Jonathan Sprang - January 11, 2015
Where God Speaks
So many well meaning people have the idea that when good things happen in their lives it means God is near them. And they also subscribe to the opposite notion that when bad things happen in their lives, when their lives are chaotic, it means that God is far away. What Genesis 1 shows us is that even when life is dark, and chaotic, that God's Spirit is right there. Jesus demonstrates this at his baptism in Mark 1. When Jesus approaches the waters of Baptism and submits to the baptized, God's Spirit shows up and God speaks. Chaos then provides an opportunity to for us to stop and listen, because God is speaking.
From Series: "Is This On?"
Ask most people if God speaks to them and they'll wonder if you're crazy. Most people think God only speaks to the very religious or the not-quite sane. But what if God is speaking to everyone? What if - because Jesus has come - God's voice is all around us, in our every day lives? How can we hear God's voice? What does God sound like? What is God saying? In this series, we'll learn how to hear the God who is speaking to all of us.
Sermon Manuscript Discussion Guide Discussion Guide Guide to Spiritual Practices
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New Year’s Eve is also the seventh day of Christmas, which means on New Year’s Eve, we’re barely halfway through the Church’s celebration of God coming among us!
Over the weekend, we’ll been wrapping up our last Christmas parties, getting in a little more travel to one more set of relatives, exchanging the last few gifts. We’re also turning our attention to 2018. School’s back in session in a couple of days, we return to our routines, and we hope this next year will be better.
So as we slide out of the Christmas season into the New Year, let’s talk about the hope we have for the new year.
Let’s talk about a hope we find in the Christmas story.
Something that gets lost in the Christmas season is the global sweep of the Christmas story. In the joy and beautiful chaos of the holidays, we lose track of the fact that Christmas was a world-changing event, that the angels declared to shepherds that Jesus’ birth was good news for ALL PEOPLE, a harbinger of peace for the whole earth.
What does it mean to celebrate Christmas with a global vision?
What does it mean to look for peace on Earth and goodwill for all peoples? How can our anticipation of the New Year be laced with hope both personally and for the whole world?
