Divine Savior Church-Santa Rita Ranch Sermons

After 4 weeks of looking at the source of wisdom and the principles of its design for our lives, this series now applies wisdom from the book of Proverbs to the everyday “complexities of life”. This week we focus on heartache. We’ve all been there at some point in our lives. Loss of job, friend, family member, savings, health, leisure, or ability creates a void capable of destroying the human spir...

After 4 weeks of looking at the source of wisdom and the principles of its design for our lives, this series now applies wisdom from the book of Proverbs to the everyday “complexities of life”. This week we focus on self-control. In a world with limitless possibilities, self-control seems elusive. Overeating, underbudgeting, binge-drinking, and living large are the norm. But if no one gets hurt, w...

This week we focus on pride. Pride is the conclusion in one’s thinking that a person, idea, or thing is better than another. This conclusion justifies any praise or humiliation in attitude or treatment that result from the thinking. It can be as quiet as a turned-up nose or as loud as derogatory comment. All of it is detrimental to everyone involved. In the series this week learn what Proverbs has...

After 4 weeks of looking at the source of wisdom and the principles of its design for our lives, this series now applies wisdom from the book of Proverbs to the everyday “complexities of life”. This week we focus on envy. Envy is the awful feeling you have when you know you should celebrate someone’s good fortune but think it really should have happened to you instead. Envy makes it hard to rejoic...

After 4 weeks of looking at the source of wisdom and the principles of its design for our lives, this series now applies wisdom from the book of Proverbs to the everyday “complexities of life”. This week we focus on money. The evil of pursuing money at all cost and the injustices caused by greed are obvious. And yet, commerce and economy are core to our society. How can you deal wisely with money...

Everyone likes a guarantee. It makes us feel safe. Hesitation in the grey zone of “what if” causes doubt, worry, and fear. We prefer confirmation, a stamp of approval, and the proven process that gives confidence, a sense of security, and builds excitement for what’s to come.  The book of Proverbs shows that God’s path of wisdom gives us the confidence we’re looking for because it’s different than...

Everyone knows to get to the right destination you must start in the right place and head in the right direction. The same is true for wisdom. But whose way is right? Experts offer wisdom through short cuts, techniques, and formulas. Friends give advice from experience. Our own hearts lead with emotion. Artificial intelligence uses science and facts. But who’s right? Only Proverbs points to the ri...

A godly pursuit of wisdom has an ultimate goal of living God’s way as outlined in the Bible. Unfortunately, life in a sinful world means our path is filled with distractions, deterrents, and delays. Often these roadblocks are even more alluring than annoying. They threaten to derail a godly pursuit of wisdom by encouraging us to settle for less than everything God has planned for us. Because of th...

Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do at the right time for any given circumstance-especially when there’s no “right” answer. But how do you get wisdom?  Like walking a path, pursuing wisdom begins with knowing where to start, where to go, and what to expect along the way. This week we begin the series on Proverbs by defining wisdom, showing where to find it, and learning how to grow in it.  Sup...

Made solid by the undergirding promises of Jesus, the apostle Peter acted boldly and courageously. Sometimes this acting-before-thinking disciple pushed the envelope of courage to its border with foolishness, but Jesus was always there to pull him back. Support the show

Loved by his Lord, John expressed the same kind of love to his Lord and others. His writings in the Scriptures encourage followers of Jesus in that same love. Support the show

This tax collector turned apostle experienced firsthand the loving mercy of the Messiah, who came to save sinners. He turned around and wrote a lot about it in his gospel.  Support the show

He vacillated between the twin towers of unshakeable confidence and wishy washy uncertainty. However, faith is as strong as the on whom it rests, and Jesus' loyalty and love bless this apostle with a new resurrection conviction. Support the show

Thaddaeus (also called Judas) asked Jesus, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the whole world?" Many ask this same question today, why some and not others? We marvel at God desiring all to be saved and his grace for all, and yet we see the sad reality that those who don’t know him, or who have rejected him won’t be saved. The attitude of Thaddaeus, "I wa...

Bartholomew asked, "Nazareth, can anything good come from there?" and found in his shattered hope a fulfilled hope in the promised Savior. In Bartholomew (aka Nathanael) we see our own expectations - too often misunderstood and misplaced, until Jesus meets them and us. So often we expect God to fit our mold and to fit his plans into what we expect and hope for. But God's plan is alm...

"We have found the one," Philip proclaimed to Nathaniel, when Jesus actually found him first. Later Philip personally found a gracious Savior at the feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus taught him a lesson about faith. On another occasion, Philip commented to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us," and Jesus went on to describe the mysterious unity of the F...

Andrew showed care and concern for bringing others to Jesus. Ministry is one on one. Mission is one on one. Parents to children. Husband to wife. You to a friend, family member, or co-worker. We only know Peter, because Andrew sought out his brother. Mission work happens in backyards, picnics, bleachers, and cubicles. One of the main principles of our harvest strategy is "Everyone invite one....

With the zeal of thunder, James has glory on his mind, both personal glory and ethnic/national glory and pride. Jesus' zeal to save and serve recovers and redirects this apostle to an evangelical instead of legislative zeal. This is the only place to mention the other apostle, James the Less, about whom we know very little. Support the show

Most people today think the “devil” is a joke. And make jokes about him. But the truth is, the devil is a real and vicious enemy of God and his people. He tempts us to doubt God’s Word. He wants to tear us away from God, and he did so. But Jesus came to defeat the devil. And He did! The church displays that victory in all we do! But the battles rage on… our enemy is real and the daily battles we f...

From the beginning, God designed people to live in families. He also gave us work to do, a garden to take care of, something to give meaning and purpose. So a lot of our lives are spent at home and at work. As we continue to rebel against God, our homes and workplaces often become the scenes of our most obvious failings and flaws. They can become unhappy or even downright dysfunctional places. Whe...

Marriage has been instilled into human hearts and human society by our loving Creator to stir up human longing and to prepare our hearts for the love of Christ. Marriage conducted in God’s way by his people is a beautiful demonstration of his plan to gather all things under Christ and make us one in Christ. Among God’s people, marriage isn’t a battleground, but a field of victory, where sinners ca...

The world we live in loves to live in darkness. What people do behind closed doors should be up to them, they say. The world is accepting of all kinds of alternative expressions of gender and sexuality. But the God who loves us created us a certain way to glorify Him. His Word is very clear on how He wants us to live. In the light. Not in the darkness. As we shine this light into the world, it isn...

We live in a fashion-conscious world. We see influential people wearing certain styles of clothes and imitate them by trying to keep up with the same fashions. We want to look the same as the world around us. We do the same thing in the way that we live. We imitate the world in the way that we act, talk, and think. Sometimes we blend right in and people don’t even know we’re different. The encoura...

We want the church to grow so that we can make a difference in the world around us. But churches not only need to grow in number. We need to grow in holiness. We need to grow in unity. That will show the world what our three-in-one God is like. God’s grace, the hope He gives us in Jesus, generates this growth. There is one body, one church. Our Christian community should reflect that unity. We are...

When you get married, and that person you love moves in, two wonderful things happen: they start changing everything to reflect their character, and they fill the place with their love for you. That’s what happened when I got married. My ratty dorm furniture got replaced and the décor got cleaned and greatly improved! All these new things were wonderful because I felt loved! Same thing happens for...