Sermons by Shaun Hart (Page 3)

No story exists all by itself. Not only is it woven into the stories all around it, but is also a part of the stories that came before and the stories that come after. Today we look at a story a thousand years before the birth of Jesus, but is absolutely connected to it through family, location, and a character committed to paying the price to love.

Many characters make up the threads of the Christmas Story. There are a few stray threads that we get glimpses of, but aren’t often seen as a part of the story. This Christmas, we want to pull on a few of those threads. Most are characters who made choices that left them missing out on the great story. This morning, we wonder about all those places Mary and Joseph could have stayed before they found themselves laying Jesus in a manger. What can we learn from the ones who missed out about compassion?

Ever try to accomplish a task with the wrong tool? Or to make a part fit that isn’t right for the job? The church is being woven together by God on purpose. There are patterns God has established for the church in order to accomplish those purposes. Today we will see how God is calling his church to grow small in order to win big.

We have a funny relationship with risk. There is a part of us that loves it and a part that avoids it at all costs. Our default seems to be a belief that with maturity comes a reduction in risk. What if that desire for risk taking is actually a part of God’s design for us? What if our avoidance of risk is actually avoiding God’s best? Today we look at the tapestry God is weaving together at HCC with a challenge to trust in God’s goodness and a call to take the risks that matter.