Speaker: Pastor Nick Ressler
Title: Hope
Date: December 1

Synopsis: 2 Corinthians 4:6-5 becomes the cord that binds a story from Exodus 33 and Matthew 9 this morning as we talk about the Biblical theme of Hope and how the arrival of a small baby 2,000 years ago changed the way we see, understand and talk about it.

Speaker: Pastor Nick Ressler
Title: Peace
Date: December 8

Synopsis: Pastor Nick uses 2 Kings I (Elijah calling down fire from heaven) and Luke 9 (James and John seeking to call fire down from heaven) as two passages that illustrate how Jesus changes the way we understand peace. The worlds way of peace is “through.” The world responds to conflict with conflict. Jesus shows us that this is of a spirit that is not of Him. He clearly states that the Son of Man comes to save and not to destroy.

Speaker: Pastor Nick Ressler
Title: Joy
Date: December 15

Synopsis: Pastor Nick makes a variety of connections across scripture to help us understand that while we once had a relational covenant with God, over time it became a legalistic religion. God sends Jesus to give us joy - as a way to restore our relationship with Him. Pastor Nick takes us from the vine transplanted in Psalm 80 to the Jesus’ declaration that he is the true vine in John 15.

*Please be aware that Pastor uses two chairs as a physical example during the sermon. Although you cannot see, he uses the two chairs facing one another as the relational ideal. Mankind keeps turning our chair around and God seeks us out. When the Holy Spirit is given two us its like stacking the two chairs. We become one.

Speaker: Pastor Nick Ressler
Title: Love
Date: December 22

Synopsis: There is an oft overlooked connection between the manger and the cross. The connection isn’t that they both have religious holidays associated with them. It’s that both of them are rooted in “witness.” Pastor Nick takes us through John 13 and Jesus’ command to love one another to help us understand why love is so important and how it is connected to the resurrected Jesus.

Speaker: Pastor Nick Ressler
Title: Broken Beauty
Date: December 24
Christmas Eve Service Meditation

Synopsis: Pastor Nick acknowledges that at Christmas time, not everyone feels the same way. Sometimes we can feel alone - which isn’t unlike the first Christmas story. But, with the advent of Jesus birth we have Emmanuel - God with us and we know that we are not alone.

Speaker: Pastor Nick Ressler
Title: Faith
Date: December 29

Synopsis: Pastor Nick takes us on a journey that explores why liturgy can be an asset to our faith. And while the BIC denomination isn't the most liturgical church there is room for us to utilize it in our service - we end with the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer. During the sermon we look over the story from Mark 9 where Jesus helps a father with his struggle to believe. Then, Pastor Nick, takes us to Hebrews 11:1 and rather than cherry pick the most famous verse on faith - we look at the context of Hebrews 10-12 and learn a bit more about faith.