Sermon preached at RUF’s Wednesday Night Fellowship on January 23, 2019. You know you have a real relationship with the real God when you’ve been rocked by his glory, humbled by his holiness, and tasted amazing grace.
Gen. 1:26; 1 John 4:18-19: Why Relationships
Sermon preached at RUF’s Wednesday Night Fellowship on January 16, 2019. The quality of our life is best measured by the quality of our relationships—relationships Jesus has come to make healthy, whole and right again—our relationship with God, our self, with others, and with the world around us. In this introduction to our semester-long series on relationships, we ask the all important question: “Why?” Why are relationships so fundamental to our well-being? And if they are so vital, why are we so anxious and afraid of getting close?
Isaiah 6:1-13: Who Will Go For Us?
Final sermon in our "Questions God Asks Us" series, preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship on Nov. 29, 2017. Is God real to you or just a concept? Here's how you know: WHOA! WOE! And GO!
John 21:1-19: Do You Love Me?
Sermon preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship on Nov. 15, 2017. Jesus meets us in the midst of our failures in order to restore us. He saves us, and saves our progress. So get back on track, back in the game, and follow Him.
John 6:51, 60-69: Does This Offend You?
Sermon preached at RUF's Wednesday Night Fellowship on Nov. 8, 2017. Jesus is offensive. His repeated claims to be the one and only heaven-sent Savior of the world offends our pride, our secularism, and our "safe spaces." What are you going to do when you cannot out-alpha the Alpha and Omega? "Are you going to walk away, as well?" Or are you going to receive, submit to, and feast on this "bread of heaven?"
Mark 8:22-38: Who Do You Say That I Am?
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!