Outsiders & Insiders

We finish our six-week study of Luke 15 by considering the prodigal son’s older brother. We reach the sobering conclusion that it is possible to be both faithful and obedient, while at the same time, have wrong expectations of God and misplaced affections for those God loves.

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Search Party

We study the parable of the woman who lost one coin and searched diligently for it. God invites us to join His search party for even one lost loved one. We consider 10 motivating reasons we should join in the party.

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Small To Great

What is the Kingdom of God like? It’s a question that Jesus’ disciples ask - both 2,000 years ago and today. Jesus answers that it’s like a mustard seed and yeast. What does that mean? How does it change how we live? We discover mind bending truths to the physics of God’s Kingdom.

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Shaking The Champagne

No one has more reason to celebrate than Christ-followers. Think about it. You’ve been declared children of the Most High God. You’ve received eternal life from the Eternal Giver of Life. You have the opportunity to help restore creation from the Redeemer in Chief. Relationship. Eternity. Purpose. On top of everything else we know how the story ends - complete victory!

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Master Over Hunger

Jesus fed 5,000 men (plus women and children) with just 2 fish and 5 loaves. What do we learn about miracles from this example? Are miracles still possible today? How should we respond as a church? We answer these questions and learn 5 lessons from the feeding of the 5,000 in Luke 9:10-17.

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Women In Church 1.0

What was Jesus’ view of women and their role in the Christian ministry? We learn much by observing how he allowed women to interact with him as well as the stories he told. In this sermon we consider just 3 verses, Luke 8:1-3. We’ll discover that our gifts and blessings are much more important to ministry than is our gender.

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Sabbath Satire

Is keeping the Sabbath a matter of keeping a bunch of rules? Is it a matter of doing nothing? Doing good? How does today's Christ-follower find the right balance? We consider the case of the grain snacks and the withered hand from Luke 6:1-11 to discover how to keep the Sabbath Day holy.

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Sinner Celebration

 

What gets you into party mode? A birthday? An anniversary? A promotion or pay raise? Your favorite team winning the big game? How about this - you are a sinner… saved by grace! In this sermon we consider three responses when the tax collector, Levi, became a Christ-follower. Along the way we will discover if we also have good reason to celebrate.

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Ready Child

Jesus taught that we should always be ready for His return. We don't know the day or the hour but we should always be ready. How do we do that? In this Church Requel sermon, Pastor Mark considers 5 ways that we should be R.E.A.D.Y. if we are indeed God's C.H.I.L.D.

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Counterfeit Cravings

In the audio version of “Counterfeit Cravings” I warn us to be careful about what we love. I explain 3 reasons why loving the wrong things takes us away from the good things God has in store for us. I also describe 3 counterfeit loves that can leave us wanting, wanting, wanting. Along the way I share humorous insights into Oreo cookies and the Pierce family story time, as well as quotes from the singing group, Plumb, the Narnia author, C.S. Lewis, and my brother, Todd.

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Our Response To The Gay Marriage Decision

What should be our response to the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that gay marriage is now legal in all 50 states? What is our authority on this issue? In this audio sermon I consider the decision written by Justice Kennedy through a Biblical lens.

Follow along with the online sermon verses at YouVersion.com.

The Choice To Love

The kind of love God gives to us, and the kind of love he wants us to give to others, is not a feeling. It is a choice. The choice to love is also the choice of remaining in God's light or moving away from God into darkness. In this sermon from 1 John 2:7-11, I teach that God's L.I.G.H.T. provides us the power to love God's way.

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Four Jobs Of The Parent

The job of raising kids today is tougher than ever. Sunday morning I  taught moms and dads about the 4 main jobs of parenting: #1 Prepare your kids for life; #2 Protect your kids in storms; #3 Play with your kids for fun; #4 Point your kids to God.

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Radical Resurrection

For Church Requel's Easter morning, I talked about why belief in the resurrection is so important to our authentic Christian faith.

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Relative Recovery

Christians should exhibit a faith in Christ regardless of their disappointments and discouragements from life. But what about a Christian's faith in Christ when disappointment and discouragement comes from Christ Himself? In last Sunday's talk, I considered that Jesus doesn't always respond the way we expect. Surprisingly, we also discovered that Jesus is never the author of an "easy believism."

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How To Be Model Parents

Parenting children has never been more challenging. What advice does the Bible give to today's moms and dads? In this audio version of Sunday's sermon, I share 5 key recommendations for how to raise kids. Along the way I share lots of personal stories from my own parenting adventures.

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Marriage Talk - Husbands

The Bible teaches that husbands should love their wives as Christ loves the church. How exactly can men do this? In this audio version of this morning's sermon, I teach about marriage from Ephesians 5 with lots of examples and helpful suggestions for today’s men.

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Grow Together

How does the church grow? What is the objective of church growth? Is there something more to grow than MORE? In our study of Ephesians 4:14-16, we learn why our maturity is so important. We conclude with two ways we grow as a church.

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The Game Plan

What is God's game plan for the church? We study Ephesians 4:11-13 to learn the surprising truths about leadership, ministry, and responsibilities of everyone who belongs to the body of Christ.

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Attitudes That Relate

What are the best attitudes we can have for ongoing, lasting, and fulfilling relationships in life? From Ephesians 4:1-6, we discover 5 attitudes that are sure to relate. Join me as we learn about relational basics from Scripture.

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