Northwest Church of Christ Sermons

The Peacekeepers Pledge

Today we finished our series on being a peacemaker. This lesson begins by focusing on Jesus' teaching that we love our enemies and then begins giving the practical details about peacemaking, confession, and forgiveness. It recognizes that we need God's Spirit to come into us and transform us if we are going to really do this hard work of making peace with everybody. Are you willing to make the peacemaker's pledge?

Practical Peacemaking

Jesus told the crowd, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God." Peacemaking is more than being passive. It is actively resolving conflict and bringing peace into chaos. This week we look at how our fight or flight instincts cause us to respond to conflict and how there are twelve types of responses that are either healthy or unhealthy. How will you choose to respond to conflict in your life and in the world?

Repairing a Broken Weave

While God desires for us to work together as Christians, the truth is that being in community will always eventually end in conflict. People sin, argue, hurt one another, and have different ideas about what should happen. When that happens, how do we repair the relationship? How do we heal and forgive? What does real forgiveness look like? Are you willing to do the work like Paul, Barnabas, Peter and John Mark did in the first church?

The Patchwork Quilt

This week we talked about how God designed us to be the Kingdom of God as a collection of connected people with different circumstances and gifts that work best together. Then we practiced it by actually writing our names and favorite Bible verses on quilt squares and tying them together. (The recording of the group activity is edited out because it sounded like a mumbling crowd.)

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

On this MLK Day Weekend we remember Martin Luther King's leadership, but even more so the story of his favorite song, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." This song was written by Thomas Dorsey and his story is an inspirational example of how God can weave together circumstances, giftedness, and unexpected paths to bring his glory to the world. 

Knit for a Purpose

Psalm 139 celebrates how God knows us so intimately that he even knits us together in our mother's womb. He gives us gifts, personalities, and all of the abilities we need to accomplish the purposes he has in store for us. This is powerfully demonstrated in the life of Moses and particularly the conversation with God through the burning bush. Are you willing to trust God's gifts, and God's sending and live a life of purpose.

God the ReWeaver

When Joseph's brothers fear his revenge he told them that what they wove for him as harm God had instead re-wove to save the lives of many. In all of our lives, we suffer like Joseph and yet God is always there weaving his goodness and glory into the masterpiece of our lives. 

God With Us

History began when God created the world to have a relationship with us. Then he did something incredible...he gave us a choice. And people have been rejecting God and choosing temptation and idols over God ever sense. So God sent his Son, Jesus, to live among us so that we might have a new way to choose God eternally and have God dwell within us through the Holy Spirit.

Choose Joy

In the Bible, joy is not just deep happiness. Joy is the opposite of anxiety and faithlessness and it can become the foundation for a deeply rooted life of faith. It's something the Holy Spirit produces in us. It also can lead us out of grouchiness and into a light that demonstrates our confidence in God to answer our prayers and take care of us.

Prince of Peace

Jesus was born into a world with many powerful rulers and kings who so often increased their own power and influence by violence and military strength. Caesar Augustus came to power through a bloody civil war. Herod famously killed anybody who threatened his hold on the throne, even if it was his own children. But Jesus was born in a manger, proclaimed savior, Messiah, and the one who would bring peace through a much different path. Jesus brought peace through sacrifice, humility, service, and putting others first.