The Mount MKE - sermons

In Genesis 28, as Jacob left home for fear of his life, God encountered him at Bethel. There, God assured Jacob that he was still his God, despite his sin, and would bring him back. Jacob set up a stone of remembrance there to remember and recall God's faithfulness.  On Pentecost, God, the Holy Spirit, came to the disciples just as Jesus had promised. On this festival day, we commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples by setting up a stone of remembrance to the God who still comes to meet us. Genesis 28:10-22

This Sunday, June 1, we conclude our series on Job with a look at Job 42. After wrestling with suffering and questioning God's justice, Job responds in humility and renewed faith. “I had heard of you,” he says, “but now my eyes have seen you.” Through suffering, Job moves from secondhand knowledge of God to personal encounter. God responds with grace, calling Job “my servant” again and again—a powerful sign of forgiveness and restoration. Job is not only restored in his life but also in his relationship with God. He even forgives his friends and intercedes for them, becoming a Christ-like figure who prays on behalf of those who wronged him. Job's story reminds us that suffering isn't wasted. It can draw us closer to God, deepen our faith, and reveal his grace in powerful ways. Join us as we reflect on the God who meets us in the ashes.

This Sunday at Mount Lebanon Church, we're diving into Job 41 —God's thunderous description of Leviathan, the untamable beast no human can defeat. But God? He isn't threatened. He rules over Leviathan. This terrifying creature—symbol of chaos, evil, even the devil himself—may be too much for us, but not for God. Evil is not His rival. It is His servant. With a word, He can fell it. Whatever Leviathan looks like in your life—fear, sin, injustice— God has the final word. And that word brings not only power, but vindication for His people. A sermon on Job 41.

In Job 40, God speaks again—not to explain, but to reveal. He points Job to Behemoth, a creature so powerful that no human can control it. And yet, God does. This moment isn't about answers—it's about awe. Through His words, God shows Job that His authority extends over everything, even what we cannot understand or manage. Behemoth stands as a reminder: what is impossible for us is fully governed by God. In our suffering, when life feels chaotic or out of control, we are invited to trust the One who holds even Behemoth in His hand. God doesn't diminish Job—He draws him into wonder. And He does the same for us. The wild is not wild to God. He reigns over it all.

This sermon centers on the powerful moment when God answers Job—not with explanations, but with questions that reveal His greatness and Job's smallness. Speaking from the storm, God draws Job into awe, not to belittle him, but to lift his eyes to the majesty of the Creator. As God recounts the wonders of creation, Job realizes that the Almighty who commands the cosmos also cares deeply for him. Job's suffering is not meaningless—it's refining. “When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold,” he declares. This same truth applies to us. God teaches, tests, and treasures His people. We are not forgotten. We are His masterpiece, His chosen ones, precious in His sight. In God's vast universe, we are deeply known and infinitely valued. A sermon on Job 38-39.

In the span of a few days, Job lost everything. His prosperity was stolen from him and destroyed. His children lay buried in the dust. His own health was so destroyed that his friends could barely recognize him when they came to console him. But they were little help. Zophar was one of the worst. He came to Job in his grief and said to him, “You deserved this. In fact, it could have been worse. God has even forgotten some of your sin” (11:6). Some friends! Yet, Zophar wasn't all wrong. He asked a fundamental question of Job. “What can you know?” The wisdom, the mysteries, and the limits of God are all beyond our knowing. It is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. Yet, there Zophar sat, daring to uncover the hidden mysteries of heaven to Job. Isn't that what we try to do when we try to explain how God is working all things together for good (cf. Romans 8:28)? We say that and then we try to explain it. We sit with those who are suffering and try to explain to them how its good. We sit with our thoughts and try to reason out the things beyond our understanding. We are better off if we stick with what we know. And what was it that Job knew, even in the dust and ashes? He knew that his Redeemer lived. He knew that he would live with him, too. Ah, how sweet this sentence is: I know that my Redeemer lives! Indeed, this is what we know. Job 11:7-9; Job 19:23-27

Satan comes for Job. This isn't about some competition or bet between God and Satan, in which Job is the unfortunate pawn. Just like Satan has always been doing, he is coming for Job. That's why he roams worldwide, prowling to and fro in it. He comes for Job. He thinks that if he takes the things of God away from God, Job will curse God. He believes that if he takes God's gifts away, Job will turn from him. But Job won't. All he does is sing. All he does is hold on to God. In fact, instead of cursing God, he holds on to his God more tightly and even sings a song of praise. Peter, too, sings a doxology. He even helps his readers to sing the same doxology because of what God is up to in their lives. Everyone wants an explanation for suffering. We want to understand it. We want to make sense of it. We draw conclusions about God and about our lives based on our suffering. But this all comes from the assumption that suffering is bad. It comes from the belief that suffering is evil. But notice how Job fights against this, even when the devil tempts him through his wife. In his agony, as he scrapes his wounds, he points her to the goodness of God. But Job knows that it's not because he has God. He knows that even if you take away the things of God, you have not and cannot take away God himself. Can you hear Psalm 73? “Whom have in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” This is why Job sings. This is why we sing, too. Doxology is the way we send the devil packing – we don't hear from him anymore in the book. This is why we sing! We have God himself, who has died and been raised again. Job 1:12-2:10

Wouldn't it be nice to know what is going on in heaven? Wouldn't it be nice to have God's explanation for our lives? Wouldn't it be nice to know what God thinks about us? In the book of Job, we get to know things that not even Job knows. As his story unfolds, God pulls back the veil, allowing us to listen in and see what is happening there. We see God call Satan in to interrogate him. And what is he up to? He is roaming to and fro, prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. But then, look what God says; consider what God says about Job. He brags about him! He boasts of him. He is one proud Father. Hearing this conversation leads me to ask this question: What does God say about me? If we could pull back the veil and listen in to these heavenly conversations, what would God say about you? About me? There's no need to wonder. While we may not know the exact words that our Father speaks about us as he converses with his angels, we do know this. The Devil doesn't get an audience there anymore. He has fallen from heaven like lightning (cf. Luke 10:18). Not only is the Devil under Jesus' feet, but he is under our feet, too. And, wonder of wonders, beyond all of that, our names are written in heaven (cf. Luke 10:20). Four times in the opening two chapters, God gives his verdict of Job. How many times has spoken his verdict over you? Yes, our resurrected Lord stands up before the Devil, who questions our faith in Jesus and says to him, “The Lord rebuke you! This is one whose sin I have removed. I have rescued them from the fire. They are mine!” Job 1:6-11

Our lives are full of “before and after” moments—what we were like before this and before that, what the world was like before this and after that. We can point to significant before/after moments in our own lives. We can see them clearly on the pages of Scripture. The wise man, Job, had a major before/after moment. In Job's account, we can see what Job was like before, during, and after his trial. Before his trial, he was the ideal man, fearing God, shunning evil, and anxious concerning the eternity of his children. He was ready for what was coming. There is another before/after moment that prepares us for whatever comes. Knowing that this day was coming filled even Job with eternal hope (cf. Job 19:23-27). He counted on the ideal Man, Jesus, the Son of God. He counted on his coming. The Messiah would be (and he was!) truly blameless and upright; he feared God alone and shunned evil. Yet, he suffered unspeakable injustice and then became the sacrifice for all humanity. This is the One we see raised from the dead this day! His blood has paid the price. His resurrection assures us that the check cleared. The Devil has no claim on him NOR US. This is our most important “after.” We live after the resurrection of Jesus and look forward to our own. And so, we'll rise early each day, fearing the Lord, shunning evil, and being anxious for the eternity of the people in our lives.

A Good Friday sermon on Hebrews 4:14-16.

A Maundy Thursday sermon on Hebrews 7:23-28.

There are many things that we see happening on Palm Sunday. Amidst the fray, we clearly see a battle. It is a battle between those who set themselves up against the Holy One. But will he just take it? And for how long? Take refuge him before he laughs in heaven and terrifies you in his wrath. On this Palm Sunday, we call pray a prayer for the One true King. We seek to serve him and lay down our palms of praise before him. A sermon on Psalm 2.

For the rest of the psalm, David preaches to his soul regarding the character and the nature of God. He alone is King and his throne is over all. So, what are we going to do about it? We'll praise him together with everything else that has breath. A meditation on Psalm 103:19-22.

“I've got some questions, God! I've been looking at those people over there. I've been living my life over here. And I've got some questions.” That's the posture of the psalmist in Psalm 73. He's got questions and doubts. You too? Trying to make sense of God's ways in the world when they seem to make no sense at all? Asaph too. Yet, it was the very process of praying his doubts and raising them up to the Lord, that brought Asaph to a place of certainty. “Ah yes, now I see what you're doing.” Yes, when we learn to pray our doubts, God teaches us to trust him in him even when we can't make sense of his ways. A sermon on Psalm 73.

For the rest of the psalm, David preaches to his soul regarding the character and the nature of God. Is it any surprise then, that God knows us and what we're like? Frail. Dust. Weak. Yes, in love and grace, God deals with us according to our weakness. A sermon on Psalm 103:13-18.

Everyone suffers injustice. It comes in all kinds of forms and varying intensities. But everyone suffers from injustice; wrongs are committed against us. But what do we do when it happens? What about the anger the begins to burn inside? What do we with our anger, even our just anger? Bring it to the Lord. If there is anything the psalms teach us to do with our anger it is that. Bring it to the Lord and entrust the case and the cause to Him. A sermon on Psalm 43.

For the rest of the psalm, David preaches to his soul regarding the character and the nature of God and how he deals with us. Unlike anyone else, God does not deal with us according to our own actions, but rather according to his compassion. A meditation on Psalm 103:8-12.

The problem with wandering in the wilderness is immediately present: There isn't as much food and water! This leaves us dray, wearing, worn, thirsty, and longing to God. Yet, even then there is sermon we must preach, a sermon our soul needs to hear, a sermon we need to preach to our own souls. “Hope in God!” Yes, no matter, will yet praise him, my Savior and my God! A sermon on Psalm 42.

For the rest of the psalm, David preaches to his soul regarding the character and the nature of God. He works righteousness and justice. Just consider what he did for Israel through Moses. A meditation on Psalm 103:6-7.

Grief and loss surround us on many days. We can easily make a list of the loss that each of us have experienced. We can just as easily make a list of the collective losses. Grief wells up in our hearts. Complaints rise up before the Lord. And God wants to hear it all! He wants to hear our prayers and cries. Even though we faint from our tears, we he is right to be our refuge in the night of our sorrow. A sermon on Psalm 142.

David starts with a song of praise and begins to numbers all of the benefits that we have as his children. Don't miss this, however. This psalm is a sermon to my own heart. It's so important to preach these sermons to our own hearts! Psalm 103:1-5

As we move into the wilderness and cry out to the Lord there, two realities face us. On the one hand, we can be sure that armies will encamp against us and wars will rise against us (v3). Yet, when we put a “my” in middle of our theology, we are confident. On the other hand, the LORD is my light and my salvation. This is the second truth that helps us prevail. We cry out as we wait for the LORD, confident in him. A sermon on Psalm 27.

David cries out and cries out for deliverance. But what is that weighs most heavily upon him? It isn't the trouble that surrounds him. It isn't the death that stalks him. It is the weight of his own sin and his terror before the Lord's anger. On Ash Wednesday, we cry out as guilty sinners confident of his mercy and sure that the LORD has heard our prayers. A sermon on Psalm 6.

In this sermon, we are reminded that Jesus never walked alone. From the very beginning of his ministry, he invited others—his disciples—to journey with him, teaching and forming them every step of the way. Even in his most intimate moments, such as when he climbed the mountain to pray, he took three disciples with him so they could witness and learn from him. Jesus was always with his disciples, and they were always with him. As we stand on the threshold of Lent, preparing to follow Jesus into Jerusalem, we too are invited to walk with him. But we don't walk alone. We are connected by a shared faith, a common mission, and a desire that no one is lost. Together, we walk with Jesus, listening to his words, letting them shape us, and allowing them to transform our hearts and lives. Even when we face the valleys and challenges of life, we are assured that Jesus walks with us. We are never alone. As we journey through Lent and beyond, let us remember that we are always in the presence of Christ, surrounded by each other, and guided by his transforming word. Let us take that word to heart, trusting that it will change us and draw us closer to the one who is with us always. A sermon on Luke 19:28-37.

This week, we'll reflect on Levi, the tax collector, who was seen as one of the worst sinners of his time. Yet when Jesus called him to “come with,” Levi left everything to follow him. This demonstrates the transformative power of Jesus's call. As followers, we are invited into a daily rhythm of repentance and renewal. Levi's joy overflowed into a banquet for sinners, showing that new life in Christ always bears fruit. We'll be looking at Luke 5:27-32.

This week, we're looking at Luke 5:17-26. We meet some friends who did whatever it took to bring their paralyzed companion to Jesus. When the crowd blocked their way, they dug through the roof of the house to lower him into Jesus's presence. This story reminds us of the urgency of introducing others to Jesus. The need for faith, healing, and hope is as great today as it was then. What lengths will we go to so others can meet Jesus?

"Jesus, Wait!" (Luke 5:12-16) In this sermon and text, we meet a leper who defied societal rejection to approach Jesus for healing. Though he had been isolated and excluded, he cried out in faith, “Jesus, wait.” In response, Jesus touched him and healed him, showing us the power of mercy and the importance of drawing close to him, even when we feel distant or unworthy.

Week 1: "Come With!" (Luke 5:1-11) In this sermon, we'll explore Jesus's call to his first disciples. As Peter, Andrew, James, and John dropped their nets to follow him, their relationship with Jesus deepened. But this wasn't an easy path. Peter's initial excitement turned to fear as he cried, “Away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Yet Jesus reassured him, saying, “Don't be afraid.” Similarly, we may feel unworthy when we first encounter Jesus, but his call reminds us to trust him and embrace the journey.

The Heart of Wisdom (Proverbs 3:1-10) (TRUST) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But what is its heart and core? The heart and core of wisdom is trust not in your own name, in your own ways, in your own wealth, in your own thinking or understanding. No, the heart of wisdom is not those things. The heartbeat of wisdom is trusting in the Lord. In this sermon, we'll explore the reasons why so many other things and people are unworthy of our trust. At the same time, we'll see why and how God is truly worthy of all our trust.

True wisdom from God has value for everything. This is true of Jesus, who is Wisdom from God. It is also true of the wisdom that the Spirit gives and works deeply in us. The writer urges us: Do not let this go! Do not let this out of your sight but hold it tightly. Wisdom is what the Teacher calls us to love and desire above all things. (Proverbs 3:11-24)

What is Wisdom? Why does it matter and how do we get it? This week we'll begin to answer those questions this way: On the one hand, our Father calls out to us and urges us to tune our ears to wisdom and to seek it with all of our hearts. Yes, open up your ears to hear! And, at the same time, he reminds us that wisdom from him is truly a gift from him. Wisdom is a Spirit-worked, spiritual gut instinct that is truly a gift from our God. And so, we pray, “Lord, give me this wisdom!” Proverbs 2.

As we enter 2025, we hurry with the Wise Men to worship Jesus. Jesus himself walks beside the Sea of Galilee and calls us to follow him with a lively faith. But how? What does such a lively faith look like? Solomon has something to say about that. He calls us it “the Way of the Wise.” In this four week series, we'll begin to learn to walk the way of the wise. Today, we learn from Solomon that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 1:1-7

O Christ our Redeemer, Come. The one who paid the price With your life and death. O Intercessor before the Father's throne To welcome us into our eternal home, come. A sermon on Matthew 25:1-13

O God Among Us, Come. Great king, who gives the Law To gather nations nigh, O Lord our God, Redeemer, To save your children, come. A sermon on Isaiah 7:14

12/25 (Isaiah 28:16) O King of Nations, come. The hope and cornerstone Who makes from many, one, You fashioned us in Eden – Your earthly vessels, save.

12/24 (Isaiah 9:2-7, especially 2) O Glorious Dayspring, come. The bright eternal light And sun of righteousness, On those who sit in darkness And death's dark shadow, shine.

We are now in the season of Advent. “Advent” means coming or arrival. This means that it is a season of anticipation, longing and hope. We look forward to and long for the coming of Christ even while we celebrate the fact that he came. We sit right at the edge of our celebration of Christmas. It just a few days away now. It is so close we can almost taste it. Oh, how good it will be when he walks through the door and ushers us into eternity. Today, Wisdom speaks to us through the Scriptures and tells us, “Blessed are those who wait at my door… for those who find me find life.”

12/18 (Revelation 3:7-13) O Key of David, come. Unlock what none shall bind, And lock what none shall loose: The captives in the darkness Imprisoned, now set free.

The countdown is on. Each Sunday that passes in this season of Advent brings us one Sunday closer to our remembrance and celebration of Christmas. Hope begins to grow. Expectation and joy begin to increase. This only grows when we consider who Wisdom truly is: He is Christ, the Lord. The One who sits on heaven's high throne. The One who gives all gifts for body and life, for soul and eternity. The One who is the eternal Son of God, truly God and truly human being, in one person. Today, we learn another thing. He was there at the very beginning, creating this world together with the Father and the Spirit, delighting in what was being created and finding joy in us, the crown of God's creation. He is Wisdom, the one who is delighted with us. Today we see that Wisdom was not only there before the world was created, but he was also there at creation. He was constantly at the Father's side, rejoicing in his presence and delighting in humankind.

12/11 (Isaiah 11:1-10) O Root of Jesse, come. This ensign raised for all To whom the nations pray, Before whom kings keep silent: To rescue quickly come

We are now in the season of Advent. “Advent” means coming or arrival. This means that it is a season of anticipation, longing and hope. We look forward to and long for the coming of Christ even while we celebrate the fact that he came. Today, we meet John the Baptist who cries out, running ahead of Jesus, preparing the way for him. And what does he say? What does he tell us about Jesus, true Wisdom of God? He declare the greatness and eternity of Jesus, of Wisdom: “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me” (John 1:15). That was his clear and loud testimony. “I am not worthy to stoop down to untie his sandals” (Luke 3:16).

12/4 (Exodus 3:1-14) O Lord of Israel, come. Through bushes breathing fire, To Moses you gave Law; O come, redeeming Ruler, With arms outstretched to save.

This is about wisdom in the book of Proverbs, but not the practical, know-how kind of wisdom. This wisdom from God is his very own Son. As we end one church year and move into another, we call out for true wisdom from God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1) to come. Last week we learned that Christ is true wisdom. Today, we see that since Christ is wisdom on his throne, he comes with and gives gifts to meet all our needs. Proverbs 8:17-21.

This is about wisdom in the book of Proverbs, but not the practical, know-how kind of wisdom. This wisdom from God is his very own Son. As we end one church year and move into another, we call out for true wisdom from God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1) to come. In this first sermon Pastor Chris explores who Wisdom is and what that means for our lives. If Christ is true wisdom, he is the power behind all thrones since he is on heaven's highest throne. Proverbs 8:12-16.

It's such a beautiful letter. So, moving and touching. With a deep desire for so much forgiveness. Paul writes with such passion and love that he would even pay the debt in the place of the sinner. He told Philemon, “If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me” (18). Yes, like I said at the beginning, this is such a tender letter of love and a desire for reconciliation that both Philemon and Onesimus would fight for the family. How can I say anything more than that? Our pastoral hearts beat with a desire that confessions would be made, forgiveness would be given, and God's people would be restored to one another. How sweet would that be for our family here at Mount Lebanon and beyond if we would “fight for the family” and live together like this? How sweet would this be for our families at home and at work if we would “fight for the family?” If we would confess our sins to another when we have sinned against them? If we would forgive their sins when they have sinned against us (even if they don't confess)? What would that say to the community around us if we were known as the church that “fights for the family?” What if we were known as the church that, in love, confronts sin in others and among us – and then forgave it!?! What if we were known as the church that lives together like this? Oh, dear people of God, “Refresh my heart in Christ” and let's live together in love like this. A sermon on Philemon.

Many scholars, even Christian scholars, agree that forgiveness includes a wrong that is committed. One writer states that “when an individual forgives, his resentment is overcome not by restraining themselves the right to the resentment, but by making an effort to view the transgressor with understanding, kindness, and compassion, while acknowledging that he has deliberately surrendered his right to them.” In this explanation, she admits that something is owed. Another notes that forgiveness is defined as “a willingness to abandon one's right to resentment, negative judgment and indifferent behaviour toward one who unjustly injured us.” Again, he notes that a debt is owed to the one who ultimately forgives. The question that none of them seems to answer is: Who pays the price? If a person were truly wronged and a debt (guilt) was incurred, then who pays for that? God teaches us this very thing when we sin against him. He does not sweep our sins under the rug. He does not tell us that it is okay. He doesn't just “forgive” it and move on. Instead, he takes guilt from us and gives it to his Son. In this way, his Son pays the price for our sins. His Son pays dearly, with his own lifeblood. This our God did for us not because we deserved it. In fact, we deserved the very opposite. It is grace from his Father's heart that led him to this. It is something that is given to us. Yet, the question remains: Who pays the price? The answer to the question must first be found in the cross of Jesus. Further investigation into the lived experience of these participants shows how vital and meaningful his cross is to them in their lives. They found hope, comfort, and strength in his cross. Christ paid the price. He paid the price for every sin that was ever committed against God and every sin that was or will be committed against another human being. Christ paid the price for all of them at the cross. It was a costly thing for him. It is also a costly thing for the forgiver. Even when a form of restitution is made after a transgression, the forgiver pays a price. When I forgive my friend for failing to pay back the $500 he borrowed from me, this means I no longer ask him to pay me back. But who paid the price in this scenario? I did. I absorbed the loss of the money I loaned him. My forgiveness turned that debt into a gift to him. This is a concrete way of imagining how the forgiver pays the price. I admit that this is clear, but that in other cases, it is much harder to quantify and describe. Yet, it seems clear that forgiveness is costly. A cost is always paid, first by Christ and then by the one offering forgiveness. This is what Paul calls us to offer up to each other. Finding strength in the cost paid by Christ. And, then, paying the price of forgiveness toward those who offend against me. Ephesians 4:31-5:1

The process of conflict reconciliation has both a vertical and horizontal dimension. It has a vertical direction because it deals with each person's relationship and standing with God. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ in this vertical relationship. We have reconciliation with God because God has not counted sins against us but has, instead, counted our sins against Christ. And, instead of counting sins against us, he credits Christ's righteousness to us. We're good with God. But there still remains reconciliation in my horizontal relationships. There still remains reconciliation in the relationship with the people who sinned against me. There still remains restoration in the relationship with the people against whom I have sinned. No one understood this better than Joseph and his brothers. Try to imagine what this conflict was like and how long it lasted until their reconciliation. His brothers sinned against him when they sold him into slavery. It was seventeen years or more before he saw them again. It was even longer before they had any sense of forgiveness and reconciliation between them. It was undoubtedly painful for them. Two things had to happen to move toward forgiveness and reconciliation: Sin had to be brought out into the open and confronted. It also needed to be confessed, not just to God but to the person against whom the sin had been committed. As we seek to learn how to work through conflict toward reconciliation, these two acts are vitally important. Sin must be gently confronted and corrected. Sin must also be confessed. As we dive into the story of Joseph and his brothers, we will deal with these two acts: Confrontation and Confession. Genesis 50:15-21.

When conflict has happened, we often think to ourselves that something must be done for peace to be achieved, realized, and experienced. In one dimension, this is true. When we stand next to, in front of, or even just around people with whom we have had a conflict, there can't be peace until something happens. That's what this whole series is about: pursuing peace and reconciliation after sin has happened between two people, or even between groups of people. Sin must be confessed. Forgiveness must be given and received. Restitution and other steps to restore the relationship must be taken. Reconciliation does require work on the side of both parties. As we stand before people, something has to be done for peace to be achieved. This is true as we stand before people. This is also true as we stand before God. Something must be done. Something had to be done. But it was not our doing. It is not something we need to do. There is no box that we need to check. God doesn't look at us to say, “I'll forgive you after you…” No, the work is all God's. The work is all Christ's. He has done the work to forgive. We have peace with God. We stand in a position of grace and righteousness. Standing in this position of “recipient of grace” sets our hearts at ease as we move toward reconciliation with people after a conflict. In fact, this standing in grace is absolutely essential before we move toward the other people involved in the conflict. You are at peace with God. You have received grace from him. You are justified. Just soak this in and experience the peace that comes from this truth. Romans 5:1-5

Often in conflict, we are quick to see the speck of sawdust in our neighbor's eye, but slow to see the plank that is in our own eye. It's true. We are prone to lean into the sin that our neighbors commit. He did this, or she did that. In fact, sometimes we even take it one step further - we'll even use their sin as some way to measure our own sin. We might use their sin to justify our actions. We may use their sin to minimize our own sin. In all sorts of different ways, we are quick to pinpoint others as the cause of conflict. But James, the brother of Jesus, has a different answer. First, he asks the question: “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” He wants to know. Why do we have such conflicts? Why do we fight like we do? He asks the question and then gives quite an unexpected answer. The root of the problem is the sinful desires that live inside of you. It's the idols that we've fashioned in our hearts. It's the price we'll pay to keep those idols and protect them from destruction. Whether the conflict began with you or you just continued it, your idolatrous heart has played a big part in the conflict in which you are involved. But God made the first move to resolve the conflict. He did not just leave you to stew in your own pride and arrogance. He does not leave you to your idolatrous heart. Instead, he confronts your idolatry and sin. Then, having confronted your sin, he forgives you and raises you up from the ashes of your repentance. Yes, God has always made the first move in any conflict. He did that when he sought Adam and Eve in their sin and when he made the first promise about the snake-crusher. He did it when he sent his Son, Jesus, for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). The first move in reconciliation is God's coming to us to confront us with our idolatry and to reconcile us to Himself through his Son. James 4:1-10

If we're going to talk about reconciling with those who have sinned against us, we need to know who we are. It's about our identity in Christ, as those who are loved by him. That is who we are. We are dearly loved children of God, who have been bought with the blood of Jesus. We can't start this series with “do it because you love ‘em,” because frankly we probably don't love them at the moment. We may even come closer to hating and despising them during and even after the conflict. They have hurt us. We have likely also sinned against them in some way, whether by thought, word or deed. Conflict between two or more people causes pain, dislike, bitterness, hatred, fear, etc. All sorts of emotions run to the surface. Love for those with whom we are in conflict lies at the bottom of our heart if it is there at all. That's why we have to start here with the love of Christ constraining us, wrapping its arms around us, and controlling everything about us. We have to see that he died for us on the cross and, that there, we, with all of our sin and sinfulness, died to sin. Conflict must cause a sort of death in us. Crucifying the hatred and sin in us. Dying to sin together with Christ, so that we might also live for and with him. Rising to life together with him through his resurrection. Spiritual growth in the area will not happen because we learn the right steps to take, but in knowing the love of God for us in Christ, in knowing in fuller, deeper, and higher ways what God has done with our sins and hearing how we are reconciled to God. He loves you dearly and deeply. This is true no matter how other people have treated you or what others have done to you. He does not count your sins against you. He has made you wholly new. Knowing his love for us is the beginning of our journey. Who are you? You are a child of God who is loved by Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

It's so easy to do. We so often measure our worth and our meaning by our “net worth.” The idea is grounded in the very word itself. You are worth whatever value your house. You are worth whatever money you have in your bank account. Our money, property, and possessions can quickly use these measures to define the value of a person. And so the lie creeps in – “I am what I have.” But what happens when we lose those things like Job did? What happens in our hearts if we never have those things at all? And so, our hearts sink again. But call out the lie! We are not what we have. We are so much more. We are worth the value of blood of God's own Son who gave his life as the redemption price for us. We are totally competent and sufficient in Christ! We are nothing but beggars who are nothing but what we have received by grace! We are jars of clay so show that the all surpassing power is God's and not ours. We are sent. One final practice in this series will help us combat these identity lies: Open hands. On the one hand, we are nothing but beggars who receive with open hands what comes graciously from God's own hand. And on the other hand, we are nothing but generous kings and queens who give away with open hands what God has so carefully entrusted to us. 2 Corinthians 4:1-12