The Lord Will Fight for You

September 15, 2017 DAILY READINGExodus 14:1-18This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESThe Israelites are free. They are on their journey away from Egypt, and Pharaoh changes his mind. He has lost his workforce. He must get them back. So he readies his army to go after them. The Israelites see Pharaoh approaching and…

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Do Not Be Surprised

September 14, 2017 DAILY READING1 John 3:11-16This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESMichael Gungor, a Christian musician and author, recently made a statement on social media that was relevant to today’s passage. He said, “Love is the narrow path…demonizing the other and loving your own is the easy and natural thing to do.…

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Commemorate

September 13, 2017 DAILY READINGExodus 13:1-10This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESWe’ve all been through hard times, some harder than others. Our question today is: how do we remember those moments when God brought us through hard times? The story of the Exodus is not a small story. Many of our hardships will…

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Plundering Egyptians

September 12, 2017 DAILY READINGExodus 12:29-42This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESHow many times have you read the story of the Exodus? How many times have you heard it taught in Sunday school or worship? I have read this story multiple times and seen just about every movie made about it, and yet,…

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God, Our Protector

September 11, 2017 DAILY READINGPsalm 121This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESToday I want to highlight a different translation of this familiar Psalm. This is from The Voice translation: A song for those journeying to worship.I look up at the vast size of the mountains—   from where will my help come in times…

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Repeating History

September 9, 2017 Daily ReadingMatthew 23:29-36This weekend’s scripture: Romans 5:1-11 Field NotesJesus doesn’t mince words in today’s passage. His infamous “Seven Woes” speech is pretty cutting against the Pharisees. Here he calls them out for their belief that had they been alive during the time of the prophets, they would have listened, rather than ignore,…

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Praise

September 8, 2017 Daily ReadingPsalm 149This weekend’s scripture: Romans 5:1-11 Field NotesWhat does the word praise mean to you? When I was a child, I would sit in the pews at church during the hymns and I would color my bulletin, or play with whatever small toy I had managed to sneak in. I did…

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Harder Still

September 7, 2017 Daily ReadingExodus 9:1-11This weekend’s scripture: Romans 5:1-11 Field NotesCan you imagine what Pharaoh must have been feeling in the midst of the story of Moses and the Exodus? In our passage, we see just one of the many plagues God unleashes on the Egyptian people for the sake of freeing the Israelites.…

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A House Divided

September 6, 2017 Daily ReadingMatthew 12:22-32This weekend’s scripture: Romans 5:1-11 Field NotesWe’ve all heard the cliché, “A house divided cannot stand.” Often we use this phrase to call for unity. Here, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees, defending against their claims that he performs his miracles under the power of Beelzebul, the prince of Demons.…

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