My son runs track and field.  Like many parents in my situation, that places me in the stands to watch meets during the spring time.  Now, I love sports.  I really do.  Almost every sport has great interest for me . . . except track.  I just don’t consider track meets the best sporting experience:  they are long, slow (for a sport based on speed, this is ironic), and repetitive (‘round and ‘round we go).

Now, that said, there are two things I do love about track:

1. Watching my son race.  (I’m a dad after all!)
2. Watching every relay.  (Relays, regardless of distance, bring an entirely different element into track that is far more enjoyable for me to watch.)

Some of you are irate at this point (I’m looking at you “track guy”).  You love this sport and my comments are offensive.  I get it.  Start complaining about the NBA, and I may question your intelligence as well.  We all have our interests and hobbies.  Whether you love track or (like me) prefer other sports, most of us do enjoy relays.

In a relay you have multiple “legs” to the race, each running equal distances, with a baton passed from person to person along the way.  This team effort adds drama and excitement to even the longest of relays . . . something new, yet connected is around every turn.

In a sense, history is a relay.  One generation receives a “baton” from those who proceeded them and then one day pass it on to those who follow.  But even in a greater, macro-level sense, history has unfolded and will continue to unfold as a relay race. Though human history is long, slow developing, and repetitive (nothing new under the sun), there has been a greater story unfolding from the start . . . and this Sunday at Wildwood as we look at Matthew 26 we will see the baton passed at a critical moment in history.  What do I mean?

• Human history began in a Garden (the Garden of Eden), where humanity first sinned (Genesis 2-3).
• Human history turned in the Garden (the Garden of Gethsemane), when Jesus stayed the course and went to the cross (Matthew 26:36-56).
• Human history finishes in the Garden (the New Heaven and New Earth), when Jesus returns people who trust in Him to their full, right, and eternal fellowship with God (Revelation 21-22).

Another way to look at this relay:

• Humanity fell  at a tree (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) when Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3).
• Humanity is saved when Jesus hung on the tree (the cross) to pay the penalty for our sins (Matthew 27).
• Humans who trust in Jesus will one day experience eternal life around a tree (the tree of life) living in fellowship with God forever (Revelation 22:1-5).

In both of these relays (“Garden to Garden” and “Tree to Tree”) the middle “leg” is where the race is won.  This Sunday at Wildwood we will look into the Garden of Gethsemane together to see how the rest (of us) are won as Jesus confirms His decision to hang on the tree.  Make plans to join us on our livestream at wildwoodchurch.org/live this Sunday at 11AM in part 5 of our “Defeating Death” sermon series, looking at Matthew 26:36-56, 27:3-10.

On Sunday, March 1, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 26:17-29.  This message was part 3 in the “Defeating Death” sermon series.  Below are a set of questions related to that message for personal reflection or group discussion.  Also below is the audio & video from this message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Matthew 26:17-29
3. What kinds of things help you remember important things in your life?
4. Jesus gave us the symbol of the Lord’s Supper to help us remember what He has done for us through His death on the cross.  What has been your experience with the Lord’s Supper in your life?  What  meaning and place has it held in your life?  What questions do you have about it?
5. Have you ever felt betrayed by someone close to you?  How does Jesus experience with Judas help you know He can relate to you in that pain?
6. People with titles and around tables with Jesus can still be FAR from Him (and even reject Him).  How does the example of Judas impact your view of experiences you may encounter inside the church?
7. What stands out to you most from this passage?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

 

To listen offline, click the link to download:

Defeating Death #3 3.1.20

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

To watch the stream of the service, watch this YouTube video:

To listen to an Easter playlist connected to this series:

• Apple Music
• Spotify

OK.  Right now, I want you to tell me the phone number of a friend you talk with often on the phone.  What is the number?  Do you know it?  I don’t know the numbers of my friends either.  Isn’t that weird?

To this day, I can tell you the phone number of my friend who grew up across the street from me.  I could type it on the phone right now without making a mistake.  How can it possibly be that I CAN tell you a phone number I have not called in nearly 30 years (360 months for crying out loud!!!!) and yet I CAN’T tell you the phone number of a good friend I talked to just about every other day last week?  That seems nuts to me . . . yet it has a simple explanation.

When I was a kid, there were no “contacts” on the phone bolted to the wall of my family’s dining room.  When I wanted to call my friend, I had to pick up the phone and dial his number.  When you make that phone call 300+ times in a year, every year for a decade, you tend to remember it for the rest of your life!  

In today’s day and age, technology has allowed us a shortcut . . . where I can simply tap a picture or a name, and my phone makes the connection for me.  With machines removing the numbers from my regular routine, I no longer know the phone numbers of my friends (after all, what would be the use?)

I tell you this today because in Matthew 26:17-29 Jesus reminds us of how we might be connected to God . . . through His blood “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28).”  Jesus wants to make sure we have GOD in our “contacts” . . . but instead of just giving us His name and a picture, Jesus actually gave us a symbol for us to repeatedly do throughout our lives to remind us not just THAT we might be connected to God, but HOW that connection is possible.  Like the powerful teaching moment of repeatedly typing in a phone number, Jesus takes bread and wine and tells us that we should eat and drink these elements often to remember the NUMBER (or better) the way that we are connected to God.  It is through Jesus’ death on the cross for us that we have life . . . and the cup and plate of communion are instituted as repeated reminders to help us never forget.

This Sunday at Wildwood, we will be looking at the night Jesus first instituted the “Lord’s Supper” so we might never forget what Jesus has done for you and for me.  This message will be part 3 of our “Defeating Death” sermon series.  Of course, we will also be having the Lord’s Supper as a part of our worship this weekend as well.  Make plans to join us in our 9:45 or 11:00 service.  After all, there is GREAT USE in remembering how our connection with God is made.

On Sunday, February 23, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 26:6-13.  This message was part 2 in the “Defeating Death” sermon series.  Below are a set of questions related to that message for personal reflection or group discussion.  Also below is the audio & video from this message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Matthew 26:6-13
3. Imagine you got an invitation to a dinner party with Jesus, another man who died and was resurrected the day before, his sisters, and a former leper (who was hosting the party!)  What questions would you want to ask during this meal?
4. Those who are in fellowship with Jesus have seen Him bless us (and others around the “table” with us) in amazing ways.  What are some things you have seen Jesus do in your life or in the lives of those you know?
5. Jesus was “worth” the extravagant gift Mary poured out upon Him.  Why do you think Mary had become convinced that Jesus was “worth it”?  
6. What would it look like for you to value Jesus MOST in your life?
7. The disciples assumed that the gift could have been used to provide gifts to the poor.  They were not incorrect in their assessment, but there is a priority order here that is identified.  Jesus is more valuable than ALL ELSE . . . in other passages (including the end of Matthew 25), followers of Jesus are called to care for the “least of these.”  What balance do you see between THIS situation in 26:6-13 and the call to care for the “least of these”?  Any applications stand out for your life today? What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

To listen offline, click the link to download:

Defeating Death #2 2.23.20

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

To watch the stream of the service, watch this YouTube video:

 

To listen to an Easter playlist connected to this series:

• Apple Music
• Spotify

 

 

A few years ago, through a unique set of circumstances, my wife and I found ourselves having dinner with a famous politician and his wife.  Away from the crowds, the four of us just got to sit and talk.  Based on their unique set of experiences, I made a conscious attempt to listen way more than I talked (for those of you who know me well, you know what a challenge this must have been 🙂 ).  It was a joy to hear of their life story, how they came to faith in Christ, how they ended up running for office, and what their favorite accomplishment was during their public service.  I was so encouraged to hear their account of their life, and its effect.

Have you ever had an opportunity like this?  It was unique for me . . . and may never happen again.  I really enjoyed that private access to this public person, though, and it allowed me to thank them personally for the impact they have had in our world.

I was thinking about that experience this week as I prepare for Sunday’s sermon.  This week (week 2 in the “Defeating Death” sermon series) we will be looking at Matthew 26:6-13.  In these verses, there is a private dinner party happening including 17 people.  These 17 people were:

• Jesus of Nazareth (the featured guest)
• The Twelve disciples
• Mary
• Martha
• Lazarus (the former dead man)
• Simon (the former leper)

Just imagine that group.  Jesus, eating dinner with a man He cured from leprosy, a man He resurrected from the dead, the dead man’s sisters (Mary and Martha), and twelve witnesses to ALL of the public ministry of Jesus.  WHAT. A. SCENE.  I so long to have been there for this meal.  Seriously.  How cool what that be?

What did they talk about?  What did they do?  Who did the talking?  

Far more than just a famous politician, Jesus was the Son of God.  Far greater than just being someone who had passed a few laws, He was the One who had fulfilled ALL THE LAW!  Far beyond having just served society, Jesus had worked dramatic miracles in the lives of ALL PRESENT!  Amazing.

Out of that dinner party, what do we learn for our lives today?  This Sunday we will “listen” in on the transcript from that dinner, and watch the “video footage” of what happened as we think about how we might respond to the One who Defeated Death to provide a victory for you and me.  Join us this Sunday (February 23) at Wildwood Community Church at 9:45 or 11:00 as we look at these verses together.  Come . . . and bring friends!  This is a passage of Scripture none of us can miss.

 

To listen to an Easter playlist connected to this series:

• Apple Music
• Spotify

On Sunday, February 16, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16.  This message was part 1 in the “Defeating Death” sermon series.  Below you will find the sermon audio to listen to, download, or share.

 

To listen offline, click the link below to download:

Defeating Death #1 2.16.20

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

Watch the video of the worship service, at YouTube online:

To listen to an Easter playlist connected to this series:

• Apple Music
• Spotify

On Sunday, February 16, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church in Norman, Oklahoma, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16.  This message was part 1 in the “Defeating Death” sermon series.  Below are a set of questions related to this message for personal reflection or group discussion.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16
3. Why do you think the Bible is so focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?  What is so important about these events that 25-50% of the chapters in each Gospel focuses attention on the last week of Jesus’ earthly life?
4. Based on the passages discussed this morning, and your understanding of the Bible in general, why did Jesus have to die?
5. Jesus KNEW the cross was coming (26:2), and yet He willingly kept the course.  What does this tell you about how Jesus feels about you and me?
6. Judas Iscariot made a terrible trade . . . exchanging relationship with Jesus and eternal life for 30 pieces of silver.  We can clearly see his folly, but we often miss similar “bad trades” in our own lives.  As Charles Spurgeon says, “The amount agreed upon, thirty pieces of silver, was the price of a slave; and showed how little value the chief priests set upon Jesus, and also revealed the greed of Judas in selling his master for so small a sum.  Yet many have sold Jesus for a less price than Judas received; a smile or a sneer has been sufficient to induce them to betray their Lord.”  Where are you tempted to make “bad trades” for your relationship with Jesus for something far less?  What can you do to continue to value Him most in your life?
7. What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?

 

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

 

To listen to an Easter playlist connected to this series:

• Apple Music
• Spotify

“Hey Jesus, would you please tell us when Your kingdom will come?”  

This was the honest question Jesus’ disciples asked in Matthew 24:3.  Their hope was that the King of Kings would soon be crowned, and that they would be able to reign with Him in glory.  

Jesus responded with clarity – describing the season of His return and establishment of His Kingdom.  It was not in doubt.  He would one day sit on His glorious throne ON THE EARTH, IN JERUSALEM (Matthew 25:31)  . . . but before He would rule, there was a foe He needed to defeat; a ransom He wanted to pay.  Indeed, Jesus would soon be crowned . . . with a crown of thorns.  The victory Jesus would win would come at a great price.

The disciples question would come on a Tuesday.  On Wednesday, the chief priests would scheme to kill Jesus.  On Thursday, Jesus would have a “Last Supper” with His disciples.  On Friday, He would be arrested and crucified.  On Saturday He would lay in the grave.  But on Sunday morning, Jesus rose!  The tomb was empty.  The foe Jesus defeated was death . . . and He paid the ransom so that sinners like you and me might be redeemed.  

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will be kicking off a new sermon series that will take us through Easter Sunday, as we explore Matthew 26-28 together in a series we have called “Defeating Death:  Victory Crowned at Great Cost.”  Death is a foe we all are impacted by.  Jesus has made a way for us to “defeat death” for you and for me.  We would love to have you join us this Sunday for part 1 in this series as we look at Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16.

The overall outline for this series is:

• February 16:  Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16  (The plot to kill Jesus)
• February 23:  Matthew 26: 6-13 (Jesus anointed at Bethany)
• March 1:  Matthew 26:17-29 (Last Supper)
• March 15:  Matthew 26:30-35, 69-75  (Peter’s denials)
• March 22:  Matthew 26:47-56, 27:3-10  (Jesus betrayed & arrested . . . Judas’ regret)
• March 29:  Matthew 26:57-68, 27:1-2, 15-26 (Jesus before Caiaphas and Pilate)
• April 5:  Matthew 27:27-44  (Crucifixion of Jesus)
• Good Friday, April 10:  Matthew 27:45-66  (Death of Jesus)
• Easter Sunday, April 12:  Matthew 28:1-15 (Resurrection!)
• April 19:  Matthew 28:16-20 (Great Commission)

Additionally, we have put together a playlist of songs to listen to this Easter season.  These songs were assembled by taking requests from staff and elders at Wildwood.  You can listen to these songs by visiting the playlists at:

• Apple Music
• Spotify