When I served at Tapestry Church several years ago, the first place we met was a bar. We had to show up early to set up our equipment, and that meant changing the bar into a place of worship. We weren’t perfect at doing that. I preached one Sunday on being the light of the…
Read MoreSeries: Living for God in a Godless World
Standing on Your Convictions
It’s more important than ever for believers to stand on our convictions, even when there may be consequences for doing so. By “conviction,” I’m talking about a firmly held belief about God or his truth. I’m talking about taking a stand for God even if that stand is unpopular or brings pain. At some point,…
Read MoreHaving the Courage to Speak
Of all the characters in the movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” my favorite has always been the Cowardly Lion. And probably my favorite thing about him is his speech about courage. You know, “What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk?…
Read MoreA Prayer That Can Shake the World
We looked previously at Acts 4, where we saw Peter and John heal a man, only to get arrested for doing so. They were then told to stop talking about Jesus and were released from prison, basically because the religious leaders didn’t know what to do with them. But what did Peter and John do…
Read MoreBlessed are the Persecuted?
One of the greatest and most recognizable sermons in history is the Sermon on the Mount, the teachings of Jesus found in Matthew 5-7. One of the most famous parts of that sermon is what we call the Beatitudes, which comes from the Latin word for “blessings.” The kinds of people listed here are “blessed,”…
Read MoreOn Being Salt and Light
NOTE: The following is an edited re-post of my original post from 8-26-19. A lot has changed since then, but not our calling to be salt and light. I think this post fits perfectly into our discussion of living for God in a Godless world. How can Christians make a difference in the world? Are…
Read MoreConnecting to the Power
Living for God in a godless world requires more than just a simple willingness to stand up for God. It requires more than understanding that we are salt and light. There’s more to it than simply deciding to live out Jesus’s teachings even when those teachings are unpopular. Because once you move from decision and…
Read MoreTaking Time to Pray
I realize that I’m stating my age here, but I have fond memories of being with my parents when they would stop to get gas for their car. Nobody had to get out because the nice man in the white shirt and white cap would come to the driver’s side window with a smile on…
Read MoreResponding to God in Worship
If we’re going to live for God in a godless world, we’re going to need more power than we possess. In our strength, we’ll fail miserably. The pressures to conform and to avoid pain and difficulty will inevitably prove too great. Fortunately, we have a Father who has all the strength we will ever need….
Read MoreHow’s Your Love Life?
To live for God in a godless world, we must stand on our convictions, regardless of the cost, and let’s face it, the cost can be high. We’re going to have to exercise courage, and that courage can only come from God. If we’re going to live for God in a godless world, we’re going…
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