No Longer Strangers and Aliens by Pastor Jamie

And we're off on another Stepping Stones series of sermons and Bible Study discussions.

On Sunday we had nearly 50 people come down to the Fellowship Hall! That was amazing. Why did so many come? I think that the topic is fresh and relevant. All of us are students of the culture around us as we observe our community, our nation and the world.

We talked about the cycles in the book of Judges and the downward religious and moral spiral that the people experienced because of their sin and stubbornness.

We heard Paul's words of hope to the church in Ephesus as he reminds us that Jesus breaks down the dividing walls of hostility and brings peaceful unity to the culture. It is because of Jesus that there are no longer strangers and aliens.

Is I observe the culture it seems to me that great change has taken place. It used to be that the church and the culture were closely connected. The culture was based on the church and took its signals from the church. Now it seems that the culture is backing away from the church and indeed that the church is taking its signals from the culture.

Our culture is distracted, disaffected, divided and self-determined. It struggles with the reality of violence, terrorism, economic uncertainty and great complexity.

However, I believe that there is great hope in Jesus Christ. I am also convinced that the church is perfectly suited to speak a word of hope and reconciliation to our culture.

How will Sunnyside Church do this? Come and join the conversation...on this blog and on Sunday mornings. I am excited about our future!