Sermon preached at RUF Wednesday Night Fellowship on Nov. 1, 2017. Who is Jesus, really? Is he nothing but a good and moral teacher (or, perhaps, a teacher of good morals)? Is he a prophet referring us to someone else? Or is he the long-awaited Messiah—i.e, the Christ? "Who do you say that I am?"
Mark 4:35-41: Why Are You So Afraid?
Sermon preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship, Oct. 25, 2017. The Christian life is an epic journey with a beginning, middle, and end. Jesus invites you on this journey: "Let us go across to the other side." On this journey, there are forces working against you. But God is on your side! He is with you and for you; He is almighty; and He will see you to your destination.
John 5:1-9: Do You Want to Be Healed?
Sermon preached at RUF Wednesday Night Fellowship on Oct. 18, 2017. Hope comes to us. Hope comes with a question. And hope has a name—that name is Jesus.
(Special thanks to Matt Howell—RUF CM at UTK—for introducing me to the story of Viktor Frankl. The introduction to his sermon on Ezekiel 34 helped inspire/shape my own.)
John 1:35-42: What Are You Seeking?
Sermon preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship on Oct. 11, 2017. A journey with Jesus begins with two words: a word of intrigue and a word of invitation. In order to determine whether Jesus is legit or not, we need to step in and spend time with him, not simply listening to other people's words about Jesus but actually attending to the Word of God Himself.
Isaiah 55:1-5: Why Do You Spend Your Money For That Which Is Not Bread?
Sermon preached at RUF Wednesday Night Fellowship on Oct. 4, 2017. As the Boss put it, "Everybody has a hungry heart." We try to fill the hole in our hearts with LEGOs, fame, fortune, sex, Facebook likes, etc., but at the end of the day we are still hungry, hangry, dissatisfied. It doesn't have to be this way. God has the "food" our heart craves, and it is free! Listen. Come. Eat. Taste and see that the Lord is good!
1 Kings 19:1-18: What Are You Doing Here?
Sermon preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship on Sep. 26, 2017. When things don't turn out the way Elijah expected them to, he is ready to quit—ready to quit his job, ready to give up on life. He is depressed. Depression is a multifaceted problem requiring a multifaceted solution. God meets Elijah where he is at, and God does not leave him there. He comes in comfort. He comes in counsel. And He comes in control.
Exod. 3 & 4: What Is That In Your Hand?
Sermon preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship on Sep. 20, 2017. God cares about justice and we, men and women made in God's image, are to care about justice, and fight for justice, too. God made us for good work and God saved us for good work. Finally, God equips and empowers us for good work. (Scripture reading: Exod. 3:7-14; 4:1-5, 10-17.)
Gen. 32:3-31: What Is Your Name?
Sermon preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship on Sep. 13, 2017. "What is your name?" This is the third question we're looking at in our semester-long series, "Questions God Asks Us." Our names say a lot about us. In this sermon, we look at a man named "Jacob...Cheater." And we see a God who has the power to give him—and us—a new name and identity.
Gen 3:1-21: Who Told You That You Were Naked?
Sermon preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship, Sep. 6, 2017. In this sermon we look at the second question God poses in the Bible: "Who told you that you were naked?" As we do so, we ask and answer a few other questions: What is shame and how is it different from guilt? How do we try to cover our shame? Finally, can we be naked and not ashamed ever again?
Genesis 3:1-10: Where Are You?
Sermon preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship on Aug 30, 2017. We are kicking off our semester-long series, "Questions God Asks Us." Tonight we're introduced to the very first question God poses in the Bible: "Where are you?" We ask (and answer) three questions: why do we run and hide from God? How do we hide? And what does God do in response?