First Congregational of Hamilton

For the next three Sundays we pause in our study of Colossians to dissect a little deeper Paul’s instructions to be on our guard against deceptive philosophies that distort the gospel (Col 2:4). What might be the stories, ideas, and messages of our time that threaten to “take you captive” (Col 2:8) and conform us to a particular pattern (Rom 12:2)? Using the tower of Babel account from Genesis 11:1-9 as our archetypal picture of human rebellion against God, we will name three captivating stories of culture and give a hopeful contrast in the beauty, truth, hope, and sufficiency of Christ and his plan for us. May we all “reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature… no longer infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Eph 4:13-15)

It's tick season. Ticks are awful parasites that sneak onto us and often carry disease. What do we do? We've been keeping to paths and doing our tick checks. What do ticks have to do with Colossians? Well, we come to the very heart of Paul's letter (Colossians 2:6-15) as he warns the church not to be swayed by fine-sounding arguments that seem good but separate us from Christ. What is Paul's encouragement? Stick to the path and watch out! This is because (and this is where the metaphor breaks down and is insufficient!) we are united to Christ in a glorious, triumphant union.Come with open hearts as we allow the gospel to take deeper root in our hearts, transforming our confidence, love, and living!

There are no shortage of uncertainties in life. As we imagine the future and think about the dangers that could be awaiting us, or the needs that we will have, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with worry and angst—what if this happens or that happens? How does our Christian faith help us to face the unknowns of life with peace and confidence in our hearts? Join us as we consider the wisdom that Jesus offers for facing our immediate future.

I hope you are staying cool during these warm days. The heat and heavy circumstances can quickly sap us of energy and spirit. But there is refreshing hope from Jesus! We were reminded last week of our place in the grand cosmic story of God, as those once alienated, now reconciled, with a glorious destiny: presented holy, blameless, and irreproachable before God (Col 1:21-23). Of this gospel Paul dedicated his service and contended for continual growth and maturity in the faith. In the next passage in Colossians (1:24-2:5), Paul expounds on this motivation of his ministry. Cece Gough, in her role as Executive Director, and experience as disciple and disciple-maker and coordinator of small group ministries at FCCH will open this Scripture for us.

It was such a delight last week to gather for our first summer worship service of the year, all together in Heritage Hall. (Not to mention the fantastic burger I enjoyed at the picnic afterwards!) Glenn gave us a spectacular vision of the cosmic preeminence of Jesus Christ. As we pray for refreshing and recentering of our hearts, Jesus is the center of it all.But maybe you feel a little lost in that picture. As we take in the grand happenings of our own time, of history, and of the world, we might feel displaced and disorientated. How do we fit in the cosmic drama? This week, we’ll look closely at Colossians 1:21-23, as Paul moves from third-person to second-person, addressing the Colossian Church and situating their story within the cosmic story of Christ. We’ll answer the questions “Who are we? What has Christ done for us? What is our destiny? What part do we play?” May the Lord Jesus encourage and strengthen your hearts.

Colossians 1:15-20 displays the multifaceted preeminence of Christ, but in a manner often foreign to our way of thinking. Careful attention to the text helps us to understand Christ's humility and glory in a foundational manner for salvation and Christian life.Dr. Glenn Butner

Colossians is a wonderful letter towards this end, as Paul encourages the church there not to be swayed by wayward philosophies (more on these later!), but to be fixated on Christ and his supremacy and sufficiency in all things. I’ve been praying for this to be a summer of spiritual renewal. This is my prayer for you this summer and a picture for us of what this renewal might look like, inspired by Paul’s introductory remarks (Colossians 1:1-14); that you will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding - so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: - bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; - being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, - for all endurance and patience with joy; - giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light!

This week we will be concluding our series on "God's Welcome" in the Gospel of Luke. We will spend time in Luke 24 which tells of the resurrection of Christ. We will look at the evidences of the resurrection and how this brings hope to our lives today!

We’re coming close to the end of our journey through Luke’s Gospel. I wonder, through the months of studying Luke, what has stood out to you? What are some themes or encounters that have been memorable for you? What grabs you most about Jesus? Take a moment now and reflect on how God has spoken to you through this gospel.Today, we will look at Luke 23 and the crucifixion of Jesus, highlighting his innocence and what that means for us. In preparation, read through the chapter and notice all the instances where Luke highlights Jesus’ innocence. May God reveal himself and give you his peace.

Earlier in Luke’s gospel Jesus climbed a mountain with his sleepy disciples (Lk 9:32) to pray. It was a spectacular revelation of his glory in his transfiguration! As we approach the summit of Luke’s gospel, Jesus again goes to a mountain, to the mount of Olives (Lk 22:39). He goes to pray and again his disciples are sleepy… but this time there is no glorious display. There is agony, betrayal, denial, abandonment. This Sunday, we’ll consider together what Jesus’ agony means for us.

This week, we move from the very public debates and teachings of Jesus in the temple courts to the intimate gathering at Passover before his arrest. Luke's gospel, uniquely, adds the note that Jesus greatly desired to eat this Passover with them. Why? What does Jesus' innovation say about who he is and what communion means for us? In preparation read John 13:1-17 and Luke 22:1-39. It will be great to be with you for worship. We hope you will invite a friend.

What does Jesus mean by "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Luke 20:19-26)? Come find out how this might shape our own understanding of our relationship with the state, and indeed, our own sense of meaning and identity.

As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, he lamented the doom he saw coming for the city he loved. We will reflect this week on how Jesus’ proclamation of looming judgment on Jerusalem carries a message for ourselves as well. Please read Luke 19:41-48 (and time permitting, Luke 21:5-36) to prepare for this Sunday. 

The 'fog of war' is the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced in military situations. As we contend with the 'fog' of information in our world, how do we see clearly? In Luke 18:35-19:10, the final stop before we reach Jerusalem, Jesus passes through Jericho and encounters two men, short of seeing (one for his blindness, the other for his height). Come and find out what they see. 

This week, we begin the final weeks of our survey of Luke's gospel. Jesus continues to show the depth of God's love and the "all-in" nature of joining his Kingdom. Things that are valuable often have a high cost. A common question for Christians is what does following Jesus take? What is the cost of discipleship? The answer as challenge and inspiration is what I hope we will consider as God's people. You might read Luke 18 in preparation. I look forward to being with you. 

Easter certainly is a high point in the life of the Church calendar. But it can't be just a special weekend - it changes everything. We will pause this week in our usual Luke preaching series in order to consider a follow up to Easter - how then do we live in light of the Resurrection? You may like to read 2 Corinthians 4:7-18, Colossians 3:1-17 and Romans 6:1-14 in preparation.

Death is a dastardly villain, a merciless conqueror. The Bible calls it the last enemy. But the hope of Easter is that the conqueror is conquered! Join us Sunday as we explore what it means that "God raised Jesus up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it" (Acts 2:24). This is a great message to share with friends and family who may not know this hope, and sweet balm and encouragement for weary believers. He is Risen!  

Passion Week begins! Jesus rides into Jerusalem to the shouts of the people: Hosanna! They were quoting from Psalm 118 and would soon reject the chosen “stone.” But as the same psalm states, God would make him become the “cornerstone.” Welcome to Palm Sunday. 

Two of the most important questions we ask throughout our lives are: Where am I going to live? and How am I going to pay for it? This week we will ask related, but even more important, questions as we explore the parable of the unrighteous steward (aka the parable of the shrewd manager) in Luke 16:1-13.

This week we turn to Luke 15. Come, be found and refreshed by our compassionate God who invites you to his table. But caution: you might be surprised who is there with you.

This last month, we have been exploring more of what it means to follow Jesus through the Gospel of Luke. This week we will consider the cost of following Him. Is Jesus really worth giving our entire life to and what does that look like?

Do you see the gospel as an invitation and extension of God’s hospitality to all kinds of people? What people in your life need to hear of that welcome from you? Through actions and stories at a dinner, Jesus shows the extravagant and surprising hospitality of God and how it marks our lives as his followers. Read through Luke 12 & 13 as you prepare to hear from God’s word and join in the great ongoing communion meal of God’s extravagant hospitality. I look forward to being with you all Sunday.

This week, we turn to Luke 12:13-34 and consider how following Jesus shapes the way we think about our wealth. Jesus beckons us to give to the needy (Lk 12:33). Sounds hard, but remember, he says this after the amazing assurance and comfort that it is already the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Lk 12:32)! Let’s learn how we can be moved to wise, selfless, and eternal investments.

How do you feel when you talk with a close family member? You probably approach your boss differently when you are reporting on your job or asking for extra time off. Telling someone you made a mistake is almost always hard. When we talk with someone, our confidence, tone, and ease in the conversation is based on the relationship we have with that person and the content of our conversation. Jesus guides us and gives us confidence to pray, because of the character of the Father and his heart towards us. We will be looking at Jesus’s teaching on prayer in Luke 11:1-13. You might read Matthew 6 in preparation.

Have you chosen the good portion? This week in Luke 10:38-42 we continue our journey with Jesus to Jerusalem, learning to follow him. We’re given a picture from Mary of what it is to “love the Lord your God” (Luke 10:27). Not long ago, Pastor Jeff preached on Luke 10:25-37 on loving our neighbor – I encourage you to listen: The Good Samaritan. This week, we see that our service flows from our love. 

Are you following Jesus? What does that mean for us? We turn in Luke’s Gospel to Jesus’ travel journey, his face set upon Jerusalem, calling his disciples to follow him. For the next few weeks, we will be uncovering different aspects of our call to follow Jesus, beginning with his sending of the seventy-two and how that informs missions today and our part in it!

This week, put on your hiking boots as we ascend a mountain together, beholding the glory of Jesus transfigured in Luke 9:28-36. Why does Jesus give his disciples this glimpse and at this point in his ministry? Answering this question will help us see how immensely relevant this glorious self-disclosure is to our current circumstances.  

In the last several months, I have received phone calls from various businesses asking for Chris Hayes. Somehow “Chris” or whoever he is has been giving my number when he looks for houses, cars, vacations, etc. The salespeople who call me are quite apologetic because their expectation is to talk to Chris about their product and instead they get me. In many ways people’s thoughts about Christianity and Jesus in particular can be like this, people think they know who he is, but Jesus ends up being completely different than their expectation. Our study of Luke is helping us know who Jesus is more clearly, so as you prepare for Sunday, ask yourself who you think Jesus is. In preparation I’d invite you to read Luke 9:1-27.

What does faith mean, especially when we are in seasons of suffering? We continue our journey through Luke's gospel and encounter two daughters in trouble and the profound compassion, power, and hope of Jesus. 

This week, we conclude Luke’s narrative of Jesus’ birth. Jesus is a boy, lost in the temple. But then again, he isn’t lost. He is exactly where he is meant to be. Come, expectant and with open hearts as we expand our understanding and love of our dear LORD Jesus. We need him in the new year, more than ever.

Tidings of comfort and joy? Yes, absolutely. That’s what Advent teaches us. But also, tidings that he will come again—Second Advent—to finish what he started. Simeon’s Song shows us both sides of Christmas. O come, O come, Emmanuel! 

The birth of Jesus couldn’t have come at a worse time. Mary was expecting her baby to be Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32)!! But under the shadow of the empire, she and Joseph find themselves in an awkward, precarious position of having the baby amongst the animals in backwater Bethlehem. As we find ourselves in moments of bad timing - situations out of control, in chaos and pain, we discover that there is precisely where Jesus, the Son of God meets us. This is the wonderful piece of the puzzle that unveils the splendor of the good news for us and our world.

Puzzles are always a popular choice for presents at Christmas. Luke has given us his own Christmas puzzle in Luke 1:67-80, though its puzzling nature only becomes apparent when we read further on in his gospel. We will see why the passage remains puzzling in our own day.

On this second Sunday of Advent, we explore Mary's song of praise after being told of her role in the birth of the Messiah, famously known as the Magnificat. This passage invites us to consider alongside Mary the incredible acts of God and allow this to lead us to heartfelt worship!

We wake up this morning to our first Sunday in Advent as we remember Jesus’s birth and look forward to his return. As you prepare read Luke 1:1-25 and consider what was news for Zechariah and Elizabeth and what changed for all of us because of their news.

Luke has showed us our Lord and Savior as the compassionate healer, Lord of the Sabbath, Son of David, and God’s mighty prophet. And for the past few weeks we have seen him as “pantocrator.” That’s an old word that means “all-powerful.” He rules over the deep, disease, death, and demons. This week’s story shows Jesus casting out a legion of demons. That’s our Lord! Prepare your heart and mind to hear about the power of Jesus, pantocrator.

How does a forgiven sinner respond? With much love - because forgiveness leads to love. That's what Simon the Pharisee didn't understand when he saw the sinful (or so he thought) woman's lavish acts of love towards Jesus. We'll walk through the passage in Luke 7:36-50 by asking three questions:1. Who is she?2. Who is He? 3. Who are you? 

Do you remember why Luke said he wrote his gospel? It was to write an orderly account that would build certainty about the claims of Christianity. He wrote it to encourage and build faith.This week, we’ll look at two marvelous acts of Jesus. Consider what Luke is wanting us to know for certain about who Jesus is, and why we can feel solid in our faith in believing the good news. In preparation I encourage you to read Luke 6-7.

Doubt is normal for followers of God, even the greatest followers such as John the Baptist. When he was persecuted, imprisoned in Herod’s fortress, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask: "Are you the One?” John thought so, and in years past he preached that Jesus was God’s Messiah, but now he isn’t so sure. "Are you the One, or should we seek another?” That’s what suffering does to us—it makes us question the power, presence, or love of God. At FCCH we do not shy away from these questions. We take them to God and open our hearts to his response.

This week we come to a central teaching of Jesus. He calls us to be like God in our extravagant love for those who don’t respect us, don’t deserve it, and can’t afford it. The Golden Rule applies to “the others” who are farthest from us, because we were estranged from God and he extended his grace to us. When we consider the Welcome of God, we look to the cross as the embodiment of Jesus’s teaching here in Luke 6:27-36. I am challenged greatly by these verses and I think you will be too, but in the best of ways. I look forward to seeing you and consider inviting a friend, neighbor or relative to sit with you this Sunday.

When Jesus proclaimed His mission in Luke 4, He declared good news, healing, and freedom—both physical and spiritual—for all people. I will share how that same mission is unfolding among college students and communities today, and how each of us can join Jesus in bringing His freedom to the world around us.

Continuing our journey through Luke’s gospel, Jesus begins his teaching with four blessings and four woes. He says, “blessed are the ones who are poor.” Homer (not the Simpson) used the same word to describe the god Zeus in the Odyssey (5.7.). Does Jesus really mean to say that it’s the poor, not the rich who are blessed?! Is that what your experience is? Jesus’ teaching will help us reimagine what truly is “the good life.”

This Sunday we will be looking at two stories involving Jesus and the Sabbath: Luke 6:1-11 andLuke 13:10-17. Although Sabbath in the US has waned in recent decades, it was a very important matter at the time of Jesus. These stories will help unveil the deep significance of the Sabbath for understanding our place in the world

When Jesus calls us to follow him, what does he expect? Should we all adopt the lifestyle of Mother Theresa? What did our Lord mean when he said that we must leave everything? This early story in Luke 5:1-11 is a template of calling. We see that when Jesus calls, disciples respond willingly, humbly, and fully.

This Sunday we will look at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in Luke. Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth and tells people he is fulfilling the life-giving mission outlined in Isaiah 61. You would think this would be great news for his fellow Nazarenes…but things quickly turn very unwelcoming indeed. I look forward to seeing you as we explore together this crucial passage in the gospel.

This week we will continue in our journey through the Gospel of Luke and God's Welcome. In Luke 3, we will look at Jesus' baptism. The baptism of Jesus is a spiritual prototype for our baptism which is a milestone for our lives that we can look back on in times of trial.

This is the first sermon in our new series from the Gospel of Luke, called God’s Welcome. Luke’s biography about Jesus, highlights the welcome, hospitality, and love of God to all types of people through his Son, Jesus. We are eager to explore this welcome personally, communally, and of course as we extend this welcome to others. Just this week we start Alpha to help us introduce people to Jesus, Pilgrim’s Pint to invite people to consider how Christianity impacts our thinking, and Sunday school classes to equip us to share the good news with all types of people. We are praying this weekly study of Luke will guide us in our everyday actions of extending God’s Welcome through the Gospel.There is a lot more that will be said in coming days, but please be praying for our church to be pliable and faithful to God’s leading as he challenges us in new and fresh ways to love and serve like Jesus.

As our summer series, Who We Are, concludes this week, I am reflecting on how God has used his word and all the strong voices to teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness(see 2 Timothy 3:16). Our hope is that God’s Spirit will take these truths deeply into our hearts individually and collectively. This week, we will look at God’s Kingdom and our roles as soldiers serving in the battle against evil and the enemies that oppose God’s good way. But our opposition is not with displays of force like the world, but displays of sacrifice, like our King.

We will be looking at the church as slaves of Christ. As Christians, we have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ and are now called to serve the Good Master, Jesus Christ.

In our series on the nature and the mission of the church, we will explore how believers are “stewards” of the gifts of God’s grace, according to 1 Peter 4:10-11. We will learn that every believer has received gifts of God’s grace, that believers use their gifts as good stewards, and that believers use their gifts to serve others and to praise God through Jesus Christ.