Messages by Brent Clark (Page 15)
Deconstruction – What is the Foundation?
Deconstruction seems to be a buzzword in the world of Christianity. Whether it is due to doubts and questions, watching high profile Christian leaders fall in moral failure, or abuse that continues to be revealed in almost all corners of the Christian faith, more and more people are walking away from the faith. But deconstruction is not a new thing. The first-century followers of Jesus had to do quite a bit of deconstruction of their own to be able to…
Do You Want to Get Well?
Sometimes questions asked can seem silly or even obvious. But what happens when the question that on the surface seems like a no-brainer asks us to a bit dig deeper to find the answer we truly desire. Jesus asks a man who is described as an invalid for 38 years if he wants to get well. We think the obvious answer is yes. But what could be beneath the surface of this question that this man, and also us, might…
What Are you Doing Here?
Through the twists and turns of life, we can often end up in places we didn’t expect, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. By looking at the question God asks Elijah, we can learn to recognize the warning signs of our burnout and brokenness and find the presence of God waiting for us there.
What Is Your Name?
Have you ever given much consideration to the meaning of your name? In an age when finding trendy, popular, or familial names seems to be the utmost importance, we can miss how significant it was when those in the Bible named their children. Pastor Brent looks in Genesis at the story of Jacob to discover the significance if his birth name and how impacting it was when God changed his name.
What Is That In Your Hand?
Do you ever feel as though you have very little to offer? That your life couldn’t be of much use to others, much less God? Often, we can fail to see the value of our lives, especially when God wants to work through us. Pastor Brent looks at the call of Moses at the burning bush to see how before he was a great leader, Moses was a hesitant and questioning responder, but God was able to use Moses by…
Where Is Your Brother?
In a culture that promotes self-sufficiency, independence, and individualism, what should be the Christian’s response when God asks us where is your brother? Looking at the story of Cain and Abel, Pastor Brent looks at our responsibility toward one another and how we should be our brother’s keeper.
Standing at the Crossroad
The death of Jesus on the cross can mean many different things to many people. As Pastors Brent and Amy wrap up the message series Cross Roads, they conclude by looking at how Jesus described his followers as crucifying themselves and asking the question, what will you do as you stand at the crossroad and see the cross of Jesus?
Victory
For the first 1,000 years of Christianity, the followers of Jesus held tightly to a view of atonement called Christus Victor, or Christ the Victor. Why was the idea of the cross of Jesus bringing victory so important and how could they find victory in a publicly humiliating execution of their rabbi? Pastor Brent looks at several New Testament passages to encourage us to reclaim the Christus Victor view of the cross today and start living in
Revealing God
It can be tempting to look at the cross and the death of Jesus and see something barbaric or even heinous. Some have even looked at the cross and seen nothing more than divine child abuse. But what if instead of seeing a horrific method of capital punishment from the first century, we see the love of God shown for us? Pastor Brent looks at how the first century Christians viewed the cross and how that can shape our perspective…
Ultimate Renewal
Ideas and even conspiracy theories abound when it comes to what will happen at the end of time. How will God deal with his creation? Will he simply abandon it and let it rot? Will he doze it or burn it down and start over from scratch? Or will he do what he’s been doing from the beginning by renewing his creation? Pastor Brent looks at Revelation 21 to see how God’s plan for the future includes renewal, coming down…
Community Renewal
As people who follow Jesus, what is our responsibility to the world around us and our immediate community? If we aren’t careful, our beliefs and attitudes about the future can move us to a place of apathy, self-focus, and waiting for this all to end. But is that what Jesus had in mind? And is that how Jesus lived his life? By looking at God’s instructions to the people of Israel while in exile, we see that we also shouldn’t…
Church Renewal
What comes to mind when you hear the word church? For some, we limit our answers to a specific day of the week or a building in our neighborhood. Yet, as we continue to think about renewal in our lives, how could adjusting our mentality around church help lead to a church renewal? Pastor Brent Clark looks at how the New Testament addresses the church to see how this could impact how we think about the church today.