2021 Sermons

When we hear the word “connect” or “connections” what do you think of? Often, we think about connecting with people. Or we talk about naturally having a bond with someone you connect well with. Or we may be referring to our effort to reach out and relate to someone. Yes, when we associate with a relative or friend, we feel connected.

We also speak about connecting the dots. Making sense of a larger picture by bringing together the smaller pieces gives us better clarity and greater connectedness. In many ways, life is about connectivity. Wholeness is experienced when we as individuals connect our mind, soul, and body. Greater oneness is often a means to increased health.

We also need connectivity with other people. Beginning while still in our mother’s womb, throughout childhood and into adulthood, close links to family, friends, groups, etc. are vital for wellness.

Spiritually, a loss of connection with our Creator, His people, His plan for our life and His world, can easily lead to searches for meaning in life, unanswered questions, unanchored beliefs, fears for the future, loss of inner strength and courage, misconceptions about reality, etc.

Our God is a relational being. He created humans as spiritual beings so that He could relate to us and us to Him. He shaped humans as social beings so that we could/would relate to one another in friendships, covenantal relationships, experiences, etc. He endowed us with intellects to be able to think and reason with one another and to seek to understand the reality He created for us to enjoy! And, to make sense of what has gone wrong within creation since Adam and Eve stumbled.

So, when it comes to connectivity, there are various meanings and experiences involved. Each is an area of intrigue and value.

In our next series of Sunday sermons, we will engage a broad spectrum of themes that relate to the topic of connectivity. We will work at “Building Connections” over the next 2-3 months. Connections that are deeper, broader, healthier; more meaningful, lasting, and mutually beneficial; increasingly secure, enjoyable, and wholistic. And of course, more inline with God’s reign through Jesus! Without that undergirding connection, the rest will not be connected to what is most vital!

Dying for What?

online

L. Hiebert
Philippians 1:19-26

How do we relate to those who are considering Medical Assistance in Dying as a way to end their lives? What does the Bible say? How does our Anabaptist Theology inform our view of this issue? God enables us to live and die for His glory!

For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
-- Romans 14:7-8

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Coming to Agreement

online

L. Hiebert
Exodus 5:22-6:8

God calls people into relationship. But they are not loosely formed but rather involve mutually-binding commitments of loyalty and faithfulness. The Old Testament points to the New Covenant that God will make with His people through Jesus! God’s gracious covenant making becomes the manner in which we are to relate to one another as we follow Jesus together.

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart...

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Living Out Agreement

online

L. Hiebert
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
-- 2 Corinthians 6:16

Talking Jesus

online

L. Hiebert
Romans 9:30-10:21

We regularly talk hockey or the weather. But sadly we are less likely to Talk Jesus! We will review the importance of how God has been Talking Jesus and expects us to do so as well.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
-- 1 Peter 3:15

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