Sermon: “A Contest of Gods”, 1 Kings 17:1-16 (November 3, 2024)

This is a passage all about idolatry. It may not be obvious at first glance, but it’s true. The Ahab mentioned here was the 7th ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel (some 60-odd years after Solomon’s reign ended), and he’s widely considered to be one of – if not THE – worst king in Israel’s history. Scripture itself says that he “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him.”

Not only did he hasten the moral decline of his kingdom, but through his infamous marriage to Jezebel, he became a Ba’al worshiper (Dun dun DUN!). Needless to say, this is an especially bad look for a monarch whose entire reign is predicated on his people’s worship of YHWH. For this reason, we see Elijah coming out of nowhere in his first-ever scriptural appearance to call out the king on his idolatry. The proclamation he makes in verse 1 is a direct challenge to Ba’al’s supposed authority – a false god can’t save you from drought, no matter how long and hard you pray.

Liturgy: 1 Kings 17:1-16 (November 3, 2024)

       *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #730, “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God”

Hymn GTG #732 “Rejoice in God’s Saints”

Sermon: "So That All May Know", 1 Kings 8:28-30, 37-43 (October 27, 2024)

Before we dig into today’s scripture reading, I want to read just one verse from Genesis, which we’ll come back to later on. Remember that in chapter 12 of Genesis, the focus shifts from the world’s primeval history to the patriarchs (and matriarchs) of our faith. In particular, it zeroes in on God’s specific interest in the lineage that will result in the people, and eventually kingdom, of Israel. As soon as the third verse of this chapter, God communicates God’s intentions to Abram without any ambiguity: “All the families of the earth will be blessed because of you.”

Liturgy: 1 Kings 8:28-30, 37-43 (October 27, 2024)

      *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #275, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” [vv. 1, 3, & 4]
Hymn GTG #346, “For the Healing of the Nations” 

Hymn GTG #341, “O God, Show Mercy to Us”

Sermon: “A Biblical Case of Affluenza”, 2 Samuel 7:1-17 (October 20,2024)

For many celebrities, one of the first things they do when they become famous is to buy a new house for their parents.[1] It’s a way to say “thank you” for the support they’ve received over the years, especially if they struggled for a while before making it big. Some, like Chris Hemsworth and Margot Robbie, pay off the mortgage for the house that their parents already own, while others, like Pete Davidson and Justin Bieber, gift their parents an entirely new home.

Others, however, don’t just buy houses for their parents; they buy mansions. Celebrities like Beyonce, Rihanna, and Leonardo DiCaprio each spent multiple millions of dollars to buy new living spaces for their parents. Obviously, these celebs can afford such lavish gifts, and there’s no reason to begrudge them their success, but it certainly puts their prosperity on obvious display, doesn’t it? And regardless of their actual intentions, it makes it absolutely clear to everyone who the family breadwinner is.

Liturgy: 2 Samuel 7:1-17 (October 20, 2024)

     *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #404, “What Is This Place?”
Hymn GTG #60, “Your Endless Love, Your Mighty Acts” (verses 1, 2, & 5)

Hymn GTG #475, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

Sermon: “The ABCs of Boone: We Dream…”, John 14:1-4, 15-21 (September 29, 2024)

Join us as we unveil Boone's new mission statement...

Over the past three weeks, we’ve covered a lot of important ground in Boone’s new Mission Statement: we discussed who we ARE (a safe space for all), what we BELIEVE (Christ commands us to love), and what we DO (create change through worship, learning, and service). All of these are the sorts of things that define us as a community; they’re the sorts of things that someone looking for a new church home might be curious about. But as informative as all this is, it’s also important for us to recognize the goals that we AREN’T quite achieving yet, to name the aspirational aspects of our mission. And so, the last part of the ABCs of Boone outlines what we, as a community, DREAM of being and doing.