Messages on Theology
Responding to God in Plain Sight
Join us for the conclusion of our sermon series, where we’ve embarked on a journey to find God in the every day—the “In Plain Sight” series wraps up with a powerful message. Throughout this series, we’ve uncovered the subtle ways God manifests in our lives, even in the ordinary. As we looked for God, we discovered something profound: our intrinsic needs that often go unnoticed. Week by week, we’ve explored how we seek to satisfy these needs through our own…
The Law
The Big Picture series continues with one of the most famous Bible stories around: The Law of Moses. We learn how the laws and worship practices of the Israelites were formed and ultimately shaped the course of history. Once again, God’s faithfulness and mercy stand out despite the disobedience of His people.
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…
Salvation of Sinners
Why did Jesus have to die? This question can lead us to many possible solutions. One popular answer includes seeing the cross as divine child abuse as God exacted his wrath on his son. Is this true? Or is there a greater purpose in the death of Jesus on the cross? Pastor Amy looks at the sacrifice of Jesus and how it shows God’s pursuing love for his people.
The Tension of Free Will Versus Sovereignty
Pastor Ryan unpacks the seeming contradiction in the Bible between human free will and God’s sovereign authority, explaining how the two concepts can both be true and work together.
This Not That Temple
Pastor Brent looks at how the temple is the meeting place between God and humanity and how God’s original design was for humanity to exist in his presence and his purpose will be accomplished in the restoration of the new creation.
This Not That Priest
Pastor Ryan looks at how the priesthood changed from the Old Testament to the New and how Jesus as our great High Priest calls us to be a priesthood of believers who follow him. Priests Through Scripture God’s Original Plan: Adam & Eve – No Priest Needed. They had direct access to God. Unfortunately, sin ruined this plan and separated humanity from God. God’s Family Plan: The Israelites – A Kingdom of Priests. In Exodus 19:6 God offered for the…
This Not That Sacrifice
Pastor Brent looks at Hebrews 10 and how what seems to be a barbaric and primitive system of sacrifice in the Old Testament was made obsolete by the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
The Essentials – Q&A
Pastors Brent and Ryan look at the category of beliefs that are not necessarily essentials called distinctives and answer questions raised during the Essentials series. Discussion Questions If somebody asked you to explain your understanding of if a person can lose their salvation, what would you tell them? At Ashworth we leave room for a lot of tension and grey in our understanding of scripture. Do you appreciate this approach or do you wish we were more black and white…
The Essentials – The Bible
Pastor Brent Clark looks at different videos of the Bible and why we must be careful not to put too much or too little weight on the Bible as the Word of God. Discussion Questions If you had to explain to someone why they should read the Bible, what would you say? What practical steps can be taken to move beyond ignoring the Bible or only studying the Bible and allowing it to speak with authority into our lives? This…
The Essentials – Holy Spirit
Pastor Amy looks at the empowering of the Holy Spirit in our lives and how our belief in the Spirit is essential to living as God desires his people to live. Discussion Questions How do you think your introduction to the Holy Spirit (as a child or as a new believer) impacts how you view the Holy Spirit today? Where do you see the fruit of the Spirit growing in your life? If you don’t see growth, why do you…