"The Newborn" - Georges de la Tour (1593-1652)
This is part 2 of Paul's words to the Corinthians concerning the Church's purpose. The Church is supposed to be building large buildings and trying to convert everyone, right? Actually, it's supposed to be about something radically different that is only possible if Christ is a real, resurrected person.
Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount by challenging what we build our lives upon and he tells us that if we are wise, we'll build our lives upon "the rock" instead of the sand. What's the rock he's talking about?
When it comes to our spirituality do we seem to expect it to be easy? In this passage Jesus tells us that the way that leads to life is hard. Which way are you on? The hard way that leads to life? Or the easy way that leads to destruction?
We all love these words of Jesus, "do not judge, lest you be judged." But we rarely examine what Jesus says next - that there are some people we actually ought to judge. Jesus himself judged people. So how do we know who we ought to judge?
Ryan and Christian were both gone this past week so we asked our good friend and pastor, Alfred Poirier, from our sister church, Rocky Mountain Community (in Billings), to come and preach. Alfred shared a difficult passage dealing with money from the OT prophet, Malachi.
Anxiety is a crippling problem for millions of people. But Jesus seems to indicate that this has always been the case. Does your spirituality make a difference in your anxiety? Jesus says that if it is real, it should.
Stop for a moment and consider this question: "what's wrong with the world?" Jesus says that the thing that will utterly transform the brokenness of this world is spiritual rebirth. What does he mean by this term and why does he say we need it? Why is rebirth shocking? And how do we get it?
Appearances can be deceiving. Someone can have all the appearances of godliness, but have nothing real going on inside. Jesus undresses the audience we perform our righteousness for.
One of Jesus' hardest sayings is "turn the other cheek." Is Jesus just advocating that his followers become a punching bag to would-be assailants? Or does he mean something more by it? How does Jesus want his followers to act towards enemies?
There's one place in the New Testament where we see a really scary warning (1 Corinthians 11:27). Suprisingly the warning centers on how we approach God through the Lord's Supper. What does it mean to take communion in an "unworthy manner"? How does the Lord's Supper connect to radical mercy?
At All Souls we believe that God loves cities and he calls his people to live sacrificially for them. The problem is that many of his feel broken and burned out - like we have nothing left to give - we feel much like the Jewish exiles that Jeremiah is writing to. Where do we find hope for the city in the midst of our exile?
How does mercy connect to worship? Our long-time friend, Jeff, shares how mercy is the mark of true Christianity. Jeff and his family are artists living in North Africa.
What does "radical mercy" look like? It's a lot more ordinary than you might at first think.
Here at All Souls, we talk a lot about mercy. Heck, that's why we have been working to get a non-profit, Imagine Missoula, up and running to meet mercy needs. But how does mercy connect to our spirituality? We contend that it is a vital component of a truly gospel-centered spirituality.
Most of us think we're pretty generous...and we'd be even more generous if God would just bless us with more. But this passage challenges us to be more generous where we are right now. Paul calls us to give out of our poverty instead of our abundance. So how do we do it?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is quite possibly the hardest claim of Christianity. However, it is also quite possibly the most important. So what do you do if you have doubts?
Most of us tend to think Jesus wouldn't judge anyone. After all, he's the one who said, "judge not, lest you be judged." What he did when he "triumphantly" rode into Jerusalem the week of his death might surprise us then.
One of the hardest things for us today is what Jesus tells us about divorce...
We wrap up our series on prayer by examining what all prayer is meant to drive us towards: PRAISE! Does that word describe your prayers?
The Psalter was the original Prayer Book for the people of God. But few of us know how to use them in our praying. This sermon will help you utilize the Psalms in your prayers.
Admit it: there's times you wish you were Irish. But alas you're not (and hey, you probably wouldn't like tripe anyway). So cheer up and make the best of it - come join us for our third year running as we hoist a pint in honor of St. Patrick and make fish and chips together.WHEN: Friday, March 18, from 6-10 PMKids are welcome, and so are friends! Please RSVP if you're coming (so we know how much food to prepare). And help us spread the word!
WHERE: @ the Big Sky Brewing Taproom out by the airport (directions)
WHAT TO BRING: a healthy appetite, a hearty thirst!
Every great religious teacher has taught his disciples about prayer. When Jesus' disciples asked him how to engage this paramount practice, he gave them "the Lord's Prayer," (Our Father, who art in heaven...). "REALLY! That's what we should pray?" How do we actually pray through this and what is Jesus trying to communicate in this prayer?
Our friend and mentor, Shane Sunn, joins us from our sister church in Greeley, CO (Saint Patrick Presbyterian) and shares how all of us are a lot more paralyzed spiritually than we think we are. And the biggest paralytics of all - religious people.
Jesus takes a pretty hard stance when it comes to our sexuality. He says it’s not just about what you do with your body, but about what you think about when you look at someone else’s body. His solution? Gouge out your eye and throw it away. Cut off your hand and throw it away. Is Jesus being literal? How are we to respond to such a violent teaching that would essentially leave pretty much all of us maimed and blind? And how does our sexuality connect to our spirituality?
How do you define anger? And how do you deal with it? Is your temper explosive? Or are you a "silent assassin"? Jesus challenges us this morning by calling our anger murder. In this sermon, Ryan, discusses how our anger and spirituality are connected.
One of Jesus' most famous statements is "blessed are the peacemakers." What exactly does he mean by it and how do we live up to it?
As we jump into 2011, we also jump back into the sermon series that we began in the fall. We have been asking the question “how do I draw near to God?” This week we continue to examine one of the four pillars of Christian spirituality: prayer.
