A Clash of Kingdoms

A Clash of Kingdoms

Today we’re back into the Amazed by Jesus Sermon Series- The message is the third of the series and is titled “A Clash of Kingdoms” because we’ll be looking at Mark 5:1-20 where we see Jesus attacking the Kingdom of darkness. We see the Kingdom of God engage the Kingdom of evil. The passage is split up into four main sections: VS 1-5 we see the Enemy Territory VS 6-15 we see The Kingdom of God advancing on the enemy territory VS 16-17 we see the World’s reaction to the conflict VS 18-20 we see a Kingdom response. Let’s begin in section one where we encounter the Enemy Territory.

Sylvan’s Request by Nathan Bubna

Sylvan’s Request

“Will you color with me?” asked Sylvan.

“Not right now, Im going to go do…”

something important.

I went to do something I needed to do, didn’t I?

Oh no.

What a glorious invitation I passed on today.

I could have colored!

I never color anymore.

I saw I wasn’t good at coloring, so I stopped.

Growing up is dangerous like that.

It’s so easy to confuse the serious with the important

or the skilfull with the valuable.

Sylvan wanted to color while Leo played in a cardboard box

and Violette carefully balanced a pillow on her head.

How silly they are. How wonderfully, worshipfully, beautifully silly!

But me?

Well, I had to do something important.

-Nathan Bubna

Living as an Ordinary Radical

Living as an Ordinary Radical

The title of the message today is Living as an Ordinary Radical. I thought this title was a good fit describing the main thrust our text today- A text that most of us have heard many times before. It is the story of Jesus healing a paralytic man. But even though I have heard this story many times before… this week I was absolutely blown away by what God taught me fresh from his word. And my hope and prayer for you this week was that you would experience a fresh insight from this story today- That you would be encouraged in a new way by God’s word in this passage as you seek to live for Him in this world. The text were looking at is Mark 2:1-12 and in this passage we’ll uncover a little bit about what it means to live as an ordinary radical. i.e what it looks like to live the kind of life that followers of Jesus are meant to live  And as we look at the first part of our text starting in verse 1,  we discover a model of service for Ordinary Radicals.

Shock & Awe

Shock & Awe…My most recent message at GVF from Mark 1:21-28 

Today we begin the Amazed by Jesus sermon series. Over the next several weeks not including the various guest speakers, we’ll be looking at some passages from the gospels where people were amazed by Jesus. My hope and goal as a pastor, preacher and Christian gentleman is with my life to proclaim the greatness and goodness of Jesus in word and deed. To point people to Jesus because It’s all about Jesus- His words, works, life. And it is the call of the church to be Jesus to the world. to let the world know how amazing Jesus is. Someone once said that when Cicero spoke people would say “come let us think” and when Demosthenes spoke, people would say “come let us march.” My hope is that today you hear Jesus speak right into your heart and mind and you would say “come, let us think AND let us march for

REbirth (Part 2)- It’s All About Jesus

Link to audio sermon on John 3:13-18: REbirth (Part 2)- It’s All About Jesus

Two weeks ago we asked the question… What is your passion in life that moves you to tears? There are lots of different things to be passionate about but Jesus’ passion is to see people Reborn into relationship with God. We saw Nicodemus a Pharisee and member of the most elite religious club in Israel come to Jesus because He knew He was from God. Jesus cut through all the Baloney and right to the heart of Nicodemus’ heart. He said, “Nicodemus, your primary problem is Spiritual Deadness. “You want to know how to have spiritual life to see the Kingdom of God? You must be Reborn! Nicodemus’s passion was religion and morality and he thought that if he just practiced them well enough that He would be tight with God. What He learned from Christ was that God actually despises our works if they do not flow from heart Reborn by His Spirit. Maybe your passion is to do good works because you think

REbirth

REbirth- Audio sermon on John 3:1-10

What is your passion that drives you to tears? For me its my family and the thought that my own sin would somehow rub off on my kids or wife and cause them to be hurt or to somehow lead them away from God. I really have a desire to be a good Daddy to my sons. To protect them and guide them into manhood with wisdom, and grace, and truth, and love, understanding, presence, and encouragement- to come alongside them and pour my life into them- to be the kind of Dady that God not only intends from fathers, but to be the kind of Daddy that God is for His children.

I also am burdened knowing that there are kids throughout the world who 

Courage Under Fire

Courage Under Fire.

Exodus 20:3-5  ³ “You shall have no other gods before Me.  ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an idol…  ⁵ “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.” You shall have no other gods before me and shall not worship them or serve them. When Jesus was asked: What is the greatest commandment?” He replied, “To love the Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and mind, and strength.”- To love God with everything we’ve got.  And the failure to completely worship Yahweh alone… is idolatry.  Maybe when you think of Idolatry you think of religious statues or other similar idols. Idolatry is:

Giving 101

Giving 101

This week I received a phone call from Kaylee while I was preparing this message. We had just received 3 huge boxes from my ant that were full of kitchen supplies, and toys, and clothes for the kids. It looked like she went on a shopping spree just for us. Who here likes to receive gifts? Who doesn’t like it? When you receive a gift how do you feel? IT feels pretty good…I was thinking this week that maybe it feels good because a gift reminds us that somebody cares about us or maybe the gift meets a need or maybe it because

The Secret of Contentment

 Jesus Our Strength- The Secret of Contentment.

Are you happy? Scale of 1-5 very unhappy, Mostly unhappy, Somewhat happy, Mostly happy – Very happy.  What is happiness to you? What makes you happy? When you’re rating yourself what makes you choose a higher or lower number? Maybe its because… The Phillies are in first place, Everybody seems to like you right now- you’re popular- you have friends, Your son won the little league baseball game, You have an event or trip to look forward to, Your internet isn’t working slowly, You bought some new clothes or had treated yourself to a massage and manicure, You were able to pay all your bills this month including estimated taxes, Its sunny outside- you can ride your motorcycle or go to the park, Your still pumped about how awesome the latest Lost episode was, It’s Father’s day and so I get to pick the restauraunt after church, You just got the new Iphone, What makes you happy? If this list is contributing to you happiness, then your defining happiness according to

Jesus Our Example: Humility

 Jesus Our Example: Humility.

If you ask me what is the first precept of the Christian Faith I will answer, first, second and third, Humility –Augustine. Today we’re looking at what is probably the central passage of Philippians and unquestionably one of the most profound passages in all of Scripture discussing the person and work of Jesus. The text is Philippians 2 chapter 2:1-11 and has as its primary theme- Humility. Maybe are you asking the question- Pastor Rand how could you possibly  talk to me about humility? I have to admit that  I am certainly not the model of humility. I am convicted of my own pride. I stand before you NOT as a humble man- proudly claiming that I’ve arrived in the style of Ted Turner who said – If I only had a little humility, I’d be perfect. I am (by God’s grace) a proud man seeking humility. By God’s providence I preach to you and to myself

Taming My Tongue

One thing I have come to learn is this: that wisdom is not so much expressed in that which you say wisely, but in that which you wisely don’t say.  For me it seems as though, the less I speak, the better off I am. One of the areas I have struggled with in my Christian walk has been in taming the tongue. James warns of the dangers of an untamed tongue (James 3) and so today I want to encourage you with some things I’ve learned in my years of attempting to tame my tongue. We find in Matthew 12:36-37 “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. ”For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” The issue of a tame tongue is obviously one of import in our discipleship to the only Wise God.

What are some characteristics of a wild tongue?

The primary characteric of an untamed tongue is

A Few Thoughts on Adversity

Adversity is the experience of pain, opposition, distress, disappointment, difficulty, grief, loss, or something similar. Why does God allow adversity in our lives? One answer that has been offered is