Emmaus Road Church | Fort Collins, Colorado

Sermon Scripture: John 10:2-5, Deuteronomy 6:4-5 As we mature, we begin to pray our own words, but in time, we desire not just to speak to God, but to listen to God — to hear God’s voice. The desire to hear and understand God’s voice in prayer is a Spirit-generated desire in the heart of a disciple of Jesus. God comes to each of us inside the contours of our own life – our personality, background,...

Sermon Scripture: Luke 11:5-13 This week we will be focusing on talking WITH God, which simply means, “sharing with God what is on our mind.” In this, our prayers will include a few critical elements. Gratitude — talking with God about what is good in your life and world Lament — talking with God about what is evil in your life and world Petition and Intercession — asking God to fulfill his promis...

Sermon Scripture: Luke 11:1-8 Jesus did all sorts of amazing things, but the disciples do not ask Jesus to teach them how to heal the sick, or to cast out demons, or perform miracles. They ask him to teach them how to pray. The disciples were smart enough to know that Jesus was experiencing something in prayer that they were not.  Prayer wasn’t a duty, but a delight. He really enjoyed his Father’s...

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 12:1-8 The sabbath is a means by which we enter into what Jesus called “the kingdom, or the reign, of God.” It’s a day when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. But sabbath is so much more than a set of do’s and don’ts that we etch into our lives.  There is a heart orientation to sabbath life that is freedom for us and this freedom unlocks the delight and worsh...

Sermon Scripture: Isaiah 58:13-14 Many of us have yet to learn how to enjoy God… believe in him, yes, learn from him, yes, obey him even, but delight in him?  In the access we have to God, through Jesus’ death and resurrection and the coming of the Spirit, into the inner life of the Trinity, we get to participate in the flow of love and joy and peace between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spi...

Sermon Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:12-15 The Bible gives us 2 versions of the 1st Commandment on the Sabbath. At Sinai, Sabbath is about rhythm, In Deuteronomy, it’s about resistance. We work more than ever before, we have more than ever before, and we’re still not happy. It’s Egypt all over again and it’s so easy to just get sucked into the culture. To feel like you just have to work those extra hou...

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30, Exodus 20:8-11 Flip through any popular magazine, watch any show, scroll on you phone, and you will see all sorts of advertisements; a couple drinking coffee and reading the morning newspaper in bed, a man lounging on the couch playing the guitar, a group of friends on the beach for a picnic. What exactly are they selling? They are selling sabbath. To sabbath, y...

Sermon Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2, Matthew 28:16-20, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 As we have been focused on the power and work of God the Father and God the Son through Easter, and of course the empowering work of God the Spirit last week on Pentecost, it is right for us to take a moment to pause in worship and honor the mysterious Triune God whom we worship. It is always our inclination to explain all t...

Sermon Scripture: Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost marks the moment when the church received its empowerment for the work of God and his Kingdom and so to ask ourselves, what does this mean? The work of God all throughout history has been in planning this party and the last thing you or I should do would be to limit who can join us in the celebration. God is inviting us to  a block party. Complete with dieta...

Sermon Scripture: John 14:15-21 Through the Spirit of God, his love and action can be touched, felt, and made known anywhere you or I may be. By responding to God choosing you, by entering into his reciprocal vow of love, by enacting the Jesus Way through the enabling and empowering of the Spirit within us, we become the comforter and advocate that someone needs in their moment of need.

Sermon Scripture: 1 Samuel 7:12 Join us for our Annual Church Meeting where we hear the stories and look at the evidence of all that God is doing among us at Emmaus Road. We will hear from our pastor, treasurer, and each of our ministry leaders the details of our ministry over the last year and the amazing opportunities that lay before us.  This is a highlight in the life of our community as we ta...

Sermon Scripture: John 14:1-14 Just as it was for the disciples of Jesus gathering around the table in the upper room centuries ago, life can be challenging for us. Many circumstances we face are difficult and require us to pause and consider what we know to be true of God and His work of peace and grace among us. We consider what it means to trust in Christ and to follow his way, his truth, and h...

Sermon Scripture: John 10:1-10 Jesus is a true shepherd, not only in the spirit of David, but reflective of God’s own providential love. Jesus’ relationship with his followers is one of intimacy and trust. They listen to his voice and recognize him. He brings them no harm but protects them. They willingly follow him, and he brings them to the source of life.

Sermon Scripture: Luke 24:33-35, John 15:1-11 The best way to engage in the consolation of the peace of Christ in the wake of fear and doubt is to rehearse what he said and to put it into practice. Among the many things that Jesus shared with his closest friends and family at the table of the last supper, the  night before his crucifixion, was the familiar metaphor of the vine and the branches whi...

Sermon Scripture: John 20:19-31 In the Easter season we celebrate the biggest mystery of faith: that Jesus willingly took upon himself death on a cross, providing victory over the sins of the world and the curse of death as he rose from the grave.  This fact of faith, compared to all the other fantastic stories about Jesus (healing miracles, walking on water, knowing people he has never met), is t...

Sermon Scripture: Luke 24:1-12, 13-32, 48-49 Have you been moving toward doubt, fear, anger, frustration, impatience, annoyance these days? Or have you been moving toward greater faith, hope, love, kindness, peace, and patience? The consolation of God is not simply an optimistic view of the resurrection for us here in holy week. The consolation of God is an invitation to living life with open hand...

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11, Matthew 27:20-26 As we consider the crowds who met Jesus in praise and later condemned him for not suiting their needs, I hope we can humbly ask ourselves, “In what ways (big or small), do we push Jesus aside when his Kingdom does not align with our kingdoms?” May we say NO to our preferential kingdoms, no to the kingdoms of the culture around us. Kingdoms of evi...

Sermon Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14 One of the most poignant passages of scripture is found in our Lectionary passage for today, Ezekiel chapter 37. This passage is describing the predicament the nation of Israel had found itself in as a result of their exile and their subsequent turning away from the God who saved and sustained them.  The prophet Ezekiel is shown the aftermath of despair that leads...

Sermon Scripture: John 4:3-30, 39-42 The Kingdom of God has a purpose, to bring redemption and life to the entire world, and so it needs all kinds of witnesses. Today we meet a woman who stands as a contrast to Nicodemus, but in her own right, she plays an important role in the beautiful work of the Kingdom.

Sermon Scripture: John 3:1-21 This week we hear the story of Nicodemus. A successful and self-confident man, he plays a leadership role in his community. His imagination is caught by Jesus, but he wants to compartmentalize whatever faith he has. Nicodemus is not yet ready to declare his faith in the light of day, not prepared to let it change his life. Today, we hear Jesus’s call to be reborn, not...

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 5:12-19 The life of a follower of Jesus is not about perfection or infallibility, it is about confession and humility. When we sin, may we be quick to confess our shortcomings and diligently work to remove the temptations which lead us into these sins. We seek forgiveness when we fail, receive strength in our weakness, gain freedom from the bondage of sin a...

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9 Like baptism and sanctification, the transfiguration of Christ is a prelude to the transformation that all followers of Christ may have when encountering the thin places between heaven and earth. It gives strength, hope, and courage in the face of the frightening and hardest aspect of our lives. Moses and Elijah were transformed in their encounters with God. Jesus...

Sermon Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 So often we need  to remind ourselves of all that we have come to know and experience about loving God and loving others. Why do we so often digress? Likewise, we often need to gird ourselves up for taking these truths into the harsh reality of the world. Presumably where there will be challenges and where it might be easy to lose touch with who we have...

Sermon Scripture: Micah 6:1-8 One timeless question that many people have pondered and asked time and again is “What is God’s will?” We pondered this question last week as we considered God’s promises and their fulfillment both with creation and to mankind. What you have received, freely give to others. We are all beneficiaries of God’s love, mercy, and grace, and God wants nothing more for us tha...

Sermon Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-4, Matthew 4:12-23 The Messiah came to enact love and restoration to the world that he loves; including creation and humanity. Learning to trust in the voice of God is not just an intellectual act, but a whole body experience for us because every human bears the image of God. Just as we relate to our closest friends and family emotionally and physically, so too can we...