The Christmas Season is perhaps the most frantic time of the year as we pursue the promise of the most wonderful time of the year. The pace of the season and our hopes for the season often collide making the season simply outrageous. Are the Outrageous Christmas Claims of love, joy, hope and more just another burden of the season resulting in unmet expectations? Or, are they the answer to our heart’s ultimate longing for the season and beyond?
Title: Outrageous Hope
Big Idea: We have just finished a season filled with waiting: waiting for Christmas to come, waiting in lines to buy and return gifts, waiting for the turkey to cook, waiting for friends and family to arrive, etc. Waiting is not fun but can it be worth it in the end? And is there anything you can do when your in the middle of a time of waiting? Scripture: Luke 2:25-35
Big Idea: Christmas morning is typically a special time of family memories and traditions. With Christmas Day falling on Sunday this year it is a great opportunity to come as family and be with the church family to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Birthday Parties are always better when everyone gets together. Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12; 7:11; John 3:16; Luke 11:13; Eph 4:7
Big Idea: Why is it that nations cannot establish or sustain peace? Why is it that marriages and families and business partnerships and friendships spend inordinate amounts of time in interpersonal conflict? And why is it that peace eludes even the privacy of our hearts? On the night that Jesus was born the angels announced peace on earth to men. Was it just an Outrageous Christmas Claim or something within your reach this Christmas? Scripture: Luke 2:14; John 16:33
Big Idea: The Bible tells us that God by his very nature is love. The birth of Jesus is evidence of how outrageous His love really is. Is there anything for us to learn from the Christmas events about how God feels about us and how we can outrageously love the important people in our lives. Scripture: Matthew 1:18-24; I John 3:1; 4:19; Eph 3:18; Rom 5:8; Phil 2:1-8
Big Idea: Chances are high that you will sing Joy to the World sometime this Christmas season. Imagine, if you can, what it was like for the shepherds to hear a choir of angels sing something similar and announce news of great joy to them. Their response was one of outrageous joy. What can we learn from their experience that will increase our joy this Christmas and beyond? Scripture: Luke 2:8-20
Big Idea: The idea of Jesus being born of a virgin has been met with puzzled bewilderment, strong push back and passionate belief. Should we simply wink at this claim in the Christmas story and place it along side Santa in terms of believability? Or, is it distinctively different in regards to believability, breathtaking beauty and life impacting importance all year around? Scripture: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 1:26-38; Genesis 3:15; John 1:1 & 14:7-10
The condition of the organ that pumps in our chest is extremely important to our physical health. Are you also aware that the condition of your HEART as the wellspring of our life will determine how you handle relationships, what you do with resources, and how you manage life as a parent, leader, lover, worker, and friend? Perhaps its time to check your heart health, and consider what health risks it faces.
Title: Heart Desire
Big Idea: : A struggle exists in most of us between our desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves and our “what’s in it for me” attitude. The starting place for understanding the source of this struggle and how to fan the heart desire which leads to the greatest satisfaction into flame, is to know what God said about you and how you are made. Scripture: Ps 139:15-16; I Cor 12-14; I John 3:16 & 18; Eph 2:10; Mark 8:34-37
Big Idea: : What is your heart aching for today? Jesus stepped across racial and cultural boundaries to help someone discover how to sooth the ache of a longing heart and find what life can really be like. This encounter has some interesting lessons for those with aching hearts and as well as those with satisfied hearts. Scripture: John 4:1-26
Big Idea: : It is common knowledge that our genetic disposition, diet and level of exercise will have a huge impact on the condition of our physical heart. Are we equally aware what things affect the condition of our spiritual heart and how to guard against a spiritual heart attack and its adverse impact on the quality of your life? Scripture: I Peter 5:8; II Tim 2:26; Eph 4:27; 6:11-12; Rom 3:23; Is 54:6
Big Idea: Good looks, athleticism, personality, artistic talent and intellectual capacity are admired, sought after and even considered by many to be the best attributes a person can have. In this talk we will meet two men who had it all when it came to the above check list but were very different when it came to their heart health and it made a huge difference in how their life played out. Scripture: I Samuel 16:6-7; Acts 13:22-23; Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 15:1-20
The world is filled with a dizzying array of spiritual options. Is there a way, or even the need, to sort through it all? Why not spend a little time over a six week period on your own God Quest? It might lead you to something and someone greater than yourself. Your discoveries might mean more than you ever thought possible, and may be so compelling that you will never forget them.
Title: The Path
Big Idea: It is offensive to many in our culture to say that Christianity is the only way to God. The final week in our God Quest will look at what Jesus said and meant when He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life." Is Jesus being exclusive or inclusive with this claim? Scripture: John 14:1-6
Big Idea: Who was Jesus? If you ask a dozen people that question you could wind up with a dozen different answers. Jesus made some bold claims about who he was and it got him killed. Week five of our God Quest will have us investigate if there is any reason to believe he is who he said he was. Scripture: John 8:57-59; Mark 14:61-64
Big Idea: It is the most commonly asked question about God: Why would a good God allow evil and suffering? In week four of our God Quest we will investigate the questions, “If God loves people then why did he let that happen to them?” And “How can I ever trust a God who let that happen to me?” Scripture: Job 1-2 & 42; Rom 8:28
Big Idea: It has been the most widely published book in the world for centuries. But is the Bible credible, reliable and accurate? Many people, even some who call themselves Christians, struggle with doubts about the Bibl. In the third week of God Quest, we’ll set out to discover if it is more reasonable to doubt or trust the Bible. Scripture: John 20:31; II Timothy 3:16-17
Big Idea: The debate surrounding evolution, intelligent design and an existent or nonexistent God is heated at the emotional and intellectual level. The answers which one chooses to believe will determine where they find purpose, meaning, their sense of self worth, and their moral compass. So let’s revisit the beginning in week two of our God Quest. Scripture: Psalm 19:1-4
Big Idea: Quest: it means to go on a journey in pursuit of something valuable. In this life there is no greater quest than searching for (and finding) truth because what we believe affects every choice we make about our life path and ultimately our destination. In week one of our God Quest we go on a search for truth. Scripture: John 14:1-6
When you think of church what comes to mind? … choir robes? …long sermons that don’t mean much? … hard pews? … wasted time? Two thousand years ago a movement began that would eventually circle the globe. Do you ever wonder if they had something far different in mind?
Title: Open Arms
Big Idea: Do you remember a time when you ran into the arms of a parent, a good friend, or the current love in your life? Moments like those are incredible. In week two of our Back to Church Sunday series we will investigate how open God’s arms are for people like you and if it is worthwhile to find a home in Church. Scripture: Luke 15:11-32
Big Idea: Church is a place where the doors should be open to people of all backgrounds and life circumstances. Albright strives to be a church like that all year long. Why not join us for week one of Back to Church Sunday to find out if there are any concrete benefits to going back to church that make it worth your time to walk through our open doors? Scripture: Luke 15:1-10; Mark 2:4-12
About one third of Jesus’ teaching was in the form of parables – stories – and most people have heard of at least a few of them. During this summer series we will discover that the topics Jesus taught about then are things people are still discussing today. Is it possible that the stories Jesus told back then actually contain powerful ideas and practical insights for life and questions in the 21st Century?
Title: Misplaced Confidence
Big Idea: Most people believe there is life after death. They have also made decisions about what they put their trust in to determine a good eternity. In response to a man who had misplaced confidence about his eternity, Jesus told a parable that has incredible relevance for everyone today. Scripture: Luke 14:15-24
Big Idea: Everyone wants to be noticed and feel important. Most people live their life with an invisible sign on their head that says, “Please, make me feel important”. But our efforts often lead us to moments of humiliation and embarrassment rather than the affirmation we are seeking. Jesus tells two stories back-to-back about how to find the affirmation and significance we all seek. Scripture: Luke 14:7-14; Luke 13:30
Big Idea: During his time on earth Jesus was often asked tough theological questions like: 'When bad things happen to people, is that God’s judgment against them?', and 'How many people will be saved from hell?'. When Jesus was asked these specific questions, he answered them in a surprising way – He made the answer personal. Scripture: Luke 13:1-8 & 22-29; II Peter 3:9; Mt 3:7-10
Big Idea: Jesus came to earth, died, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, promising to come back. How should we be living between his first and second coming to earth? Jesus tells a series of stories about waiting and living between the times. Scripture: Luke 12:35-38; I Peter 4:7; Titus 2:11-13
Big Idea: The message of more surrounds us everyday. We are told that if we have more our lives will get better. But is the pursuit of more a solution to our problems or a cause of our problems? When Jesus told the story of a wealthy man needing to build bigger barns because he had more, He taught an important lesson about more and something deeper as well. Scripture: Luke 12:16-21
Big Idea: There is an epic, cosmic war raging and we have been born into it. It is a great battle between two kings, two kingdoms and two choices. After meeting a man who was a casualty of this war, Jesus tells a story about how to win and how to lose this war. Scripture: Luke 11:14-28
Big Idea: The Parable of the Good Samaritan is likely the best known of the many stories told by Jesus. But do we appreciate how Jesus, the masterful storyteller, set his listeners on edge when answering the question, “Who is my neighbor?” And has our familiarity with this story allowed us to no longer feel the edginess of this story? Scripture: Luke 10:25-37; Mt 6:1-6
Big Idea: In Jesus' Parable of the Sower, there are two constants, the seed and the sower, and one variable, the soil. No matter where we are on our spiritual journey Jesus is asking, what are we doing to become the best possible soil so the seed can produce in us the kind of life God is making available to you. Scripture: Luke 8:4-18
Big Idea: Comparison and competition are part of how we live our life. One way many people live this out is in the area of morality – I’m not as bad as him and I’m certainly better than her. Jesus tells a story to a group of people who lived life this way and what he taught just might change how you see others and yourself. Scripture: Luke 7:41-43
Big Idea: Trouble, strife, turmoil and hardship will come into all of our lives - that’s a reality in life. It is also a reality that the way we build our lives will determine whether we will withstand and even thrive when struck by life’s difficulties, or if we will get swept away. Scripture: Luke 6:46-49
Big Idea: Every Christian experiences inner battles between desiring their old life and their new self. They are familiar with trying to grab hold of the new life while holding on to parts of their old way of life. In a series of parables Jesus talks about why we have this struggle, the consequences of not getting free from the struggle as well as the rewards of setting aside the old and embracing the new life. Scripture: Luke 5:27-39
Mine, Yours and Our Children June 19, 2011 - Father's Day
Big Idea:
What would it look like to pass onto our kids and students a compelling faith? The faith Jesus called us to pass on doesn’t simply emphasize good behaviour. What God wants is hearts and souls that are shaped in a vibrant faith and love toward Him and others. So, what would it look like to be a church that came alongside moms and dads in order to support them in nurturing their child’s spiritual development?
There tends to be a lot of diversity of opinion and strong emotion around the subject of baptism. And while nearly everyone has an opinion on the subject, many have based those conclusions on their personal experiences and family traditions. In this talk we will explore what the Bible says about baptism and what it means for you. Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:1-11; Acts 8:12
All of us question life under the sun. Why are we here? What is the purpose? Is this all there is? Why does life not work out the way I wish it would? Why bother? Life doesn’t always play fair and our formulas don’t always work. We are tempted to live for our own pleasure yet we feel so unhappy and unfulfilled. We live with a bundle of unresolved paradoxes. This series will encourage us to examine those paradoxes in the light of God’s wisdom. Is there a way to live under the sun and not become shriveled with cynicism? Is it possible to enjoy life and please the Creator?
Title: Why Give all your Heart?
Big Idea: We have all been given the incredible gifts of passion and desire. They drive us forward. But what if we get hurt? What if someone treats us badly? What if we are not successful? Is it better to hold back from giving all our heart rather than being fully committed? In this final week of the series, we will look at how we can keep our passion and desire alive when we're tempted to hold back and play it safe. Scripture: Eccl 10-12
Big Idea: History is filled with stories of evil people getting ahead and good people suffering. So why bother being good if it doesn’t guarantee our life will turn out the way we want it to? Solomon asked these questions and offers some answers that are well worth considering. Scripture: Eccl 7-9
Big Idea: Money is difficult to master because it tells us that all we need is a little bit more. But more never seems to be enough. So why do we spend so many sleepless nights dreaming about having more or how to spend what we have? What do we need to learn about earning, spending and thinking about money so that we can finally feel satisfied in life? Scripture: Eccl 5 & 6
Big Idea: Why can't I be happy all the time? Why is life such a struggle at times? We wish that life would be different. God has set us at this point in the Grand Story of life for a purpose. Knowing where we are in the big story, what our role is, and what's beyond the final chapter, give us perspective. Discover how happiness and sorrow are all part of the changing seasons of life when we trust the author of our story. Scripture: Eccl 3 & 4:9-12
Big Idea: Everyone has wondered what the meaning of life is. Everyone has felt like they aren’t making a difference at times. Is that the way things need to be or is there more to life than just going through the motions one more day? Scripture: Eccl. 1 & 2
Guilt is real. It is painful. It can be torture. It can also be false yet still unbearably painful. Sometimes we feel guilty because we did something wrong and know we should feel guilty. Other times we just feel guilty and wonder if we should or not. How do we know if we really should feel guilty or not? And what can we do with good and false guilt? Scripture: Rom 3:10-23; I Jn 1:8-9; Ex 34:14; I Pt 5:7; Mt 11:30
When the movie “The Passion” played in theatres, some critics dismissed it for what they saw as brutal and senseless violence toward an innocent man. This Easter weekend we will look for answers to the brutality that was inflicted on Jesus by looking at the two central symbols of Easter – the cross and empty tomb – and ask if the answers we discover are relevant today.
Title: Why did it Happen?
Big Idea: One of the aspects of Christianity that make it unique from all other belief systems is that it points to an empty tomb. If there is a power that can raise Jesus from the dead then that power can help you live the life God has invited you into. The claim of an empty tomb is indeed good news, but is it also true news? Scripture: Mark 16:1-8; II Tim 1:10; John 10:10 & 11:26; Mt 6:10
Big Idea: The cross is a curious paradox for followers of Christ. It is an instrument of horrific horror and pain from which we want to turn away. But it is also attractive as it compels us to listen to the dying man nailed to it. So why was the cross necessary, and is the answer found within the paradox of the horror and attractiveness of the cross? Scripture: Rom 3:23; 6:19-23 ; Gen 3; John 3:16
So what is soul care and why is it important? Soul care takes us past the immediate and physical to the truly important. It realigns us with God’s intended design and purpose for us as we establish patterns in our life that rejuvenate who we really are so we can grow spiritually and really live life rather than simply push through a frantic life of more activity.
Title: Pattern of Serving
Big Idea: All of us want to be recognized as important, and to be served. Yet the one man, Jesus, who deserved more than any other to be recognized as important and served, said that he came to serve. Perhaps the one thing that shows our faith in Jesus to be authentic and real is when we follow his example and become a servant to others. Scripture: Romans 12:1; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 20:28; Lk 12:37; Ac 3:1-10; Mk 10:32-45
Big Idea: Ultimately this life and the life to come are about worship – giving God praise, honour and devotion. But being human we get off track when it comes to worship and we need to be reminded why we need to make worshipping God a pattern in our life. After all, we are made to worship God in all we do. Scripture: Ps 100:1-4; I Thess 5:16-18; Habakkuk 3:17-18; Ex 19:15-23; Col 3:17
Big Idea: Our lives are filled with “voices” that tell us how to think, feel and behave. Yet most of us struggle to hear the voice that we crave to hear most; the voice of God. What if learning to hear God’s voice was directly linked to establishing patterns in our life that slowed us down and opened us up to God’s voice? If so, what might that pattern be? Scripture: Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2; Ps 39:3-8; Ps 48:9; Ps 77; Ps 119 (various verses); Ps 143:5-10
Big Idea: Most people tend to think of prayer being like an occasional phone call to a friend to stay in touch or to ask for help. But what if prayer is more like unfurling the sails of a ship to catch the wind and propel us in a specific direction? How would our prayer patterns change if our understanding of prayer was to change? Scripture: Ps 5:1-3; Rom 12:2; Col 4:2; Acts 2:42; Lk 18:1; Eph 6:18; Jude 20
Big Idea: The pressure to be busy and productive all the time is a heavy weight that most people are living under. How do you know if you are moving too fast and trying to accomplish too much? How do you know if it is time to slow down? And what does slowing down and resting really look like? Scripture: Ex 20:8-11; Lk 6:1-11; Ps 46:10
Did you ever run away from home? Maybe you ran a long way or only to the end of the block. But your reasoning was clear, “I’ll show them!" But your plans likely fell apart when you faced the question, “Now what?”
Title: Found
Big Idea: Most people have someone in their life that they find it difficult to like, let alone, love. They’re the person that makes your life difficult, the person you are afraid of or someone who does things you disapprove of. And if you have made God in your own image you are sure that God dislikes them too. Today we make a remarkable discovery about how God feels about the people you’d rather weren’t around. Scripture: Jonah 3:10- 4:11
Big Idea: There are many situations in life – a sport’s team tryout, a job interview, etc. – where you only get one chance. You get your shot and if you blow it, the chance is gone. Is that the way God treats us? Is it one chance and done with God? Or are there second chances for us and those we think have messed up so much that there is no way God can reach them? Scripture: Jonah 3: 1-9
Big Idea: Have you ever been in over your head in life? Everything was out of your control? You hit bottom, felt helpless. Is it possible that when our life is going in a downward direction – or has hit bottom – that God is actually up to something great? Scripture: Jonah 1:17 – 2:10
Big Idea: Has God ever asked you to go some place, to say something, or to do something that you didn’t want to do? People familiar with God’s voice have experienced that. And when it happens all of us have decided, at least once, to go in the opposite direction. Today you’ll meet a man who does this very thing. Like us, he runs away and resists God. What can we learn from someone who’s like us? Scripture: Jonah 1:1-16
The weeks and months after Christmas are often emotionally difficult for people. The celebrations have past and the bills have arrived. The laughter is a distant memory while regrets continue to haunt our minds. This isn’t the only time of year when we can step on emotional landmines, so how do we defuse potentially destructive emotions whenever we step on one?
Title: Worry
Big Idea: Holding onto worries can lead to a miserable existence. Is there a way to displace the worry from the center of your life and find the freedom to choose joy every single day?
Scripture: Psalm 139:1-12 & 17; Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 6:27-27, Psalm 136:1-9 & 26; James 4:13-14; Psalm 33:10-12; Psalm 90:12
Big Idea: Depression is more than having a bad day or feeling low. It isn’t something to simply “snap out of." Those who live with someone who is depressed or who experience depression themselves know how dark the emotional prison can be and how it can impair a person’s ability to function. But do they now how to navigate this landmine and live? Scripture: Job 7:1-5; Rom 12:2; Phil 4:8-9; Ps 40:1-3; 69:14-16; I Thess 5:11
Big Idea: We all get angry. One of the first questions God asked after the Garden of Eden was, “Why are you angry?" Do you know why you get angry? Do you know what to do with your anger? These are important questions and the way we answer them can lead us into sin (including murder) or to become more like Christ. This message gives helpful tools to understand anger and respond to it in healthy ways. Scripture: Genesis 4:1-12; Prov 15:18; Ps 4:4 & Eph 4:26;; Prov 29:22; Prov 29:11
Big Idea: Grief is no respecter of persons. Everyone will get knocked off their feet by grief more than once in their life time. When we are grieving or wanting to
come along side those who grieve what do we need to know about this emotion and what can we do to navigate the emotional landmine of grief? Scripture: Jn 11:35; Gen 6:6; Ps 56:8; II Cor 1:3-4; Gal 6:2; Ps 23:14
Big Idea: It isn’t uncommon for people in a crowd to feel lonely. They might be the life of the party and go home to their spouse. What do lonely people surrounded by crowds have in common with the person who sits alone night after night? When waves of loneliness come over us is there anything we need to do?
One man said, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." If God planned redemption before the foundation of the earth, the least we can plan is one year. What are the points of obedience that we must accomplish this year? With our faith, our relationships, our health, our families? We must set our course by what God has been prompting us to improve on.
Outrageous Christmas Claims
