Hope & Expectations

I'm thankful for the opportunity I had to preach last Sunday during a time of transition in our church.  I hope that what God has been teaching me will help encourage others on journey.  I ended the sermon with a personal confession that I adapted from the wonderful book Prone to Wonder.  I am including the confession text below.


God almighty you graciously fill our lives with many wonderful things.  You bless us with friends, family, and wealth that most in the world can't imagine.  We confess today that we are prone to love your good gifts far more than we love you.  We covet and long for things that you haven't given us, or we are filled with fearful anxiety if we think that you might take away the things or the people that we have come to love so much.

Thank you Jesus for never loving anything or anyone more than the Father.  Thank you Jesus for offering perfect worship on our behalf, and by your obedience we are made spotlessly clean.  Thank you Jesus for walking up the hill of sacrifice knowing there would be no substitute.  Thank you for the paying the price for our every idolatrous thought, sinful act, and moment of selfishness and unbelief that we would engage in.

Holy Spirit help us to see the many idols that draw our love and attention away from God and guide our selfish stubborn hearts to repent.  May you help us lift our eyes from the loving gaze we have set upon our expectations and let us instead fix our eyes on Jesus who has lifted us up so that his redeeming blood could cleanse us from all our self- worship.  May we by the power of the Holy Spirit set our eyes and our thoughts on the great throne room in heaven where The risen Jesus dwells interceding for all who are united to him.

Click here to listen to the sermon audio.  Thanks for listening 

Exactly What I’m Thirsting For

This series we have been doing from the Gospel of John has been rich season of growth.  I am still working out Pastor Dave's message, "Sword Swinging and Cup Drinking”.  What a powerful contrast in evaluating our reactions and our choices, and what a clearheaded reminder to “put down your sword”.  Beyond how this teaching reveals how my reactions look more like Peter than like Jesus, I’ve been wondering how this question impacts how we serve.  I wonder if sword swinging is faithless work that comes easy for us, maybe even natural for us, and it seems to sit comfortably with our pride - "I'm looking out for me, I'm taking care of myself".  While cup drinking demands humility - "I'm looking to God to care for me, in faith I'm receiving whatever His best is for me".  putting down swords that inhibit my serving.  In Ephesians 6 Paul prompts us to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and to pray in the Spirit on all occasions.  I am asking God to search me and disarm me, to remove my swords of this world, that wound and kill, and arm me instead with the sword of the Spirit that guides me and directs my steps.  Holding the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God strengthens my faith as I drink the cup God sets before me, trusting that His best for me is exactly what I’m thirsting for.  Join me in asking God to search us and disarm us of any such swords of this world, and instead place in our possession the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

Pastor Eric