Sunday Morning Podcast | The Moody Church

Who is the greatest person you’ve had the privilege of knowing? Not the most glamorous, but the greatest. You see, there’s a difference between glamor and greatness. Glamor impresses from a distance; greatness impacts up close. Glamor is on the outside; greatness is on the inside. Glamor draws attention to itself; greatness focuses attention on others.   All the marketing in our society emphasizes glamor as the ideal for us to pursue. But at a funeral, we talk about something very different as an indicator of life’s significance. We don’t talk about glamor, we talk about the ideals of greatness: friendship, tenderness, selflessness, sacrifice, generosity, care, faithfulness, love. And all those things have one thing in common: humility.   Here’s what’s amazing: this kind of true greatness we so admire in others is the very thing God intends to grow in us by His Spirit, conforming us to the image of Christ, that we might share in His glory and joy forever!   God intends to make us people of true greatnes

Are we sure of God’s love for us? God wants us to be certain of His love for us.   In this sermon, special guest Dr. Ray Ortlund, Jr., walks us through a life changing passage in Romans 8. Here, the apostle Paul asks four questions about the personal and powerful love of God for the underserving. If God is for us, who can be against us? Will God give us all things? Who will condemn those whom God has chosen? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?   The gospel question for us is this: are you willing to be loved endlessly by almighty God above? This has nothing to do with our performance. In fact, God does not limit his love for failures like us. God loves you personally, limitlessly, and powerfully, so that you’ll love Him too.   Romans 8:31-39

Can you see the Apostle Paul in your minds’ eye? He’s under house arrest in Rome and manacled to an Imperial Guard. He’d appealed to Caesar, but now he’s wasting away, stuck in an endless line of bureaucratic delays. He has no idea how Caesar will rule on his case. He might be set free, or he might be executed. His very life hangs in the balance.   And yet, in this passage from Philippians 1:18-30, look at how joyous Paul is in the middle of so many life and ministry setbacks. He’s so resilient, vibrant, courageous, steadfast, and undaunted! And it’s not because he’s ignoring reality. He says, “I very well may die here.” He’s utterly realistic about his suffering, and yet over-flowingly joyful. This man knows how to live!   What’s his secret?   In this sermon, we will learn that to live a live worthy of the gospel means that Christ becomes our:   Reason for Rejoicing: We delight in the glory of Christ which has become our greatest joy in life and eternity. Purpose in Living: We invest in the missi

In 1961, at the start of training camp, Vince Lombardi walked into the locker room of the Green Bay Packers and spoke what would become one of the most iconic lines in sports history: “Gentlemen, this is a football!” He was reminding them of the fundamentals. He was going back to basics.   It’s easy to forget the basics, to neglect the core disciplines of a winning team. Lombardi knew no amount of trick plays or player talent would matter if they didn’t master the basics of the game.   And the same thing is true of our Christian lives. If we want to be joyously in love with Jesus, overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit, growing together as the family of God, we must be engaged in the bases of life with Jesus.   It’s time to get Back to Basics.   And to help us do that, I know of no better place to turn than to the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians, because it’s all about getting back to basics of following hard after Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit and the interdependencies of life in t

Music has a way of connecting to our emotions in wonderful ways. Some music helps us rejoice or relax, and other music is deeply therapeutic. Psalm 42 is a therapeutic song, written from the perspective of someone who is desperate for spiritual healing, desperate to be delivered from their spiritual depression.   When our souls are desperate for God, what should we do? Maybe you’ve felt like this in your spiritual life: your prayers feel like they’re bouncing off a glass ceiling, your Bible reading feels like wasted time, you’re craving some experience of God, but right now you’re dry and empty.   It may not be you today but at some point we all face moments like this, and statistically right now it’s those around you, your family, friends and neighbors. Whether it’s you or someone you're called to love, the way toward soul-sustaining water, is found in Jesus.   Water for desperate souls is found in... the community of Jesus the promises of Jesus the cry of Jesus the hope of Jesus   Psalm 42

In this sermon, we explore one of the Psalms of King David that was written while he was fleeing from Saul. David faced intense fears when he penned this song; and yet, the prose explodes with praise and adoration for God.   When you face difficulties or fear, do you put your praise on pause?   Five lessons from Psalm 34: When faith fails, don’t put your praise on pause. For David, praise is an intentional act in all circumstances. Praise is continual, intentional, and it is anchored in genuine humility. When faith fails, fear festers. But, it is when we face the hardships that the attributes of God become transforming from theoretical to personal. When faith fails, we are prone to speaking disgraceful things. So ask yourself, “Am I speaking words of affirmation and grace into the lives of those around me.?” If it doesn’t edify others and honor God, don’t say it. When faith fails, the impacts of sin ripples beyond the individual. So, when a brother or sister in Christ is in sin, we must do all th

Who can dwell with God?   God has very high standards for who can live with Him. And that is what we are going to consider from Psalm 15. In this short psalm, author King David asks the Lord: “What kind of person may live with you and be in Your holy presence?” David describes the person who can dwell with the Lord in six couplets or pairs of statements in this Psalm.   The One Whose Character is Blameless: The Hebrew word for “blameless” means “whole” or “sound.” It does not mean sinless. Instead, it refers to a person whose character is upright in all areas and who is fully committed to obeying the Lord. Not someone who seems honorable in public but when alone is a very different person. Simply put, they do what is right. When they are faced with a choice between doing what pleases the Lord and doing what pleases themselves, the kind of person they are, the desires they have cultivated, the thoughts they allow themselves to entertain… compel this person to choose to do what is right—to do what pleases

How do you pick up the pieces when you've blown it so very badly?   Peter was devastated by his thrice denial of Jesus. Even after Jesus was raised from the dead, and Peter had met him twice in the flesh, Peter was still thinking, “What must He think of me!?”   For those of us who know what it is to fail the ones we love, we can understand how desperately Peter wanted to open up to Jesus; and yet he couldn’t just bring it up. Jesus, in His mercy and kindness, brings it up for Peter.   For those of us who have failed and let down those we love, this passage from John 21 is for us. We’ll discover three things:   The Danger of Relapse: Jesus never gives up on failures like us. Peter may have given up on himself, but Jesus never gave up on Peter. There is always more mercy in Christ than sin in us. The Grace of Repentance: Repentance is the tough grace that sets us free. It’s a tough grace that presses our hearts to repentance. We instinctively resist opening at every turn, but repentance is the only

Breakthrough is the moment when everything changes. The old categories are shattered, and a whole new paradigm is born.   And the greatest breakthrough in all of history is when Jesus rose from the dead. It shatters the old categories and gives birth to a whole new paradigm.   In this passage form John 20:19-31, we explore a 4-dimensional breakthrough from Jesus’ resurrection. Breakthrough Resurrection: Jesus’ resurrected body broke through all the disciples’ categories. Neither Greco-Roman nor Jewish thought had categories for the kind of resurrection we see here in Jesus. This is important for two reasons. First, it explains their incredulity—the disciples were totally unprepared for this, and it took them a while to adjust. Second, it explains why they couldn’t have made up this story, because they didn’t have a frame of reference for this type of event. Will you allow Jesus to break your categories? We all have our categories for how a god ought to be, and we’ll believe when he fits our preconceive

Cognitive dissonance is the influx of intellectual disequilibrium. In other words, when your tidy framework of reality is suddenly unsettled by unexpected facts, your “mind is blown.” And suddenly, you see the world very differently.   Resurrection morning created massive cognitive dissonance for the followers of Jesus. They never saw it coming! Not only did they not see it coming, but at first, they couldn’t believe their eyes.   Curiosity is key when cognitive dissonance occurs. John highlights three curious moments from resurrection morning; he wants us to meditate on them so that we might understand the significance of our resurrected Jesus.   The Conscientious Guest: Jesus thoughtfully tidied up after Himself on resurrection morning. Remember, this is a borrowed tomb. When it was time for Jesus to be resurrected, he tidies up the place as He leaves. How thoughtful is that!? John realizes that Jesus is conscientious. The Mistaken Gardener: Mary is the first one to visit the tomb on Easter Sunday

Everyone enjoys a good plot twist. Whether in a novel or a film, that moment when everything you thought you knew is suddenly undone, and realization dawns mingled with disbelief. Those are the best endings.   In many ways, the death and resurrection of Jesus is the greatest twist ending of them all. Talk about a plot twist! Nobody saw that coming. And no doubt after the resurrection the disciples thought: “No way! Are you kidding me? How did we miss the clues?!?"   In his Gospel, John is careful to point out the clues and the signs that were there all along. With the benefit of hindsight, John helps us see the things he missed the first time around, the hints of the twist ending that was to come.   The Piercing Distinction: The standard protocol for Roman crucifixion turns out very differently in Jesus' crucifixion. All of this happens to fulfill the prophecies of Scripture. John wanted us to the see the clues—through these seemingly random breaks in protocol, the Father distinguished the uniqueness

In this passage from our study in the Gospel of John, we come to the crucifixion of Jesus. We may want to look the other way, to not face the harsh reality of an innocent man nailed to a cross, to not bear the weight of the torture and agony and injustice of this moment, because it may it’s just too personal.   We were made to love and serve God, but we hijacked our life, and stiff-armed God, and insisted on living according to our own rules.   If anyone deserves to be punished… it’s not Jesus. If anyone deserves to be condemned… it’s not Him. If anyone deserves to die… it’s us. This is our story: Jesus died for us.   In this sermon, we’ll look at three portraits of Jesus:   The Crucified King: On the cross, the King is lifted up for all to see. John wants us to discern the hidden hand of God, moving in spite of all this chaos and injustice and evil, fulfilling his purposes in it all. As Jesus takes his place with guilty sinners, he is numbered with the transgressors. As Jesus is lifted up as King f

Jesus gets it. He gets how hard life is. He gets how heartbreaking it can be. He gets how violating and brutal and unjust people are sometimes.   We all need a God who gets it, because when life’s cruelties break into your life, you don’t need a god who’s aloof and pampered and insulated. You need a God who gets it, who understands how it feels, who can sympathize with you, and who will weep with you.   And friends, Jesus has been there. He gets it.   In this passage, John is going to walk us through Jesus’ Roman trial. Now, as we make our way through this passage, notice two things in particular: First, John’s depiction of the cruel suffering and injustice Jesus faced. Some of us can relate to that. Second, John’s use of irony throughout this account. Things are not as they seem.   As we walk through the passage, this sermon explores six striking ironies:   Disingenuous Fulfillment: Through the religious leaders’ hypocrisy, God’s will is achieved. They unwittingly advance the will of God, that Je

In today’s passage, we will see John’s account of the betrayal, arrest, and preliminary interrogation of Jesus.   We’ll explore three lenses:   The Sequence of the Storm: This is the quick overview of the narrative leading up to the crucifixion. Betrayal and Arrest (Mt 26:47-56; Mk 14:43-52; Lk 22:47-53; Jn 18:2-12): All 4 gospels report on this event. Interrogation of Annas (Jn 18:19-23): John alone preserves this interrogation for us. Sanhedrin Trial (Mt 26:57-68; Mk 14:53-65; Lk 22:54-71): The Sanhedrin was the ruling body in charge of Jewish internal affairs. Pilate’s Questioning (Mt 27:11-14; Mk 15:2-5; Lk 23:2-5; Jn 18:28-38a): Pilate doesn’t want to condemn an innocent man, but if he lets Jesus go free, he’ll upset the Jewish leaders and possibly disturb the peace during a major holiday. Interrogation by Herod (Lk 23:6-12): Only Luke reports this interrogation by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. Pilate attempted to toss this political hot potato into Herod’s lap, but Herod to

In this passage we come to what is arguably the pinnacle of John’s Gospel. It’s Jesus’ last night, and in the next hours, He will be betrayed by Judas Iscariot from Hi inner circle. He will be put on trial, condemned, and crucified the following day.   And Jesus, knowing all that awaits him, has been pouring out His heart to the disciples. He shows them His love by washing their feet. He shares a meal with them at the last supper.He’s intimating to them that His hour has come and that He will return to the Father by way of the cross.   And now in chapter 17, Jesus offers a final prayer known as “The High Priestly Prayer”. In this prayer we find what is most important to Jesus in all the universe.   In Jesus’ final prayer, we find four main points:   A Final Request: In the face of shame, Jesus asks for the renewal of glory. Jesus is about to face the greatest possible shame in the presence of men on earth; and so, He asks for the greatest possible honor in the presence of God in heaven, that He woul

How do we know that everything will be alright in the end? In many ways, that’s the very question that was haunting the minds of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus had told them to prepare for battle, that the persecution that was coming for him would come for them also. They no doubt felt like underdogs.   Have you ever felt like an underdog? Maybe you are facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, harsh realities, painful setbacks, and crushing sadness. You’re asking Jesus: "How do I know that it will all be right in the end?" Jesus addresses that honest, deep, and heartfelt question in our passage from John 16:16-33.   Because Jesus overcomes, we too will overcome.   Jesus is the overcomer in three spheres: Redemptive History: Jesus overcomes sorrow with joy. This is true for Jesus, this is true for the disciples, and it is also true for us. Because redemption is not just something God did one time for Jesus; redemption is the story of history. Our God is a redeeming God. He takes what is broken and makes it

In this passage, we are in the early hours before the crucifixion. Betrayal, arrest, whipping, and crucifixion awaits Jesus, and He knows it. But he mustn’t fixate on the tidal wave of agony that is about to break up on Him; instead, he focuses on preparing His disciples for the battle ahead.   As American Christians with sizable religious freedoms, we often read past verses like this rather quickly. But you know who doesn’t read past them? The vast majority of our brothers and sisters around the world and throughout history. And who knows? Those of us in America may just need these words sooner than we realize. Perhaps Jesus is preparing us for battle too.   Jesus is preparing his disciples for the suffering, persecution, and hostility they will face in this world. Because followers of Jesus are not like the world, the world views us with suspicion. Because we’re different, we’re distinct.   We’ll look at three points to prepare us for what’s coming:   Distinct Allegiance: Christians who are filled

Our natural default is to try to do things on our own. But when trouble comes, whether its relationships, temptation, anxiety, or sin, we realize that we are not strong enough to do it on our own. The spiritual strength we need is found in our Savior. We need His strength for our weakness. How do we find the spiritual strength to conquer our weakness?   Three keys to spiritual strength: Rely on the Holy Spirit: To be empowered by the Spirit means that Christ dwells in our hearts. We must fully rely on the power of Holy Spirit to renew our inner self. How do we know if we are relying on the Holy Spirit? We should check the desires and motivations of our heart. Are you faithful to God in the small things? Are you consistent in practicing spiritual disciplines? How do you go about making a difficult decision? Are your future goals something you can accomplish on your own or only with God’s help? Know the Love of Jesus: Love is the foundation of all that we are in Jesus. Great strength is found in the secu

Here in John 15, Jesus teaches his disciples and us about the secret to a fruitful life is abiding in Him. At the heart of this discourse is an extended metaphor 1-8 which Jesus then expounds upon in 9-17. The Vine: “I am the true vine” is the 7th and final “I AM” statement in John. The vine is used as a symbol for God’s covenant people, Israel. And whenever this comparison is made, the emphasis is always on Israel’s failure to produce the fruit that God desired. Now we have Jesus applying this metaphor to himself. Jesus is saying that He is the “true” vine, and the fruit Israel failed to bear He will bear in Himself when he is crucified. He provides true access to the living, pulsating, abundant life of God. When we try to find life in everything else, it never really satisfies. The Vinedresser: God the Father is caring and tending for the vine through pruning. If Jesus is the vine, and his disciples are the branches, He’s letting them know that a cutting is coming. They will feel the Vinedresser’s knif

In John's account of Jesus’ last night before the cross, we encounter some of the most tender words in all the Scriptures. In the Upper Room, Jesus poured out His heart to His disciples, teaching them (and through them, us) how to live in the love of God, because living in the love of God is everything.   John 14:15-31 is notoriously difficult to outline, because Jesus keeps circling back time and again to the same central theme as He invites us to live deeply in the love of God. Pastor Philip approached the passage from three angles:   Our Love of God: What does it mean to really love God? Our love of Jesus naturally and necessarily flows into an obedience to His law. This fundamentally boils down to loving God and loving people. So if you really love Jesus, you’ll grow in love for one another. But that’s not always an easy thing to do. We desperately need direction, wholeness, and courage from Jesus to do that well. We cannot do it on our own, which brings us to the next point. God’s Love of Us: The