The First Forty Days (of Freshman Year)
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
On Senior Sunday at Broadway Church of Christ, Bryan Brunson addresses graduating seniors Spencer and Evelyn through the lens of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Drawing parallels between Jesus' graduation into public ministry and the students' transition to adulthood, Brunson explores three key temptations that both Jesus and modern graduates face. The first temptation involves taking shortcuts to satisfaction - turning stones to bread - which he relates to seeking quick dopamine hits through shallow pursuits rather than addressing deeper spiritual hunger. The second temptation is the...
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STAYING GROUNDED: Turbulence Ahead
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
In this sermon from 1 Kings 19, Karl uses the analogy of airplane turbulence to explore Elijah's emotional and spiritual crisis following his great victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Despite witnessing God's incredible power, Elijah finds himself running from Jezebel's threats, exhausted and praying to die under a broom bush. Karl emphasizes that Elijah wasn't faithless but simply burned out, and God's response wasn't to lecture him but to provide rest, food, and care through an angel who told him to "get up and eat." The sermon's central moment comes when God appears to Elijah...
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RESCUE: The Ultimate Rescue
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Karl Ihfe begins his Easter sermon by comparing the resurrection to great rescue stories where hope triumphs over despair and life conquers death. He notes that the women who went to Jesus' tomb in Luke 24 expected to find it full, not empty, and even the disciples initially didn't believe their report that Jesus had risen. The shocking discovery of the empty tomb and the angels' question, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" changed everything in human history. Karl emphasizes that Easter declares death no longer has the final word, referencing Romans 6:4-5 to show that Christ's...
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RESCUE: Jesus Bore Our Shame
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Jordan Tatum begins this Palm Sunday message by reflecting on the honor given to Jesus as He entered Jerusalem, explaining how honor and shame functioned as social currencies in the ancient world. He then delves into the deeper problem of sin, describing it not merely as bad choices but as a supernatural force that deceives, enslaves, and ultimately fills us with shame. Tatum shares how shame acts as our "personal attendant," convincing us we are failures and that God couldn't possibly love us if He truly knew us. The sermon's turning point comes through Tatum's encounter with a man struggling...
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RESCUE: Learning to Live Free
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Karl Ihfe opens his sermon with the movie "The Shawshank Redemption," focusing on the pivotal moment when Andy tells Red to choose between "get busy living or get busy dying." This sets up the central theme that while getting free from bondage is one challenge, learning how to live in that freedom is often much harder. Ihfe connects this to Israel's experience in Exodus and Numbers, where God rescued them from Egyptian slavery but then had to teach them how to live as free people during their wilderness journey. Throughout the sermon, Ihfe demonstrates how fear consistently tempted the...
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RESCUE: We Need a Bigger Boat
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Karl Ihfe opens his sermon with references to the movie Jaws and the dramatic Thai cave rescue to illustrate his central theme: God's rescue operation requires "a bigger boat" because it encompasses far more than individual salvation. Using Exodus 3 as his foundation, Ihfe demonstrates how God heard the collective cries of the Israelites in Egypt and came down to rescue them as a people, not just select individuals. He emphasizes the communal language throughout Scripture, noting how God says "my people" and uses plural pronouns when describing His rescue mission. Ihfe argues that Western...
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Rescue: Promises & Previews
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
In this Lenten sermon from the "Rescue" series, Karl Ihfe uses the analogy of movie trailers to explain how the Old Testament points to Jesus' ultimate rescue mission. Beginning with Abraham's call in Genesis 12, where God promises to bless all nations through him, Karl traces the thread of rescue throughout Scripture. He shows how Abraham had to trust a promise he couldn't see, and how generations later, when Israel was enslaved in Egypt, God's rescue came through the blood of a spotless lamb during Passover - a preview of the greater sacrifice to come. Karl then connects this to Isaiah's...
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Rescue: And So It Begins...
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
In this sermon, Karl Ihfe uses personal stories of helplessness—his son Gabriel's premature birth and his father's heart transplant—to illustrate humanity's need for rescue. He traces God's rescue plan back to Genesis 3, arguing that salvation didn't begin at the cross but immediately after the fall. Drawing on theological insights about Adam and Eve being like children who were "sinned against before they ever sinned," Karl explains how the serpent acted as a groomer, exploiting their innocence. When sin entered the world, the first consequence wasn't punishment but shame, causing Adam...
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The Expectation Gap: Home and Shalom
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
In this concluding message of the Expectation Gap series, Karl Ihfe tackles the challenging topic of sin and punishment by examining Luke 15 and the famous parable of the prodigal son. He poses a crucial question: when we sin, who punishes us - God or sin? Through the story of the father and his two lost sons, Karl illustrates that the father's loving posture never changes toward either son, whether the one lost in rebellion or the one lost in self-righteousness. Both sons misjudged their father because sin distorts our vision of who God really is, making us see Him as a judge or accuser...
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The Expectation Gap: Would You Rather?
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Karl Ihfe concludes the "Expectation Gap" series by addressing our tendency to focus on self-improvement rather than allowing God to transform us through His love. Using the fruit of the Spirit passage from Galatians 5, he explains that qualities like patience don't come from willpower but from the Spirit working in us. Instead of asking "How can I be more patient?" we should ask "What belief is shaping my impatience?" This shifts our focus from behavior modification to heart transformation through encountering God. Ihfe distinguishes between viewing the gospel as primarily redemptive versus...
info_outlineIn this sermon, Karl Ihfe uses personal stories of helplessness—his son Gabriel's premature birth and his father's heart transplant—to illustrate humanity's need for rescue. He traces God's rescue plan back to Genesis 3, arguing that salvation didn't begin at the cross but immediately after the fall. Drawing on theological insights about Adam and Eve being like children who were "sinned against before they ever sinned," Karl explains how the serpent acted as a groomer, exploiting their innocence. When sin entered the world, the first consequence wasn't punishment but shame, causing Adam and Eve to hide—just as we do today.
The pivotal moment comes when God asks "Where are you?"—not as a police officer but as a loving father seeking his children. Even before any apology, God speaks the Proto Evangelium in Genesis 3:15, promising that the woman's offspring will crush the serpent's head. This demonstrates that grace began in the garden, with God moving toward humanity rather than away from them. Karl connects this to Romans 5:8, showing how "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The sermon concludes with a personal application, challenging listeners to identify where they're hiding today and to step out into God's pursuing grace.