Seven Mile Road

Update: February

Sermon: Blind and Needing Mercy

We can’t seem to see it. Our own sinful faults in our life, don’t show up for us -except occasionally in the periphery. Jesus performs his last miracle healing in Luke. With this he brings into focus our initial blindness to sin. This also is the model for dealing with our on-going sinfulness while on the path of growing in holiness & humility.Text: Luke 18:35-43

Sermon: Following Jesus Through Suffering

Suffering. Mocked. Whipped. Murdered. Raised Up. This is the sequence of experiences that Jesus tells his 12 disciples is coming for him in Jerusalem. They do not understand what he is saying. They will not understand until he goes through suffering and death and is resurrected. Then, the resurrected Son of Man by the Spirit makes them understand his Gospel. We also need the Spirit of God to open our eyes in faith to see the cross, death, and resurrection of Jesus as our glory and not shame, our...

Sermon: Follow Me

Luke 18:18-30 How many of us are ready to do the impossible? The answer is “none,” because that is what it means for something to be impossible. That's bad news if what we really need most is that which is impossible for us to get. Well what about God? Now we are getting somewhere. What is impossible for us to do, all that which is most important, is possible for God. He does the impossible all the time, and that is our hope. In Luke 18 we encounter two contrasting responses to Christ's command ...

Sermon: Who Is the Hero?

Luke 18.9-17 As we return to our series in the gospel of Luke, we will hear Jesus’ story about the prayers of two men, one very religious and one very guilty. As they pray, their hearts and sources of hope for acceptance by God become clear, and God’s glorious love for people, especially when they haven’t earned it, is even more evident.

Update: January

Sermon: He's Actually Here!

Jesus was born, but he wasn’t born where you’d think a prince would be. It was the opposite: he was born where animals live and then placed in a feeding trough. Though shocking, this was also perfect and fitting. The King is actually here … He’s here for us.

Sermon: Born A Child and Yet A King

Having been fooled by the wise men after they found baby Jesus, an angry King Herod seeks to find Jesus for himself. Herod, however, is looking to kill Jesus … not worship him. Born a child but yet a king, Jesus is humble in appearance and seemingly at risk. As we read, we’ll see that God is fulfilling his promises even in the earliest days of Jesus’ life and that he (and his kingdom) prove to be unstoppable.

Sermon: Jesus is Born King

Jesus was born to be king over every nation, kingdom, and people - including you and me.The wise men traveled long distances to find the creation-revealed king born in Judea.After receiving the prophetic word for his birth in Bethlehem, they bow down and honor Jesus as king.Christmas is about believing and witnessing the arrival of Jesus, God’s King, for all people.But it’s not just about that - Christmas is also about rejoicing in the king and his kingdom. All glory be to Christ, His rule and r...

Sermon: A Christmas Story

We say “merry Christmas,” our British friends say “happy Christmas,” but why be either? What is it about Christmas that is supposed to make us so merry, happy, nicer (!), down right joyful? The answer, for the hope filled Christian in December, is the gospel. The gospel is why we are merry, why we are happy; the gospel is where our joy comes from. It is precisely this good news that was proclaimed by angels; that a baby was born in Bethlehem, and that the baby was Christ the King, God’s Son, Jes...

Update: December

Listen to a 14 minute update for what's happening at Seven Mile Melrose this advent season.

Sermon: Jesus’ Family Tree

Have you ever looked at the genealogies (or family trees) in the Bible and wondered what to make of them? We will begin our Advent sermon series, *Fulfilled: The Arrival of Jesus,* this Sunday, by looking at Jesus’ family tree in Matthew 1.1-17. We’ll see that God’s mission moves through even the most messy and mangled family tree.

Sermon and Testimonies: Always Thankful

As we gather for worship on this Sunday before Thanksgiving, we’ll hear God’s word in Psalm 100: “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.” Then, we will hear specific ways that God has been merciful, kind, and gracious to our church over the past year.

Sermon: Don't Lose Heart...Pray

In the face of frequent injustices in our world and even brokenness in our relationships, we get a vivid parable from Jesus that relates to us. This story presents prayer as the faith-filled antidote for these times we are in -as we await the return of Jesus.Luke 18:1-8

Sermon: Look at Jesus

After healing ten lepers, Jesus speaks to two groups of people regarding when the Kingdom of God will come. One group was very religious and expected God’s kingdom to come with great signs and visibility. Another group, Jesus’s own disciples, were concerned with timetable and prone to look all over for the kingdom. As we hear the story this week, we’ll see that there’s one answer for both groups of people: Look at Jesus! Luke 17.20-37

Update: November

Listen for an update on what to expect during Turkey Month at Seven Mile Melrose!

Sermon: Thankful or Not? Responding to the Mercy of Jesus

As we have been preaching through the book of Luke, we have seen many different responses to Jesus: wonder, fear, anger, devotion, and opposition.In Luke 17:11-17, we will see Jesus giving mercy to 10 men without qualification. Interestingly, only one of the ten men returns to praise God and give thanks to Jesus.This passage will challenge us to have missional optimism and also remind us to continually remember how Jesus has brought us near him by his mercy, not our own qualifications.

Sermon: What Every Disciple Needs to Know

Jesus huddles up his disciples and gives them four key instructions. These are essential., pragmatic, and reality-based instructions on being a disciple of Jesus.These words have been preserved for us, so they can be passed right on down to us today. This Sunday we will make sure we hear these and understand their pertinence to us. The outcome of knowing these things will be preparation for daily obedience as one of Jesus’ disciples. Luke 17:1-10

Sermon: A Reversal of Riches

As Jesus continues talking with the Pharisees, he tells a story of two men, one independent, rich and unconcerned with others. The other was poor, helpless and dependent on others for everything. As the story fast forwards to the next life, Jesus warns that riches of this life are no promise of riches in the next. Luke 16.19-31

Sermon: A Different Standard

God and man have different standards. The standards that man holds to in valuing and judging the actions, deeds, and lives of others are not the same standards that God holds. Often the two are diametrically opposed, and we can find ourselves torn as we seek to live out the standards that God holds out for us in His word. This Sunday, Jesus shows us the standard by which we are to live, and explains why it matters that we adopt God's ways, as opposed to our own. Luke 16:14-15

Update: October

Justin and Sara get you caught up on October at Seven Mile Melrose.

Sermon: God is Gracious, so I Don’t Have to Prove Myself

We live in a broken world that is always comparing and measuring and evaluating and deciding what is good enough and who is good enough, so living in this world comes with pressure. Pressure to perform. Pressure to look like we have it together. Pressure to prove ourselves. We all feel it. This Sunday, we’ll see how King David lived in a similar situation. Even more, we’ll see that God is gracious, so we don’t have to prove ourselves. 2 Samuel 7.1-17, Psalm 103

Sermon: God is Good, So I Don't Have to Look Elsewhere

This is the third week in our “God is…So I…” series. When we dig into Psalm 107 and the life of David we are going to see that God is good so we don’t have to look elsewhere. Our hearts have a tendency to attach to other people, things, institutions, movements, or any created thing, for our deepest comfort, greatest satisfaction, and highest good. When our lives move through difficult seasons and circumstances, it can be hard to believe that God is good and acting for our good. Yet, the Scriptur...

Sermon: God is Glorious, So I Don't Have to Fear Others

Whether seeking the approval of a boss, fearing rejection from family or friends or comparing ourselves to others, fear of man can show up in our lives in different ways. Maybe it’s anger or lies. Maybe it’s anxiety or something entirely different. Regardless, fear of others leads to a life controlled by others. This week, as we read Psalm 34 and hear from David’s story, we’ll see this beautiful truth: God is glorious, so I don’t have to fear others. Psalm 34; 1 Samuel 21.10-15

Sermon: God is Great, So I Don't Have to Be in Control

Being in control of our lives appeals to many of us. There’s a problem, though: no matter how much we want to be in control, we just aren’t built for it. We don’t have what it takes. We spend endless time, energy, and thought trying to bring the circumstances of life under our rule, but it never works out. Rather than producing control and joy, our efforts gain anxiety, worry, and stress. This Sunday, we’ll look at the life of King David and find freedom in this good news: God is great, so I don...

Update: September

Listen for an update on what you need to know this month at Seven Mile Melrose. Click here to register for Theology for Everyone class: https://sevenmileroad.churchcenter.com/people/forms/428972 Click here to register for Shaped By Scripture track: https://sevenmileroad.churchcenter.com/people/forms/428959

Sermon: The Prodigal Son

All of Scripture is God breathed, it is true, but through the ages the parable of the prodigal son has stayed minty fresh. If you want to get at the heart of God, and do so with an illustration, which is what Jesus loved to do with his parables, Luke 15:11-32 is one of the best places to go. The gospel news is a handful of historical facts related to the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; the story of the prodigal son gives us a beautiful glimpse at the heart of ...

Sermon: Is Jesus First?

Throughout The Gospel of Luke, we've seen and heard the religious leaders miss the mark repeatedly. They've tried to earn what is free, and they've charged for things they were supposed to give away. But if they got it wrong, how are people like us standing in the crowds that don't have training or pedigree or a spotless record supposed to know what it means to follow Jesus? This Sunday, we'll hear Jesus explain what it costs to be a disciple of his. We will find that it costs us everything and ...

Sermon: You're Invited :: The Great Supper

You’re Invited: Great Supper… Before you RSVP your first question might be, “What are they serving?” But the folks around the table are more interested in who’s invited. Jesus tells us a story about the great supper in the age to come which is light on the menu details but pretty heavily focused on the invite list. We’ll see what this story means for invites and excuses for a future great supper that awaits -one that requires a response from all of us. Luke 14:15-24...

Sermon: How Do We Get God's Blessing?

Jesus gets invited to a meal with some Pharisees and reveals the path to honor in a way that completely contradicts the Pharisees in the room. We (and the Pharisees at the table) think the best way to get honor is to compete for it, and use or exclude the weak for our own gain in the process. It's a zero sum game. Jesus provides a different pathway to hono: humility and inclusion of the weak at our own expense.