Palm Sunday – “Misguided Expectations” – The Journey that Leads to Life, Death & Resurrection, pt.4 – 3/24/24 Worship Service
March 24, 2024
Stephen Streett
The Journey that Leads to Life, Death, and Resurrection
Part 4: Misguided Expectations
Mark 11:1-11
This Sunday, I will delve into the powerful message of Jesus' humble arrival in Jerusalem. Let's open our hearts to God's unexpected plans and be agents of peace and love in the world. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem reminds us that God's ways are often not what we expect. Let's be open to His transformative work and strive to bring light and hope to those around us.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
Palm Sunday – “Misguided Expectations” – The Journey that Leads to Life, Death & Resurrection, pt.4 – 3/24/24 Worship Service
By Stephen Streett|March 24, 2024
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“The Relationships of Jesus” | The Journey that Leads to Life, Death & Resurrection (Pt3) – 3/17/24 Worship Service
March 17, 2024
Stephen Streett
The Journey that Leads to Life, Death, and Resurrection Part 3:
The Relationships of Jesus
Mark 12:28–31 & Ephesians 5:1–2
First John 4:19 tells us: “We love because he first loved us.” We can’t give what we haven’t received. Meditate on the reality that the God who created the universe knows us, cares about us, and provides for us. Ask Jesus to show you his love for you. He will! No one follows Christ alone. Followers of Jesus become part of a people group—the body of Christ. We are becoming connected to other believers like the parts of a body are connected. We share the same spiritual DNA. The Bible also describes believers as “family.” Christians are called “brothers and sisters” and “spiritual fathers.” John 1:12 says we are adopted as children by our heavenly Father. As God’s family, we appreciate people of different ages.
Families are made up of generations: parents, siblings, grandparents, great-grandparents . . .The healthiest churches are made up of all ages as well. If we prioritize the young over the old, or vice versa, we lose something valuable. Do you spend time with believers who are both younger and older than yourself? As part of God’s global family, we appreciate people of different cultures and races. God’s family is diverse. When the church was born, from the beginning, it was multi-racial and multinational. Where God’s Spirit and power are released, all languages, tribes, and races hear and respond. God releases his power when people are united. John said in Revelation 7:9: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands”. People of all races and nations together before the throne—that is God’s perfect intent. Healthy church families intentionally welcome everyone so we reflect heaven. We’re all part of God’s family! We’re related!
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
“The Relationships of Jesus” | The Journey that Leads to Life, Death & Resurrection (Pt3) – 3/17/24 Worship Service
By Stephen Streett|March 17, 2024
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“The Journey that Leads to Life, Death & Resurrection Pt. 2: Obedience” – 3/3/24 Worship Service
March 3, 2024
Stephen Streett
The Journey that Leads to Life, Death and Resurrection Part 2: Obedience
Luke 6:46–49
There is an iconic episode of the TV show The Office in which Michael Scott drives a rental car into a lake because the GPS tells him to turn right. Earlier in the show, Michael had spoken glowingly of the capabilities of GPS navigation. However, when attempting to get to a client meeting, Michael misunderstands the GPS directions and drives into a lake—because the voice tells him so.
We are all tempted to say, “I know a shortcut,” to God’s directions in our lives. Rather than obeying God’s laws about relationships, we may think we know a shortcut to happiness that doesn’t involve sacrifice or forgiving. Instead of adhering to God’s standards of integrity, we think we may know a shortcut to financial prosperity. There is a name for those shortcuts: sin. And Jesus told us it doesn’t end well. Jesus preached the greatest sermon ever—the Sermon on the Mount. His revolutionary teachings changed the world. For two thousand years, philosophers have studied and discussed his principles on money, loving enemies, and judging others. Leaders from Saint Francis to Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King were inspired by Jesus to adopt the strategy of nonviolence. Perhaps Jesus knew many of us would be tempted to admire his words rather than act on them.
So, in Luke 6:46–49, he concluded his sermon with a parable about two homeowners. In the parable, one homeowner takes out a construction loan to build his dream home. He budgeted enough to hire excavators to dig deep and lay a foundation on bedrock, even though no one would see it. But it was worth it the day torrential rains came and unleashed flash floods that pummeled his house. No doubt he sighed with relief when he discovered that he had sustained only minor damage to his home.
In contrast, another man built his house around the same time. He had scraped together all the money he could to construct a beautiful house. Instead of laying a foundation on bedrock, he saved money by skipping the excavator and building on level ground. But his dream house became a nightmare when those rains hit. The flash floods lifted his house and destroyed it. Jesus said that the homeowner who built on the bedrock was like someone who hears his words and puts them into practice. When life gets hard, he will be able to endure. However, the man who built without a foundation is like someone who hears Jesus’ words and does nothing about them. When the storms of life come, he won’t be able to hold up. But by ending the Sermon on the Mount with this parable, Jesus was saying: “Don’t just listen to this sermon; act on it.”
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
“The Journey that Leads to Life, Death & Resurrection Pt. 2: Obedience” – 3/3/24 Worship Service
By Stephen Streett|March 3, 2024
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“The Journey that Leads to Life, Death, and Resurrection” (Part 1) – 2/25/24 Worship Service
February 25, 2024
Stephen Streett
"The Journey that Leads to Life, Death, and Resurrection" (Part 1)
Galatians 5:16–17
Geologists tell us that the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon over millions of years. The river cut so deep that its strata reveal 40 percent of the earth’s history. Even now, the relentless water flow continues to imperceptibly erode the canyon floor, deepening and widening it. Whether we realize it or not, there are seen and unseen forces working on you and me too. Our thinking, values, and character are shaped by a myriad of influences. Some of these forces are obvious, such as our family of origin, nationality, or education. Our life experiences, both painful and joy-filled, also significantly influence who we are. If all that sounds disconcerting, here is some good news: if you are a follower of Jesus, there is a supernatural force at work in your life, shaping you in healthy, exciting ways.
The power of God is at work in you to form you into the image of Jesus. Those verses tell us that God works to shape us, but that we are not passive in the process. We are not like the rock of the Grand Canyon that lies motionless while it is carved into a new shape by the river. Rather, we are engaged in a cooperative effort between God and ourselves. God works in us, and we work out our salvation. He acts, and we respond with the strength God provides. When it comes to becoming like Christ, without God, we cannot, and without us, God will not. My prayer for you over this sermon series is from 1 Thessalonians 5:23: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
“The Journey that Leads to Life, Death, and Resurrection” (Part 1) – 2/25/24 Worship Service
