June 2, 2019 | Kyle Brenon

This week we near the end of our 6-week sermon series “Embrace the Weirdness,” where we have been looking at the fact that sometimes God calls us to do things that are out of the ordinary. In truth, simple obedience to scripture causes the world around us to take notice. Obedience to God in the world’s eyes is just plain weird! As expected, when we follow Christ, we are going to stick out.

This week we move out of the book of Acts into 1 Corinthians where Paul calls us to something really WEIRD! Starting in 12:12 we see that as believers in Christ we are called to unity. Though we may come from different backgrounds, different cultures, even given different spiritual gifts (though by the same Spirit!), we are all called to be unified in Christ. Unity in our culture right now isn’t just rare… it’s pretty weird.

Paul follows this up with perhaps the weirdest thing yet… in Ch. 13 we are told to LOVE one another. If you spend any time watching or reading the news each day, I think you would agree that one of the weirdest things we are called to do is love each other. To truly, selflessly love one another is completely foreign to this world. In fact, it can’t be done in our own strength, but only through the working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who believe. 

May 19, 2019| Kyle Brenon | Acts 19:18-20

This week we continue in our sermon series “Embrace the Weirdness!” For the past three weeks we have been exploring the fact that God often calls us to do things that are not “normal” in the world’s eyes. To surrender to Him in ways that the world just can’t understand, and sacrifice in ways that don't make sense in their eyes. We have not been called to be “normal,” and we are not expected to think the way the world does. If we are truly following Jesus, it is inevitable that we will stand out like a sore thumb. In Acts 18 -19 we follow Paul through Corinth, Antioch and Ephesus where a complicated mix of culture, theology and politics plays out in front of him (Hard to relate to that right?!) and it all comes together in Ephesus when a riot breaks out. 

This week we look at two very different responses from those who come face to face with the truth of who Jesus really is. Some reject Him, unable to hear the truth because they hold so tightly to their own kingdom. Yet others hear and believe! They are willing to surrender EVERYTHING in order to embrace Jesus as their savior. Their response is pretty weird!

May 12, 2019| Kyle Brenon | Acts 14:19-20

This week we are continuing in our new sermon series, “Embracing the Weirdness.” For the past two weeks, we have been drawing our attention to the fact that obedience to God is… well, pretty WEIRD.  

We have seen that we are often willing to follow God in the things that keep us from standing out, but when our obedience to Him makes us look weird, we tend to draw the line. Even convincing ourselves that God would never ask us to do anything that would make us look weird, let alone actually BE weird. Oh, but He does!!!

May 5, 2019| Kyle Brenon | Acts 16:25-28

This week we continue with week 2 of our new sermon series, “Embrace the Weirdness!” When we surrender our lives to Christ, we give up the rights to self. Not just some of our rights to self, but all of them. This means everything we do, from the day we first trust Him to the day we see Him face to face, should be done for His kingdom and for His glory. We have been bought at a price!

More often than we realize, God calls us to do things that defy conventional wisdom. Things that appear to be counterproductive to our own comfort, our own plans, and even our self-preservation. 

In Acts chapter 16 we see an incredible example of this as Paul and Silas choose to allow God to use them to reach the very jailer that held them captive. Rather than walking free, they gave up their right to themselves so Christ might be glorified through them. 

Is our desire for obedience and for the kingdom of God to increase, greater than our desire for self? What true freedom Paul and Silas must have known to make such a bold move!

April 28, 2019 | Kyle Brenon | Acts 5:27-29; Acts 5:41-42

Do you ever feel like you just don’t fit in? I know that is an unfair question. If we are being honest, every one of us has to answer “yes.” At some point in our lives all of us feel like we don’t belong. By nature, we have a pretty strong desire to be part of the “group.” Who doesn’t want to be accepted? This in itself is not a problem, but it becomes a problem when our desire to fit in outweighs our desire to be obedient to God!