Idioms run rampant in America. I said idioms. Things like “You’ve got ants in your pants,” meaning you can’t sit still. Or “Getting your ducks in a row” meaning making proper plans. How about the “Elephant in the room?” Perhaps my use of idioms at the start of the message is the elephant in the … Continue reading The Heart of the Matter
ONE: Call to Unity
Last week I introduced the Vision Statement of the Church of the Nazarene, USA/Canada Region. We looked at the differences between Mission: Make Christlike Disciples in the Nations And VISION, or the way we live that out in our generation, in this day and age. There were 4 parts to the Vision for ministry here … Continue reading ONE: Call to Unity
ONE: From Mission to Vision
Over a year ago, the USA/Canada Region of the Church of the Nazarene sought to understand God’s Vision for ministry in our present day and age. We know the mission: “Make Christlike Disciples in the Nations” but what is it specifically that God has called and equipped us for? (Original message written by Pastor Tim Fisher, Crossroads Community Church. Edited for local context and presented by Pastor Matt Angell of Viroqua Nazarene.)
Easter Text Message
An Easter Sermon from Viroqua Nazarene. Click Here for the podcast of this message. “He is Risen.” “New Phone. Who Dis?” It’s Easter Sunday. People rushing around, dressing up in colorful outfits, going to lunch with their extended families. One would hope they would find themselves in a church, at some point. But why? To … Continue reading Easter Text Message
Palm Sunday Stump and the Hope of Regrowth
They had waited. They had experienced other anointed ones. Told stories of those great figures of their past and the things they did to free and redeem the children of Israel, but somehow, they still ended back in exile, needing not just a savior, but the savior. Who did people put their hope in, looking for new life, but inevitably just left with a stump…the stump of Jesse?
Tool Time (Isaiah 10)
The bible has many exciting things, fanciful things even. Hands appearing out of nowhere in the book of Daniel and writing words on a wall. Donkeys rebuking their owner for hitting them. People tossed into fire and not burning up. But today’s message is about tools that talk back. That’s right! Have you ever been working with a tool and it malfunctions? Hammer slips and smashes your thumb! What a mean hammer! Or the powered screwdriver strips a screw and now you have to leave the screw there or cut it off? I don’t know about you, but I do have a propensity for not talking so nice to my tools when they act up. Today we will be looking at a tools that God used in the bible. Also what happened when that tool talked back.
A Poor Sermon About Poverty
Today’s message is entitled “A Poor Sermon on Poverty.” It's not poor because it’s bad or anything…(well perhaps you can judge for yourself when you are done reading or listening to it.) But rather I want to talk about the reality of poverty and what the bible does say about this topic. The first thing might surprise you. In a society so outwardly focused on political policies that herald themselves as a fix for poverty, Jesus gives us these comforting words: You will always have the poor among you.
Trusting in God & The Folly of Fear
The Lord's Prayer. This prayer pattern that Jesus gives his disciples and down through the ages, gives to us through the reading of his Word, it is something that King Ahaz was missing. It wasn’t and isn’t just a religious chore, but rather a reflection of a clear relationship between a person and God.
The Right Prophet at the Right Time
Now to start today’s post, we actually start 6 chapters into Isaiah. He has an amazing experience with God almighty, it changes his whole life and of course he lives to tell the tale. He became the Right Prophet at the right time. There are stunning similarities to Jesus, who not only was and is the King and Priest, but was the Perfect Prophet for all time. As we get further into this series, we will learn about the Righteous King, who rules with his sword of justice. We will see how God plans to direct his children back to him, but at the conclusion of today’s message it is my hope we will have some active understanding of what has been done for our salvation and what our response should be.
Healing Beyond the Walls
Friends, do you want to know more about the God who can bring the Dead back to life? I sure hope so. Today we will look at a passage where Jesus performed his second miraculous sign, a sign of healing - one that can’t simply be ignored. It can’t even be ignored by the hardest of hearts. My goals For this message are: to read and listen to The Scripture, reflect on it, then point out a couple big ideas from The passage that seem especially relevant to our current situation.
Viroqua Naz 