Sermon Archive
Click on the sermon title for access to “Sermon Notes”
January 2023
Making All Things New
The word “new” is one of God’s favorite ways of describing His work in the world. NEW commandment (John 13:34) NEW covenant (Luke 22:20). NEW creation (2 Corinthians 15:17). NEW heavens and a NEW earth (Isaiah 65:17). NEW spirit (Ezekiel 11:19). NEW song (Isaiah 42:10). He is the God who is “making all things new.” (Revelations 21:5)
In Ephesians 4:22-24, which we will be studying together on this New Year’s Sunday we find another great example of a God who loves transformation and n…
December 2022
Christ’s Journey To Earth
Of all the unexpected visitations that occur in the Christmas story by far the most unexpected is that of Jesus Himself. His coming into the world was unanticipated by most and misunderstood by nearly all. The profound mystery of the incarnation (That’s a five-dollar word meaning that Jesus became a human being like one of us.) wherein God clothed Himself in flesh and became really, truly and fully man without becoming any less divine is a truth that we can grasp and know truly without unde…
The Magi’s Journey
In this message we be consider the story of the wise men found in Matthew 2:1-12. The Christmas story is not the only place in the Bible where we bump into this mysterious caste of foreign priests known as the Magi. For example, they are mentioned in the Old Testament books of Daniel and Esther as wise men who could give supernaturally derived counsel, wisdom and insights to the rulers of their day. They were practitioners of an ancient form of astrology. Interestingly, the same exact word …
The Shepherd’s Journey
I wonder how the shepherds announced themselves when they arrived outside the place where Jesus had been born. Was their arrival in the night as loud and surprising as the angel’s had been? I wonder if they barged right in or did they “hallooo” from the street? Maybe they approached with reverential trepidation, quiet and wide-eyed. I wonder how many of them there were, and what were their names. Was it at all unwelcome for Mary to receive male visitors so shortly after giving birth? I wond…
Mary and Joseph’s Journey
The Christmas story is one of the most well-known and beloved portions of scripture in the Bible. Perhaps the mention of the Christmas story conjures for you images of camel-riding wise men pointing toward a distant star, or a very pregnant Mary riding on a donkey being led by Joseph, or awe-filled shepherds surprised by a heavenly choir, or a newborn baby boy wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger.
The narrative of the Christmas story is marked by a number of journeys. Fir…
November 2022
Courage For When Our Fears Come True
Have you ever asked the question, “Why does God let bad things happen?” As I get to know people and hear their stories, I become aware that this question, when it is asked, is not posed by philosophers sitting in ivory towers who just like debating interesting ideas. This is a burning question on many of our hearts, and that is because we carry with us the heartbreaking baggage that comes as we journey through this sin-affected world. Loved ones have died. We have suffered betrayals. We, or…
Courge For Mission
We’ll be looking to the life of Gideon in the Bible to find some helpful insights on how we can find the courage necessary for Christian mission. You’ll find the story of Gideon, an unlikely and somewhat reluctant, hero in chapters 6-8 of the Old Testament book of Judges.
Courage To Be Counter-Cultural
In the Old Testament book of Daniel we find the example of some people who lived as a small minority in the midst of a wicked, pagan society that not only did not share their values, but who were often openly antagonistic toward them. However, For the sake of God’s name and for His glory they lived in a way that was holy and set apart in the midst of that culture. Today the church in America find itself in a similar position, and the challenge is in front of us, will we dare to live in th…
Courage In The Face of Need
When I first felt a calling to pastoral ministry, I knew I needed some formal Bible training and equipping, but there was a problem. It was a money problem. Seminaries were expensive, I had a pile of kids to provide for, and the income I was earning from my job at the time was barely paying the bills. Things were very tight.
My pastor at the time, who was also a great mentor figure, took me out for lunch one day. I was explaining my problem to him, and he surprised me with his respon…
October 2022
Death Is A Bully
I love the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy accidentally kills the Wicked Witch by dousing her with water while trying to save the scarecrow who had been set on fire (not accidentally) by the witch. The whole land of Oz, which had been living under the fear-filled oppression of the witch, burst into celebration. “Ding dong the witch is dead!” they sang. Dorothy had saved them! I love that moment!
Like all great stories that us humans tell one another “The Wizard of Oz” mirrors …
Subscribe to sermon Podcast RSS
Subscribe to iTunes podcast