Wawasee Bible Sermon Audio

Part 2 - SERIES: Acts As Acts begins, Jesus tells the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit before they do anything. All through the book of Acts we’ll see the Holy Spirit at work in powerful ways. This all begs the question, who is the Holy Spirit? Before we go any further in Acts, we should be sure to understand who the Holy Spirit is. Jesus calls him the “Helper”, even going so far as to say that we’re better off with him leaving so that he can send the Spirit. Pastor Josh unpacks a brief theology of the Holy Spirit from John 16:5-15, John 14:15-29 and other passages of Scripture. Jesus didn’t leave us alone, he sent the Spirit to help us and empower us for his mission.

Part 1 - SERIES: Acts We begin a new series through the New Testament book of Acts. Pastor Josh covers some helpful background info on the book and works through the first 11 verses of the book. Jesus left us with a mission, but to do it we need his power—we need the Holy Spirit!

Habakkuk | A Prophet with a Problem Habakkuk was an Old Testament prophet with a problem. Specifically, a problem with God. He was troubled both with God's silence and his actions. Yet as we read the book of Habakkuk, we see him discover the solution of living by faith, trusting God to prevail, assured he would come through. We can trust God in the same way through the midst of our own struggles and doubts. (Tom Speicher is the founding pastor of Wawasee Bible.)

Part 14 - SERIES: Parables In Matthew 25, Jesus tells "the Parable of the Talents", giving more instruction on how we should wait for his return. A talent is simply a measurement of weight, and it was often used of money. In his parable we learn that we should wait for Jesus as servants who are commissioned to increase his assets. Following the sermon is a presentation leading into our Annual Meeting for 2022.

Part 13 - SERIES: Parables We’re in the midst of waiting for Jesus to return, and he will. But how are we supposed to wait? On the one hand he says he could return at any moment, and on the other he tells us it could be a long time. Jesus gives a series of vignettes and parables in Matthew 24-25 that are intended to answer these questions. We look at three of them this week.We should wait ready for Jesus’ return so that we’re not surprised when he comes—knowing that we’ll give an account to him, even if his coming is long delayed.

Part 12 - SERIES: Parables In Matthew 24 Jesus’s disciples ask him about the end times, when Jesus will set up his Kingdom on earth and reign as king. Jesus replies with some details around what will take place before his second coming, things we should pay attention to so we’re ready. But it’s important to remember that the purpose of prophesy in Scripture is not so that we can sit around and predict the future, but so that we would recognize God’s hand when things take place. The purpose of prophecy, then, is recognition, not prediction. For every prophecy about Jesus’s first coming, there are approximately 8 more that deal with the end times and his second coming. Every prophecy about his first coming was fulfilled perfectly, and we can have confidence that every one about his return will be as well. Jesus includes a short parable about a fig tree as he encourages us to pay attention to the times—not with fearful hearts but with great hope!

Part 11 - SERIES: Parables Pastor Dave Winters teaches from Matthew 21:28-32 and Jesus's Parable of the Two Sons. Following Jesus means honesty, a change of mind, and obedience.

Part 10 - SERIES: Parables Pastor Craig Clapper preaches from Luke 10:25-37 on the Good Samaritan. The term "Good Samaritan" is used in many places today, but often different than in Scripture. The Samaritan didn't just show compassion and mercy to anyone, but to his enemy. The reactions of the priest and Levite were radically different than that of the Samaritan. Their religiosity became a roadblock to truly following God, and it can be the same today. Religion can be a roadblock to true Christianity. What motivates you to show mercy even to your perceived enemies?

Part 9 - SERIES: Parables Pastor Collin Seitz preaches from Luke 15:1-7 on the Parable of the Lost Sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who diligently seeks us and then carries us back to God. We should be like him. Not isolating ourselves from the world, but being sent into it to love people and invite them to follow Jesus with us. Jesus himself is the narrow road that leads to true life, whereas the wide and easy road leads to destruction. Which road will you choose? And which will you help others find?

Part 8 - SERIES: Parables Jesus was at a banquet at the home of a ruler of the Pharisees when he told a parable about another great banquet. Everyone has been invited to God's party, but many will make excuses not to come. What's your excuse? But those who respond and simply come will be greatly rewarded on that day. In the mean time, they're sent out to invite others to join them.

Part 7 - SERIES: Parables In Luke 12 Jesus teaches the Parable of the Wealthy Man, often known as the Parable of the Rich Fool. He reminds his listeners (and us) to guard their heart from idols. Idols can be any good thing that becomes a “god thing” (and that’s a bad thing!). Anything can become an idol in our lives, from items, to duties, to others, to longings, even sufferings. The Rich Fool idolized his stuff and his comfort, finding his security there—until God revealed to him that he would die that night, and that he was a fool for trusting in his idols rather than being rich toward God. His primary hope was entirely in what was stored away in his barn instead of in God. Where is your primary hope? What’s your barn filled with? Are you rich toward God? Guard your heart from idols, they deal in lies and false hope, but Jesus deals in true hope.

Part 6 - SERIES: Parables Parables | Part 6: God's Fair v. Our Fair Have you ever felt like God was unfair? Sometimes it can certainly feel that way, and in some ways you might argue it's a good thing that he is. Jesus's parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard addresses this head on in Matthew 20:1-16. God may appear to be unfair, yet God is just and generous—so we are called to be just.

Part 5 - SERIES: Parables In the Parable of the Weeds of the Field, Jesus gives instruction on how to live life as his followers in a world that's broken with sin. We're sent to love people—all people—and invite them to follow Jesus with us. No matter who they are, what they believe, what they've done, their ethnicity, their age, their intellect—no matter who they are every human life bears the image of God and is full of eternal dignity, value, and worth. This world is filled with weeds, so keep planting wheat and wait for the harvest.

Part 4 - SERIES: Parables Luke 15:11-32 is often referred to as the "Parable of the Prodigal Son", but when Jesus begins the parable he says it's a parable about two sons, not just one. The younger son demands his inheritance from his father, then takes off, wastes it all, and returns to a forgiving father. But it's a grave error to think that this story is only about one son. It's actually a tale of two sons, one younger and one older. Both want their father's things but not their father. One repents, and one we're left wondering about. Some of us are like the younger son and others are like the older son—both need to repent. Repentance is (1) recognizing I'm going the wrong way, (2) changing my mind (the word "repent" literally means "a change of mind"), and (3) turning around to go the other way (this is the fruit of repentance). The greatest prodigal in this story (the one who is most lavish and extravagant with his resources) is not the younger son, but the dad.

Part 3 - SERIES: Parables Where is your confidence? In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14, Jesus draws a stark contrast between those who trust in their own goodness and those who trust in Jesus's goodness. To the shock of those listening, Jesus proclaims that only those like the tax collector who put their trust in Jesus's goodness will get true and eternal life.

Part 2 - SERIES: Parables Parables are simply stories intended to illustrate and teach. Jesus often taught about the Kingdom with parables in order to help people remember his teaching. He used parables to conceal truth from some, and reveal truth to others. In the Parable of the Soils in Matthew 13:1-23 we see different types of reactions to the Gospel, and we're challenged to tend the soil of our own hearts.

Part 1 - SERIES: Parables Pastor Dave kicks off our new series, Parables, with the Parable of the Hidden Treasure in Matthew 13:44.

Part 4 - SERIES: Bookends God created everything and therefore is the one who assigns meaning to everything, including you. Your identity is received from God, not achieved by you. Satan, on the other hand, is always working in reverse, trying (ultimately in vain) to unravel all that God has woven together. In the end Jesus wins and Satan is crushed. God creates and Satan counterfeits—but not forever!

Part 3 - SERIES: Bookends The first chapters of Genesis and the final chapters of Revelation form strikingly parallel bookends to God’s Story. In this series we’re comparing the two, seeing how God began everything and how he’ll ensure that his original intentions will come to fruition in the end. This week we see that God’s story is bookend by weddings! The very first wedding in history was a small, private, outdoor, garden wedding in Genesis 2. The final wedding in history will be a massive, public, urban wedding in a huge modern city, followed by a big reception complete with great food and dancing! See Revelation 19 for some of the details. God created us lacking and intended marriage (one man + one woman for one lifetime) to vividly illustrate his commitment to us.

Part 2 - SERIES: Bookends The first chapters of Genesis and the final chapters of Revelation form strikingly parallel bookends to God’s Story. In this series we’re comparing the two, seeing how God began everything and how he’ll ensure that his original intentions will come to fruition in the end. This week we look at God planting the Garden in Eden with the intention of Adam & Eve growing it into a City where God would forever live among his people. As we wait for this City, Jesus exhorts us to choose our treasure. For wherever we find our treasure, our hearts and lives will follow.