"Renegade Gospel: Discovering the Rebel Jesus"

 As a pastor I often cringe at paintings of Jesus that line church walls. Pictures of Jesus that all tend to look the same - face glowing, inviting, white robed, and long hair. I cringe because this is the mental image that becomes seared in our minds - of the friendly, comfortable, meek Jesus. Now there are certainly times in scripture that this portrait is accurate - but not all the time. For Jesus also lived in a counter-cultural way - a way that ultimately lead to his death. He spoke against the religious and political authorities, even when it made them mad. He was for the marginalized in society - whoever they may be. He changed the world.
   Where do we encounter the life giving and life changing words of Jesus today? Where can we go to remember who Jesus was and what he was about instead of what we have made Jesus into? Because the reality is that those pictures do not do Jesus justice. And not many people would have given their lives for the Jesus in those pictures. Who is the Jesus that you know and follow?

"Forgiving Others"

  We all probably have stories of people in our lives that have hurt us. I'm more interested in hearing how you responded when someone hurt you. I think it speaks volumes about a person's character and faith to see how they respond to people when they have been wounded.
   I'm not going to pretend that I have always responded the correct way. There have been times I have let bitterness take root in my heart. And times that I really wish I could have responded with more grace. But as time goes on and I grow in faith, I find that I respond differently to being wounded. I try to respond by treating the person who hurt me in the way that I would want to be treated if the situation was reversed.
   Its not easy. But it comes with practice. Do you find it easy or hard to forgive someone who has hurt you? How has your approach to forgiveness changed with time?

"Praying: Wow"

    Of the types of prayers we've been looking at the last few weeks - help, thanks, and wow - I think today's topic - prayers of amazement, are not prayed enough. Most of us feel pretty comfortable praying prayers of petition for ourselves or another person. And when we remember, we say thank you. But those prayers that take our breath away, those are becoming more and more rare. Its these prayers, prayers of amazement and wonder, that lead us most often into worship. Those moments that remind us that God deeply cares for us and that God created everything. 
   I want to re-iterate the challenge from yesterday's sermon: First, think back to your own life over the moments of amazement - those moments that took your breath away and drew you closer to God. If you haven’t thanked God for those times, take time to do so this week. Write them down and pray over them. Secondly, be open and attentive to the “wow” moments around you this week - because I promise you they exist. Live in such a way that doesn’t take for granite all that God is trying to give you. All that God is trying to do to draw you into worship.