First in a Bible study series on spiritual gifts. We go back to Moses and his encounter with God at the burning bush and what it tells us about the encounter with the divine and finding God. By Pastor Lars Hammar.
You Had to Be There - sermon Jan 3, 2021
God came to earth so that we might not just know about him, but know him, experience him, and be a part of a relationship that is full of endless mystery and love.
Note: recorded at the outdoor service, so the audio is a little bit lower quality.
What Forms Us - sermon Dec 27, 2020
What makes us who we are? Is it our choices? The pressures of peers? Marketing? Or will we be formed by God’s grace into what he has made us to be?
Beautiful Peace - sermon Dec 13, 2020
When the world rules by might and fear, God sends his messenger to proclaim a peace, a beautiful peace that is found in humility, love, sacrifice, and compromise. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Comfort - sermon for Dec. 6, 2020
It is when we have experienced a life that's hard that we can appreciate comfort. In the same way, God speaks to us when we are in hardship, giving us comfort through the Spirit. Based on Isaiah 40:1-2. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Giving Freely Makes Life Richer - sermon Nov 15, 2020
Normal math would say that when we give we loose and have less. But in God's way, giving makes us richer. Not often with money, but with the things money can't buy, we gain so much in the fullness of our lives because of God's Spirit. By Pastor Lars Hammar.
Meditation on Psalm 8
The Psalms say that the Lord sits above the heavens, and yet his glory shines through so strongly and simply that the babes can see it proclaim it. By Pastor Lars Hammar.
The Hardest Command and Greatest Gift - sermon Nov 8, 2020
When we give away our things, we're not just giving away what we have now, but the potential for those things to be useful, or provide security for us, in the future. A life of generosity puts its future in God's hands, and so does not need to hoard resources to feel secure. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Meditation on Psalm 5
Each day I go through a different Psalm, reflecting on what it means and how it impacts us. This meditation is on Psalm 5
Pastor Lars Hammar
Meditation on Psalm 3
Each day we take a look at a different Psalm, exploring what it means for us today. We begin with Psalm 3.
By Pastor Lars Hammar
Meditation on Psalm 2
The first in a series of shorter meditations on the Psalms. Each day we take a look at a different Psalm, exploring what it means for us today. We begin with Psalm 2.
The Jubilee Year and Forgiving Debts
God commands that every seventh day we rest, every seventh year we let the land rest, and every 50th year we forgive all debts. Why does God mandate so much rest, and why, in particular, get involved in banking and credit issues? Debt can be a tool of control - even enslavement - and the forgiveness of debts a good social “reset” to restore society and prevent abuse.
You are Blessed - All Saints Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020
What does it mean to be “blessed”? Is it just getting special stuff? Is it being born with advantages? Or is it, in the Bible, something deeper that gets to the heart of God choosing to give those on born without those things the first place in the Kingdom of God?
God In Nature - Reflections by Pastor Lars Hammar
After spending many years both growing up in the woods, working in forest camps, and meditating on faith there, I have found my faith in Christ strengthened through learning about both the beautiful and cruel sides of nature.
Reflections on All Saints Day - sermon Nov. 1, 2020
I thought for the upcoming All Saints Day celebration that we’ll be having at church I would share some thoughts on the day.
You can follow the video, or read out the (approximate) text below.
We’ll be doing two services outside (masks, distance etc.) on our patio that day, and will include a chance for you to bring up a cardstock cross that you decorate yourself and post on a large board. We like to give people a chance to remember their loved ones and celebrate the saints who’ve gone before us.
For the 9:30am service we’ll also have Delta Blues music with special musicians.
Pastor Lars
The Year of Jubilee - sermon Oct 11, 2020
God commands that we let the farmland lie fallow every seventh year, that it may have rest. This is both good for the environment, to avoid soil depletion, but also a practice for life that we avoid burnout.
What Makes a City Great - sermon Oct 4, 2020
How do we measure the greatness of our city or country? For people, it's the size of our monuments, or armies, or the wealth at the top. But God tells the people of Jerusalem that not even the Temple is safe from the coming destruction if they don't change their ways and provide for the widow, the orphan, and the alien. Doing that will earn God's blessings and safety forever. By Pastor Lars Hammar.
Look Not to Your Own Interests - sermon Sept. 27, 2020
Most of us like to think of ourselves as good people, generally caring, but yet there is so much suffering in the world. Why? Because we're looking to our own interests, not to the interests of others. We're just doing right for ourselves. The Christian life is the opposite, it's not a life of caring only after I take care of me, but caring for others first, even when it's not my interest.
Fairness in the Kingdom - sermon Sept 20, 2020
In the parable of the Laborers in the vineyard, Jesus gives us a glimpse of a kingdom of God that is generous with abundance.
Give Me Jesus - sermon Sept 13, 2020
At the end of the day, whatever practices we do as part of our faith, and whatever we abstain from, we still do what we do for Jesus.