Munger Place Church - Dallas, Texas

I’m like a broken record: The most important thing you can do every day is spend your first 15 minutes in silence, prayer, and scripture. Try it tomorrow. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: John 15:1-9

Yes, it's true that Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings. But guess what? That's irrelevant. It's irrelevant because Feelings Don't Care About Your Facts. That's just how people are. And Jesus shows us the way forward: Love Goes First. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: John 4:1-39 [The Woman at the Well]

Want to know that the water-into-wine miracle means? It means that God is Good(er). Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: John 2:1-11; Isaiah 25:6-7 References: “BUT IDEAS AND IMAGES are also a primary stronghold of evil in the human self and in society. They determine how we ‘take’ the things and events of ordinary life. They control the meanings we assign to what we deal with, and they can even blind us to what lies plainly before us. Again, this is seen over and over in biblical and in Christian history, and in human life generally. Their power for evil cannot be overestimated and is constantly at play in most human governments. “Ideas and images are, accordingly, the primary focus of Satan’s efforts to defeat God’s purposes with and for humankind. When we are subject to his chosen ideas and images, he can take a nap or a holiday. Thus when he undertook to draw Eve away from God, he did not hit her with a stick, but with an idea. It was with the idea that God could not be trusted and that she must act on

Mark tells us that the women came to the tomb that first Easter morning, saw that it was empty, heard from the angel, and *still* left bewildered and afraid. Why? It’s because their categories couldn’t fit what God had just done. We think our outlook depends on our circumstances, but what happens when our circumstances give us no reason to be optimistic? This is where Easter Hope begins, a Hope that *has nothing whatsoever* to do with our circumstances. It’s the most important news in the world. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Mark 16:1-8

Change is inevitable, because God is moving history towards its goal. This is not to say that all change is good—it’s not—but rather that all change can be used by God. In fact, God works all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Jesus knows this, which is why he enters Jerusalem in such a provocative way that first Palm Sunday. Jesus knows that things must change, because history is moving toward its end, and for that end to be realized, Jesus knows he has to die. Here’s what this means for the inevitable changes we face in our own lives. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Mark 11:1-11; Romans 8:28; Revelation 21:1,5

These days everything is binary: either one or zero; black or white; good or evil, etc. Unfortunately, life doesn’t actually work like that. Fortunately, neither does the Bible. In fact, there is a beautiful sentence in Mark’s Gospel from a desperate father that got me thinking about “both/and” in place of “either/or.” And I’ve come up with a four word phrase that sums this up for me. I’ve found it to be really practical and helpful, and I hope you find it to be the same for you. “Grieve and give thanks.” Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Mark 9:20-27

It’s one of the most profound things Jesus ever says in Mark’s Gospel. But because it’s sandwiched between some amazing miracle stories, and because it’s not part of a memorable parable, it’s easy to overlook its importance. Which is a shame, because it not only explains why Jesus does what he does, it also helps us understand the entire story arc of the Bible. In context, Jesus is questioned by the Pharisees as to why his disciples don’t practice certain Jewish rituals, and it’s the response of Jesus that is so profound. He says, in essence: “Wherever you go, there you are.” Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Mark 7:1-5, 14-23; Proverbs 4:23; Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33 References: "An outbreak of common colds at an Antarctic base after seventeen weeks of complete isolation” Federalist Paper #51 

What if what we mean by “faith" and what the Bible means by “faith” have almost completely opposite meanings? When Jesus can’t do any miracles in his hometown because of his neighbors’ lack of faith, we think it means that if they simply believed more, then miracles would happen. But that kind of thinking reduces faith to a personal quality, like a power meter in a video game—plus it makes faith about *me*, and I start having faith in how much faith I have. Instead, biblical faith is not about *me* at all, but about the *trustworthiness* of Jesus. Which means that the way to increase my faith is to spend more time with him. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Mark 6:1-6

Keep your ears stopped. Shut your eyes tight. Make your necks stiff. And harden your hearts. For: If you hear and see, If you receive and obey, This message will bring life abundant. Do you have ears? Use them. (Reflections on the Parable of the Sower.) Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Mark 4:1-25

The portrayal of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel is a man of great power and authority: He commands the unclean spirits; He heals with a word; He calms the storm into silence. But there is one thing Jesus does NOT do, one thing he never commands or coerces. That one thing is, so to speak, the dog that doesn’t bark in Mark’s Gospel. And it is unbelievably important. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Series: Gospel of Mark (2022) Scripture: Mark 1:21-28; Mark 1:40-42; Mark 4:35-41; Mark 8:27-30

From the first page of Mark’s Gospel, we are immediately struck by the *strangeness* of the world we encounter. To paraphrase Thomas Merton, in Mark’s Gospel we encounter a “translucent world”, a world in which God is not far away but right at hand and one in which "the divine is shining through it all the time.” To many modern people, the idea of a translucent world seems ridiculous—after all, we know there is no God and the only reality is what which can be measured in a lab or proved with a test tube. But maybe we’ve got it exactly wrong: Maybe the reason we struggle to believe is because we refuse to pay attention. Maybe just outside our peripheral vision is a burning bush. Maybe the Lord is just waiting patiently for you to turn aside and look at it. Series: Gospel of Mark (2022) Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Mark 1:1-13; Exodus 3:1-6

Paul closes his letter to the Ephesians with what has become one of the best-known metaphors in all of his writings: the armor of God.   It’s a powerful, inspiring image, but what does it actually, practically mean?   Paul says that the point of wearing the armor is “so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”   In other words, something about putting on the armor will keep you from getting tricked or tripped up—it will help you keep your balance.   Let’s talk about it.   Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-17

Yes, it’s an overwrought image (“A 'firing squad'? Come on!"), but nevertheless there is something about knowing you only have a finite amount of time left that helps you focus on what matters. I have a short amount of time left as the pastor for Munger Place Church, and that awareness has been a good reminder: I need to do whatever it takes to prepare my people. Let’s go. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16

You know what I’ve noticed? The way the Apostle Paul prays for the Ephesian church is not how we pray. Either he’s wrong and needs to pray the way we pray, or else we need to learn from Paul and change our practices of prayer. (My money’s on the latter option.) See, it turns out that we don’t need what we think we need. What we really need is not prosperity or security or even clarity. What we really need is trust. P.S. Not totally sure it was actually 75 lbs…. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

We take a break from Ephesians as the Rev. David Forrest—our pastor’s father—preaches a sermon on a way to look at the entire Bible. Preacher: Rev. David Forrest  Scripture: Genesis 12:1-4

It is a good thing that these days we are acknowledging the ways that each of us has different privileges. But what happens next?  After we acknowledge our privilege, how should we live? Let’s talk about how to play diversity bingo in church. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-14.

Does difference always lead to division? Since Babel, the world’s answer has been: yes. And since difference is an inescapable part of life, this answer means the world always tries to erase difference, either through violence or a forced homogeneity. But difference is part of God’s plan, and difference is no threat to unity in Christ. Some thoughts on an important—and difficult—topic. Preacher: Rev Andrew Forrest Scripture: Genesis 3:6-7 Genesis 11:1-9 Ephesians 2:11-22 Revelation 21:22-26

We’re divided—tribe, tongue, people, nation—and we have been from the beginning.   Since Eden, we’ve been divided by our differences, and our divisions have led to more divisions, and to contempt, and to hate.   But those divisions are actually lies.  There is in fact one human race.  As the Apostle Paul reminds the Ephesians:   "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.”   In Christ, God has broken down the walls between us and is remaking us into one people.   And we have work to do.   Preacher: Andrew Forrest   References: The Remembrance Day Bombing (YouTube)

What if something amazing happened and you just totally ignored it? This is exactly what happened with the people in Bethlehem: the Christ was born right in their midst, and everyone but the shepherds missed it. The same things still happen at the time: we ignore amazing stories right in our midst. This Christmas I want to share with you the first and second most amazing stories I’ve ever heard. My goal: that you and I don’t let this Christmas pass us by, but that we carry it with us all year long. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 References: