Tag Archives: Kingdom of God

Jul 13 2015
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Sermons Audio

SCOTUS, Sexuality, and Sheep vs. Goats

Download: 2015-07-05_SNS-Evang3_KeepFocus

On July 5, 2015, in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States, Shannon New Spangler preached on Matthew 25:31-46 in her local ministry setting, Harvest Point Church in Lordstown, Ohio.

“This decision … needs to be discussed so we know what our place is.”

“When we say no to loving, to being graceful, to being merciful, we set limits on who is worthy of God’s love, and that’s an indictment not on them, but on us. And God says, when you do this, you are a goat.”

Please listen to this important sermon. (download or play below)

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Jan 05 2015
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The "Why" Questions

The “Why” Questions

Our denomination, the Church of God (Anderson), is doing some introspective investigation these days. We have been in existence since the 1880s, and our self-understanding has shifted and changed through the course of time. We now stand “at the crossroads,” as it were. Our leaders, from General Director Jim Lyon on down, are asking three important questions about why we exist as a body of believers.

These are crucial questions, and we hope to contribute our answers to them:

(A) If you could capture in one sentence, “What is the purpose of the Church of God Movement?” what would it be?

(B) What is the unique contribution that the Movement makes to the Kingdom in the world today?

(C) Upon what should the Movement focus going forward?

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Nov 05 2014
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At the Crossroads

A Kingdom of God Church: A Response

“It is the kingdom story that the Bible is telling all along…” Joe stated in his post “A Kingdom of God Church.” From the very beginning we see YHWH in relationship with humanity and giving instruction to them. From the first stories of scripture there is evidence of a committed and hands-on ruler – involved in the lives of the faithful and calling them to join together. Even from Adam and Eve, the intention is clear – God, and God alone, is to be the leader of the people that God created.

When discussing the Kingdom of God, there is a story that always sticks out to me addressing how God’s people act regarding having a divine king. The ever present danger for God’s people is the desire to be like everyone else. This is not new to our generation. In 1 Samuel 8 Israel, who were God’s chosen people, asked Samuel for a king. Israel already had a king, YHWH was their king. But Samuel takes their request to the Lord. The Lord’s response is this “they have rejected me from being king over them.” (vs. 7) The Lord told Samuel to return to Israel with a warning, but the people would not listen, they replied (vs. 19-20) “we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations.”

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