When God Called into the Deep
Welcome to a new year and the start of a new theme for the year! Last year we explored the ways that Jesus is the Light, and that we are called to the the light of the world.
This year we are going to build on this theme by exploring how God is calling us out into deeper waters, into the unknown, into deeper trust, courage, and into a life that follows Jesus. One of the most powerful invitations of Jesus comes as Jesus calls Peter to follow him. Jesus steps into Peter’s world in a surprising way, “catching” a fisherman with his love and presence. Then he invites Peter to push out his boat “into the deep.” In Latin, duc in altum, an invitation 2000 years strong, to each of us. An invitation to push out from our perceived comfort and safety, to discover our full life, wholeness, and future in Jesus and with Jesus. This is an invitation to going where Jesus takes us, to spiritual formation, to courage, and to becoming the Church that moves when the Spirit leads.
Go Deeper: Resources
Our intention is to create or share resources to help people explore these topics in further depth. Here are a few resources you might find meaningful during this sermon series.
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Sermon Audio Files
When God Called into the Deep
Before we push out into the deep, we’re going to start this year with a sermon series set at the start of Genesis. When God Calls Into the Deep. This sermon series is going to ask the big question: What kind of world are we really living in, and can we trust God in it? This was the driving question of many in the Ancient Near East, the world from which the story of God was written. How we see the world, and how we were made, and who made this world will shape how we live in it.
Noah
One of the first extensive stories in the Book of Genesis is this story of Noah. The world is flooded and God preserves a man, his family, and many animals. We’ll come back to Noah later, but it’s a story of nature, wild and raw, and a man who God loves found in the middle of the chaos. It’s a vital theme. After the storm, the rain, and the flood, Noah is out there floating in his ark.
Deeply Faithful
So, Abram goes along. He’s walking through the world God made, with people God made. His nephew, wife, wealth, animals, family, servants, ad they crossed the land. I love the image of this: he’s got all his worldly possessions, and he’s on the move. He’s pushing out into the deep. I love the destination that God says, “go to the land that I will show you.” This is no GPS, just trust that at the right time, God will show Abram the shore.