Be Alert and Sober Minded

Christmas is a time of joy. However, the story of Jesus’ birth also includes struggles, suffering and grief. This is found specifically in the narrative of the Magi, which includes great joy and the reality of the world. Greg Boyd identifies this and provides concrete ways to deal with grief in healthy ways. 

In this sermon, Cedrick Baker explores how Old Testament prophesies speak to the coming deliverance of the Messiah. In Genesis 49:10, we see how the Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah and will establish a new kind of kingdom. In this way God promises his care and provision which gives us a sense of security.

In this sermon, Dan Kent opens up the meaning of the prophesy from Hosea 11:1 about Jesus being called out of Egypt. Dan explains how this verse speaks to God’s delight for his people and applies this delight to us and how we experience God’s love.

Greg Boyd introduces this year's Christmas series, Fulfilled. Each week during this series we are looking at Old Testament prophesies about the incarnation of Jesus. In this first sermon, Greg addresses how the Old Testament proclaims that the coming Messiah will overcome Satan and evil.

Greg Boyd clarifies the meaning of the second beast in Revelation 13, naming it as the beast of “wow and wonder,” as it aims to expand our attention on the first beast. Greg then identifies common strategies the second beast uses in our culture today, offering ways to identify these issues along with three challenges for resisting the beast.

In this sermon Greg Boyd calls us to a sober mindset about the reality of the modern-day empire. Just as Revelation originally challenged the early church to resist the empire of Rome, so too the Spirit of God calls us to resist the delusions of the modern global empire.

This sermon on the first of two beasts in Revelation 13 addresses what it means to trust God’s faithfulness in tough times and the reality of hardship. Dan Kent contrasts this with a sanitized God, who, many assume, cannot deal with the world’s evil or the spiritual warfare that is being waged.

In this sermon, Shawna Boren proclaims our hope in the midst of trials and tribulations. She announces the fact that Christ has already defeated the enemy is stronger than our struggles. And she gives us concrete action steps to stand in the midst of Christ’s victory.

Greg Boyd highlights the way of lies versus the way of truth. The way of lies is founded upon the deception of Satan that draws us into the pursuit of ascent, rising to more power, more stuff and more acclaim. The way of truth is the way of the cross, the way of the Lamb. By counting the cost of discipleship, we move toward Christ and live in love.

This sermon by Cedrick Baker addresses the reality of an unseen spiritual realm and the need for spiritual eyes to see it. We are invited to cultivate a spiritual awareness of the spiritual battle that is transpiring all around us.