Compass Weekly Sermons

Most of our lives, in one way or another, revolves around money. We need money to live, to eat, and to provide for our families. Much of our time is oriented around the pursuit of those needs. And money is a fine tool, according to the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, but it is a terrible god. In this sermon, John Ely exposes the god of money for the fraud it is. It promises control, pleasure, and power, but in the end, it doesn't satisfy.

The world around us has a way of using power that means "I win, you lose." Power is about authority, coercion, the ability to make others do what you want them to do. That kind of power naturally leads to the oppression of many. In this sermon, Pastor Will discusses Ecclesiastes 4 and compares the normal "economy of power" in the world with the "upside-down" vision of power that Jesus has. Which one will you choose?

One of the fundamental problems that many of us face is we think we have control over our lives. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes knew better. He describes human life as fitting within a larger framework, out of the control of human hands. In this sermon, Adam Hendricks talks about the seasons of life in Ecclesiastes 3, reassuring us that the One controlling the seasons cares for us through it all.

(Note: This sermon is PG-13 in portions). Our modern world is full of the pursuit of pleasure. And the Preacher of Ecclesiastes certainly understood pleasure. He had extensive resources and could pursue anything that he desired, and he did! In this sermon, Pastor Will explains that the god of pleasure offers everything and leaves us with emptiness. The God of the Bible offers true joy and pleasure, but often we have to wait for Him. What choice will you make?

Who are you? Some of us might be tempted to answer with our profession: "I'm a teacher." "I'm a plumber." "I'm a pastor." In this sermon, Dan Kruer cautions us to find a godly balance with how we view work. When viewed wrongly, work can become onerous for many reasons. When viewed well, work is something we do because God designed us to work and because we can work for Him. That shift in perspective will help us navigate a life filled with responsibility and labor.

When we begin to read Ecclesiastes, we might be tempted to pay the Preacher no mind. He has a dreary story to tell, and we don't want to think about that right now. But the Preacher calls us in deeper to consider the truth, to shine the light in dark places. In this sermon, Meghan Wierwille talks about how God calls us to His living water instead of the cisterns that we build on our own. Our gains pale in comparison with God's plans for us in eternity.

What is the meaning of life? What do we do when life doesn't go the way we expect it to go? These questions are worth wrestling with. This new series on Ecclesiastes will help us dig into our lives to search for what matters and what lasts, which is foundationally found in relationship with God through Jesus. In this sermon, Pastor Will explains a bit about the series and wisdom literature before describing what life looks like "under the sun." Everything is vanity, fleeting, absurd, and meaningless for its own purpose. As we enter into the valley together, we can expect God to remove things from us as we cooperate with His loving hand. As we emerge on the other side, we should expect greater clarity of purpose and vision for what truly matters and lasts.

Preaching the gospel requires understanding the gospel and having the boldness to speak to others about the good news. But that's not all that is required. In this sermon, Rev. Leon Weller explains that the power of God is vital to preaching the gospel. God works within us as we boldly share the good news, and He often opens doors for us to see His power in operation.

We all like to think that we understand love. As Christians, we pride ourselves in being the people of love. But how closely are we really following Jesus in loving others? In this sermon, Adam Wierwille explains that loving God is largely about loving others. And loving others often comes with a cost. We should be willing to follow Jesus fully and completely by loving unconditionally.

In the next four weeks, we will be exploring the four core values of our church. This week, Pastor Will taught about the foundational core value: love God. Loving God is foundational to the rest of Christian living. In this sermon, Pastor Will talks about the first commandment, how obedience and love work together, and how God relates to us as a loving Father. You won't look at obedience the same!

The end of the Bible looks remarkably similar to the beginning. In the end, God wins, humanity is restored, and creation is made new again. In this sermon, Pastor Will works through Revelation 21 and 22, showing that humanity's greatest desire and need is fulfilled by God's plans in the end: we will experience the presence of God in the kingdom.

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans that we have the ability to walk in newness of life. We are to be slaves to righteousness instead of slaves to sin. But how do we do this? For Paul, we need more than knowledge and more than the Law, we need the spirit. In this sermon, Pastor Will walks through the first portion of Romans 8, showing that we should identify with Christ and cooperate with the work of the spirit in our lives. This is the way to truly live.

The Christian conversion experience is a powerful thing. Conversion takes us from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light and love. In this sermon, Jason Carter walks through Romans 6, showing that Christians trace the path of the exodus from slavery to sin into freedom in Christ. We can walk in newness of life because of what Jesus accomplished!

Genesis 1 and 2 aren't the only places we find creation patterns in scripture. In this sermon, we begin the second half of this sermon series by looking at new creation. In this sermon, Pastor Will walks through Colossians 1, showing us that life has been changed because of the coming of Christ. We have been redeemed, set free, and brought into the kingdom of God. And now Jesus is exalted above all of the powers. When we follow Jesus, we are living up to the image of God we were created to be. Our life can represent new creation.

In Genesis 1 and 2, specific things are said about humans created in the image of God. One important pattern is the pattern of "Male and Female." In this sermon, Pastor Will walks through Genesis 1 and 2, showing that men and women are equally created in God's image, both made for dominion. As we see throughout creation, God desires unity and not uniformity. Our differences are beautiful as we all follow Jesus together.

Once God created humanity in His own image, He gave us three important gifts. First, God gave us meaningful, dominion-quality work to perform. Second, God gave humans a day of rest every week. Third, God gave the first humans community. In this sermon, Pastor Will explores these three patterns and how they affect our lives as Christians today.

In the midst of the creation narrative found in Genesis 1 and 2, another striking moment happens. The pinnacle moment of the creation is when God creates humanity. Join Anna Brown as she untangles layers of meaning found in comparing Genesis to other ancient documents, revealing a God who loves his creation made in his image. What you will find will change how you view this passage, and humanity, forever.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Perhaps the most familiar and recognizable words from scripture, the first verses of Genesis 1 tell a story about creation. Or do they? In this sermon, Pastor Will travels back in time to show that Genesis 1 is about the Creator more than the creation. The initial audience would have heard Genesis 1 as an answer to their questions about God primarily, not as a scientific explanation of creation. We would do well to hear these words the same way today.

As humans, we grow up learning to observe patterns all around us. In the Bible, one of the most common and prevalent patterns could be called the cycle of failure. God creates something good, humanity recognizes it as good, and we start with obedience. But eventually, we decide that we know more than God and then comes the fall and failure. This cycle repeats over and over until Jesus comes. In this sermon, Pastor Will talks about the good news that Jesus was always obedient, that he gave his whole life as a sacrifice for us, and he was raised from the dead. Jesus broke the cycle of failure, and God broke the cycle of death.

At the end of the book of Acts, we find the apostle Paul being faithful to the end. Paul is preaching the gospel of the kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ from the beginning of his ministry to the very end. In this sermon, Pastor Will traces the centrality of the gospel of the kingdom of God, showing how important it is for us to be able to share this same message with others. We are the continuation of this great mission to disciple others.

In Acts 16, we find the apostle Paul in Philippi, a city of major Roman importance. As Paul navigates life and ministry in this city, one decision seemingly leads to catastrophe. He ministers to a young slave woman, and she has a demon cast out of her, kicking off an incredible series of events. In this sermon, Rev. Leon Weller walks through Acts 16, showing that God is there with us even in our lowest moments, that miraculous things can happen anytime, and that we can always walk through life looking on the bright side.

One of the unfortunate aspects of human nature is that humans are not impartial. Social scientists have proven again and again that we are prejudiced and experience partiality. In the first century church, they had problems with partiality as well. In Acts 10, we find Peter bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. But as John Ely points out, there is much more to the story here. We find that Peter is cooperating with the work of the spirit, and we can, too.

Paul was living life the way he thought God wanted him to live. He was a diligent Pharisee, he studied under the best rabbi, and he was going places. Then everything changed when Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. This meeting forever changed Paul, but Paul had to cooperate with the heavenly vision - he had to repent and submit to the spirit's leading over time. Paul is an example to us of how no one is too far gone to feel the love of Jesus.

In Acts 8, we find the story of a man named Philip. Philip's time in ministry begins in Acts 6 with food distribution. In Acts 8, we find him continuing the mission of spreading the gospel and healing people like the apostles did. And then, we can fast forward to Acts 21 to find Philip as a faithful husband and father. Philip shows us that we can be faithful to follow Jesus in every stage of life.

The early church faced obstacles and opposition. No one understood this better than Stephen. First called to take care of widows, Stephen performs miracles and shares the truth of Jesus with wisdom and authority. This gets Stephen into trouble. In this sermon, Pastor Will explains the lead up to the death of Stephen, showing that faithful disciples trust Jesus in life and in death. We hope to never face such difficulty, but if we do, we should hope to have the kind of courage and love that Stephen displays.

In the beginning of Acts 6, we find another instance of where the danger to the church came from within. Conflict comes into the church, and the church handles it with openness, teamwork, and honesty. In this sermon, Rev. Leon Weller walks through Acts 6:1-7, showing that speaking up in a godly way helps us to solve problems in community. There is no perfect church, just people who commit to follow Jesus faithfully together.

The early church was facing persecution from outside the church in Acts 4, and in Acts 5, we find them facing an entirely new challenge. The challenge of Ananias and Sapphira was the first challenge from within. In this sermon, Pastor Will unpacks this difficult passage, encouraging us to be totally honest with ourselves and with God.

The week of the crucifixion was a difficult week for Peter. He was full of fear and anger, and those emotions led him to act in humiliating ways, including betraying his master three times. Mere weeks later, Peter finds himself alongside John in front of the same men who campaigned to have Jesus murdered at the cross. Peter had completely changed. In this sermon, Jason Carter unpacks Acts 4 and the transformation that Peter experienced through forgiveness, witnessing the resurrection, and receiving the holy spirit. We can experience a similar transformation today!

In Acts 3, we find the remarkable healing of a lame man by Peter and John. In this sermon, Pastor Will works through Acts 3 and the subject of healing. Healing is never a reward for faithfulness - it is always a gift of God's mercy. Sometimes we see miraculous healing now, and that healing is a demonstration of God's power reminding us of the coming kingdom, when healing will be universal.

As the early church developed and grew, they practiced simple and effective things. They ate together, they heard the gospel taught, they shared financial resources, and they prayed for each other. Simply put, the early church followed Jesus's example and lived in loving, generous community. In this sermon, Rev. Leon Weller explains what they did and how we can follow their example of following Jesus well.

Before Jesus was crucified, he spent ample time preparing his disciples for what was next. But the disciples needed to learn how to minister, learn the message, and prepare for life without Jesus. In all of this, there was a missing element that would help the disciples do the works of Jesus - the spirit of God. In this sermon, Dan Kruer walks through Acts 2:1-41, showing that the disciples were faithful to the mission that God gave them.

The book of Acts is a continuation of the story of the mission of Jesus. In this first sermon in the new Acts series, Pastor Will walks through the first 11 verses of Acts, detailing the importance of the kingdom of God and how Jesus is with his church through the power of the spirit.

Listen to two remarkable testimonies by Jason Carter and Renee Dugan, followed by a sermonette by Pastor Will.

Jesus has arrived, and he has brought peace, joy, and hope. But what is the point of all of this? The point of every promise, every prophecy, every action of God throughout time, is love. God loves us, and He is reaching out to us today, no matter what we are going through.

As we move through the story of the people of God, tracking the expectation of the Messiah, we come across the Davidic covenant. This was the moment when God revealed that there would be a coming king and an eternal kingdom. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic covenant - he is the true coming king. Knowing the coming king and the goals behind the coming kingdom should give us great joy!

One important thread through the scriptures is the suffering savior or the suffering servant. In this sermon, Pastor Will traces this theme through the life of Joseph into Isaiah 53, showing that God is with you in your suffering and that He can bring beauty out of your suffering. Our job in community is to not look away when others we know are suffering.

Looking back at the beginning of the story, we find hope for the coming king from an early time. In Genesis 1 and 2, God grants humanity this remarkable world and authority within it. But in Genesis 3, humanity fails an early test. Thankfully, the story doesn't end there! In Genesis 3:15, we get the first promise of a coming deliverer. We all fail from time to time, but God does not leave us or forsake us.

In the beginning of the Jesus movement, there was a man named Saul who was zealously pursuing the early church. After Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he needed help. That help came in the form of a disciple of Jesus named Ananias. Ananias was bold to face his fears and trust the Lord Jesus. Because of Ananias, Saul eventually became the apostle Paul and helped teach many people about Jesus.

During the lifetime of Jesus, he faced a lot of conflict with the religious leaders, including the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin. There was so much peer pressure, if you aligned with Jesus, you were kicked out of the religious community! In that charged environment, we find two secret disciples of Jesus in high places: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. These two men decide to boldly align with Jesus after his crucifixion by burying him like the king that he is. In this sermon, Pastor Will talks about these two men and how we can stand for Jesus like they did.

In a dark time for the people of God, Baruch stood up for what was right. In this sermon, Steve Longley tells the story of Baruch, showing us that we can take a bold stand for God since we are convinced that His Word is true.

In a dark time for the people of God, a noble priest named Jehoiada and his wife save the Davidic dynasty by hiding a future king named Joash. Six years later, Jehoiada boldly leads a coup to place the rightful king on the throne. Victory was won, until Jehoiada died. Joash, the king, was obedient to God while Jehoiada was alive but didn't persevere afterwards. In this sermon, Pastor Will talks about Jehoiada, Joash, and what obedience really means.

At the end of King David's life, one mighty man of valor stands out for his faithfulness to the Davidic dynasty and his bravery: Benaiah. From his early days winning battles against two trained men of Moab, a lion in a pit, and a super-tall Egyptian until the end of his military career protecting the interests of King Solomon, Benaiah shines as an example of faith and faithfulness. In this sermon, Rev. Leon Weller walks through the story of Benaiah, helping us to see that we, too, can take on our challenges with God's help, just as he did.

In 1 Samuel 25, we come across an interesting record. We find King David running from Saul and waiting for his exaltation to the throne of Israel. And while he usually does a good job of being righteous, in 1 Samuel 25, his anger almost leads him to make a grave mistake. Who saves the King? A woman named Abigail! In this sermon, Pastor Will works through 1 Samuel 25 and the account of Abigail, showing that peacemaking takes radical and intentional action.

Jonathan, the son of Saul, is a remarkable example of courage in the face of difficult times. In this sermon, Dan Kruer walks through 1 Samuel, showing that Jonathan was a man who trusted in God to do amazing things for the people of God, was loyal to his father and his best friend even when they shared animosity, and protected the line of kings coming before Christ.

In the middle of a time when many people were unfaithful to God, Hannah stands out as an example of faithfulness and obedience. After waiting years to have a son, Hannah cries out to the Lord, and He hears her. In this sermon, Pastor Will talks about infertility, Hannah, and how her example of faith prefigures the gospel.

In the book of Judges, one particular judge stands out as faithful, confident, and righteous - Deborah. In this sermon, Pastor Will explains Judges 4 and what we know about Deborah, showing her example of faith in the midst of a seemingly impossible situation.

Rahab had just about everything going against her: she was a Caananite, a pagan, and she lived in a city that was about to be destroyed. But in the midst of all of that, we find a redemption story. In this sermon, Pastor Will explains the story of Rahab and how it shows us that none of us are too far from the reach of the love and mercy of God.

The life of Moses was filled with ups and downs. During the middle portion of his life, one of the constants was a man we know as Jethro. In this sermon, Rev. Leon Weller walks through Exodus 18, showing that wise advice comes from many places and that we have a responsibility to speak up in love when we have the opportunity.

This is the opening sermon in the Unsung Heroes series. What happens when two enslaved midwives disobey the most powerful ruler in the world? In this sermon, Pastor Will explains the story of Shiphrah & Puah, two midwives, showing that true bravery is about doing what is right no matter the consequences.

We have been talking about generosity through the lens of money, but this sermon focuses on "space-time" generosity. What does it look like to give your time and space to those around you? In this sermon, Jason Carter surveys the Biblical practice of generosity, encouraging us to give more with the time and resources that we have to share God's love with others.