What's Next? August/September Sermon Series

This summer we spent 9 Sundays together in the book of Psalms. So what's next? Over the next few Sunday's we will be discussing some prevalent topics in our society and our local church. If you'd like to know more of the process of how I decide what topics and passages to preach on, you can read the linked piece here. 

Having been in my current position for a few months now, I've had a chance to listen and observe what are some of the repeated themes in our community. I'm still the "new guy" and I will continue to embrace that truth in the upcoming weeks and months. Yet even the new guy has ears. The goal in this mini-series of 4-5 weeks is to take some of our collective hot-topics and questions and examine them in light of God's Word. As such, here is the tentative preaching plan:

Week 1 - Work 

Work and employment are at the heart of many discussions at the moment. Why work when you can get paid not to work? What sorts of jobs should we work as Christians? Is there work we should avoid? What does God's Word have to say about work? 

Week 2 - “I stand at the door and knock”

Our church building has several images and paintings throughout the building. One such image is that of a man standing outside a door. This is often referenced as a point of interest for Jesus "knocking" on the door of the heart. The scripture text that the image is based on is Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock". 

Week 3 - Death

Over the last few years a great amount of emphasis in our society has been put on physical health (And with good reason!). Death is a reality that comes for us all. What does God's Word have to say about death? How should we live our lives based on what God's Word has to say about Death? What is the hope that Christians have beyond death? 

Week 4 - Church's vision/direction

Every Christian church has a few things in common, our redeemer Christ Jesus, and our calling to make disciples, but almost every church has a unique role in carrying out our redeemer's instructions to make disciples. Seeking God's Word and relying on God's working through his Holy Spirit is essential for each church to follow Jesus as he leads. 

It is my hope in these upcoming weeks to avoid "hobby horsing" any particular issue. The key for any preacher to avoid speaking their words, rather than God's Word is to stay true to God's Word. Therefore, these few weeks I will endeavor to not only speak with words of correction from scripture regarding misunderstandings, but also speak with instruction regarding how we Christians ought to live in light of God's Word on each subject. 

Beyond August and September we will begin a short series on serving in the church, and then we will go into an overview of the Old Testament as we lead up to Christmas and the Advent season. Yes, it's August and I mentioned Christmas. The year has flown by.