MORE THAN ONE WAY TO MURDER (COMMANDMENT VI) Don’t you think world would be a better place we didn’t kill each other? Well, God thinks that too. Don’t kill each other. This week… or any week. If the band wants to come back up, let’s pray together. …
Dance & Detox: Sabbath (Command 4)
DANCE & DETOX: SABBATH (COMMANDMENT IV) You know what the worst thing about Chick-fil-a is? …that I can’t get it on Sundays. Is anyone else a fan of the Chick-fil-a Chicken Sandwich? Or Waffle Fries? Or that fresh-squeezed lemonade?Or those crazy-brilliant milkshakes?(Especially that peppermint one …
Don’t Shrink The Sacred (Command 2)
DON’T SHRINK THE SACRED (COMMANDMENT II) Good morning, friends. My names is Brett Davis, and I’m a volunteer pastor here at New Life Manitou…and can I make a confession? It’s a spiritual confession—a church confession—a God confession: I don’t like God being invisible. It’s so …
Praises, Pleases & Jesus (Psalm 118)
PRAISES, PLEASES, & JESUS Good morning friends. We’re going to be in Psalm 118 this morning and as you’re turning there or loading it up, let’s make some quick introductions. My name is Brett Davis. My bride, Joy, is there in the back. She’s the …
This Psalm is Not About You (Psalm 110)
THIS PSALM IS NOT ABOUT YOU There’s a stand-up comedian named Jim Gaffigan who employed something of a strange heckling voice in a lot of his routines. It’s this voice, that kind of embodies what an audience member could be thinking at any point in …
When God Says “No”
When you become a parent, you’re suddenly confronted with a breathtaking amount of parenting advice. Some of this advice comes unsolicited from friends, family, or total strangers. Some of the advice is sought after—from those exact same groups… including total strangers in the form of …
Something Deeper Still (Psalm 46)
SOMETHING DEEPER STILL My name is Brett Davis, and my family and I have been becoming a part of New Life Manitou for the last six months or so. I’m thrilled—just so pumped—to be sharing with you this morning. I’ve known this morning was coming …
Praying with my Fingers
A few weeks ago, I stepped out of the car into an ugly Monday afternoon. The sky outside promised rain; the air inside promised death. My feet guided me toward the inevitable: steps to be climbed, a door to be opened, a coffin to be …
Struggling into Life
We have a floppy baby. Our 11-month old daughter, Daisy, struggles with generalized low muscle tone or “hypotonia.” This means that her muscles are uncoordinated and her muscles tire out rather quickly. Everything is affected—from coordination of muscle groups to small muscles that help with …
Cusshole Confession
I was on break at work on Thursday when I read about the President’s genuinely atrocious remarks on immigration. Frustration and anger settled over me as I considered the layers of arrogance, callousness, and foolishness reflected by his words. And evidently I wasn’t alone. Everyone from journalists to …
Trust and the Terrible Year
2017 was a hard year. It felt like a year of near weekly calamities, large and small. We had a flight-for-life with our second daughter hours after birth. We’ve been in Children’s Hospital’s ICU three times; we’ve worried about our baby’s health through surgery, scans, …
More Than Us
We’re going to be in Luke 4 today. Today is the last Sunday in the season of Epiphany. This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and it marks the beginning of the season of Lent— the season of sobering reflection that leads us to the crucifixion of …
The One Where Jesus Has No Pillow
SPOTLIGHT JESUS 4 of 8 We’re going to be in Matthew 8 this morning. We’re in the middle of a sermon series where we’re following Jesus around watching him with bifocal lenses. Since its very beginning, the church has clung to the person of Jesus as both …
The One Where Jesus Crashes a Funeral
SPOTLIGHT JESUS 3 of 8 We’re going to be in Luke 7 today. (7.11-17) Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried …
The One Where Jesus Walks Away
SPOTLIGHT JESUS 2 of 8 This is the second Sunday in the season called Epiphany. It’s the time of year where we remind ourselves that God hasn’t left us in darkness. The heart of the message entrusted to the church is that God himself has come into this …