CHRISTIANITY IN A COMPLEX WORLD
RECONCILING “SUNDAY FAITH” & “MONDAY WORLD”
A SERMON SERIES BASED ON: WHEN GOD GOES TO STARBUCKS
Sermon #1: “Introduction: Truth and Reality” (Lane Northcut)
Sermon #2: “Is it Ever Okay to Lie?”
Sermon #3: “Are Miracles for Real?”
Sermon #4: “Do All Religions Experience God?”
Sermon #5: “Homosexuality—Voting Yes or No on
Proposition 8?”
Sermon #6: “2000 Years—Did Jesus Get His Soon
Return Wrong?”
Sermon #7: “Why So Many Denominations?”
Messages
This sermon by
Minister of Education, Lane Northcut, introduces the series and also helps
bridge the gap with our new Small Groups. He deals with evaluating ethical
questions in a world of relativism. How
does a Christian deal with these everyday ethical questions?
Sermon #2: “It is
Ever Okay to Lie?” (February 8, Pastor David Ritsema)
The spies are saved
when Rahab tells a lie. Even though Rahab lies, she becomes a heroine in the
Biblical story of Joshua and also in the New Testament where she is
complemented in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11).
So is it okay to sometimes tell a lie?
What is the difference between telling lies, which the Bible forbids,
and being just being deceptive (which scriptures sometimes condones)?
Sermon #3: “Are Miracles for Real?” (February 15, Pastor David Ritsema)
Many people in the
modern world have denied that miracles can ever happen. Is believing in miracles just a sign of a
person’s gullibility? Is there a good
reason to believe in miracles? The Bible
certainly has miracles from the Red Sea to the resurrection. This sermon will
look at the difficult issue of Biblical miracles in our modern world.
Sermon #4: “Do All Religions Experience God?” (February 22, Pastor David Ritsema)
Many people in today’s
world believe that people in any religion can experience God. Does this mean that all religions provide an
equal pathway to salvation? Does this mean that Christian’s need not evangelize
people of other religions (e.g. Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, etc.)? This sermon
will explore arguments in Christian Apologetics concerning the biblical
teaching about religious pluralism and the Christian message. What does this mean for people of sincere
religious beliefs who die? Do they go to
heaven or hell? Do we really need to do
missions anymore?
Sermon #5: “Homosexuality—Voting
Yes or No on Proposition 8?” (March 1, Pastor David)
Recently and in the
news, the state of California voted Yes to Proposition 8 ending the state’s law
on performing marriages of gays and homosexuals. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community
Church, has supported the effort to ban so called “gay marriage.” What does the
Bible teach about gays and homosexuality?
Should Christians accept, reject, or love the homosexual? What should
the church do in response to the issue of gay marriage?
Sermon #6: “2000 Years--Did Jesus Get His Soon Return Wrong?” (March 8, Pastor David) It has been almost 2000 years since Jesus walked the countryside of Israel. He predicted that he would return. Some verses in the Gospels seem to indicate that he intended to come back with a generation (40-70 years). However, he has not come back yet. Did Jesus get his soon return wrong? The atheist Bertrand Russel argued that Jesus was wrong about his Second Coming and therefore Christianity is not true. What does a Christian say in response to this? How do we reconcile our Sunday faith with a Monday world?
Sermon #7: “Why So Many Denominations?” (March 15, Pastor David)
A common question
asked by many people is, “Why are there so many denominations?” The reasons for
this are numerous. To find out why there
are so many denominations and what our particular church believes come and hear
this important message from Pastor David Ritsema and reconnect your Sunday
faith to your Monday world.