2010-2014 Wayzata Free Church Archived Messages

12/14/14 - "With God"

The episode is a sermon from Wayzata Free Church, delivered on December 14, 2014, titled 'With God.' The pastor opens with a prayer, thanking God for Christmas and asking the Holy Spirit to work through his words. He then engages the congregation interactively, having them practice repeating the phrase 'because that's just what love does' as a thematic refrain. The sermon focuses on two main points from John 1: the life of God (verses 1-3) and the love of God (verse 14). The pastor explains that John's prologue offers a heavenly perspective on Jesus' birth, contrasting with earthly narratives. He delves into the Greek word 'logos' (the Word) and its theological richness, noting its Hebrew and philosophical connotations. To illustrate the Trinity's intimate community, he analyzes the Greek preposition 'pros,' used in John 1:1 to mean 'with' in a sense of moving toward someone, citing scholar D.A. Carson. The pastor shares personal name-dropping anecdotes about meeting figures like Wayne Gretzky and Billy Graham to contrast superficial 'with' moments with the profound relational 'with' of the Trinity. He describes the perfect, joyful life shared by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, referencing Proverbs 8 to depict their collaborative creation. This sets up a key question: why would Jesus leave such a heavenly life to come to Earth? The answer is God's love, which reaches out, identifies with humanity, and serves sacrificially. The pastor uses Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel painting 'The Creation of Adam' to visualize God straining to touch humanity, leaving a small space for human choice. He connects this to John 1:10-13, where people must receive Jesus to become children of God. The sermon emphasizes that God's love is active, calling believers to reach out to others beyond their comfort zones. The pastor shares a story about his daughter serving at a soup kitchen with a group that has done so for 32 years, exemplifying love in action. He concludes by tying Jesus' foot-washing and crucifixion in John 13 to the ultimate act of love, reinforcing the refrain 'because that's just what love does.'

As heard by us

A Christmas sermon that moves from the manger to theology and faithful service.

This Christmas message keeps its focus on the child at the center of the story: a baby, Mary as a child, and the wonder of God choosing her. From there it opens into prayer for new starts, faith, and revelation, then broadens into John 1 and the claim that through him all things…

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Why you'd press play

If you want Christmas through the lens of a baby, a young Mary, and God entering history, start here.

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