Northwest Church of Christ Sermons

Faith over Fear

Services today were a little unusual as we made a number of changes due to the potential spread of illness in our community. This meant that Kent stepped in instead of a March for Missions guest speaker. He talked about how the world isn't as bad as we often think, that God is in control and that we have so many reasons to trust God and be confident living in Christ. We looked at Psalm 121, Psalm 46, and Jesus' teaching on worry from the Sermon on the Mount. 

Making Disciples

As Rodney continued our March for Missions campaign, he talked about the work he does in Africa and the importance of making disciples. Today, we continue the work that God has been doing from the beginning, making people in his image. Jesus then created disciples in his image. The church continues this work today by going into all the world and making disciples. 

What in the World is God Up To?

We kicked off our annual March for Missions campaign (trying to raise $110,000 for missions this year) with guest speaker Dan Bouchelle from Mission Resource Network. Dan talked about how fear is running rampant in America and in American Christianity. But that fear has no place in the Kingdom of God. Especially once you realize that global Christianity is exploding with enthusiasm, new Christians, and courageous faith. How can we support God's mission around the world and what can we learn from successes taking place in churches around the world? God is on the move. The church is on the move. Are you ready to join in?

Poured Out in the Church

While it is certainly true that the Spirit dwells within all of those who are in Christ, you cannot understand Paul’s vision for the church if you do not understand that the Spirit dwells among the believers. We often forget how important the community is when it comes to having God’s Spirit dwelling among us, in our midst, holding us together. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul then shows how people who are divisive in the church are working against the Spirit, are worldly, and are big spiritual babies. On the other hand, spiritual maturity results in working together, unity, and doing the things Jesus would do in the world.

Poured Out in Our Lives

Continuing our study on the seven passages where the Holy Spirit is poured out, this week we looked at what happened in the New Testament church when the Spirit show up. When the Holy Spirit is poured out, God sends new vision and mission, renewed purpose and passion, a call to welcome all into the people of God, and an overwhelming and overflowing amount of God's love. If we are willing to open ourselves to the pouring out of the Spirit then all of these things are waiting for us to receive and share with the world today!

Poured Out on Dry Ground

As he prepared to be crucified, Jesus attempted to comfort his disciples by telling them that it is better for him to go so that he can send the Holy Spirit, empowering those who believe in Jesus to do ever GREATER THINGS than Jesus did. Later, Paul writes in Ephesians about the power that God gives to those in Christ so that we might be the body of Christ, doing the things Jesus would do with the power he now gives us in the world today. And yet, we look at the challenges in this world and are terrified and lack hope. It seems this is because we don't expect Jesus to keep his promise that we will do greater things. Perhaps that's because God desires to pour his Spirit out on us and the world and we only ask for a trickle and expect God to say maybe. This pouring out of the Spirit was promised through the Prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Joel, and that promise remains for us today. Are we willing to go where the Spirit leads? Are we ready?

Renewal of the Spirit

This year Northwest begins our move into the new decade by studying the Holy Spirit. So often the church has ignored and neglected the Spirit, especially when the church was comfortable with the status quo. But when the church is on mission there is always a renewal of the Spirit. As Northwest goes on mission and begins casting new vision, we enter our own season of missional and spiritual renewal. The sermon looks at how the Spirit has been involved in the mission of the church from its very beginning, how things changed over time, and why there is such increase in interest in the Holy Spirit in recent decades. 

The Mountains Ahead

In 1804 Lewis and Clark thought they would crest the continental divide and coast downriver to the Pacific Ocean. Instead they learned that everything they knew and thought and were prepared for was wrong. Their canoes couldn't get them across the Rocky Mountains. Today, the church finds itself in a similar situation. Christendom has passed, we live in a truly secular age, and young people want spirituality without organized religion or faith communities. And yet, we believe that Jesus will keep his word that the gates of Hades will never persevere against his kingdom. At Northwest, will must be ready to learn the new way of living as Christians as we go into the mountains. We will not go without the Spirit. We will listen for new ideas and new vision. And we will experiment and adventure in our faith with a willingness to repeatedly fail so that some might be saved. Are you ready to get out of the boat and go adventuring with God in the mountains? 

Check Your Anger

There are numerous passages in Scripture that tell Christians they shouldn't be angry or lose control of their tongues or their temper. And yet, Jesus gets angry in the Temple and Paul gets angry with Peter in Antioch. So how do we know if our anger is moral filth or in line with God's anger at injustice. This sermon seeks to explore the difference and calls us to leave behind the moral filth of human anger.

10 Years of Blessing

Deuteronomy is an exercise of spiritual memory as Moses reminds Israel of all the things they have seen God do for them and in their presence. This spiritual practice of remembering reminds us of God's many blessings, helping us better understand where we are today and to have greater confidence in God in the future. This sermon practices that by remembering all of the prayers God has answered at Northwest over the next 10 years as we prepare to start praying new prayers for the future.