Category: Sunday’s Sermon
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Who is the Holy Spirit?—God with us.
Have you ever felt alone in a really difficult circumstance? Maybe you were sitting in a hospital waiting room, waiting for the doctor to come and give you the news about a loved one. Maybe you received a really difficult phone call with bad news that left you spinning. Or maybe you have a really…
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Designed for Discipleship—Worship
Don’t raise your hand, but how many of you have a gym membership? Here is what I think most of us know about gym memberships: A lot of people have one… Fewer people actually go… And even fewer people are actually transformed by it. Honestly, some of us are paying monthly just to think about…
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Designed for Discipleship—Silence and Solitude
In 2012, Willow Creek Church in Chicago, Ill., wanted to know how to be most effective in helping people grow in their faith. Willow Creek used to be one of the largest churches in the U.S., with about 25,000 people attending prior to the pandemic. They were pouring thousands upon thousands of dollars into programs…
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Jesus is the Answer
You all look pretty amazing this morning! How many of you took a picture of your family or your kids before you left the house for church this morning? When I was a kid, there was always a picture before church because we looked good, and mom wanted a record of that moment. She spent…
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Who is Jesus? — Jesus the King
Human beings are wired to love the idea of a king. Not the boring constitutional monarchy kind, where the king mostly cuts ribbons and waves from balconies, like King Charles of England — but a real king. A strong, decisive, rides-in-on-a-warhorse, fixes-everything, defeats-the-bad-guys kind of king. We love stories about good kings riding out to…
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Who Is Jesus?—Lord or Liar?
Have you ever known someone who, if asked, “Who is Jesus?, might say something like, “He was a great teacher. Very wise. Very loving. Kind of like… Buddha, or Gandhi, or Oprah.” The problem with that answer is Oprah has never said, “Before Oprah Winfrey was, I am.” Oprah has never claimed she would return…
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Jesus, the Teacher
One of the things we rely on constantly today is reviews. We check the reviews. Five stars? Great. Two stars? Probably not. You read comments like: “Amazing food! Best tacos ever!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Terrible service. Waited 45 minutes for water.” ⭐⭐ And sometimes the reviews are completely contradictory. “Best place I’ve ever eaten!” Right next to……
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Take Heart, God Wins—Daniel 7
One of Ronald Regan’s favorite jokes to tell was one about twin boys. Maybe you’ve heard it. One of the boys was an extreme pessimist, and the other boy was an extreme optimist. Worried about their extreme personalities, the parents took them to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. First, the psychiatrist led the pessimistic boy…
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Serve Well, Stand Firm—Daniel 6
How many of you know the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den? It is probably the most famous story in the Bible. Even people who have never read the Bible will know that Noah had an ark and that Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. Parents and grandparents love to tell kids the…
Chris Hankel 