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God’s Promise to Abraham

Bible Text: Genesis 12:1-9 | Preacher: Kyle Wells | Series: Advent: Christ of the Covenants

Because Jesus makes Abraham’s children, we must participate in his world-wide family
Genesis 12:1–9 (ESV): 12 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

The Promised Victory

Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 15:50–55 | Preacher: Ty Gregory

Genesis 3:1-7; 14-20 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘Youshall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

1 Corinthians 15:50–55 50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Preparing for Advent

Bible Text: John 11:17-27 | Preacher: Matthew Trexler

Jesus enters into our anger and sadness that he might bring light into the darkness
 
John 11:17-27
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Waiting for a New Home

Bible Text: Revelation 21:1-3; 9-11 | Preacher: Joshua Burdette | Series: Advent: What Are We Waiting For?

The fault lines in the family become more obvious around the holidays. We anticipate the arguments around the table, the patterns that get reinforced, and the fights over which side of the family we are going to see. Others go home alone, dreading the insensitive questions from family. During the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of community and civil life that has lasted for almost 2 years and left many of us weary, isolated, and lonely. What does Advent have to do with our longings for home and community?

Waiting for New Creation

Bible Text: Revelation 21:1-5; 22:1-3 | Preacher: Johnathan Keenan | Series: Advent: What Are We Waiting For?

Take one look at the world around you and you’ll come to the conclusion that something is wrong. Things don’t work they way they are supposed to. Machines break down, promises fall apart, goals fail to be reached, plans get thwarted. It appears that there is a force in the world working against even the best intentions and strategies we employ. The result is a sense of futility in every human enterprise. What would it be like if things were different? If things didn’t fall apart? Join us this Sunday as we continue our Advent series from the last pages of the Bible.

Waiting for New Communion

Bible Text: Revelation 21:1-7 | Preacher: Reed Jolley | Series: Advent: What Are We Waiting For?

Around the holidays we try really hard to make things special for our children and ourselves. Even the most secular person among us wants to feel something bigger than herself. Billionaires fly to space looking for transcendence; the rest of us take up hobbies or consume art. We have a deep longing for transcendence because we were made to be in relationship with God. When Christ returns, we will see our savior face to face. Join us this Sunday as we begin our Advent series “What Are We Waiting For?”

Rejoice in Expectation

Bible Text: Philippians 4:1–7 | Preacher: Joshua Burdette | Series: Advent: Living with Expectation

We hear the words to the famous Christmas carol at coffee shops and retail stores this time of year—joy to the world, the Lord has come! Yet in reality, joy seems elusive and fleeting to most of us. Is it possible to have joy even in the midst of dark and painful seasons? Is there anything we can do to produce joy? This Sunday we celebrate Advent and learn to wait for Christ with joy.

Be Patient in Expectation

Bible Text: James 5:7–11 | Preacher: Joshua Burdette | Series: Advent: Living with Expectation

We don’t like to wait. For anything. If you have an appetite for something, chances are there’s an app that promises to deliver it to your doorstep within 48 hours. In an age of instant gratification, patience can seem like a relic of the past—almost quaint. Yet this year has forced all of us to wait for the end of the COVID crisis. How can we wait for patience, especially when we’re out of control? This Sunday we celebrate Advent and learn to cultivate the virtue of patience.

When He Appears: You Can Only Imagine

Bible Text: Revelation 21:1-4; 9-14; 21:22 – 22:7 | Preacher: Kyle Wells | Series: Quarantine Services

Sermon from 12/7/14 service.
See full service liturgy at https://www.cpcsb.org/03-29-2020/