Element Christian Church

“To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus,” is to whom the letter of Ephesians is addressed. The letter itself is written in a more formal way than some of Paul’s other writings, which tend to have a rapid-fire pace. Ephesians has a trajectory to it that shows us salvation from God’s point of view in Chapter One, salvation from a human point of view in Chapter Two, and how those both come together in Chapter Three. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

The Not So Little Women series focuses on stories of different women in the Bible. Today, we look at Martha, on of Jesus' disciples. Who was Martha? – She was a disciple of Jesus. Martha was from Bethany, a 2-mile walk from Jerusalem. She was the sister of Mary (of Bethany) and Lazarus. Martha was a ‘get things done’ person and likely had a gift for hospitality. What is her story? – While hosting Jesus at her home, Martha became frustrated with her sister ‘sitting at the feet of Jesus’ while she served Jesus. Jesus spoke truth in love to Martha - teaching her that women and men both can be His disciples, and that ‘being with’ Him supersedes ‘doing for’ Him. Much later, Martha proclaimed her belief in Jesus as Messiah, witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and served a meal in Jesus’ honor. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Merry Christmas Eve. We tend to see Mary and Joseph as people who were overflowing with blessings because God had provided them with the miraculous birth of Jesus. Instead, the reality is that they had just as many questions as we would about a “virgin birth.” Mary and Joseph most likely lived with rumors and innuendos following them most of their life. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

We often prefer to learn lessons from people we like or have an affinity toward. We do not often think that we can learn lessons from those whose lives or choices are “questionable.” All too often, we want to write off the ugly parts of the Bible and only focus on the happy places…or reframe the narratives so people do not look as bad as they actually are. The Bible is not a book that shows us superhuman heroes; it shows us the failures of all humankind and how we, as modern readers, are complicit because we do the exact same things. The Bible’s thrust is to show us that it is only Jesus who can save us, because only He is truly good. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Deborah was the only female judge in the Old Testament book of Judges. Her story is the dream we should have for all the children at Element: that they would grow up to know God, walk with God, lead others to know God, and to speak honestly and truthfully. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Today in our Not So Little Women series, we look at a woman named Abigail who was married to a “worthless” man named Nabal. We meet a few men in this story, yet all of them look terrible and make bad decisions. The only time we see them come back from the brink is when Abigail speaks wisdom into their folly. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

When we see things that look sexist or misogynistic in the Bible, we must understand that those things came about because of the Fall. Rather than a reflection of God’s heart/character, such things reflect the damage of sin in our world and our own rebellion against God. Misogyny is a distortion of God’s original intent and design. Therefore, it’s important to understand God’s redemptive work, as opposed to blaming Him for the faults of sinful people. The book of Esther is meant to show God’s providential care of His people. Providence is “the foreseeing care and guidance of God over the creatures of the earth.” God is not specifically mentioned in Esther, and the absence of His mention is especially striking. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Today in our Not So Little Women series, we are looking at Vashti, a Babylonian queen who was married to the Persian king, Xerxes. • Who is Vashti? Xerxes had many wives and concubines; God shows us what happened to Vashti, one of the relatively unknown wives. The Babylonian rabbis cast Vashti in a negative light, saying she was a “wicked Jew-hater.” The rabbis of Erez Israel (meaning from the land of Israel) portrayed her in a mostly positive manner. They describe Vashti as a “scion of a royal dynasty and deported herself with the proper honor and nobility.” • What happened? Almost all Jewish scholars agree that Vashti was commanded to come before King Xerxes and all of his inebriated officials wearing only her royal crown (naked). Xerxes treats Vashti like prioerty, not like a wife. Esther 1:12 But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Vashti refuses to come and is most likely punished with death. The king’s ego suffers a blow, and he passes laws (while intoxicate

Today we’re looking at Jesus’ remarkable encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in John 4. It’s the longest conversation recorded in the Bible that Jesus has with anyone—man or woman. He disrupts the status quo by speaking with her, crossing cultural and gender boundaries. In this encounter, we witness the boundless nature of God’s grace and love. Jesus challenges us to break down our own prejudices and expectations and to see the worth of every soul. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

We are doing a series, called Not So Little Women, where we look at the stories of different women in the Bible. Today we look at a matriarch of Israel, Rebekah. • Who was Rebekah? – She was Isaac’s wife, the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother, and the mother of Jacob and Esau. • What is her story? – Through specific answers to prayer, God chose Rebekah for Isaac’s wife. Isaac prayed for Rebekah and she conceived twins, Jacob and Esau. Years later, Rebekah instructed Jacob, her favorite son, to deceive his father Isaac so he would receive Esau’s blessing. As a result, Esau planned to murder Jacob, Jacob was sent away for 20 years, and Rebekah never saw her beloved son again. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

We are doing a series, called Not So Little Women, where we look at the stories of different women in the Bible. Today we look at a matriarch of Israel, Rebekah. • Who was Rebekah? – She was Isaac’s wife, the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother, and the mother of Jacob and Esau. • What is her story? – Through specific answers to prayer, God chose Rebekah for Isaac’s wife. Isaac prayed for Rebekah and she conceived twins, Jacob and Esau. Years later, Rebekah instructed Jacob, her favorite son, to deceive his father Isaac so he would receive Esau’s blessing. As a result, Esau planned to murder Jacob, Jacob was sent away for 20 years, and Rebekah never saw her beloved son again. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

We are doing a series, called Not So Little Women, where we look at the stories of different women in the Bible. Today we look at an evil woman named Jezebel. • Who was Jezebel? – She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. She worshiped false gods and led Ahab in the same direction. • What is her story? – She was raised in a cult and then offered in marriage to King Ahab in Israel. As soon as she became queen, she persuaded her husband to promote the worship of various false gods—including Baal and Asherah—among the people of Israel. She orchestrated the murder of the priests of God and conspired to rule Israel through her offspring. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Through the end of the year we are doing a series on stories about women in the Bible. We want to see how God uses all of us for His glory and our good; today we spend time looking at Eve, “the mother of all the living”(Gen 3:20). WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

When reading the scriptures, some people walk away feeling like women are shown to be less than men in their worth or calling. There is much division today about how gender, roles, and God’s calling all intersect. We can see that before the Fall, however, men and women were called to complement each other instead of be in competition with each other. Even in Christian circles, many have lost sight of what the Scriptures actually say about women. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

This sermon marks the end of our 11-week series on forgiveness. Throughout this series, we have seen how forgiveness is a reflection of the gift God has given to us through Jesus— grace and mercy from the Cross in response to our sinful rebellion. This series ends on a practical note of what it means to extend forgiveness and pursue reconciliation with others, including when we have wronged others and when we are the one who has been wronged. It is important to understand that forgiveness is a commitment that precedes an emotional change—feelings like anger can be righteous and healthy as we understand the cost of wrongdoing against us. However, we are called to confront sin lovingly and work toward restoration with those who wrong us. Jesus calls us to overcome evil by not repaying evil with evil, blessing those who persecute us, forgiving without revenge, maintaining relationship (if possible/safe), meeting needs, and acting humbly. The ability to be humble comes directly from our understanding of the Cross

When someone wrongs us, Jesus says we must “pay attention to ourselves” and be aware of our own tendency toward resentment and unforgiveness. The Gospel challenges us in that we must identify with the wrongdoer as a fellow sinner in need of grace. Forgiveness means we inwardly pay the debt of the wrongdoer ourselves instead of seeking revenge; this is a reflection of what Jesus has done for us through the cross. Complete, Biblical forgiveness is willing the good of the wrongdoer as we seek their restoration. One assumption that informs this is that evil is separate from the person who has committed evil. We see in Scripture how God works redemptively in places of evil and brokenness to bring about good. Reflecting on Christ’s sacrificial love humbles us out of pride, affirms us out of inferiority, and inspires us to forgive. When we understand the costliness of grace, it transforms our hearts to be more forgiving. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

This sermon focuses on understanding the difference between true guilt (for objectively wrong deeds) and false guilt (disproportionate feelings). Secular approaches to “self-forgiveness” fall short because they leave out our vertical relationship with God that was broken by sin. True repentance before God involves fully owning our sin without blame-shifting, self-pity, or self-flagellation. It requires confessing the wrong and forsaking it through changed attitudes and actions. Through repentance, we move from being weighed down by guilt to rejoicing in God’s forgiveness. Many struggle to forgive themselves, because they don’t grasp the depths of their own forgiveness in the Gospel. However, Scripture shows us that we can have humility about our sin and confidence in God’s grace. Understanding Christ’s substitutionary death for us empowers us to turn from sin and live in the forgiveness we’ve received. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

This week’s message focuses on the role of guilt/shame in understanding our need for forgiveness. Many today seek to avoid or dismiss the concept of guilt or shame, or even attempt to cover it through their own efforts. A Biblical worldview clearly names and describes the implications of the Fall—humankind’s rebellion against God and the unraveling of our world—and depicts how we are unable to rescue ourselves. As a result of this rupture, we are faced with shame and anxiety as we grapple with our own brokenness. However, the Gospel is truly good news, as it tells us Jesus doesn’t just make us righteous through His sacrifice, but is also working to bring restoration and shalom. Our forgiveness and reconciliation of one another can be seen as part of this restorative work. When we can humbly admit our need before God and receive His grace, we can more eagerly move toward each other in love. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

This week’s message on biblical forgiveness focuses on how forgiveness aims to restore community. God’s forgiveness of us individually is meant to be reflected in our own relationships with other broken people. Scripture calls us to rebuke those who sin against us, but also to forgive endlessly. This combines confronting wrongs while being willing to reconcile when the other party is willing. The Passover shows that all are guilty and substitution is the only way to satisfy justice and love—Jesus’ death is that substitution for us. Mark 11 and Luke 17 give a nuanced view - we can forgive inwardly even without the offender’s repentance, yet full reconciliation requires their repentance. These passages show how forgiveness entails an inward attitude and an outward action. Both are vital—inner forgiveness alone risks enabling harm, while outward forgiveness alone risks being transactional. Forgiveness promotes justice by confronting evil out of love, like Jesus’ command to love our enemies. This distinct love

A reading of the white paper “Justice: The Foundation of a Christian Approach to Abuse”, written by Jacob and Rachael Denhollander. Read by Nicole Pruett WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE