Sonoma Avenue Sermons

Joseph's story is built on a shaky foundation. His father, Jacob was chosen and changed by God. But the family he built was filled with anger, resentment, and hurt. It is these strong emotions that put the Joseph story in motion. But as always, this story is not about Joseph and his family. It is about the God who is always working and moving in the middle of our biggest messes.

The story of Jesus coming to earth is a love story. It tells of how God loves his people, and of his great desire to be their God. It is a messy love story, full of ups and downs, but God made sure to write the ending he wanted. The story is yours and mine.

I want there to be Joy in my life, but at times it feels like Joy is difficult for me to grasp. By changing my understanding of how the Joy we have in Jesus works, I open myself to new possibilities, new joy.

We often believe that Peace comes from a lack of conflict, or everything in life being lined up for us. But what if the path to real peace is not found in things going right, but in a recognition of how wrong things really are?

Hope is an essential part of our life with God. The hope we have in him is different from any other hope we could have. What is it that makes it so special?

As we come to the conclusion of our series on the life of Jacob, we have to wonder when his life will stop being messy. The conclusion? It will always be messy. What does that tell us about the way that God works in our lives?

It is finally time for Jacob to return home and come face to face with Esau. How messy will this reunion be? You might be surprised.

Jacob's life has been filled with conflict. He experienced conflict with his brother, his father, his uncle, his wives, his cousins and just about everyone else he came into contact with. When God told him to go home, Jacob had to face the conflict that dominated his life. He had to return to the home of his family, where his brother had been in charge through all of the years he was gone. This is...

What does victory look like when God is on our side? It may not look much like we want it to, but that doesn't mean that God is not fighting on our behalf.

We have expectations for what makes a good love story. As with everything else in Jacob's life, love ended up being a big mess and created more chaos than you can shake a stick at. Where was God in the middle of all of this? Right in the middle of all of it, of course.

Jacob had a hard time becoming the man God needed him to be. It wasn't until a pit stop in the wilderness that his eyes were opened to the promises that God had for him. Jacob was not the best man, but God always keeps his promises. Join us as we consider the wilderness and what it means for God to be a promise keeper.

What kind of people does God want to work with? The answer might surprise you. Join us as we take a look at one of the messiest families in the Bible and God used them to create a nation.

From the very beginning, Jacob was a child of conflict. What was God's role in creating or allowing that conflict? Why was it a necessary element to Jacob's spiritual growth? Why was Esau so hairy? So many questions. Join us as we take a look at the birth of Jacob and Esau

The life of Jacob was anything but clean and tidy. It was messy. While it would be easy for to blame him for this, a deeper look shows us that those who came before Jacob also had messy lives. Join us as we take a look at what benefit the mess can be to us becoming who God wants us to be.

It might seem like the story of the Exodus is about God using Moses to do great things. While this is certainly true, God also spoke through others who helped guide Moses on the way. Jethro was one of those people.

Moses was the big hero of the Exodus story as God worked through him to deliver the Israelites from the Egyptians. But did you know that without the actions of five brave women, Moses never would have been... well, Moses.

Randy Mason shares with us his thoughts on the great love and grace of God.

As we come to the end of our study of the book of Romans, let's take a look at the message Paul wants to leave with the church.

Sometimes we can make being loved by God so complicated. The Gospel is not complicated and it is the story we need to tell.

What is the point of being spiritually strong? I will give you a hint. The benefit is not for you, but for others.

We tend to think that when it comes to spiritual issues, one answer is right and a differing answer is wrong. But what if there is more than one right answer? How can you tell what is right, and what do you do with the differences?

What it is that gives life to our faith? It couldn't be love...could it? What if love really is the answer for everything?

What does Romans have to say about what kind of dad I should be? Quite a bit.

Paul has taught us in Romans 12 how we are to put him, others and the community before ourselves. What is the key to making this happen?