Munger Place Church - Dallas, Texas

The point is simple: fix your eyes on Jesus, not on your problems. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33

If faithfulness always comes with a cost (which it definitely does), why would anyone actually want to pay that cost? Why make the faithful decision? John the Baptist paid the price for his faithfulness, and his story offers us some insight into why anyone would actually choose to be faithful. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Matthew 14:1-13

The most basic lesson I learned in Israel was something that everyone used to know but that we in the West have forgotten: we are more than intellect alone. Here are some ways to put your whole self into God’s world. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Matthew 6:6, Mark 1:35

Being at the Sea of Galilee and seeing where Jesus lived and worked has made me more confident in the claims of the Church. Scripture: Matthew 8:23-28

The richest man in the world is getting divorced.  See, there are some problems that money can’t fix; our deepest problems are spiritual problems. Scripture: Matthew 9:1-8

Jesus says there are 2 kinds of people: those who will survive life’s storms, and those who are destroyed by them. Here’s how to become a survivor. The Sermon on the Mount is the practical advice that Jesus gives on how to live in the reality of God’s Kingdom in such a way that it would be the equivalent of building a house’s foundation right into the bedrock. In this sermon we walk through the wh...

I can't stand hypocrisy, and I bet you feel the same way. THAT'S BAD NEWS, BECAUSE HYPOCRISY IS EVERYWHERE THESE DAYS. There may or may not actually be not be more hypocrisy than ever before—human nature doesn’t change, and how would you measure than anyway—but what I do know is that more than ever we are aware of hypocrisy. The Internet has made public what would before have been private or secre...

There is ONE THING anyone can immediately do to make the year to come a better year. This ONE THING is the opposite of another thing that nearly everybody does these days—PLEASE STOP DOING THAT OTHER THING! The secret is to take Jesus…literally. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

What would the world be like if Christmas never happened?

Sooner or later, everyone comes up against a circumstance he or she can’t change. Sooner or later there is a disease or a divorce or a death that you have to live with. The Good News? Christmas is about living within these sorts of limits. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Luke 2:1-12, John 20:5-7 “Reference: For what it means is this, among other things: that for whatever reason God chose to ma...

What’s at stake if you say, “Yes”? You have a free choice to say yes or no, but saying yes will open a door and make a way forward that won’t come any other way. Mary was free to refuse the angel’s message, but her courageous agreement made the miracle possible. What might be possible in your life? What hangs in the balance? Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Luke 1:26-38 Reference: Here is the l...

What do you know when you don’t know what to do? When it seems all you have is bad options, how do you make a decision? The Christmas story offers a way. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25  

Gratitude Doesn’t Depend On Your Circumstances We think that if things are going well, we’ll be grateful. But that isn’t true. Here’s the good news: gratitude doesn’t depend on your circumstances. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I did a Google search for “How to Be a Better Lover.” You wouldn’t believe the results I got! Since the internet was no help, I’ve come up with my own list: here are my 5 steps that are GUARANTEED to make you into a better lover. (Seriously.) Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4

We’ve been talking about love—how it isn’t sappy or sentimental, isn’t primarily about romance at all—and what it’s really like. Love costs. Love is hard. So here’s what I’ve been wondering all week: Why would anyone CHOOSE the way of love? If it’s so costly, what is the point? Here’s my answer. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11

When he was 18 months old, my son dislocated his elbow. I’ve reflected back on that episode many times over the years, and it’s taught me a lot about love. See, love is not sloppy sentimentality; to love is to will the good of the other. Love has a hard edge to it. It hurts. And I’ve decided that to love means to be willing to be misunderstood. Let’s talk about it. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scriptu...

We’re kicking off a new sermon series on love by looking at a totally easy topic: politics! Here’s the question: what does it mean to love the people who are wrong? Imagine you were 100% correct in your political views: What would be your responsibility toward your opponents then? Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13 Reference: I found this article on C.S. Lewis, politics, and frie...

What if you could flip the script on how you are supposed to react to bad things in your life? Most people are grateful when things are good and anxious when things are bad—what if you were thankful no matter what? What if you could flip all of your current pains into praises? Occasion: MungerFest 2018 (our 8th birthday) Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Romans 5:3-5

“You Can't Win the Lottery If You Don't Buy the Ticket*” *Let the record show that I’m not actually in favor of gambling in any form, but it really is true: you can’t win if you don’t play, right? Sometimes the most important thing is just the first thing. Take the first step, and let the Lord take care of the next steps. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Acts 8:26-40

What do we do with the people we’re afraid of? Go first. Acts: 9:1-19 Preacher: Andrew Forrest References: The Simpsons: https://youtu.be/-4MfVzpBXl0?t=1m

"He was a teacher and miracle worker who spent nearly all of his brief ministry in the tiny and obscure province of Galilee, often preaching to outdoor gatherings. A few listeners took up his invitation to follow him, and a dozen or so became his devoted disciples, but when he was executed by the Romans his followers probably numbered no more than several hundred. How was it possible for this obsc...

Here’s the truth: It’s easy to see other peoples’ blind spots, and hard to see your own. We each have things in our lives that should be SO OBVIOUS and yet, even though they are RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, we are blind to them.  We overlook them. In our Son of Man series, we’ve been talking a lot about fear and faith. If Jesus is who he says he is, then it means we have nothing to fear. But the truth is...

I have this weird job whereby I have a relationship (sometimes close, sometimes relatively superficial) with thousands of my neighbors. As a pastor, I hear folks’ stories and prayer concerns and am invited into their lives in a unique way. And you know what I think the biggest problem is for people in our community? FEAR. If work is going badly today, fear is at the root. If your relationships are...

Chances are, this is probably true about you today: There is a gap between what you have and what you need. Maybe you need more TIME to get it all done. Maybe you need more MONEY to pay for it all. Maybe you need more PATIENCE to listen to it all. Maybe you need more LOVE to put up with it all. Maybe you need more FORGIVENESS to give up it all. Maybe you need more FAITH to believe in it all. Whate...

Do you actually want things to change, or would you prefer to wallow in the filthy status quo? Lots of people (most?) complain about the way things are. Very few people are willing to do anything about it. This Sunday, we’re looking at the strange story of Jesus healing a demoniac: after the villagers see this amazing miracle—namely that a man they all knew to be crazy now healed and in his right...