Author: Kim Braatz

Sermon: “Broken Stories from Broken Lives”
Theme: The gift that God gives us of the bible is a human glimpse into what is divine, the gift of the knowledge of God in particular times and circumstances.
Purpose To introduce the bible as a human and divine description of God’s love and presence.
Scriptures: John 1:14-23 Jesus, the Word Made Flesh, is known first through Isaiah, Elijah, and other Old Testament prophets.
Hebrews 11:3-13 The faith that began in the Old Testament fulfilled in Christ.
Questions:
Why do we need to have the Old Testament? Why do we tell the Old Testament Stories to our children? Do the stories really mean what we think they mean? How do we deal with the way in which people saw God in parts of the Old Testament? Should we eliminate the stories that include violence and ways of thinking we now know to be destructive? What can we learn from these stories?

Click here to listen to the message.

One Worship Service 9am

Sermon: “The People On Fire” Memorial Day Weekend
Theme: The Holy Spirit fills and enlivens our ministry, directing us to be empowered and enlivened by God’s own power.
Purpose: The congregation will embrace the gift of God’s Spirit rather than focus on their own control.
Scriptures Acts 2:1-21 The Holy Spirit comes upon the church.
John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will come and will bring new understanding.
Questions:
Can we allow God’s power to become more important than our own control? Why do we not see the power of the Holy Spirit flowing more freely in the world today? What do we need to change in order to become more open to Christ’s energizing and renewing presence? How do we become more Holy Spirit oriented without losing the strengths and capabilities that God has given us uniquely? What does Jesus mean by leaving us “The Advocate?” How do we use these gifts effectively?

Click Here to listen to sermon from May 24th.

8:00 Service:

Sermon: “Meanwhile, In the Real World”
Theme: The hardships and trials that God’s people face enable them to stand out and show Christ’s compassion and grace in the world.
Purpose: To enable the congregation to connect their challenges and trials with opportunities to share Christ’s love.
Scriptures: Psalm 1 Happy are those who meditate on God’s law, like trees planted by a stream.
John 17:6-19 Jesus prays for the disciples who will abide in the world and share what they have received from Christ.

Questions:
What does it take to have a strong faith in the world today? What are the practices and disciplines that enable us to be like a tree planted by a consistent source of sustenance? How do we use the “Law of God” to be a guide to our faith? What does it mean that we do not belong to the world? In what ways should we separate from the world and to what degree are we here to transform the world?

Click HERE to listen to the message.

Other: Grade School Bibles will be received during worship;
Sermon: “Experience the Resurrection”
Theme: As we experience Christ with us, we are healed, and renewed, and sent out to share the message of Christ’s rising from the dead among all who are still struggling with darkness and fear.
Purpose: The congregation will joyfully recognize their experiences of Christ’s resurrection and share this with all they meet.
Scriptures: John 20:19-31 The disciples experience Jesus’ presence in the upper room.
1 John 1:2:2 We proclaim what we have seen, and touched, and heard, that Christ’s light heals us from our sins.
Questions:
What does the resurrection mean for our life and faith? How do we integrate our experience of Christ’s raising from the dead in our daily lives? How do we share this gift of hope and expectation of blessing with people who are struggling with feelings of emptiness and anxiousness? How do we become people who receive the resurrection on a daily basis?

Click HERE to listen to the message from April 12th, 2015