Sermons by John Nuxoll (Page 2)
Faithfulness for the World
We all have special responsibilities and roles we are called to fulfill. But sometimes when something doesn’t go as expected—especially when we lose something—it’s tough to keep going. Is there a life that can be enjoyed when so much in our lives can be taken away? And can that life be good for those around us too? Revelation 13 sheds some light on that.
Messy Mission
Church, like family, can be messy. And as church grows and changes, the mess sometimes gets messier. What’s true in the church is true of all of our relationships. If we can’t avoid the mess of relationships, is there a way that we can write a new story for ourselves and the people around us by confronting our fears in the middle of the mess? It turns out that one of Jesus’ most famous stories from Luke 15 sheds some…
The Resurrection and the Life
Have you ever felt like God was passing you by on the way to someone else? Chances are if you’ve ever watched God bless your friends but have unanswered prayers of your own, you’ve felt overlooked by God. It turns out, as the story of Lazarus reveals, sometimes God is working with our story behind the scenes in ways we would have never imagined.
The Bread of Life
C. S. Lewis said: “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” If that’s true, could the desire that’s meant to be satisfied in another world be tasted and experienced in the present? And could we experience that kind of life every day? That’s the question Jesus answers in one of his most controversial messages found in John 6:25-71.
The True Vine
Unconditional love is one of the most prized and beautiful virtues. It gives life to those who receive it and life to those who give it. It’s also substituted for easy alternatives like people-pleasing. And there is no truth, joy and life in any of that. So when people-pleasing threatens to prevent us from enjoying love as it was meant to be, how can we mind the kind of love that gives us life? A message from the life of…
From hostility to Grace
When we’ve been wronged by someone in a personal way, it’s hard to overcome the shame that comes from a loss of agency. And that makes forgiveness or restoration all the more difficult. It makes bitterness and pain hard to beat. How can we continue to be life-giving and relationally healthy when inevitable wrongs rob us of something as important as dignity? Some ancient wisdom from the letter to Colossians sheds some light on that.
From Insecurity to Hospitality
Insecurity may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think about the barriers to building and maintaining a healthy community. But how many times do we hesitate to invite people into our homes because we’re afraid our kids will disobey or they won’t like our cooking? How often do we resist talking to new people because we’re worried about saying something silly or maintaining small talk? Hospitality is life-giving and it helps us to be better…
No Words (Christmas Eve Message)
When we have certain expectations and the result goes a different way, we look for a place to put our disappointment and often deflect it onto others. Sometimes, we’ll even blame God. If God is in control, why wouldn’t we expect the world to go a certain way? Bad things happen. So how can we know that God hasn’t let us down? That may be the very question that was on a young teenage girl’s mind as she and her…
Faith works
Saying yes to Jesus and helping others do the same can lead to purposeful and life-giving journeys of faith. But many of us struggle to talk about our faith or struggle to share our faith well. One of Jesus’ first disciples learned the key to sharing faith in powerful ways even in the face of opposition. And we can put that into practice for ourselves.
Wisdom for the Heart
Words are powerful. They can change people’s lives. They can change the world around us. But they also hold the keys to changing our own hearts.
The Goodness of God in the Hardships to Come
Doubt comes to all of us. And it comes especially hard in difficult times. It can have damaging effects on our relationships and our relationship with God. But could doubt be reigned in and used to help us endure and experience the goodness of God when hardship comes knocking?
Deeper
Broken relationships can result in broken insides too. Can the same be true for someone’s relationship with God? If there was something to do to sustain it when circumstances are bad and the positive feelings are gone, what could we do? Psalm 130 may just hold the answer.