Imago Dei Community Sermons

In Luke 15, Jesus tells 3 parables that are meant to cut straight to the heart of the question, “what is God like?” At Imago Dei, we believe that ultimately God is relationship. It should therefore be no surprise that Jesus’ powerful parables culminate in perhaps one of the most powerful stories of all time—the prodigal son. In this parable God is described relationally, as a father. If we limit our understanding of God to our head, we are not very likely to follow him. If we understand God as relationship, something that takes place in our heart, we are likely to pursue Him. In these 3 parables, Jesus reiterates how much God loves us. He loves us so much that if we are only 1 in 99 (the sheep) he will still come looking. If we are only 1 in 10 (the coin) he will still come looking. If we are 1 of 2 (the son) he will be out looking. God doesn’t forget us when we are missing. He doesn’t operate on a moral matrix (it’s our fault we are missing...we’re broken), but rather a relational matrix (my heart

Rick returned from a 3 month sabbatical this week. He spent his time in the sermon reflecting on the experience. He realized again while he was away how desperately he needed the gospel as much as any other person at Imago Dei. The most important thing for us to do as a follower of Christ is not to share our faith. It is not to go oversees and serve Jesus. It is not going to bible college. The most important thing to do as a Christian (in the fullest sense of the word) is to believe that God loves you. Amazing as it sounds, this is an easy step to start skipping while we do lots of other “christian” stuff. As soon as we skip the most important step, we get onto the ugly route of religion. We start trying to earn God’s approval...or worse, other people’s approval. It is much easier for all of us to be needed than loved. As Rick re-enters into his role as our leader, he is calling us to remember the most important thing: God loves you! Galatians 2:20

Bill Clem continues our series on 1 Peter. This week's sermon draws from 1 Peter 1:7-9, focusing on how our trials reveal and develop a genuine faith in Jesus, whose love carries us through. This podcast also includes an interview with the Monaghan family, who share their story of persevering faith, love & community in the midst of intense trial and struggle.

Bill Clem continues our series on 1 Peter. This week's sermon draws from 1 Peter 1:7-9, focusing on how our trials reveal and develop a genuine faith in Jesus, whose love carries us through. This podcast also includes an interview with the Monaghan family, who share their story of persevering faith, love & community in the midst of intense trial and struggle.

In the story of Zacchaeus, Jesus brings salvation home to the most unlikely of characters. Salvation is Christ’s to offer...to be sure. In fact, Zacchaeus doesn’t even invite Jesus home...Jesus invites himself! Yet Zacchaeus did some interesting things in this story. He climbed a tree. In doing so, he basically became undignified. He humbled himself. He also let go of what the crowd thought of him. The crowd was filled with spiritually abusive people (Pharisees). And Jesus’ only social platform in his ministry was that of exposing and opposing spiritual abuse. Zacchaeus couldn’t get to Christ through this self righteous crowd, he had go over the crowd. Finally, he brought Jesus home. He allowed Jesus to take up residence in his life...and became a transformed person. Luke 19:1-10

Pastor Rick McKinley continues our series on 1 Peter, focusing on God as our Father and the living hope we have in the face of suffering. Scripture reference: 1 Peter: 1:4-6.

Pastor Rick McKinley continues our series on 1 Peter, focusing on God as our Father and the living hope we have in the face of suffering. Scripture reference: 1 Peter: 1:4-6.

Rick wraps up the series on money with a further look at Luke 12. We invest our money, energy, and resources into the eternal kingdom of God not because it is 'spiritual' to do so but because it is wise and "where our treasure is, there will our heart be also".

Rick uses Luke chapter 12 to warn us against the dangers of greed. Instead of saying, "what's mine is mine because of me", Rick implores us to say, "what's mine is God's because of God".

Rick takes a pause from the series on finance to look at the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. He invites us to listen to the prophetic voices in our culture and ask ourselves how we can continue the efforts for social justice.

Luke Hendrix speaks about giving from the standpoint of what motivates us to give. He uses II Corinthians 9 as a source of biblical mandates regarding giving.

Don Miller shows us numerous ways in which hope has motivated individuals. He then uses Romans 5 and 8 to exhort us to put our hope in the eternal glory of God as Paul did in the midst of suffering.

Rick McKinley begins a new study of 1 Peter, a book written to an exiled people scattered abroad because of persecution. This week focuses on 1 Peter 1:1-3.

Rick McKinley begins a new study of 1 Peter, a book written to an exiled people scattered abroad because of persecution. This week focuses on 1 Peter 1:1-3.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians focuses on the centrality of Christ. Jesus, Christ, Lord, or Savior are mentioned 51 times in the 104 verses. Key themes include joy, humility, and peace. In chapter 4, Paul concludes the letter by sharing the secret of being content; living in the power of Christ by first receiving peace from Christ, and then pursuing peace in community. Peace is a value of the kingdom of God, and can only be discovered and received...not created. Shalom, the Hebrew concept of peace looks like completeness, unity, and perfection of relationship. There is no concept of peace outside of relationship. That is why Paul understands a key to the gospel lying in the fact that we indeed have peace with God through Jesus (Romans 5). It is in this peace that Paul finds his hiding place...a place to find peace in the midst of circumstances. He urges us to find peace there. Further, he urges us to pursue this peace through our earthy community by living in unity. Philippians 4:1 - 23

Life is lived not by legalism or by lawless lust, but by pursuing Christ. A story from C.S. Lewis's The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treader' illustrated it. "There once was a boy name Eustace Clarence Scrubb and he almost deserved it." Eustace is beastly on the voyage. He wanders away and ends up in a dragon's lair. With dragonish thoughts in his heart, he wakes to find that he has turned into a dragon. He desperately wants to change and be undragoned, but cannot. One night a huge Lion (Aslan) invites him to follow. He is led to a large well and told to undress. He starts to rip off his dragon scales until sheds his horny skin. But underneath it is another skin, and a third. Finally, Aslan says, "You need to have me help you." Eustace trusts him and lays down. The first rip of Aslan's claws was so deep Eustace thought it had reached to his very heart. The skinned Eustace jumps in the well and turns back into a boy. And, he began to be a new boy, the cure had begun. Trust Christ, get forgiveness and a new heart and th

The culture of Philippi that Paul was writing to has much similarity to our current North American culture. It was a wealthy culture. It was a cultural hub. It was a place where citizenship held many advantages. Paul urges his followers to live a life worthy of Christ, and in doing so to make his joy complete. At first, that sounds a little co-dependent...Paul needing others behavior to look good in order to feel good about himself? But if you flip that around, it actually appears that Paul cares so much for his people, that nothing will give him more joy than their success. Do we care for our people that way? Paul gives a few pointers to help us know how to live in such a way. They are simply 3 simple steps...errrr, maybe not. But here’s Paul’s advice. -Do nothing out of selfish ambition -Look to others -Have the same attitude as Christ These exhortations are really an exhortation to walk with a certain posture. It is not that we are to have no ambition...it is that we are to have a self-less ambit

Philippians 1:1 - 26