Through the Dark Forest
What does it mean to follow Jesus? We often get discouraged when we fail in our discipleship or undergo trials and temptations. It can be tempting to resort to easy answers and solutions when Christ is calling us to the cross. He often leads us where we do not want to go. This Sunday is the Feast of Peter and Paul. Join Fr. Ben Williams as we look at the resurrected Jesus’ call to St. Peter and what it meant for him to follow Him.
The Most Important Question
What is the most important question in life? Jesus once asked his disciples who the crowds said he was. Next, he asked them who they said he was. This week, Mr. Matt Wright asks this question to each of us. How we answer will determine whether we will pick up our own crosses and follow him.
Casting & Mending
When Jesus began his public ministry, he preached a very simple message. “The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the good news.” This week, we meet the first disciples Jesus calls to follow him: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Fr. Ben Williams looks at the significance of what these disciples were doing when they were called. The message Christians are to continue proclaiming must be accompanied by the call to repentance. Otherwise, we are casting broken nets as we seek to obey Jesus’ call to fish for men and women.
Conformed to the Image of His Son
What is your destiny? This word may not be a part of our daily vocabulary but in Romans 8:26-34 St. Paul uses it to describe God’s will for all those who love him. In fact, he pre-destined, or predetermined that his children would be conformed to the image of Christ. Join us this week as Fr. Ben Williams explores one of the most controversial passages of the New Testament.
The Roof: Missional Mercy
When Jesus was approached by a lawyer who wished to test him, he asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus’ reply was the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan was a neighbor to a man beaten, stripped, and left for dead because he showed him mercy. As we continue our series on our core values, Missional Mercy serves as the roof of the house we’ve been constructing. It is because God has shown such great mercy to us that we are freed to show mercy to others. This is our calling, our mission, our work, and our vision.
The Front Door: Relational Hospitality
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” These are the words Jesus will say to those who have shown hospitality to the least of these. As we continue our sermon series on the core values at Mission Saint James, Fr. Ben addresses Relational Hospitality by looking at the hospitality Abraham showed the Lord in Genesis 18. As the Jesus has shown hospitality to us, we are to show hospitality to one another and to the stranger as well.
The Inhabitants: Communal Discipleship
The culture of a home is determined by its inhabitants. This week we continue our sermon series on our core values with Communal Discipleship. It is our prayer that Mission Saint James would have a welcoming culture as we seek to conform our lives to the Lord Jesus together. Remembering that Jesus is the Way and that his path led to the cross, we too must prepare for a life of self-sacrifice for the sake of others.