The Emotions of Christmas #3 - Patience and Perseverance

Patience. It is the endurance and perseverance that God develops in us so that we do something for a long time. We hope, waiting for what God has promised, patiently. We live enduring hardships as discipline; we live patiently. James calls us, yes, exhorts us to live patiently like farmers. To be patient like the prophets and like Job, trusting in the mercy, kindness, and overwhelming generosity of our King. We’ll look at James 5:7-11.

The Emotions of Christmas #1 - Joy in Closeness

There are a lot of emotions that come along around this time of year. Grief. Sadness. Loneliness. Anxiety. Fear. Joy. Hope. Excitement. Anticipation. Lots of emotions surface in preparation for Christmas. It has always been like that. As God’s people waited for the coming of Christ, for the coming of that first Christmas, they were filled with many emotions. This Advent, we will walk with God’s people we will see how they waited and wait with them in joy, hope, patience, and confidence. Philippians 4:4-7.

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Long Live the King #3 - This Time Tomorrow

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We’re in the last part of the last chapter of the gospel of Mark. It’s been quite a journey from “in the beginning” of Mark 1 to this ending. What we want to think about on Sunday is what the next chapter might look like. We have some sense of what the next chapter looked like for the disciples from the book of Acts.

We have some sense of what the next chapter looked like for Jesus as he ascended into heaven and took his seat at God’s right hand, far above all power and authority, King of kings and Lord of lords. We even have some sense of what our next chapter looks like. At least, we have a vision for it. That’s our simple goal on Sunday. I really hope to give you a vision for your tomorrow and what it can look like, even if we don’t know what the particulars of tomorrow will be. We’re considering Mark 16:9-20.

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Life in Babylon #9 - The Odds for Exiles

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When you’re living in exile, when your kings are getting hauled off to exile and executed before your eyes, when your city is destroyed and you are forcibly relocated, it’s hard to imagine a hopeful future. What are the odds that things will turn out well? God wants his people to have hope and a future, a certain expectation. The future belongs to the exiles. Jeremiah 52:31-34.

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Life in Babylon #8 - Songs of Deliverance

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Today we celebrate the Festival of Reformation. And it will be more than a celebration. It will be a call to war, a call to sing, a call to celebrate even before the final victory. Yes, it’s true. We’re in the middle, between the not yet and the already of our salvation. Yet, we sing as those who are confident of the victory. God taught his people to sing and even gave them songs to sing even before they came home from exile. Jeremiah 51:54-64.

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Life in Babylon #7 - The Paper Shredder

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The king didn’t care much for Jeremiah or the word from God that Jeremiah presented to him. In fact, he showed so much disdain for this word that after reading a page, he cut it out of the scroll and used it to keep his fire burning. How offensive can you be? How could he? Yet are we so different in our handling of God’s Word. Picking and choosing the verses we want to apply, use, listen, and accept. Do we take it all to heart? Or do we cut corners off the Word of God? Either way, God will not let his Word be silenced or destroyed. The cry rings out: The Word of the Lord endures forever. May we ever read, learn, and take it to heart. Jeremiah 36:1-7, 20-24, 32.

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Life in Babylon #6 - An Unbreakable Covenant

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The question is: how can we be so sure? Surely, Israel was asking that question. How can we be so sure that we’ll build houses back home again? How can we be so sure that the temple will be rebuilt? That’s the question we often ask. How can we be so sure about forgiveness? About God’s care and guiding of our lives? About any of God’s promises? Consider this. If you can break God’s covenant with the day and night, then you can break this one. How’s that for certainty? Jeremiah 33:14-26.

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Life in Babylon #5 - The Testimony of a Lived Faith

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All the time we say, “We live by faith, not by sight.” But what exactly do we mean? What does it mean to look like to live by faith? It means that we’ll buy property when Nebuchadnezzar is coming to take over our homeland. It means that we’ll make our life in this world even though it is not our home. Next week, Jeremiah shows us through what it means to live by faith. Jeremiah 32:6-15.

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Life in Babylon #4 - God's Firm Resolve

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What do you do when your girl cheats on you with another guy? What do you do when she breaks your heart? There are two dominant metaphors in these chapters of hope within Jeremiah. The metaphor of a father/son relationship. The metaphor of a husband/wife relationship. Last week, we considered the father/son relationship. This week, we see God’s husband heart. He does not discard his bride, whom he draws with cords of kindness. Again, he makes their relationship/covenant new. Jeremiah 31:2-6, 31-34

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Life in Babylon #3 - Fatherly Attention

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Israel has been given a deep wound because of their own rebellion. That’s why they were in Babylon. But Jeremiah wants them to know that the Lord was not trying to get his pound of flesh out of him. This was discipline, discipling, not punishment. He was calling out to them as a father through the exile. Can we start to see our own waywardness as we live in the fallen world? Can we start to see how we have lived farther and farther from God’s way? Can we sense the Lord’s discipling hand in our life? “Our wound is incurable” (Jeremiah 30:12), but the LORD “will restore you to health” (Jeremiah 30:17). A look at Jeremiah 30:10-17.

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Life in Babylon #2 - That Babylonian Life

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As we make our way through Jeremiah, we’re moving into the counsel and advice that Jeremiah has for the exiles. Last week, the simple message of God was, “Surrender.” Surrender to the government that God has put over you. Surrender and submit to the people God has put over you in your life. Surrender to the circumstances in your life. At the end of the day, surrender your life to the God who has done so much for you. But the question is: What does that look like? What does a surrendered life look like? Today, Jeremiah tells us. He sends a letter to the exiles in Babylon and tells them all about that Babylonian life. This is an important message for all of us, and especially for you, young people. You’re on your way in this world. That Christian life here and now is yours to live. Jeremiah has something to say to you today. We’re looking at Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14.

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Life in Babylon #1 - The Easy Yoke

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We live in exile. We’re away from our home. Our home is in heaven. On top of that, it becomes increasingly clear that we are the outsiders here in our own homeland. Less and less do the laws of our country reflect what God’s Word says is good and right. More and more, there is a growing hostility toward those who faithfully hold to the Christian faith. We’re in exile. Away from home. In Babylon. But Jeremiah has a word. A word about faith. A word about submission and surrender. A word about living faithfully Christian lives. A word about hope. A word about our return home. It’s a powerful and important word that he has for us. The future belongs to us. Today, we get started in Jeremiah 27:1-15. It’s a difficult word, but an important one for us to consider - surrender! Or maybe the yoke is easy and the burden light. We'll see.

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Waymaker #5 - Back in the Boat

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There they were again. Out in the lake. Straining against the wind. Fighting against the saves. Afraid of what they thought was a ghost. There they were again, tired and afraid.

Oh, our Savior is mighty. The sea grows stormy again. We get out of one stormy sea, and the winds find us again, only too soon. But here comes Jesus with his calming words. Words that calm our hearts and make our courage like steel: “Buck up! Don’t be afraid. It’s me, Jesus!” Those same powerful words force all things to bow and bend to his almighty will. Yes, his voice sets our hearts and rest; it brings all our lives under his control.

We’re wrapping up our series in Mark’s gospel, during which we have considered the miracles of Jesus. Mark 7:45-56.