Langdon Palmer

A 3 minute reflection on why I can't say "I'm not religious..." anymore. Music by Luke Pigott For more resources, go to TheCreedProject.com

A 3 minute reflection on why I can't say "I don't need doctrine" anymore. Music by Luke Pigott For more resources, go to TheCreedProject.com

When we hear great news, ever notice how the whole world seems to change ? We look at everything, not just the news, in a different way. What if the most exciting news we could ever hear has been at hand all along, lying in the corner, covered with dust, dismissed by us as unimportant and irrelevant? What if we mistook the Apostles Creed for a somewhat arbitrary bundle of religious doctrines and propositions when in fact, it was the very story of the cosmos... dehydrated ? Join us as we discover the incredible drama going on all around us when we put on the glasses called "The Apostles Creed."

Why did Jesus have to die ? Why does the creed say "descened into hell ?" Is it OK for the church to use military metaphors when we talk about what Christ has accomplished ? Today we look into the amazing imagery of the book of Revelation to get a deeper understanding of the meaning of the phrase "He descended to Hell. The third day he rose again..."

What is the church ? How we answer that question will impact many things including how we view ourselves and what we are doing. We look at three images and the amazing teaching of Hebrews 12 and discover the beauty of what the creed means when it says "I believe in the Holy Catholic Church and the Communion of the Saints"

This intense sermon explores the Trinity, the spiritual world, temptation, and how believing in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit both brings you much closer to all the other religions of the world and at the same time sets Christianity completely apart as something different than anything else that has ever been proclaimed in the history of the world. This is a heavy sermon but it covers a lot of ground and gives a great overview of why the Trinity is the central idea of the Christian faith.

What could a fantasy story like Harry Potter have to do with understanding the actual historical event of the first Easter ? There is a reason that we love the stories we do. Today's sermon reaches out to those who love Harry Potter but aren't so sure about church and Christianity to introduce them to the actual King of Everywhere. What if we are living inside a story that actually happened ?

Should we feel happy or sad on Palm Sunday ? Is it the story of how fickle, faithless and fallen human beings are - one minute raising palms in celebration of Jesus and the next minute raising fists crying Crucify Him? Actually it is about a whole lot more, and in it we find the incredible way all of scripture is woven together. There is a promise in it waiting for every person who has ever felt like a hypocrite

With this parable Jesus gives us a chance to look under the hood - to see what the basic stance of our heart is. It turns out that this basic stance affects how we see every other aspect of our lives. He gives us the chance to be out of excuses but in to grace. For images of the sculpture discussed in this podcast go to http://www.southridgeworship.com/parables_of_jesus.htm

Did you ever have a day when you just weren't much of a fan of yourself and you could have used a little comfort and encouragement ? A day when you were depressed over how mediocre you are ? A day when you think you've done everything you are supposed to do and then you show up and they tell you "you're not on the list ?" This morning we look at Jesus' teaching about the man who built the house of his life upon the sand and the man who built the house of his life upon the rock. Comfort is found in strange places...

What does this parable mean? Is Jesus saying that God intends for some people not to ever understand the gospel? Does Jesus talk in parables to the crowds but plainly to his disciples to intentionally keep people out ? What do the four soils mean ? What is the point of this parable that some call the very foundation of the Gospel of Mark. Join us as we explore this masterful parable of Jesus. Yep, the sound you hear towards the end of the podcast is Langdon casting seeds all over the sanctuary !

What should be the goal of my life ? What is the purpose of life ? Some say the pursuit of happiness or pleasure, others say the pursuit of nobility and character. It turns out that the answer is found between the prodigal son and the older son - it is found in Him from whom all blessings flow. Join us as we unpack one of the most famous and familiar parables and discover not only sides to it we never thought about before... we find ourselves and the God who loves us.

When Jesus says the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed - what does he mean ? We look at three kinds of people - the person who plants, the person who watches, and the person who is too busy to notice - as a way of thinking about our own lives. But what is the primary mustard seed that Jesus is talking about ? . It turns out that something as small and apparently inconsequential as one wandering Rabbi 2000 years ago was the beginning of something that would grow so large that at the end of days every knee will bend and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. To see the art work mentioned in this podcast and other resources on the parables of Jesus go to http://www.southridgeworship.com/parables_of_jesus.htm

How do you want to live this year ? What do you want your life to be about ? No matter what the past has held, there is still time to choose a different way today, because this is the day the Lord has made. On this first Sunday of the New Year we begin our sermon series on the Parables of Jesus. Today we look at one that is often overlooked - the story of the two sons who go into the field. When we listen carefully we find our selves inside the story, and find that Jesus is calling us to make a decision - to choose who we will be. To see images of the sculptures used in this sermon and other resources, go to http://www.southridgeworship.com/parables_of_jesus.htm

This sermon is for people who love the show "Big Bang Theory." Do you have to choose between science and faith ? We all have ideas about the way the world is supposed to work, but what do we do when our rules and laws and equations dont match the way the world actually works ? There is a way to understand the relationship between faith and science that makes sense - but you have to be willing to abide a thing called Paradox.

Often the string of stories in the Old Testament like the string of events in our lives don't seem to make much sense. But today we look at the coming of John the Baptist as the messenger who prepares the way for the coming of the messiah. A messenger implies a message - in other words, things we don't already know, but need to hear. A message that comes unexpected out of left field. If God sent you a message today - about things you know nothing about - would you want to hear? Join us as we explore this wonderful combination of the Old Testament prophesy of Malachi with the wonderful prayer of Zachariah as he looks at his baby son John and it is revealed to him by the Holy Spirit who his son will become.

In many Sci Fi stories there is some ancient relic that has been passed down from generation to generation - but nobody really knows what it's for any more. Then comes the moment when the hero realizes it's not some useless artifact from the past but the very key that can change everything in the present. We look at the story of the City of Ember as way of understanding just how crucial the Lord's Prayer can be. It turns out that this prayer that is so often said by rote and without thought can actually act as a key into life in the Kingdom of God.

Ever notice how self conscious you can feel in public? We all want to look good to others. Sometimes we waste a lot of energy worrying about what others think of us. But what happens when we start intentionally trying to draw attention to ourselves? More than we think. This week Jesus both talks about the three crucial spiritual practices of - Giving, Praying, & Fasting - AND - shows us how these beautiful things can become ugly if done for the wrong motives. Join us as we explore the world of telling stories and discover we have the chance to live within the greatest story ever told. When we live inside that story we don’t have to spend so much energy worrying about how we are coming across to others.