What’s on the Other Side?
Every culture in our world has an overarching "cultural narrative." This
means that people groups of all time and places seek to answer some of the
most important questions about life. They strive to describe how and where
we can find meaning, purpose, and value in our lives. A large part of any
culture is the "narrative," or the answers to questions like, "Why are we
here?" "Why do bad things happen?" "What is truth?" and "What will happen
when I die?" In popular new movies like "Interstellar," Hollywood seeks to
enter this narrative. Filmmakers postulate in a manner of speaking answers
to these questions. Movies, however, are so advanced and convincing today
that it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. We must remember that
these are stories based on imagination. Yet, in reality, these questions
still remain. So how can we find answers to these meaningful questions of
life with any confidence and hope?WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
- Jul 19, 2015What’s on the Other Side?What’s on the Other Side?Every culture in our world has an overarching "cultural narrative." This
means that people groups of all time and places seek to answer some of the
most important questions about life. They strive to describe how and where
we can find meaning, purpose, and value in our lives. A large part of any
culture is the "narrative," or the answers to questions like, "Why are we
here?" "Why do bad things happen?" "What is truth?" and "What will happen
when I die?" In popular new movies like "Interstellar," Hollywood seeks to
enter this narrative. Filmmakers postulate in a manner of speaking answers
to these questions. Movies, however, are so advanced and convincing today
that it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. We must remember that
these are stories based on imagination. Yet, in reality, these questions
still remain. So how can we find answers to these meaningful questions of
life with any confidence and hope?
- Jul 12, 2015God’s Incredible People of FaithGod’s Incredible People of FaithThis last week at Vacation Bible School, the children considered what it
took to be a "Superstar." They learned that it is not fame, riches, or
even natural ability that make a person "super" in God's eyes. They learned
that we are all made special and unique by God, and that He loves us no
matter what we accomplish .... even if we stumble and fail. They learned
that what makes us "super" to God is our faith in His Son Jesus, who died
to take away our sins. Today as we consider some "Incredible" heroes of the
Bible, may we recognize that what is truly amazing is that God has restored
us to Himself, so that we can be in a relationship with Him. May we come
today to worship our almighty and "incredible" God!
- Jul 5, 2015Faith of Our FathersFaith of Our FathersToday as we celebrate our nation's freedom and independence, we recognize
that our freedom comes at a cost. Many fought ... and now still do fight
... to protect the freedom with which we are so accustomed. But what is
freedom for? We could contend that the greatest cause for freedom is to
allow the unfettered spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, that
is perhaps the foundational freedom on which our country was built! But
what about today? What can we as the Church do to use our freedoms in a
God pleasing way?
- Jun 28, 2015Meet the Robinsons: Keep Moving ForwardMeet the Robinsons: Keep Moving ForwardGod, Our Heavenly Father continues to bless our lives today. As redeemed
children of God, we are destined to live with Him forever. He calls us to
forgive and not to be bitter. He teaches us to recognize how sin can
progress and destroy our lives. He equips us to persevere and to keep
moving forward.
- Jun 7, 2015Spiderman: The End of RevengeSpiderman: The End of RevengeToday as we kick off our “God on Film” message series, we delve right in to
a very serious topic – revenge. Revenge is serious, because in reality, it
represents a failure to forgive. In view of Scripture’s teaching
concerning forgiveness it seems that the stubborn, persistent refusal to
forgive others is evidence of a blind and hardened heart which lacks a real
understanding of and faith in God’s forgiveness in Christ (from the
LCMS.org FAQ’s). For us to understand revenge then, we must understand
forgiveness. As we prepare ourselves for worship today, may we ask God to
prepare our hearts to understand the depth and breadth of His forgiveness
for us in Christ – and to receive that forgiveness of sins in our sharing
of the Lord’s Supper today.