2/8 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Pastor Aaron Vis (from Renew Community in Ames) preached on the Beatitudes. He talked about them as strange and radical ways of living in the world. He talked about what it means to choose mercy instead of retribution. He talked about the meaning of “purity of heart” as having a heart that is undivided in desiring the things of God. He talked about the difference between being peacekeepers verses peacemakers. And he asked us to consider if we are actually ready...

2/1 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Pastor Suzanne talked about how these “case studies” in the Sermon on the Mount are meant to help us get to not just the appearance of cleanliness, but to deal with the heart behind our actions. She talked specifically about how Jesus instructs us to deal with anger - describing it as a cycle which, if not caught, can lead to contempt, malice, and eventually murder. Suzanne offered 3 movements away from anger. Confess to God.Tell someone you trust and ask for s...

1/25 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Pastor Suzanne talked about how the “Beatitudes” in Matthew 5 are utilize a poetic format that was common at the time to talk about “The Good Life.”Jesus’ descriptions of the good life flipped expectations of that time, and flips the expectation of our time to tell us that “The Good Life” or “The Kingdom Life” looks like being desperate, mourning, merciful, persecuted, and meek. This would have been especially good news to the direct audience Jesus was talking ...

1/18 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Pastor Sara talked about Jesus’ time in the wilderness as a time where Jesus experienced the challenge of hunger and loneliness and sleepless nights. However, in the midst of this challenge and testing, Jesus did what humans across history had been unable to consistently do. He chose to trust God and remain faithful.We now get to lean on the faithfulness of Jesus so that we do not have shame when we fail to accomplish perfect faithfulness. She also talked about...

1/11 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Pastor Suzanne talked about John the Baptist and his call to the people to repent or “turn around” from the way they had been living as a response to the Kingdom of God coming. Pastor Suzanne talked about the ways that we often think about the act of repentance as intended to induce shame, but that is not the biblical understanding of repentance. She encouraged us to think about repentance as following God’s directions to “change course” to keep us heading in t...

1/4 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Pastor Suzanne kicked off our new sermon series called “All Eyes on Jesus” on the book of Matthew. She talked about how the book of Matthew was intended to help us understand how Jesus fulfilled and reimagined the words of the Old Testament. She reminded us that Christianity is a Jesus-centered faith, and therefore we the Old Testament is supposed to help us understand Jesus and Jesus is supposed to help us understand the Old Testament. We are spending some muc...

12/14 Sermon Discussion and Recap

Pastor Sara talked about how “Joy to the World” was not originally a Christmas song - it was a reflection on the second coming of Christ using Psalm 98. She reminded us that our ultimate hope was not in Jesus coming as a baby (though the promise of God with us is a comfort). Our ultimate comfort and hope is in Jesus returning and restoring all of creation. 

Reflection Questions:

Where are you still longing for all of creation to be restored?Is there anyone you co...

12/7 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Sermon Recap

Guest preacher, Pastor Carl Boersma, preached on the song, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” and used Isaiah 11: 1-13, Jeremiah 31:33-34, and John 14: 27 to talk about the ways that the coming of Christ on Christmas Day brings peace. He talked about the 4 marks of that new day: Integrity of heartRelationship with othersPersonal knowledge of GodThe freedom to live fully

Reflection Questions:

Which of the above “marks of Christ’s coming” are you still hoping for...

11/30 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Sermon Recap

Pastor Suzanne started by talking about how songs, specifically Christmas Carols, can shape our faith and help us connect with Jesus.  This Advent, we’re going to let some of the great Christmas hymns help us see Jesus more clearly. “Come O Come Emmanuel” and Psalm 22:19-24  itself invite us to name our longings –  grief, confusion, darkness, and injustice.Jesus is the fulfillment of every longing: Immanuel who meets us in sorrow, Wisdom who guides us, Daysprin...

11/23 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Sermon Recap

Pastor Sara talked about two passages of Jesus’ teachings about money. The first parable about the storehouses us invites us to consider the ways that we prioritize our own comfort and security by storing up our resources rather than the Kingdom. The second passage shows Jesus’ compassion for our real fear and anxiety around money and invites us to trust God by investing our “treasure” where we want our heart to be. 

Reflection Questions:

When you think about mon...

11/16 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Sermon Recap

Pastor Shelvis Smith-Mathers talked about the gospel to the Romans and how the gospel calls us to “Think Different. Act Different. Be Different.”In particular, he talked about how the gospel of reconciliation has been demonstrated in South Sudan in the midst of war and conflict. When we think about the gospel as good news around the globe, Rev. Smith-Mathers encouraged us to live out our faith in ways that are different from the world around us - ways that seek...

11/9 Sermon Discussion and Reflection Questions

Sermon Recap

Pastor Suzanne reminded us that the gospel really is “Good News,” but it’s not easy. She talked the 72 disciples being sent out by Jesus as “lambs among wolves.” They were to go with vulnerability. She reminded us that they were told not to protect themselves or take a lot with them, but instead they were to:Eat what was put in front of them andNot move from house to houseShe reminded us that as we go to live out and speak of the good news, that we go, not at s...

11/2 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions

Sermon Recap

Pastor Suzanne talked about some of the farming parables in Mark to remind us that the kingdom of God is unpredictable, wild, and slow growing. We are not responsible for making the kingdom grow. We are not responsible for the results of the seeds that we plant. Our job is simply to sow faithfully, generously trusting that some of the seeds will take root. 

Reflection Questions:

What about the farming analogy is frustrating for you?What about the farming analogy ...

10/19 Sermon Recap and Action Steps

Sermon Recap

This Sunday we heard from Boaz Nkingi, the founder and president of ICOACH, a ministry that empowers and equips Congolese refugees in Iowa. We also heard from Andrea Cook, the executive director of Johnston Partnership, which is a ministry that works to provide needed resources and services to our community. 

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10/19 Sermon Recap and Action Steps

Sermon Recap

Sara reminded us that as we work to embody and speak about the good news with others, it’s important to remember that we don’t have all the answers, and that it is important to listen well first before speaking. She reminded us of places in the Bible where others either spoke without listening or modeled listening well and longer. Job’s friends didn’t listen well and offered their “right” answers that ended up being wrong. Paul listened and learned about the cu...