In times of tears and darkness, it is natural for humans to have soul-cries towards something or someone outside of ourselves who can restore us. Psalm 80 repeats this cry for "restoration" three times. What does this teach us about challenging times we go through, and does this even have something to teach us about where we place our ultimate hope? Listen in today and discover how Jesus Christ steps into that space we long to have filled.
Why the Church Can Work (Psalm 79)
The purpose of the church, or even religion itself, is often discussed in the modern world. As we listen to an admittedly "brutal Psalm" today in Psalm 79, what possible hope can we gather from Israel's defeat at the hands of Babylon in 586 BC? What we discover is a heartfelt reflection on something we admittedly misunderstand about God (his jealousy), something we love about what God can give (his forgiveness), and something we all cry for throughout the ages (his justice). But we learn something even more important - we learn about the community he is redeeming for the world and why it works still even today.
A Long Journey in God's Faithfulness (Psalm 78)
As we listen to the story of God's faithfulness over many generations read over us from Psalm 78, we find the encouragements to remember, believe, tell, follow. Listen in as we enter into Israel's history, and find its application to us today in the modern world as well.
Delighting (Psalm 1)
Our culture of multitasking and transience keeps us from finding our truest and deepest delight. As we begin our journey into the Psalms again this spring/summer, we begin today with Psalm and learn how we can find utter delight. A book, a tree, and an assurance are our images to lasting delight.
Spiritual Hunger (John 21:1-14)
After the disciples have seen Risen Jesus two times now already, at this third appearance we finally begin to see why a risen Jesus matters in the world. Listen in today as we discover 5 key changes that take place only because Jesus is alive.
Tangible Evidence (John 20:19-31)
While the claim of the resurrection of Jesus is a supernatural and miraculous claim, there is tangible evidence for it - both for the fearful disciples hidden in a locked room on the evening of the first Easter, for doubting Thomas, and for modern people like us. Listen in today as we listen to the evidence, as we believe what Thomas saw with his eyes and touched with his hands, and receive from God His greatest gift - the gift of life itself.
Books mentioned in the sermon:
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses (by Richard Bauckham)
The Resurrection of the Son of God (by N.T. Wright)
When Skeptics Ask (by Norman Geisler & Ronald Brooks)
I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist (by Frank Turek & Norman Geisler)
A Ready Defense (by Josh McDowell)
Hope in Times of Fear (by Timothy Keller)
Basic Christianity (by John Stott)
Living the Resurrection (by Eugene Peterson)
Burning Hearts (Luke 24:13-35)
What really is the true story behind the person of Jesus? This is the question 2 sad people were asking as they walked home from Jerusalem after Easter 2,000 years ago. Maybe this is one of your questions as well. Before believing in the great hope of the resurrection, our curiosity must lead us to answer this question. Listen in today as we hear this first story about how Jesus Himself comes to us and meets us in our deepest questions of life.
Jesus Reigns (Hebrews 12:1-3)
What is the true posture of victory? For this Resurrection Sunday sermon, listen in as we learn about how God's work of salvation and redemption is finished! What is Jesus's victory stance? He sat down on the throne of God.
The Pioneer & Perfecter (Hebrews 12:1-2)
“No one remembers who climbed Mount Everest the second time.” — Edmund Hillary
As we begin Holy Week and celebrate on Palm Sunday the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem before us, we focus in on the reality that Jesus is the true and only Pioneer of faith. What does that mean for us? Why is that important? How did Jesus live in the way we could never ourselves? Listen in today as we learn about the power of presence, freedom, and purpose that Jesus unlocks for us.
By Faith (Hebrews 11)
Faith is one of the most fundamental parts of Christianity. But in a world of multitasking, distraction, and competing ideas, having a singular-focus on Jesus Himself can be admittedly difficult. How do we "fix our eyes" on Jesus alone? Listen in today as we learn about how faith invites us to see a new world, to look around at one another without competing, and to run the marathon of faith and not merely short sprints.
"Faith is that which is able to survive a mood." - G.K. Chesterton
The Most Important Thing About Us (Jonah 4:5-11)
What is the most important thing about you? As we arrive at the end of Jonah's epic story, we begin to finally see God reveal Jonah's deepest heart. What does Jonah care most about? Through the object lesson of a plant and worm, God not only reveals Jonah's heart, but ours as well. Along the way, we discover the most important thing about God too - that He loves humans more than we ever thought possible.
Do You Do Well? (Jonah 4:1-4)
In all sincerity, how are you doing today? Is it well with your soul today? How would you answer God if that question was posed to you today? Listen in as Mike Lilley teaches us about how Jonah was doing after God showed great mercy on the city of Nineveh. Why was Jonah so angry? Is God neglecting justice for the sake of mercy? Listen in today to learn how God's deepest character and what makes Him uniquely able to be both just and merciful at once.
Keep the Change (Jonah 3:1-10)
In this story from Jonah today, we see a stunning change happen in the city of Nineveh. Jonah gets a second chance at obedience, the Word of God is delivered, and then repentance rolls throughout the city and the great compassion of God is seen. This is a great model for how change happens for us as well. Listen in today then and discover afresh how true changes settles deep into us.
Death, Deliverance & Debt (Jonah 2:1-10)
Can you imagine what you would do if you were such a position as Jonah - literally caught in the belly of a "great fish"?! Jonah pours his heart out to God. Listen in today as we learn from Jonah's almost unbelievable experience, and how he can get to the place of saying, "Salvation belongs to the LORD!"
The Gospel in Jonah (Jonah 1:11-17)
What does Jesus have to do with Jonah? As the runaway prophet gets thrown overboard and hits the water, eventually finding himself famously in the mouth of a great fish, we see the stormy sea between Joppa and Tarshish calmed and the foreign sailors saved. When confronted with troubles and problems of various kinds in our lives, what will calm our troubled souls? Listen in today as we learn about sacrifice, substitution, and satisfaction - the heart of the Christian Gospel.
The Kind of Faith the World Really Needs (Jonah 1:7-10)
When the microphone gets passed to you, and the spotlight is on you to speak, what hope would you speak to someone in trouble? When Jonah finds himself in that place, we learn about where he finds his truest identity. Listen today as we see how insufficient Jonah's shallow faith is for the fearful sailors in the storm, and instead what kind of faith the world then and now needs from us. As we learn, it begins with not simply understanding “who” we are, but more so “Whose” we are.
Sleep in the Storm (Jonah 1:5-6)
When bad or stressful or stormy things happen to you in life, do you ever find yourself wanting to escape it or just sleep it off? Listen in this morning as we learn about Jonah's deep sleep during the midst of his storm, and contrast it with the sleep of peace that Jesus shows us from a similar story in the New Testament.
The Storm of Holy-Love (Jonah 1:4)
When storms come to us in life (pains, troubles, trials, etc.), often we are quick to ask "why?" But as we learn today from God's intervening storm in Jonah 1:4, there is something meaningful for us in the storms of life. Listen in today as we learn about God's character of perfect holiness and love, and how they meet us in grace in the storms of life, helping us to see Jesus clearly amidst the waves and wind.
Fleeing the Presence of the LORD (Jonah 1:3)
"Is God really good?" When we scan the pages of Scripture, we find this to be a theme that is repeated in a diversity of ways, by a diversity of people throughout history. In this second sermon in the 11-week series in the book of Jonah, listen in as Mike Lilley traces Jonah's response to God's call. Why does Jonah choose to flee the opposite direction? His refusal to obey exposes his sin before God, bringing about great personal cost. But, more so, what does it show us about God Himself? Is He good? Is there any hope for us as people who are "prone to wander" and "prone to leave the God we love"?
The Story of God & Evil (Jonah 1:1-2)
As we begin a new 11-week series in the Old Testament story of Jonah, we ask ourselves, who is the book of Jonah actually all about? Listen in today as we learn from just the first 2 verses about the heart of the pursuing God, the reality of evil, and how God uses a prodigal, flawed prophet to not only bring Good News to an enemy city... but also to change the heart of the man himself.