Garden Way Church Sermons

True repentance is not just about doing better or working harder.  It's about understanding how completely lost we are and how much we desperately need Jesus.  The 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon says this about how quickly God runs to meet us in our repentance: “No eye is quicker to see the mercy of God

This message considers a major Turning of The Tide, the most significant Tide Change in all human history…when The Son of God becomes a man. (Luke 2)  

The Gospel According to Luke was written so that we might know with certainty who Jesus is. Luke starts with the story of a childless couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth, set in a dark season in the life of God’s people.  (Luke 1)

In this final chapter of Ecclesiastes we find the aged Teacher, Solomon, passing on good advice to future generations by exhorting everyone from young to old live with resolve and to die without regret.  (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8)

In this chapter Solomon encourages the followers of The LORD that Life is to be lived to the fullest – cheerfully, reverently, deliberately!  The wise refuse to settle for a grim existence of emptiness and vanity; they are motivated by the radiant goodness of God daily surrounding them, the don't wait to live... they live

For Solomon, a fool is not someone with a lack of intellectual ability, but someone who has lost their moral compass... the fool is one who doesn’t fear God or follow His ways.  In this message we consider the futility of foolishness.  (Ecclesiastes 10:1-20)

To fully embrace and appreciate this life we must confront our mortality and understand that our time here is finite... which leads to a more meaningful and joyful existence now as we prepare for the life that is to come. (Ecclesiastes 9:1-18)

God’s wisdom clarifies and purifies our ability to comprehend His plan and purpose for our life.  His wisdom helps us navigate life while recognizing that, although we cannot always fully understand God's ways, we can always trust His plan... rooted in Jesus Christ. (Ecclesiastes 8:1-17)

In the 21st century culture of aloneness and “me-time” the church exists as a bit of an anomaly.  At the intersection of American individualism and Father God’s desire for community, stands the church of The Lord Jesus Christ, The family of God. (Acts 2:42-47)

Our past mistakes and failures often hold us back from all that The LORD has for us. God invites us to live with a future focus...rather than dwelling on the past, we are called to live with eager anticipation for the newness of what lies ahead.  In this passage Paul provides us tools that can

The resurrection of Jesus was good news that changed the lives of the disciples and by their impact, the world. We have the same choice to make as those early followers of Jesus. When we choose faith, we are found “in Christ” and our lives are made new. (Matthew 28:1-10)

If life apart from God = 0, then a life lived with and for the LORD is of the highest value, superior in quality and more excellent.  It is much more better!  This makes the goal of a Christ follower to simply give The LORD our best! (Ecclesiastes 7:1-14)

Chapter six is one of the darkest chapters in the Bible, as Solomon describes how dissatisfaction can sidetrack and destroy our lives. Our uncontrolled appetites will end up consuming us unless we are willing surrender to the power of Jesus. (Ecclesiastes 6:1-12)

The love of money will not provide meaning in this life.  It comes and it goes… But finding joy and contentment in the work of The LORD will keep us from brooding over the past and help us to remain focused on what will be one day when we are with Jesus. (Ecclesiastes 5:8-20)

Solomon encourages us to step into the presence of God, but with care and caution.  We’re called to be intentionally humble when we come before an incredibly holy God. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7)

Chapter four begins with Solomon observing some troubling aspects of loneliness in a life lived under the sun.  We’ll discover that God's antidote for loneliness is to implant within us a desire for relationship, for community with other people, which is fulfilled through Life Together in His Church.  (Ecclesiastes 4:1-16)

God’s intention for His creation and for us is to experience beauty.  Even when we go through terrible times or painful seasons of life, we can know: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” God always acts for our ultimate good, even when it doesn’t seem like it’s for our immediate good. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-22)

Life is made up of both positive and negative seasons. We can’t change the season we are in by skipping ahead to the next one or by going back to the good old days. But, we can find God’s purpose and bring Him glory in a seasons of suffering and hardship, or when we experience

What treasures are we storing up on this earth that we will not be able to take with us?  What legacy will we leave behind?  This passage is a great reminder for our lives to be focused not on things of this earth, the things under the sun, but instead on the plan and purpose

As Solomon explores a variety of personal pursuits we discover that the more She pursued personal satisfaction, the more he lost real perspective on the purpose of life. (Ecclesiastes 2:1-17)

In this earthly existence, this circle of life... we may or may not discover our place, but ultimately, we’re not here just for this life… we’re created by God for something more… something better beyond this temporary, vain, and often troubled, existence. (Ecclesiastes 1:3-18)

Solomon wanted to figure out what life was all about. So he launched out on a no-holds barred life safari that cost him millions of dollars and many years of his life. The Preacher was on a search for his purpose in life and it appears he was running on empty. (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3)

Jesus’ great I Am statement does not stand alone, it demands a response.  “Do You believe this?”  He asked Martha.  Do you believe this?   He asks you and me!   And what will our answer be?  This is The Life that only Jesus offers. (John 11:25-27)

For millions of people Christmas is just "the holiday season."  May we not lose the sense of marvel at the Christmas miracle... Immanuel, God with us. He is our gift on the front porch of our life... waiting to unwrapped.  (Isaiah 7:14-17)

This message explores deliverance through unexpected means, a child!  Yet in this child, we find that God Himself has come. The Fourfold Name of this extraordinary child is packed with notions of divinity and hope.  (Isaiah 9:1-7)