Transit Church Sermons

The story of Jacob and his four wives isn't a fairy tale. This is a real life family tale, not unlike the dysfunction in families today. Yet, in the end, this passage is a message of great hope. This passage shows us that God can make something beautiful even out of your life, by his grace and for his glory.

Genesis 29 records Jacob reaping some of the consequences of his actions, but also the beginnings of God fulfilling His promise. More importantly, we see that even when we are faithless, God is faithful.

On the run from his murderous brother Esau, Jacob receives a dream from the Lord that would forever shape his life. It is through this dream that God reveals that access to Him is not based on one's performance, but by faith in another's performance.

What does an ordinary family look like? The reality is, all families are dealing with sin. To a certain extent, we're all dysfunctional. The challenge is, how do we deal with those dysfunctions. The bigger question is must we be ordinary?

Jacob is a frightening picture of how most of us try to get blessing: we dress up as somebody else; somebody we're not.

A small moment in time forever changed the lives of two brothers. One legacy was changed for the better, and one for the far worse.

In this introduction to Jacob, we see his birth amidst the two struggles of barrenness and conflict. Jacob will struggle and wrestles for grace his entire life. But in Jacob, we learn about our own struggles, as well, we learn about the Lord’s faithfulness to us.

The gospel is not a moving fictional story about someone else. It is a true story about us. We are actually in it. Jesus saves us by taking our place. He reconciles us. Calls us ambassadors, then gives us a message to share.

God is invisible and unprovable, but that doesn't mean there is no evidence for God. The reality of God's nature and our obligation to him are continually present to us (Rom 1:20). Christian theology teaches God has given us clues that He exists.

Most people don't want to talk about hell. They would rather affirm that God is loving and good. But the question questions remains, how can God be loving, but also angry and wrathful; wrathful enough to create a place like hell.

If you struggle with belief in the resurrection, you're in good company. The story of the resurrection is riddled with objections and doubt: Greeks, Romans, countless Jews, and even Jesus’ own friends had objections and doubted.

It is common today to believe that there is a war going on between science and religion. What if we don’t have to choose between the two? What if it is okay to be a Christian and not have a conflict with Science?

It is hard not to identify with the skeptic who disbelieves God because of evil in our world. It turns out, however, that suffering can actually provide a better argument for God’s existence than an argument against it.

Everyone is religious and we all have exclusive beliefs. The question is, which exclusive beliefs will lead to peace with God and help change our world?

James closes his letter by describing various groups of people and when they should pray. He tells us that prayer and the humility it requires should be a normal part of gospel community. Lastly he tells us to be the church.

In this life we should expect suffering, injustice, and a little heartache. In light of that, James invites us to examine the lives of the farmer, the prophets and Job; to see their example, and thereby have reason to be patient and to endure to the end.

James specifically addresses the rich in this passage. The problem is not so much being rich, as it is not focusing on God.

According to James, how we view ourselves has a direct correlation to how we relate to others and to God. In this passage he reveals two dangers that result from pride: a self-righteous disdain towards one another and an arrogant disregard for God.

According to James there are two options for the believer, friendship with God or friendship with the world. There is no middle ground. Which one will you choose?

God works in us as we worship. He works through us as we use His good gifts to serve other people.

Community is cultural; it's something that most of us want. It’s also biblical, and it’s one of the big reasons why any church exists. The Bible says it best: "It’s not good for man to be alone."

Worship is something that happens at every moment, in everyday. We are always worshipping, but the object of our worship fluctuates. And that’s why this needs to be included as a spiritual discipline.

The Bible says a lot about prayer. But there's really only one passage of Scripture where Jesus tells us how to pray. That's in the Sermon on the Mount. More than giving us the exact words to say, Jesus gives us a pattern for prayer.

God is a speaking God. He speaks through scripture. He speaks through creation. He speaks in the incarnation. He speaks through his church. God also speaks to us as we pray… which means we should be listening.

If you're gonna grow as Christian, you have to some systematic intake of the Bible. Ways that we can meet God in Scripture include reading/listening, studying, memorizing, and meditating on the Word. Each of these tools serves as a mirror to reveal who God is, but also to help us see ourselves.