon Outline
With Christ as our guide we can enter Colossians with expectations of maturing and fruitfulness.

1. Who is this letter from?

vv5-6 “the truth, the gospel, which… is bearing fruit”
v1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God”

2. Who is this letter for?

v2 “To the saints and faithful brothers”
v2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father”
v2 “in Christ at Colossae”

Prayer of Confession
Our Father, forgive us. We have squandered the grace and peace you have granted to us. We have not lived holy lives. Forgive every corrupt thought, word or action. Forgive us for how we have not honored you or our neighbors. We thank you for eternal life that is ours in Christ, for the forgiveness of all that is past, and our hope for all that is ahead. Sanctify us by your grace. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

As we enter the book of Colossians, what do you hope you can gain from the book? How might time in this particular book help you grow?
What power does the Gospel message have? How is it that the “good news” about Jesus can be transformative? Can you think of any examples of the gospel “bearing fruit”?
What can you infer about Colossians from Paul identifying himself as a messenger of Christ? Are these simply his thoughts? How can you learn from Christ as you read the book?
What practices could enhance what you get from a sermon? What things can you do prior to church? What can you do during the sermon? What might you do after the sermon?
How do your own attitudes and expectations shape how you engage reading the Bible? What changes if the reader understands themselves to be a saint, set apart and part of the family of God?
What does the greeting “grace and peace from God our Father” convey?
What does it mean to be “in Christ”? How are Christians “in Christ” while also being in a particular physical location? What are some implications of being “in Christ” wherever you are?
How can you experience eternal life today? How is the gospel enough for today’s needs, and how can you be more present, with God, in each moment?
Are there ways you are stuck in the past? How can the gospel free you?
Are you anxious about the future? How does Christ provide strength for today? How can you live wisely in the moment without be overwhelmed with trying to control the future?

Beginning & Continuing

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Maturing in Christ

Colossians 1:24-2:7 (ESV)
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Sermon Outline
The way to a truly fruitful life is to mature in the grace of Christ.

1. Beginning

2:6 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord”
2:2-3 “all the riches… which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures…”
2:7 “abounding in thanksgiving”

2. Continuing

2:6 “so walk in him”
2:7 “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught”

Prayer of Confession
Our loving Father, you have been so good to us. Your kindness and generosity should stir us to grateful stewardship of all you have entrusted to us; yet we take so much for granted. We don’t abound with thanksgiving. We are marked instead by grumbling, envy, and all the characteristics that evidence we need your forgiveness. We are guilty of complacency. We have done much wrong. There is much we have failed to do. With honesty and humility, we admit our failings and appeal to you for mercy. We turn to you, in Christ, whom you have given to us and through whom you give us all things. As we renew our commitment to walk in him, lead us in maturing in him in this next season. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

How does the Christian life begin?
Why is it important to recognize that God gives and we receive? What is your understanding of grace and how it works?
What riches and treasures do you recognize in Christ? What in his character, in what he teaches, in what he has done, or in what he gives is of great value? How can you grow in discerning and taking hold of even greater things in Christ?
When do you give thanks? Do you have any routine or habits of pausing to take stock of what you have and celebrating whatever is good? How can thanksgiving be a more regular part of your daily life?
Does maturity automatically happen? How does one mature spiritually? Are there ways to tell if you are growing?
What can you expect to experience in the process of maintaining a simple faith in Christ while engaging an increasingly complex world? Does Christianity equip you for all of life?
Have you been neglecting any of the areas of the five practices of Acts 2: Fellowship, the Word, Prayer, Sacraments, Mission (FWPSM)? How can these practices be a “means of grace”, habits that nourish and sustain you?
What could be next for Emmanuel? How can our church grow, improve, deepen, become more fruitful?

Fruitful Branches

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

We apologize, there is no video of this week’s sermon.

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Imagining the Church

John 15:1-11 (ESV)
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Sermon Outline
The deep union between Jesus and his church is unique in its life-giving nature.

1. Unite

v2 “every branch in me”, v4 “in me, and I in you”
v1 “I am the true vine”
v5 “apart from me you can do nothing”

2. Remain

v4 “abide”
v2 “every branch that does bear fruit he prunes”

3. Prove

v7 “My words abide in you”
v8 “bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples”
v9 “abide in my love”
v11 “that your joy may be full”

Prayer of Confession
Our Father, you have called us to abide in Christ, the true vine, that our lives may bear good fruit. Yet we confess that we have often wandered from him. We have tried to grow apart from your grace, trusting our strength rather than your Spirit. We have resisted your pruning, clinging to habits and desires that do not give life. We have sought joy in passing things instead of abiding in your love. Forgive us, O Lord. Cut away all that is dead within us, and cleanse us from every fruitless work. Teach us to remain in your love and to keep your commands with joy, so that our lives may glorify you and our joy may be complete in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What does the vine and branches metaphor teach about the relationship of Jesus and his people?
What do you think Jesus means when he says “apart from me you can do nothing”?
How do we get the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control)?
How can the framework of “pruning” offer a perspective that can help you remain in Christ when enduring difficult periods?
Why is it important for Christian community to be based on our spiritual bond and our faith in Christ? How can our natural hopes for community become a problem in the church?
What kinds of meaningful support should mark Christian relationships? How can we sustain one another through the ups and downs of life?
What does it look like to keep Jesus’ command to love? Why is love meant to be consistent and regular in the Christian life?
Do you believe that the Christian life is the path to true joy? What questions do you have? What can you pray for to grow in this season?

The Bride of Christ

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Imagining the Church

Revelation 19:6-10 (ESV)
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Sermon Outline
The picture of the church as a bride (v7) helps us see that the message of God’s love is profound (and includes commitment, sacrifice, joy)

1. The Marriage Supper

v9 “blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper…”
v6 “the Lord, our God… reigns”, v7 “for the marriage… has come”

2. The Lamb

v7 “marriage of the lamb” (cf v9)
v10 “the testimony of Jesus”
v10 “he fell down to worship”

3. The Linen Garment

v7 “the bride has made herself ready”
v8 “it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen… the righteous deeds of the saints”
v7 “let us rejoice”

Prayer of Confession
Our loving God, you have been faithful to us, but we have not been faithful to you. We have taken you for granted. We have assumed a contractual relationship where we have served you in exchange for things we want from you. We have presumed upon your patience by persisting in what you have warned us not to do. We have failed to trust you. We have sinned in ways that have dishonored people whom you have made. Forgive all of our sins. Wash us clean. Show us again your grace and favor, as we strive to put off the old ways and put on what is fitting for those awaiting the great celebration you have invited us to. We pray this through Christ, the one who loved us and who alone is worthy. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Do you find the message of God’s love appealing? What skepticism, cynicism, fear or incredulity do you have towards this message? Why?
Does it feel like you relate to God under a contract (a practical relationship, a sense of duty, a foundation of exchange, etc.) or a covenant (a personal commitment, a desire to be faithful, a foundation of love)? How does your framework shape your expectations, your experience of God, your interpretation of life events, etc.?
Does love typically include joy, commitment and sacrifice? Are all three necessary? Are they always present? What else does real love need?
Why is it important to recognize that God is patient and faithful with unfaithful people?
Why is Jesus pictured as a lamb in the book of Revelation? What other passages of the Bible help you understand why Jesus is the “lamb of God”?
How is a marriage celebration a helpful image for understanding where God is leading history?
What does the metaphor of the church as a bride imply about how we are to live? What does it look like to get changed/dressed if the garment is “righteous deeds”?
Do you believe the future is hopeful, and that a joyous occasion awaits? Why or why not? How are you currently affected by what you believe about the future?

The Body of Christ

Rev. Charles Drew — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 21:51:17 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Imagining the Church

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (ESV)
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Sermon Outline
1. We are unique members

[12] For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ…[14] For the body does not consist of one member but of many... [20] As it is, there are many parts, yet one body... [27] Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
[22] the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, [24] which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it
[15] If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. [16] And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

2. We belong to the body of Christ

[13] For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
[25] …that the members may have the same care for one another. [26] If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
[21] The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

3. This is God’s design

[18] God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose
[24] God has so composed the body
Genesis 2:23 - Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”

Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, you created us for connection, not isolation. You arranged every member of Christ’s body as indispensable, and your design is beautiful. Yet we confess our sins. We bring division, we measure people’s worth wrongly, we see ourselves too highly and others too lowly. Instead of strengthening the body, we weaken it. Forgive us, O Lord. Turn our eyes to Jesus, whose body was broken to make us whole. May we live each day assured that we belong to him, for we are bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Paul says each member of the body of Christ has value and worth, not just usefulness. Why do you think it’s hard for us to believe this about ourselves or others?
Describe a time when you felt overlooked or undervalued in the church or elsewhere? How did that affect you?
What’s the most meaningful encouragement you’ve ever received, and why did it resonate with you? How might we grow our church’s culture of encouragement?
Think of a time when someone “suffered with you” or “rejoiced with you.” How did that experience shape your sense of belonging?
We may not be best friends with everyone in church, but what’s one simple step you could take to connect more meaningfully with someone you don’t know well?
What if the song that Adam sung to Eve (“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”) is being sung over us by Jesus? How might that encourage you to know that you are intimately tied to Jesus?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

A Household

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Imagining the Church

1 Timothy 3:14-16 (ESV)
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated by the Spirit,
        seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
        taken up in glory.

Sermon Outline
The church, as a household (v15), is the family of God.

Church of The Living God (v15)
The Mystery of Godliness (v16)
How To Behave (v15)

Prayer of Confession
Our gracious heavenly Father, we are assembled before you, the living God. With honesty and humility, we confess our sins. We have not displayed the family likeness. We have not followed the ways of Christ. We have wandered and walked in the ways of the slanderer, the deceiver, the accuser, the liar, the murderer. We have compromised the truth. We have not acted with honor towards those in the household of faith, nor our neighbors. Forgive us. We thank you that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. In this family gathering, renew us, nourish us, cleanse us, lead us. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

In what ways is a church like a family? Are there ways in which a church is not like a family?
Why is the weekly pattern of assembling in the presence of the living God an essential part of the Christian life? (the word for “church”, ekklesia, also means an assembly)
How is a Sunday worship service like a family gathering?
How do falsehood and deception bring ruin? How do they turn people against God and one another?
How is God’s plan for all things held together in Christ? What makes Jesus the way, the truth, and the life?
What can we do to keep focused on the things God has chosen to reveal? What things can we do while there is still much we don’t understand?
Why is it important that Christians get clear on how they are to behave?
What are some of the characteristics of the family of God? What are some traits that all members of God’s household should have?

A Priesthood

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

We apologize, the recording encountered a glitch. At about the 42:35 mark there is a jump. The missing segment was about 20 seconds.

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Imagining the Church

1 Peter 2:1-12 (ESV)
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”

8 and

“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Sermon Outline
What does it mean that the church is a “priesthood”?

1. A Spiritual House

v5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood
v11 I urge… to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul
vv1-2 put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander… long for… spiritual milk, that… you may grow up…

2. A People Called with Mercy

v7 “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
v9 you are a chosen race… him who called you… out of darkness
v10 Once you were not a people… but now you have received mercy

3. Those Offering Sacrifices

v3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
v5 …offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ
v9 that you may proclaim the excellencies…
v12 Keep your conduct… honorable…

Prayer of Confession
Almighty and most merciful Father, without your help we will lose the war against our souls. We confess our weakness. We have ignored or justified envy when we should have recognized it and turned from it. We are guilty of malice, deceit, hypocrisy and slander. As a church, we have been weak in proclaiming your excellencies and our good works have been insufficient. Forgive every sin. We thank you for the mercy we receive through Christ, who offered himself as a sacrifice on our behalf. Empower us with your Spirit to offer spiritual sacrifices that bring you glory. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Do you ever experience “war against your soul”? What feelings or experiences drain you (or feel like they are killing you)?
What is your experience with envy? How does envy function in your life? Are you always aware when envy is at work within you?
How does envy keep people stuck in misery? Why is it so hard to get free from envy?
How is envy connected to malice, hypocrisy, slander and deceit?
Why is it so important that God is merciful? How do we know God is merciful?
How does God use the rejection of Jesus Christ to turn us from lifeless rocks to living stones? How does the resurrected Jesus call us out of darkness and into his marvelous light?
Have you tasted that the Lord is good? Has your soul had any stirrings of life because of some connection with the goodness of God?
What does it look like to make spiritual sacrifices through Christ?
How does “proclaiming the excellencies of him who called you” (praise to God) help safeguard against envy?
How does God use the church to fill the world with worship and good works? Where is the church failing in this calling? What can the church be doing in this period of time?

A Flock

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Imagining the Church

John 10:1-18 (ESV)
1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Sermon Outline
The church is a group of people committed to following Jesus.

1. Do you need a guide?

v3-4 “he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out… the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
v6 “they did not understand what he was saying to them”

2. What kind of leader do you need?

v12 “the wolf snatches them and scatters them”
v7-8 “…All who came before me are thieves and robbers”
v12 “a hired hand and not a shepherd”
v10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

3. Are you with the people following Jesus?

v9 “I am the door… enters by me… will be saved”
v11 “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”
v16 “I have other sheep… there will be one flock, one shepherd”

Prayer of Confession
O great Shepherd, you call, but we resist. We have wandered, thinking we could navigate life on our own. We have been deceived by the thief who appealed to our cravings and corrupt desires. We have done what we should not do; we have failed to do what we should. Thank you that you are a good shepherd, and that in laying down your life you offer forgiveness and reconciliation. Forgive us. Do not leave or forsake us; lead us in the way of abundant life. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

In what ways is the church like a flock of sheep?
Do you need a guide in life? How are you guided, or who guides you?
How do you recognize the voice of Jesus? How can you tell when he has called you? How can you follow his lead?
How do our corrupt desires make us vulnerable to thieves and false shepherds?
How are you influenced by others? How do the habits, desires, and goals of people around you shape you?
What has Jesus said or done that evidences he is a leader worth following?
How does Jesus lead the church? What role do human leaders play? The Bible? The Holy Spirit?
What in the metaphor of the church as a flock of sheep helps us understand why Christians are not meant to live their own personal lives of faith in isolation from one another?

The Light of the World

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Imagining the Church

Matthew 5:1-16 (ESV)
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Sermon Outline
The church is called to be light for the world (v14).

1. Which Light?

v16 “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

2. What Do We Uphold And What Do We Hide?

v15 “Nor do people… put it under a basket, but on a stand…”

3. Why Are We Left In The World?

v14 “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Prayer of Confession
Our glorious God, you are the Creator and Sustainer of life. We are a people who walk in darkness. Forgive us for wanting to take your place. Forgive us for presuming darkness could be used for our own advantage. Forgive us for all the things we have thought and done that we fear could be found out. Forgive us for ways we have made the world a darker place through our sinful actions. We look to Jesus, the true light, and through faith ask that you dispel the darkness in our lives. Thank you for how you have blessed us; grant us the grace to live in the world as those who generously bring your blessing and light to the world around us. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Why does the church exist?
How should we understand that Jesus tells us not to do good works in order to be seen (Matthew 6), yet tells us to do good works so that people may see them (Matthew 5)? What distinction is Jesus making?
Where do you look for “light”? What do you see in the world that promises life?
Why does the Bible insist that we look to God? What happens if we try to become like God (take God’s place)? What happens if we devote ourselves to people, things, ideals, with the devotion and hope that should be in God alone?
When Jesus claimed to be the light of the world, what did he reveal in his character, teachings and actions that demonstrate this?
Where can we see the glory of God? When the Holy Spirit open eyes to discern God’s reality, what kinds of things does the Spirit show you?
How does the pattern of the church – gathering every week, on the first day of the week since Jesus was raised to worship God – sustain us with spiritual health? What are some ways that church becomes lifeless and draining instead of life giving?
How do churches become a “city on a hill”? What characterizes faithful disciples who go into the world to bring God’s light into it?
What habits will help you remain in the paradigm of receiving blessing and light from God, and stewarding it by seeking to bless and bring light to your family, friends, coworkers, NYC?

Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:1-14 (ESV)
1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Sermon Outline
Why do we resist God’s gracious invitation? (v3)

1. Resisting God’s Call

v5 “they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business”
v6 “the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them”
v11 “a man who had no wedding garment”

2. Responding to God’s Call

v4 “he sent other servants… ‘Tell those who are invited… everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’”
vv9-10 “…those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.”

Prayer of Confession
Almighty and most merciful Father: with generosity you invite us to life with you. We admit our confusion, our resistance and our rebellion. With pride and self centeredness we have been apathetic, angry, and unwilling to change. We acknowledge our thoughts and actions towards you and others require forgiveness. We humbly ask that you forgive our sins, as we respond to your gracious call to turn from our sin and towards you to receive life in the name of Christ. It is in his name we pray. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What do you find most appealing or intriguing in Jesus’ call to life with him?
What in the Christian message and invitation does not appeal to you? What troubles you? What do you think is missing?
What do you recognize in aspects of who you are – your life experience, your attitudes, your patterns, your expectations – that resists Jesus’ call? What do you need to resist in yourself, or correct?
Who in this parable are you most like: the disinterested who don’t come because they have other things to do? The angry who respond with aggression towards the ones inviting? The individual who comes but does not change as appropriate for the occasion?
If you received an invitation to attend a celebrity party, how would you feel? How does the invitation to join the kingdom of the Creator of Heaven and Earth land differently in you? Why?
Why is it important to recognize that we don’t earn our way into God’s kingdom but we enter because of the generosity of the king? What spiritual health follows from a foundation of grace?
How does belonging in God’s kingdom help with life in this world? How can a Christian identity provide sufficient security for you to navigate places in our world where you don’t feel good enough?
Reflect on the process of change in the Christian life. How are you being called to put off what you have had on, and put on the things of Christ (Colossians 3)? What do you need to set aside, and what do you need to take on?

Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:21-35 (ESV)
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Sermon Outline
Jesus invites us into a way of life marked by forgiveness (v21), which both challenges and frees us.

1. A Heart Unchanged by Mercy

v26-27 “the servant fell on his knees… out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.”
vv29-30 “So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded… He refused…”
vv32-33 “I forgave you… should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’”

2. Jesus’ Concern for the Heart

v28 “he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’”
v35 “So also my heavenly Father will do… if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

3. A Heart in Forgiveness

v22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
v25 And since he could not pay,

Prayer of Confession
Almighty and most merciful Father, if you kept a record of sins, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness. We need forgiveness for all our sins, including our failure to appreciate your generosity and mercy to us. We have taken for granted the cost at which forgiveness comes to us. We have been vengeful people, desiring to hurt and punish. We justify ourselves, thinking we are judges who operate only in the realm of righteousness. We have not recognized the harm we have been doing to ourselves and the unintended consequences to others. Forgive and free us from these and all our sins. Cleanse us from the harms done to us and from all the lingering effects of them. Show us the heart of Jesus so we become people of great humility, joy and peace. May we give to the world as we receive from him, so that our lives bring you delight and honor to his name. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Why is forgiveness important?
Why is forgiveness so hard? What makes forgiving others difficult for you?
What is the connection between receiving mercy and becoming someone who is merciful? What prohibits us from being deeply transformed by the generosity shown to us?
What does Jesus mean when he says we must forgive “from the heart”?
What can you do when you are finding it difficult to forgive?
How can you protect yourself when you forgive someone who isn’t changing?
Is the gospel affecting you deeply? As you walk with God, are you growing in gratitude, humility, wisdom, joy, etc.? What habits or practices could help you connect more with God?
How can you process your life more fully with God? How can Jesus Christ be a help, strength and healer to you?

Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (ESV)
24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Sermon Outline
Jesus orients us to thrive as we follow him through a world with suffering.

1. God’s Agenda

v24“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field”
v28 “An enemy has done this”, v39 “the devil”
v29 “lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat”

2. God’s Patience

v30 “Let both grow together until the harvest”
v39 “The harvest is the end of the age”

3. God’s Wisdom

v26 “So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also”
v41-43 “they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers… Then the righteous will shine…”

Prayer of Confession
Our Father: we are attuned to our own sufferings, yet ignorant of what it is like to be a holy God who governs our corrupt world. We have questioned your goodness and ability. We are guilty of the slander of those who think they know better than you. We admit our weakness and inability to face the challenges of this world honorably. We confess we have done what we should not, sometimes unaware of the damage we are doing, and sometimes with disregard for it. Forgive all our sins. Grant us grace to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things which should be changed, and wisdom to distinguish one from the other. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What are some ways you respond to suffering? What forms of suffering are most difficult for you?
What are your thoughts about God when suffering?
Why is it important to not lose sight of positive goals (things you aim to do or accomplish) when challenges arise?
When you look at social and political discourse today, where do you see forces that aim to move too quickly into complex issues? What trends or patterns do you observe in recent years?
Why is patience valuable when dealing with challenges? How is patience different from passivity or avoidance?
What is needed to be able to accept limitations and also be proactive about positive change? What skills do you need to develop to be able to make progress in areas where the radical change or the goal you want is not likely?
What comfort or help comes from knowing that the God of Christianity is not removed from suffering?
What are some convictions to hold to, or expectations to clarify, that will help orient you so that as you face difficulties in life you can make progress and have protection?

Parable of the Sower

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Due to technical difficulties, there is no video of the sermon.

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (ESV)
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Sermon Outline
Jesus and his message produce fruitful lives, but we need to watch for what prohibits hearing and understanding it (v19, 23).

1. Hardness

v4 “some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.”
v19 “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.”

2. Shallowness

v5 “had no depth of soil… when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.”
v20-21 “when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”

3. Oversaturation

v7 “the thorns grew up and choked them.”
v22 “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”

4. Fruitfulness

v8 “Other seeds… produced grain”
v23 “the one who hears the word and understands it”
v9 “He who has ears, let him hear”

Prayer of Confession
Our good and mighty God, you have revealed yourself and made your ways known. There is so much we don’t understand. Instead of learning with humility, we respond with pride, apathy and resistance. We have taken what we have wanted from you, choosing to accept what already appeals to us or what we already agree with. We have adopted the desires, values and goals of those in our world who do not put you first. Rather than fruit of the Spirit, our thoughts, words and actions have been filled with weeds and thorns. We admit our sin and ask for forgiveness. We thank you that the message of your kingdom is a message of grace and mercy. Today we open our hearts to you, praying that you would feed and strengthen us so that the fruit of your Spirit manifests itself in our lives. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Where do you observe hardness towards Christianity in yourself? What attitudes, instincts, responses, etc. evidence an innate resistance to some aspect of Jesus and his message?
How can you move past Christian shallowness? How can you learn to face the challenges of life with Christ? What can you recall in situations where you are tempted to walk away from Christ (even if just temporarily)?
What in your life competes with seeking God’s kingdom first? Do you have pursuits or priorities that are choking your faith? How can you tell when things in your life are choking your spiritual growth?
What does it look like to have a life fully open to God and His work?
What devotional habits can you prioritize to make sure you are listening to God, learning and growing as a disciple of Christ? How can you have “ears that hear”?
What aspects of the Kingdom of God do you find clearly valuable? Are there areas of interest in the Christian life you need to revisit or refocus on? How can you sustain enthusiasm for your walk with God?

The End of the Age

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:47-50 (ESV)
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Sermon Outline

Everyone will be gathered (v. 47)
Everyone will be sorted (v. 48-49)
Justice will be served (v. 49-50)

Prayer of Confession
Holy and righteous God, in your kingdom, there is no room for evil; only righteousness. Yet, we confess that we are not righteous, though, in our pride, we presume we are. We easily judge others but excuse ourselves. We wrongly assume that we deserve salvation. Forgive our sins. Thank you for you Jesus, who rescued us from the fiery furnace and who endured the judgment we deserved, so that we would not be cast away. Help us to cling to his righteousness alone. Lord, have mercy on us. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
How would you describe someone who is “inside” or “outside” the kingdom of heaven?
Jesus says that the net gathered fish of every kind. What implications do you see for your own life, your friendships, your calling to be an ambassador of Jesus?
The final judgment will happen “at the end of the age.” Why not have judgment in real time? What difference(s) does this make?
In what ways does this passage inform your understanding of “righteousness”?
In what ways does this passage make you unsettled about the final judgment? How can there be assurance of our own salvation?
How might you see aspects of God’s compassion and love in this passage that appears to be focused only on judgment?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Kingdom Responsibility

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV)
14 “For [the kingdom of heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Sermon Outline
Our kingdom responsibility…

What it is (v. 14-17)
What gets in the way (v. 18, 24-30)
How do we do it (v. 20-23)

Prayer of Confession
Our gracious God, you entrusted the world to us. You generously provided resources so that we might cultivate your kingdom. But we confess that we often live as though what we have is ours; not yours. We forget that we are your stewards. We misperceive you as valuing productivity more than faithfulness. We do not have reverent fear of you, but our fear paralyzes us. Forgive us. We need Jesus and his perfect work done for us. Free us from the bondage of productivity. Because of Jesus, may we remember your words to us: “Well done, good and faithful servant.“ Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
If God has called us to be his stewards and has entrusted us his kingdom, how does that shape and influence your daily life?
What has God uniquely given to you that might be part of your kingdom responsibility? What skills, passions, experiences might contribute to his kingdom?
What do you think made the third servant be afraid of the master? Do you resonate with anything about him?
Describe when you might have misperceived God. How did that affect your life and outlook at the time?
If God values faithfulness, how might that change the way you live? What do you find freeing about this? What might be challenging?
Consider taking time personally and privately and listen to God’s words of affirmation to you: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Allow those words to saturate your heart and soul.
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

The Unexpected Kingdom

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:31-33 (ESV)
31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

Sermon Outline

The kingdom of heaven is small (v. 31-32a)
The kingdom of heaven is hidden (v. 33a)
The kingdom of heaven is more than it seems (v. 32b, 33b)

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, your kingdom is great, but it does not meet our expectations of what a kingdom should be. We confess that we tie significance to what is impressive. When you are not clearly visible, we wrongly assume that you are absent, and we might believe that you do not care. Remind us that though we are specks in this universe, you sent your son, Jesus, to rescue us and invite us into your grand kingdom because we are of infinite worth to you. May your Spirit send us out and be with us as we share your good news to our neighbors. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Why did Jesus choose a mustard seed and leaven to describe the kingdom of heaven? What do each of these images convey?
How do we tend to measure someone’s worth or significance? How does this shape the way we look at people?
Describe an example of how God’s work was hidden and not obvious, but then in hindsight it was as clear as day.
Why is it difficult to trust God when he is not clearly visible?
How can we live out the generous hospitality of the kingdom of heaven and make room for others?
Though each of us are small, compared to the entire universe, we are deeply loved by Jesus. How might this encourage your heart? How might you encourage someone else with this truth?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Beautiful Grace

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:1-16 (ESV)
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Sermon Outline

The beauty of grace (v. 1-7)
The offense of grace (v. 8-12)
The power of grace (v. 13-16)

Prayer of Confession
Our Heavenly Father, grace is central to you and to your kingdom. There is utter beauty in your grace towards us. We do not deserve it. But we struggle to live by grace. Rather, we trust a merit-based life. We find our worth in our accomplishments, we measure ourselves against others, we seek recognition for what we do. May your Spirit help us to trust in grace-based living; that grace is the way to freedom and salvation. Thank you for the grace that is found in Jesus, where you made us equal to him. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Describe the character of the owner. What is notable? What is surprising?
In what ways might you relate with the workers who were hired in the last hour? How might you struggle with imposter syndrome?
Why do you think the first set of workers felt wronged? In what ways do you relate to them?
How does this parable challenge the idea that we can “earn” God’s favor?
If the kingdom of heaven truly has no rankings, how might that change how we live?
How have you experienced the power of grace in your life?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Why Parables?

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:10-17 (ESV)
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears they can barely hear,
    and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
    and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Sermon Outline

Parables reveal who we are (v. 10-12)
Parables reveal who Jesus is (v. 13-15)
Parables reveal who we’re meant to be (v. 16-17)

Prayer of Confession
Jesus, you are the image of the invisible God. You have fully revealed the beauty and wonder of the Kingdom of God. But we confess there are times when we hear but do not want to understand, when we see but do not want to perceive. Our dull hearts, our blocked ears, our closed eyes desperately need your healing. May your Spirit give us the strength to turn to you and gaze upon your beauty and marvel at your wonder. Remind us of our blessedness because Jesus has saved and rescued us. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
When you hear the word “parable,” what comes to mind?
What implications are there that God’s kingdom is something that must be received, not just figured out on our own?
Why do you think Jesus chose parables to reveal who he is?
How does Jesus’ persistence in revealing himself, even in the face of rejection, shape how you view him?
To what degree do you believe that we are blessed to see and hear what prophets longed for?
In what ways might you be a mini-parable to those around you and in the places that God has uniquely called you?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Those Who Are Persecuted

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Ed Sirya

Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV)
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Prayer of Confession
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The City of God

Rev. Charles Drew — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 23:06:34 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 65:17-25 (ESV)
17 “For behold, I create new heavens
    and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
    or come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
    in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
    and her people to be a gladness.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
    and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
    and the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it
    an infant who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for the young man shall die a hundred years old,
    and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;
    they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
    they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
    and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain
    or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,
    and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;
    while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
    the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
    and dust shall be the serpent's food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.

Sermon Outline
Set your heart on the city of God and pursue lasting joy and gladness (vv17-18).

1. What Is Missing

vv19-25 “no more… weeping… cry of distress… infant who lives but a few days… they shall not… plant and another eat… labor in vain or bear children for calamity… wolf… lion… serpent…”
v24 “Before they call I will answer”

2. Who Is Present

v24 “while they are yet speaking I will hear.”
vv18-19 “I create Jerusalem to be a joy… gladness. I will rejoice… be glad in my people”

3. How We Live

v25 “the lion shall eat straw like the ox…”
v18 “be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create”

Prayer of Confession
Our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, we are in great need of your help. We wander this world foolishly seeking to satisfy our pride, greed and lust. When joy is lacking, we envy, resent, and act with spite. We have lived in the world for ourselves. We have not put you first. We admit our disordered loves and disordered life. With hard hearts we have neglected your call, making excuses instead of coming at your invitation. Forgive every offense. Transform our hearts and minds. Fill us with your love so we inhabit and serve our city as faithful citizens of your city. Grant us eternal joy and gladness through Christ. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What do you love about New York City (or where you live)? What do you not like?
Why does the Bible make love for God such a priority? How is putting God first difficult for you?
What in the list of what God will fix do you most long for: no more cries of distress, no early death, no building and others inhabiting, no futile work, no children born to suffer, no predators?
How can the vision of a hopeful future help you in the present?
How is the city of God different from human cities? What does Jesus do and say that indicates the new Jerusalem will be very different?
What can you learn from the picture that the wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like an ox?
How is the pursuit of joy and the pursuit of God intertwined?
What can you change in your life so that there is more joy and gladness in it?
How can sacrificial service be a means to a more satisfying life?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Waiting For God

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 63:15-64:12 (ESV)
15 Look down from heaven and see,
    from your holy and beautiful habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
    The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
    are held back from me.
16 For you are our Father,
    though Abraham does not know us,
    and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our Father,
    our Redeemer from of old is your name.
17 O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways
    and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
    the tribes of your heritage.
18 Your holy people held possession for a little while;
    our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
    like those who are not called by your name.

64:1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2 as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
    and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
    you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From of old no one has heard
    or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
    who acts for those who wait for him.
5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
    those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
    in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name,
    who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
    and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.
9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
    and remember not iniquity forever.
    Behold, please look, we are all your people.
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
    Zion has become a wilderness,
    Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful house,
    where our fathers praised you,
has been burned by fire,
    and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
12 Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord?
    Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

Sermon Outline
Waiting on God (v4) can be hard, but lament helps us resist the pull towards isolation.

1. Sin and Its Effects

v15 “Look down from heaven… from your holy and beautiful habitation”; v11 Our holy and beautiful house… has been burned by fire”
vv15-19 “your compassion… held back” “Abraham does not know us” “you… harden our heart” “held possession for a little while” “like those over whom you have never ruled”
vv5-7 “we sinned” “…unclean… righteous deeds are like a polluted garment… we fade like a leaf... no one who calls upon your name…” (“you meet him who joyfully works righteousness”)

2. Remembering and Its Effects

v5 “You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways.”
v8 “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” (v16 “For you are our Father”)
v1, 3 “Oh that you would rend the heavens”, “When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down”
v4 “no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.”
v9 “Behold, please look”

Prayer of Confession
Our Father, we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people. As we join our voices with your people who have confessed their sin and helplessness throughout the ages, we do so in the name of Jesus, who makes forgiveness and our return possible. Grant us forgiveness in his name, and cleansing through your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What do you find hardest about waiting on God? What kinds of things do you do, or want to do, when you feel stuck?
What is sin? How do you understand it?
Why is it hard to hear that you are a sinner? What is helpful about learning we are all sinners?
How can you pray prayers of lament? What are you free to do? What should you not do? What is helpful (and what is not helpful)?
What are some ways to resist sins’ pull into alienation? What should you watch for so you don’t get fooled into thoughts or actions that will further separate you from God or people?
Why is remembering a good first step when you feel helpless? What kind of remembering is helpful? What steps might remembering lead to (what is next)?
What are some implications of understanding God as our “Father”? How does the relationship between God and His people framed that way help us?
How does the humility and suffering of Jesus help us in the absence of answers to our questions? What in the mission and character of Jesus helps us wait faithfully in hard seasons?
What role does joyful righteousness play in the Christian life? How can that become more of your way life?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Lives that Produce Righteousness and Praise

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 61:1-11 (ESV)
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations.

5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
    foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
    they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
    and in their glory you shall boast.
7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
    instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
    they shall have everlasting joy.

8 For I the Lord love justice;
    I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
    and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
    and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
    that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
    my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
    and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
    to sprout up before all the nations.

Sermon Outline
What kind of life will produce righteousness and praise? (v11)

1. Righteousness

v3 “that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”
v8 “I the lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrong”
v10 “priest… bride…”
v1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me… anointed me to bring good news to the poor…”
v10 “for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness”
v4 “they shall repair the ruined cities”

2. Praise

v10 “… my soul shall exult in God, for he has…”
v9 “an offspring the Lord has blessed”
v7 “they shall have an everlasting joy”
v3, 7 “instead of”

Prayer of Confession
Our just and merciful Father, our sins alienate us from you and from one another. We wander into places where we become entangled and trapped. Our desires, thoughts and actions evidence our weakness, our foolishness, our arrogance. If we were to reap what we have sown, our future would be dreadful. You are righteous and just, but also unimaginably merciful. We confess our sins and pray for forgiveness. We cannot justify what we have done, nor can we explain away what we have failed to do. Our justification is in Christ our savior, not our own deeds. Cover us with his righteousness. May the good news take root in us. May our lives root firmly in you. May your Spirit produce righteousness and praise. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What outcomes would evidence that you lived your life well?
What is needed for a good life? Do you believe you can have a good life without God?
What from the planting/sprouting imagery can help you understand the nature of a spiritual life where there is growth, strengthen, fruitfulness?
Why do we try to justify ourselves? How do we do it?
What is the good news Jesus brings?
Why is our union with Christ so important? How are we clothed with a robe of righteousness?
How should Christians play a “priestly” role in the world? In what ways do Christians serve God and people? What roles do we have in the repairing of the world?
What in the Chrisitan message or experience produces praise in you? What are some things for which you are particularly thankful?
What is a wise expectation for Christian joy? When Christians endure long hard periods, how should they think about the praise of God?
How can you live as one who has been blessed by God? What does it look like in your day-to-day life to hold that mindset?
How can your life bless others? How can you bring the blessing of God to your relationships, workplace, neighborhood?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

A Beautiful Future

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 60:1-14, 19-22 (ESV)
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your rising.

4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
    they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
    and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
    your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
    the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
    the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
    all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
    and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you;
    the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
they shall come up with acceptance on my altar,
    and I will beautify my beautiful house.

8 Who are these that fly like a cloud,
    and like doves to their windows?
9 For the coastlands shall hope for me,
    the ships of Tarshish first,
to bring your children from afar,
    their silver and gold with them,
for the name of the Lord your God,
    and for the Holy One of Israel,
    because he has made you beautiful.

10 Foreigners shall build up your walls,
    and their kings shall minister to you;
for in my wrath I struck you,
    but in my favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Your gates shall be open continually;
    day and night they shall not be shut,
that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations,
    with their kings led in procession.
12 For the nation and kingdom
    that will not serve you shall perish;
    those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
    the cypress, the plane, and the pine,
to beautify the place of my sanctuary,
    and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 The sons of those who afflicted you
    shall come bending low to you,
and all who despised you
    shall bow down at your feet;
they shall call you the City of the Lord,
    the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

19 The sun shall be no more
    your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
    give you light;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun shall no more go down,
    nor your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of mourning shall be ended.
21 Your people shall all be righteous;
    they shall possess the land forever,
the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,
    that I might be glorified.
22 The least one shall become a clan,
    and the smallest one a mighty nation;
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will hasten it.

Sermon Outline
We are given a picture of where God is leading history that can transform how we live.

1. Draws Us

v1 “your light has come”
v5 “you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill”
v7 “I will beautify my beautiful house”, v9 “because he has made you beautiful”

2. Directs Us

v1 “arise”
v2 “darkness shall cover the earth”
v11 “the people may bring to you the wealth of the nations”
v20 “your days of mourning shall be ended”
v19 “sun shall be no more… the Lord will be your everlasting light… your glory”

3. Utilizes Us

v1 “shine”
v14 “they shall call you the city of the Lord… Zion”
“come”

Questions for Reflection

Do you believe the future is hopeful? If you imagine a great moment in the future, what do you picture?
What does the theme of light rising and shining help us understand?
What distinguishes true beauty from superficial beauty? Can you think of examples of how true beauty brings life to a person’s soul?
How can the vision of a hopeful future help you endure present difficulties? How can it inspire faithfulness when what you see is discouraging?
How can this picture of people bringing gifts to God inform how you do your work or live your daily life? What does it look like to glorify God with all that you do?
Why are Christians called to be a “city on a hill”? How do good works cause the light of God to shine from us into the world? Do you find joy in doing good?
How can the church improve in being a community that shines light into the world? What can we do differently?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Truth Has Stumbled

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 25 May 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 59:14-21 (ESV)
14 Justice is turned back,
    and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
    and uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
    and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
    that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man,
    and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
    and his righteousness upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
    and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
    and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, so will he repay,
    wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
    to the coastlands he will render repayment.
19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,
    and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come like a rushing stream,
    which the wind of the Lord drives.

20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.

21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Sermon Outline
The Bible presents Jesus as the answer to the deep and complex questions of life.

1. The Truth

v14 “truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter”
v15 “he who departs from evil makes himself a prey”

2. The Intercessor

v15 “The Lord saw it, and it displeased him”
v16 “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede”

3. The Redeemer

v16 then his own arm brought him salvation
v17 He put on…
v20 “a Redeemer will come… turn from transgression”
v21 “this is my covenant… My Spirit that is upon you, and my words… shall not depart…”

Prayer of Confession
Our holy God, we have all sinned and there are none who are righteous. Truth has stumbled in the public squares. We admit that we have fallen, believing what is false, and attempting to deceive others. We have failed to seek justice and have not always stood with courage against injustice. We have doubted your word. We have not fully surrendered to Jesus, whom you sent. Our thoughts and actions reveal we need a redeemer. We thank you that Jesus came to intercede for us, clothed with righteousness, offering himself for us. We turn from our transgressions to you, asking for forgiveness, with thankful acknowledgement of your mercy. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Where do you see “truth stumbling” today?
Do you find it hard to be honest? Are you straightforward with the truth? When are you tempted to conceal or spin things?
Is God’s anger with human sin justified? What is your response to the Bible’s portrayal of God who is angry with the sin and injustice of our world?
What error are you more likely to make when there is injustice: jumping in hastily and making things worse, or failing to do or say something? Why?
What are some qualities of a faithful intercessor? What are some things you should be prepared to do as a Christian in our corrupt world?
What qualifies Jesus to be the only intercessor between God and humanity? How does he intercede?
What does it say about God that He comes Himself to redeem us?
What can we learn from the fact that God redeems those who had turned from Him at such cost to Himself? How does this help us as we go through life?
Do you believe Jesus is the truth, the way and the life? What questions do you have as you navigate this next stretch of life? What good are you seeking, what troubles are you struggling to deal with, and what are you learning?
How are you making use of God’s Spirit and Word? What role do they play in your life?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Delight In The Lord

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 18 May 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 58:1-14 (ESV)
1 “Cry aloud; do not hold back;
    lift up your voice like a trumpet;
declare to my people their transgression,
    to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily
    and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness
    and did not forsake the judgment of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments;
    they delight to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
    Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
    and oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
    and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
    will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
    a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
    and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
    and a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 “Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of wickedness,
    to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
    and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
    the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
    and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually
    and satisfy your desire in scorched places
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters do not fail.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
    you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
    the restorer of streets to dwell in.

13 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
    from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
    and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
    or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
14 then you shall take delight in the Lord,
    and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Sermon Outline
Is God a source of delight or a means to it?

1. Fasting

v3 “why have we fasted, and you see it not?”
vv3-4 “seek your own pleasure… oppress your workers… quarrel… fight”
v5 “is such the fast that I choose?”

2. The Vulnerable

vv6-7 “bonds of wickedness… oppressed… hungry… homeless… naked…”
v7 “share… bring into your homes”

3. Sabbath

v13 “call the sabbath a delight”
v13 “your pleasure… your own ways”
v14 “then shall you take delight in the Lord”

Prayer of Confession
Our amazing God, you are the source of light, healing, righteousness and glory. We confess our guilt and confusion. We have turned from you and devoted ourselves to things that cannot satisfy. We have presumed we could earn your favor, failing to recognize that our frustrations and accusations are evidence of our own sin. We have looked at the poor and needy with arrogant, hard hearts, not discerning our own poverty and need. We return to you, exchanging our false humility and corrupt practices for the life you give in Christ. Forgive us, heal us, and continue to draw us into the delight of life with you. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What brings you delight? What do you value that you willingly make sacrifices for?
Does following Jesus require sacrifice? What are problematic ways we make sacrifices as part of a religious life? What are healthy or wise ways to make sacrifices as part of life with God?
Why is it problematic to think you can earn God’s favor? How can striving to earn God’s favor lead to resentment?
What attitudes towards the vulnerable, the materially poor, or people with needs do you see in yourself?
Why does our attitude towards the materially poor expose us? What deficiencies can we expect to see?
What does the gospel of Jesus reveal about God? If we make sacrifices for what we delight in, what can we infer from Jesus sacrificing his life for us?
How does insight into the depth of the goodness of God bring deep transformation to us? What kind of connection with God brings light, healing, righteousness and glory into our lives?
What practices help us walk with God? How can God and life with Him become more of a source of delight for you?
What roles can fasting and keeping the Lord’s Day (sabbath) play in living a God-centered life?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Righteous Living

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 11 May 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 56:1-8 (ESV)
1 Thus says the LORD:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
for soon my salvation will come,
and my righteousness be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
and the son of man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say,
“The LORD will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the LORD:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,
5 I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8 The Lord GOD,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”

Sermon Outline

1. What is righteous living? (v.1)

1 Thus says the LORD:

“Keep justice, and do righteousness,

for soon my salvation will come,

and my righteousness be revealed.

2. Who is righteous living for? (v. 3-6)

[4] For thus says the LORD:

“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,

who choose the things that please me

and hold fast my covenant,

[6] “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,

to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD,

and to be his servants,

everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,

and holds fast my covenant—

[3] Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say,

“The LORD will surely separate me from his people”;

and let not the eunuch say,

“Behold, I am a dry tree.”

3. How do we live righteously? (v. 4-8)

[4] For thus says the LORD:

“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,

who choose the things that please me

and hold fast my covenant,

[5] I will give in my house and within my walls

a monument and a name

better than sons and daughters;

I will give them an everlasting name

that shall not be cut off.

[7] these I will bring to my holy mountain,

and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

their burnt offerings and their sacrifices

will be accepted on my altar;

[7] for my house shall be called a house of prayer

for all peoples.”

[8] The Lord GOD,

who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,

“I will gather yet others to him

besides those already gathered.”

Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, you call us to keep justice and do righteousness, but we often put ourselves first than our neighbors. We make it more difficult for others to enter your kingdom, and we lose sight of how you graciously welcomed us despite our sins. Thank you for the righteous life of Jesus who ended our fears, gathered us to your family, and invites us to live righteously so that more may taste heaven. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

1. What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?

2. In your own words, how would you describe righteous living after reading Isaiah 56:1?

3. When did you receive or experience someone else’s righteous living?

4. Our passage tells us that foreigners and eunuchs, once considered outsiders, are now fully welcomed by God. Why do you think this would have been surprising and challenging for the original listeners?

5. Why is the practice of Sabbath so central in this passage?

6. How does Jesus show righteous living differently than we might typically think about it?

7. If righteous living means following Jesus and continuing his ministry, what’s one small but meaningful way you can live righteously this week?

8. What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Hear, That Your Soul May Live

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 04 May 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 55:1-13 (ESV)
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
    a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
    and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has glorified you.

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

12 “For you shall go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
    shall break forth into singing,
    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
    instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
    an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Sermon Outline
Isaiah has a message that gives life to weary souls (v3). What do you need to hear?

1. A question

v2 “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”
v1 “thirsts”, v6 “seek”
V10-11 “as the rain and snow come down… water the earth, making it bring forth…”

2. An invitation

v1-3 “come… listen diligently… incline your ear”
v11 “so shall my word be… it shall accomplish…”
v7 “return to the Lord… compassion… abundantly pardon”

3. A better way

v9 “my ways… my thoughts…”
v7 “forsake his way…thoughts”
v6 “seek the Lord”
v13 “instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress”
v12 “you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace”

Prayer of Confession
Our compassionate God, who pardons abundantly: we receive your word and humbly respond with confession. We acknowledge that our ways have not been your ways, and our thoughts have not been your thoughts. You called, but we did not come. You gave words of life, but we did not listen. We have been troubled by our own thoughts and our ways have produced suffering. We have labored for that which cannot satisfy. We are weary. You alone can grant forgiveness, so we ask for it. You alone can give life, so we turn to you for it. We thank you that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Through him, set us free. Teach us your thoughts and lead us in your way. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What are you looking for in life? What do you go into the world hoping to find or attain? What do you seek first?
How are you laboring for “that which does not satisfy”? What drains you or leads to exhaustion?
Do you have an interest in God’s thoughts? How can you learn from God?
How are your ways not in line with God’s ways? Do you believe God’s ways are wise and good?
God invites you to think differently, and to live a new way - what appeals to you in this invitation? What bothers you?
Why are God’s compassion and forgiveness essential for change?
Can you do anything to get life from God? Why is it important to recognize you cannot earn or achieve eternal life?
What is repentance? How is turning to God something we have to do continually?
Is there a particular habit or pattern that you are trying to change or break free from? What does it look like to work on this change with God? How does trusting Christ help you live differently?
How can you make walking with God your priority? How can this bring life to all you are doing?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

The Way of The Suffering Servant

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (ESV)
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
    he shall be high and lifted up,
    and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
    his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
    and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.
    Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
    and that which they have not heard they understand.
53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
    yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
    so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
    and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
    stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
    and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
    and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Sermon Outline
Our longings to ascend are only satisfied in the one who descended. (52:13)

1. How Bad Things Are

53:6 “all we like sheep have gone astray”
53:2-3 “…no form… that we should desire… despise and rejected… we esteemed him not”
53:9 “although… there was no deceit in his mouth…”
53:4 “yet we esteemed him… stricken by God”
53:1 “who has believed?”

2. How Good God Is

52:14 “many were astonished”
53:3 “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief”
53:5 “he was pierced for our transgressions… with his wounds we are healed”
53:6 “the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all”
53:11 “by his knowledge… make many to be accounted righteous”

3. How Wise We Need to Be

52:13 “Behold, my servant shall act wisely”
53:10 “it was the will of the Lord”
53:10 “when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring”
53:11 “out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied”

Prayer of Confession
Our great and exalted God, we need you to lead us in the way of life. We all are like sheep who have gone astray. We have not trusted you. We have not listened to you. We have not understood you. Foolishly rejecting you, we have done many things we should never have done. Our thoughts and actions expose deep roots of sin. We are astonished that your love is so sacrificial. We marvel that Jesus would suffer such terrible things to bear our iniquities. Forgive us. Heal us. Lead us in the way of righteousness and peace. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Describe your desires for an “upward” life. How are you desiring growth, progress, a better future, etc.? What do you imagine fulfillment of those desires will look like?
What is your response to the Bible’s claim that all humans have sinned/are sinners? What feelings does that provoke?
What can you learn from the metaphor that we are like sheep who have gone astray?
Why was Jesus, a person who did so much good and nothing wrong, treated so terribly? What can we learn about human nature from how we responded to Jesus?
How does the extreme suffering of Jesus reveal unique qualities of God? What do you see?
Why did Jesus suffer as he did? Do you believe that he did these things for you? What do you have trouble understanding?
Is there a way you can make yourself righteous? How does Isaiah 53 describe how things get fixed?
What deep wounds can start to be healed as you open your life to the sacrificial love of God for you?
Does Jesus teach us to seek suffering? Is the goal of life to give up good for misery? How do you wisely incorporate Jesus’ teachings on suffering into your life?
What are wise goals for life? What end are you oriented towards?
How can you follow Jesus through periods of suffering? What is helpful to remember, to hold to, to hope for?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Joy for Those Dwelling in Dust

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 26:9-21 (ESV)
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
    my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
    the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 If favor is shown to the wicked,
    he does not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly
    and does not see the majesty of the Lord.
11 O Lord, your hand is lifted up,
    but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.
    Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.
12 O Lord, you will ordain peace for us,
    for you have indeed done for us all our works.
13 O Lord our God,
    other lords besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name alone we bring to remembrance.
14 They are dead, they will not live;
    they are shades, they will not arise;
to that end you have visited them with destruction
    and wiped out all remembrance of them.
15 But you have increased the nation, O Lord,
    you have increased the nation; you are glorified;
    you have enlarged all the borders of the land.

16 O Lord, in distress they sought you;
    they poured out a whispered prayer
    when your discipline was upon them.
17 Like a pregnant woman
    who writhes and cries out in her pangs
    when she is near to giving birth,
so were we because of you, O Lord;
18     we were pregnant, we writhed,
    but we have given birth to wind.
We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth,
    and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.
19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
    You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
    and the earth will give birth to the dead.

20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,
    and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
    until the fury has passed by.
21 For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place
    to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
    and will no more cover its slain.

Sermon Outline
The Easter message is life-giving news for people who are drying out and dying (v19).

1. You Who Dwell in the Dust

v9 “my soul yearns for you in the night… the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness”
v16 “in distress they sought you, they poured out a whispered prayer…”
v17-18 “like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs… we writhed but we have given birth to wind.”

2. Awake and Sing for Joy

v21 “behold the Lord is coming… the earth will disclose the blood shed in it…”
v19 “your dead shall live… the earth will give birth to the dead”
v19 “your dew is a dew of light”

Prayer of Confession
O living God, our souls yearn for you. We are children of dust – frail, broken, and burdened by the corruption that dwells within us and all around us. Like Cain, we wrestle with shame, envy and anger. Our efforts to mend ourselves and repair the world have been like labor pains that give birth to wind. We need Jesus – the One who descended in humility, who entered our dust to raise us from it. We need your Spirit - to breathe life into our dying bodies, to revive hearts grown cold, and to raise us from the ashes of our sin. Do not deal with us as our sins deserve, but look upon us with mercy. Forgive us for the sake of Christ, who gave his life that we might have life in him. Awaken us, O Lord, to your marvelous grace. Renew us by the power of your resurrection. And lead us into the joy of new life, through Jesus Christ, our risen savior. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Do you ever feel like you “dwell in the dust”? What does it mean to be dust? Describe what it is like to feel like you dwell in dust.
Can you relate to Cain, who felt he wasn’t good enough, needed to improve, but whose growing resentment outpaced his energy to fix himself or rightly deal with his problem? What temptations rise when our efforts fail and frustrations grow
How do you respond to the injustices of the world – when the innocent suffer and the guilty seem to thrive? How does this shape your trust in God, His justice, His timing?
Does it feel like something is missing in life? What do you think it is?
Why is it significant that Abel is remembered in the New Testament? What can we infer from the fact that Jesus came remembering Abel and the righteous whose blood was shed since his time?
How are Jesus’ sufferings like labor pains?
How does receiving the Holy Spirit change us? Keeping in mind the imagery of dry dust, what happens when God’s Spirit starts to work within us?
What are some specific components of the Easter message that are reasons for rejoicing? What can you recognize, take hold of, and meditate on, that would breathe hope and encouragement into your soul?
Have you ever prayed to receive the Holy Spirit? If not, what is stopping you? If you have, how can you seek God for fillings of the Spirit? What priorities will help you live a Spirit-empowered life?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Good News

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 49:8-18 (ESV)
8 Thus says the Lord:
“In a time of favor I have answered you;
    in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
    as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
    to apportion the desolate heritages,
9 saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
    to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
They shall feed along the ways;
    on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
10 they shall not hunger or thirst,
    neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
    and by springs of water will guide them.
11 And I will make all my mountains a road,
    and my highways shall be raised up.
12 Behold, these shall come from afar,
    and behold, these from the north and from the west,
    and these from the land of Syene.”

13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted.

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
    that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
    yet I will not forget you.
16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls are continually before me.
17 Your builders make haste;
    your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you.
18 Lift up your eyes around and see;
    they all gather, they come to you.
As I live, declares the Lord,
    you shall put them all on as an ornament;
    you shall bind them on as a bride does.

Sermon Outline
1. The good news is abundant (v. 8-13)

v8 to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages
vv9-10 They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst
v10 neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them
v10 for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.
v11 And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up.
v12 Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of

2. The good news is unseen (v. 14)

v14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.”

3. The good news is permanent (v. 15-18)

v15 yet I will not forget you.
v16 I have engraved you

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, you are the author and giver of good news. We confess that we fail to see how abundant this good news is for us. In our pain and suffering, we say that you have forsaken us and have forgotten us. We confess that we are slow to believe and see your good news. Help our unbelief. May we look to the scars of Jesus and how we are engraved on the palms of his hands. Restore to us the joy of your salvation. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
How does Isaiah 49 expand your understanding of God’s character, especially in terms of His personal involvement in our rescue and restoration?
Why do you think it matters that this good news is not just for the exiles in Babylon, but for people from every nation and language?
Can you think of a time when you felt forgotten by God or wondered where he was? What helped you during this time, or what would have helped?
How does pain and suffering affect your relationship with God?
In verse 16 it says that God’s people are engraved on the palms of his hands. What does that image mean to you personally? How might it reshape how you view yourself or your relationship with God?
Why do you think it matters that Jesus’ scars remained in his resurrected body? How do Jesus’ scars speak to both his suffering and his commitment to you?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Leaving Hypocrisy

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 48:1-11 (ESV)
1 Hear this, O house of Jacob,
    who are called by the name of Israel,
    and who came from the waters of Judah,
who swear by the name of the Lord
    and confess the God of Israel,
    but not in truth or right.
2 For they call themselves after the holy city,
    and stay themselves on the God of Israel;
    the Lord of hosts is his name.

3 “The former things I declared of old;
    they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;
    then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
4 Because I know that you are obstinate,
    and your neck is an iron sinew
    and your forehead brass,
5 I declared them to you from of old,
    before they came to pass I announced them to you,
lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,
    my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’

6 “You have heard; now see all this;
    and will you not declare it?
From this time forth I announce to you new things,
    hidden things that you have not known.
7 They are created now, not long ago;
    before today you have never heard of them,
    lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 You have never heard, you have never known,
    from of old your ear has not been opened.
For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,
    and that from before birth you were called a rebel.

9 “For my name's sake I defer my anger;
    for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
    that I may not cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
    I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
    for how should my name be profaned?
    My glory I will not give to another.

Sermon Outline
How can you get out of the trap of hypocrisy?

1. The Inner Turmoil of Hypocrisy

v1 “who… confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right”

2. The Lure of Relief with Idolatry

v4 “Because I know that you are obstinate”
v5 “before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol did them, my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’”

3. The Integrity of the Way of Christ

v6 “I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known.”
v7 ‘before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’”
v9 “For my name’s sake I defer my anger”
v11 “My glory I will not give to another”

Prayer of Confession
Our merciful God, you are so patient with us. We are guilty of hypocrisy. We have hidden our sins and exaggerated our gifts. We have been more concerned for our name and glory than yours. We have turned to idols when we should have turned to you in our time of need. Forgive us all of our sins. May your Holy Spirit cleanse and soften our hard hearts. We turn to you in the name of Jesus, who is full of truth and grace. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What bothers you about hypocrites?
How are you affected by your own hypocrisy? What can you expect will result if hypocrisy goes unchecked?
Are you particularly attuned to things around you that you yourself struggle with? Do you get angry with others for things you are trying to fix in yourself?
Why are you more prone to instant gratification when you are experiencing inner turmoil? Why are idols more appealing and deceptive when you are feeling bad about yourself?
Why are superficial people drawn to idols? What do hypocrites and idols have in common?
What are your convictions about the integrity of God?
Are you aware of any flaws in Jesus? Is there anything to indicate Jesus is untrustworthy?
How does the sacrificial love of Jesus soften hard hearts?
What challenges will you face if you commit to a life of integrity? What will be hard? What habits will you have to change?
What are differences between Jesus, who shows you how to discern right from wrong, and cynics who train you to spot what is flawed? As you learn to discern right from wrong, how can you know if you are maturing (gaining discernment) or if you are moving down a destructive path?
Where can you apply or practice the pattern of beginning with the prayer “help me Jesus” and finishing with the commitment “to God alone be the glory”?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Walking with God

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Retreat 2025

Genesis 5:21-24 (ESV)
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5-6 (ESV)
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us amend what we are, and direct what we shall be, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Our Frustration and God’s Plans

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 45:18-25 (ESV)
18 For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
    (he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
    (he established it;
he did not create it empty,
    he formed it to be inhabited!):
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I did not speak in secret,
    in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
    ‘Seek me in vain.’
I the Lord speak the truth;
    I declare what is right.

20 “Assemble yourselves and come;
    draw near together,
    you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge
    who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
    that cannot save.
21 Declare and present your case;
    let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
    Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
    And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
    there is none besides me.

22 “Turn to me and be saved,
    all the ends of the earth!
    For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
    from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
    a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
    every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

24 “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
    are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
    all who were incensed against him.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
    shall be justified and shall glory.”

Sermon Outline
Are you living in the wrong story?

1. Faithfulness of God to His Plans

v18 “For thus says the Lord, who created… he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!”
v19 “I did not speak in secret, I did not say… ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth”

2. Frustration Because of Our Plans

v20 “…you survivors of the nations! …who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.”
v23 “… word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow...”
v24 “…all who were incensed against him”

3. Freedom In the Plans of Jesus

v22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!”
v24 “only in the Lord shall it be said of me, are righteousness and strength”
v25 “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.”

Prayer of Confession
Sovereign Lord, You alone are wise, powerful, and good. You are perfect in all Your ways, and yet, we confess that we are not. We have often thought too highly of ourselves. When our sense of entitlement clashes with reality, we fail to learn and grow. Instead of humbling ourselves, we become angry—angry at You, angry at others—desperate to maintain control. In our pride, we have harbored contempt in our hearts and allowed it to shape our actions. Our sins are many, and they have made us unrighteous.

But You, O God, are righteous and merciful. We are humbled and grateful that Your plan includes saving sinners like us. We thank You for the gift of Jesus, our righteousness and our strength. We pray for forgiveness in His name. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

If you were to give a synopsis of the human story, what would it be? Where are things going, and how do you know?
Do you think God should stay focused on his original plans, or should he pivot to make his focus destroying evil? Why or why not?
Is it ever appropriate to be angry with God?
How can you tell if you are angry because you have a sense of entitlement?
What can you do when you experience the frustration of having trusted in things that are failing you? What are your options?
God said that everyone will come and bow before Him. How does that make you feel?
What does it say about God that in the days of Isaiah he sent out a message calling everyone (“all the ends of the earth”) to turn to him and be saved?
How does the humility of Jesus help dissolve people’s pride? What do we need to see or understand to experience change and healing?
What do you look to for righteousness and strength? Why is Jesus the only source of righteousness and strength?
What keeps you from regularly bowing down in worship and rejoicing at the greatness of God? What can you do to enable this to be a more regular experience?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

God Is in Control

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 45:1-13 (ESV)
1 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
    whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
    and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
    that gates may not be closed:
2 “I will go before you
    and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
    and cut through the bars of iron,
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
    and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
    and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
    I name you, though you do not know me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other,
    besides me there is no God;
    I equip you, though you do not know me,
6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun
    and from the west, that there is none besides me;
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness;
    I make well-being and create calamity;
    I am the Lord, who does all these things.

8 “Shower, O heavens, from above,
    and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
    let the earth cause them both to sprout;
    I the Lord have created it.

9 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,
    a pot among earthen pots!
Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
    or ‘Your work has no handles’?
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’
    or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’”

11 Thus says the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him:
“Ask me of things to come;
    will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands?
12 I made the earth
    and created man on it;
it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,
    and I commanded all their host.
13 I have stirred him up in righteousness,
    and I will make all his ways level;
he shall build my city
    and set my exiles free,
not for price or reward,”
    says the Lord of hosts.

Sermon Outline
1. What does it mean that God is in control? (v. 1-8)

v.1 to his anointed, to Cyrus,
v.3 … who call you by your name.
v.4 …I call you by your name,
v.4 …I name you, though you do not know me.
v.5 …I equip you, though you do not know me.

2. Why might we not like his control? (v. 9-13)

v.9…‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?
v.10… ‘What are you begetting?’… ‘With what are you in labor?’”

3. Why is it good news that God is in control? (v. 1, 3)

v.1 … to his anointed, to Cyrus,
v.3…that you may know that it is I, the LORD,

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, you are in full control over the entire universe, and yet, we do not notice how you are present and at work in our lives. We do not trust that you have our best interests in mind, and so we’d rather control our lives. But who are we to question you, our Creator and Heavenly Father, who works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose? May we trust in Jesus, the anointed one, who is our savior and rescuer, who has set us free. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
How does the story of Israel’s exile and return illustrate how God is in control of all things?
If God is in control of all things, how might that help us respond to hard and challenging times? In what ways do you feel as though it’s not helpful?
How did God’s use of Cyrus challenge the expectations of his people?
In what ways do we sometimes believe we know what’s best for ourselves rather than trusting in God?
How is God’s control over all things a source of comfort and good news for you?
Take a moment to consider how God might be calling you to notice more of his presence in your life. What part of your life might be within God’s plan for you to know that he is the Lord?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Light for the Weary

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 42:1-9 (ESV)
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged
    till he has established justice in the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his law.

5 Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
    and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
    I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
    a light for the nations,
7     to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
    my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
    I tell you of them.”

Sermon Outline
Where do we get help for our weariness? “Behold my servant” (v1,4)

1. Watch where God directs you.

v1 “Behold my servant…in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice...”
v9 “before they spring forth I tell you of them”
v2 “He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street”
vv6-7 “open the eyes that are blind”
v8 “…nor my praise to carved idols”

2. Don’t withdraw.

v3-4 “a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench”
v5 “who gives breath… and spirit…”

3. Go with God into the world.

v5 Thus says God… who created…”
v4 “and the coastlands wait for his law”
v6 “I will give you as… light for the nations”

Prayer of Confession
Our Lord and our God: You have sent Your Son, Jesus, into the world to establish true justice and to bring healing to our brokenness. We come before You in humility, admitting our confusion and the darkness that clouds our hearts and minds. We have allowed sin to stain our thoughts, words, and actions, and we have often turned to false idols instead of worshiping You, the one true and living God.

We confess our failures and ask for Your forgiveness. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and restore us to Yourself. In our weakness, we cry out to You for strength. Have mercy on us and shine the light of Christ upon us. Amen..

Questions for Reflection

What is currently causing weariness in your life? What are you making sacrifices for? What are you hoping to get in return?
What has your attention? What occupies your mind? What do you notice or seek out?
Why are people drawn toward appearances? What problems or challenges does that create?
If Jesus walked the earth today what would people expect of him or want him to do? What would you want to see to help you be more firmly convinced?
Why is the gentleness of Jesus crucial for what he came to do?
How are you still trying to earn salvation? Why is the gospel of grace through faith so hard for us to grasp and implement?
How can looking to Jesus in periods of weakness be a means of finding strength?
What is needed to actively serve God in the world without burning out?
What can you be doing so that the light of Christ shines from you to bring a witness to God into the world?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Sustained by Faith

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 40:12-31 (ESV)
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
    and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
    and weighed the mountains in scales
    and the hills in a balance?
13 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,
    or what man shows him his counsel?
14 Whom did he consult,
    and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
    and taught him knowledge,
    and showed him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
    and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
    behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
    nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before him,
    they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

18 To whom then will you liken God,
    or what likeness compare with him?
19 An idol! A craftsman casts it,
    and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
    and casts for it silver chains.
20 He who is too impoverished for an offering
    chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
    to set up an idol that will not move.

21 Do you not know? Do you not hear?
    Has it not been told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
    and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
    and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23 who brings princes to nothing,
    and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

25 To whom then will you compare me,
    that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
    and because he is strong in power,
    not one is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
    and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

Sermon Outline
If we are not drawing life from God we will not be sustained (vv28-31).

1. Confusion

v28 Have you not known? …his understanding is unsearchable.
v13 what man shows him his counsel?
vv18-19 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? An idol!

2. Fear

v20 He who is too impoverished… chooses wood… to set up an idol that will not move.
v15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket
v25 To whom then will you compare me…?

3. Renewal

v27 Why do you say… “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”?
v29 He gives power to the faint
v31 they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength
v26 Lift up your eyes on high and see

Prayer of Confession
Our eternal Creator, all-powerful and all-wise: we humbly acknowledge our sin and weakness. Trusting our own wisdom, we have wrongly presumed to know better than you. In fear we have sought control and placed our trust in the things of our world. We have fashioned idols in our hearts. We have wearied ourselves with the very things you warn us against. Lord, we ask for your forgiveness. Renew your Spirit in us and strengthen us with the grace we need to live according to your will. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What don’t you understand about God? Can you know God?
How do you feel making decisions or moving forward in life without knowing all you need to know? How do you deal with this or approach these situations?
Is it good that we can’t fully understand God? How is faith good for us? How is faith hard for you?
How do things become idols? What should we be looking for to determine if we are simply enjoying or benefiting from something, or if we have become devoted to it and crossed a line into idolatry?
What fears are frequently present in your life? How are those fears shaping your decisions? Your perceptions? What do you look to for help when you are afraid?
How can the Christian life become draining?
How does faith in Christ give people strength?
What does it look like to wait on the Lord?
What practices help us to lift our eyes up to see and experience the power and glory of God? What can you do to keep your sights set on God in a way that renews your strength?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

The Comfort of God

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 40:1-11 (ESV)
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
    that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
    double for all her sins.

3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry!”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
    and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.

9 Go on up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young.

Sermon Outline
1. Why do we need it? (v. 6-8)

v. 6 All flesh is grass,
v. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades…surely the people are grass.
v. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades,

2. How do we get it? (v. 3-4)

v. 3 … prepare the way of the LORD; make straight…
v. 4 …l be lifted up,…be made low;…become level,… a plain.

3. What exactly is it? (v. 1-2, 9-11)

v.1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
v. 9 …“Behold your God!”
v. 10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,…behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, all of us are frail human beings. We do not like admitting that we have limits and that we have far less control than we think. We strive for more autonomy and less dependency on others. But this leads to our own ruin. We also do not give you the honor you are due. We refuse your comfort and seek comfort in the things of the world that do not satisfy. Turn our eyes to Jesus, the one who received ultimate discomfort, so that we could receive the satisfying comfort of God. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Describe how you face the reality of having limits. Do you embrace this? Do you struggle with this?
When is self-sufficiency a good thing? When is it not?
In what ways is God worthy of all respect and honor? How do we express this in our day to day life? In what ways do you struggle to give God the honor he is due?
To what/whom do you look to give you comfort? Why is the comfort of God not always appealing?
If Jesus truly secured for us the comfort of God that truly satisfies, how might God be calling you to trust in this good news?
How might God be calling you to gift his comfort to someone else you know?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Are You Trusting God?

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 38:1-39:8 (ESV)
38:1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

7 “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: 8 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.

9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

10 I said, In the middle of my days
    I must depart;
I am consigned to the gates of Sheol
    for the rest of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see the Lord,
    the Lord in the land of the living;
I shall look on man no more
    among the inhabitants of the world.
12 My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me
    like a shepherd's tent;
like a weaver I have rolled up my life;
    he cuts me off from the loom;
from day to night you bring me to an end;
13     I calmed myself until morning;
like a lion he breaks all my bones;
    from day to night you bring me to an end.

14 Like a swallow or a crane I chirp;
    I moan like a dove.
My eyes are weary with looking upward.
    O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!
15 What shall I say? For he has spoken to me,
    and he himself has done it.
I walk slowly all my years
    because of the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord, by these things men live,
    and in all these is the life of my spirit.
    Oh restore me to health and make me live!
17 Behold, it was for my welfare
    that I had great bitterness;
but in love you have delivered my life
    from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins
    behind your back.
18 For Sheol does not thank you;
    death does not praise you;
those who go down to the pit do not hope
    for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living, he thanks you,
    as I do this day;
the father makes known to the children
    your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,
and we will play my music on stringed instruments
all the days of our lives,
at the house of the Lord.

21 Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.” 22 Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”

39:1 At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. 2 And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.” 4 He said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”

5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”

Sermon Outline
Are you trusting God?

1. Trusting God in Adversity

38:2-3 “‘please… remember… wept bitterly”
38:10 “in the middle of my days I must depart”, v11 “I shall not see the Lord in the land of the living”, v15 “bitterness of my soul”
38:17 “…in love you have delivered my life”

2. Trusting God in Prosperity

39:2 “Hezekiah welcomed them gladly … there was nothing that Hezekiah did not show them…”
39:6 “all that is in your house… shall be carried away to Babylon.”

3. Trusting God in History

38:5-7 “the God of David your father… deliver you and this city… this shall be a sign”
38:17 “in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction for you have cast all my sins behind my back”

Prayer of Confession
Our faithful God, we need you every hour. We confess our faith is weak. When things are difficult, our fears, resentments and suspicions keep us from humbly turning to you. In times of ease, our pride, hastiness and complacency hinder us from wisely seeking you. Our faulty faith gives rise to sinful habits and actions. In love, deliver us from the pit of destruction, and cast our sins behind us. We appeal to you in the name of Jesus, who graciously gave his life to grant us eternal life. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Do you find it easier to trust God when things are going well, or when things are difficult? Why?
Why is trust so hard? How do you struggle to trust, or where are you struggling with trust?
Why do people feel the need to understand why they are suffering?
How can you walk with God in a difficult period where you are confused, can’t make sense of why you are suffering, or understand how to get out of it? What should you do? What should you not do?
How does bringing the question “what are you showing me?” to God help us navigate confusing difficult periods?
What are ways you may neglect trusting God in periods where you feel confident or complacent? How can you be intentional to walk by faith during prosperous periods?
How can you inquire of God when making a big decision? What can you do, and how do you discern God’s leading?
What are some of the implications of the fact that God doesn’t just deliver from the brink of death, but he can deliver from death itself? How can that broaden and deepen you to trust God with the whole of your life?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Can You Trust God?

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 36:1-37:7 (ESV)
36:1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 2 And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 3 And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.

4 And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? 5 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 6 Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 7 But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar”? 8 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 9 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 10 Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”’”

11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 12 But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”

13 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. 15 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 16 Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 17 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18 Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20 Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

21 But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, “Do not answer him.” 22 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

37:1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”

5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”

Sermon Outline
At the heart of many our deepest question lies this one: can we trust God? Scripture repeatedly affirms we can and we must.

1. Can you trust God?

36:8 “come… make a wager… I will give you…”
36:6 “you are trusting Egypt, that broken staff”
36:7 “is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed?”, v10 “the Lord said to me…”
36:20 “who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands…?”

2. How you can trust God

37:1 “he tore his clothes… sackcloth… went into the house of the Lord” v4 “lift up your prayers”
37: 2 “he sent to… Isaiah”
37:4 “the Lord… will hear the words… mock the living God”

3. Why you can trust God

36:5 “do you think that mere words….?”, v13 “called out… hear the words of the great king…”
37:6 “thus says the Lord: do not be afraid…”
37:7 “he shall hear a rumor… I will make him fall by the sword”

Prayer of Confession
Our good and trustworthy Father, we humble ourselves in your presence. We confess that we have been fearful when we should have trusted, skeptical when we should have believed, selfish when we should have loved, and arrogant when we should have been humble. Forgive us for relying on ourselves rather than on You, for placing our trust in people, ideas, institutions, and the fleeting things of this world. We acknowledge that we have done what we ought not to have done, and left undone what we ought to have done. Have mercy on us and forgive our sins. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Where do you struggle to trust God? What do you easily trust God for or about? What areas are hard?
Should we ask the question “can I trust God?” How do we be thinking people but not let go of a foundation that should be assumed?
Is there anything you can point to that makes it hard for you to trust God? What does it look like to work that out with God (instead of thinking about God, to walk with God in prayer and faithfulness)?
What should we be looking for to spot deception? What are some patterns or techniques enemies use?
How can you trust God? What do you do? Think of a situation (a decision, a challenge, a stressor, a temptation) you may face this week – how can you trust God in it?
Why is God trustworthy? What about God’s character or actions do you find most compelling?
When the question arises “can I trust God?”, how does trust in Jesus focus and clarify how to answer the question?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

A Way for the Redeemed

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 35:1-10 (ESV)
1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
    the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
2 it shall blossom abundantly
    and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
    the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
    the majesty of our God.

3 Strengthen the weak hands,
    and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,
    “Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
    will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
    He will come and save you.”

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
    and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
    and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

8 And a highway shall be there,
    and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
    It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
    even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
    nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
    but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
    and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain gladness and joy,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Sermon Outline
Walk through life with a steadfast hope—one that strengthens you in difficulty and enriches your life with lasting goodness.

1. A Message

vv3-4 “Strengthen… make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not!”
v1 “The wilderness… dry land… desert”, v7 “burning sand… thirsty ground… haunt of jackals”, vv8-9 “lion… ravenous beasts”

2. A Redeemer

v4 “Behold, your God… will come and save you.”
vv5-7 “the eyes of the blind shall be opened… the ears of the deaf… the lame man… tongue of the mute… the burning sand shall become a pool”
vv9-10 “the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return”
v2 “They shall see the glory of the Lord…”

3. A Highway

v8 “a highway shall be there.. the Way of Holiness
v10 “the ransomed of the Lord shall return… with singing; everlasting joy… they shall obtain… joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Prayer of Confession
Our gracious Redeemer, you have made a way out of sin and death. Apart from you we are utterly stuck and helpless. We confess that despite all you have done and revealed, we still give in to temptation. We confess corrupt desires. We confess dishonorable actions. We admit we fail to meet your standard of holiness. We wander from you, choosing the very paths you have warned us against. Forgive all our sins. Give life to our dry souls. Fill us afresh with your Holy Spirit. Strengthen our weak hands and steady our anxious hearts. We thank you for your boundless mercy, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

How does hope provide strength when you face difficulties? How is hope different from optimism?
What things do you tend to hope in when you feel weak or anxious?
Why do people need a redeemer? What is redemption, and how does Jesus redeem his people?
How is the Christian life a “path” to walk?
What is good, exciting, and satisfying about the Christian way of life? What is hard?
What does it mean to live a life of holiness?
How does a future filled with joy and absent of sorrow help you face hardships in the present?
What can we do when you have periods of spiritual dryness?
How can you start to experience more of the joy of walking with God? What would help you come alive?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Misplaced Trust

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 30:1-18 (ESV)
1 “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord,
“who carry out a plan, but not mine,
and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit,
    that they may add sin to sin;
2 who set out to go down to Egypt,
    without asking for my direction,
to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh
    and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
3 Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame,
    and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.
4 For though his officials are at Zoan
    and his envoys reach Hanes,
5 everyone comes to shame
    through a people that cannot profit them,
that brings neither help nor profit,
    but shame and disgrace.”

6 An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb.

Through a land of trouble and anguish,
    from where come the lioness and the lion,
    the adder and the flying fiery serpent,
they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys,
    and their treasures on the humps of camels,
    to a people that cannot profit them.
7 Egypt's help is worthless and empty;
    therefore I have called her
    “Rahab who sits still.”

8 And now, go, write it before them on a tablet
    and inscribe it in a book,
that it may be for the time to come
    as a witness forever.
9 For they are a rebellious people,
    lying children,
children unwilling to hear
    the instruction of the Lord;
10 who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
    and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right;
speak to us smooth things,
    prophesy illusions,
11 leave the way, turn aside from the path,
    let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”
12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel,
“Because you despise this word
    and trust in oppression and perverseness
    and rely on them,
13 therefore this iniquity shall be to you
    like a breach in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse,
    whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant;
14 and its breaking is like that of a potter's vessel
    that is smashed so ruthlessly
that among its fragments not a shard is found
    with which to take fire from the hearth,
    or to dip up water out of the cistern.”

15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
But you were unwilling, 16 and you said,
“No! We will flee upon horses”;
    therefore you shall flee away;
and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”;
    therefore your pursuers shall be swift.
17 A thousand shall flee at the threat of one;
    at the threat of five you shall flee,
till you are left
    like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain,
    like a signal on a hill.

18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.

Sermon Outline

1. The stubbornness of misplaced trust (v. 1-2, 9-11, 7)

v. 1-2: “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
v. 9-11: For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”
v. 7: Egypt’s help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her “Rahab who sits still.”

2. The costliness of misplaced trust (v. 6, 3, 12-14, 16, 15)

v. 6: An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb. Through a land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and the lion, the adder and the flying fiery serpent, they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people that cannot profit them.
v. 3: Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.
v. 12-14: Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, “Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant; and its breaking is like that of a potter’s vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shard is found with which to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern.”
v. 15: For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling.

3. An invitation to trust in God again (v. )

v. 1: “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD,
v. 9: For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD.
v. 18: Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, you invite us to completely trust in you, but we often misplace our trust. We do not see you as trustworthy, and so we look to other things and people to trust in. We struggle with stubbornness, believing that what we do is right and best. We pay with our time, energy, resources, and affections. But you patiently wait for us to return. And when we return, you are always there to receive us. May we turn to you, run to you, and find our rest in you. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
What helps you to trust in God? What makes it difficult to trust in God?
In what ways do you struggle with stubbornness? What do you think is at the core of this struggle for you?
Are there people in your life that you trust who will speak hard but necessary truth to you? When has this happened?
Where do you place your trust in that is not God? In what ways have you “made payment” to the thing or person that you trust in?
In what setting have you essentially prayed to God, “thy will be done”? Are there certain areas of your life that you sense God calling you to pray this prayer to him?
As you imagine God waiting for you to return (whether from besetting sin, or an unwise decision, or something else), what does that picture do for your heart and soul? Do you trust that he is waiting and ready to receive you?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Inner Threats

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 29:9-24 (ESV)
9 Astonish yourselves and be astonished;
    blind yourselves and be blind!
Be drunk, but not with wine;
    stagger, but not with strong drink!
10 For the Lord has poured out upon you
    a spirit of deep sleep,
and has closed your eyes (the prophets),
    and covered your heads (the seers).

11 And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read.”

13 And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
14 therefore, behold, I will again
    do wonderful things with this people,
    with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
    and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

15 Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel,
    whose deeds are in the dark,
    and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”
16 You turn things upside down!
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,
that the thing made should say of its maker,
    “He did not make me”;
or the thing formed say of him who formed it,
    “He has no understanding”?

17 Is it not yet a very little while
    until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,
    and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?
18 In that day the deaf shall hear
    the words of a book,
and out of their gloom and darkness
    the eyes of the blind shall see.
19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,
    and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
20 For the ruthless shall come to nothing
    and the scoffer cease,
    and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off,
21 who by a word make a man out to be an offender,
    and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate,
    and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.

22 Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:

“Jacob shall no more be ashamed,
    no more shall his face grow pale.
23 For when he sees his children,
    the work of my hands, in his midst,
    they will sanctify my name;
they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding,
    and those who murmur will accept instruction.”

Sermon Outline

1. The inner threat of indifference (v. 9-12)

v. 9-10: Astonish yourselves and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink! For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).
v. 11-12: 11: And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read.”

2. The inner threat of pride (v. 13, 15-16)

v. 16: You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
v. 13: And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.
v. 15: Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”

3. The rescue we need from the outside (v. 14, 17-24)

v. 14: Therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder.
v. 22-23: Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale. For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, there are real threats all around us, but we fail to admit that we ourselves are a threat. We struggle with indifference and do not marvel at how wonderful you are. We struggle with pride and make too much of ourselves. Instead of seeing people for their innate worth, we strip them of their dignity and see them as objects. We look to you as a means for our personal gain. But how amazing is your grace that you rescue us when we do not deserve it, and you extend mercy even though we deserve judgment. May your grace and patience towards us transform our hearts and minds to be more like Jesus. We pray this in his name. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Have you felt indifference towards God? How did that affect your life at the time?
How do you see indifference as a threat?
In what ways do you struggle with pride? How does that affect your relationships with other people?
How have you looked to God to get things from him more so than worshiping him?
Of all the things that God has given us that we do not deserve, what resonates the most for you at this time? His kindness, his patience, his rescue, his compassion, etc? Meditate on this and allow your heart to be moved to worship.
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Holes In the Veil of Death

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 25:1-12 (ESV)
1 O Lord, you are my God;
    I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
    plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2 For you have made the city a heap,
    the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners' palace is a city no more;
    it will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
    cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
    a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
    a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
5     like heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
    as heat by the shade of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless is put down.

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain
    the covering that is cast over all peoples,
    the veil that is spread over all nations.
8     He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    for the Lord has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
    “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
10 For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain,
    and Moab shall be trampled down in his place,
    as straw is trampled down in a dunghill.
11 And he will spread out his hands in the midst of it
    as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim,
    but the Lord will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill of his hands.
12 And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down,
    lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust.

Sermon Outline
How do we live when the veil of death (v7) produces ignorance and confusion?

1. Humbly

v11 “the Lord will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill of his hands”
v3 “cities of ruthless nations” (vv4-5)

2. Faithfully

v6 “…the Lord of hosts will make… a feast of rich food…”
v7-8 “he will swallow up on this mountain the covering… death forever…will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach… he will take away”
v1 “for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure”

3. Wisely

v9 “It will be said… ‘this is our God; we have waited for him… let us be glad…”
v1 “O Lord, you are my God… I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”
v5 “You subdue the noise…”

Prayer of Confession
O Lord, we have been confused and fearful. We are guilty of pride and ruthlessness. We admit we have sinned. We have failed to know and trust you. We have followed the course of the world, causing harm and shame. We are guilty in our actions and in our secret thoughts. Take away the reproach and free us from sin and death. Your word, your plan, your purposes are trustworthy. We rejoice that you are so merciful to us. We wait on you, trusting in the grace you have shown us through Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What can we know about death? What can’t we know?
How does mortality affect you? What are implications of your view of what happens after we die?
Why are people so prone to pride? What draws us towards pride, associating with the proud, and having buy-in on the values or ways of those who are proud?
Why does pride move in the trajectory towards ruthlessness?
What impact does pride have on how we view and understand God?
What are some things we can learn from God “swallowing up death”?
How does understanding God’s plans help make sense of life? While we don’t know all the details of our particular lives, how does knowing the framework help you navigate the present?
What has God shown us that gives us cause to rejoice and have hope? How do we sustain hope in a world that has so much that is terrible in it?
Is the Christian life worth living? Is it wise, good, worthy of our devotion? Why or why not?
What are some outcomes of a life faithfully lived with Christ, according to his ways?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Hope that Doesn’t Fail

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 20:1-6 (ESV)
1 In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

3 Then the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5 Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6 And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’”

Sermon Outline
As we step into this new year, let’s ground our hope in something lasting and true, avoiding the disappointment that often comes from trusting in things that fade or fail.

1. Misplaced Hope

vv1-2 “In the year… at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah…”
v6 “Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria!”

2. Dismay and Shame

vv3-5 “…so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles… they shall be dismayed and ashamed…”

3. The Servant Who Is a Sign

v3 “my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign”

Prayer of Confession
Almighty and merciful God, we humbly confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. We have sought life, security, and salvation in things that cannot satisfy, and we have trusted in our own strength rather than in Your unfailing love. Our hearts have strayed, and our affections have been divided. Forgive us for our misplaced hopes and the ways we have turned from You. Purify us, O Lord, and renew us by Your Spirit. Clothe us in the righteousness of Christ, that we may live faithfully and reflect Your grace to the world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

As you enter 2025, have you made any resolutions? Why or why not? What are your hopes for this year, and where does your hope ultimately rest?
Why is it risky to place our deepest hopes in people, possessions, goals, or ideologies? How might this shape our lives and expectations?
Can you recall a time when you placed your hope in something that ultimately failed? How did that experience affect you—emotionally, spiritually, or mentally? What lessons did you take away from it?
Isaiah was called to walk “naked” for three years as a prophetic sign. How does this strike you? If you lived during his time, how might this affect your ability to trust his message? Would it clarify or complicate things for you?
When you feel afraid, where do you instinctively turn for comfort, guidance, or distraction? Who or what consistently gives you hope during difficult times?
How can Christians faithfully live “in the world but not of the world”? How do we avoid being consumed by worldly pursuits, while also resisting an escapist faith that disconnects from real life?
The Bible presents Jesus as the only secure foundation for our hope. What do you find compelling about trusting in Him? In what areas do you find it challenging to place your trust fully in Christ?
How can you begin to shift your hope from temporary things to Christ? What practical steps can you take to realign your thoughts, habits, and commitments with Him?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

An Enduring Hope

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 14:1-23 (ESV)
1 For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.

3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

“How the oppressor has ceased,
    the insolent fury ceased!
5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
    the scepter of rulers,
6 that struck the peoples in wrath
    with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
    with unrelenting persecution.
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
    they break forth into singing.
8 The cypresses rejoice at you,
    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low,
    no woodcutter comes up against us.’
9 Sheol beneath is stirred up
    to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
    all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
    all who were kings of the nations.
10 All of them will answer
    and say to you:
‘You too have become as weak as we!
    You have become like us!’
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
    the sound of your harps;
maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,
    and worms are your covers.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
    O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
    you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,
    ‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
    I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
    in the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 But you are brought down to Sheol,
    to the far reaches of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you
    and ponder over you:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
    who shook kingdoms,
17 who made the world like a desert
    and overthrew its cities,
    who did not let his prisoners go home?’
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
    each in his own tomb;
19 but you are cast out, away from your grave,
    like a loathed branch,
clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,
    who go down to the stones of the pit,
    like a dead body trampled underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with them in burial,
    because you have destroyed your land,
    you have slain your people.

“May the offspring of evildoers
    nevermore be named!
21 Prepare slaughter for his sons
    because of the guilt of their fathers,
lest they rise and possess the earth,
    and fill the face of the world with cities.”

22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.

Sermon Outline

Remembering Past Promises (v. 1-2)
Confronting the Present Reality (v. 3-21)
Holding onto a Future Certainty (v. 22-23)

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, the darkness of the world looms overs us. We fail to remember your promises from of old. We are prone to trust the powers of the world instead of yours. We struggle with despair and sometimes believe that hoping is in vain. But you are the sovereign and compassionate God who has made good on your promise by sending Jesus to be our salvation. May we trust in his finished work that gives us an enduring hope. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Why do you think it was difficult for the Israelites to remember God’s promises? Why do you find it difficult to remember God’s promises?
How does the prophesied downfall of Babylon in Isaiah 14 illustrate the limits of worldly power?
Discuss the tension between confronting the present reality with all of its struggles along with God’s sovereignty.
Describes the differences between how Babylon shows power and how Jesus shows power.
In what ways do you need to hold onto the future certainty secured for us by Jesus?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Wisdom and the Hope of Christmas

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 11:1-10 (ESV)
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
    or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
    and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
    and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Sermon Outline
In a hope destroying world, what can we know that will lead to wise living?

1. Foolish Humanity

v3 “And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see…”

2. The Wise Human

v2 “the Spirit of the Lord… of wisdom…”
v5 “righteousness… faithfulness the belt…”

3. Humankind Called to Wisdom

v10 “the root of Jesse… a signal… the nations inquire” (v1 “stump of Jesse”)
v8 “the nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra”
v2 “the Spirit of knowledge”, v9 “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord”

Prayer of Confession
Our wise and faithful God, forgive us for our foolishness. We have all sinned. We have looked with our eyes, desired in our hearts, and done what we know we should not. We have been unrighteous and unfaithful. Through Jesus, the only righteous and faithful one, we ask that you forgive all our sins. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and fill us with the Spirit of wisdom. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Does the Christmas story feel like a fantasy? What are the important elements of the story? What is true and helpful? Differentiate the story as the Bible tells it and as our culture celebrates it.
How are people foolish? What patterns are true of all of us? What are some ways we are we fooled?
What evidence in our world displays how foolish humanity is?
How was Jesus wise? What about his life or teachings show that he lived how people should live? What in his teaches helps people to have deeper discernment?
How does Jesus image God? What can we see of God when we look at Jesus?
Why is the birth of Jesus significant? In what ways is his arrival a signal to all people?
How does following Jesus make a person wise?
What does it mean to “know God”? Why does wisdom require more than facts and information?
How does delighting in reverence for God produce wisdom in us? How does it protect us? What sources of delight typically rank higher in your life?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Lessons & Carols - Humility, Mercy, Joy

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Info

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Lessons & Carols

On the following passages from Luke's Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
Luke 1:46-55
Luke 2:1-21

The Healer Is Born

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 9:1-7 (ESV)
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
    and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Sermon Outline
Isaiah looks ahead to the one God sends into the world to turn all things around and begin the healing of the world.

1. The Way of Our World

v2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light
vv4-5 …yoke of his burden… staff… rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian… boot of the tramping warrior… garment rolled in blood…
8:11-13,17-19, 21-22 conspiracy/fear, inquiry, rage

2. The Way of the Lord

v1 but in the latter time…
v6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… the government shall be upon his shoulder
v7 to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness

3. The Way of the Lord in the World

v7 to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness
v6 his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
v7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end… the Lord of hosts will do this

Prayer of Confession
Wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace: you have established justice and righteousness. We all fall short of your standard of righteousness. We confess our unjust thoughts and actions. We have neglected what is good. We have taken hold of what is evil. Instead of advancing your peace, we have helped multiply the sin of our world. Forgive us. We take hold of the mercy granted us in Christ, and claim his righteousness. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

In what ways is our world unhealthy? What symptoms do you see that indicate something is wrong?
What examples do you see in public discourse of how people are relating and addressing issues that is making things worse?
Do you discern God at work anywhere within our world now? Do you see any evidence of God sustaining or advancing good?
What are some ways that Jesus’ entry into the world begins to address our world problems? What do Christians believe about the “incarnation” (the Son of God becoming human) that points to unique ways God is repairing the world?
How does Jesus deal with sin in a way that no other person can?
How does Jesus establish righteousness and justice? How does he uphold them?
How are followers of Jesus to uphold righteousness and justice?
What reasonable expectations should you have for going into the world to do good?
What will you need to stay firm in doing good?
What does it look like for God to be at work in the world through you?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Faith

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 7:1-17 (ESV)
1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

3 And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord God:

“‘It shall not stand,
    and it shall not come to pass.
8 For the head of Syria is Damascus,
    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.
And within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,
    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.
If you are not firm in faith,
    you will not be firm at all.’”

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

Sermon Outline

Faith can be challenged (v. 1-2)
An invitation to have faith (v. 3-9)
Faith that can endure (v. 10-17)

Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, you invite us to have faith in you, but it is not easy. Instead of trusting in you, we take matters into our own hands. We often care more about what you can do for us rather than who you are. Help us to see your invitations to have faith in you. You are a God who not only makes promises, but you fulfill them. May we trust that you are Immanuel; God with us. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Can you recall a time when your faith in God was tested? How did you respond in that time?
How do your struggles shape the way you see God? Have there been times of learning, growth, or wavering?
Have there been challenging moments that drew you closer to God? What did you learn about God through those experiences?
One of the names of God is Immanuel: God with us. Do you resonate with this? In what ways does this comfort you?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Healing for Unclean People

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 6:1-13 (ESV)
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people dull,
    and their ears heavy,
    and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste
    without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
    and the land is a desolate waste,
12 and the Lord removes people far away,
    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 And though a tenth remain in it,
    it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
    whose stump remains
    when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump.

Sermon Outline
God has made a way for us to turn to him and be healed.

1. Terrified

v1 “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne”
v3 said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts”
v4 “the foundations of the thresholds shook… the house was filled with smoke”
v5 “And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips’”

2. Purified

v2 “Above him stood the seraphim”
vv6-7 “a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth…”
v10 “lest they… turn and be healed”

3. Magnified

v8 “who will go for us?”
v13 “The holy seed is its stump”
v7 “your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for”
v3 “the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Prayer of Confession
Our holy God, we are by nature an unclean people. There is sin deep within us too painful to acknowledge. There are many ways our hearts are hardened to you. We admit impure thoughts and actions. We would be lost apart from your mercy. Forgive us. We thank you that Jesus atoned for our sins to remove our guilt. We pray for the sanctifying work of the Spirit to cleanse us from sin and produce holiness in us. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

How do you understand the word “holy”? What does it mean? Do you find holiness attractive and desirable?
What are your fears about God?
What insecurities do you have that cause you to keep God at a distance? Which are keeping you from engaging more deeply with Christians?
Can God forgive without someone doing something to make things right? Why is atonement important for understanding how forgiveness is possible for us?
How does Jesus’ death on the cross remove the guilt of our sin?
Do you believe that if your faith is in Jesus God will not reject or judge you? Why?
Why is sanctification important? Why is it necessary to be cleansed from sin?
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification? How are sinners made holy?
What expectations do you have for growth and progress in holiness? What will you need?
How does Jesus help people get through periods when they feel unworthy and hopeless?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Bad Fruit

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 5:1-7 (ESV)
1 Let me sing for my beloved
    my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
    on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,
    and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
    and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
    but it yielded wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
    and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for my vineyard,
    that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
    why did it yield wild grapes?

5 And now I will tell you
    what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
    and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
    and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a waste;
    it shall not be pruned or hoed,
    and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
    that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
    is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
    are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
    but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
    but behold, an outcry!

Sermon Outline
Looking at ourselves from God’s perspective clarifies our need and helps us turn to God for life.

1. Where are you putting down roots?

v4 What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? (vv1-2)

2. What do you observe being produced?

v2 …but it yielded wild grapes
v7 he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!
v5 now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard

3. How can you change?

v1 Let me sing for my beloved

Prayer of Confession
Our wise and patient Father, we appeal to you for mercy. We are guilty of idolatry. We have tried to get life, meaning and satisfaction in things that have produced bad fruit in our lives. We have ignored the signs of how unhealthy we are. We cannot claim to be righteous or just. Forgive every sin. We turn to you, the only source of life. Please do not hand us over to our sinful desires to reap the rotten fruit of our selfish arrogance. Nourish us with your love and grace so that the life of Christ is in us, producing fruit consistent with repentance. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

How can we gain God’s perspective? How do we learn what God sees, wants, is doing, etc.?
What mistakes will we make when we judge everything based on our own experiences and personal understanding? How are we prone to misunderstanding our lives and our world? How are we prone to misunderstanding God?
What happens if we take for granted all that God has provided for us?
How do you try to find life in the world? What do you seek after, devote yourself to, or are drawn to for fulfillment?
Why do we act in ways that harm others?
Why is it so hard to change bad behaviors?
How is union with Christ a way of understanding the whole of the Christian life?
Why is it crucial to receive the love of Christ on an on-going basis? How can you remain aware of Christ’s love?
How can love for Christ shape the whole of your life?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

A Transformative Vision

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 2:1-5 (ESV)
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3     and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
    and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore.

5 O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord.

Sermon Outline
What is God showing us that will completely change how we live?

v1 “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw...”
v2 “It shall come to pass in the latter days…”

1. Reimagining Greatness

v2 “the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains”

2. Revisiting What Is Possible

v3 “For out of Zion shall go forth… the word of the Lord…”
vv2-3 “… many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord… that we may walk in his paths.”
v4 “they shall beat their swords into plowshares… nation shall not lift up sword against nation...”

3. The End of the Path We Walk

v5 “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

Prayer of Confession
Sovereign Lord: have mercy on us. We have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have magnified insignificant things, coveting and fighting over what is of little value. We have not trusted you because we have let our imaginations define what is possible. We have grasped weapons and ways that produce death. We confess our fears, resentment, pride, greed, and every other force for destruction within us. We long for real peace. Forgive us. Light the way before us and lead us forward. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Have you ever seen a picture and thought “I want to be there?” Reflect on that experience. What did you do, what could you have done, or what should you have done?
What are the biggest, most important things in your life? What are you working towards? What will you make sacrifices for? What do you think will satisfy you if you attain it?
Why are the things Jesus talks about and directs us towards not attractive to most people (or are they)?
What promises of the Bible do you have the most trouble believing? What seems most impossible? Why do you have trouble with those things?
How can a picture of where things are headed help you make choices in the present? What in the picture Isaiah presents of future days can make a difference in what you are doing now?
Is it ever too late to get yourself on the path of God? What keeps you from going even if you have the sense that God is inviting?
Why is Jesus essential to making it possible for people to get to this place Isaiah is showing us?
Do you think this future heavenly vision will inspire greater engagement with the world for those who believe it, or less engagement? Why?
In the current climate (what is happening in the world right now) what does it look like to walk with God? What ways of Christ do we need to take hold of?
How can the light of God shine from you into the world? How can our church be more of a city on a hill?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series

Come, Let Us Reason Together

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

We encountered some technical difficulties. There are excised gaps of about a minute at 7:00 and 24:40. The full sermon is available in audio only below.

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 1:1-20 (ESV)
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
    for the Lord has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
    but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its owner,
    and the donkey its master's crib,
but Israel does not know,
    my people do not understand.”

4 Ah, sinful nation,
    a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
    children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
    they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
    they are utterly estranged.

5 Why will you still be struck down?
    Why will you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
    and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,
    there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
    and raw wounds;
they are not pressed out or bound up
    or softened with oil.

7 Your country lies desolate;
    your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
    foreigners devour your land;
    it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8 And the daughter of Zion is left
    like a booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
    like a besieged city.

9 If the Lord of hosts
had not left us a few survivors,
we should have been like Sodom,
and become like Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord,
    you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
    says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
    and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
    or of lambs, or of goats.

12 “When you come to appear before me,
    who has required of you
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
    incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
    I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17     learn to do good;
seek justice,
    correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow's cause.

18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Sermon Outline
We are invited into a long dialogue (v18) about wonderful and difficult things - what will make this conversation productive?

1. Come to know God

v2 “children I have reared and brought up”
v3 “the ox knows its owner… my people do not understand”

2. Humbly accept your need

v10 “hear the word… Sodom… Gomorrah”
v13 “I cannot endure iniquity and your solemn assembly”
v15 “when you spread out your hands… your hands are full of blood”

3. See what the Lord will do for you

v18 “though your sins are like scarlet they shall become white as snow”
vv19-20 “if… you shall eat… but if… you shall be eaten”

Prayer of Confession
Holy God, we are assembled before you and we confess our iniquity. We admit our ignorance and foolishness. You are our true Father, but we have exposed how little we know you. We act like the community of the corrupt, not the family of God. Forgive our religious hypocrisy. Forgive every harmful action. Apart from you, we are stuck in our sin. Thank you for the promise of cleansing and forgiveness. We marvel at your grace and generosity. We look to Jesus who shed his blood to cleanse the blood on our hands. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

If you will be going through Isaiah with Emmanuel (or at some point on your own), what expectations do you have? What will you encounter along the way?
What is the difference between knowing God and knowing about God? How does one know God?
When you encounter parts of the Bible where God offers correction, what is your response? What do you feel? What do you think?
Why is God’s goodness and love for us foundational for walking with God? What happens if we are not firm in those convictions?
Why is it so hard for people to receive correction?
How does true faith produce life change? What are the dangers of going to church or engaging with God simply to have the feelings of guilt relieved?
Do you believe that life with God is inherently rewarding? Do you believe that life apart from God is inherently dangerous?
What questions do you have for God in response to the revelation that God is holy and you need to trust Him and walk with Him? What do you want to know? What do you need to learn? What kind of help will you require? How will you listen or watch for answers?

To God Alone Be the Glory

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Reformation Sunday

1 Timothy 1:15-17 (ESV)
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Sermon Outline
How do we give God alone the glory?

1. We need to see ourselves more clearly

v. 15-16: The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. [16] But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost…

2. We need to see God more clearly

v. 15: The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world…
v. 15: … Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…
v. 16: But I received mercy…

3. We need to see the world more clearly

v. 16: But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
v. 17: To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, we confess that we do not always give you all the glory. Too often, we seek our own glory. We do not see ourselves as the foremost of all sinners because we believe we are not as terrible as we think we are. We need rescue from the bondage of comparison. By the power of your Spirit, help us to see ourselves more clearly that while we are sinners, we are your beloved children. Help us to see you more clearly that you sent Jesus to the world not to condemn, but to save us. And may we see the world more clearly where your perfect patience is displayed. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
How is possible that the Apostle can refer to himself as the greatest sinner ever?
Why do we compare ourselves with others and how can this lead to exhaustion?
How is it good news that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners? How is this a helpful summary of Christianity?
What practice of beholding splendor do you need more of?
How can giving God alone the glory affects our witness to the world?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Rest For Our Souls

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Sabbath

Matthew 11:25-12:14 (ESV)
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

Sermon Outline
What kind of life has the quality of genuine rest within it?

1. The Perfectionist Trap

12:2, 4, 12 “lawful”
12:7 “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice”

2. Discerning What Is Greater

12:3 “have you not read what David did”; 12:5 “or have you not read in the law…”
12:6 “I tell you something greater than the temple is here”
11:27 “no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son”
11:25 “you have hidden these things from the wise… and revealed them to little children”

3. Good Rest Given to Us

11:28 “come to me… I will give you rest”
12:11-12 “how much more value is a man than a sheep?”
12:12 “So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath”
11:29 “rest for your souls”

Prayer of Confession
Merciful Lord, we are weary people. We have exhausted ourselves keeping rules of our own making. We have neglected love and faithfulness, exposing how little we know you. Were it not for your goodness and mercy, we would collapse under our burden of guilt. Who is like you, so generous and gracious? It is through Christ, who gave himself for us, that we come appealing for forgiveness. With childlike faith, we come at your invitation seeking rest for our souls. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Are rules necessary? Why or why not?
What can go wrong when you are focused on rules?
Why does Jesus heal people on the sabbath? What is he showing us?
When we read about Jesus in the Gospels, what kinds of things shape what we notice, perceive, or understand? What influences our interpretations and how we assess Jesus?
What are some implications of Jesus’ claim that no one can know God the Father except through him?
How does Jesus give rest to people?
Why is rest something that is received? Why can’t we just make ourselves rest?
How does insight into the mercy of God bring rest to our souls?
How is goodness a quality of the Christian life? What practices would make the Lord’s day “good” for you?
What would help you experience church in a way that brings deeper rest to your soul?

Growth From God

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Sabbath

Leviticus 23:3, Colossians 2:16-19, Revelation 1:9-11 (ESV)
3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.

Colossians 2
16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

Revelation 1
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

Sermon Outline
We are nourished to grow when we connect with God each week by looking up to Christ.

1. Head

Col 2:19 “…holding fast to the head…”
Col 2:18 “… puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind…”

2. Substance

Col 2:17 “these are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ”
Col 2:16 “let no one pass judgment on you… with regard to… sabbath”

3. Lord

Rev 1:10 “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Lev 23:3 “a holy convocation”)
Col 2:16, 18 “let no one pass judgment on you”, “let no one disqualify you”

Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, you are above all. We humble ourselves, admitting our need of forgiveness. We have been puffed up, thinking we are fine apart from you. We have been prideful, striving to earn what we could never attain. We have sought life in the shadowy things but not in the substance, Jesus Christ. Our restless souls are mired in the mess we have made because of the sinful thoughts and actions that spring from our corrupt hearts. We are setting our minds above, to where Christ is seated, to remember your mercy and ask again for forgiveness. Bring rest to our weary souls, and nourish us for the growth that comes from you alone. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What nourishes your soul? As you look back, what has helped you grow?
Why is Jesus described as a “head”? What is it about a head that is important for us to understand?
What practices can you prioritize on the first day of the week to help you put your mind in connection with the mind of Christ? What can you do to help you see what Jesus wants you to see?
What can go wrong if you are chasing mystical experiences?
How can keeping a sabbath day become burdensome?
What can we learn from Jesus being presented as the “substance”, with all that was before him being shadow?
What is significant about Christians gathering weekly on the day Jesus was raised?
How is the gospel a help for anyone trying to keep the discipline of a day of rest? What challenges will come up as you try to keep this practice and why is God’s grace important for working through them? What kind of rest is possible when you are working the gospel into your life (what weighs on you that can be lifted as you gain the mind of Christ and his grace)?

More Than Rest

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

About 3 minutes are missing at minute 18:09 due to technical difficulties. The missing minutes are available in the audio recording.

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Sabbath

Luke 13:10-17 (ESV)
1 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Sermon Outline
Why do we need the Sabbath?

1. We need the Sabbath to notice things we would otherwise not notice

v. 10: Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.
v. 12: When Jesus saw her, he called her over

2. We need the Sabbath to remind ourselves that we are not God

v. 12: When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.
v. 14: But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath.
v. 14: But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”

3. We need the Sabbath to give us hope

v. 15: “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
John 16:33: I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, you have given us the Sabbath as a gift to rest, to see the world and ourselves more rightly, and to hope for the restoration of all things. But instead of receiving the Sabbath as a gift, we receive it as a threat. We do not want to slow down and acknowledge the broken things of the world. We do not want to admit our limits and inabilities. Jesus, help us to receive and follow the Sabbath as a gift and as your mercy to us. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Describe the challenges you face to follow and observe the Sabbath.
If the Sabbath allows us to see and notice the broken things around us, what specific things is Jesus inviting you to see?
In what ways do you find Jesus threatening? Are there any particular teachings that you find difficult to embrace and follow?
The Sabbath reminds us that we are not God. How do you see this as a threat? How might you see this as God’s mercy?
Have there been times when you felt nearer to Jesus when you acknowledged your limits and inabilities?
The Sabbath points us to a greater hope that is coming. What are you trusting Jesus for in recent times? How does the Sabbath help you to hope well?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Opportunity or Hindrance?

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Sabbath

Amos 8:1-14 (ESV)
1 This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, a basket of summer fruit. 2 And he said, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me,

“The end has come upon my people Israel;
I will never again pass by them.
3 The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day,”
declares the Lord God.
“So many dead bodies!”
“They are thrown everywhere!”
“Silence!”

4 Hear this, you who trample on the needy
    and bring the poor of the land to an end,
5 saying, “When will the new moon be over,
    that we may sell grain?
And the Sabbath,
    that we may offer wheat for sale,
that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great
    and deal deceitfully with false balances,
6 that we may buy the poor for silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals
    and sell the chaff of the wheat?”

7 The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
“Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
8 Shall not the land tremble on this account,
and everyone mourn who dwells in it,
and all of it rise like the Nile,
and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt?”

9 “And on that day,” declares the Lord God,
    “I will make the sun go down at noon
    and darken the earth in broad daylight.
10 I will turn your feasts into mourning
    and all your songs into lamentation;
I will bring sackcloth on every waist
    and baldness on every head;
I will make it like the mourning for an only son
    and the end of it like a bitter day.

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
    “when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
    but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
    and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,
    but they shall not find it.

13 “In that day the lovely virgins and the young men
    shall faint for thirst.
14 Those who swear by the Guilt of Samaria,
    and say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan,’
and, ‘As the Way of Beersheba lives,’
    they shall fall, and never rise again.”

Sermon Outline
Is sabbath an opportunity or is it limiting?

1. End of Relationship

vv1-2 “a basket of summer fruit” “the end has come…”
v5 “when will the sabbath be over?”
v3 “the songs of the temple... wailing”
v2 “never again pass by them”
v11 “famine of the word of God”

2. End of Corruption

v5 “make the ephah small and shekel great, deal deceitfully with false balances”
v4 “bring the poor to an end” (v6 “buy the poor”)

3. End of Misery

v12 “seek and not find”
v9 “I will make the sun go down at noon”
v10 “…make it like the mourning for an only son”
v13 “young men… faint for thirst”
v14 “your god… shall fall… and never rise”

Prayer of Confession
Our Father, like children we depend on you for all things. We admit our sin. We have looked to you for what you can give us, failing to appreciate you, the giver. We have looked to the world thinking it can give us something better. We have experienced your ways as burdensome; we have resented your protective restraints. In greed, we have crossed lines for personal gain, causing damage and dishonoring others. We have ignored your word. We have misunderstood your patience. Through Christ, cleanse us from all sin. Open our ears to hear your gospel of grace so that everything in our lives is renewed and aligned with you. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Do you look forward to Sunday? What is your favorite part of the day?
What kinds of things will you miss church for? How do you decide (what priorities do you have and how do you weigh them)?
Are you eager for your work week to end (most weeks)? Why? Do you have a time you are committed to each week where you will not do any work?
What would be your response to a prophet announcing a “famine of God’s word”? How would this effect you? What would you be concerned about?
Where do you see greed at work in your life? How does greed effect you?
Why does greed within us prohibit connecting deeply with God?
Is there any area of your life where you are cheating, manipulating, fudging the truth or taking advantage of others? Why? What are you gaining?
How can God’s generosity change your heart? What is so striking about Jesus giving himself so sacrificially for us?
Since you can now seek and find, what are you doing to seek God?
How can you make the most of a day for worship? What things can you do? What should you not do on that one day?
How can a day of worship refresh you for the work of the other 6 days?

Preparing to Nourish Our Souls

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Sabbath

Exodus 16:13-30 (ESV)
13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” 24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

Sermon Outline
Why should we prepare for a day to feed our souls?

1. Bodies with Appetites

v15 “what is it?” “it is the bread the Lord has given you”
vv16-21 “…whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack” (v18)
v23 “… bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil… all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning“

2. Souls that Hunger

v26 “on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none”
v12 “then you shall know…”

3. Food that Gives Life

John 6:58 “whoever feeds on this bread will live forever”
v23 “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord”
v30 “so the people rested on the seventh day”

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, you give life and all we need for life. We confess how little of our daily dependence we understand, and how little of your provision we recognize. We struggle with disordered appetites. We grumble against you while we reap the consequences of own foolishness. We have been calloused to the troubles we have caused others. We have muted our spiritual hunger. Rest in you has been a low priority. Forgive every sin. We remember Jesus, the true bread who came down from heaven; who gave his body for our bodies; who will raise up all who have received his grace. Nourish our souls as we remember Jesus with faith. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Do you ever prepare for a day off? For vacation? If so, how? If not, why not?
What role does food preparation play in your life? How much time is spent in attaining the means to acquire it, prepare it, consume it?
What appetite do you have that is stronger or takes precedence over your appetite to eat? What do you desire most?
How do you struggle with contentment? What in your life do you feel you never have enough of?
Do you have a hunger for God? Is there a desire for more of God? How do you know?
If you had a full 24 hour period to focus only on loving God and loving people – on cultivating your soul – what would you do? What would you find difficult to do?
How does Jesus, the person, nourish our souls? What does it mean to “eat his body”? How are we to understand what he means in his call to trust him for eternal life, and to come alive and grow spiritually?
What can you do to free up time on Sundays for more intentional life with God?
What is an enjoyable thing you do to connect with God? How can you find a time every Sunday to do it?

God First

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Sabbath

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (ESV)
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Sermon Outline
Be clear on what is first in your life (make sure it is God) and guard that priority with how you organize your time (v14).

1. Remember That You Were Slaves

v15 “You shall remember that you were a slave”

2. Remember That God Brought You Out

v15b “You shall remember that… God brought you out from there”

3. Observe and Keep a Day

v12 “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.”
v13 “On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant...”

Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, our great redeemer, again we need your grace. We admit our sin and failings. We remember that we have given ourselves over to what has enslaved us. We have served and devoted ourselves to people, things, institutions and ideologies. We have suffered the miseries of idolatry. We have subjected others to misery because of our corrupt stewardship of power. We have not welcomed your invitation or heeded your warning to keep you first in our lives. Forgive us. As we remember our sin and misery, we also remember you, our deliverer. Thank you for coming in glory and power to rescue us. Thank you for coming with humility and dealing with our sin with such sacrificial mercy. Free us from guilt and shame, and refresh us for our walk with you this week. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What is your first priority in life? Where is it in your schedule? How have you prioritized it?
Why is it important to have a positive vision of work and rest? Why is rest good, even if it doesn’t feel needed?
Why is it important to discern ways work gets corrupted? What are some ways work has been or become problematic for you?
Why is important to see rest as a means of dealing with how work is negatively impacting you?
What does it mean to “remember you were a slave”? A slave to what? What have you experienced that touches on this theme?
Who do we see God to be in moments like the exodus or in Jesus going to the cross? What do these actions display about the character of God?
Do you need to draw more heavily on God’s strength, as the protector who comes to deliver and defend; or on God’s kindness and compassion, who cares about you and enters your suffering? How are both needed?
How can you put and keep God first in your life? What needs to happen with your rhythms and schedule to safeguard that?
What can you do to make the first day of the week a day where you are connecting with God? What do you need to be careful about?

The Center of Our Week

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Sabbath

Genesis 1:26-2:3; Exodus 20:8-11 (ESV)
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Sermon Outline
Take the day God has given you: rest in Him and make that the center of how you organize your time.

1. Patterns of Work and Rest

Exodus 20:9-10 “Six days you shall labor… but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.”

2. Inverted Reality

Genesis 2:2-3 “And on the seventh day God finished his work… and he rested…”
Genesis 1:26-27 “God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…”

3. A Day to Look to the Eternal God

Exodus 20:8 “remember”
Genesis 2:3, Exodus 20:11 “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy”

Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, you have made all things good and blessed us with the dignity of bearing your image. We admit our sin and shortcomings to you. Instead of imitating you, we have attempted to replace you. We have not made you the center of our lives. We have rested when we should be working, we have worked when we should be resting. We are tired. Forgive our disobedience. Thank you for the work of Christ which brings rest to our weary souls. Thank you for gifting us a day to assemble in your presence. Cleanse us from all sin, and refresh our hearts for the work of this week. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What does time off look like for you? How often do you take intentional breaks? What do you do?
Which is more difficult for you: resting or working? Why?
What is good about setting aside one day in seven for rest and worship? What are some benefits?
What makes taking a whole day off hard?
What has misplaced God in your life? What corrupted thoughts keep you from enjoying God? Imitating God? Trusting God?
Why is it impossible for our work to ever be good enough? How can you cease when it feels like more needs to be done? What do you need to remember?
How does Jesus completing the work of redemption free those who trust him? What does his work on the cross free you from?
How is sabbath a gift?
What is helpful to remember on the sabbath?
How can make Sunday a special day? What would make it joyful? What can be part of your weekly routine to connect with God on the first day of the week?

Walking Humbly with God

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series:

Micah 6:6-8 (ESV)
6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

Sermon Outline
Walking with God is the key ingredient missing in most efforts for a good life.

1. Wholeness for a Good Life

v8 “do justice… love kindness… walk humbly with your God”

2. Weariness as a Symptom

v3 “In what have I wearied you?”
vv6-8 “With what shall I come before the Lord…?”

3. Walking Humbly With God

v7 “Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression?”
v8 “humbly with”
v8 “he has told you what is good… what does the Lord require…?”

Prayer of Confession
Our just and merciful God, we are present with you but have little to offer. We have not done enough to earn your favor. What we have done should provoke your anger. You are so kind and patient with us, but we are harsh and selfish towards one another. You invite us to walk with you, but we go astray. Forgive us our sins. Were it not for your compassion, and for what Jesus has done on our behalf, we would have no hope. Thank you for showing us what is good. Thank you for giving so generously and sacrificially to us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What do you most gravitate towards: doing justice, loving kindness, or walking with God? Why? What does this look like in your life?
Can you live justly if you are not walking with God? How does walking with God help one realize a truly upright life?
Why do Christians wind up legalistic? Why can Christians tend towards an emotionalism? What is needed to hold together the fulness of the Christian life?
Do you find walking with God energizing and strengthening? When do you find the Christian life wearying? What do you think is causing any current weariness?
What in how you relate to God betrays problematic assumptions about who God is? What religious habits in your life point you to areas where you are not relating well to God?
What keeps you from seeing the good God shows you? What hinders you from hearing the good God speaks to you? What can you do to be more open to receiving from God?
How are you walking with God in daily life? What are next steps for you to live life more fully with God? Where in your life are you least mindful of God?

Is Politics Too Important?

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Charles Drew
Sermon Series: Politics

Psalm 97 (ESV)
1 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,
    who make their boast in worthless idols;
    worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and is glad,
    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods.

10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil!
    He preserves the lives of his saints;
    he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown [dawns] for the righteous,
    and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
    and give thanks to his holy name!

Sermon Outline Slides

The Help of the Redeemer

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Psalm 77 - With God in the Dark

Psalm 77 (ESV)
To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

1 I cry aloud to God,
    aloud to God, and he will hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
    in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
    my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 When I remember God, I moan;
    when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

4 You hold my eyelids open;
    I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old,
    the years long ago.
6 I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;
    let me meditate in my heart.”
    Then my spirit made a diligent search:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever,
    and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
    Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.

11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work,
    and meditate on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy.
    What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
    you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 You with your arm redeemed your people,
    the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 When the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
    the skies gave forth thunder;
    your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    your lightnings lighted up the world;
    the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea,
    your path through the great waters;
    yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Sermon Outline
How do you reorient with God when you feel lost? (v15)

1. Remember the Redeemer

v10 “Then I said, ‘I will appeal to… the years of the right hand of the Most High’”
vv11-I4 “will remember the deeds… your wonders of old…Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?”

2. Let the Redeemer Lead the Way

v16 “When the waters saw you, they were afraid”
v19 “Your way was through the sea… yet your footprints were unseen”
v20 “You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron”

Prayer of Confession
Our mighty Redeemer, you have made us, and you provide daily for us. Instead of eagerly drawing near to you, we continually wander away. We don’t follow your lead. We take so much for granted. We lose sight of you as we foolishly set our eyes and hopes on other things. We act in ways that are contrary to yours. We are left with troubled souls. Without your gracious intervention we would have no hope. Thank you for paying the debt of our sin and for granting us forgiveness in such a costly way. In the name of Jesus our redeemer, show us mercy. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What do you do when you feel lost or in the dark? What works or helps? What does not?
Why is it hard to see God or connect with God when you are in a difficult time? Is it harder for you to connect with God in difficult times, or when things are going well?
What is most helpful to you: God as creator, as redeemer, or as sustainer? (the creator who wisely makes, orders and gives life; the redeemer who lovingly, courageously, and sacrificially comes and rescues; the sustainer who daily provides)
What are the most helpful things to bring to mind and meditate on regarding who God is, what God has done, or what God says? Is there anything you avoid? Anything that other Christians find helpful that you don’t? Why?
How is Jesus as a redeemer a unique help to those who feel lost, overwhelmed, hopeless, or unworthy?
How can connecting with Jesus be a step towards seeing/appreciating the greatness of the Creator? How can connecting with Jesus be a step towards seeing/appreciating the kind, responsible provision of the sustainer?
What does Jesus going into darkness on the cross reveal about God? How is this a help to people who are fearful or skeptical yet have a longing to draw near to God?
Why do you find it hard to fully receive from God? What keeps you from resting in Him? What would happen if you ceased striving for a period?
What is one thing that roots you in God’s goodness that you can think about this week?

Questions In the Dark

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Psalm 77 - With God in the Dark

Psalm 77 (ESV)
To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.

Sermon Outline
Difficult periods that require adaptation and patience also expose our weakness and immaturity - we can deepen and grow while going through these periods if we stay with Jesus.

1. The Struggle of Change

v4 “You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.”
vv5-6 “I consider the days of old… ‘Let me remember’”

2. Hard Questions

v6 “Then my spirit made a diligent search”
vv7-9 “Will the Lord… never again… forever ceased… an end for all time?” Has God forgotten…?

3. A Good Shepherd

v10 “I will appeal to… the right hand of the Most High.”

Prayer of Confession
Our good Shepherd, we have wandered and strayed. We have resisted the path of growth. We have stubbornly refused change. In our efforts to force you into our desires and understandings, we have erred in many ways. We are guilty of false accusations against you. When we have needed you most we pushed you away. Forgive every sin. We are guilty too in what we have thought of others and how we have treated them. We confess we are helpless apart from you. Forgive our unbelief. We appeal to you, asking for your continued oversight, and praying for mercy as we return to walk with you. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What fears arise when you are in periods of change?
What assumptions do you have, or what judgements are you quick to make regarding God or what you think God is doing, when in difficult periods?
Are there certain questions you are continually asking God? Why?
What are strategies for staying with God when you don’t have answers to your questions?
How can you discern each next faithful step? What are things you can do while you can’t grasp how it all fits together to take one action at a time that is faithfully on the path of Christ?
Is there anything God is teaching you now? What is happening in your life and how can you move deeper and into greater maturity as you navigate it?
What makes Jesus the good shepherd? What do you see in Jesus or what Jesus offers that is still desirable?
How are you being called to trust God in this season? What need or limitation requires that you rest in Him and wait on Him?

Groaning With God

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Psalm 77 - With God in the Dark

Psalm 77 (ESV)
To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.

Sermon Outline
There will be difficult stretches on the path of following Jesus where you will need to seek God while having the impression God is not with you.

1. Staying With God

v1 “I cry aloud to God… he will hear me”

2. Painful Remembering

v3 “When I remember God, I moan…”

3. Seeking Comfort In God

v2 “In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord… my soul refuses to be comforted”

Prayer of Confession
We cry aloud to you, O God. Help us! We are weak and weary. We admit our unsteady faith, and the guilt of our sin. We give up too quickly. We are too desperate for comfort. In our confusion, we assume the worst of you. Forgive every sin in every area of our lives. Thank you for Jesus, who entered our misery, yet without sin. We appeal to you in his name, who made provision for our forgiveness, and through his suffering reconciled us. We remember you and we humbly acknowledge your mercy. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Do you ever have the sense that God is with you? What is that experience like? Is it sufficient for strength and encouragement to keep going in most circumstances?
What questions arise in your mind regarding God when you are suffering? What are your fears? What makes you angry? What do you stay confused about?
What does it look like to “walk with God”? In daily life, what is it like to navigate decisions with the intention to go through life with God?
What does it look like to walk with God when you are of the impression God is not with/for you? How do you navigate that? What temptations do you need to be watchful for?
What are appropriate things to do when you feel you need God but aren’t discerning God is present or helping you? What can you do with your anger? With your fear? With your confusion? In particular, what are ways to bring these things to God or work them out with God?
Should you keep attending church or stay engaged in Christian community during these periods? What should you do if contact with the church feels alienating or painful?
Why do we have to be careful about where we go for comfort?
How does the suffering of Jesus help sufferers? What truth does the gospel convey to help you seek and rest in God during confusing periods where you don’t have the sense God is with you?

Integrity in the World

Rev. Charles Drew — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: The Gospel and the World

Daniel 3 (ESV) (Select Verses)
[1] King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold... [4] And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, [5] that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. [6] And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”

[8] Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. [9] They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! [10] You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of … every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. [11] And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. [12] There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

[13] Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. [14] Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? [15] Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of … every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

[16] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. [17] If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. [18] But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

[19] Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. [20] And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

[24] Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” … “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Sermon Outline

1. What does integrity look like?

v. 16: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

2. What is the cost of integrity?

v. 8: “Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews.”
v. 13: “…furious rage.”
v. 12: There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you;
v. 15: But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

3. How can we have integrity in the world?

v. 24: Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” … “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, you call us to be salt and light in the world, but at times we do not reflect your good news as you call us to do. Instead of living with integrity, we make compromises; whether out of fear, out of comfort, or to avoid the costliness of living with integrity. Give us courage to live with conviction that the gospel truly is good news. And remind us that Jesus is with us no matter how great the cost may be. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Describe any positive examples of Christians living with integrity. What stood out?
When have you faced situations where you needed to choose integrity over compromise? When might have you made compromises?
What costs have you experienced to maintain your Christian integrity?
How does knowing that Jesus is “in the fire with you” give you strength and courage to have integrity, especially when the costs are great?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Citizens of the World

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: The Gospel and the World

Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)
13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Sermon Outline

1. The Role of the Government

Governments have been called by God to be his servants
v. 1-2: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed.
v. 4: for he is God's servant for your good… For he is the servant of God
v. 3-4: For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad… For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer
v. 6: For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

2. Our Role as Citizens

To submit to the government
v. 1: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities

3. The Hope To Be Good Citizens

Philippians 3:20–21: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, we know from your Word that you have instituted the government to be your servant, but we confess that we can be suspicious of our government and struggle to see the good that it does. We also know from your Word that we are to submit to the government, but we need your wisdom to know how to do this well. May we not demonize our government and may we not worship it. By the power of your Spirit, help us to be faithful to our calling as citizens of heaven while we are here on earth. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Describe your view of the US government. What is your opinion of it? When have you seen it behave faithfully as God’s servant? When have you seen it struggle to do so?
In what ways do you find submitting to the government easy? In what ways is this command difficult to follow?
What correctives do you believe need to be made to the American church in how it submits or does not submit to the government?
If Christians are citizens of heaven, how does that help the church be more faithful to the calling to submit to the government?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Seeking the Peace of the World

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: The Gospel and the World

Jeremiah 29:4-14 (ESV)
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Sermon Outline

1. The challenge of seeking the peace of the world

v. 4: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon
v. 8-9: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.

2. The call to seeking the peace of the world

v. 7a: But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile.
v. 5-6: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
v. 7: But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

3. The power to seeking the peace of the world

v. 10: For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.
v. 11: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
v. 14: I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
v. 12-13: Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Prayer of Confession
Our gracious God, you call us to seek the peace of the world, but we would rather seek our own peace. Forgive us for failing to obey your call to cultivate your shalom in our world. We confess that we lack the power and energy to do this well. Obeying your will is overwhelming at times and we struggle with guilt for not meeting your standards. Help us to look to Jesus as he has restored shalom to us and gives us the power to cultivate your shalom. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
What challenges do you face when considering the call to seek the peace of the world? In what ways do you struggle with consuming the city and not serving it?
Where have you personally experienced the lack of shalom in the city?
What have you seen and experienced as real evidence of shalom in the city?
If we seek the peace of the city well, we will have a more positive reputation with those around us. How can this be more true of us?
In verse 10-14, where do you find the encouragement to pursue this call to seek the peace of the world?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Not of the World

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Video for this week is not available. For about 10 minutes starting around minute 7 of the audio recording, there is a good deal of static. Thanks for your patience as we troubleshoot our recent sound issues.

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: The Gospel and the World

John 17:6-21 (ESV)
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Sermon Outline
In Jesus’ prayer, he says that Christians are “not of this world.” This means that Christians…

… belong to God. (v. 6-10)
… are to be visible in the world. (v. 11-16)
… are sent on mission. (v. 17-21)

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, you call us to be in the world and bear witness to your good news, but we do not always obey your calling. We confess that too often we are fearful of the world’s rejection. Rather than showing the beauty of the gospel, we adopt the values of the world. Give us courage to continue the ministry of Jesus. Sanctify us in your truth so that we would love the world as you do. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Jesus mentions multiple times that we belong to God: e.g. “Yours they were… they are yours… all mine are yours… etc.” How does your soul respond to this truth?
What does it mean that Jesus is glorified in us (v. 10)?
Describe a moment when you or someone you know was hated by the world (v. 14)?
If Jesus sends us into the world to continue his ministry, what does that look like for you?
Jesus prays for the church’s unity and this unity acts as a witness to the world, so that more people will believe in the gospel. How can unity be an evangelistic tool? When have you seen this at work?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

Grace, Peace, Love

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Due to technical difficulties, the first few minutes of the sermon are not available. We apologize.

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Joined Together, Growing Together

Ephesians 6:21-24 (ESV)
21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.

23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

Sermon Outline
Let the encouragement that comes from what God gives you stir growth as you join with the incorruptible Christ.

Peace
Grace
Love

Prayer of Confession
Our gracious and merciful Father, how greatly we need the things only you can give us. We are a failing and discouraged people. We have not promoted peace, but have done what has eroded and broken it. We have not been filled with grace, but have envied, judged, and condemned. We have not loved with an incorruptible love, but all our good has been tainted. We have failed to believe that you are completely different, and that you can be fully trusted. Forgive every sin. Lift our discouragement from us, and strengthen our failing hearts. Christ is our peace, and with the grace that is ours in Him, help us to comprehend the breadth, length, height and depth of the incorruptible love of Christ. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Where are you currently discouraged? What area of discouragement would benefit from God’s help?
How can the peace of Christ provide a stable foundation for you in our hostile world? Is there a relationship that is causing you difficulty where you may need to take a step in following the way of Jesus in how you relate to that person? What would be a faithful step (something in line with what Jesus has done or taught us)?
Why is it hard to treat others with grace? What keeps you from being gracious?
Why is it so important for us to believe God’s grace for us?
Do you believe God loves you? Where are the difficult areas for you: that God loves? That love can be so pure and radical? That God would love you in particular? Is unbelief something you are holding on to, and is it worth letting go so you can be more open to God’s love making deeper inroads within you?
How can we take the incorruptible love that is given to us and make it ours so that we love God and others with that love?
What can you do when you feel like your love for others is failing? How do you walk with God in those moments or relationships so that you endure?

Keeping Alert in Prayer

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Joined Together, Growing Together

Ephesians 6:10-20 (ESV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Sermon Outline
We need to pray with alertness to resist forces that alienate us from God.

1. What are we alert to?

“keep alert with all perseverance”

2. What does alertness in prayer look like?

“with all prayer and supplication”

3. What can continual prayer do to help us remain alert?

“praying at all times in the Spirit”

Prayer of Confession
Our gracious Father, we come in the name of Jesus, who succeeded in the Spirit when his flesh was failing. We confess our spiritual failings. We have given into temptation and deception because we were not alert. We have not persisted in prayer. We have not lived by your ways. Forgive our laziness, apathy, doubt, pride, and anything else that has brought division between us. Show us mercy, and keep us from temptation. Grant us forgiveness in Christ. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Why is prayer important? What do you think are chief reasons to pray, or benefits of prayer?
What makes prayer hard for you?
What do you need to be alert to in prayer? What should you be watching for or mindful of?
Why is it important for prayer to include more than just “supplication”? What happens if you only turn to God to ask God to do things?
What new beliefs come with Christianity that direct you to form habits for the discipline of prayer? What is wise about making prayer a priority?
What can you do to stay in prayer when it starts to get difficult?
Are there ways of praying that you have been neglecting? How can you pray in all circumstances? Think through different aspects of your day and how prayer fits into them.
What encouragement can you take from Jesus having prayed for his followers? How can you become stronger through what Jesus has done on your behalf?

The Pursuit of Happiness

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 16 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Info

Speaker: Rev. Ed Sirya

Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV)
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Sword of the Spirit

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Due to technical difficulties, there are no recordings of this sermon. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Joined Together, Growing Together

Sermon Outline
Respond to the crafty attempts to confuse you with what God has said.

1. Schemes of the Devil

v11 “that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil”
v17 “the sword… which is the word of God”

2. Sword of the Spirit

v17 “of the Spirit” (v12 “against the spiritual forces of evil”)
vv19-20 “also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Prayer of Confession
Our Father, you are truthful, generous and wise. Forgive us for being so mistrusting. Our fears and doubts have been a gateway to deception. We are easily provoked to resentment and cynicism towards you. We neglect reading your word. We fail to do the hard consistent work needed to grasp and understand your ways. We are filled with pride and arrogance. We are also filled with guilt and shame. Forgive every sin. May the good news work deeply and thoroughly in our lives so the fruits of the Spirit are produced in us. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What do you experience as the greatest challenges to reading the Bible?
What doubts do you have about God? When do those doubts tend to surface?
What do you do when you don’t understand a particular teaching of Christianity?
What is the role of prayer and Bible study in forming us for life? What kinds of things do you experience that would benefit from going to the Bible for guidance?
How can listening to God help prepare you to face difficulties? How does knowing scripture enable a Christian to stand firm at crucial times?
Most of us don’t know the Bible as well as we should. How do we live faithfully given there is so much we don’t know?
What do you think are some of the foundational teachings of the Bible that you need to hold firmly to? Is there a particular Bible verse or passage that speaks most deeply to you? Why do you think you resonate with that particular passage?
Why is it important that one person, Jesus, did not fall for any of the schemes of the devil? How do we benefit from his faithfulness?
What are some habits you can incorporate into your life so you are more consistently reading and meditating on Scripture?
How can you preach the gospel to yourself? How can you bring to mind God’s good news for you when you are discouraged and spiraling downward?

The Helmet of Salvation

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Joined Together, Growing Together

Ephesians 6:13-18, Titus 3:3-7 (ESV)
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Sermon Outline
Whenever we put on the helmet of salvation it reminds us of three things:

1. We were once in bondage – Titus 3:3

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

2. We have been freed – Titus 3:4-6

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior

3. We are now heirs of God – Titus 3:7

so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life

Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, each day we are afflicted by the evil one, who desires to keep us in bondage. Too often, we do not put on your armor, we do not trust in your work of salvation, we doubt your character. By the power of your Spirit, help us to see that your goodness and loving kindness is fully present in Jesus, the one who saved us according to his rich mercy and made us co-heirs with him. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Which tactic of the evil one have you struggled with: I don’t need God’s salvation… Am I truly saved?… I will never have God’s salvation.
What has given you assurance of salvation in Jesus?
Salvation in Jesus depends on his character and not on how worthy we are. How is this reassuring? How might this be difficult to receive?
Christians are not only saved and rescued by Jesus, but they are co-heirs with him. What does this look like in day-to-day life?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

The Shield of Faith

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 26 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Joined Together, Growing Together

Ephesians 6:13-18, Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 (ESV)
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Sermon Outline
Faith in God protects us, minimizing damage when evil comes into our lives.

1. Understanding

v3 “by faith we understand…”
v1 “faith is… the conviction of things not seen”
v3 “the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible”

2. Reactivity

v6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

3. Protection

vv1-2 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for… For by it the people of old received their commendation.”

Prayer of Confession
Our Father, good, wise and merciful: we are assembled to seek you. We are drawing near despite our unworthiness. We have failed to trust you. We have trusted in things that have failed us. We have been vulnerable to evil and its influences. Instead of resisting temptation, we have cooperated with it. We have helped spread damage instead of containing it. In our weakness we have done what we ought not do. We are guilty of sin. Forgive us. We look to Jesus who is faithful and trustworthy. We confess faith in you, our rock and our shield. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What are your top 2-3 core beliefs/convictions? What do you most deeply believe, and how does that shape how you understand and interpret life?
What makes belief in the God of the Bible hard for you? What influences have shaped you so that you are evaluating all things, even God, by them?
What attitudes, thoughts or behaviors come out when you are not feeling well, when you have failed, when others have harmed you, when too much is going on, etc.? What patterns do you notice in your reactivity?
How do difficulties make wise/ethical choices and actions harder? What will help you do the right thing when you don’t want to, or it feels too hard?
What practices help you seek God? What beliefs do you need to hold on to for the on-going seeking of God and deepening with God?
What does Jesus reveal about the Father that makes clear God is good and trustworthy? How does standing firmly on the conviction of God’s goodness offer protection?
How can hope in God’s good promises protect you from falling away in the present?
What steps would help you become more confident in God? How does God become your rock, shield, strength?

Shoes of Gospel Peace

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 19 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Joined Together, Growing Together

Ephesians 6:13-18, John 14:25-27 (ESV)
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Sermon Outline
Christ calls us to a path of peace through a world where many slip, stumble and fall.

1. Jesus’ way is different from the world

John 14:27 “not as the world gives do I give to you”

2. We are disciples learning as we go

v26 “The Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and bring to remembrance…”
v25 “I have spoken while I am still with you”

3. We have a helper who is with us

v26 “… the Father will send in my name”
v27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
v27 “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Prayer of Confession
Our generous God, you do not give as the world gives. You do not treat us as our sins deserve. We have been people of enmity, hostility and alienation. We have been takers, not givers. We have promoted division. Our hearts have not been at peace; we have suffered the pains of selfish thoughts and desires. We have acted as though we know what is best, only to demonstrate our foolishness. We have not had proper regard for you or others. Forgive our many sins. We thank you for mercy and grace. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What is the gospel of peace? Why is peace so central in the Christian message?
How does Jesus give differently than how the world gives?
What are some indicators we don’t have peace?
How does God teach and lead His people today? What should Christians do to mature in light of what Jesus says in John 14:25-27?
If Jesus gives us peace, why do we still experience difficulties?
How does temptation always serve to separate us from God? How can understanding temptation ready us to hold to Christ’s ways of peace where they seem insufficient?
What assurance comes with the message that peace is given to us by Jesus? How can you get more grounded so you experience more that peace?

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Rev. Charles Drew — Sun, 12 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Joined Together, Growing Together

Ephesians 6:13-18, Philippians 3:3-11 (ESV)
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Sermon Outline
There is a form of righteousness that not only advances good, but uniquely protects what is vital.

1. Confidence in the Flesh

v3 “put no confidence in the flesh”
v4 “if anyone thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more”
v9 “a righteousness of my own that comes from the law”

2. Righteousness from God that Depends on Faith

v10 “that I may know him… becoming like him in his death”
v8 “gain Christ”
v9 “be found in him”
v8 “surpassing worth of knowing Jesus”
v3 “worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus”

Prayer of Confession
Holy and righteous God, we all fall short of your glory. In our efforts to attain a form of righteousness apart from you we have only proven how flawed we are. Our best efforts are insufficient, yet we are arrogant. Our failings have isolated us in shame, instead of driving us to you. Forgive our misplaced confidence. Forgive all sin and unrighteousness. We are not claiming confidence in ourselves; we are trusting in Christ and his righteousness. Cleanse and renew us by the power of your Holy Spirit so that we may glory in Christ. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

What struggles are part of life in the “flesh”? What are key ways you try to address (fix, control, manage, etc.) these struggles?
Why are disciplines, commands and effort necessary? How are they insufficient? What can’t they do?
What gives you confidence you are ok? When you feel secure, what is your foundation?
Is righteousness a weapon or armor? When you are striving to be right, is it to stand firm, or to put others down?
How can you be right about many things, and yet not right with God?
How does Jesus reveal God’s righteousness? When you look at him, what do you see? What about God’s righteousness is put on display when Jesus is crucified?
How does faith put us “in Christ”? What is the nature of Christian faith that makes it powerful to affect genuine change in us?
How is the righteousness of Christ a protective covering for those who trust in him?
Why is knowing Christ of surpassing worth? What is so good about knowing Christ that everything else pales in comparison?
How can you live life in the Spirit, knowing and glorying in Christ, in contrast with life in the flesh where you have confidence in whatever “law” you have taken hold of (self confidence)? As you envision scenarios in your life, how are you being called to go into the world differently?