Sermon Series
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Sermon & Teaching Archives by Topic
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Wrapping Our Hearts Around What's Real
A heart “wrapped around” true glory takes its proper shape, giving itself in whole-hearted love to God the Creator. But a heart wrapped around counterfeit glory—putting some part of the created world in the place of the Creator—becomes distorted, with devastating impacts on us, our relationships, and our world.
One sign of this distortion is that culture wars begin to make us suspicious of the Christian message. This was the core challenge facing the church when the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Romans—not unlike the challenges facing the church today.
Thankfully the gospel—the story of how God in his great love has sent Jesus to re-shape our hearts for true glory—is real. Real enough for us. And real enough to solve the biggest challenges of our church and our world.
Take Heart, Our Savior Has Come
We hope you’ll worship with us this Advent season!
Thrive: Wisdom for Life
The Bible isn’t a book of rules and regulations – it’s a dynamic word that draws us into a relationship with Jesus. But how is that relationship shaping us in every aspect of life?
We will learn together from the book of Proverbs about the kind of flourishing life we all truly long for: a life that responds with deep wisdom to our experience of God’s love and faithfulness.
He Dwelt Among Us
Jesus is undeniably the center of our Scriptures, our faith, our worship, our everything. As many of our seasons and holidays in the church revolve around the events of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, it can feel like we talk about these key events all the time. But there are a number of events in Jesus’ life and ministry that rarely enter our thoughts and conversations.
Come join us as we fill in our picture of the incredible ways that God’s Son has fully identified with our humanity so that we can be completely united to him.
Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament
How does the New Testament’s story about Jesus relate to the Old Testament? Is it an unrelated addition, a “spiritualized” correction, or a pragmatic replacement for a failed religion?
Join us in June as we learn that God’s work in the world, as revealed in the Old Testament, was always pointing to Jesus—all that he is, all that he does, and all that he offers. Come grow in confidence that Jesus is the source of all the good things we long for, and that every part of the Bible is able to build up our trust in Jesus.
Inviting Our Neighbors to Know Jesus
Many of our neighbors don’t know Jesus, and many of us at Intown aren’t certain whether we have a part to play in changing that, or whether we have what it takes to play that part. It is easier to leave it to the experts or (more “spiritually” speaking) to leave it to the Holy Spirit. But, what if there is joy in inviting our neighbors to take the next step toward knowing Jesus—joy for God, joy for us, joy for our neighbors? And what if the Spirit could use even our weaknesses to multiply this joy?
Because evangelism—inviting our neighbors to know Jesus—is not a particular strength of Intown as a whole, we will spend the month of March asking God to teach us from Scripture about how we might grow in this part of our identity and calling as a church. For two weeks of the series, we will learn from guest preachers whose passion for evangelism has been forged by real-world experience.
Feelings Transformed
Emotions – we all have them. They are a key part of life as a human being. Some see emotions as weakness, others fear it as a force that can’t be controlled, while still others see it as the core of their identity.
In every instance, emotions tell us something about our deepest desires, and they signal that God is at work to transform us, including our emotional life, into his image. Allowing him to reshape us leads, ultimately, to health.
Senior Pastor Jimmy Agan will lead us through some of the Psalms as we consider this topic.
Rewired
The rhythms of our modern world make it challenging to be a spiritually healthy follower of Christ, and learning tips and tricks to try and be more spiritual isn't enough.
We need the Holy Spirit to rewire us, to intentionally counter the effects of a modern world, and strengthen our relationship with God.
Pastor Steve Yates will unpack the ways in which we need the Holy Spirit to rewire us for spiritual health.
Recommendations for further reading:
Click here for an annotated list of recommended books
for further study on intentional practices for spiritual health.
Welcoming the Coming King
We hope you’ll worship with us this Advent season!
Managing Grief
In this broken world, we all have to manage grief. It happens to us all whether we lose a person, a dream, a desire, a thing, an ability. It’s the loss of something meaningful. And the way our culture deals with grief is broken. It’s often considered a bad emotion, and one that we should hurry past.
But what if we rehumanized grief by shifting the focus from solving the pain to tending the pain? What if we cared for it and cared for ourselves with kindness instead of judgment? What if we focused on integrating the grief into our lives instead of trying to get rid of it as fast as possible? Join us as we explore a biblical way of managing our grief and finding hope during it.
A psalm, the story of Job, and Jesus’s own grief will help us understand how to live inside our loss but with a community who sees and hears our grief and helps us carry it with hope.
Recommendations for further reading:
It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Therefore I Have Hope by Cannon Cole
Designed for Delight
It’s hard to strengthen muscles we don’t use, and it’s hard to use muscles we don’t even know we have. But this is the case for most people living in the western world in the 21st century: we have been taught to think, to act, and even to feel—but we have forgotten what it means to delight, to cherish, to treasure.
We have learned from our culture, and even from many Christian churches and ministries, that we have a mind, a will, and emotions—but we have neglected what it means to have a heart.
In the Psalms we hear an invitation to re-awaken this forgotten part of our humanity, so that we can lean into all of life’s sorrows and joys as whole people, learning to respond to all that God is with all that we are.
Impossible
Each of us has a deep longing to be part of something bigger than ourselves, something that has a positive impact on the world. We hope for this individually and as a church community.
Jesus speaks to this desire with the word impossible: “What is impossible with men is possible for God” (Luke 18:27). When we trust God to work powerfully in us and through us, he can accomplish more than we could dream.
This series of sermons calls us to surrender to God’s impossible power so that we can be changed by his grace, known in a community of loving relationships, and sent to pursue restoration in every sphere of life.
Learning to Love God’s Word: The Bible is the Word of Christ
Pastor Jimmy Agan leads us in a 2-part wrap-up of the Learning to Love God’s Word series.
Learning to Love God’s Word: 1-3 John
Wrapping up the larger series on Learning to Love God’s Word, this is the final portion, covering 1, 2 & 3 John.
For Further Reading:
General Assembly Report on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault (PDF)
Discussion of PCA General Assembly 2022
The annual PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) General Assembly was held June 20-24 in Birmingham, Alabama. Intown sent four "commissioners" (Luke Brodine, Pat Freeman, Jay Thompson, and Jim Wert) who share their experience at General Assembly and some of the topics that were discussed.
Sabbatical Reflections
The Celtic Way, Reflections on a Journey of Renewal and Restoration
This is Senior Pastor Jimmy Agan's first sermon following a 10-week sabbatical in the United Kingdom. He reflects on lessons learned during this time of refreshment and renewal.
Learning to Surrender Podcast Episodes
Over three episodes, Pastor Agan reflects on the lessons he learned about surrendering to God during his 10-week sabbatical in Great Britain.
Big Story, Big Calling
We all live by stories and are shaped by them. The Bible tells the overarching, big story of humanity: Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration. This is the foundational story for a Christian and brings us identity, hope, purpose, and calling. All of our stories contribute to God's big story; and, each of our stories tells something unique about God's goodness that is different than everyone else's story. This is God's calling to us, which we’ll be exploring with Pastor David Fisk.
Embodied
The church isn’t a gym, country club or spa - we shouldn’t pick one based on the services it offers us. But God is in the business of transforming us. Could being a part of the church be one way he does it? Pastor Steve Yates will explore how Christ embodies his people through the experience of church.
Flawed Followers
Many people are disturbed, discouraged and disappointed by the failures they see in Christians, in the church or in church leaders. Using the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection, we will process that pain by addressing the question “How does Jesus deal with his flawed followers?”
Savior, Christ, Lord: The Significance of Jesus’ Birth
This sermon series for the season of Advent is not just a retelling of the Christmas story but is focused on recapturing the significance of Jesus' birth and our personal response to that significance.
Learning to Love God’s Word: Hebrews - Jude
Wrapping up the larger series on Learning to Love God’s Word, this last portion focuses on the last few epistles, Hebrews through Jude.
Revelation: To the One Who Overcomes
Strength, courage, and hope. These are the resources that enable people to withstand pressure. The final book of the New Testament, Revelation, was written to give strength, courage, and hope to churches being persecuted by powerful, evil opponents. Themes of justice, accountability before God, and judgment are therefore prominent. But these are always set in a context of God’s gracious invitation to repentance, restoration, and renewal.
Life After Loss
The past 15 months of living with the pandemic have depleted our supplies of peace, joy, strength, and rest. According to the New Testament book of Philippians, these are gifts that Jesus wants to give his people! This summer we will learn from this letter, written by an imprisoned Apostle to a church facing an uncertain future, how Jesus renews these resources for needy people like us.
Redeemed by Grace
The book of Ruth is more than a story about a faithful daughter-in-law who chooses not to abandon her mother-in-law to return home after the death of her husband. The story is much bigger than that. It is a foretelling of Christ's relationship to humanity - a story about faithfulness, unmerited favor, redemption for the needy and restoration of life.
Unafraid
A follow-up to the good news of Easter, this series looks at the Gospel of Mark, chapters 15 and 16, to discover how the message that the angel proclaimed to the women at the empty tomb, “Be not afraid”, applies to us. We need not be afraid because Jesus rescues us from shame, death, fear, and despair.
The Philemon Project
The Philemon Project is a 10-week team-teaching and preaching series rooted in the New Testament book of Philemon, and branching out to consider related issues of how to interpret the Scriptures and apply them to our lives today. The series is focused on empowering God’s people to treasure the gospel by moving their relationships, and the structures of which they are a part, toward greater racial, social, and economic justice—all for the glory of Christ.
The teaching team includes Thurman Williams, Luke Bobo, Steven Gilchrist, and Jimmy Agan.
Learning to Love God’s Word: 1 Timothy - Titus
A continuation of the larger series on Learning to Love God’s Word, this three-sermon series focuses on the Pauline epistles 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.
Prepare the Way of the Lord
This series of sermons for the season of Advent focuses on remembering why Jesus came.
Learning to Love God’s Word: Nahum - Malachi
A continuation of the larger series on Learning to Love God’s Word, six-sermon series focuses on the books of the minor prophets Nehum, Habakuk and Zephaniah. Major themes of these books are warnings of judgment, the calls to repentance, and promises of mercy/restoration.
Gospel and Government
This series examines how the gospel intersects with government and the governed. It explores the purpose of civil government, the character of a good leader, the concept of common grace, and our call to keep politics from becoming a stumbling block or a hindrance to other brothers and sisters.
Seeing Jesus
Gospel restoration begins and ends with Jesus. It is through our deeper understanding of who is he and what he has done that we experience gospel restoration in our hearts, our relationships, and our world.
Trusting God When There Is No Normal
Sometimes our worlds can be turned upside down by unforeseen events—events that disrupt routines and shake our foundations. How does God speak into those circumstances when there is no normal?
"I Have Many in This City"
This series is focused on practical ways that we can learn to speak good news to our neighbors, as found in the book of Acts.
Below are notes and discussion questions to help individuals and groups go deeper with their understanding and to equip them with tools to speak good news to their neighbors.
For Study and Discussion:
Helpful Articles
10 Ways to Evangelize During the Pandemic - The Gospel Coalition
Learning to Love God’s Word: Hosea - Micah
A continuation of our “Learning to Love God’s Word” series, focusing on the prophet books Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah.
Changed, Known, Sent
This sermon series speaks to how being changed, deeply known and sent by God are all paths to gospel restoration.
In the sermon entitled "Sent: Engaging Our Faith Where We Live, Work, and Play," Senior Pastor Jimmy Agan focuses on faith, work, and economic wisdom.
If you're interested in learning more about how to engage your faith in the work that you do (including, but not limited to, the work you get paid to do), look below for a list of resources that will sharpen and encourage you.
Each book listed is both practical and "poetic," casting a big-picture vision of the beauty of God's kingdom expressed in human flourishing.
Recommended Books:
Resources marked with an asterisk (*) are well-suited for small group discussion.
*Timothy Keller with Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work
*Michael Rhodes and Robby Holt with Brian Fikkert, Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in how we Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give
Amy Sherman, Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good
Tom Nelson, Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work
*Dan Doriani, Work: Its Purpose, Dignity, and Transformation
Steven Garber, Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good
Andy Crouch, Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling
Recommended Websites:
Marriage Conference 2020 with Dr. John Cox
Join longtime friend of Intown and clinical psychologist Dr. John Cox as he talks with us about how to deal with conflict in a healthy way, and many other topics.
Check out Dr. Cox’s website & podcast
Learning to Love God’s Word: Isaiah - Daniel
A continuation of our “Learning to Love God’s Word” series, focusing on the major prophet books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel.
Learning to Love God’s Word: Job - Song of Solomon
A continuation of our “Learning to Love God’s Word” series, focusing on the poetry books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
Learning to Love God’s Word: Galatians - Thessalonians
A continuation of our “Learning to Love God’s Word” series, focusing on Paul’s letters to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians.
"A Beautiful Community: Unity in Diversity" - A Conference on Cross-Cultural Friendship & Ministry
Dr. Irywn Ince, Director of the Institute for Cross-Cultural Mission (ICCM) in Washington, DC, shares from his life and will teach the Scriptures to lead us toward cross-cultural friendship and ministry.
Coinciding with the conference, Senior pastor Jimmy Agan and Irwyn Ince will guide us in cross-cultural friendship and ministry during Sunday Morning Life Groups.
Check out Dr. Ince’s website.
Learning to Love God’s Word: Acts, Romans & Corinthians
A continuation of our “Learning to Love God’s Word” series, focusing on the church history and epistle books of Acts, Romans and 1 & 2 Corinthians
Learning to Love God’s Word: Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther
A continuation of our “Learning to Love God’s Word” series, focusing on the historical books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.
Learning to Love God’s Word:
The Gospels
A continuation of our “Learning to Love God’s Word” series, focusing on the four gospel books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
Learning to Love God’s Word: Joshua - Chronicles
A continuation of our “Learning to Love God’s Word” series, focusing on the historical Old Testament books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles.
Learning to Love God’s Word:
Genesis - Deuteronomy
The first in our “Learning to Love God’s Word” series, beginning with the first books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy.
