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Making Room for Joy Advent 2023 12.17.23 What you’re waiting FOR determines HOW you wait. When power is our objective, we will always respond in fear. Matthew 2:9-10 After they (Magi) had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. When the hope of Christ is our aim, we will always respond with joy and worship. For Matthew, joy is the appropriate response to the kingdom of God. What can we learn from the Magi? They came seeking the Messiah They held onto hope They responded with joy They acted in obedience They gave extravagantly How can I cultivate joy in this present moment? Philippians 4:4-9 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 An

Sunday, Dec. 10th Jim Moss Make Room for Peace (Luke 2:8-14) Ordinary True peace, biblical peace is disruptive peace We have become so accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God's coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God's coming should arouse in us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect, that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to us. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one— the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts… C.S. Lewis I was dumbfounded. At the heart of the Christmas story in Matthew’s gospel is a baby who poses such a threat to the most powerful man around that he kills a whole village full of other babies in order to try to get rid of him. At the heart of the Christmas story in Luke, too, is a baby who, if only the Roman emperor knew it, will be the

Make Room for Hope 12.3.23 Isaiah 9:1-5 1Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— 2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. 3You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. Hope as we see in scripture is the confident expectation of coming good based on the person and promises of God, and it's strength is in HIS faithfulness to see it through to the end

Simplicity: Making Room in Our Hearts 11.26.23 "Spiritual disciplines facilitate a process that is out of one's control, but it does not have the capacity to determine an outcome. A gardener for example, does not actually grow plants. The gardener practices finely honed skills, such as cultivating soil, watering, feeding, weeding, pruning. But there is nothing the gardener can do to make the plants grow. However, if the gardener does not do what a gardener is supposed to do, the plants are not as likely to flourish. In fact, they may not grow at all. Gardening involves skills of receptivity. The skills are necessary but by themselves insufficient." -Martin Laird Simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle - Richard Foster 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap,

Streams In The Desert Hunger We lack trust “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:7-11 ESV We settle “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of t

STREAMS IN THE DESERT Slowing 11.12.23 Genesis 1:31-2:3 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. God establishes a creation rhythm for life. If creation is the INHALE then rest is the EXHALE. Exodus 5:17-18 17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.” Pharaoh’s system: System of restlessness and anxiety System of acquisition and pursuit of more System that abuses others for gain System that is never satisfied or content Yahweh’s system: System of wor

Message from Matt Nelson on November 5, 2023

Overflow 10/29/23 What does it mean that God is our Shepherd and how does that lead to overflow? God is our all-sufficient Shepherd "For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them." -Jon Ortberg If we are starting with an inaccurate or incomplete picture of God, then we can never fully surrender to Him as our provider, our Shepherd. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. "The gospel that Jesus himself proclaimed, manifested, and taught was about more than his death for the forgiveness of our sins, as important as that is. It was about the kingdom of God - God's immediate

Streams in the Desert Mundane 10-22-23 One of the greatest lies of the enemy is trying to get you to believe that your ordinary, everyday faithfulness and obedience are not enough to bring about significant Kingdom impact. Matthew Blake Nelson Jeremiah 6:16 This is what the Lord says: Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, No, that’s not the road we want. We tend to want a Christian life with the dull bits cut out. Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule

STREAMS IN THE DESERT Wonder 10.15.23 Wonder: To live in wonder is to live with a sense of awe in the face of the divine and to appreciate the beauty and goodness of God’s design all around us. Mark 10:13-16 13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. Wonder is not an escape from the real world but a way to be radically present to it. Turn around and believe that the good news that we are loved is better than we ever dared hope, and that to believe in that good news, to live out of it and toward it, to be in love with that good news, is of all glad things in this world the gl

STREAMS IN THE DESERT Thirst 10.1.23 Good Father, We confess we are burdened, weary, and dry. We have searched for life in the systems of death. We carry weights we were not created to carry. We run further into the desert. We are thirsty. Today, we step into your invitation to rest. We join the flowers and birds who do not worry or toil. We choose to live from your overflowing well of grace. We seek first your kingdom. As we draw near to you, would you draw near to us? As we step out of what is comfortable, will you meet us? Would you meet us in our community? Would you meet us in the spaces created for you? Jesus, wellspring of life, Overflow into our dry and weary souls. Saturate us with your peace and presence, As we plant ourselves by the streams of living water. The woman had buckets of water in front of her and yet her soul was a desolate wasteland. Jesus was thirsty from his long journey and yet he was an endless well of living water. John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this wate

GOD & SEXUALITY Brokenness 9.24.23 Secularism disciples a man to learn to live without God 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. Romans 1:21-23 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for ima

GOD & SEXUALITY Part I: Beauty 9.17.23 Major shifts in sexuality over the last fifty years: Sex has been disconnected from child-bearing and the family Sex has been disconnected from marriage Sex has been disconnected from male/female relationships Sex has been disconnected from love, emotion, and relational commitment of any kind Secularism – the language of our current culture which disciples a person to learn to live without God Our identity is what gives us meaning, self-worth, and purpose. It drives us and often defines the community we belong to. Our culture has normalized the lie that both identity and sexuality are one and the same. The American Psychology Association defines sexual orientation as “referring to a person's sense of identity, based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions." If you are a follower of Jesus, your primary identity is found in Christ. This is central to the Christian faith. 3 MAIN STORIES ABOUT SEXU

Book of James Prayer of Faith Sept. 10th James 4:1-3 1What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. Why is it so hard to ask for things from God? James 5:13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Prayer needs to be planned Adopt practical ways to impede mental drift In different times and in different seasons, seek out people to pray with Get around people who pray Develop a system for your prayer lists Mix praise, confession, and intercession and tie as much of it as you can back to the Scriptures. Pray until you pray James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray fo

THE BOOK OF JAMES Patience in Suffering 9.3.23 We don’t mind waiting as long as we believe we are in control of the timing and the outcomes. Outline for James 5:5-12 Be patient; the Lord is coming. Be patient; God is accomplishing something in you. Be patient with each other. Be patient; God's promises are true. Be patient; the Lord is coming. Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. Be patient; God is accomplishing something in you. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Be patient with each other. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Be patient; God's promises are true. Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering…you have heard of Job’s perseverance. Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something

BOOK OF JAMES The Fruit of Wisdom & Humility 8.27.23 Wisdom requires understanding Understanding requires demonstration Demonstration requires humility Two ways to live your life: HUMILITY: serving others for the glory of God PRIDE: elevating yourself for your own self-glory Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” How is the fruit of humility grown? A revelation of our sin Understanding what God has accomplished for us through Jesus Through the work of the Spirit in us James 4:1-10 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask

The Power of Words 8-20-23 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many. But fools die for lack of sense. Prov. 10:20–21 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse. Prov. 10:31–32 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Proverbs 18:21 Words Require Reverence Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. James 3:1-2 2. Words Require Restraint 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of dea

BOOK OF JAMES Evidence of Obedience 8.13.23 Romans 4:1-3 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” James 2:21-24 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. The teachings of Jesus are filled with God’s overwhelming, amazing grace and a radical call to obedience and discipleship. James’ Call to Obedience: The Motivation for Obedience James 1:25

Book of James The Road to Maturity 8.6.23 The book of James is composed of short wisdom speeches designed to teach the church how to be wise by living according to Jesus’ summary of the Torah: to love God and to love your neighbors. TESTING - PERSEVERANCE - MATURITY - LACKING NOTHING Philippians 4:10-13 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Romans 5:3-4 Not only so, but wealso glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. Christians are not exempt fro

Summer Sundays WHO WE ARE NOT Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” John 1:19-23 (NKJV) SOMEBODY ELSE’S EXPECTATION WE ESTEEM TRANQUILITY OVER INTEGRITY WE PUT MONEY OVER MORALITY WHO YOU USED TO BE Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter an