Audio: The Real Battle
January 27th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
by Matthew Raley
"Angels and Airplanes," Natalia Goncharova, 1914, Museum of Modern Art
Many evangelicals think the issue of gay marriage is a battle to restore American culture. In this sermon, we examine the conflict between two views of human nature that go back to the beginning of American life, the Bible’s view and the Enlightenment’s. We discover that evangelicals aren’t necessarily on the right side.
Audio: What Is Marriage In the Bible?
January 27th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
by Matthew Raley
"Submerged Lamppost," Richard Misrach, 1985, Art Institute of Chicago
We evangelicals tend to blame others for the sexual immorality flooding our culture. But as we await the ruling of the 9th Circuit on Proposition 8, we need both to recover the biblical vision of marriage and to repent of our part in the institution’s decline. In this sermon, we examine both responsibilities.
Audio: Local Giving and Local Testimony
January 12th, 2011 § 1 Comment
by Matthew Raley
"Jerusalem, Enceinte du Temple," Auguste Salzmann, 1854, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Jesus told the first generation of believers that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed. In this sermon, a study of Acts 4, we see the impact this prophecy had on their financial behavior, and the model they leave for us.
Audio: Honor the Lord With Your Wealth
January 12th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
by Matthew Raley
"Keys and Key Ring," Italian, 16th or 17th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art
New inmates are always entering the emotional jail of financial distress. But the keys of release from that jail are very old. In this sermon, we examine Proverbs 3 for wise living.
Audio: How Possible Is the Impossible?
December 21st, 2010 § Leave a Comment
by Matthew Raley
"Christmas Shopping, Macy's, New York," William Klein, 1954, Metropolitan Museum of Art
We can get a little jaded about Christmas. One of the causes may be preaching that portrays God as Santa Claus: He’s “the God of the impossible” if you have enough faith. In this sermon we study two questions reported in Luke 1, questions that show us the amazing, hard reality of God’s power.
Audio: Discernment When You’re Under Duress
December 15th, 2010 § 1 Comment
by Matthew Raley
"Prison Window," Robert Gober, 1992, Museum of Modern Art
Do Paul’s instructions to slaves and masters in Colossians have any relevance to our lives now? In this sermon, the conclusion of our series on discernment, you’ll find out just how uncomfortably relevant they are.
Audio: Your Family and Your Savior
December 15th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
by Matthew Raley
"Pine Trees, Pushkino," Aleksandr Rodchenko, 1927, Museum of Modern Art
Being rooted in Jesus Christ is the way to grow spiritually, as Paul teaches the Colossians. In this sermon, continuing our series on discernment, we study Paul’s directions about family life: if you want to stay rooted in Christ, pay attention to your closest relationships.
Audio: Discernment and the Church
December 5th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
"Torn Drawing," Leon Polk Smith, 1961, Museum of Modern Art
If we want to discern what to do about truth, we should take care not to rip ourselves away from other believers. In this sermon, we study Paul’s teaching (Colossians 3.1-17) about how we grow spiritually by putting on the healing virtues that unify the body of Christ.
Audio: Whether To Submit To a Teacher
November 24th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
by Matthew Raley
"The Student," Julius Bloch, 1942, Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of the most difficult decisions today is whether to trust a pastor or spiritual leader. This sermon studies how Paul described pastoral ministry in Colossians, draws out some marks of a godly pastor-elder, and gives a hard-hitting defense of pastoral authority against an ethos that has rejected it.
Audio: Deciding What To Do About Truth
November 24th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
by Matthew Raley
"Georgia O'Keefe--Hands," Alfred Stieglitz, 1919, Museum of Modern Art
Decisions of conscience can be a source of anxiety. So in the series Discernment: The Forgotten Art we now turn to the question of how to decide what to do about truth. As a way of framing this kind of decision, this sermon introduces ten categories of relationships described in the Bible. If we can understand how God has ordered our relationships, we can also decide what to do in matters of conscience.
