Messages

This is a collection of messages that I’ve shared with Cypress Creek Christian Church.  Clicking on the message title will allow you to watch or listen to the message.  All graphics are by my friend and colleague Leanah McCombs.

Abundance

 Have you ever found yourself focusing on problems in your life? How would your attitude change if you focused instead on the blessings that God provides for you each day?  Using the example of King David and the Israelites, we’ll explore a different perspective that comes when we focus on God’s abundant blessings.

Dive In 

 Jesus taught extensively about God’s Kingdom here on earth.  Following Jesus’ example, we explored the analogy of the Kingdom as an ocean full of God’s creations.  Jesus’ final direction to his disciples (and to us) in Matthew 28:19-20 was to dive into the Kingdom that exists all around us.   Join me as we explore Jesus’ direction to us and I share ways that we can each impact the Kingdom.

Leaving a Legacy 

We each have one. Sometimes it’s based on a lifetime of living. Other times, it is based on a single event or crisis. Many are positive. A few are not so positive. What is it? It’s our legacy.

As an assembly of believers, we can shape our legacy for the future.  I believe that if we focus on the true objective (Mat 28:19-20) and keep the future in mind, we’ll leave a legacy that resembles Jesus’ desire for his followers because we will have made a positive impact in the Kingdom of Heaven that exists all around us.

 The Fringe

 Christianity has been radically changed over the years by voices crying in the wilderness, in sharp opposition to the mainstream. Names such as Jesus, John the Baptist, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King, Jr. come to mind as I think about fringe voices that changed the church. 

A few years ago, I heard another voice from the fringe that changed my view of Christmas.  That voice came from Advent Conspiracy and it challenged me to Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All.  Listen as I share that voice with Cypress Creek Christian Church.  You can also view the video clip I showed entitled Entering the Story.

Perfect Isn’t Perfection

Continuing study of Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, where He speaks of loving and praying for your enemies. When we love those we don’t particularly like, and when we pray for them, we are living into God’s purpose for our life.

Shine

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the gathered crowds that they are the light of the world. What does this mean for us today and how can we shine with Christ’s light to everyone we encounter?

Focus

  When we are doing God’s work we have to stay focused.  However, we often have distractors trying to shift our focus to worldly things. Nehemiah provides a great example as he led the Israelites to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem.

Identity 

 In life and in the church, we sometimes confuse traditions for essential parts of our indentity.  Digging deeply into our identity as members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we learn to hold tightly to our identity, but hold loosely to our traditions.

Take Them Off 

What keeps you from seeing the true majesty of Jesus?  Are you focused on the wrong thing?  Are you filtering out the light?  Are you just in a dark place?  Whatever type of glasses are keeping you from experiencing our Lord in all his majesty, take them off!

The Test

Before he started his public ministry, Matthew 4:1-11 tells us that Jesus was led to the desert by the Holy Spirit to face temptation. Each of us faces the test of temptation in our lives as well. Passing the test of temptation requires both God’s grace and our willingness to live out His Word.

Marinate

We marinate food to add moisture, flavor and variety.  In the same way, we often need to marinate in God’s word to draw all of the meaning, context and invitation for our lives out of the text.

Most of my other messages are available at http://www.cypresscreek.cc/recent-sermons-listen-online/