People of the Book

Steve DeNeff - Nehemiah 8:1-8, 13-17. “He read aloud from daybreak until noon… and all the people listened attentively to the Book.” On getting reacquainted with Scripture as the Speaking Voice of God.

The Whisper

The Dialects of God

Steve DeNeff - Numbers 22:21-31. “Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and she spoke to Balaam… so Balaam bowed low and fell facedown.” On the importance of hearing God in a multiplicity of ways.

The Listening Life

Speechless

Steve DeNeff - Mark 9:14-27. In this well-known miracle is a parable for the contemporary Church. Like the father’s boy, we have been “robbed of our speech” (v.17). In the eyes of the public, we cannot speak because we cannot hear (v.26) and we cannot hear because we no longer believe (v.19, 29). We are “disenchanted,” by our overcrowded beliefs. Whenever we’re speechless, the solution is not to keep talking - though, often, that’s what we do - but to really listen, first to God and then to others before we know what the gospel really means for our world today.

Refocus

Emily Vermilya - Matthew 13:3-13; 16-17. Listening is an art form necessary for those who desire to know, understand, and follow God. The parables of Christ call us to move beyond merely hearing the proclaimed word to truly listening for the fullness of the voice of God. Though usually offered as simple stories, the parables require us to look beyond the obvious for the deeper intended message and meaning. In the Parable of the Sower (as it has often been entitled), we find a reminder that in order to receive the Word of the Lord and see it flourish in our lives, we must refocus and commit ourselves to cultivating soil in which it can take root and grow.

What Comes Next

Steve DeNeff - Philippians 3:10-4:1. What happens after we believe? What do we do next, and what if nothing happens? Many Christians complain that their lives are not what they expected, not even after they were “saved.” Have they done something wrong? Has God over-promised and under-performed? Or were they wrong about what it means to be “saved?” This message will re-examine conversion in the light of Paul’s experience and contemporary Christianity and show how this effects our lives, as individuals, and our church.

“Mission Center”

Steve DeNeff - Philippians 3:1-12. At the core of our church is a mission, and at the core of that mission is the pursuit of God in Christ as he is manifest in the Word, the Gospel and the Church. Today’s culture has challenged the Church’s commitment to these three things - offering substitutes that have only a form of godliness - but every disciple and every church will ultimately be measured by their pursuit of them.

How to Say, ’Thank You’

Steve DeNeff - Psalm 100. Saying “thank you” is one of the first things we learn as a child, yet the words can seem shallow when there is lots to be thankful for. Perhaps that is the plight of most, even poor Americans. The more we have, the more we notice what we don’t have. Yet “thanksgiving” and “praise” v.4) mean something different in the Psalms. Here they are not just words, but rituals. They are not just manners, but ways of life. What if saying “thank you” is more than good etiquette; what if it’s good therapy? And what if it changes more than our attitude; what if it actually changes the outcome? At the heart of Israel’s worship (v.2) is the knowledge that we belong to God (v.3) and that it is his nature to take care of his own (v.5).

What Are You Waiting for?

Steve DeNeff - Psalm 130-131. As Americans we are not accustomed to waiting nor do we wait for the right things. This song, sung on the temple steps by a seeker on his way into worship, describes one whose heart is pure even if the rest of him is not. He was once in the depths (v.1) and has found God’s forgiveness (v.4), but he has not yet found redemption (v.7). Here on the steps, between forgiveness and redemption, he waits (v.5-6) for himself and for his people. One day, he/they will be what God created him/them to be. Meanwhile, he quiets himself like a child in his mother’s arms (131:2), content for now yet longing to be what he was created to be. What are you waiting for? And what are you doing while you wait? If we wait for the right things, and we wait in the right way, God will fulfill His promise to redeem us in the end.