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Category Archives: Sermons
HEAVEN
ByThis sermon is from
John 14:1-6
I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life
14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (ESV)
at True North United! What an awesome night! Before the sermon we defined three important words:
Hallelujah – A Hebrew word meaning “Praise the Lord”
Maranatha - An Aramaic word meaning “Come, O Lord”
Amen – A Greek word meaning “Let it be so, truly, verily, I mean it”
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Walk Worthy
By
Therefore…
If you’ve grown up going to church you’ve probably heard a pastor say, “Whenever you see that word you have to ask what is the therefore there for?”
In
Ephesians 4:1
Unity in the Body of Christ
4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, (ESV)
the therefore is there for three chapters of pure gospel awesomeness! We studied these first three chapters over the last four months of 2011. We learned about who our trinitarian God is and the amazing grace he has given us in Jesus Christ. Therefore, as we begin 2012, it is time for us to talk about our response to the God of our salvation.
4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, (ESV) –
Ephesians 4:1
Unity in the Body of Christ
We need to weigh our life by the gospel. That’s what the word “worthy” means here. It speaks of the balancing of the scales. If the gospel is glorious good news of Jesus giving his life for us, then walking worthy of that means giving our life for him. It means a lifestyle of good works that correspond to the good work he has done in us.
So in 2012, I am praying that more young people at True North will walk worthy of the gospel of Jesus. Pray with me and let us see what God will do!
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Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
By
“Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we’ve no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”
This sermon is a plea for purity in high school relationships. Unfortunately, many of these relationships truly have “no place to go” and so they end up in sexual immorality.
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: –
Isaiah 1:18
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool. (ESV)
I pray that all of the students who have fallen into this sin will repent and get out of it. What an awesome offer from our gracious God who will not only forgive us for our sins, but also cleanse us from all unrighteousness (
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV)
). It is amazing that no matter what sin we have done in the past, someday we will stand before him in the white robes of righteousness.
And I pray for students who have not yet given into this temptation, that this sermon will be a strong warning and powerful encouragement to keep their relationships pure. Surely this is how God wants us to treat each other as brothers and sisters in his family (
1 Timothy 5:2
2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. (ESV)
). God loves us by giving Jesus. Jesus loves us by giving himself for our sins. So let us love by keeping each other as far away from sin as possible.
It is a beautiful thing when a bride walks down the aisle in her white dress and I pray that it will be more than just a symbol at your wedding. I pray it truly reflects the purity of your relationship.
For more on this check out the blog ABSTINENCE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The Who Down In Who-Ville
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When the Grinch attempts to steal Christmas, he learns a valuable lesson for all of us. Christmas is not just the sum of gifts, decorations and food. As the Grinch’s puzzler tells him, “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!”
As Christians we know Christmas isn’t about a what, but a who. We learn this from the time we are children growing up in the church. Perhaps it is the first verse we memorize when we get saved. And yet, it is so easy to forget the simple message of Christmas:
–
This Christmas let’s all make sure that we are celebrating Christ!
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Thankstification
By24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (ESV) – 
Romans 3:24
THANKSTIFICATION!!! This Thanksgiving there is so much to thank God for! But one reason rises above the rest: Our justification in Jesus! My prayer is this sermon will pump us up to praise our Lord this week and give him thanks for declaring sinners like us righteous in Christ!
One of my greatest concerns I have as the pastor of True North is that students will be deceived into thinking that they are saved when they are really not. One way this can happen is trying to live for Christ, without first confessing that you are dead in sin. There is a real danger for young people who want to start acting like Christians right away in sanctification, without ever admitting that they have no justification. The danger is we become achievers trying to do works on our own, rather than receivers who trust in the work that Christ has already done. Only when we are new creations in Christ are we able to do the good works we have been created for. I pray God will use this sermon to open up student’s eyes and make sure their Christian life began with justification, because there is no Christian life without it!
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Spiritual Networking
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True North is not a program. It is people. True North is a network of high schoolers who are connected through Jesus Christ! This weekend our sermon encouraged everyone to make sure they are plugged in!
2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (ESV) –
2 Timothy 2:2
Christianity is passed down from generation to generation in a series of relationships. We looked at three key relationships everyone at True North needs to have:
Discipler – This verse is written to Timothy by the older man who had been discipling him: The Apostle Paul. In the same way, we all need an older man or woman in the faith to train us in the ways of following Jesus. The ideal people for this are your parents. Here at True North we have me as the pastor, Christa as my wife, or any of the small group leaders! Make sure someone is discipling you!
Peer – While we are following Christ, we all need brothers or sisters to walk with us. We have a serious responsibility to encourage one another in the Lord (
Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (ESV)
,
Hebrews 3:12-14
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. (ESV)
). Make sure you are not just being friendly, but a true friend who encourages!
Pursuing – There should also be people who are not plugged in at church or who are clearly not Christians that we should be pursuing. Our goal is to bring anyone at church into the family. Or if they are outside the church we want to bring them the gospel. We looked at the example of Barnabas for encouragement (
Acts 9:26-28
Saul in Jerusalem
26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. (ESV)
) and Philip for evangelism (
Acts 8:26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. (ESV)
). No matter what happens, never stop pursuing people!
Grace Fools #2
ByGrace up in yo face from
Ephesians 2:4-7
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
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Sure
BySure: Seeing the Evidence of Obedience –
1 John 2:3-6
3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (ESV)
Sure: Seeing The Evidence of Obedience from Bobby Blakey on Vimeo.
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