Sermon: Revelation 3:7-13 Summary: If Sardis showed us that apparently impressive churches can be spiritually unhealthy; Philadelphia shows us the opposite—that apparently unimpressive churches can be deeply pleasing to Christ. Though Philadelphia had “little power” (v.8), they receive no word of rebuke from Jesus—only commendation and encouragement for their perseverance in the faith…especially in light of […]
Scripture:Joshua 3:5 Summary: The Cadets’ theme this year invites us to reflect on how “AMAZING” is our God. In many ways, our lives are shaped by what we find amazing–from our hobbies to our relationships to possibly even our entire careers. By contrast, we’re not inclined to devote much time, energy, or attention to things […]
Scripture: Revelation 3:1-6 Synopsis: All of us know how easy it is to be fooled by the way that something (or someone) looks on the outside. And that can be true, not just of things and people; Christ says it can be true of entire congregations. For reasons we don’t know precisely, Sardis had a reputation […]
Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29 Synopsis: Though commended for their love and good deeds, Christ has some very sharp words for a woman he identifies as “Jezebel,” for those who follow her teachings, and for the rest of the church for tolerating her. Her teaching was extremely similar to what we saw in Pergamum; namely she taught that Christians […]
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 Summary: The writer of Ecclesiastes might puzzle over us as we ring in the New Year with enthusiasm and festivity. For him, the passage of time was something to be lamented rather than celebrated. He found it oppressive. Ecclesiastes 12 is a tragic poem filled with gloomy metaphors for growing old and dying […]
Scripture: Psalm 84 Summary: Emmanuel, Hebrew for “God with us,” is probably the most familiar title ascribed to Jesus in the O Antiphons. Though he does not use the term Emmanuel, this is the Psalmist’s deep longing and joy in Psalm 84…he longs for and delights in the presence of God. Psalm 84 was used […]
Scripture: John 12:27-36 Advent Week 4 Oriens is the Latin word for “dawn,” used in the earliest Latin translation of Luke 1:78 (“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us”). It connects with all of the Biblical imagery of Jesus as light in the darkness. It’s a […]
Scripture: Romans 7:7-25 Advent Week 3: Clavis is the Latin word for “key,” and though Christ is never explicitly called “the key” in scripture, it’s an image that’s frequently connected to him (e.g. Isaiah 22:22; Rev. 1:18), as is the image of release from prison (e.g. Isaiah 42:7). In celebration and praise for the freedom […]
Scripture: Exodus 33:17-34:9 Advent Week 2 : Adonai is the Hebrew word for “Lord” that the Jews have long used whenever they encounter the name “Yahweh” in the scriptures (in order to avoid using God’s name in an irreverent manner). Yahweh is the name that God gave to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:13-15): […]
Scripture: 1 Kings 3:1-15 Advent Series: This Advent, we’ll be looking at five (of seven) names for Jesus that Christians have meditated on every Advent since about the sixth century. These names come from what are known as the “O Antiphons” (short chants that all begin with the word “O” and are used antiphonally (i.e. responsively)). The […]