Brownsburg Church of Christ

This is the last sermon in our series, "Here As In Heaven." We look at the Great Commission at the end of the Gospel as well as some of the most important themes of Matthew to consider our identity and role as lifelong students of Jesus. Truly we have received grace upon grace.

This is a very blessed time where the world actually affords us an opportunity to reflect openly on the birth of our Lord. So as we take this opportunity, we'll reflect on the meaning of Christmas and why it's associated with feelings of joy. What does the birth of the child mean in the face of suffering, and how can it change not only our lives but the lives of those around us? [click the link be...

In this sermon we simply listen to the scriptures and the story of the suffering and death of the Messiah.

With this lesson, we'll wrap up our series through the book of Exodus. It's only fitting that we bookend the series, ending where we began: discussing the nature of God and hearing another personal story about Moses - since the Bible does the same thing. The question here is: Who is God? and how can the answer we discover inform the way we view ourselves and the way we treat others?

In this sermon we survey the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees, seeking to understand the basis of their differences so that we can gain wisdom to turn from the pitfalls of toxic religion as we follow Jesus today. The good news is that Jesus came to free us from toxic religion and he calls us to a beautiful life in the reign of heaven.

What happens at Mt. Sinai as Israel prepares as a nation to receive the law of God?

In this sermon we listen to the story of Jesus and the "rich young ruler", exploring the pitfalls of wealth and what God really wants for his people. At the end of the day, this story teaches us to love better!

Now that we've been freed, we've a great need to be shown the way of the wilderness - a way of testing, of trial and trust. It's the way God teaches us his way and forms us after his image. It's the way he prepares us to act as his people, loving, serving and protecting even the lowliest among us.

In this final sermon of the interlude before we jump into the wilderness narrative of trial and testing, what can we learn from the Bible's first praise song?

In the last two sermons we've thought through our paradigms regarding scripture--how students of Jesus view the "Old Testament." In this sermon we move from paradigm to practice, to consider how students of Jesus apply the scriptures. We take a brief tour of the scriptures, considering how commands, stories and prophecies are designed to give us wisdom and transform us.

In this interlude, we're jumping forward to the New Testament to reflect on the necessity of the Old Testament before we tackle the lessons that God is trying to teach in the wilderness. To Paul, what we call the "Old Testament" is indispensable to our formation as Christians today.

So the Israelites are finally moving out of Egypt-land. We know that God does the miraculous by parting the sea, but what can fresh eyes show us in the tale? And what can an ancient hebrew prophetess teach us about faith?

Part 8 in the series "Exodus-Shaped" - In this final part of three lessons covering the monolith of the Passover, we discuss passover-as-Lord's Supper, so to speak. Jesus chooses the Passover as the meal to represent what he would accomplish on the cross. What should we understand about the First Supper that will shed light on the Last Supper?

Part 7 in the series "Exodus-Shaped" - In this second part of three lessons covering the monolith of the Passover, we discuss passover-as-baptism, so to speak. Why is the Passover teaching, which are the first collective commandments Moses ever gives Israel, taught so closely to laws concerning the firstborn? Why is the theme of the firstborn so prevalent in Exodus, or the Bible? In other words, w...

This sermon explores the second collection of teachings in the gospel of Matthew. Here Jesus commissions his twelve apostles to go through Israel proclaiming the kingdom and healing. He gives them instructions for their mission and for the inevitable persecution they will experience. The heart of this sermon is a reflection on opposition to the kingdom of God and our faith in Messiah.

Mike takes us through Matthew 6:19-34 with a challenging lesson on how we are constantly struggling against this present evil age and God's promise to give us more than the necessities.

Part 4 in the series "Exodus-Shaped" - As an elaboration on last week's "Exodus-Shaped" sermon (entitled "Who is the LORD?"), we're exploring why the stories we tell about God matter. It becomes apparent as we read through Exodus that Moses's revelation of God is more revolutionary than we realized - this monotheistic, relational view of God was heretofore unknown, which explains Moses's two speec...

Part 3 in series "Exodus-Shaped" - Who is the LORD? Who is YHWH? This famous question comes from the mouth of Pharaoh. This is not just the question of Exodus but really the question of the entire Bible. If you had read the story of the Bible up to this question in Exodus 5, you'd never come away thinking that God was particular about his name - but now, all of a sudden, he cares (Exodus 6.3). Why...

Mike gives us a lesson on the many identities of Jesus before focusing on 3. The Anointed One, the Refugee, and God with Us.

Part 1 in series "Exodus-Shaped" - Did you know that Moses almost died at the very beginning of his call to liberate Israel? In a strange tale from Exodus 4, Moses is under the judgment of God from having not circumcising Gershom. Why wouldn't he do this, and what does this story teach us about identity and the belonging we have with the people of God?