❖ Video ❖ Audio Oh Little Town of Bethlehem  – From the Christian hymn”Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” The Second Sunday of Advent 2019 (Micah 5:1, Matthew 2:1-6) Andy Nagahara (Micah5:2) “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Matthew 2:1-6)1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the…

❖ Video ❖ Audio “Immanuel” God With Us  – From the Christian hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” The First Sunday of Advent 2019 (Isaiah 7:1-17, Matthew 1:18-25) Mari Ikeda A. The same human reality in the past and in the present 1. Shaken by unexpected fear (1-2) 1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. 2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as…

❖ Video ❖ Audio What We Need to Tell Future Generations (Psalm 78) Andy Nagahara A. Learning about God’s grace and human rebellion from the history of the Israelites 1. The Jewish people were committed to telling their children about the grace of God A <maskil> of Asaph. O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old– what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Marriage and Divorce (Mark 10:1-12) Mari Ikeda A. The danger of interpreting the Bible in your own favor (1-5, Deuteronomy 24:1-4) 1 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. 2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied. 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” 5 “It was because your hearts were hard that…

❖ Video ❖ Audio “Reach God, my voice!” (Psalm 77) Andy Nagahara You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. (John 15:16) A. It’s too early to give up (1-6) 0 For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm. 1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. 3 I remembered you, O God, and…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Christians’ Elitism and Exclusiveness (Mark 9:38-50) Mari Ikeda 38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” 39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.  41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. 42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones―those who believe in me―to stumble, it would…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Optimistic Eschatology (Psalm 76, Matthew 18:1-5) Andy Nagahara 0 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song. 1 In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. 2 His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. 3 There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. 4 You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. 5 Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands. 6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Living For Others (Mark 9:30-37) Mari Ikeda A. Our thoughts conflicting with Jesus’ thoughts (30-34) 30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. 33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Confession of Unfaith (Mark 9:14-29) Mari Ikeda A. The reality of the world contrasting to the mountaintop: hostility, disappointment, suffering (14-19) 14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Like a tree planted by the water (Jeremiah 17:5-8, John 4:6b-15, 19-24) Andy Nagahara This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out…