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Author: Lee Ames

Let Us Adore Him 3

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

Luke 2:1-20
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The Christmas story has been shared for almost 2000 years. The sacrifice of Mary and Joseph, the birth of Jesus, and the bad decision-making of an innkeeper all work together to bring us the greatest birth narrative ever told. This week, in our focus on the Christmas story, one would imagine that if the Son of God was entering the world, great care would be taken to prepare a place for his birth. One would also assume that the whole world would be on point, waiting to receive this child. Neither of these two things happened. With no fanfare or great celebration, Jesus was born.
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In our time, we will explore the ancient registration that took Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and consider the role of shepherds in this incarnation story. The events of this night changed the world forever, and studying the people engaged in its unfolding will help us discern our own connection to the greater story.

Let Us Adore him 2

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

LET US ADORE HIM
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Week 2: Luke 1:26-56
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In week two of our series, we focus on Mary and Elizabeth. These two ladies couldn’t have been in more different life scenarios. Elizabeth was older, with life winding down. Mary was young and engaged to be married. Both are pregnant with God at work in their stories. Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit and carrying the Son of God, while Elizabeth is expecting the one prophesied to be the front runner for Jesus to prepare the way. The responses of these two women shape the biblical narrative in great ways, becoming icons of the faith in how they willingly allow God to use their lives to change the world.
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Our study considers what our response might have been to this type of announcement. Would we be willing to sacrifice to the degree of Mary and Elizabeth? Would our faith withstand an untimely pregnancy or even the visit of an angel? Join us as we learn about the sacrifice of these amazing women.

LET US ADORE HIM

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermons.

LET US ADORE HIM
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The wonders of Christmas seem to abound when we gather together on Christmas Eve with fellow believers to celebrate the greatest gift ever given to our broken world: Jesus. We sing songs, light candles, and wrap our hearts around the significance of a child born 2000 years prior; then, as quickly as it arrived, the moment passes, and we move back into our hurried lives.
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But what if there is more? What if we pulled back the veil that separates the natural from the supernatural? What if we recognized that this gift of Christmas is available today, right now? How would we respond? What emotions would rise if we truly understood God’s desire to connect with our hearts?
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Let Us Adore Him is a sermon series exploring real-life responses to our Christmas story. Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, Herod, shepherds, scribes, and even angels all had a response to the Incarnation. Some were nervous, some apathetic, but others responded with obedience, sacrifice, and adoration. What will be our response?
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You are invited to join us as we explore this age-old story that has moved us for thousands of years.

Let Us Adore him 1

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

Matthew 1:18-25
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In week one, we are confronted with the life of a simple carpenter who finds himself in an impossible situation. The Biblical text considers Joseph a righteous man, with his life burgeoning and the hope of marriage and family. The sudden announcement of an unplanned pregnancy flips Joseph’s plans upside down. Later, clarification comes to Joseph in the form of a divinely inspired dream, suddenly making Joseph’s impossible situation an opportunity for obedience.
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It is hard to believe that a deviation in plans to this degree might lead one to a place of worship or adoration. Joseph was caught off guard by this scenario in that a dream would be required to connect him to the greater purpose of this moment. One has to wonder if Matthew’s intention in sharing Joseph's dream might be an intentional nod to Joseph, the dreamer found in the Old Testament text. Both would play a significant role in the greater life of faith.
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Does God still confront us with unexpected opportunities to be obedient? Might we have responded in the same way as Joseph? Join us as we consider Joseph’s response to the Incarnation of Jesus

Living generously 3

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

In our final week of, Living Generously, we turn to an encounter of Jesus in the last few weeks of his life. In Luke 18:18-30, a rich ruler asks Jesus how to obtain eternal life. Jesus quizzes the ruler and finds a person who has allowed his wealth to take prominence in his life. Jesus’ charge, sell all you own, and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, Jesus invites the man to follow Him. But the request proves too difficult, and the ruler walks away disheartened.
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Considering this story and generosity, we must ask ourselves a few questions. Does Jesus want us to sell all we own and give it away? Is our eternity linked to giving? The answers to these questions and so many more are found in the lessons of Luke 18. This study considers the heart and how quickly we betray our faith. We have to be careful not to allow this world's things to become more important to us than our faith in God. Living Generously means recognizing that all we have and all we are belong to God.

Living Generously 2

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

LIVING GENEROUSLY "The Love of Money"
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In our second week of Living Generously, we study the A
postle Paul’s instruction to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul prepares this young pastor for ministry in Ephesus. This letter covers many topics ranging from theology to basic community life instruction.
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Our focus comes from chapter 6 in which Paul offers insights about wealth and the dangers of allowing life to be consumed by its pursuit. This chapter informs our understanding of Living Generously by reminding us that a life of service and generosity leads to the storing up of treasure that is real life in Christ.

Living Generously 1

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

The Widow’s Offering
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In our first week, consider one of the most famous giving passages in scripture, the widow’s mite found in Mark 12:38-13:2. This short story has stood as the standard lesson on proportional giving. The central figure of this story is a widow who chooses to present an offering that goes beyond generosity. This offering was all that the widow had to live on and represented literally the giving of her life. Jesus contrasts her gift with that of those giving out of their abundance. We are left to determine what lesson is to be garnered here.
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Our task in this first sermon is to wrestle with the text leading into this story and immediately follow it to determine if we may have misunderstood the point Jesus was making. Could the widow’s gift be proof of Jesus’ rebuke lodged at the scribes just a few verses prior? Was this sacrificial gift offered as a result of scribes who made a practice of devouring resources while losing sight of their responsibility to care for those like the widow? We will unpack, working through the text, to see what lessons can help shape our hearts as we strive to live generously.

Living Generously

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermons.

LIVING GENEROUSLY
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Society tends to be more generous during the holiday season. We often open our hearts to those around us in ways not typical throughout the year. We might sponsor families for Christmas gifts, purchase food items to offset costs or connect to one of the many local programs that assist those in need in a myriad of ways. It is truly beautiful to see the reach that believers can have when choosing to go beyond themselves.
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Living Generously is a sermon series geared towards wrestling with some of the central scriptures related to generosity found in our Biblical text. So often, series like this are offered in churches and are followed closely by some type of financial ask or campaign. Not this series. The series aims to discover what Scripture says about living a generous life and continuing to do so. One thing is certain: generosity, as well as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, are the outflow of a Spirit-led life (Galatians 5:22-23). New Testament authors anchor these practices in the faith community and how that community shows up in the world surrounding it.
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You are invited to join us as we tackle some of the most well-known stories of our faith while navigating through another holiday season that warms our hearts and offers many opportunities to be generous.

Habakkuk 3

Written by Lee Ames on . Posted in Sermon.

The closing of Habakkuk’s writing is profound. This prophet has been challenged to the greatest degree of his faith. His response to this challenge is found in chapter three. He writes a song of worship. In this song, Habakkuk echoes the story of faith for the Israelites and proclaims God’s salvation and strength to be found in the struggle. This song of declaration can be taken as an affirmation to all who have experienced injustice. God can be trusted!
Join us as we sift through Habakkuk's words to see what hope is offered as we struggle through a world of injustice. Maybe his song of worship can be one that we decide to cling to.