Woodland Hills Church

At one point in Jesus’ ministry, priests and teachers of the law questioned Jesus about his authority. They asked him by whose authority he taught the gospel and did the miracles. Rather than answering their question, Jesus returned a question.

It might surprise you to know that Jesus got angry enough to turn over tables! There are times when it is appropriate to boldly confront others in our community.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem he wept as he foretold its destruction. This is important because we gain an profound awareness of how it pains God when we resist him.

Jesus and his followers had very different ideas about what would happen when Jesus finally got to Jerusalem. These differences were so serious that everyone abandoned Jesus when his path took him to the cross. It may be tempting to judge Jesus’ followers as short-sighted hypocrites, but Greg challenges us with the question of whether we really would do differently under similar circumstances.

God has given us the Holy Spirit as a “deposit” and guarantee of things to come. But we are expected to wisely invest this “deposit” in the world today.

Repentance and salvation are understood best in the story of someone’s life. Zacchaeus is a great example of radical repentance and a clear pronouncement of salvation by Jesus.

The disciples sometimes got in the way of people who were coming to Jesus. When this happened, Jesus had to correct the situation and go directly to the people seeking him. This happens today too when Christians and their agendas get in the way of people who simply need to be pointed to Jesus.

None of us like pain. In fact, much in our world today helps us to avoid it. Scripture promises that as we follow Christ we will suffer and endure pain but that it is not without a purpose. As we persevere, we experience growth and joy and become more like Christ.

This sermon addresses three specific questions as a follow-up to the Animate series. The first relates to the dangers of opening oneself up to the spirit realm. The second is about how we know what we sense in our imagination is from God. And the third questions whether imaginative prayer that focuses on Jesus alone is actually limiting.

There were a lot of questions generated by our recent Animate series. This sermon answers questions about why Christians have sometimes been suspicious of the imagination, and about how we can get our “life” (worth, significance and security) from God.

There were a lot of questions generated by our recent Animate series, which explored the role that imagination plays in our spiritual lives. One question that came up frequently was, “Are we just making all this up when we practice imaginative spirituality?”

There is a consistent and persistent message God has been sending through both the Old and New Testaments: Love your neighbor as yourself. And everyone is your neighbor! What was recorded as law in Lev. 19 was echoed by the prophets and reiterated by Jesus in the gospels.

This is the fifth message in the Animate series which focuses on making ourselves free and available to commune with God. Transformation comes from spending time in the presence and glory of God.

This is the fourth message in the Animate series which focuses on making ourselves free and available to commune with God. Transformation comes from spending time in the presence and glory of God.

This is the third message in the Animate series focuses on making ourselves free and available to commune with God. Transformation comes from spending time in the presence and glory of God.

This is the second message in the Animate series which focuses on making ourselves free and available to commune with God. Transformation comes from spending time in the presence and glory of God.

This is the first message in the Animate series which focuses on making ourselves free and available to commune with God. Transformation comes from spending time in the presence and glory of God.

Easter is about Jesus’ resurrection and the faith of the church in that resurrection. Jesus’ claims to be God were unambiguous but didn’t always receive the same response.

Greg leads us in reflecting and then responding to what he calls “the central event that defines all history": the cross. You are invited to join the congregation in a responsive confession (download presentation file to read along)

Jesus used the law to show us that we can’t get to heaven on the basis of our own good deeds. Once we accept this, we can enjoy the freedom to live radically and generously in the community that is the family of God.

Jesus' encounter with the rich young man raises the question of what a person must do to get into heaven. Is it good deeds? Is selling our possessions and giving to the poor enough? No, it is embracing the love relationship with God that is extended to us through Christ.

Spiritually speaking, the attitude we have when we work to advance God's Kingdom is far more important than the work we actually do. If we do the “right things” but don't don’t imitate Jesus in our attitude we don't reflect the Kingdom of God the way we could. Humility, gentleness and bearing each others' burdens are basic to serving one another in Christ-like love.

Jesus uses little children as examples of the attitude we are to take. The innocence of children give us a good model for trusting God, getting our identity from him and avoiding the evaluation and judgment game.

When we hear sermons, often we apply them to someone else. It is always easier to see and try to fix other people’s faults than it is our own. It is common to do this when we read Bible stories. One of the functions of Jesus’ parables is to free us from this self-serving favoritism and force us to look in the mirror.

When we pray, we’re using our say-so to partner with God to bring about his will on earth as it is in heaven. But it is not magic. Prayer is a labor of love. We are pushing for God’s will to be accomplished, against all that resists his will being accomplished.