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Questions God Asks Us, Part 8: Do You Want to Get Well?

  Friends, we’re now in part 8 of 10 of this sermon series I put together based on a short study book called Questions God Asks Us by an author and pastor named Trevor Hudson. In every chapter of this book, Hudson has us take a look at a question that God poses to people in the Bible–either through the voice of our Creator in the OT, or through the voice of Jesus in the NT–and then he unpacks how we might faithfully respond. We’re getting very close to the end of this book. The last two chapters are both about Jesus’ death and resurrection.This week we’re in John, chapter 5, taking a look at one more miracle. Jesus is in a place called Beth-Zatha, or Bethesda, depending on spelling, and it’s a Hebrew word that’s used with a purpose, because it means “house of mercy”. The house of mercy has a watering hole that has become the preferred hangout spot for the ill, injured, and disabled folks of the area. A safe place, with constant access to free water. And not just water, SAFE water,...
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Questions God Asks Us, Part 7: Who Do You Say I Am?

  Friends, we’re now up to part 7 of this 10 part sermon series based on Questions God Asks Us by a pastor and author named Trevor Hudson. In every chapter of this short book, Hudson takes a question that the Divine asks people in the Bible–either from the voice of our Creator God in the OT, or from Jesus in the NT–and unpacks that question, and looks at how we can respond to it faithfully.  Today’s question is one that Jesus asks his disciples at a critical turning point of Mark’s Gospel: “who do you say I am?” It’s right at the halfway point in Mark. Before asking that question, Jesus just miraculously fed 5,000 people, and performed several healing miracles. After that question, Jesus starts trying to prep his disciples for his death on the cross. When he asks the question himself, the disciples have several takes on what kind of important person Jesus might be: one has him confused with his cousin, John the Baptist. One thinks he might be a reincarnation of the Old Testam...
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Questions God Asks Us, Part 6: Wha tAre You Looking For?

  Friends, we’re now in part 6 of this 10 part sermon series that I put together based on the book Questions God Asks Us by pastor and author Trevor Hudson. In every chapter of this book, Hudson takes a question that is posed to humans, either by our Creator God in the OT or by Jesus in the NT, and then explores how we might faithfully respond. This week’s question is the first that Hudson is taking from the New Testament, and it’s in John chapter 1: What Are You Looking For? Jesus doesn’t waste any time, y’all. What we’ll find with all five of the questions that Jesus asks in the second half of this sermon series is that Jesus has no patience with anyone doing anything “just because”. He wants to know what motivates you, what you really care about. Try holding that up against what brought you in the door of the church this morning. What are you looking for? “Oh, I dunno, I just wanted to go to a service, the schedule says we’re here this week.” But…what are you looking for? “Uh, ...
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Questions God Asks Us, Part 5: What Are You Doing Here?

  Friends, we’re now in part 5 of this 10 part sermon series that I’ve put together based on a short book titled Questions God Asks Us by pastor and author Trevor Hudson. In every chapter of this book Hudson takes a question that is posed in the Bible to people, either by our Creator God in the OT, or by Jesus in the NT, and he flips our expectations: often God does the asking, and then we answer. So how do we respond faithfully? This week’s question is the last that Hudson picks out of the OT, and it comes up in the book of 1 Kings: What are you doing here? Hudson dropped us into a section of the OT that Frozen Chosen Protestants don’t tend to visit frequently during our worship services. Deep into the history books, we’re in a time of heavy conflict, frequent war, constant turmoil, and a lot of murder. Queen Jezebel, wife of King Ahab of Israel, idol worshipper and OT antagonist de jour, is out to get everyone who doesn’t worship her god of choice, Ba’al. In defiance of this tyr...
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Questions God Asks Us, Part 4: What Is Your Name?

  Friends, we’re now in part 4 of this sermon series I put together based on the book Questions God Asks Us by pastor and author Trevor Hudson. In each chapter Hudson looks at a question posed in the Bible either by God our Creator in the OT or Jesus in the NT, and then he looks at how we can faithfully respond to that question. This morning’s question is one that God poses for the first time incognito, in the book of Genesis, deep in the Jacob saga. I preached about Jacob earlier in the summer, so you guys are versed on this story now. But God, appearing casually as just some guy, wrestles with Jacob, and Jacob demands a blessing from God-disguised-as-a-random-dude. God asks “What is your name?”, and the blessing comes from what follows–a total transformation for Jacob, starting with his name. He becomes Israel, the revered father of a nation. There are several stories in the Bible of folks changing their names because they went through such a holy transformation that the old nam...
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