Pastor Craig's ConSpiritu Blog

The Bearers of the Mysteries All Saints Sunday October 30, 2011 INTRODUCTION:          How do you explain who a saint is? How about someone who is like a grandparent who loves you very much and shows you how to do neat things. A saint is like that. They show us how to live, they show us how to love, they show us what God is like. We have a whole congregation full of people who match this description. We have a congregation full of saints.            Perhaps we need to redeem the word saint from its impossible connotations. Saints in Roman Catholic canon law have developed such a fantastic and idealized   definition that our modern conception no longer matches Paul's. When Paul refers to the "saints", such as when he says "I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your love toward all the saints," he is referring to all the people gathered there in Ephesus who have dec...

Sermon Series: Getting It Together, Part 7 October 23, 2011 Rev. Dr. Craig Strobel The Basic Point The final step of wisdom is to return to your community and offer the gifts of your experience for the betterment of the world. Matthew 25:14-30 For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have mad...

Sermon Series: Getting It Together, Part 6 October 16, 2011 Rev. Dr. Craig Strobel Basic Idea: As we seek to become whole persons in Christ, adopting a set of spirit-guided practices reinforces our new lives fashioned by faith. Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. Opening Joke: An actr...

Sermon Series: Getting It Together, Part 5 October 9, 2011 Rev. Dr. Craig Strobel The Basic Point What we do in the body affects what settles in heart and mind.  Rituals help us enact and embody new life. Mark 7:31-37   Then Jesus returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the ...

Sermon series: Getting It Together, Part 4 October 2, 2011 Psalm 143 Psalm 143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
   give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;
   answer me in your righteousness. 
Do not enter into judgement with your servant,
   for no one living is righteous before you. 
For the enemy has pursued me,
   crushing my life to the ground,
   making me sit in darkness like those long dead. 
Therefore my spirit faints within me;
   my heart within me is appalled. 
I remember the days of old,
   I think about all your deeds,
   I meditate on the works of your hands. 
I stretch out my hands to you;
   my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. 
Answer me quickly, O Lord;
   my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
   or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. 
Let me hear of...