Murphy Church Sunday Messages

Happy Father’s Day 2018! Everyone has a dad. On Father’s Day, some of us enjoy time with dad, some of us miss our father being there, and other may even struggle because of things that have happened in the past. But everyone has a Father in heaven who is always there, always wise, and always loving. Join us this week as we celebrate Father’s Day looking at the Lord’s Prayer in a sermon entitled “Our Father.”

Authority issues come in many different forms. Sometimes they are felt when you work under a corrupt or incompetent leader. Other times, authority issues are felt when we try to live other people’s lives and worry about responsibilities that God has not placed under our care. Frequently, authority issues arise in our walk with God. Like the Pharisees of old, we limit God, and we seek to be His gatekeeper controlling what He can do and who he can use. An "Unexpected Power” arises when quit resisting, quit giving reasons why things can’t be, and, instead, start believing in what can be. Join us this week at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 in the Edge Building as we continue our series Expect the Unexpected. Title: Unexpected Power Series: Expect the Unexpected Text Luke 20:1-8

"As He (Jesus) approached and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace. . . “ Ours is a world where we want to know all the answers and the answers must meet our expectations or consequences will follow. But often what people are trying to sell us as truth is actually an idol keeping us from the real truth that will set us free. This week we continue our series Expect the Unexpected looking at Luke 19:41-48 in a sermon entitled “The Unexpected Response.” Text: Luke 19:41-48

So what are you doing in the meantime? It’s one of the great questions of life, because what you do in the meantime usually determines what happens in the end. It’s the prayer before the sermon. . .the studying before the test. . . the preparation before the meeting. . .the organization behind the idea. . .the training before the race, these are the meantime moments of life that shape outcomes. In Luke 19:11-27, Jesus tells a story about what His disciples are to be doing "in the meantime." It’s a story of faith, a story of investment, anticipation, and hope!

The church is much like a family. Though we come from different households and have different life-stories we are united together in Christ. As a family, we partner together in mission and ministry. But, what is ministry, and what does it look like in real life? This week we will study Luke 19:1-9. In this passage, Jesus gives us an example of what it looks like to move beyond the busyness and minister to people at their point of need. We look forward to seeing you this Sunday at 9:45 or 11:00; it’s hard to believe but Summer is here!

Bartimaeus was a normal young man. Like each of us, he had hopes and dreams. He was an out-going little boy; laughter, fun, and adventure were his best friends. But then it happened. His eyesight began to fade, and before long he couldn’t see a thing. Seemingly, destined to live a lonely life of isolation and poverty, Bartimaeus sat day after day begging for his meals. But then he met Jesus and everything changed: he could see. Join us this week as we continue our series Simple Faith with a sermon from Luke 18:35-43 entitled Seeing. Series:

Sometimes God’s will is hard to understand. Following Him requires faith and obedience in His love and knowledge that stretches us even as it grows us. Our journey of spiritual growth will eventually lead us to that moment of decision where we must trust God and continue or refuse His will and move away. In Luke 18:31-34, Jesus presented the disciples with a “hard to understand” moment: they were headed to Jerusalem where he would be killed in order to rise again. Join us this Sunday as we look at this passage and learn what to do when I don’t understand.

Where are you most heavily invested? For many, life is not invested it’s just spent in the events of the moment. For others, life is invested in the accumulation of money and memories: money, houses, cars, vacations, and thrills. Still for others, family is our primary investments; after all, “nothing is more important than family.” In Luke 18:18-30, Jesus turns the investment world upside down, when he teaches us that our one investment in life is to be in him. For it only when our relationship with God is right, that the rest of life finds its focus.

Remember when you were little and lived life with childhood innocence. Remember when things were simpler and every person and event didn’t have to pass through a lifetime of filters to reach your heart. Remember when God stirred your heart and with simple faith you believed in Jesus? Remember when. . . . Sometimes in life, we need to push back all the distractions and pressures and just trust in our God. Jesus said, the kingdom of God belongs to those who come to Him with a simple, child-like faith. Remember when?

Simple faith trusts in a holy and loving God. It believes in the power of God to change the heart and understands the limitations of self. Simple faith obeys the voice of truth and discovers a spiritual strength that transcends the temporal and frees the soul. In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells a parable specifically to those who were confident “of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.” He reminds us that following Christ is a call to humility rather than arrogance. Join us this Sunday at 9:45 or 11:00 as Lash begins a new teaching series, “Simple Faith” with a sermon entitled The Trap of Arrogant Christianity.

“Life was in Him and that life was the light of men (John 1:4).” Happy Easter 2018! Easter is a celebration of life made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus? is the fundamental question of Easter. If Jesus is the son of God, then the answers to life’s ultimate questions are found in Him. Join us this Sunday for a celebration of Easter as we conclude our series “The Savior” looking at John 1:1-4 in a sermon entitled “Life was in Him.”

For six hours on a Friday, the King descended into the darkness. But our King did not merely descend to the cold floor of death; He pierced the darkness, bringing light to all and life to those who believe. This week we continue our Easter series “The Savior” looking at Philippians 2:5-11 in a sermon entitled The King Descended.

God has spoken. Creation declares His glory, history reveals His sovereignty, the prophets reveal His righteousness, and Jesus provides His salvation. God desires to be known. Through Jesus, the all power, holy God invites you to call him, “Father.” Join us this Sunday as we continue our series, “The Savior” looking at Hebrews 1:1-4.

Spring is in the air, and this week we launch a four-week series called “The Savior” which will be our focus for the Easter season. In this series, we will be looking at one of the fundamental questions of our Christian faith: Who is Jesus? As you prepare for worship, take a few moments to read Colossians 1:15-23. Ask yourself, according to this passage, who is Jesus? Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday. Remember to come early—worship boldly—and be friendly.

It’s easy to quit, even easier to get frustrated or apathetic. There are so many areas in life that are not what they should be, and we long for God to intervene into our scene and make all things new. The call to faith is a call to persistence. True faith perseveres and faith in God is never misplaced. One of the greatest ways to Be Different and Make a Difference is to embrace “Faithful Perseverance.” This Sunday we will look at Luke 18:1-8: the parable of the Persistent Widow. We look forward to having the church family together for worship and you are an important part!

Ex·pect·an·cy--the state of thinking or hoping that something, especially something pleasant, will happen or be the case. We often long for the day that God chooses to intervene and things change. Ironically, we often miss God’s interventions even when they are right in front of us. In Luke 17:20-37, Jesus reminded us that one day no one will miss his intervention, because he will come to make all things new. The darkness of this world is temporary; the light of His kingdom eternal. So, live expectantly!

One of the greatest ways to “Be Different and Make a Difference” is to be genuinely grateful. The Holy Spirit, who invades our lives the moment we receive Christ, is totally committed to cultivating within our lives an attitude of gratitude. In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus heals 10 men suffering from the terrible disease of leprosy, yet only 1 returns to express his gratitude and worship to the Lord. Far too often, we are thankful for things rather than the One who gives all things. Join us this week, as we look at what an incredible difference a heart full of gratitude can make.

In Luke 17:5, the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Bible says that faith is "the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen (Hebrews 11:1).” Without faith it is “impossible to please God.” So how do we get faith? and How does life look when we are truly living by faith? Join us this week as we answer these questions from Luke 17:5-10 in a sermon entitled Faith and Faithfulness.

Jesus said in Luke 17:1, “Offenses will certainly come.” We live in a fallen world saturated by sin. People will do and say things that are wrong, and when they do, others will be hurt. But Christians are to "Be Different to Make a Difference.” We are to deal with our conflicts in a Christ-like manner seeking the restoration of others in the spirit of forgiveness. Conflict cannot be avoided in life, but how you deal with conflict will often shape your life. Join us this week, as we look at Luke 17:1-4 in a sermon entitled Live Forgiven.

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus told a parable of two men who lived just a few feet away from one another, but whose lives could not have been more different. One was prideful; the other was humble. One was wealthy and lived life lavishly; the other was poor and just tried to survive. One thought he knew it all and refused to listen; the other heard the message of the kingdom and responded in faith. Then, both men died, and, suddenly, everything changed. The one who had it all but refused to listen spent eternity apart from God. The one who had nothing gained it all in the presence of God. Join us this Sunday, as we continue our series Be Different, Make a Difference with a sermon entitled “Listening.”