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Sermons
The Lord’s Servant: Week 2
Sermon begins at about 20 minutes
Pastor Andrew Schmidt continues our Advent series “The Lord’s Servant”, which is part of our “Year of the Lord” focus for 2024. In this sermon series, we will hear about people like Mary who chose to be the Lord’s servant. We’ll ask ourselves, “Am I the Lord’s Servant”?
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Slide Notes:
Luke 1:39-45, 56
Review from December 1
Being the Lord’s servant starts with God’s grace
“Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you”
Being the Lord’s servant includes our response
“May your word to me be fulfilled”
Luke 1:28
“Greetings”: Rejoice, joy, good news
“Highly favored”: full of grace, blessed, favored
Luke 1:39-41 [note: greeted, greeting, leaped]
Luke 1:44 [note: greeting, leaped for joy]
God filled greeting: there is potential power in our greetings if we are intentional and if God is involved.
Luke 1:42-45 [note Blessed (3x), and favored]
Spirit inspired blessing Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit which allows her to see and bless Mary and the Lord within her womb.
Luke 1:38
Luke 1:24-25
One who was disgraced is able to recognize grace in another thought to be disgraced and to bless her.
Mary is the Lord’s servant
Elizabeth is the Lord’s servant
Are you the Lord’s servant?
Are you the Lord’s servant?
Receive God’s grace for you
Spend time with God & with godly people
Give God filled greetings & Spirit inspired blessings
Resources:
The Lord’s Servant: Week 1
Sermon begins at about 20 minutes
Pastor Andrew Schmidt begins our Advent series “The Lord’s Servant”, which is part of our “Year of the Lord” focus for 2024. In this sermon series, we will hear about people like Mary who chose to be the Lord’s servant. We’ll ask ourselves, “Am I the Lord’s Servant”? See notes from this Sunday’s message below.
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Slide Notes:
Luke 1:26-38
Luke 1:28 - key words “Greetings” & “Highly Favored”
“Greetings”: Rejoice
“highly favored”: full of grace
Joy = chara
Grace - charis
“Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you”
Being the Lord’s servant starts with God’s grace
Luke 1:29 - 37
Mary is to rejoice:
She has found favor, has been blessed, is full of grace
The Lord is with her, she need not be afraid
God is going to conceive and birth greatness in her, establishing God’s kingdom on the earth in her time
The Holy Spirit will rest on her, the power of the Most High will overshadow her
God’s Word for her will not fail, nothing is too hard for Him
Being the Lord’s servant includes Mary’s response
Luke 1:29, 34, 38
Mary is the Lord’s servant
Gabriel is the Lord’s servant
Are you the Lord’s servant?
What if God has favor for you?
What if God has a word for You?
What if God wants to birth something significant through you?
Zephaniah 3:14-17 “Rejoice, Daughter of Zion…be glad and rejoice..The Lord, the King is with you.” [The Lord is in your midst…literally in your womb]
“...his glorious grace, which he has freely given us” (Ephesians 1:6)
“Bestowed” = drenched
“Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you”
Are you the Lord’s servant?
Ready to receive His Word of grace for you?
Pondering over what His Word means to you?
Willing to have His Word be fulfilled through you?
Resources:
Lord of the Nations: Week 1
Sermon begins at about 19 minutes
Pastor Andrew Schmidt begins our new sermon series, “Lord of the Nations”.
Main points of this series are:
Jesus is the Lord of the Nations and He:
Rules over the nations
Brings salvation to the nations
Receives worship from the nations
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Slide Notes:
The Lord of the nations:
Rules over the nations
Brings salvation to the nations
Receives worship from the nations
Rules over the nations
Psalm 22:28
Romans 15:12
Brings salvation to the nations
Isaiah 49:6
Luke 24:46-47
Receives worship from the nations
Isaiah 66:18-21
Revelation 7:9-10
Our primary allegiance is to the Lord Jesus
Romans 10:9
Philiippians 3:20
Romans 14:7-9
We are not of the world, but we are to be for the world
John 18:33-36
John 19:7-11
John 19:12-16
John 17:15-18
We are to foster reconciliation now as much as ever
2 Corinthians 5:14-6:2
We have a hope not from this world that allows us to be people of hope in this world
1 Peter 3:15
Resources:
The Word of the Lord: Week 7
Sermon begins at about 29 minutes
Pastor Andrew Schmidt concludes a sermon series called, “The Word of the Lord”. The primary goal of this series is that we all would come to know God’s personal words for our lives through the practice of meditating on well known Bible passages. For week 7 the focus is on declaring scripture in song.
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
The Word of the Lord: Week 5
Sermon begins at about 15 minutes
Pastor Andrew continues a sermon series called, “The Word of the Lord”. The primary goal of this series is that we all would come to know God’s personal words for our lives through the practice of meditating on well known Bible passages. For week 5 the focus is on the prophetic way in which God’s word speaks to us and through us. Ali Cranmer opens by leading us in a time of confession. Fran Vander Hart shares a scripture reading as the sermon begins.
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
The Word of the Lord: Week 4
Sermon begins at about 15 minutes
Pastor Andrew continues a sermon series called, “The Word of the Lord”. The primary goal of this series is that we all would come to know God’s personal words for our lives through the practice of meditating on well known Bible passages. For week 4 the focus is on the authority of Scripture. Pastor Judd opens by leading us in a time of confession. Terri Gotta shares a scripture reading as the sermon begins.
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Slide Notes:
The Scripture of the Lord:
We are to give the Bible authority in our lives so that we can know Jesus and the life He
offers us.
Application:
Meditate on Scripture daily
Memorize weekly/monthly
Make Bible intake a priority in your life
2 Timothy 3:14-4:3
Highest authority isn’t what we want, what we think we need, what we are feeling. Highest
authority is the Lord who communicates through the Scripture for our good.
John 5:37-40
Knowing the Bible really well for information and inspiration isn’t the point. The Bible by God’s
Spirit puts us connects us to Jesus who gives us life.
Luke 24:25–27
Luke 24:30-32
Luke 24:44-49
Jesus by the Spirit opens the Scriptures to us so we can see and know him clearly and our
hearts can come alive.
The Word of the Lord: Week 3
Sermon begins at about 20 minutes
Pastor Andrew continues a new series called, “The Word of the Lord”. The primary goal of this series is that we all would come to know God’s personal words for our lives through the practice of meditating on well known Bible passages. For week two the focus is The Gospel. Ali Cranmer opens with scripture meditation and confession. Geoff Wheelock shares a scripture reading and Andrew asks him questions related to his military service, and how that informs his views as he reads scripture.
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
The Word of the Lord: Week 2
Sermon begins at about 20 minutes
Pastor Andrew continues a new series called, “The Word of the Lord”. The primary goal of this series is that we all would come to know God’s personal words for our lives through the practice of meditating on well known Bible passages. For week two the focus is The Gospel. Camille Schmidt opens with scripture meditation and confession. Bob Bingham and Jared Lee Rietveld share scripture readings along with their thoughts as well!
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
All Scriptures from This Sermon
Sermon Slide Notes:
The Gospel of the Lord
We are to embrace and proclaim the good news of salvation from God
gospel = good news
Mark 1:1
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God…
The ‘Gospels’: accounts of Jesus life, death & resurrection
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Good news (Mark 1:14-15):
The availability of God’s Presence & Action through Jesus
Good news (Mark 4:23-25):
Healing and deliverance from evil are available in Jesus Name
Good news (Luke 4:18-19):
God is for the poor, oppressed and marginalized
Good news (John 3:16-17; Mark 2:13-17):
God comes to sinners not to condemn but to save
Good news (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 5:6-8, Ephesians 2:8-9):
God through Jesus did for us what we can’t do for ourselves
Good news (Romans 4:23-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21):
Jesus sacrifice justified me ‘just as if I had not sinned’
Jesus act of atonement made me ‘at-one with God’
Good news (1 John 3:1, Hebrews 2:10-11, Galatians 3:26-28):
In Christ we are God’s people, members of his family
Good news (1 Corinthians 15:12-26; 35-58 The Message version):
We have life after death through Jesus resurrection
Good news (Romans 8:18-21):
The curse of creation will be reversed
We are destined for glory
Good news (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Revelation 21:1-4):
No matter how hard life is it can’t compare to life with God in eternity
Good news (Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 8:28-39):
If you say yes to Jesus God will be with you always
We are to embrace and proclaim the good news of salvation from God
Application:
Meditate on Scripture daily
Memorize weekly/monthly
Practice confession & assurance
The Word of the Lord: Week 1
Sermon begins at about 24 minutes
Pastor Andrew begins a new series called, “The Word of the Lord”. The primary goal of this series is that we all would come to know God’s personal words for our lives through the practice of meditating on well known Bible passages. For week one the focus is The Law of the Lord. Aubrey Schneider opens with scripture meditation, and Issac Short shares a scripture reading as well.
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Slide Notes:
Notes:
Psalm 1
Psalm 1:2
We are to memorize and meditate on God’s law (God’s teaching/instruction)
Psalm 119:9-11
Psalm 19:7-14
Threefold purpose of the law:
Mirror: shows our sin & need for a Savior
Curb: restrain from sin
Guide: shows us how to please God
Matthew 5:17-20
Matthew 22:34-39
We are to memorize and meditate on God’s Word (God’s teaching)
Application:
Meditate on Scripture daily
Memorize weekly/monthly
Resources:
Lord Of The Harvest: Week 4
Sermon begins at about 19 minutes
Pastor Andrew concludes our sermon series called “Lord of the Harvest”, which is part of our Year of the Lord theme in 2024. In this series we are encouraged to pray for the harvest, be a worker for the harvest, and support the work(ers) for the harvest.
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Slide Notes:
Matthew 9:37-38
Pray for the harvest
Be a worker for the harvest
Support work(ers) for the harvest
The Parable of the Great Banquet: Luke 14:15-24
You are invited into a conversational relationship with God.
You are invited to be a servant/worker for the harvest.
Many are invited, now
Excuses, not now
Anger into grace
Go and bring in, now
Will you come/go, now
Even our family (whether it’s investing in them in good ways or being in a broken, hurting situation) isn’t to be an excuse for not giving Jesus the highest place in our life. (see Luke 14:25-27 & Matthew 10:37-39)
Now is the time will you make excuses or respond to the invitations:
To grow in a conversational relationship with God
To be a servant/worker for the harvest
Lord Of The Harvest: Week 1
Sermon begins at about 19 minutes
Pastor Andrew Schmidt begins a sermon series called “Lord of the Harvest”, which is part of our Year of the Lord theme in 2024. In this series we are encouraged to pray for the harvest, be a worker for the harvest, and support the work(ers) for the harvest.
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Slide Notes:
Pray for the harvest
Pray for workers
Pray for ‘lost sheep’
Be a worker for the harvest
Proclaim the gospel
Rely on God
Pray for people
Support work(ers) for the harvest
Encouragement/hospitality
Financial provision
Pray for workers
Pray for the harvest
Be a worker for the harvest
Support work(ers) for the harvest
“...harassed and helpless…” NIV, ESV, NRSV
“...distressed and downcast...” NASB
“...distressed and dejected…” CSB
“...confused and aimless…” The Message
“...weary and helpless…” TPT
“...confused and helpless…” NLT
Psalm 23:1
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Servants and the Lord: Week 7
Sermon begins at about 15 minutes
Pastor Andrew Schmidt concludes a sermon series called “Servants and the Lord”.
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Notes:
Scriptures To Think About:
Servants and the Lord: Week 2
Sermon begins at about 20 minutes
Pastor Andrew Schmidt continues a new sermon series called “Servants and the Lord”. In this sermon, he centers on the story of the Centurion who asks Jesus to heal his servant in Matthew 8:5-13.
Audio: (will be posted Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Notes:
Scriptures To Think About:
Important Things To Remember:
Jesus called us friends in John 15:14-15, but that does not mean we are no longer servants. We see this in how the people Jesus spoke to in the room referred to themselves later in their letters as servants. We are both friends and servants of God.
Quotes To Remember:
“A servant gives service to someone, but a slave belongs to someone”.
“We commit ourselves to do something, but when we surrender ourselves to someone, we give ourselves up.” -Murray Harris
Application Steps
Take in & apply God’s Word
Serve your family
Serve at Celebrate
Serve your community
The Lord’s Prayers: Week 6
Sermon begins at about 46 minutes (There were faith commitments today)
Pastor Andrew Schmidt concludes a sermon series as part of our Year of the Lord theme for 2024. This series is called, “The Lord’s Prayers” and it focuses on the prayers that Jesus prayed, with the traditional Lord’s Prayer as a base. During this series you’re encouraged to pray the Lord’s prayer every day!
Audio: (will be posted on Thursday this week)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Notes:
The Lord’s Prayers: Week 5
Sermon begins at about 32 minutes
Pastor Andrew Schmidt continues a sermon series as part of our Year of the Lord theme for 2024. This series is called, “The Lord’s Prayers” and it focuses on the prayers that Jesus prayed, with the traditional Lord’s Prayer as a base. During this series you’re encouraged to pray the Lord’s prayer every day!
Audio: (posted on Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Notes:
The Lord’s Prayers: Week 4
Sermon begins at about 19 minutes
Pastor Andrew Schmidt continues a sermon series as part of our Year of the Lord theme for 2024. This series is called, “The Lord’s Prayers” and it focuses on the prayers that Jesus prayed, with the traditional Lord’s Prayer as a base. During this series you’re encouraged to pray the Lord’s prayer every day!
Audio: (posted on Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Notes:
Jesus' instruction to pray 'gives us this day our daily bread' is loaded with meaning and provides a variety of ways to focus our prayers.
Give us what we need today.
Most generally we pray for what we need today and trust God will provide it. When we are overwhelmed (especially by the future) it is good to focus on God giving us what we need for the day which can bring peace where we have anxiety.
Give us what we need today physically.
We need bread, food, health, etc. All of these are items Jesus gives in the Matthew account of the feeding of the 5000 (Matthew 14:13-21).
Give us what we need today spiritually.
Jesus quoted, when fasting, that man doesn't live by bread alone but by every word that comes from God (Matthew 4:1-4). It's not just our bodies that need daily provision but our souls as well.
Give us what we need today.
I don't just pray for what I need today but also for the needs of others. Especially this prayer should remind me of God's concern for those without the basics of food, clothes, safety, etc. And I should try to be the answer to this prayer in some way (Matthew 14:16).
Give us what we need today: Jesus.
Jesus tells us he is the bread of life (John 6:48-51). We can receive life from Him that is outside of us but can be taken into us and become part of us just like with food and drink. This is a picture of what happens by the power of the Holy Spirit when we take communion in faith.
The Lord’s Prayers: Week 3
Pastor Andrew Schmidt continues a sermon series as part of our Year of the Lord theme for 2024. This series is called, “The Lord’s Prayers” and it focuses on the prayers that Jesus prayed, with the traditional Lord’s Prayer as a base. During this series you’re encouraged to pray the Lord’s prayer every day!
Audio: (posted on Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Notes:
May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10)
Heaven (the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, the kingdom) is the realm where what God wants to happen happens.
So when we pray may Your Kingdom come we are saying God may what you want to happen happen in this specific person, situation, organization, location, community, family, etc.
Jesus called the kingdom good news and show us that the kingdom is like joy, life, healing, deliverance from evil, acceptance, etc. in all that he did. That's what we're praying for when we say Your Kingdom come.
Prayer changes things.
Jesus also prayed not my will but yours be done (Mark 26:39, 42). Even though humanly he wanted something else he prayed for and ultimately did God's will.
We tend to mainly pray with an attitude of my will be done God.
Part of the purpose of prayer is not only to change thing out there, but also to change our own hearts.
When we pray your will be done God and seek to live that out we can become the answer to our prayers or the prayers of others.
The Lord’s Prayers: Week 2
Pastor Andrew Schmidt continues a new sermon series as part of our Year of the Lord theme for 2024. This series is called, “The Lord’s Prayers” and it focuses on the prayers that Jesus prayed, with the traditional Lord’s Prayer as a base. During this series you’re encouraged to pray the Lord’s prayer every day!
Audio: (posted on Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Sermon Notes:
Review: "Our Father" Jesus & I are praying this together.
Starting point is that we are praying to a person. "Thank you God that you love me. I am chosen and dearly loved."
After addressing the Father, knowing we are loved and that God is eager to give good gifts (Luke 11:7-11), we are to start asking for things in Jesus model prayer.
The first thing we are to ask for is surprising and not what usually come to mind for us when we know we can ask for anything: Hallowed be your Name: "Father, Glorify Your Name"
We hallow God's Name through expressions of praise (Luke 10:21)
We hallow God's Name when we seek his glory/to glorify Him with our lives (John 12:27-28; 17:1-5, 20-24)
We hallow God's Name when we represent his character (Deuteronomy 5:11; John 17:11, 17, Colossians 3:12-14)
We prioritize asking for God to be seen as He actually is loving, good, wise, powerful, kind, generous, etc. That we would see Him as He truly is and others would as well.
We can pray, Father, glorify your name in....(me, my family, my day to day, this situation, my workplace, etc.)
The Lord’s Prayers: Week 1
Pastor Andrew Schmidt begins a new sermon series as part of our Year of the Lord theme for 2024. This series is called, “The Lord’s Prayers” and it focuses on the prayers that Jesus prayed, with the traditional Lord’s Prayer as a base. During this series you’re encouraged to pray the Lord’s prayer every day!
Audio: (posted on Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Scriptures:
Full Sermon Notes:
When Jesus disciples ask him, "Lord teach us to pray", he starts by saying
When you pray address God as "Father" or "Abba" in Arameric...ike 'Papa' or 'Dad' (Luke 11:1-2)
Jesus knows that He is God's dearly loved Son and that God is pleased with him. He hears this as he was praying (Matthew 3:17, 17:5; Luke 3:21-22, 9:29, 9:35)
In the other prayers of Jesus we have recorded he addresses God as Father. He addresses God this way through a wide range of emotions and circumstances (Luke 10:21; John 12:28; John 17:1, 5, 11, 21, 24, 25; Mark 14:36; Luke 23:34; Luke 23:36).
Jesus encourages us to pray with him "Our Father" (Matthew 6:9) it is like Jesus is praying with us (John 17:20-25, Hebrews 2:10-11, 1 John 3:1).
Jesus tells his disciples to ask the Father for good gifts and most especially the Holy Spirit (Luke 9-13).
The Holy Spirit helps us to know that we are dearly loved by the Father (Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 4:4-7).
Every day we can remind ourselves (maybe say out loud) "I am loved by God, He is pleased with me."
Lord of the Sabbath- Week 7
Sermon begins at about 17 min
Pastor Andrew Schmidt concludes the sermon series called “Lord of the Sabbath”, which continues our focus this year, “Year of the Lord”. This sermon series centers on the practice of Sabbath, and how God invites us into, and even commands us to, rest. In this message, Andrew summarizes the series and shows the patterns in scripture that reflect eternal truths.
Audio: (posted on Tuesdays)
You can listen to the sermon below, or you can subscribe to our Celebrators Podcast wherever you listen.
Scriptures:
Full Sermon Notes:
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” is one of the 10 commandments.
It states that on six days you should do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you should not do any work. (Exodus 20:8-10)
Sabbath reality is entering time in a different way. Aspects that help us engage in this reality include an encouragement for us to:
Stop & Rest:
Break from getting stuff & stuff done
Slow, Silence, Sleep, Solitude
Worship & Delight:
The Lord’s Day
Celebration of Creation
Celebrate & Remember:
Food in Jesus’ Name
God’s provision & saving power
The goal for our series won’t be to figure out exactly when and what and how the Sabbath is supposed to look like. Rather it is to explore how to incorporate Sabbath reality into our lives maybe even just a little bit at a time.
The New Testament indicates that there is flexibility in keeping the Sabbath (which day of the week, etc.).
Jesus strongly discourages a legalistic approach to keeping the Sabbath day.
But Jesus also share that the Sabbath was made for humans. Implying that it is good for humanity, a gift to humanity that he encourages us to observe. (Mark 2:27-28)