|
|
|
|
|
Fourth Quarter, 2005
These sermons are in MP3 format. If you need a player, we recommend WinAmp.
If you notice errors on this page or have suggestions, we'd love to hear them. Just email us.
If you have trouble with the "download" button:
Some have reported that the sermon begins to play when the download button is clicked, rather than displaying the save as dialogue as expected. If this happens, you can right-click (or ctrl-click on a mac) to open the context menu. Then choose save target as... or save link as... to save the sermon to disk.
|
|
|
Free to Be Rev. Jeff Miner, December 25, 2005.
This sermon continues our series on novel Christmas gifts.
Do you know how it feels to live in a space where you can just be yourself? Contrast that with living in a place where somebody is
constantly trying to change you, where the message you constantly get is "you're not good enough; I don't like the way you are."
This sermon explores the gift of understanding. There is somebody in your life who needs that gift -- and we'll offer some practical ways to give it.
|
|
|
Welcome to Whoville Rev. Jeff Miner, December 18, 2005.
This sermon continues our series on
novel Christmas gifts. Do you have folks on your list who are really hard to buy for?
This Sunday, we'll talk about a gift you can give that actually has a chance of bringing about "Peace on
Earth". Listen for a message of encouragement and thoughtful inspiration.
|
|
|
The Gift That Just Keeps on Giving Rev. Jeff Miner, December 11, 2005.
Do you have folks on your Christmas list who are really hard to buy for?
This sermon explores a no-cost gift you can give for Christmas that can:
1. Have a profound effect for good in the receiver's life, and,
2. Last for a lifetime.
Listen for a message of encouragement and thoughtful inspiration.
|
|
|
Slow Dancing with God Rev. Jeff Miner, December 4, 2005.
Last week's (Nov. 27) sermon talked about how easy it is to get "stuck" in life -- and how faith is the antidote, the way to get un-stuck.
This sermon continues to look at faith, and goes a bit
deeper.
We'll talk about the two greatest challenges we are likely to encounter when trying to exercise faith. Unless we are equipped to deal with these challenges, we won't get very far before we say, "What's the use -- this faith thing doesn't work!"
Listen for a message that will teach us how to use our faith effectively.
|
|
|
The Power to Move Mountains Rev. Jeff Miner, November 27, 2005.
Does it sometimes feel like the
universe is out to get you? OK, so maybe that's a little dramatic (and paranoid) -- but how often does it seem like nothing goes right?
Lacking the power to turn things around, we just have to sit there and bear it.
Then along comes the Bible and says, "Through Christ we are more than conquerors," and that "whoever is born of God overcomes
the world." And we wonder, how? What is it that I'm missing here? Listen for a message of faith and practical action.
|
|
|
How To Make a Successful Prison Break Rev. Tammy Mills, November 20, 2005.
Are there circumstances
in your life that have you feeling like you're bound in chains? Maybe it's a relationship that seems hopeless, or a job that sucks the life out of you. How can we break out of these prisons?
This sermon looks at the example of Paul and Silas -- who were bound with real chains. The power that freed them from their jail cell is just waiting to free us from the chains that bind us. Listen for a message of liberation and encouragement.
|
|
|
The Sending Rev. Jeff Miner, November 13, 2005.
Jesus once said, "The first shall be last and the
last shall be first." Hearing this, one fellow responded, "I don't want to be first or last. I just want to hang somewhere in the safe middle."
And that's the attitude of most of us.
We don't want to be affirmatively evil -- like a terrorist or a child abuser. But we also don't want to be out front radically leading the charge for good either.
Guess what? Jesus doesn't buy
that lukewarm, play it safe approach. This sermon makes the case that following Jesus is a way of life, not just part of life.
|
|
|
Shiny Happy People Rev. Jeff Miner, November 6, 2005.
Have you ever seen a church full of
"perfect" people? They may appear flawless and happy on the outside, but inside are secrets, fears, problems, insecurities, and sins.
No one is perfect and happy all the time -- and
pretending that we are, especially in church, leaves us cold and empty.
This sermon looks at being authentic -- letting our guard down so we can break out of the "shiny, happy" trap.
|
|
|
What's in a Name? Deb Doty, October 30, 2005.
This sermon looks at the life of Barnabas, whose name means, "Son of Encouragement."
If you were given a name that was so descriptive, what would it be? "Son of Sarcasm?"
"Daughter of Doom?" Listen for a message of, well, encouragement.
|
|
|
Courage to Doubt Rev. Jeff Miner, October 23, 2005.
Many of us have been
raised in churches where faith is presented in a take-it or leave-it fashion--and those who dare to question are shunned. In these churches, truth is pronounced, not discovered.
But there is a great danger
in that.
It produces superficial believers who know how to say the right things and strike the right poses, but who have never really taken the truth into their hearts and made it their own. As a result, the world is full of Christians who put up a brave front, who want to believe, but live with private pain and deeply troubling questions just below the surface.
This ought not to be! Listen as we see how doubt and questions can lead to a more solid faith.
|
|
|
Dusting Off the Old Book Rev. Jeff Miner, October 16, 2005.
Why do we have the Bible? And what role should it play in my life?
Conservatives want to map the Bible out. Liberals want to argue with it on grounds of science and sociology.
Conservatives
want to memorize what took place on each of the seven days of creation. Liberals want to catalogue the story's inconsistencies with evolution.
In the process, both probably miss the most
important things God's Holy Spirit was trying to say. Listen as we look at the Good Book in a new way.
|
|
|
Disgusted with Religion? Rev. Jeff Miner, October 9, 2005.
Does institutional religion drive you
nuts? Are you offended by some of the things that are done in the name of God?
So many who call themselves "Christian" know the rules, but don't seem to know Christ. They know the do's and don'ts, but don't know how to love.
How do we keep from becoming this way?
Is there anything we (as a church or individually) can do to influence the Church as a whole? Listen as we begin a fascinating and challenging new sermon series, in which we begin a dialogue about our church's vision for the future.
|
|
|
The Story We Find Ourselves In Rev. Jeff Miner, October 2, 2005.
Whether we realize it or not, we
are all writing new chapters in the story of humanity here on planet Earth. And we have a choice of what to write. Think about your verse in life's play. What will it look like? Will you make any difference in the overall scheme of things?
We believe God has put us here for a reason, but figuring out that reason can be perplexing.
This sermon examines a great Old Testament story (the Tower of Babel) that shows us how we can live lives that matter.
|
|
|
 Follow this link to get WinAmp, our favorite MP3 player. It's free!
|
|
|
 |
[
