Watch Sermons

Kyle Kauffman 11/11/23 Kyle Kauffman 11/11/23

Who Says?

Kyle Kauffman

Who gets the final say in what is true in your life? Who do you look to tell you what is true? Who are the authorities you submit to? Authority and truth are inevitably connected because we will look to some authority to determine what is true. But we are prone to have a skepticism and cynicism towards authority. As sinful human beings we don’t like to live under the authority of God or other people. We view authority outside of ourselves as being constricting rather than liberating. We can also look at lots of different ways that authority has been abused or wielded in a way that is destructive. As a result, we are prone to set ourselves up as the ultimate authority. This leaves us in a position where the only authorities we listen to are the ones we like. We accept an authority if it reinforces our views and reject an authority if it challenges our views. The Bible presents itself as the ultimate authority. It presents itself as being the very words of God. If we are to know what is true, then we must submit ourselves to the Bible as our authority. This will mean believing what the Bible says is true and living according to what the Bible says is true. Rather than this limiting our freedom, we find it frees us to actually live as we were designed to.

2 Timothy 3:14-4:4

Kyle Kauffman 11/4/23 Kyle Kauffman 11/4/23

What is Truth?

Kyle Kauffman

What is truth? It’s a question that’s as old as time. And it’s a question that’s as important as life itself. We ask this question because we want to know what is true and what is false. But even more importantly we ask this question because we want to know if truth really exists and if so, how we can come to know the truth. We live in a world where absolute truth is viewed with suspicion. We prefer phrases like this is “my truth” or “your truth” to the idea that something is universally true for all people. We are prone to look inward to our feeling and desires to discover what is true rather than looking outward to some source of truth outside of ourselves. We tend to think the truth can be changed to fit our preferences rather than recognizing truth that my preferences must conform too. In short, we live in a time where we seek to make truth what we want it to be rather than seeking to know what is really true.

Kyle Kauffman 12/18/22 Kyle Kauffman 12/18/22

The Exalted King

Kyle Kauffman

Where is this story headed? It’s a question we all wonder whether it’s in reading a book or watching a movie, or in thinking about our own lives, or in thinking about the whole world and all of history. Zechariah 14 gives a picture of where the story is headed. It’s headed to the place where our King reigns over his people in a perfect paradise. That’s how the story ends/begins. That doesn’t mean our king isn’t currently reigning, it’s just that we are still waiting for the full results and revealing of his reign as King. In the meantime we are called to live as those who submit our lives to his reign. We do this as we trust and worship him through whatever comes our way, and we do this as we seek to obey him in every area of our lives.

Zechariah 14

Kyle Kauffman 12/11/22 Kyle Kauffman 12/11/22

The Shepherd King

Kyle Kauffman

Israel struggled with rulers who always seemed to care more about themselves then they did about their people. We struggle with the same reality today. Whether in politics, the church, or other places, we are so often disappointed by our leaders. We get our hopes up, only to realize that leaders far to often care more about themselves then they do about their people. God promises that his coming King will be a shepherd to his people. He will rescue them, care for them, protect them, and lead them in the way they should go. This shepherd will bring God’s people safely home to be live with Him one day. But surprisingly this shepherd is first rejected by his people and then struck down by God himself. Yet the shepherd refuses to abandon his people and shows his love for them by dying in their place.

Zechariah 10-11; 13:7-9

Kyle Kauffman 12/4/22 Kyle Kauffman 12/4/22

The Warrior King

Kyle Kauffman

When we think about Jesus, how often do we think of him as a warrior? Yet that’s a picture of Jesus that’s given to us both in Zechariah and in Revelation. That’s really good news for those who feel weak, needy, and oppressed. Which is exactly the case for the Israelites who have returned from Exile. They need to know that God will come to fight against there enemies, strengthen them, and ultimately bring peace. We often feel like we are losing in this world. The world mocks us, sin and Satan tempts us, and death one day comes for us. But we are not called to live with a defeatist mindset. We look back to the king who fought against sin, Satan, and death and won. And we look forward to the King’s return when he will eradicate all evil and bring perfect piece. In the meantime we know our King is advancing his kingdom through the church and so we join him in the fight as we declare his victory and live in light of his victory and remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood

Zechariah 9; Ephesians 3:10, 6:10-20

Kyle Kauffman 10/16/22 Kyle Kauffman 10/16/22

Our God Rules

Kyle Kauffman

Has life ever not gone the way you expected or hoped? That’s probably a dumb question to ask, because the obvious answer for everyone is YES! Our lives inevitably look different than what we thought they would. And many times, our lives look different than what we hoped or wanted them to be. The dreams we have for our life collapse around us. The life we find ourselves living seems to be more of a grind then a joy. We find life be far more difficult and discouraging then what we thought it would be. If you’ve ever experienced this, then Zechariah is a book for you! Zechariah’s first vision and last vision is meant to instill hope in people in the face of the difficulties, challenges, and disappointments we face in this life by reminding us that our God rules over everything and everyone.

Zechariah 1:7-17; 6:1-8

Kyle Kauffman 9/11/22 Kyle Kauffman 9/11/22

Pause to Remember

Kyle Kauffman

We have a tendency to view rest with either suspicion or as optional add-on to our lives. We think, “If I rest, won’t I miss out on something important in my life, or even worse, become lazy.” Or we think, “Rest is a good thing, but I just don’t have time to rest. Maybe if I get everything done, I’ll rest. Or maybe in another stag of life, I’ll be able to rest. But for now, there is no time to rest.” But from the start for the world, God gave people rest, commanded people to rest, and has connected rest with our faith in him. While the Sabbath looks different for us then it did for the Israelites, the principle remains the same. Rest is not bad, it is good. Rest is not optional, it is necessary. Rest provides the space for us to remember and worship the God who created and sustains everyone and everything. We are invited and commanded to pause and rest so that we might have time to wonder at God, the world he’s made, and the life he’s given to us.

Genesis 1:31-2:3; Exodus 20:8-11

Kyle Kauffman 7/3/22 Kyle Kauffman 7/3/22

The Joy of Being a Child

Kyle Kauffman

One of the greatest privileges of being a Christian is to be adopted by God. Our adoption into God’s family should be a continual source of joy for us. God has made you his child forever. Which means that we have all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of belonging to God’s family. We can find peace in knowing God is our Father. We can find value in knowing we are his children. We can look with confidence to our future because of what we will be. And we can live with a new purpose right now because of our belonging to God’s family.

1 John 3:1-3