IBCD Sermon Weekly

As we come out of the Christmas season, we are going to look at what it is God gives us and how we are to respond. John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Today we are finishing our series on the life of Mary. At the end we are going to be looking back at the beginning, but with a little different perspective than we normally consider when looking at the birth story of Jesus the Christ. Luke 2:19-20 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they...

When Jesus was on the cross, He had many concerns. But His concerns were not about His own pain and suffering; instead, He was focused on others. One of them was Mary, His mother. This reveals a lot about His character. John 19:26–27 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, you...

Mary learned that even though she had a unique and special relationship with Jesus, her place in his kingdom was made possible in the same way it was going to be made possible for everyone else. Mary teaches us that while we might all have a uniquely defined relationship with Jesus, what he expects from all of us is the same. Mark 3:35 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother...

Like most mothers, Mary undoubtedly loved her son passionately and without condition. However, as we read about Mary and her relationship with Jesus, we see that she, at times, struggled with separating the boy she raised and nurtured from the man who was her Savior. What we see in the scripture is an unfolding of who Jesus really is, a revealing of his true nature, as Mary walked the journey of f...

Without Mary the depth and context of much of Jesus’ ministry, especially in relationship to the temple, is lost. In a way, Mary does what every disciple should, she points us to Jesus and has us go on an unexpectedly deep journey with him. A journey where, in the end, we come into the presence of our Lord. Luke 2:48-49 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "So...

Today we are going to be looking at what the Gospel of Matthew has to say about Mary. Most of what we know about Joseph is from Matthew’s Gospel. Let’s look! Matthew 1:20 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

In Luke, Mary is portrayed as a kind of proto disciple. She displays the characteristics of someone who will be given the title of “disciple” before any of “the twelve” were ever chosen. So, what can we learn about discipleship from Mary? Luke 2:34-35 "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of...

Today we are looking at the life of Mary. We are only looking at what is said about her in the Bible, which is plenty. Mary is often thought of as passive but the way she is presented in the Bible is not as a passive person, but rather an obedient person. This obedience required Mary to be brave, to have faith, and be willing to walk a difficult road for the sake of God’s kingdom. Luke 1:38 38 "I...

We are soon going to have a sermon series on the life of Mary. Today we are going to look into a story which is only found in Luke which concerns a cousin of Mary’s, and that is Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah.

The book of Joel ends with God’s judgment. In the ‘valley of decision’, God will pay back each person what they deserve based on their life. The only way that we can protect ourselves from that is to seek refuge in God’s stronghold through trusting in Jesus Christ. Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

Last week we looked at the fact God will do what it takes to get our attention when sin is in our lives. Today we are going to look at what God wants us to do – repent. Joel 2:13 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

Do you think it is outside the loving, parental, character of God to inflict pain on a “child” who is being disobedient? How you answer this question will say a lot about being able to see affliction as judgement and God trying to get your attention when there is unrepentant sin in your life. What does the Bible say? Joel 1:13 13 Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister befor...

Sunday Sermon by Gary Arnold Mark 4:1-9 1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some...

Today we are finishing up our journey through the book of Hebrews. It is an appropriate passage for today which is our “Cultural Sunday”, where we celebrate the way God has built IBCD over the last several years with people from many different countries, traditions, and backgrounds into one family in Christ. The words which wrap up this theologically complex letter are more than just a “goodbye” b...

One of the words we use, which is fairly unique to Christianity and Judaism, is the word “covenant”. We are going to be looking at this very deep word found in our faith today. We have been going through the last chapter of Hebrews calling it “Living the Way” and today we are calling this sermon “Living the Way of Covenant”. Hebrews 13:20-21 20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the et...

The passage today is one where I am going to be a little self-indulgent. I am going to talk openly about what it is like to be a pastor, my point of view is on leadership, and how we walk this out together. Now, to be clear, this is my point of view, and you might not think my point of view is correct, but it is what it is. Hebrews 13:17-19 17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They...

Baptism is like a cake with many layers. There is a lot going on in an event which looks pretty simple and ends rather quickly. Today, I want to approach baptism from the angle we receive from Jesus at the end of Matthew’s Gospel when he says: Matthew 28:18-20 18 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the nam...

The Bible reminds us often that we should do good deeds. However, there are some pitfalls that Christians tend to fall into regarding that subject. Also, the Bible makes it clear that doing good and sharing with others should be more than just a transactional giving. Instead, we are called to sacrificially give ourselves. Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such...

All praise is rooted in Christ’s finished work. We tend to base whether or not God is “worthy” of our praise based on what is happening in our lives right at the moment, or what is happening in the world around us, but this is not the basis of praise. The basis of praise is on his completed work in which he has, and forever will, meet our need for intersession, to stand in for us, at the throne of...

The idea of trying to live within this temporary world with eternal values is a very strong theme in Christianity. Jesus spoke about it very directly when he said: Matthew 6:19-33 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where...

Today’s passage, in spite of how it begins, is complicated. This passage is a calling away from the human desire to make our “religion” look pretty, look dignified, and tells us to look at Jesus and the ugliness of sin. It is not what we move away from which is important, but who we move toward. Hebrews 13:13 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.

All of us have been influenced by spiritual leaders. Today’s passage calls us to remember, consider, and imitate them. There is much we can learn from their ways of following Jesus. Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Money is an inescapable part of our lives. So think about the role of money in your life. Pray about it. When you financially plan, do so with more than just financial returns in mind. You have only this one life to live so consider carefully who and what you want to live it for. Hebrews 13:5-6 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "...

Today’s verse is very straightforward and can seem almost harsh and judgmental. Personally, I think there were many marriage issues in the early church. So, maybe as a remedy to all the ambiguity around marriage and problems this was causing, the author of Hebrews here breaks down a very straightforward approach to marriage. He has no fluff or compromise around it. He says: Marriage is honorable....