“Church” is not a building. It is no ordinary gathering. “Church” is a “holy partnership in a heavenly calling” (Hebrews 3:1-6). We are called to be the people among whom and through whom the world can encounter the mercy of Jesus. But often that’s not what the reality of “church” looks like. Our Gospel story from Mark 11:15-19 gives us insight why. Will we settle for a faith that is easy and convenient? Or will we make the sacrifices necessary for our life together truly to be mercy’s house?
Building Mercy’s House: Generous Together (October 7th, 2018)
Two stories about houses from this week’s readings, 1 Kings 1:1-10 and Luke 12:13-34, feature two very different approaches to creating a foundation for your life and faith. As part of our sermon series on generosity, called “Building Mercy’s House,” Pastor Paige explored King Solomon’s example of seeking God first, before seeking wealth. She contrasted that with the rich man in Jesus’ parable whose focus was building bigger barns to preserve his abundant crops for himself. Solomon’s approach helps us understand how we can be generous with everything that God has given us, and how we can build mercy’s house for the sake of our community.
Building Mercy’s House (September 30th, 2018)
In this sermon, we begin our annual stewardship campaign with the theme “Building Mercy’s House.” The place where God will meet the world is mercy. Not condemnation, not judgment, but grace and peace and healing. How will the world ever know, though? It is the call of the church to build mercy’s house, to create the place where the world can encounter the never-ending love of Christ. In Exodus 25:1-22, we discover how God calls us into this holy, glorious work of generosity and sacrifice so that the world may know the love of Jesus.
The Fight: From Self-Preservation to Self-Sacrifice (September 23rd, 2018)
The theme behind this series, “becoming the person you were created to be,” can sound self-centered, as if being a follower of Jesus is all about becoming a better you. Today, though, in this sermon based on Mark 8:27-38, we come to the heart of the matter. We are not made for ourselves; we are made for others. Our deepest joy and highest purpose will not be found if we chase joy or purpose; they will only be found when we give ourselves away. That is the path to life that is real. It is the way of following Jesus.
The Fight: From Self-Indulgence to Self-Discipline (September 16th, 2018)
As we continue our series on the call to become the people God made us to be, we consider what it means to be self-indulgent and self-disciplined, and how God moves us from one to the other. A great danger we face in the life of faith is that we never experience everything God has for us because we are waiting for him to give us victory by magic, when in reality, he wants to make us victorious through our struggles. Bible passages referred to are Genesis 4:3-12, Psalm 108:1-4 & 12-13, Romans 6:1-11, and Mark 9:42-50.