Sermons by Dave Bovenmyer

Sermons by Dave Bovenmyer

The Resistance Against Despair (Advent week 4)

In the midst of our struggles, we need not despair. We can have hope because Jesus came and is coming again. Because He came, we know that our Maker cares so deeply that He, Himself, entered into our world to bring restoration and redemption, and we can have hope that God is with us in our trials, bringing us comfort even in pain. We can have hope because when He comes again, we will find that all our trials have produced for us incomparable honor and joy.

Luke 22:39-65 – Triumphing Over Temptation

Today’s passage contains the story of how three individuals responded to temptation. One response was catastrophic (Judas), one grievously disloyal (Peter), and one heroic (Jesus). We’ll look at Jesus’ heroic triumph over temptation and seek to learn how we can prepare ourselves to endure temptation. For there will likely be times when Satan will demand to sift us like wheat.

Luke 20 – Jesus Confounds His Opponents

With brilliance and tact, Jesus confounded His opponents as they did their best to find a way to entrap Him. For the sake of His followers and potential followers, Jesus outmaneuvered them, turning the tables to expose their opposition to God and His ways. Following Jesus’ example, it’s important that we, the church, hone our responses to today’s critics and opponents so that followers and potential followers of Jesus are drawn to Jesus and strengthened in faith.

Luke 10:38-11:13 – Mary, Martha, and Prayer

Following Jesus often involves boldness. Mary makes the bold choice to sit at Jesus’ feet and pursue Him rather than bend to cultural and family pressures. And Jesus teaches us to be bold and persistent in prayer. Followers of Jesus should sometimes keep pressing in prayer, even when the initial answer seems to be “no.”

Advent: The Long-Awaited Messiah

For us today, we say, “Jesus the Messiah has already come.” But for centuries prior to that history-making day, the people were in high anticipation. This Sunday three of our pastors will have a panel discussion examining many of the remarkable Old Testament prophecies of the advent– the coming– of Jesus.

Good Government

God-Honoring Authority Article (1) If you’re like me, you’re amazed by the polarization in society. (2) The social media mobbing. The cancel culture. The wild conspiracy theories that many people are actually believing. And this polarization is nowhere more intense than in politics. (3)It seems like the rhetoric on both sides is so extreme, whether it’s over systemic racism, critical race theory, defunding the police, supporting the police, immigration reform, election reform, abortion rights, rights of the unborn, discrimination because…

God’s Purposes in the Exile

God was powerfully at work even during the darkest, bleakest period of Israel’s history. The book of Daniel records some of the amazing things God did while Israel was captive in a foreign nation. Some of his purposes in the Exile were to reprove sin, refine faith, rescue from danger, reach the world, and reveal the future. There is a real sense that all of us, like Daniel, are in captivity, exiled from Eden, strangers in a foreign land and far from our true home. Yet God is at work in our lives with the same objectives as we see in the book of Daniel.

Acts 20-28: Accomplishing the Mission, Finishing the Course

As the world gets darker, staying true to Christ becomes increasingly difficult. How do we stay strong in an ever-more-hostile world? Today we look at Acts 20-28 and see the fuel behind Paul’s love for the world, dedication to mission, and sacrificial selflessness. Despite hardship, imprisonment, scoffers, and shipwreck, he stays true to his mission and faithful to the Lord Jesus.

Expansion to Samaria

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the man who died and went to heaven, and as he approached the pearly gates he came to Peter.  Peter asked him, “What have you done to be worthy of entering heaven? And don’t tell me about helping a little old lady cross the street.  People think  any little good deed will get them to heaven. Tell me something that’s significant. The man thought for a moment and said, “Well, there was the time…

Hope in the Resurrection

When Jesus returns, the dead will rise and believers left alive will be changed. Because we know this, we should not grieve when fellow-believers die, for that glorious day awaits us all. We should be encouraged by these truths. 

Restoring Relationship

Over many years, the apostle Paul and the Corinthians had experienced a rocky relationship. In today’s passage we see some of the elements of how that relationship was restored, primarily through loving reproof and wholehearted repentance. We will look at what genuine repentance looks like and how it has power to resolve relational conflict.

The Marks of a Minister + Q&A session

As a minister of the New Covenant, Paul gave his heart and life to the proclamation of the good news about Jesus. He demonstrated his authenticity by his perseverance through great affliction and through his sacrificial, loving, and Spirit-filled actions. As we look at Paul’s life we can have confidence that Jesus really did appear to him, radically transforming his life. And, along with Paul, we should wholeheartedly believe in what God has one in Jesus Christ and give of…

The Marks of a Minister + Q&A session

As a minister of the New Covenant, Paul gave his heart and life to the proclamation of the good news about Jesus. He demonstrated his authenticity by his perseverance through great affliction and through his sacrificial, loving, and Spirit-filled actions. As we look at Paul’s life we can have confidence that Jesus really did appear to him, radically transforming his life. And, along with Paul, we should wholeheartedly believe in what God has one in Jesus Christ and give of…

Reflecting His Glory

When God made a covenant with Israel, He revealed Himself so clearly and gloriously to Moses that the skin on his face shone. The Israelites were afraid, so Moses covered his face with a veil. Fifteen hundred years later, Jesus inaugurated a new covenant with even more glory. As we fix our gaze on Jesus, we will be transformed into the image of God, boldly living and speaking and reflecting His glory to the world around us, bringing healing and hope to all who respond