Carlton Landing Community Church Sermons

Paul didn't pray like we do. In this opening prayer in Philippians, Paul asks for something that God has already promised, that our love would abound more and more and turn into discernment. By following the course of this prayer we can learn how God designed us to produce fruit for the Kingdom.

The Letter to the Philippians is different from Paul's other letters. His joy, gratitude, and warmth convey the depth of his love for them and their history together. But this love wasn't just based on their history; it was based on what God had done in their community and the promise that he would finish what he started.

Jesus's final words to his disciples give us a glimpse of his top priorities. It should come as no surprise that Jesus talked to them about love. In John 14, he comes back to the greatest commandment: love God with everything you have and everything you are. This is a steadfast, obedient, all-in kind of love, exactly the kind of love Jesus demonstrated for us on the cross. We love him because he f...

Easter 2024. The resurrection changes everything! It is the turning point in all of history. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, everyone must consider what to do with the empty tomb and everyone has the opportunity to encounter the risen savior of the world.

In the final scene of Exodus, God has kept his promise. He brought his people out of Egypt, made a covenant with them, gave them the law, revealed the plans for the Tabernacle, and descended to dwell in their midst. In many ways, this reflects the way God still interacts with us today. The Exodus story is our story and the same God is still our God.

The golden calf is a famous "uh-oh" moment in the Bible. After God delivered them from Egypt, gave them the law, and entered into a covenant with them, Israel went back to their old ways and worshiped an idol. In contrast, in the following chapter, Moses worships God and pleads to see his glory. These two stories teach us some important lessons on how we should worship God today.

How do the long chapters describing the plans for the Tabernacle apply to us today? Simply put, they are the most detailed descriptions of God's character, his plan for salvation, and the coming of his Son in the Old Testament. 

The high point of the covenant ceremony comes when God completes his promises and dwells with the people of Israel. In this scene, Moses and the elders go up on the mountain and feast with God. The chapter presents a picture for us of what it's like to worship God and live with him at the center of our lives.

The Ten Commandments are revered outside of religious settings; they adorn our law courts and government buildings. Why have they had such an enduring appeal? What can they teach us now? At Mount Sinai, Israel is invited into a formal covenant with God, but the order is highly significant. In this passage, God reveals more than just his law, he reveals his grace, character, and the coming Messiah...

The Passover is the most potent image in the Bible of what Jesus did on the cross. After nine plagues, God told the Israelites to select a lamb and spread its blood on the door of their homes. As they celebrated the Passover, they were previewing the sacrifice of God's own son, who would be saved by the power of his blood.

The plagues are one of the best-known and least-understood parts of the Exodus. Why did God subject Egypt and the Israelites to judgment? In chapter 5, Pharaoh asks the question that spans the whole book of Exodus; "Who is God that I should obey him?" The rest of the book is an answer to this question and an arrow pointing to an overarching theme in the Bible, salvation through judgment.

Names are incredibly important, especially in the Bible. In this passage, God reveals his name to Moses and the people of Israel. It is his name forever, YHWH, and it is still his name today. This passage reveals God's character and plan, then and now.

At the beginning of Exodus, the children of Abraham find themselves in a difficult position. But signs soon emerge that God is bringing new life to their situation. God will surprise his people with his deliverance. Today, God still loves to tell these stories, and as we look to the past, we learn to look for God in the present.

The book of Exodus is a continuation and a reversal of the theme of Genesis. While the book starts in Egypt, it ends with God dwelling again with his people. In fact, the story of the Exodus teaches us about how we can dwell in the presence of God and how to worship him. This is the first message in a series on the book of Exodus.

Through Christ, God is making all things new, starting with us. Part of the message of Christmas is that this peacemaking project has begun, and we are all a part of it. But God doesn't make peace like we do. He comes to us personally, in weakness, and in love to set things right and enlist us in his peacemaking project across the world.

The story of humanity is a story about power. Kings and kingdoms rise and fall, but in the book of Daniel, God reveals his overarching and eternal reign over the kingdoms of the earth. Daniel's faithful presence reveals his underlying trust in God's guidance of history. This story comes full circle when Jesus is born and the Magi come to worship him. This event signifies that God's promises are go...

In one of the lower points in the history of Israel, Zechariah uses a new word to describe the Messiah: humble. This was not a word anyone would have used to describe a king, but this king would be different. He would be humble; he would take on the form of a servant to save his people. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, every part of the story showcased his humility, lowliness, and care for us.

From the time Adam and Eve left the Garden, people were waiting for a king. What kind of King would he be? When would he come? David, who was the greatest king of Israel, was waiting for another king. In Psalm 24, he proclaims the King of Glory. The coming Messiah would be glorious, holy, and greater than his father David.

In the final scene of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus commissions his disciples to make disciples of all the nations. This command comes as a culmination of the Gospel but also of many themes in the Bible. Every believer is called into the work of building the kingdom, evangelizing the nations, and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded. The gospel ends the way it started, with a promise that God...

Before the world began, God was telling a story. When he created the universe, his space and our space completely overlapped, but when sin entered the world, we were separated from God. So God sent his Son Jesus Christ to live a perfect life, save us from sin, and reunite Heaven and earth. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we look forward to the day when we are reunited with God perfectly. Unt...

In the Roman world, someone crucified would never have been seen as a hero. What was different about Jesus? The gospel writers don't spend much time telling us what happened when Jesus died, but they do tell us why he died and what it has to do with us. Each time we read about the crucifixion, we are confronted with Jesus Christ and encounter the reasons for his death.

In the Last Supper, Jesus does more than just celebrate the Passover. He re-interprets this meal for all time and invites us to pull up a set. But what are we doing at this table? Every time we celebrate communion, we are committing, communing, and commemorating Jesus Christ.

Jesus's favorite way to describe the time between his resurrection and the second coming was through the picture of a master going away and returning. In a series of parables, Jesus instructs us on what to do as we wait for his return. The parable of the talents is a common parable with a powerful meaning; we should be working for the kingdom until the King returns.

In the last discourse with his disciples, Jesus talks about the end of the world, kind of. The disciples ask Jesus when the events he describes will take place. Jesus answers by talking about both the destruction of the temple and the second coming. In the midst of this teaching, he gives us some things to watch for and some things to do as we wait.

The Pharisees were after Jesus. In this last stretch of the Gospel of Matthew, the Pharisees double their efforts to trap Jesus in his words. In response to a lawyer's question, Jesus gave what has come to be one of the most famous passages of Scripture, the great commandment. Here, we find all of what is required of us summed up in one command: to love God.