June 25, 2023 • Rev. Dr. Craig S. Brown • Genesis 22:1–14
When we do what God asks of us, it can be filled with a sense of fear and doubt. When Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, his response filled with faith. In one of the most shocking and brutal stories in the Bible we find a God who is tester and provider. The question remains...who is actually be tested?
(June 18) Sanctuary Worship | Renewed in Commitment
June 18, 2023 • Rev. Dr. Craig S. Brown • Exodus 19:2–9
Being a dynamic follower of Jesus is not about doing great things or being perceived as spiritual. God is the one who does all of the heavy lifting. What we must do is cooperate with what God's Spirit is doing in our lives. This week we explore how Moses and the people of Israel learned this truth at Mount Sinai.
(June 11) Sanctuary Worship | Every Angle Leads to Jesus
June 11, 2023 • Rev. Dr. Craig S. Brown • Matthew 9:9–13, Matthew 9:18–26
Religious people, Christians included, spend quite a bit of time and resources deciding who is "in" and who is "out." In these three stories from Matthew 9, we find a Jesus who welcomes and engages with some of the least likely people. it earns him scorn and ridicule. In the end, it is the power of God that triumphs over all.
(June 4) Sanctuary Worship | Putting the Awe in Awesome
June 4, 2023 • Rev. Dr. Craig S. Brown • Acts 2:37–47
The earliest days of the Christian movement were ones filled with awe and wonder. Churches have been trying to return to this "feel" for centuries. Sometimes we get it dialed in and other times we are just a little lost. Sometimes the difference comes down to allowing God to do the work of awe and wonder more than us.
(May 28) Sanctuary Worship | Time To Go Public (Pentecost Sunday)
May 28, 2023 • Rev. Dr. Craig S. Brown • Acts 2:1–21
The beginnings of the church are not something clouded in secrecy and closed doors. The movement of God is public and open. God is openly at work in the lives of human beings. As a mission movement, Christians would do well to heed the lessons from this pivotal moment in the church's story. Faith is not a private matter.
