Langdon Palmer

In the Lord of the Rings, the heros come to a place where the gate of Moria is supposed to be. But all they can see is a bunch of words on a stone wall. Ever feel like you are sitting outside the gate of the good life with now way to get in? Does the bible ever seem like just a bunch of words on a wall that dont change anything? What good are the ten commandments if I can't keep them? If Jesus is real, why do I feel so miserable? Today we conclude the 10 Commandments series by studying two of the most difficult chapters in the bible - Romans 7 & 8 - there we discover the password that opens the gate - we discover the true meaning of Grace

Have you ever found yourself thinking - If only I had that ... then I would be happy... ? Or have you ever found yourself envying someone else's life? What are we supposed to do with that feeling ? Is contentment on this earth possible ? Is desire to aquire nice things really wrong? We find an incredibly hopeful answer to these questions as we find out what beach houses, butter wrapped in bacon, tapeworms and the story Jesus told of the Rich Young Ruler all have in common !

Bending the truth, white lies, gossip - they seem to have become America's favorite pastimes. We cant stand it when others lie to us, and yet we dont really think that our own bending of the truth is any big deal. But it turns out that lying creates three great seperations in our lives, and keeps us from experiencing the kind of fulfilling lives God wants for us. Join us as we explore Proverbs 6:16-23 to find out how to fight back against the three great seperations.

Is it wrong to make copies of music, or keep stuff from work, or chargge high interest rates? What exactly does God mean when he says "Do not steal"? And why does the Old Testament spend so much time talking about weights and balances ? We take a look at an obscure scripture in Leviticus 19. It turns out it that honest scales are a foundational requirement for any culture and they make us to take a hard look at ourselves when we consider the Commandment "Do Not Steal." It turns out we have a savior who hung in a thief's place between two thieves...

Why is that the love relationships that seem the very best blessings of life can turn into the very things that can break our hearts, fill us with remorse, and leave us feeling half dead? And what's the scoop with sex? Are Christians uptight, do we need to get caught up with the times? Is biblical morality out of date ? In a very candid talk we discover that it was God's idea that Sex be awesome, and there is a way to delight in sex and delight in innocence - all at the same time!

If you had to rank the ten commandments in order of importance, which one would be #1? Most people choose Thou Shall Not Kill. But that simple four word phrase opens us up to some of the most divisive issues of our day: The death penalty, Abortion, War, Suicide, Doctor assisted Suicide, etc. What should a Christian's stance be towards these issues? We try to find out by facing the tough questions raised by the death of Dr. George Tiller, and then listening to Jesus.

What would you think of a God who gave only 10 rules to live by and the one he spent the most time on was the command to rest, relax, and cease from your toil? We explore practical ways to return the Sabbath rest of God to our lives as we look at Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Isaiah 30:15, and Psalm 62

What if the ten commandments are not about rules but about learning the ways of the master craftsman of living life well - Jesus? As a matter of fact, the 2nd Commandment warns us you can be too religious! But why were idols such a big deal and why does saying God's name in vain make the top ten? We find out as we discover the difference between idols and icons in 1 Timothy 1:17

Does your life ever feel like a mess? If you could wipe the table clean, start your life all over again, what is the first thing you would put back on the table? Why in the world is the 1st of the Ten Commandments the 1st? We look at how resturant tables, mountain pools and weddings point us to the great truth of the first commandment.

Why would Honor your Father and Mother make God's top 10 list of most important moral commands? What does honoring our parents really mean when we didnt have the greatest parents? How can we be the kind of parents that raise their kids well, parents worthy of honor? We find out as we look at Ephesians 6:1-4 and Collosians Colossians 3:20-21

Is there a way to live the simple life in our busy world? How does life in a constantly changing high tech cyber world of facebook connect to something as ancient and unmoving as the 10 commandments? Are the 10 commandments for today? Are Christians to live by grace instead of the law? What did Jesus teach about the commandments ? What was up with the Ark of the Covennant ? Why did it have a mercy seat ? It all comes back to Jesus.

How can I read the bible to really understand what it says? What do I do with parts of the bible that make no sense to me? Is the bible so open to interpreation that it can mean pretty much anything? Is it accurate? Are all bible verses created equal? We look at the 21st chapter of the gospel of John to get an understanding of what the bible is and how to use it.

Does the church ever drive you crazy ? Do you ever wonder if you will find a spiritual home? Is there such a thing as a church that holds on to the absolutes of the faith, yet is all about freedom, compassion and welcome? Is there such a thing as a generous orthodoxy? We re-visit the Apostles Creed and discover there the Spring House that holds the key to a healthy, generous orthodoxy.

How do we move from a bunch of beliefs in our head to a vibrant, joyful, living faith? In this last part of our Christianity 101 series, we encounter the 5th revelation which is the gateway from belief to life. It turns out the Sci Fi movie THE FIFTH ELEMENT contains a scene that unlocks the secret for moving beyond the debates of modern/postmodern, individualistic/communal, liberal/conservative religion to an authentic, full bodied faith. It turns out that you are the one who is called to become the fifth element!

Have you ever come to a point where Christianity went from being a possibility to being your identity? There comes a moment when we become aware that God is present and a decision must be made now. Each of us must choose if we will bow before the king. It turns out our identity, our vocation and our future turn upon this choice. This sermon is for those who are new in the journey of faith or feel they need to return to it. We find the place where deep joy meets deep loyalty in Romans 10:9 - God is waiting for us there ...

Do you ever feel like the world is beautiful but there is a tear in it's fabric ? Do you ever feel like there is a rip in your own heart that you just cannot mend? Why did Jesus go to the cross and what really happened there ? In the 3rd revelation on the ancient path for moden pilgrims we look to 1st Timothy 2:5-6 and discover weaver of all things waiting for us there - weaver who paid a ransom in his blood in order mend hearts and the cosmos

Which is worse - to call someone evil or to call them sinful? There are five great revelations that form the heart of Christianity and today we explore the one we dont want to talk about - the nature of our own sin. The second great reversal in how we see the world and ourselves is revealed to us in Romans 3:23

Does God Exist ? Can you prove it ? What is God like? How can you believe God is like a loving parent when you see all the human suffering in the world? What is the difference between reason and revelation? Instead of the four spiritual laws we look at five spiritual revelations that form the foundation of a Christian World view. Today in Part One we look at John 3:16 to discover the first revelation.

Here's an overview of the flow of the Lords Prayer that focuses on it's final phrase. Why is this phrase in the prayer if Jesus didnt say it? We turn to Psalm 145 to find out - it turns out these are not words to be lightly spoken

Is it God who leads us into Temptation? What does Jesus mean by this line in the Lord's Prayer? What is temptation and where does it come from? We look at James 1:12-17, the scholar Diogenes Allen, and the Band Casting Crowns to find answers. We conclude with a way of dealing with temptations that works - it all turns upon Jesus...