Threatened by Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-19)

This message is a part of our series called Practice Resurrection. In this sermon, Pastor Tyler Tankersley explores why there are some people in the Corinthian church who might be denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He argues that they are in fact threatened by the very idea of resurrection. And he wonders if we too are sometimes threatened by resurrection.

Experiencing Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15: 1-11)

As we explore the aftermath of Christ's resurrection, we see schools of thought try to downplay or explain away the miracle that the Christian faith hinges upon.

Paul writes the truth; truly Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised.
This Gospel propels us forward and changes our story for the better.

We worship a risen Christ, how could we ever possibly be the same?

The First Day of a New Week (Mark 16:1-8)

As we explore the story of the resurrection, we find confusion and hope.  We read an ending that isn't quite an ending, and yet perhaps God is calling us to continue the new story he wrote those thousands of years ago.

This is the heart of the Gospel.  Christ has risen, and now we must tell the world just how wonderful that truly means.

The Last Week: Friday & Saturday (Mark 15:33-39)

This Sunday before Easter, we observe the crucifixion.  The crucifixion of Christ is painful to read, it hangs heavy in our hearts as we contemplate the painful torture and death of our savior.  Yet--at the very center of this story--we see love unparalleled by anything else.

The Last Week: Thursday (Mark 14:12-72)

A reading from Mark 14: 12-72.

The Last Week: Wednesday (Mark 14:1-11)

As we continue through our series, "The Last Week", Tyler walks us through the story of the woman anointing Jesus with perfume.

There is a tension in this scripture that must be acknowledged.

Sometimes there is no easy answer to the questions we have about the Bible, or about our faith.

 
Tyler invites us into this tension.

We are asked to wrestle with it; to hold it open-handed and feel it in our souls.

Perhaps the love we are meant to demonstrate is also controversial like this woman’s love.

Perhaps we must look to this story and find within ourselves the light of love and wisdom this woman showed Christ. 

The Last Week: Tuesday Morning and Tuesday Afternoon (Mark 12:13-17, 41-44)

As we continue The Last Week Tyler walks us through to separate stories, by delivering two separate sermons.

As we explore Christ's thoughts on taxes and giving, we are challenged to look to our own lives and see what must be done.

What does financial justice mean for your life?  What does it mean for the people around you?  What does it truly mean to follow Christ with everything you have?

The Last Week: Monday (Mark 11:12-19, 20-25)

In this sermon, Tyler walks us through the anger of Jesus.

While we often think of Christ as a laid-back, easy-going figure, our passage shows Christ challenging the culture of his time aggressively.

We often get the story of Jesus tossing tables in the temple wrong, Tyler shows us the reason behind the anger, and we are challenged to confront our fear and discomfort of the "other."

In doing this, Christ had shown His followers a template for what righteous anger truly can be: a passionate, radical drive to look out for the marginalized and forgotten; the least of these.

How are we doing?

The Last Week: Sunday (Mark 11:1-11)

As Tyler continues to take us through Mark we examine the story of Jesus on the colt.  While we often read this strange story through the lens of our own culture and experiences, Tyler provides context for what this action would have looked like to the Jewish people in that era.  What seems harmless to us now was deeply--boldly--political.  What does this mean for us as Christians today?

Eternal Life (Mark 10:17-31)

Continuing our series on Mark, guest speaker Rev. William Miller speaks of eternal life. In our scripture we read of a young man asking Jesus to finally give him the final piece of his life's puzzle; when the answer upsets him, we ourselves are asked to confront our own stumbling blocks.