Celebration Sermons

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "The LORD Will Gather His Flock" Micah Painful consequences are earned, but the LORD freely offers his grace to those who will receive what He offers and trust Him to deliver on His promises. Micah anchors his hope in difficult present circumstances by focusing on a coming Shepherd and surprising new kingdom. Because of where we are on the timeline of the L...

Outdoor Combined Worship on the Anchor Lawn "Freedom in Christ" Hebrews 7:22-27; 9:11-15; 10:8-25 In the book of Hebrews, we are reminded of the freedom that we have in the “once for all” work of Jesus. This work of Christ that was accomplished in the past continues to do a work in us, transforming our lives today and offering us a certainty for the future. To learn more about Harderwyk...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "I've Got Good News, Neighbor" Obadiah 1-4, 10-12, 15, 17, 21 It's easy to skim Obadiah's 21-verse vision and take away nothing but a blast of judgement for Israel’s distant kin Edom. After all, they are just getting what they deserve for their bad behavior, aren't they? As it turns out - and this is Good News for Israel, Edom and us! - that thought is only half of t...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Bringing the Fire Now, In Order to Bring the Fruit Then" Amos 1:1-2, 9:11-15 The words of the LORD come like fire through the prophet Amos to all the nations of the earth. Economic injustice, idolatrous worship and sexual immorality have grown up beyond the point of pruning or uprooting. They will be cleared by the fire of the LORD's righteousness in o...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "The Life You're Made to Live" Galatians 5:13-24 Wouldn't our world be a more beautiful place if the Church bloomed with the fruit of the Spirit of God in this way? What would be different about our community if your church took your freedom in Christ as seriously as Paul does and made blooming into a Garden of Grace a top priority? For Secure Online Giving: https://...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Hosea: Idolatry is Adultery" Hosea 1:1-2:1 Join us as we continue a brand-new summer sermon series titled "The Heart of God; through the Minor Prophets." We will spend the entire summer working our way through each of the 12 minor prophets. This week we consider the word of the Lord from the prophet Hosea whose life reminds us of both the serious...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Because Yahweh is Like THIS (And NOT Like That)" Jeremiah 9:23-24 Today, we begin our summer sermon series, "Into the Heart of God Through the Minor Prophets". Before we work through each of the individual books in the weeks to come, we will start with a flyover view of all of the prophets - setting, themes, etc. - so we are equipped to read them in light of their s...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Don't Forget the Burger" John 13:33-35 There is far more going on here than a nice person telling nice people to go and be nice. Jesus promises and invites his apprentices - including us - to receive and then in turn to give more than we could ask or imagine. For Secure Online Giving: https://harderwyk.elexiochms.com/external/form/6aac393c-8e7c-4ae5-b8...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Lessons Learned Along the Way: Both Life-Changing and Painful" John 21:1-19 Like Peter, we often wonder what is next for us when we fail the test. Jesus shows up and asks instead: "What have you learned in your apprenticeship to me?" The Gospel changes everything! For Secure Online Giving: https://harderwyk.elexiochms.com/external/form/6aac393c-8...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Thomas: Witness to the Resurrected Jesus" John 20:24-31 We usually refer to him as "Doubting Thomas." Indeed, Jesus tells Thomas to "Stop being faithless and instead BELIEVE!" But Thomas also has a particular calling and place as an Apostle in the mission of the Resurrected Christ. It was for our sake that Jesus shows his wounds to Thom...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Who Rules Your Heart?"John 20:19-23 Oh, what a day it has been! It is now evening of the day when the body of Jesus was first reported as missing. Word was already spreading through Jerusalem that the disciples had stolen the body, stirring up the city. At this point, with only one eyewitness to the Risen Jesus, the disciples have real reason to fear that...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Centered" 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 From the very beginning, the World Christian Movement has been centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah of Yahweh. Across the years and cultures that center has brought life and balance to the ministry of the church and disruption when that center was shifted to something else. For Secure Online Giving: ht...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "There's a New King in Town" Matthew 21:1-13 The tension begins to rise as this Rural Rabbi rides a donkey into the seat of local power. Is this REALLY a new king in town? And what does that mean for every other person, institution or fear that claims power in our life today? For Secure Online Giving: https://harderwyk.elexiochms.com/external/form/6aac3...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Who Fumbled the Ball?" Judges 2:6-19 The time has come for Israel - this new generation of Israel, remember - to enter the Promised Land and for that moment the LORD has raised up a new leader. All looks well with the transfer of leadership from Moses to Joshua, who then leads the nation into the land. But after Joshua's career and death, there comes a...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Trusting His Voice" Exodus 17:2-6, Numbers 20:2-13 This moment seems so similar to a previous event some 40 years earlier. Desert. Water. Complaining people. Yahweh's miraculous provision for His people through Moses. I can just hear Moses thinking "Here we are again. I remember what to do in a situation like this." But what we once DID in a...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Dealing with God, Trusting The LORD" Genesis 25-37 Yahweh gives Jacob a promise, but Jacob "The Schemer" responds by trying to negotiate a deal. Living by "IF, THEN" is a different journey - and far more difficult and lonely - than living by "BECAUSE, THEN" as we Journey with Jesus. For Secure Online Giving: https://harderwyk....

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Repeat Favorites" Genesis 25:27-28 The story of Isaac is a story of echoes. Echoes of Cain and Abel. Echoes of some of his father Abraham's worst decisions. And Isaac is perhaps most famous for the choices he makes that will reverberate for generations to come: his blessing of his younger son Jacob over his older brother Esau. Yet, despite the fragilit...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "It's Okay to Laugh with Wonder" Genesis 17:1-23 Sometimes the distance between the LORD's good promise and our circumstances can make us laugh with amazement! Fortunately, the LORD's good promises depend on Him, to be received by us and not earned, understood or manifested. For Secure Online Giving: https://harderwyk.elexiochms.com/external/for...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Carrying the Name" Exodus 34:5-10; 19:1-8 As we come to the close of this series about God's name and character, this week we will talk about what it means for us to represent the name and character of Yahweh in this world and through our lives. For Secure Online Giving: https://harderwyk.elexiochms.com/external/form/6aac393c-8e7c-4ae5-b88c-721ae984767...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "What's in a Name? - Jealous" Exodus 34:5-14 The jealousy of selfish, broken human beings is not a helpful starting point for understanding the covenant commitment of Yahweh - the God who is perfect in KHESED and EMET - to the safe flourishing of His people. Human jealousy is about selfish resentment. Yahweh is jealous for His people’s freedom to flouri...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "Mercy & Justice" Exodus 34:4-9 We are continuing in our sermon series in Exodus 34:6-7 titled "What's in a Name?" where God describes his own character to Moses. This week we will consider the fairly troubling words about God punishing children for the sin of their parents. What is that all about? We will explore the original Hebrew that should help to offer som...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "What's In A Name? - Faithfulness" Exodus 34:5-8, Psalm 36:5-9, Mark 9:21-24 Faithful to what? is the question we need to ask here. As we see in the Scriptures and life, the LORD is faithful to His mission of restoring His creation to the beauty, righteousness and justice that He created it to reflect. Don't trust Him to fulfill your desires, whims...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "What's in a Name? - Loyal Love" Exodus 34:5-8, Ruth 2:19-20, Luke 1:46-55 We read "God is Love" (I John 4:8) in the New Testament but it is in the Hebrew Bible - Old Testament - that we see the unique "Loyal Love" (Hebrew - KHESED) that The LORD really is. The LORD will not leave the room - or our life - when we embarrass Him. For S...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "What's in a Name? - Slow to Anger" Exodus 34: 5-8, Jonah 3:10-4:4, Mark 11:15-18, James 1:19-20 The Anger of the LORD that we learn about today and the Anger of Humans (including mine!) are two very different, even opposing, matters. It is precisely BECAUSE The LORD gets angry that we must and can put away our anger now because we know that anger of ev...

Sundays at 9:00 am | Sanctuary "What's in a Name? - Grace" Exodus 34:5-8, Genesis 18:22-33, John 1:14 The LORD is "eternal in His being", meaning He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8) That means He is "grace itself" from beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation, from my birthday to my funeral. What would it be like to "see" the LORD's activity in His world in the light of Hi...