Home > Resources > Sermons > 2008 Sermon Archive

1/6/2008 – Daily Bread, Daily Forgiveness, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 41:26 minutes In the next part of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches that prayer is about daily dependence on God to meet our needs, even though most people in our self-sufficient world do not think this way. We also discover the crucial role that forgiveness plays in our lives and the surprising freedom it can bring. Audio - 4.74 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.9 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 71.1 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 59.3 mb Presentation Slides   1/13/2008 – Puppets and Dresses, Seth McCoy  –  sermon length is 44:33 minutes Is the good news of Jesus Christ really as good in your mind as it was in the mind of Jesus? God's dream for humanity is far more amazing than most of us realize. He wants to "marry" us, to invite us into his family and walk in radical love with us. Audio - 5.09 mb High-Quality Audio - 20.3 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 85.6 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 117.8 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   1/20/2008 – Can God Trust You?, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 40:09 minutes Every day we confront choices that reflect and form our character. Will we live for ourselves, or for the Kingdom? God wants us to be trustworthy for Kingdom service and it’s true that he tests us to refine our character, but he doesn’t tempt anyone. If that’s true, why does Jesus teach us to pray, “lead us not into temptation?” Audio - 4.59 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.3 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 68.9 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 96.3 mb Presentation Slides   1/27/2008 – The Insane Importance of Prayer, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 41:19 minutes Is prayer really that important? Does it really play a purpose in the grand scheme of things? If we believe the Scriptures to be true, it seems that prayer is “insanely” important – so much that we are to pray with “shameless audacity.” Some get bogged down with the idea of prayer because they see it as a religious ritual that is too complex and difficult to do in our regular lives. Yet the reality is that prayer is basically talking with God in an ordinary way about our ordinary lives. Audio - 4.73 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.9 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 64.0 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 157.9 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   2/3/2008 – Scorpions, Eggs and Prayer, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 45:49 minutes We live in a spiritual war zone. We must partner with God to bring about his will on earth as it is in heaven. How can we do this? Simply through prayer! We can impact the world by laboring with God to resist the forces of evil through spiritual warfare. We can join in this battle by praying continually with faith and persistence believing our prayers will impact the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Audio - 5.24 mb High-Quality Audio - 20.9 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 78.6 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 87.9 mb Presentation Slides   2/10/2008 – Scorpions, Eggs and Prayer, part 2, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 42:50 minutes Why does it seem like some prayers work while others don’t give us the results we want? If our prayers don’t seem to work, who is to blame? God? Ourselves? Others? To begin to understand prayer, we must break free from a simplistic and commonly held “magical view” of prayer. There are many variables that affect prayer and faith and how they work together. Audio - 4.90 mb High-Quality Audio - 19.6 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 118.1 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 59.1 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   2/17/2008 – When God Doesn't Make Sense, Scott Abbott  –  sermon length is 37:45 minutes As a person with Muscular Dystrophy, Scott has countless personal experiences that illustrate the principles that Greg taught about in the previous two sermons. Scott has personally wrestled with questions about why some prayers are answered and others are not – most fundamentally related to why he himself hasn’t been healed. Audio - 4.32 mb High-Quality Audio - 17.2 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 63.3 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 62.0 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   2/24/2008 – 1 2 2 2 1, Dwayne Polk  –  sermon length is 38:51 minutes Is hearing God really a possibility? Can we live in a dynamic conversation with God despite so many different voices competing for our attention on a daily basis? In this message, Dwayne explains the basic beliefs that are required for this kind of conversation, and breaks down some of the common obstacles that stand in the way. Audio - 4.44 mb High-Quality Audio - 17.7 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 67.8 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 168.9 mb   3/2/2008 – Taking Back the House, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 41:17 minutes In Luke 11, Jesus talks about this world as a "house" that Satan guards. As Kingdom people, what do we do with that? If we look to Jesus, he simply tells us to take back the house. And how exactly do we do that? We don’t adopt the patterns of Satan and try to overcome violence with violence. Looking again to Jesus, he shows us that the only thing that can overpower evil, and that is self-sacrificial love. Only love can conquer evil; only light can dispel darkness. Audio - 4.72 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.8 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 67.2 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 78.7 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   3/9/2008 – Fighting the Right Enemy, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 48:56 minutes Is there really a spiritual war? Do we believe that there is such a thing as a spiritual reality? If we don’t, we will engage the wrong enemy. Instead of fighting the powers of Satan, we will target other humans, often with hatred and violence. Spiritual warfare practiced through love and prayer is central to the Christian walk, but we need constant reminders in our Western culture that there really is a spiritual war going on. Audio - 5.7 mb High-Quality Audio - 22.4 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 80.2 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 121.2 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   3/16/2008 – Are You in the Game?, Annie Perdue-Olson  –  sermon length is 40:35 minutes Followers of Jesus are called to recognize the spiritual war we’re in and “get in the game” because there is no neutral zone of safety. Casual Christianity is not an option from Jesus’ perspective – he makes it clear that we cannot settle for a comfortable faith. We are called out of safe (and boring!) Christianity into the reality of a war where we stand up for truth in the midst of a world full of lies. Audio - 4.64 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.5 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 71.4 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 70.0 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   3/23/2008 – No Fear, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 45:59 minutes Time is ticking away. Being alive in this world means that we are moving toward death, and to some degree that makes most of us afraid. That fear can drive us to many different sources of worldly security, but the good news (the Easter news!) is that no one needs to live in fear. Audio - 5.26 mb High-Quality Audio - 21.0 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 133.6 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 103.8 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   3/30/2008 – Get Real, Greg Boyd & Scott Boren  –  sermon length is 45:46 minutes In our culture celebrity worship is rampant. Because of their money, talent, and the attention they receive, many of us live through pop icons. Sadly, this same mentality creeps into the church. We can be tempted to elevate church leaders above everyone else and think that the Kingdom happens through them alone. Their prayers count more. Their words are more powerful. Their service is more significant. Jesus came to destroy this thinking! [Focus Scripture: Luke 11:27-28] Audio - 5.24 mb High-Quality Audio - 20.9 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 77.4 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 153.0 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   4/6/2008 – Facing Reality, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 52:42 minutes Jesus didn’t water down his message for the crowds or give them just what they wanted to hear. Jesus called them (and us) to repent – to face reality and turn from living in lies that hinder our ability to participate in what God is doing in the world. God’s Kingdom happens in our lives and in our communities when we repent and line our lives up with God’s way of looking at the world and God’s ways of living. [Focus Scripture: Luke 11:29-32] Audio - 6.1 mb High-Quality Audio - 24.2 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 133.0 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 200.0 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   4/13/2008 – Free to Shine, Dwayne Polk  –  sermon length is 34:43 minutes Jesus came to set us free so that we can shine with his love. But sometimes darkness in our own heart gets in the way of the life he wants for us. Many times our own thoughts, beliefs and feelings are at the root of why we don’t live as Kingdom people. A key to addressing this darkness is to realize that our perceptions are not what’s real, and instead align our thoughts and feelings with God’s truth. [Focus Scripture: Luke 11:33-36] Audio - 3.97 mb High-Quality Audio - 15.8 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 79.2 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 63.6 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   4/20/2008 – Inside-Out, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 44:36 minutes How does true spiritual change occur? Sometimes we focus on the outside and try to change ourselves through what we do. But we don’t become clean by paying attention to external “religious” behaviors. In this sermon we’re challenged with the example of generosity to the poor and learn that becoming clean is an “inside-out” process, where we allow the Spirit of God to transform us on the inside so that our outside behavior lines up with his Kingdom. [Focus Scripture: Luke 11:37-41] Audio - 5.10 mb High-Quality Audio - 20.4 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 118.1 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 89.5 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   4/27/2008 – What Kind of Leadership?, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 47:24 minutes Leaders are crucial to what God is doing to spread his Kingdom. While there are many good church leaders who serve from healthy perspectives, there are far too many who have caused pain by abusing those in their communities. Jesus boldly challenged such religious leaders in his time, and what he said gives us a biblical understanding of leadership and how it should operate in the church. [Focus Scripture: Luke 11:42-54] Audio - 5.42 mb High-Quality Audio - 21.6 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 130.7 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 164.6 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   5/4/2008 – Beyond the Comfort Zone, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 55:23 minutes Some of Jesus' words were very challenging to the people of his time, and for us. One of the traits that he gave strong warnings about was hypocrisy – when our "public" lives don't match who we really are. Keeping these parts of our lives aligned is a major challenge and it almost always requires sacrifice. We don't like to move outside our comfort zones, but it's what is required if we want to partner with God to build his Kingdom. [Focus Scripture: Luke 12:1-12] Audio - 6.43 mb High-Quality Audio - 25.3 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 135.0 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 85.5 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   5/11/2008 – Taking Out the Trash, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 48:20 minutes What does it mean to "get saved?" Many people (especially people in the United States) see salvation as a one time event and the result of "believing" certain things about God. While belief is important, salvation encompasses much more than that. The salvation that God offers is a continual personal transformation where the trash of our old lives is replaced by the beauty of God's Kingdom. [Focus Scripture: Luke 12:1-5] Audio - 5.6 mb High-Quality Audio - 22.2 mb QuickTime Video (mp4) - 138.9 mb Windows Media Video (wmv) - 191.1 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide