First Covenant Audio Messages

April

April 26 2009     Pastor Rich Theilen     “Yin or Yang—not Yin and Yang.”

Chinese Dualism suggests that there are two opposite but complementary forces at work in the world which, together, give completeness to the created order.  Sometimes, people are tempted to think there is a similar relationship between “good” and “evil”—at least to some degree.  However the Bible says that “good” and “evil” are not at all complementary or equal.  It tells us to pursue the one, and run from the other.  But why?  As we start our study of the “Fruit of the Spirit,” this is where we’ll start.

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19 April 2009     Pastor Brad Kindall

Brad has been a pastor at Crossroads Church in Woodbury for 13 years, serving as youth pastor, worship pastor, outreach pastor, and now teaching pastor. This fall he will plant a new church in the St. Paul/Grand Ave. area called The Gallery Covenant Church. Brad received his Master of Fine Arts in Acting from The National Theatre Conservatory, and his BA in Theatre from Pepperdine University. He is the nephew of former First Covenant members Jerry and Georgia Kindall. 

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12 April 2009     Pastor Rich Theilen     “Scared, Stunned & Silent” (Mark 16:1-8).

Easter Sunday. There are things that happen in life that somehow we just can’t explain or even comprehend at the time, but which truly did happen.  Sometimes, they change the entire course of our lives—though we may not see it at the time.  The resurrection of Jesus was one of those events.  Even though Jesus said it would happen, it still caught his followers completely by surprise.  Hopefully it doesn’t catch us the same way.

9 April 2009     Pastor Rich Theilen     “Last Meal of a Condemned Man” (Mark 14:12-26)

Maundy Thursday. As Jesus shared his last meal with his disciples, he took one of the most sacred ceremonies in Jewish life, the Passover Seder, and transformed it into something completely different.  It was an evening mixed with reminders of God’s actions in the past, sorrow over Jesus’ coming death, and real hope for a new day in a new Kingdom of God.  Join us as we share this “meal” ourselves through God’s Word and the sacrament of Holy Communion.  (This service will be at 7:00 PM).

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5 April 2009     Pastor Rich Theilen     “Calm Before the Storm” (Mark 11:1-11)

Palm Sunday. The last week of Jesus life was something like a rollercoaster ride—high points, low points, and several twists and turns.  It ended in tragedy, but it began in triumph as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem while people pronounced accolades around him.  If they only knew what was coming, they maybe wouldn’t have been quite so enthusiastic.

March

29 March 2009     Pastor Rich Theilen     “Better-off Dead?” (Mark 15:21-37)

The “climax” of the struggle between Jesus and the Jewish leaders came on a lonely spot outside the city of Jerusalem which was easily seen by many people.  “Calvary” or “Golgotha” became the sight of the worst tragedy in human history, and the greatest act of love in all of God’s dealings with us.  In light of Jesus abject humiliation on that day, how many people may have wondered if everything Jesus went through up to that point was really worth it?

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22 March 2008     Pastor Kyliah Villa     “When We’ve No Words Left” (Mark 14:27-31,66-72)

Have you ever done something you swore you’d never do?  How did you feel afterward?  One of Jesus’ closest disciples, Peter, swore he would never deny knowing Jesus—even if it meant he had to die.  But when the pressure was on, Peter balked.  This morning, we’ll explore more fully the details surrounding Peter’s famous denial of Christ.

15 March 2009     Pastor Rich Theilen     The Trailblazer     (Hebrews 3:1-6)

Many people are looking for someone to model their lives after. ome find a connection with a great athlete or business leader.  Others find n affinity with a particular political hero or civil rights activist. till others model their lives after parents or other significant family ember.  The writer of the biblical book called "Hebrews" encourages us to fix our eyes on Jesus" as our ultimate role model because, as great as other people can be, none is as great as Jesus.

8 March 2009     Pastor Rich Theilen     “Turf Wars” (Mark 11:27-33)

There is an old saying that there is no one so blind as the person who simply won’t see.  It was an issue that Jesus ran into repeatedly in his dealings with Jewish religious leaders like the Scribes and Pharisees.   In these verses, Jesus faces down another of the many “carping questions” put to him by a group of people who should have welcomed him but instead did everything possible to make life difficult.  Here it centers on the question of who or what gave Jesus the “right” to do what he did.

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1 March 2009     Pastor Rich Theilen     “I Did Sign up for This!” (Mark 10:32-34)

Even though the disciples didn’t always understand what was to happen or why, Jesus had no illusions about either his mission or his fate.  He knew when he came to earth that his life would end in pain and suffering.  Despite that, William Lane wrote, Jesus was inflexible in his determination to fulfill God’s purposes because the destiny of God’s people was at stake.

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