Cross Section from the Summit View Church of Christ

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Even as he was dying on the cross, Jesus was still king. But what kind of king was he? We look at four leadership qualities modeled by Jesus in his trial before Pilate and in his death. Text: John 18:33 to 19:30

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When God poured out his Holy Spirit in a new way on the day of Pentecost almost 2,000 years ago, the Spirit's activity caught the attention of thousands of people in Jerusalem. What was going on? God was pointing the people to Jesus. Why? God had raised Jesus, who had just recently been killed on a cross, from the dead and exalted him as Lord and Messiah over his pe...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Isaiah foretold that God would create new heavens and a new earth—but that promise sounded too big to be true. Surely God was using hyperbole to describe the glorious life that awaited Jerusalem when God renewed his people. But Peter and the book of Revelation both speak of this new creation as something real that God has promised for his people when Jesus...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Isaiah's prophetic poem about the suffering servant of God is the center of his Book of Consolation (Isaiah 40-66). But who is this servant: Isaiah? Israel? Someone else? This servant, when he fulfilled this prophecy, gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins to bring us healing and peace with God. Text: Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In Isaiah 40-46, God confronts the idols that people—even Israel!—worship, noting their inability to do anything. But our God is not like them: he strengthens and carries his people, he foretells the future, he gives us hope. Text: selections from Isaiah 40-46

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Great Assyrian king Sennacherib boasted and ridiculed the living God. Weak, threatened, and scared King Hezekiah of Judah turned to God in prayer, calling on God to rise up and defend his honor by saving his people. And God did. This is a lesson on why we should pray. Text: Isaiah 36-37

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — A love song written by the prophet Isaiah turns out to be a song not of joyful love, but of tough love as God rebukes his people for bearing bad fruit in their lives. What does God do when his people continually bear bad fruit? More hopefully, what can we learn from this prophecy of Isaiah to help us bear good fruit for God in appreciation for all his love for us?&n...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — A strange bit of an otherwise standard prophetic poem of praise to God draws our eyes to the great promises of God in which we put our hope: that God will swallow up death forever, wipe away all tears, take away his people's disgrace, and celebrate his ultimate victory with his people. Text: Isaiah 25:1-9

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Isaiah saw a vision of the holy God and was overwhelmed with a sense of his own sinfulness and knew he, a sinful man who had seen the Lord, was doomed! But God forgave him and sent him to join in God's work in Judah. For us also, God saves us not just so we can rest in our salvation, but also so that he can send us to join him in the work of his kingdom. Texts: Isai...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In his final days, David showed his true devotion to God by giving his resources in support of the construction of God's temple, by praising and worshiping God, by praying for those who would continue after him, and by handing off the baton of life and leadership to his son, Solomon. David finished his life well and set us an example of how to finish well. Text: 1 C...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — David wanted to build a house, a temple, for God. It was a great dream, a way to honor God—but God told David, "No." Instead, God would have David's son build that "house". In David's response, and in his preparations for the temple that his son would build, we learn how to manage our disappointment and how to avoid the distraction of sin as we serve God, wheth...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — David was a master of the art of speaking to God in prayer, and from his psalms we learn words to bring to God when we're not sure how to express ourselves in prayer: in times of deep distress, tremendous joy, daily stress, and so on. David's psalms help us learn how to pray continually, in every kind of situation. Texts: Psalms 63, 13, 131, 65

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The consequences of our past sin—guilt, shame, broken relationships, and so on—can weigh heavily on us for a long time. David's sin produced tragic consequences that became very difficult for him to bear. Yet God walked with David through those consequences, and he does the same for us, bringing us back into a full relationship with him and into true hope. Text...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — David, who never seemed to do anything small, sinned big. He took another man's wife, then killed that man so he could marry her. He tried to hide his sin, but God knew what he had done and sent Nathan the prophet to confront David. David was immediately broken by his sin, and he repented wholeheartedly. He still had to face the consequences of his sin, but God...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — David, furious, his honor offended, pursued bloody revenge—until Abigail stepped in to assuage his wrath, undo the offense, and keep him from sinning. Each of us needs an Abigail in our lives—someone who is both a wall to keep us from proceeding into sin and a peacemaker to help repair our broken relationships; and most of all, to help us do what is right in th...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — David, pursued by King Saul, had a chance to kill the king, free himself from the threat of death, and take the throne God had promised him. But he didn't; he merely cut off a piece of the king's robe, and then felt guilty for that act. David provides us with a lesson about trusting in God when we're angry or afraid, waiting for God to do what we need...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — There were surely many Israelite warriors mightier and better-trained than David when Goliath appeared and threatened Israel—but none had more faith! The story of David and Goliath calls us to ask ourselves, "Will I, like David, put my faith in God today?"  Text: 1 Samuel 17

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Like ancient Israel, Jesus experienced an "exodus": God gave him escape from the power of sin and death. By his death and resurrection, Jesus offers us an "exodus" too, setting us free from sin and the fear of God's judgment and leading us to the promised land of life in God's kingdom.  Texts: Luke 9:28-36 and selections from Luke 23-24

Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall, Summit View Church of Christ — Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, so he climbed up a sycamore tree to spot him over the crowd. Like Zacchaeus, if we will seek the Lord, God will let us find him.  Texts: Matthew 7:7, Luke 19:1-10

Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall, Summit View Church of Christ — Guest lesson on the importance of keeping a spiritual focus as we follow Jesus. Text: Matthew 16:1-12

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In his final address to Israel, Joshua challenged Israel to choose whom they would serve: the Lord or some other gods. But then he warned them not to serve the Lord! Why? Because the commitment to serve God is a demanding commitment. The apostle Paul similarly calls Christians to a high level of commitment to God, giving up whatever sins we must put to death in orde...

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When Joshua asked the strange man with his sword drawn, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" the answer was, "No." Is God on our side or our enemies' side? That's the wrong question. The better question is, Are we on God's side? Text: selections from Joshua 2 & 5-6

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In Deuteronomy, Moses' final addresses to Israel, he calls Israel to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, and to obey God's commands because they love him. We love God, too, and out of love for him who has been so generous to us we obey him, remember him, and tell the story of all he has done for us. Text: Deuteronomy 6

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Through a talking donkey, God confronted the hidden motives of Balaam's heart, changing his life that day. To help us keep our motives pure, we all need a talking donkey. Text: Numbers 22

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Of all the twelve spies sent to explore the promised land, only Joshua and Caleb trusted God to lead them into that wonderful but dangerous place successfully. What made them different from the other ten spies? They kept their focus on God, remembering all he had done for Israel. Text: Numbers 13-14