Wawasee Bible Sermon Audio

Part 4 - SERIES: Generous God is incredibly generous to us, it's his very nature. He's also created us in his image, to mirror him in the way we live—including being generous ourselves! Every good thing we have is a gift from God, and our giving (and overall generosity) begins with how we receive good gifts from him. Do we really recognize that all we have is his? Am I a "sponge" with the good gifts he gives, always trying to hold on to as much as I can, or a "hose" that operates as a conduit, receiving his blessings so I can bless others? Giving begins with receiving and reveals your heart, setting the stage for God's blessing.

Part 3 - SERIES: Generous No matter how much we get, it's never enough—unless it's Jesus. We're hardwired "wanting" and lacking. God did this so we'd long for him, he's the only one who makes us whole, complete, and content. When we search for happiness we're usually longing for contentment which is in Jesus, not stuff.

Part 2 - SERIES: Generous When we speak of who God is, we’re speaking theologically of his attributes or his character. We often talk and teach about God’s love, sovereignty, infinite power, and holiness among his other attributes. And rightly so, because he is all of these things! But we don’t always consider his generous nature. God’s attributes can be thought of in two categories: incommunicable and communicable (those he does not share with us and those he does). Generosity is one of his communicable attributes, one he shares with us. God’s very nature is to be generous and give good gifts.

Part 1 - SERIES: Generous God so loved the world that he… gave. Our God is lavish in his generosity and during this Advent season we’re taking time to consider his generosity. At Christmas, we remember that God gave. He gave his Son, and Jesus gave his life—all out of love for us. Ephesians 2:1-10 shows us that God’s generosity saves us from eternal danger, saves us by Jesus, and saves us for good works. How will you image Jesus be generous yourself this Christmas season?

Part 5 - SERIES: The Heart of Christ Jesus is our advocate, and when he ascends to be with the Father he promises to send another Helper. The Holy Spirit is that helper. Many struggle with their understanding of the Spirit, thinking him to be an impersonal force or thing. But the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and is a person. He is a person who helps us in many ways, including experiencing the heart of Jesus in both rational and relational ways. The Spirit, in all that he does, glorifies Jesus Christ. He does not and will not and cannot lead or act in a way that is contrary to the heart of Jesus and the Word. The Spirit helps us experience Jesus’s heart and the Father’s heart toward us. (This series is based in large part on insights from the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund.)

Part 4 - SERIES: The Heart of Christ Have you ever stopped to consider what Jesus is up to right now? Functionally, we might tend to think that following his ascension Jesus doesn’t have much to do but wait around for his glorious return. Scripture says otherwise. Jesus is as engaged, interested, and invested in our lives today as ever. Romans 8:34 reminds us that he is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that he lives to intercede for us! 1 John 2:1-2 says he even advocates for us when we sin. Jesus has accomplished our atonement, justification, and redemption through his death, burial, and resurrection. He is now applying it to our lives through his intercession. Jesus saves to the uttermost by interceding and advocating for us! (This series is based in large part on insights from the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund.)

Part 3 - SERIES: The Heart of Christ Our default is to think that Jesus will eventually grow tired of us. That his love for us is somehow conditional upon us and is in danger of running out. This is because that's how WE are. But thankfully Jesus is not like us! We see in John 6:37 and elsewhere that he will not forsake his own. In a world of rejection, Jesus will NEVER cast you out—so you can always run to Jesus! (This series is based in large part on insights from the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund.)

Part 1 - SERIES: The Heart of Christ Much like our ancestors Adam and Eve, our default when we sin is to hide from God, not to run to him. But in the Gospels we see that Jesus’s deep desire is for us to come to him. That he doesn’t hold us at arms length in our sin, but draws near so that he can rescue us from it. Because of his deity he has the power to forgive and save us, and because of his humanity he can sympathize with us and suffer with us. In other words, he gets it. We’re in Hebrews 4:13-5:2 this week. Jesus can deal gently with us and delights to—COME TO HIM! (This series is based in large part on insights from the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund.)

Part 1 - SERIES: The Heart of Christ We start a new series based in large part on insights from the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund. Who is Jesus at his core? What is the essence of his heart toward his own? In the Gospels there is only one time when Jesus describes his heart in his own words. In Matthew 11:29 he tells us that he is gentle and lowly in heart. We explore what Scripture means by our “heart”, and then begin to unpack what it means that Jesus’s heart is gentle and lowly. He calls us to come to him, take on his yoke, because he is gentle and lowly in heart and he proves it over and over.

Part 5 - SERIES: PEARL Most Christians don’t feel up to or able to share their faith and engage in evangelism, but a simple five-step strategy makes it possible for everyone! In our final installment of this 5-part series, we look at the essential nature of love. Loving people tangibly is key to their receptivity of the Gospel. Jesus demonstrated this in profound ways like his death on the cross and in simple acts of friendship and service, like washing the disciples feet. We close the series by studying the reactions to Paul's presentation of the Gospel in Acts 17, noting that we often face similar reactions today. When we share the Good News, we also can expect various reactions—but God will keep working so we must keep loving!

Part 4 - SERIES: PEARL Most Christians don’t feel up to or able to share their faith and engage in evangelism, but a simple five-step strategy makes it possible for everyone! In part 4 of our series through this strategy, we look at the principle of revealing your story and God's story. By God's design, story is a powerful tool in communication and relationship. All of us are natural story tellers and story seekers, and the reason is that every good story is ultimately an echo of God's story. Are you able to share God's story of redemption in Jesus? And are you willing to share your story of relationship with Jesus? Stories are powerful, so be able to share God's story and ready to share your story! Pastor Josh offers some tools to help you do just that in this message.

Part 3 - SERIES: PEARL Most Christians don’t feel up to or able to share their faith and engage in evangelism, but a simple five-step strategy makes it possible for everyone! In part 3 of our series through this strategy, we look at the principle of asking questions. Jesus was the master at this. Jesus asked questions 307 times in the Gospels compared to only 8 times where he gave answers. Rather than be “preachy” with people far from God, Jesus asked questions to learn their story, and their heart, and get them to think about spiritual things. We see Paul do something very similar in Acts 17 with the Areopagus. Good questions engage others by showing genuine interest in them, learning their spiritual journey, and encouraging them to think deeper.

Part 2 - SERIES: PEARL Most Christians don’t feel up to or able to share their faith and engage in evangelism, but a simple five-step strategy makes it possible for everyone! In part 2 of our series through this strategy, we look at the principle of eating with people. Jesus did this often. He ate with those close to him and those far from him. He was deliberate to spend time with those far from God. We also see this in the life of the Apostle Paul. Jesus himself said, "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking…" Jesus used meals to connect with people and let them see who he really is. It was a brilliant strategy that slowed people down and allowed Jesus to engage in genuine friendship with those far from God. We'd be wise to follow his lead!

Part 1 - SERIES: PEARL There is simply no greater gift than helping someone find eternal life and reconciliation with God. Most Christians don’t feel up to that task, and yet a simple five-step strategy makes it possible for everyone! We start by looking at the step 1 of this strategy—Pray. Evangelism is helping people find Jesus, and it begins by praying.

35th Anniversary | Not Done Yet! We celebrate 35 years this morning as a church! Pastor Josh interviews two of the founding couples of Wawasee Bible and a handful of brand new couples. Then we look at Philippians 1, and God's promise to finish the work he's began in us as a church. He's not done yet—and it's all because of Jesus' grace!

Part 4 - SERIES: It's All About Jesus! Willy Tops is our guest this morning. If you are in Christ, you are no longer a sinner saved by grace, but a saint saved by grace. No longer a sinner who sometimes does good things, but a saint who sometimes sins. Your primary identity, after becoming a Christian, is that of a saint.

Boat-In on Lake Wawasee | September 5, 2021 A couple times each summer Pastor Josh preaches at Boat-In Worship on Lake Wawasee. This time we got a rough recording as Josh preaches from Matthew 28:20. Have you ever wondered if God is really near? Jesus promised he would be, and he keeps all his promises. Pay Attention! Jesus is with you, always, to and through the very end!

Part 3 - SERIES: It's All About Jesus! In Part 3 of our short series through Colossians 1:15-23, we see that life—real life, true life, abundant life—is all about Jesus! Do you long for that type of life? To experience it, you must first be reconciled to God. Jesus reconciles us, he restores a friendly relationship between you and God, and you and other people. While you were far off and deserving of God's wrath, Jesus paid your debt and drew you near! Will you be reconciled to him and become a friend of God? When you do, you get true life—and it's all about Jesus!

Part 2 - SERIES: It's All About Jesus! In Part 2 of our short series through Colossians 1:15-23, we look at the fact that the Church is all about Jesus! What is the church? It's both local (some of God's people in a particular location at a particular time) and universal (all of God's people in all places throughout all time). We also consider a handful of things the church is not. When we say "It's All About Jesus!", are we neglecting the other persons of the Trinity? The Father and the Spirit? Jesus is the head of the Church, the Senior Pastor of the Church, and in the end the Church exists to worship Jesus, love Jesus, and help others know Jesus. The Church is all about Jesus!

Part 1 - SERIES: It's All About Jesus! Colossians 1:15-23 contains one of the most eloquent descriptions of Jesus ever penned. We kick off a short three-week series through this passage titled after our first Core Value: "It's All About Jesus!" Jesus is God. He's Lord of all and must be FIRST in everything. Yet in our sinfulness we're experts at pushing him out of the way and making ourselves first. Is Jesus first in your life? Are you quick to repent and turn, yielding first place back to him when you try to take it for yourself? That's our focus this week, because it is ALL about Jesus!