Sermons from 2026

Genesis 22 is one of the Bible’s most disturbing stories: God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the son he loves and the son through whom God had promised a future. Rather than explaining away the horror, this message wrestles honestly with the story, considers Abraham’s ancient world, and asks what happens when one troubling moment becomes our entire picture of God. As Christians, we keep reading and ultimately look to Jesus, the clearest picture of who God is.

Why does the Old Testament contain so much blood? In this message, we explore why sacrificial blood mattered in Israel’s relationship with God and why it meant more than violence or death. From the covenant at Sinai to the sacrificial system and finally to Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, blood becomes a symbol of belonging, life, atonement, and God’s provision. The difficult parts do not have to become comfortable, but they can become more understandable as we see a…

The Old Testament law can feel strange, outdated, or even troubling.  But what if we’re asking it the wrong questions?  In this message, we explore why God gave Israel the law, why grace actually came before the rules, and how understanding the ancient context changes the way we read some of Scripture’s strangest commands.  Rather than simply asking, “Do Christians still have to follow this?”, we’ll learn how the law reveals God’s priorities, forms God’s people, and ultimately prepares the way for…

When a church becomes more outward facing, it is natural for people inside the church to ask, “What about me?”  The answer is not, “You don’t matter,” or “Everything is about you.”  Instead, Jesus shows us that discipleship always included being formed and sent.  In Matthew 9-10, Jesus sees the crowds with compassion, tells his disciples to pray for workers, and then sends them as the answer to their own prayer.  The harvest is still plentiful, the workers are still few, and sometimes the…

In week four, we take on the value “Taking the Initiative: moving toward others with the grace and intention Jesus has shown us.” At the heart of the Christian story is a God who does not wait at a distance, but moves first. In Jesus, God came toward us in love, grace, and service. Because of that, Rosewood is called to take the same posture: moving toward one another inside the church, and moving toward our community as a faithful…

In the third week of Waypoints, we explore Rosewood’s third value: Got Questions? It means being the kind of community that welcomes doubt and encourages questions that can deepen faith. Beginning with twelve-year-old Jesus listening and asking questions in the temple, we see that Jesus was never threatened by sincere curiosity. Through the stories of Nicodemus, Thomas, John the Baptism, and others, this message challenges Christians to approach faith conversations more like journalists than salespeople by listening to understand rather…

In the first week of Waypoints, we explore Rosewood’s first value: Bridges, Not Walls. Looking at Acts 15 and the Council of Jerusalem, we see that the early church had to decide whether it would require outsiders to become like insiders before they could fully belong. The verdict was clear: “We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” This message invites us to recover something deeply rooted in the foundation of the church: a…

In week two of City on a Hill, we look at Luke 10 and the story of the Good Samaritan to ask what Christian witness looks like in a world where the Church no longer has an assumed voice. Trust in institutions may be declining, but spiritual hunger has not disappeared. Jesus has not lost his power, even if the Church has lost its assumed platform. So how do we respond? Not by getting louder, winning arguments, or demanding influence,…