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Darkness Before Dawn
Dan 8
The darkest and coldest time of night is just before dawn. Venus is now visible in the pre-dawn sky shining far more brilliantly than any star. But the sun arises, Venus disappears, and the day becomes bright and warm—although we do want some rain. Daniel’s second vision is of a ram and a goat each with multiple horns. He is told that it concerns the time of the end. Towards the end it gets very dark indeed for God’s people. In such darkness it is hard to believe the Reformation motto: post tenebras lux, “after darkness, light.” No wonder Daniel is appalled by the vision.
The Lion and the Lamb
Dan 7:15-28
Happy New Year—Lunar New Year. We are now in the Year of the Tiger. There are no tigers in Daniel, but there are ferocious wild beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a fourth beast beyond comparison, all representing oppressive empires. We return to the Book of Daniel midway through chapter 7. Daniel wants to know the meaning of the fourth beast, the ten horns, and the little horns. He is in good company: very many people have wanted to know the meaning of these. Join us Sunday as we try to make sense of them.
The Glory of Christ, Part 2
Col 1:18-20
The imagined worlds we create in video games, movies, and books may not be real — but that doesn’t mean they don’t have real things to say. A particularly wise literary beaver comes to mind; come join us on Sunday as we take the advice of C.S. Lewis’ Mr. Beaver and explore the question, “Christ is powerful — but what has He done with that power?”
The Glory of Christ, Part 1
Col 1:15-17
What do chiastic poetic structures, the Early Church, and a middle-aged Italian plumber in a land of sentient mushrooms have in common? They all point to the ultimate reality of the Lord Jesus Christ! Join us this Sunday in finding out how as we take a look at Colossians 1:15-17 — and gaze more deeply into the glory of God in Christ.
The Sojourners of Christ
Col 1:9-14
A month ago, at the height of Christmas shopping, many of us were asking, “What do you give the person who has everything?” When we think about the Colossian Christians’ faith, hope, and love, we might wonder something similar: What do you pray for the person who already has these things? The Apostle Paul would have answered, “More of the same!” Come find out why in the third sermon of our series in the Letter to the Colossians — as we look at Colossians 1:9-14, perhaps we will see why consistency is key when it comes to faith, hope, and love.
The Impact of Christ
Col 1:3-8
What do Christ and a 66 million-year-old, dinosaur-killing asteroid have in common? More than you might think! The astrophysics continues into the second week of our study of Paul’s letter to the Colossians as we take a look at Colossians 1:3-8 and consider “the Impact of Christ”. Massive things make an impact; what impact does Christ make on our lives?
The Gravity of Christ
Col 1:1-2
Despite completing yet another pass around the Sun, the world in 2021 felt more off-center than ever. Maybe we’re ready to get off this ride — or maybe we need to recenter ourselves, to recenter the parts of our lives around something immovable, unshakeable, and unchangeable? And maybe — no, definitely — the Bible has the center of gravity we need to pull the pieces of our lives together. Join us on the first Sunday of 2022 as we begin a new series in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians!
A Tent in a Promised Land
Hebrews 11:8-16
The most intractable problems in Silicon Valley have to do with housing. Concerns about homelessness, a volatile rental market, unaffordable starter homes, and $60 million mansions dominate headlines. The housing unsettledness of our time and place is not unique, however, and the most important considerations are not economic. We have been created to live in God’s presence, our lasting home is in a heavenly city he has prepared for us. Hebrews tells us that, by faith, Abraham ‘lived in a tent in the promised land’ as he looked forward to the promised city – teaching us faith lessons to begin a new year.
The Gospel Begins
Mark 1:1-4
For the final Sunday in our Advent Beginnings series, after exploring Matthew, John and Luke’s birth narratives, we will explore Mark’s birth narrative… but Mark doesn’t have a birth narrative! However, Mark does share good news: “Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God” (1:1). Throughout the birth narratives of the other Gospels, we see each character respond to the good news in different ways. But, all respond by changing their normal routines and reorienting their lives around Jesus. How do you respond this Christmas to the good news that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God? Join us this Sunday as we prepare for Christmas as an entire church family.
Good News that Stays NEW and GOOD!
Luke 1-2
What do you think of when you think of “good news”? Have you ever wished for the good news of a new start in life, where you could push a reset button and do a clean install? At critical times in Israel’s history, when their world grew oppressive and morally dark, God intervened to subvert the existing order and granted his people a new beginning, a fresh start. But sadly, it never lasted. Luke’s magnificent opening to his gospel (120 verses) gives us a clue that this new beginning will set the stage for the grand climax to Israel’s history and with it, the salvation of the whole world. This will be history’s last new beginning. It is good news that remains forever new and good!
Love Made from Scratch
John 1:1-18
Carl Sagan once said, “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” The Apostle John never met Carl Sagan – but when it comes to God’s love, he was in full agreement! God loved us “from scratch”! Come find out this second Sunday of the Advent season what that means for us and for our families as we look at the beginning of John’s Gospel together.
A New Shoot from a Dead Tree
Matthew 1-2
The four Sundays of Advent begin the church’s annual liturgical calendar. It is a season of longing and hope. We look back and remember Israel’s hope that God would come to save his people. We look forward in our own hope that Jesus will come again. During these four Sundays we will look at how the four gospels begin their story of Jesus in very different ways, beginning this Sunday with Matthew. Can the way Matthew tells the story of Jesus help us make sense of our own story?