Dr. Calhoun, our NorCal Nazarene District leader, asked me to preach this week and next.
Prayer-time
Let's pray for Syria, and especially for the ministry of Christians there. Did you know we have a Nazarene church in Damascus? Our brothers and sisters are busy helping refugees find shelter and resources, but the resources are running low! For more information and details on how you can help, go to this Nazarene Compassionate Ministries webpage.
Teachable moment: God is in control, despite all appearances to the contrary. This is what we believe. This is what we have seen. This is what we have to share with our world.
Today's sermon: 4000 Years and Still Growing
To download the sermon notes, click the sermon title (above).
Thesis: God is patiently building his Alternate Kingdom which will last for all eternity, and he offers us and all our Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors a place in it.
Preparing for worship on 10/21
Several months ago I started building an Alternate Life playlist of music. It's a list of songs that speak to the theme of living in the Kingdom of God now and forever. This week I'm listening to it quite a bit as a way of preparing to preach on 10/21. So, in case you listen to music through the course of the week and want to listen to some that will prepare your heart for the upcoming worship, here's the list: 10,000 Reasons, Your Name, Jesus be the Center, He Reigns, Lord Reign in Me, Here is Our King, Holy is the Lord, Ride on King Jesus, The Blood Will Never Lose It's Power, You are My King, You are Worthy, Do You Feel the Mountains Tremble, Famous One. And a couple of songs from a Mennonite Choir CD where Clayton Garner is among the voices: We're Bound for the Kingdom and Days of Elijah. You probably can't get this particular choir music anywhere on line, but at least I know you can get a great version of Days of Elijah by Robin Mark.
Prayer-time
Let's pray for persecuted churches in God's Alternate Kingdom. In particular, let's remember our Nazarene church in Damascus, Syria. But also our brothers and sisters of whatever Christian traditions in the middle east, Africa, and Asia.
And let's pray for our brothers and sisters in churches in "safe" countries where the threat is drifting into worshiping the civil religions and adopting the pagan values of our societies. In particular let's pray for the churches of North America and Europe.
Teachable moment: God is in control, despite all appearances to the contrary. This is what we believe. This is what we have seen. This is what we have to share with our world.
Today's sermon: 4000 Years and Still Worshiping
To download the sermon notes, click the sermon title (above).
Thesis: We must worship the correct god in the correct way, which turns out to be a very political statement in the midst of the civil religions all around us.