Thursday, June 28, 2007
James 1:16 - 19 An Evening Service Scripture Study - First-Fruits-R-Us
Posted by Bill Versteeg at 10:36 AM 2 comments
James 1:12-15 And Evening Service Scripture Study - Understanding Temptation
James tells us that "evil desire" is the key to falling for temptation. What do you think this "evil desire" really is?
Posted by Bill Versteeg at 10:34 AM 1 comments
James 1:1-12 An Evening Service Scripture Study - Asking for Wisdom
Posted by Bill Versteeg at 10:30 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Isaiah 60: The Glory of God - the Joy of a Believer
One of the common confusions about the Glory of God is that his Glory is something to be feared. After all, there are illustrations in the Old Testament where Glory and judgment are connected. But the theme that comes to us from Isaiah and many other passages is that our greatest joy is the Glory of the Lord in at least two senses.
Paul writes
11 In him we were also chosen, c having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
Our Joy is because of his Glory - the two are intimately connected.
Our Joy is a demonstration, it is the expression of the Glory of God.
The passage that I will work with is Isaiah 60 which follows:
Posted by Bill Versteeg at 6:16 PM 1 comments
2 Corinthians 4:6, Hebrews 1:3: The Glory of God - Jesus Christ
The scripture says it clearly:
2 Corinthians 4:6
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” a made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Hebrews 1
In fact, the book of John pictures the Glory of God revealed in Christ specifically when he is raised up on the cross. This message will focus on the myriad of ways that Jesus revealed the Glory of God, one of the main reasons also that so much of our worship and adoration goes not only to the Trinity, but also especially toward Christ who is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
When you look at Christ - how do you sense he reveals the glory of God? Your feed forward is deeply appreciated!
Posted by Bill Versteeg at 6:11 PM 1 comments
Psalm 19: The Glory of God - the Essential Purpose of Creation
This is a first of a series of four sermons that I hope to do this summer on the overarching theme of the Glory of God. Scripture from the beginning to the very end resonates with the chorus - "to the Glory of God." In this series, we hope to explore how rich this theme is. This first sermon will focus on creation. When we go on holidays, we often experience wonderful sights in nature. It may be that this summer you have experienced in a new way the Glory of God through creation. Feel free to share. It may well come up in this sermon.
The scripture that we will be meditating on:
One of the books that I am reading in preparation for this series:
"God's Passion for His Glory" by John Piper (electronic pdf version available for free on the internet. Click on the Book title)
Posted by Bill Versteeg at 6:06 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
CAN'T YOU TAKE A YOKE?
Sorry for the pun, but I had to.
This will be our last Summer Evening Service before summer holidays kick in seriously. I usually give a sermon on rest before summer - and since the morning services have been taken over by our annual theme, this is it.
Matthew 11:25-30 is a very interesting passage. In it Jesus invites us to rest by taking on a his yoke. If you are familiar with an agrarian culture, though, you know that a yoke is actually something that involves work. It is the cross member between two burden bearing animals that helps them to pull a heavy load. This is the scripture passage
How would you understand the rest that Jesus is calling us to? What kind of work is he calling and to and what does the yoke have to do with it? Give you input, your thoughts, your struggles, it will all be appreciated.
Pastor Bill
Posted by Bill Versteeg at 12:45 PM 16 comments
Sunday June 17 PM Service - The Unreasonable Actions of a Faithful Father
The Story of Abraham being willing to sacrifice Isaac on the Altar puzzles many people. But this is a test, a test which needs a faithful father's response. Read
Genesis 22:1-19
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.
Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,
7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."
15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.
As we read this passage, we discover a father who even in the context of family conflict over what he was doing, was willing to obey God. On this Father's day, a halmark Sunday, have you discovered that sometimes being a Father who obeys God causes conflict in your family, school, work life? If you have illustrations, please share them. It may be that this sermon also applies to the summer second service option which we are going to decide on after the service.
Posted by Bill Versteeg at 11:19 AM 0 comments