Who Do People Say That I Am?
​Jan. 12-Feb. 23, 2020

The birth of Jesus comes with many claims regarding his identity. Who is this child? The Angelic choir called him the messiah. Gabriel called him God’s son. Some preferred the name Immanuel. All this and more to describe the child of manger straw. But how do we describe Jesus now? Jesus asked his own followers, “Who do you say that I am?” There’s not one answer to that question. Oh, it’s possible to answer it by quoting the creeds “his only son, our Lord.” But a survey of the Gospel writers reveals that each gospel writer speaks of Jesus differently. Over the next few weeks, we will listen to each Gospel writer’s response to the question, “Who do you say that I am?” We will end the series reflecting on how our understanding of who Jesus is influences our understanding of who we are to be.​

Jan. 12	Mark: The Man in the Wilderness	Rev. Tom Are
Jan. 19	Matthew: The Teacher	Rev. Tom Are
Jan. 26	Luke: The One From the Future	Rev. Tom Are
Feb. 2	John: The Man of the Hour	Rev. Tom Are
Feb. 9	Acts: Repeating Jesus	Rev. Tom Are
Feb. 16	But What About You?	Rev. Hallie Hottle
Feb. 23	On Being Lost and Found	Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka

On Being Lost and Found
Feb. 23, 2020 - Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka

This sermon series “Who Do People Say That I Am?” has keenly focused our attention on the identity of Jesus Christ. Jesus asked his disciples who others say that he is. Then he turned to them and asked, “Who do you say that I am?”  Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka shares his own answer. Through Jesus’ three parables in Luke 15 we discover that Jesus is the one who finds the lost and brings them home. Our scripture reading is Luke 15:1-10.

Bulletin 2-23-20
Sermon Transcript 2-23-20

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But What About You?
Feb. 16, 2020 - Rev. Hallie Hottle

Rev. Hallie Hottle extends our series “Who Do People Say That I am?” with her sermon “But What About You?” Jesus asked his followers to reflect on how other people were thinking of him. And then, Jesus wants to know…but what about you? Who do you say that I am? Our scripture reading is Mark 8:27-30.

Bulletin 2-16-20
Sermon Transcript 2-16-20

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Acts: Repeating Jesus
Feb. 9, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

In the fifth sermon in the series “Who Do People Say That I Am?” Rev. Tom Are turns to the Book of Acts, the story of the early church. What we discover is that sometimes, Jesus’ followers live so faithfully that they appear to be, what one scholar has called, “repeating Jesus.” Could that happen here? Our scripture reading is Acts 3:1-10.

Bulletin 2-9-20
Sermon Transcript 2-9-20

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John: The Man of the Hour
Feb. 2, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

In the fourth sermon in the series “Who Do People Say That I Am?” Rev. Tom Are turns to John who states clearly that the purpose of Jesus was to give his life for the world. This act of sacrificial devotion glorifies God. Our scripture reading is John 12:12-24.

Bulletin 2-2-20
Sermon Transcript 2-2-20

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Luke: The One From the Future
Jan. 26, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

In the third sermon in the series “Who Do People Say That I Am?” Rev. Tom Are turns to Jesus of Luke. An aspect of Jesus that Luke knows about is Jesus’ insistence that things need to change. Our scripture reading is Luke 10:25-37.

Bulletin 1-26-20
Sermon Transcript 1-26-20

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Matthew: The Teacher
Jan. 19, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

In the second sermon in the series “Who Do People Say That I Am?” Rev. Tom Are looks at Matthew’s witness to Jesus as a teacher. Matthew believed in order to become a mature, gracious and faithful person, we need an example. Jesus was the best teacher. Our scripture reading is Matthew 5:1-12.

Bulletin 1-19-20
Sermon Transcript 1-19-20

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Mark: The Man in the Wilderness
Jan. 12, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

In the first sermon in the series “Who Do People Say That I Am?” Rev. Tom Are preaches about the many names attributed to Jesus: “Immanuel,” “Savior,” “Son of God,” even “Christ.” Each Gospel writer identifies Jesus, but they do so a little differently from one another. In this sermon, Rev. Are examines how Mark describes Jesus. Our scripture reading is Mark 1:9-13.
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Bulletin 1-12-20
Sermon Transcript 1-12-20

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