God through the prophet Malachi indicts Israel of 7 different patterns of stale faith. In this week's Fresh Faith sermon, God moves from the first pattern of stubbornness and addresses the pastors/priests of the day (1:6-2:9). You can find an article on "Warning to Today's Pastors: 7 Ways to Evaluate a Pastor" in the sermon notes for this sermon. This was not addressed in the sermon for the day but was written to be read latter. Moving on to the 4th indictment or the 2nd one addressed to all the people of Israel, God speaks through Malachi about the pattern of shallow relationships (2:10-16). One of the toughest verses in all of the Old Testament to translate is 2:16 "God hates divorce." Listen here to hear how the root of divorce is found in the pattern of shallow relationships.
Fresh Faith: Shallow Relationships
5 Patterns that Lead to Stale Faith
April 14, 2024 • Joel Brantner • Numbers 30, Malachi 2:10–16, Malachi 1:6—2:9, Genesis 3:15, Jeremiah 3:6–9
Lost Parables of Jesus
May 12, 2024 • Joel Brantner • Romans 10:14, Acts 8:31, John 10:27, Acts 20:29, Luke 15:1–7
The Bible tells us that Jesus was full of grace and truth. That's 100% of each not 50% one and 50% the other. Typically we are bent to side heavily on either truth or grace. This is why many churches are divided. They either let everything go and call it "grace" or they call out every little infraction in someone's life and call it "truth." Jesus was equally both and this is one of the main goals of the Christian; to hold both truth and grace with the same measure. The parables of Luke 15 reveal to us the heart of God and helps us to balance the law of God. Without an understanding of Luke 15, one will be hard pressed to understand most of the Bible...particularly, the whole reason why Jesus came.
Fresh Faith: FOMO-Fear of Missing Out
May 5, 2024 • Joel Brantner • Malachi 4, Malachi 3:13–18, Luke 18:18–30
In every Christian's life there will come a time when he or she will have to determine whether the "vertical" or the "horizonal" will determine what will be done. FOMO or the fear of missing out can forgo the priority of our "vertical" relationship with God when the "horizonal" pressures of life are present. God's people's "hard words" in Malachi toward God reveal a heart filled FOMO. Listen in to hear how FOMO can be a pattern of behavior that can lead to stale faith.
Fresh Faith: Blaming God
April 21, 2024 • Joel Brantner • Malachi 2:17—3:5, Genesis 3:11–13, Romans 3:23, 1 John 3:5, Psalm 46:10
Ever stepped on your dog's tail and then get angry at your dog for what you did? We do it all the time. Blaming prevents us from seeing the full truth. In this sermon, Pastor Joel will address Malachi's third indictment against God's people that had led to a stale faith.