Tikvat Israel Sermons

This week our elder Eric Friedman shares on faith, family, fellowship, finances, and fun!

It's time for everyone's favorite game: How Are You Feeling? The game show where our congregants are our contestants, and Empathy is Our Specialty. Our first subject for our contestants is our old friend, Moses. Let's see if we can see what he might be feeling in this week's parsha.

How do we trust our Heavenly Father, even when things go badly?  Even if we die, He has a plan to vindicate His own reputation:  you must become a disciple of Yeshua, who said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and his sisters, yes, and his own life besides, he cannot be my talmid (disciple).  Whoever does not carry his own execution-stake and come after me cannot be my talmid.”

In Luke 15, some of the Pharisees are criticizing Yeshua for eating with sinners. He responds with a story.  If you have 100 sheep, and only 99 are with you, you are not complete as a shepherd.  Like a woman would count her coins to make sure she had all ten, so too God counts us.  And so we too should look around our table and say, “Who is missing here? Whom do I need to invite to the table of the Lord?” God loves those sheep in his fold, and he loves those not yet in his fold, and it's not complete until everyone is home.  Who is missing that we need to fellowship with and worship with? How can the Lord make my heart more invitational and less judgmental?  This week, we remember that everyone counts.

The duty of the remnant of Israel who have embraced Yeshua as the Messianic King is as priestly intercessors on behalf of our people to prepare them and ourselves for Olam Haba, the coming age. Learn more about this by listening to this week message from elder Scott Moore.

Hello, welcome to Whatsa Manna For You? voted most consistent menu by Hebrew Happenings. This week's parsha has no manna, but it does have the omer. This is kind of cool, because the parsha describes the counting of the omer leading up to Shavuot that we are doing right now in this season. Wanna know more about the Manna?! Listen to this week's sermon from Rabbi David.

Real worship is more than just a song, or a dance or any musical instruments, though all these things play a vital role in worship, real worship can best be understood as bringing your offerings, from your heart and from your soul into the presence of the Lord. Learn more about worship in this weeks sermon from Lloyd Brown.

Has this ever happened to you?  “Oh no, I got a paper cut!  Blood is coming out of my finger. Well, guess I'll go visit the Holy Tabernacle and/or Temple.” But the priest says, “No way, Moshe!” Tired of not knowing how and when to approach a holy God?  Well, have we got a book for you!  Try Leviticus! That's right, the Bible's ultimate guide to holiness, purity, and weird bodily fluids. Learn what's clean, unclean, and how to deal with it all—even baldness (Good news! Lev. 13:40 says you're still clean!). Leviticus covers it all: atonement, purification, supernatural healing, and priestly inspections—what fun! So whether it's skin diseases or sacred rituals, call now! *Talk to your rabbi to see if Leviticus is right for you. Side…

A dad is driving and two brothers are in the back.  And they're poking and bothering each other.  What are his possible words of discipline that he can say?  He can say, “Don't make me turn this car around.” He can say “Don't make me separate you,” that is if he has access to the new invisible force fields that are available for backseats.  Or finally he can say, “Don't make me come back there.” But what if there's a fourth option?  Check out this week's sermon to find out…

This week Elder Eric shares his testimony of God's faithfulness in his life with loosing his wife and the hope we have in the Lord.

What do a seder in Senegal, a table in Jerusalem, and a heavenly banquet have in common? This Shabbat HaGadol, Rabbi David shared a message called The Four Questions and the Four Seders—a journey through Passover meals that call us to remember, to reach out, and to respond to Yeshua's invitation. Come prepare your heart for the season of redemption.

Question 1: Would you give someone a birthday cake that you took a huge piece out of?  Probably not.  Rather, you'd give them a cake that was “tamim.” Question 2: What did Noah, Abraham, and Job all have in common? They were all described by the Hebrew word, “Tamim” meaning whole-hearted, complete, or blameless.  Question 3: How can we be more “tamim”? To find out, check out this week's sermon podcast here:

Have you been searching for a bunch of Nissan puns, many different versions of the birthday song, and a brand new Birthday New Year Anniversary celebration all in one sermon?  Then listen to this past weeks sermon from Rabbi David.

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; were ev'ry stalk on earth a quill, and ev'ryone a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. --Frederick Lehman This week we heard from our visiting speaker, Michael Templeton from  MAPS Global.  His encouraging message was to be rooted in the deep, unending love of God. 

Are you ready? Is that what you're gonna wear?  This week we see how God has clothed His people throughout Scripture. From the garments of skin given to Adam and Eve in Genesis, to the veil Moses wore after encountering God on Mount Sinai, to Esther's royal robes, each piece of clothing symbolizes a deeper calling and identity in God. So, consider what we are wearing--not just physical clothing but putting on the attributes of Messiah, the righteousness of Messiah, and the power of the Holy Spirit to live out our priestly roles in the world.

The epistle of Y'hudah (Jude) verse 3 exhorts us:  “Dear friends, I was busily at work writing to you about the salvation we share, when I found it necessary to write, urging you to keep contending earnestly for the faith which was once and for all passed on to God's people.”  That faith includes the history of the God of Israel and His people as well as those who have been grafted into the Commonwealth of Israel through the death of the Messiah and his resurrection from among the dead.  The historical faith and these historical events don't depend on us, for our inheritance does not decay, spoil, or fade away; it is kept safe for us in heaven. We did nothing to receive this living hope.  But having received, it is now our duty and privilege to trust and act faithfully.  It's not something we earned; it's something we owe.

In the wake of unimaginable personal loss, Haratio Spafford wrote the well known hymn: "It Is Well with My Soul.” Spafford's story, marked by grief and tragedy, invites us to explore how we can find shalom amidst life's deepest sorrows. Drawing on Scripture, including the rabbinic idea of God's Shekinah (abiding presence), we discover two enduring truths that enable us to say, “It is well with my soul.” First, God is with us, holding our hand through our pain.  And second, He is making all things right.  To learn more, check out…

Just like a toddler develops a will that we must guide and understand, we too face a process of learning to follow God's Torah, even when we don't fully grasp its meaning right away. We say: "Na'aseh, v'nishma" – "We will do, and we will hear, or understand" – as Israel committed to obeying God's commandments perhaps before fully understanding them. Through this, we are reminded that following God isn't just about doing things because we're told, but about trusting in His process, growing in relationship with Him, and gaining understanding through on-the-job training and trust. And remember, "It was processed in a processor that used to process nuts." To hear more about this puzzling quote and other helpful tips, click here.

The Lord is on a mission to answer all our questions, to rescue us, and to wipe every tear from our eyes.  God is the one who writes the end of our stories, and the end of our stories is not death, but Resurrection. Now that is good news. The question is: what day are we on? There were three days between the death of Yeshua and the raising to life of Yeshua.  Sometimes we are in that in-between part. Not only that, but sometimes we are on the third day, and we may not even know it.  The rabbis saw all of the "Third Days" in the Scripture, from Hosea, to Jonah, to Esther, to Moses.  And they saw resurrection life in the Hebrew Bible.  Yeshua is the fullness of all the third days in the Hebrew Bible; That's how we know that "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

In this week's sermon, "The Shopping Spree of the Lord," we explore the profound concept of God's acquisitions or purchases throughout Scripture, with the Hebrew word "kana" serving as the anchor word.  Through the powerful imagery of God's acquiring the people of Israel, the land of Israel, the Torah, and the Temple, we reflect on our own relationship with the Lord as His "acquisition." We are extensions of God's purpose and our lives, as part of His body, should embody unity and care for one another, thus fulfilling the Torah of Messiah. 

This week we had Reverend Louis Williams from Into the Neighborhood, a local ministry seeking to mobilize prepared people to live out God's mission for their lives and reclaim, restore and rebuild the landscape of their community. This week, Rev. Louis shared with us on how to trust in the Lord and be anxious for nothing, a great reminder for all of us. 

This week we heard from Victory Avery from Maps Global on the life and calling of Simon Peter.

In this week's sermon from Parashat Shemot, we are reminded that God intimately knows our pain and struggles. Like the "Undercover Boss" who humbles himself to understand the burdens of his employees, God has lowered Himself to walk with us in our suffering, sharing in our afflictions. He is not distant, but deeply acquainted with our every hurt, offering us strength and comfort in our times of need. The contrasting lessons of Moses and Pharaoh serve as a lesson on what it means to know and to be known by God and others. Let's reflect on our relationship with God, trust that He understands our deepest pains, and draw near to the One who fully knows us, offering healing and hope in His presence.

In this week's sermon, we delve into the profound tradition of the ethical will—an inheritance of wisdom, values, and life lessons passed down through the generations. Through the words of Jacob and King David, we see how both patriarchs, near the end of their lives, share their deepest insights and blessings with their children, laying the foundation for the future. We explore how this act of transmission, rooted in the biblical ethic of "L'Dor Va-Dor" (from generation to generation), is not just a family tradition but a vital part of our spiritual inheritance. Whether it's Jacob's prophetic blessings to his sons or David's final charge to Solomon, these moments remind us that we too are called to pass on the faithfulness of God. Join us as we reflect on what we can pass on—a legacy of God's love, guidance, and faithfulness—so that our stories, wisdom, and blessings continue to impact future generations.

The Scriptures describe an ideal Shepherd, a descendant of King David.  And as we read through these descriptions, it's as if a painting begins to take shape, a picture of an ideal shepherd.  First, just the edges, and then it fills in as we read from Genesis onward. And the purpose of this broad painting over many different books in the Bible is so that when the person actually walks in the room, we can go, “Hey, it's the shepherd from the painting, but he's actually here! It's really him!” And then He can say to us, “It's time for the family reunion: One Flock, One Shepherd.”   And why should we look forward to this family reunion? Because we want a world with No Sheep Left Behind.  

“This is Heavy, Doc.” In the movie, “Back to the Future,” made in 1985, this is the catchphrase of Marty Mcfly. When Marty says, “This is heavy” he means that something is awesome and beyond understanding.  With a movie about time travel, it happens a lot.  But I believe I found the word that Marty Mcfly would have used, had he spoke Hebrew: “Kavod.” Kavod means glory, but it's related to the word for heavy, or weightiness.  In short, the “Kavod” is the glorious presence and radiance of God, which should inspire reverence, awe, and honor in us.  If Marty travelled back in time to see the Tabernacle, or the Temple, which had the ark of the covenant, I'm pretty sure he would say, “This is heavy, Doc.” This will be our guide word this morning in our exploring of the Scriptures.  And the "Kavod," the heaviness and weightiness of God's glory, should inspire us to have more reverence and awe for God's majesty.  And why are we looking into this word? Because contempt for the Lord leads to judgment, but honor for the Lord leads to shalom and life.

Looking for a last minute Hanukkah gift? Well, you're in for a treat, because today we are starting with THE Definitive 2024 Hanukkah Gift Guide!  That's right!  We're going to look at gifts in the Bible and give them an objective rating out of 10 based on a fancy rubric so that you and your loved ones can enjoy the holiday with peace of mind.  Now, this first one is actually from this week's Torah Portion, the story of Joseph. We have: “One Special Colorful Coat that's only for one of your 12 sons.”  

Let's uncover what it means to have a teachable spirit. How can our willingness to learn and grow lead to restored relationships with God and each other? Discover the significance of being doers of the Word, and learn how the ancient narratives of Genesis still speak to us today. 

If I were going to meet you for coffee, we'd need to establish two things in order to meet: a time and place. What time and place will the Lord be on the earth so we can meet up with Him? 

It was a solemn and meaningful Yom Kippur service at Temple Beth Israel.  The rabbi began his sermon with this sobering reminder, “Everyone in this congregation is going to die some day.” From the back there was a short laugh.  The rabbi continued, “As I was saying, no one is exempt.  The president of the synagogue, the cantor, everyone in this community, including me, is going to die someday.” Another laugh, this time heartier.  “Excuse me, but why are you laughing?” the rabbi demanded. “I'm just so relieved,” the reply came.  “I'm not part of this community--I'm visiting from out of town!” In this sermon we take a sober look at our own mortality and at what's important in life.

In this sermon, our elder Eric shares his personal story of growing up Jewish, coming to know Yeshua, and learning to listen to God.

For the new year of 5785 listen to the story of Evan Ezra Grumps, and what he learns about the true meaning of Rosh Hashanah.

This week we learned how to give 10% to our community and what the Lord has given us in this weeks sermon from elder Eric Friedmen.

What goes best with a peanut butter sandwich?  Jelly? Honey? Pickles?  And what does that have to do with sharing our story and gospeling?  Find out by checking out our latest sermon, "What Else Goes on A Peanut Butter Sandwich? Parashat Ki Tavo" by Rabbi David Wein.

Listen to our visiting speaker Reverend Keith Hill discuss the challenges of Psalm 137 and the impact of scriptures through time.