Breathing in necessary to every living thing. Breathing always requires both inhaling and exhaling. In this sermon based on Acts 17:16-34 and John 14:15-21 Pastor Steve Cook points out the ways in which the Spirit that Jesus promise both breathes the church in to be nurtured and out again to bring the Good News of resurrection to the world.
This week Pastor Steve Cook talks about one of the most difficult sayings of Jesus. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) In the death and resurrection of Jesus the whole world has been set free from slavery to sin. Hope is in the promise that God love the whole world so he sent his Son. What if the "whole world" really means the whole world?
Texts:
Acts 7:55-60
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14
Sermon Audio
In the Gospel reading for the 4th Sunday of Easter, Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd, who came that we "may have life, and have it abundantly." What does "abundant life" look like? In the reading for today from Acts 2:42-47, we see that this life means being part of the Christian community, the church, in which people worship, pray, learn, give, and serve.
As they walked away from Jerusalem with their heads hung in grief and despair, two disciples are met by Jesus who renews their hope and restores their joy. This week, Pastor Janine Olson reminds us that as we experience life with all of its despair and grief, Jesus meets us on our road daily. Do we recognize Him or do we continue to walk away from God?
