Today’s Sermon of the Week April 19

This is is how I have been delivering services the last few weeks. While I am really looking forward to getting back to preaching before my congregation, I have to admit, I am pleased to be learning some new methods of delivering worship and am considering ways to use some of the things I am learning to take the Gospel beyond the walls of the church.
https://www.springfieldbrethren.com/sunday-service-april-19-2020/

Easter Sunday Service

I know in this time almost every church is closed on Easter Sunday. I know most of us are doing something online, but if you have need of a Worship service, or you’d just like to experience one more. Here is the one I made for my church.
Jesus is risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Esther Series Part 7

I’ve been leading my church through a study on the book of Esther.
Here is the video I created for chapter 7.

Sermon of the Week

Well yesterday was Palm Sunday and we’re looking at the Songs Jesus Sang from the Hallel, Psalms 113-118. This weeks we landed on Psalm 115 and its amazing how well it fits with what was happening on Palm Sunday. Check it out.

Sermon of the Week: 3/29/2020 The Hallel Part 2

The second message in our series on the Songs Jesus Sang, other wise known as the Hallel, a series of six Psalms from 113-118. This week we will look at Psalm 114, a song that demonstrates God’s power over nature and how He fights for His people. It’s a very encouraging message in a time of uncertainty.

Sermon of the Week. Songs Jesus Sang: The Hallel, Part 1, Psalm 113

Here’s the sermon for this week. This is the first in my Easter Series, looking at a series of Psalms (113-118). These were songs that the Jewish people, like Jesus and His disciples would have sung in Passover celebrations. Placing these Psalms up against what was happening in “Holy Week” can really help us to understand even more of the Easter story. I’ve been planning to do this series for months, yet as it came into focus, given our current world situation, brought even more to light.

My Paintings and the Stories Behind Them: Forgiven

Some of my best ideas came from my prayer walks. This was one of those. I knew I wanted to speak on forgiveness, but how could I express it in a way that would stick? I walled a couple of miles when it hit me. At first I just thought I was just being distracted, which happens far too often, but no it turned out to be the right image for the story. I started thinking about Pink Floyd’s album The Division Bell These two monolithic/robotic looking heads that when seen at a distance appear to be one face. Cool design, but the connection didn’t come right away, but then I thought about it. What if instead of two statue like heads, I did two human faces? And what if I make them look like they are about to fight. I put large frowns on their faces.

Then at the crucial moment near the end of the presentations, I pick up the paint and join the faces together. The large frown becomes the mustache, and the finished product is one face, the face of Christ. The idea is simple. There are many things that would keep us in conflict but there is one who gave His life to bring us together. For the message text I use Matthew 18, starting with Jesus teaching about how to deal with conflict and moving into the parable of the unforgiving servant. Here’s short clip to show you how it goes.

How would you illustrate forgiveness?

Sermon of the Week: 3/15/2020 Restoration

Well the Corona virus scare necessitated the closing of church for the week, but that’s not going to stop God’s Word.

Scripture Reading: John 19:16-30

¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. ¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. ¹⁹ Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. ²⁰ Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹ The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” ²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” ²³ When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”^[a] So this is what the soldiers did. ²⁵ Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,^[b]here is your son,” ²⁷ and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. ²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished,and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (NIV) Sermon: Pastor Dave Weiss

The Challenge The fact of the matter is in spite of all that is going on around us. God is really good, all the time. He is constantly at work in our world restoring us to Himself. He loves you completely and utterly. If you have never asked Jesus into your heart to be your Lord and Savior, all you need to do is pray and ask Him, and place your faith and trust in Him. If you need help to do this, please contact Pastor Dave. God is good and He will come through.

Springfield Church of the Brethren, 3/1/2020 Here Come the Greeks

in this message we’ll look at the changes and blessing that come with church growth, by looking at what happened when the church first became “multicultural.”

Springfield Church of the Brethren: Message of the Week: 2/23/2020 Esther 5

This message is the fifth in our intermittent series on the book of Esther. In this one, we look at Haman’s pride coming before a great fall.