Cross Section from the Summit View Church of Christ

Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen. We contrast two fathers in the book of Esther: Mordecai and Haman. Both were proud of their children. One, though, built his family around God; the other built his family around himself. One saw his daughter thrive in the Lord's service; the other brought tragedy upon his whole family.Texts: selections from Esther; Psalm 127

Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ — Teaching from Scripture about the value of single people in the kingdom of God, the importance of considering carefully before we choose to marry, and the value of singleness for uninhibited devotion to the work God has for us to do.Texts: Isaiah 56:1-8, Matthew 19:1-12, 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 & 7:25-40

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen​Texts: Deuteronomy 6 & 11:1-7

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ​Texts: Colossians 3:18 to 4:1, Ephesians 5:21 to 6:9, 1 Peter 2:18 to 3:7

Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — 3 mothers' dependence on God is tested, and their actions both warn us against acting out of a lack of trust in God—even when we are motivated by love—and encourage us to depend on God even in situations that are risky or difficult.Texts: Genesis 27:1-45, Matthew 20:20-28, 1 Kings 17:7-16

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers a variety of teachings on how to live a godly life, many of which are directly applicable to our lives as God's salt and light in our families. In teaching us to seek "soft power" rather than "hard power," to abstain from adultery and to refrain from divorce, to refuse to seek revenge or hate an enemy, to seek God's kingdom first in our lives, and to build our lives on Jesus' teachings, Jesus provides us with instruction to help us become better family members and build stronger families. Text: selections from Matthew 5-7

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — To open a new sermon series, "God and Family," we look at the family of Jesus: his mother and adoptive father, his obedience to them, how he honored his parents, how he related to his brothers, and the possible reasons that he remained single and childless—but also his spiritual marriage to his church and how he claims his followers as his brothers and sisters, which is the foundation of our belief that his church is a family, the family of God. Texts: Matthew 1, Luke 2:41-52, John 19:5-27, Hebrews 2:10-11, and other selections

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Peter writes that our baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. What connection does Peter see between Jesus' resurrection and our baptism in the process of our salvation? To find out, we examine the story of the resurrection as Peter experienced it, from the first news of the empty tomb to Jesus' ascension into heaven. Texts: 1 Peter 3:18-22 and selected passages

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — On the Sunday morning after Jesus died, some of the women who followed him went to his tomb to anoint his body with spices. But a great surprise awaited them—one to which we in the church sometimes grow too accustomed: Jesus was alive again! As that great surprise came to be known and understood, it reshaped life as we know it. For if Jesus was raised from the dead, he truly is the Son of God, and all that he promised is true. Texts: Mark 16:1-8

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — At the cross, Jesus was defeated: made to suffer, humiliated, beaten, insulted, killed. We who follow him are no strangers to such defeat: we suffer regularly, and God does not always rescue us. But in Jesus' defeat, God brought about victory! Signs, including prophecies fulfilled, marked God's presence and work at the cross. And if we are faithful as followers of Jesus, we too will see God bring victory out of our defeats. Texts: Mark 15:16-47, Psalm 22

​​Sunday Sermon by Walt RantaHow should we think about sin after we are baptized? Scripture reminds us not to say we have no sin, but rather to confess our sin, and God will forgive us. Yet we must also not give ourselves over to sinful living, thinking that we can always simply confess our sins and be forgiven. Those who continue to sin willingly have no sacrifice for sins remaining. When we are baptized, we die to sin and become slaves not of sin, but of God, and we must thereafter live for God—continually forgiven, and with hearts truly seeking to do what is right.Texts: Romans 5:18 to 6:23 and other selected passages

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — As Jesus stood trial before the Jewish leaders and Pilate, it was more than just Jesus who was being tried: the others around him, enemies and disciples alike, were on trial too, their hearts being revealed. Their actions would prove their devotion to God or their corruption. At the final judgment, we too will be judged based on our actions—with grace and forgiveness, for those who are in Christ, but not for those who do not live for him. These trials that happened as Jesus himself stood trial warn us to live for God now, so that at the judgment our actions may testify to our devotion to him.  Text: Mark 14:53 to 15:15

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When Jesus was arrested and all his followers fled, it looked like he was completely abandoned—by both God and human beings. But he was not abandoned: even when all others fled, even when God said no to Jesus' prayer, even when Jesus was arrested, God was still with him, fulfilling Scripture and giving him strength. And in the difficulties of our lives, even when other people let us down, God will not abandon us as we look to him in faith. Text: Mark 14:27-52

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Jesus was anointed by a woman who poured out an extravagant gift on his head; but Judas criticized her harshly for it and made plans to betray Jesus. Jesus, in the Last Supper, treated Judas better than Judas deserved, sharing with him the sacred bread and cup. The examples of this woman, Judas, and Jesus, particularly so closely connected with Jesus' sharing of the first Lord's Supper and the approaching of his sacrificial death, call us to consider our conduct in our relationships with God and with one another, especially when we share the Lord's Supper together. Text: Mark 14:1-26

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Jesus prophesied that the great temple of God in Jerusalem would be torn down. His disciples wanted to know when—just as we want to know when Jesus will come again. In his answer to both questions, Jesus warned us not to be deceived by events that are not signs of the end, but to keep our focus on what is most important: watching and being ready when he does come, standing firm in our faith in the meantime.  Text: Mark 13

​​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem engaged in a great contest for credibility in the eyes of the Jewish people and for authority over the temple of God and the Jewish faith—but it was a poor widow who won a mighty conquest! She did it without even trying, for she was focused not on exalting herself but, like Jesus, loving and honoring God.  Text: Mark 12:13-44

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When confronted concerning the question of his authority to change the status quo at the temple, Jesus responded with the parable of the tenants. This parable speaks of stewardship: primarily the stewardship of the Jewish leaders as the caretakers of God's temple and God's people, but also our stewardship of the church today and our stewardship of our lives and all God has given us. Text: Mark 11:27 to 12:12

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Upon his entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus boldly defends the honor of God at the temple, challenging the religious authorities to a duel in the process. Jesus always defends the honor of God—and by a strange miracle, he warns those who do not honor God with good fruit in their lives that they will face judgment from him who is the true King sent from God. Text: Mark 11:1-25

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — James and John thought the glory of Jesus' road to Jerusalem would be about conquest, power, and position—but Jesus' glory would be in the cross and in his service to us all. Likewise, Jesus calls us to seek glory not in power or position, but in serving one another, following his example. Text: Mark 10:32-52

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In three consecutive teachings, Jesus teaches his followers that mere adherence to the rules or to cultural expectations is not what God desires most. Rather, God's rules are intended to guide his people into understanding of his deeper will for us, so that we live beyond the rules, doing what is right out of genuine love for God. Text: Mark 10:1-31

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When Jesus' disciples again did not understand his prophecy of his suffering and death, and when they demonstrated their failure to understand through a prideful attitude, Jesus taught them more about what it means to follow him. To be the first, one must become the last and the servant of all. Those who do not oppose us are for us, and we ought to welcome them, not stop them from doing their good work. And God deals very sternly with sin that causes others, or even ourselves, to stumble in faith. But humility like that which Jesus would show in his suffering and death brings peace with one another, just as his death brings us peace with God. Text: Mark 9:30-50

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Jesus and his disciples lived in two realms simultaneously: in heavenly glory, filled with the presence and power of God, and in earthly reality, where sin mars life and troubles abound. In the struggles of Jesus' disciples to dwell in both realms at once, and in Jesus' faithfulness in doing so, we learn how we, too, should live in the present world with all its difficulties, yet live lives filled with the power and glory of God. Text: Mark 9:2-29

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In a story of Jesus healing a blind man, Mark presents us with a conundrum: Why did Jesus' first attempt to heal the man result in an incomplete healing? The teachings that follow present a second riddle: Why would Jesus the Messiah have to suffer and die? With these questions, Mark begins to open our eyes to see not only who Jesus is, but the beginning of what it means to follow him, in both suffering and hope. Text: Mark 8:22 to 9:1

​Sunday Sermon by Phil Diaz — Three little words represent our orientation toward God and his will. Are we like Jonah, who positioned himself against God and did God's will only reluctantly? Or are we like Mary, who offered herself to be God's servant, whatever his will for her might be? Texts: selections from Jonah and from Luke 1:5-38

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In the bright and glorious story of the birth of Jesus come moments of darkness: moments of shame, disappointment, sorrow, cruelty, and tragedy. Yet those dark moments are not able to overwhelm the wonder of the work God was beginning to do through his Son, our Savior. God took those dark moments and transformed them, redeemed them, so that they served his good purposes—just as he will one day redeem all our moments of darkness for those who love him. Text: Matthew 1:18 to 2:23

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod," Jesus told his disciples. But what did he mean? They thought—wrongly—that he was talking about bread. But he was teaching them to think in a manner different from the rest of the world and more like God. He teaches us to do the same. Text: Mark 7:1 to 8:21

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Two amazing miracles revealed more about who Jesus is—but would his disciples understand that he was more than a new Moses, more than a prophet greater than Elisha? Jesus, the Son of God, made the impossible possible by the power of his mere word—and he still does the same in our lives today. Text: Mark 6:30-56

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Jesus was popular and surrounded by crowds everywhere—except in his own hometown. There he was rejected and could not do much effective ministry. His twelve apostles, sent out to many towns, were successful in their work, but Jesus anticipated that some towns would reject them. John the Baptist, prophet and ally of Jesus, was arrested and later executed by a ruler who knew John was a holy and righteous man, but killed him anyway. If Jesus and those who ministered along with him were rejected by many people, was Jesus really worth following? Will we still follow him if the people around us reject him today? Text: Mark 6:1-29

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In four consecutive stories Mark shows us the power of Jesus: power over nature, over demons, over disease, and even over death! He also shows us human fear—sometimes before people encountered Jesus, and sometimes because they encountered Jesus. These stories call us to consider how we, too, deal with our fears—especially in light of Jesus' power and compassion, which together reveal who he is and invite us to come to him for help.  Text: Mark 4:35 to 5:43

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Why did Jesus so often teach by speaking in parables? His parable of the seeds and soils gives us a hint. Sometimes the truth is hard to receive when given directly; but parables speak indirectly, sparking the mind to search for the parable's meaning, opening the mind to new perspectives. Some listeners probably did not care to investigate Jesus' parables beyond the story on the surface. But for those with ears to hear—those whose desire to understand drove them to dig deeply into the parables—Jesus offered the secret of the kingdom of God. Text: Mark 4:1-34

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Demons come up frequently in this text. They serve as a window to help us and the people who encountered Jesus see his awesome power and hints of his true identity. The demons knew exactly who Jesus was. Some religious leaders, though, thought he himself was possessed by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Crowds flocked to Jesus, but did they really understand his true purpose? Close followers devoted themselves to learn from him, believing Jesus was truly from God. Who do you believe Jesus is? And how will you respond to him? Text: Mark 3:7-35

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Six times in six consecutive stories, Jesus does the right thing—but does it in the wrong way, at least in some people's opinions. He didn't have to do the wrong parts of the right things—healing on the Sabbath, claiming to forgive sin, eating with sinners and tax collectors. So why did he do such things? He did them because they were right and because of who he is—which is also why we do God's will, with or without the approval of others. Text: Mark 1:40 to 3:6

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Opening his story of Jesus, Mark tells about the amazing events that surrounded the start of Jesus' ministry: the prophecy-fulfilling work of John the Baptist, the voice of God himself speaking, Jesus drawing the attention of Satan himself, an exorcism of a demon who knew who Jesus was, healings—amazing events that remind us how quickly, how immediately, Jesus changes the lives of all who encounter him. Text: Mark 1:1-39

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Many people, even in ancient Israel, have worshiped idols intentionally, leading themselves away from God into sin and destructive living. But sometimes even we who love God and want to worship him alone find hidden idols in our lives, things we worship unintentionally—the way John began to worship an angel (twice!) in the book of Revelation. We need to beware of such idols and check ourselves regularly, asking ourselves, "Whom do you worship?" Texts: Exodus 20:1-5, Romans 1:21-32, Revelation 19:1-10 & 22:8-9

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — God created human beings in his image to rule over life on earth, but our earliest ancestors—and we too—turned away from that identity to create our own self-identities, whatever we wanted to be. But in pursuing the idol of self-identity, we lost the glorious identity God gave to all his children, substituting it for lesser identities that could never bring true fulfillment. Jesus, though, took on himself the identity chosen for him by God and refused to worship the idol of self-identity. He set us an example to follow, so that we may regain the identity for which God created us and share in the glory of Christ. Texts: Psalm 8, Genesis 3:1-13, Philippians 2:1-11

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — God loves to grant the dreams of his children. Yet for many years, he declined to grant Abraham and Sarah's dream: the dream of having a son of their own. At long last, God granted that dream, and their son Isaac was conceived miraculously. Some years later, though, God asked Abraham to give his dream—his son—back to God by offering him as a sacrifice. By this test, God watched to see whether Abraham would let his son, his dream, become an idol between himself and God. We too may be tempted to place even our most worthy dreams ahead of God in our lives, when our lives and our dreams themselves will be most blessed if we submit them to God. Text: selections from Genesis 12-22

​Sunday Sermon by Ryan Ferguson — We all struggle with fear and anxiety at times, and with worry. Fear typically has a specific object and can be helpful to us; anxiety is usually more generalized, and often interferes with our lives. God calls us not to be anxious, but to put our trust in him, even when we are faced with very real fears. When we trust in him, he helps us overcome our anxiety, and he gives us his peace. Text: Proverbs 3:5-6

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Jesus encountered two rich men, one after the other. One could not set aside the idol of wealth in his life; the other devoted himself to God over everything else, including his wealth. Jesus warned us that it is very difficult for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God, though even then all things are possible with God. This lesson examines the temptation of wealth, the Lord's call to submit our wealth to his rule in our lives, and what we can do to use the measure of wealth God has given us for his glory. Texts: Luke 18:18-27 & 19:1-10, 1 Timothy 6:17-19

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Joseph had every right and reason to get revenge against his cruel brothers, and God gave him the power to do so—but Joseph refused to let his own honor become an idol in his life. He devoted himself to God and trusted in God for his honor, and as a result, his broken family was reconciled. We all want and need to be honored; we can trust God to bring us the honor we need, so that when we are offended by others, we do not have to get revenge. Text: selections from Genesis 37 and 42-50

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Everyone needs to be loved, desired, appreciated. Leah did too—but her husband loved and married her sister! Both women were his wives simultaneously, but Jacob loved Leah's sister Rachel the most. Leah was desperate for her husband's love, and we can understand why; but what she needed more was what she already had, the love of God. God's love for us gives us a solid foundation for life and all our relationship, so that our yearning to be loved need not ever become an idol that controls our lives. Text: Genesis 29:14b-35

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The Israelites knew better when they crafted a golden calf idol, directly violating the first two of the 10 Commandments spoken only weeks earlier in their hearing by the voice of God himself! So why did they do it? They did it because they were afraid—and in their fear, they looked for their security in something other than the true God. In our quest to keep ourselves from all idols, we must take care to make sure we look for our ultimate security in God alone.  Text: Exodus 32

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — It's a sad story of God's judgment: The last four kings of Judah continued Judah's overall trajectory away from God, their true King. Finally, Judah became so filled with sin and wickedness that God was no longer willing to forgive, and he brought destruction on Judah. Even then, though, God was looking for an opportunity to redeem his people in the future. Text: 2 Kings 23:31 to 25:30

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — King Josiah served God from a young age, but when he heard the words of God's law for the first time, he devoted himself and his nation to God all the more. Because he humbled himself and turned to God, God gave Judah one last chance to do right before he brought his judgment upon them. We, too, often need one last chance—and God readily gives it if we humble our hearts and seek him. Text: 2 Kings 22:1 to 23:30

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Our God does amazing things, and when Manasseh, the most wicked king that Judah ever had, repented, God did another amazing thing: He forgave him! The recognition that God could forgive as evil a person as Manasseh gives us hope that God will forgive us, too, as we repent of our sin and turn to him.  Text: 2 Chronicles 33

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Hezekiah was a man of great faith, yet he, like we do sometimes, faced enormous troubles that threatened to overwhelm him—and not only him, but also Jerusalem and the entire nation of Judah. How did he respond? Hezekiah stumbled a little at first, but later he prayed, then prayed again. And God responded to the king's faith and rescued Jerusalem.  Text: 2 Kings 18-19

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In 753 BC, Israel seemed strong—but within about thirty years, it fell! Why? Israel had long turned away from God, worshiping idols and doing evil. Its evil finally caught up with it, and God did not rescue the nation, because God is faithful—faithful to both bless those who seek him and to punish those who do evil The fall of Israel is a warning to us to respect God's judgment and to seek him with gratitude for his kindness, listening to him and obeying him so we may enjoy his blessings.  Text: 2 Kings 15:8-31, 17

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Jesus, in his Parable of the Soils, was right: different people respond to God in different ways. In Jesus' own history, the history of Israel and Judah, Judah's king Uzziah was faithful to God, but only until pride choked out his faith. His son Jotham was steadfast in his faith, and his trust in God strengthened his nation. But his son Ahaz was entirely unfaithful to God, and the result was God's judgment upon the king and people of Judah.  Text: 2 Chronicles 26-28

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — King Amaziah first listened to God, and because he obeyed the Lord, he prospered. But later in his reign he stopped listening to God, and he lost God's blessings. Amaziah's life is a lesson for us to listen to the Lord as we go about our lives, so that we might enjoy his blessings.  Text: 2 Chronicles 25

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In the stories of three consecutive kings of Israel, God demonstrates his profound compassion by showing grace even to undeserving kings and an undeserving nation. Text: 2 Kings 13 and 14:23-29

​Sunday Sermon by Johnny Gallegos — Peter disowned Jesus three times, and all seemed to be lost. He could never undo what he had done. But Jesus redeemed Peter and called him to feed His sheep. In the same way, Jesus redeems us from our sin and calls us into his kingdom. Texts: excerpts from Luke 22, John 21

​Sunday Sermon by Ian Bissell, Preaching Intern with the Northwest School of Discipleship — Each of us has been given the gift of a ministry by God. What can we do to engage in that ministry effectively, in spite of dangers both external and internal? We draw from Paul's instructions to Timothy to help us as we serve the Lord. Text: 2 Timothy 4:1-8