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Turning Your Face to the Wall

7 Things God’s Does When You are Sick based on Isaiah 38:1-20

1. God works through People

2. God works through His word

3. God works through Sickness

4. God works through Prayer

5. God works through the Arts

6. God works out His Plan and Purposes in relationship to human freedom

7. God works through Doctors & Medicine

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The Grace & Mercy of God in the Old Testament

Elisha, Naaman & Ahab 2 Kings 5-8

This message looks at the grace and mercy of God towards his people’s enemies. This is a story that often get’s overlooked in reading the OT but prefigures the gospel work among the gentiles in the future. It’s a surprising theme to discover and its message is needed today. We too were once enemies:

Colossians 1:21-23: “This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.”

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Finding help when you feel like giving up, giving in or getting out

This sermon deals with discouragement, depression and suicide. Looking at the story of Elijah in the Old Testament and Barnabas in the New, we explore how the church can be a welcoming place for people struggling in body and mind.

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The Traveler

The Traveler: Stranger, Thief and Murderer: 2 Samuel 12 

“Now a traveller came…” -2 Samuel 12:4

This message looks and the story of David and Bathsheba and the consequences of sin and mercy intertwined in the purposes of God.

The traveller or wayfaring man was, as bishop Patrick explains it from the Jewish writers, the evil imagination, disposition, or desire, which came into David’s heart, which he might have satisfied with some of his own, yet nothing would serve but Uriah’s darling. They observe that this evil disposition is called a traveller, for in the beginning it is only so, but, in time, it becomes a guest, and, in conclusion, is master of the house.

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Warriors, Vineyards, Lions & Drunks

Parenting Principles in an age of Compromise: Judges 13

Life shaping biblical principles for raising and influencing the emerging generation.

“Samson himself is a riddle. He was not only a riddle-maker; but he was himself an enigma very difficult to explain.” -Charles Spurgeon

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Our Refugee Story: moving from stranger to friend

I put this short video together that highlights through pictures the last 9 years of life and ministry revolving around the work to welcome, serve, support and celebrate refugees.

You will begin by seeing us in our first church prayer meeting on 5th ave, a prayer that ended up intertwining us into the plight of the Karen people of Burma through the connections and documentary film of my brother Matt Blauer. Through his work and with the help of World Relief, my family hosted the first Karen family to Spokane. Moonlight’s family of 5 moved into our home and that began a journey that has led to places we would of never dreamed. 

You will see pictures taken that show the center of our work with the Karen but also the expanding work that has reached out to many other ethnic groups from Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, Cuba and others.

You will see our community garden and Community Resource Center where we assist refugees and former refugees in all the challenges and opportunties facing them as they figure out a new life in America.

You will see some pictures of our mission trips to refugee camps and villages along the border of Thailand and Burma. Trips where we visited family member of our friends, witnessed first hand life in the camps and were able to build bridges for future ministry.

You will see shots of our life together that touches all the goodness we all celebrate like food, nature, learning, creating and work, as well as outreaches in our neighborhood that we’ve done together.

You will see the wonderful director Sue Beck and her staff and volunteers that come from churches, colleges and businesses.

This is a small attempt to celebrate the goodness God has shown us through the ministry of love, hospitality and service. It’s been the most challenging work i’ve ever done and some of the most rewarding. I hope it sparks an interest in crossing the cultural boundaries that exist and discovering the joy of friendship that awaits those willing to serve.

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Jesus, Giving and the Widow’s last penny.

A quick update from Margaret Nelson, our friend on mission in Uganda and then a surprising look at giving from the standpoint of Jesus and the widows in Jerusalem. This message contains the core thoughts about giving as I see them in the New Testament. Hopefully it will be liberating and helpful to navigate the tithe based teaching and the prosperity based teaching so prevalent in the church today.

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