Langdon Palmer

Does the church ever drive you nuts? Do the people in the church ever drive you nuts? What is the church? Why does the creed say "Catholic"? in describing the church? We get the answers first from C.S. Lewis' ScrewTape Letters, and then from the word of God in ACTS 2:40-47 ,1 Thessalonians 5:16-17,1 Peter 2:1-10,ACTS 2:40-47. The news for your local church may be better than you thought!

What is the name of a two bit Roman bureaucrat doing in one of the most sacred writings of Christianity – the Apostles Creed ? How do we know a bunch of guys didn’t just make the bible up? How can we believe that God is loving and all powerful if he allows suffering? This fascinating short phrase of the creed addresses all three of these questions. As with every other line in the Apostles Creed we explore the powerful scriptural foundation that anchors it as we turn to Hebrews Chapter 2.

Does it really matter if Jesus had a miraculous birth ? Is it so important that it should be included in the list of most important Christian doctrines found in the creeds ? What is packed in this phrase "Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary" ? It turns out... a whole lot! We turn to the Annunciation in Luke Chapter 1 where we find the courageous words of Mary. It turns out this event not only helps us understand the incarnation, it helps us deal with situations in our own lives that seem completely impossible. Most importantly, we come to understand why some theologians refer to Jesus as "The God-Man"

All that we have said so far about the Apostles Creed sounds pretty good to modern ears. But today we come to the line that is unsettling in every culture. Today we come to the watershed line. Today we move from vague religion to the particulars of Jesus. Did the early church really think Jesus was God, or rather a great teacher ? Which do you think was easier - for these ancient people or for our scientific age to believe Jesus was God? The answer may surprise you as we study the full depth of each of the words in this crucial phrase that makes Christianity Christianity. For a visual version of this sermon, go to http://www.southridgeworship.com/apostles_creed_resources.htm

n this short phrase we encounter the relationship of Christianity to Pantheism, Polytheism, Monotheism, the Environmental movement and Feminism ! We discover that one of the primary attributes of the creed - calling God 'Father' was never meant to be an excuse for patriarchal oppression but rather was a whole new way of thinking that Jesus brought into the world which turned the world upside down and brought with it Mercy and Grace.

This very first sermon on the Apostles Creed was recorded the Sunday after the Virginia Tech massacre. How are we to believe in God in a world like this? Join us for this first part of our Apostles Creed series as we begin with the phrase "I believe"

In this final podcast on the Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe we look at the deep theology behind the breaking of the Stone Table and the return of Aslan. What does it mean that the law was written on Stone Tablets? It turns out this supposed children's story by C.S. Lewis gives us profound insight into the atonement. We look at Luke 2:10-11,1Titus 2:5-6,Hebrews 9:15,Hebrews 12:2 and find that the Chronicles of Narnia declare "He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." Joy to the world - the Lord has come - let Earth receive her King!

Why do we give in so often to stupid choices that mess up our lives? Is there a devil ? How does temptation work ? How can we deal with it? In this second podcast on C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, we discover that Lewis illustrates the many ways temptation works through the story of Edmund. We look at James 1:13-22,Luke 21:34-22:6, Ephesians 6:10-13, Romans 6:16-23, and Genesis 3:1-13, and then end with end with a top ten list to remember when faced with temptation.

This first podcast on the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe gives an introduction to C.S. Lewis and the book. Then it turns to two deep truths found in this supposed child's book. First, what it is like to deal with hopelessness and depression - what it is like to live in a world of grey where it is always winter but never Christmas. But next it takes us to a deeper truth - the fact that the redemption of God cannot be stopped, that Aslan is on the move, that right at the coldest day of winter is when the spring begins. We look at Isaiah 9:2-7, 1 Peter 3, Romans 15:4, 1 Peter 1:13, and discover that the Chronicles of Narnia actually point us to the biblical reality of being a people who walked in darkness but have seen a great light.

From an older sermon series on Phillipians back in 2010