Sermons by John Nuxoll (Page 6)
Live Forward (Easter 2021)
After a long season of disruption, normal sounds like a good thing. But what if our normal isn’t so good? Or what if normal misses the mark of the kind of satisfying life we were made for? The resurrection of Jesus was anything but normal for the first disciples who just happened to be the first skeptics too. It was a convention-defying invitation to be something different. Can it be that for us today too?
What it Takes
In our unstable world where public opinion shifts quickly and it’s easy to lose relationships over little things, we could all use a little security and clarity in where we stand with God. Is there any relationship that can offer us more security, hope and belonging than a positive one with our creator? And yet, with so many religions and even so many flavors of Christianity, establishing a clear basis for a meaningful relationship with God is more confusing than…
Blessed the Best
When God doesn’t answer prayers in the way we expect, he can still take our disappointments and make them into something new. But what about those times when the unanswered prayer doesn’t appear to have any long-term gain at all? Is it possible that if we had prayed differently God could have turned an unanswered prayer into a better opportunity?
The Sacred Space of Grieving
As painful as it can be, grief is a normal part of life. But grief misunderstood can bring about disastrous results. Unchecked loneliness, shame and hopelessness can lead to bitterness, a warped sense of reality or even worse. Is there a godly grief that can offer a sense of companionship and hope even when we’ve suffered a great loss? Luke 7:11-17 offers an interesting perspective on grief and shows us how God might be involved in the middle of it.
The Weary Soul Rejoices
Celebrating Christmas doesn’t seem like the right response to 2020. But is there something in the Christmas story that can give us comfort and joy even in a difficult season such as this?
Do Something Different
One of the last things most of us need during this season of disruption is another thing to add to our plates. Is there something different we can do that will energize and empower everything else we’re doing already? Luke is going to tell us a story about Jesus that will show us just that.
Another Mile
The past year has been filled with tension and strife. Everything that has happened on a national scale is affecting us all on a personal level as well. Is there something we could do as a church and as individuals that would enable God to help us bring healing to our places of work, our schools and our homes?
The Long Game
In the face of so much division in difficult and unjust times, is there a way we can engage people in meaningful ways that will bring about real change? An important lesson about God from the book of Revelation gives us a path forward.
Good for the World
With the rise in public tension, it’s become harder to rise above the noise. How can we continue to offer the good of God to the world when people seem to be so upset with one another?
Embracing Your Calling
So many of us are feeling displaced as we continue to wrestle with the changes that have come about from COVID-19. What kind of people will we be on the other end? What kind of opportunity might there be for us to discover who God always intended us to be?
Begin With Prayer
Every person wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves. We hate to feel like we are on the sidelines looking in. But given that “thoughts and prayers” have become a punch line for inaction, does prayer really have a place in making a difference in the world? Could it really be considered a meaningful way of getting involved?
Can You Believe in God and Not in Jesus?
There are a lot of decent people all around the world who believe in God but not in Jesus. Some were raised that way. Some believe in God but are hesitant to accept Jesus because of some personal cost. It might be simpler if there were lots of ways to know God. But would they be true? Can you believe in God and not in Jesus?