Curated content for the church
All of the curated sermons on Sunday to Saturday. Visit our Listen Notes page or YouTube page for curated topical playlists.
A thought provoking and challenging three-part series that shows, but never in a heavy-handed way, how important justice is to God.
Simply put -- to do justice is to worship God. Many in the American evangelical church have lost sight of that fact. Referencing Micah 6, Amos 5, Isaiah 1 and a host of other scriptures pastor Thabiti Anyabwile of Anacostia River Church (Washington, DC) implores the church to recognize that God's character is righteous and just and therefore to know God is to pursue righteousness and justice. For the preachers, Anyabwile has five ways preachers need to lead and instruct their congregations in regards to justice.
Change a few numbers here, insert a current event there, and pastor Tom Skinner's sermon from the 1970 Urbana conference could easily be about today. His impassioned, direct speech touches on the history of racism, the silence of the church and evangelicals, law and order, politics, Americanism, evangelism, and much more. Powerful and highly recommended.
At first glance the Bible may not have a lot to say about policing, but after learning that Roman soldiers served as a police force in Biblical times verses such as Luke 3:14 and Romans 13 take on a new meaning. Pastors Keith Simon and Patrick Miller, using chapter 2 from Esau McCaulley's book Reading While Black as a reference, engage in a nuanced conversation about defining what policing is, the mission of police officers, governmental authority, accountability and more.
Almost every Christian is familiar with the Samaritan women at the well story in John, but few see it as a blueprint for how to cross racial divisions. Preaching from John 4:1-42 Oakcliff Bible Fellowship (Dallas, TX) pastor Tony Evans says Jesus first meets the woman as a person and then speaks to her soul.
Does white privilege exist? If it does exist, why is the idea repulsive to so many people? What are we supposed to do about it? Pastor Tim Cain of Kaleo Church (Lakeside, CA) answers those questions and more in a convicting sermon full of wisdom. Cain believes that we must first acknowledge that advantages exist, realize that everything we have is a gift from God, and then steward our privilege for the oppressed.
Weaving current and historical events while preaching from Luke 18:1-8 pastor Taurus Montgomery of Pioneer Memorial Church (Benton Harbor, MI) lists five things white Christians can do to fight racism. One, educate yourself to understand the problems of injustice. Two, feel the pain of justice in and out of the church. Three, protest the pattern persistently. Four, be a partner for progress. Five, pray to be purged of prejudice persistently.
In a nuanced, informative, and kind sermon, pastor Jon Tyson defines privilege as "when you do nothing and you get something." Tyson then proceeds to give the history of the modern understanding of privilege saying that most people land on the rights side or the responsibility side on the privilege spectrum. Using Philippians 2:1-11 as his basis he says that Christians need a distinct approach to privilege - a redirection that elevates and benefits those who need help in our society.
The Bible is full of calls for justice -- Isaiah 1, Micah 6, Matthew 25 and Amos 5 are just a few examples. Unfortunately the term social justice has taken on many definitions causing confusion and arguments between people. Pastor Tim Shorey of Risen Hope Church (Drexel Hill, PA) argues that Christians need to use the term Biblical justice which he defines as, "giving all image bearers of God their due."
For the most part Christians do not know what God's righteousness is. We tend to lean heavily on private justice (the king without the kingdom) or public justice (the kingdom without the king), but an equal blend of both is needed for God's righteousness.
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