Anthem Church

What does the cross mean to you? How do you respond to the cross? The symbol of the cross is the most recognized symbol in the world, but it’s more than just a symbol. Today, Good Friday, we remember and relive, as Christians, the day our Savior gave his life for you and me. Remember and respond to the cross, not just as a symbol, rather as the action of our Savior dying for our sins.

Song of Solomon comes to an end towards the end of a beautiful marriage. Both Solomon and his bride are still very much in love and continue to pursue one another. Their active pursuit towards one another is like that of Jesus’ pursuit towards us, and an example of how we should constantly pursue him. Even towards the end of their lives they look at each other with admiration and great joy that th...

We live in a culture that has a trade in and trade up mentality. Toys, physical appearance, the next best thing, the next best person -- these are all things that encourage us to go “in with the new and out with the old”. Solomon and his bride are teaching us different. It may not be the most glamorous thing all the time to grow old with someone, but it certainly the most beautiful. Would we endur...

In all relationships we encounter times of frustration, anger, and unmet expectations. Most times our immediate reaction is to fight back with our own hurt fully exposed. This never-ending cycle will only lead to more hurt, damage, and pain. Instead of reacting, we must respond. By taking a step away from the emotions we encounter healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation. If you are in the midst o...

In our culture today we have an unhealthy picture of sexual intimacy, but here in Song of Solomon we see a beautiful and healthy picture of how we can intimately love our spouses fully. Solomon takes pleasure in his bride from head to toe, he sets her apart and delights in her, and he loves her fully because she is his standard of beauty. The love displayed on this wedding night is a love we shoul...

When you think of a wedding day your first thought is typically about the bride. However, here in the text we see that the groom (Solomon) is highlighted. Although our focus is usually on her, God wants us to focus on him: who is he? Who are his friends? Will he protect her? Will he provide for her? These are all questions that not only should she be asking, but that he should be asking of himself...

All relationships are susceptible to “little foxes”: those things that “are no big deal” when they occur, but as time goes on they turn into huge and potentially damaging “big foxes”. This is true for any of our relationships: with Jesus, your spouse, a friend, whomever. The good news is that all “little foxes” can be prevented, attended to if they sneak in, and reflected upon when you are on the...

We all know and have heard that “patience is a virtue.” Yet we live amongst a culture that praises those who go straight to consummation of anything. Here in Song of Solomon we see the longing, patient, beautiful anticipation for what is to come for these young lovers. The waiting, in this case for one another, can be the hardest part, but denying yourself instant gratification now will lead to gr...

God has given us good gifts in the form of relationships. Whether that is a spouse or a friend, we all need to slow down and enjoy those gifts for what they are. The enjoyment of others is a gift that forces us to make choices about how we enjoy one another. You have to tell and show people that you enjoy them, you have to spend time with them, and you have to continue to get to know them. So stop...

Dating and growing in intimacy with another is a process, like tending a vineyard. It is an investigation of a person’s character through and through. We learn from the narrative here in Song of Solomon that these are two people who are engaged in an honest investigation of one another as their relationship grows. The same journey applies to our relationships with Christ. We are constantly learnin...

In the opening words of Song of Solomon we see the good and right desire for pursuit between the Shulamite and Solomon. Their story is one of patient observation and honest investigation as they pursue one another.

Out of more than a thousand songs written by the great King Solomon (1 Kings 4:32), the Song of Solomon is his very best. It sings of a great romance between the wisest king who ever lived and the love of his life, a young peasant girl. The Song of Solomon serves two main objectives: To extol the virtues of love between a husband and his wife. The song clearly presents marriage as God’s design bet...

Join us in 2015 as we press into the Word and the plan that God has for us here at Anthem. We desire to grow, learn, and play together for the glory of God.

As 2014 comes to a close and 2015 is upon us we resolve to make changes in our lives. What will you get rid of? How much will you exercise? What do you plan to fix? In Hebrews 12, Paul resolves believers to rid ourselves of every weight and sin, shed the resistance so that we may be more effective in running the race for Christ.

We are called to live a life of simplicity when it comes to our investments gifted to us by God. To be stewards of all gifts is for His glory and our good. Those marked by an unchanging appetite for accumulation and preservation lack real faith. When we pursue The Prophet He pays the price for our bad investments.

When deciding what is best for your life what do you rely on? Do you seek the world or do you press into God’s will? Whatever is it that you seek and desire for your life, you must know that decisions made apart from Jesus are arrogant. God has already constructed the means to all our ends. Although we want to know the “what’s” and “whens”, we as Christians must press into the “how’s” that God has...

Jesus is the one who teaches us how to be in the world. Everything he said or did was a reflection of God the Father. This sermon explores Jesus’ interaction with a rich young leader, in order to learn how his followers might interact with and evangelize spiritual seekers in Marin county.

We are called to be like Christ; He is our perfect example and model of how we are to live our lives, even our relationships. Relationships with one another are to be lived out as beloved brothers and sisters, not out of a place of judgment. Judgment of one another’s identity is not ours to be critical of, however, God calls us to make judgments based on each other’s actions, not identity. Unlike...

God made us to feel and have desires just as He does. It is by the grace of God that we see our emotions and desires differently and have been given new desires. We cannot let our unresolved emotions, or desires, have control over our actions on those desires. In His image, that is how we were created; therefore, we should seek to desire what He desires and to let the Holy Spirit work out those ne...

Wisdom is not determined by men. We need a wisdom that is outside of ourselves, for we are meant to be under the authority of God, under His wisdom. Godly wisdom calls us; it wants to be known so that we may share it with the world. Without God's wisdom we are fools. Christians are to think, then feel - in that order. When we let our emotions dictate the outcome of the wisdom we believe a false wi...

Words matter. It is important for Christians to say things in the right way out of love. If you talk just like the world, then what good is your faith? When you speak you say one of two things: that of the image of God, which brings life; or that of the image of Satan, which brings death. If there is a problem with yours words then there is a problem with your relationship with Jesus. We can't jus...

True faith in Christ saves, works do not; however works are produced by faith. Faith is succeeded by works and are inseparable. It is in our obedience, that which we do in response to His will, that we believe our faith in God. If not for our works as a response or action of our faith, our faith would not be real. But works alone cannot save and ultimately leads to death.