08-May-22 Acts 9:36-43 We live in a culture of death and destruction. Death and destruction is everywhere. The world is filled with people who gladly nourish hatred in their lives. Along with hatred, comes selfish ambition, and along with selfish ambition comes a striving for personal glory. And all of this is demonically motivated. There […]
Category: Gospels
Undisciple, Redisciple
01-May-22 John 21:1-19 Third Sunday in Easter The fishing story in our passage this morning should sound very familiar, albeit from what might seem to be a totally different context. Easter Day has come and gone. Jesus is alive, and has appeared to his disciples on at least two occasions. But there is still much […]
24-Apr-22 John 20:19-31 Second Sunday in Easter It is Easter Day, but it is evening. The disciples of Jesus have retreated, perhaps to a familiar place. It is somewhat likely that after Jesus’ death, that the disciples returned to the house in Jerusalem where they and Jesus had celebrated their last Passover together. In times […]
Never a Disciple
03-Apr-22 John 12:1-8 Fifth Sunday in Lent One of the things that we quickly learn when we study the Gospels, and when we focus on the lives of Jesus’ disciples, is that far too often, Jesus’ disciples do not understand what he is trying to teach them. Sometimes it just seems like they don’t get […]
I’ll Be Back
06-Mar-22 Luke 4:1-13 First Sunday in Lent So far, things have been going pretty well for Jesus. He’s just been baptized by John the Baptizer, and there was a tremendous confirmation of his divine sonship at his Baptism; the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from […]
Narrow Escape
20-Feb-22 Luke 4:16-30 The sermon was fine. It truly was. It was a wonderful beginning. But after the sermon, things went awry. The beginning might very well have been the end. What started out as gracious appreciation has become murderous intent. Jesus has returned to the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. It was Jesus’ […]
Not For Sale
23-Jan-22 Acts 8:9-24 Our passage this morning is really a wonderful story about the growth of the very early, and brand new church. At the time of our passage, the followers of Jesus have been gathered together for only a few months. And in those few, short months, with the help of the power of […]
A Vision for Ministry
16-Jan-22 Mark 10:46-52 It was as good a place as any for him to do his panhandling. It hadn’t always been this way; he hadn’t always made his living by begging. Once upon a time, there had been a job and a family. But then came the terrible accident. He saw it coming, but his […]
Inspired Words of Blessing and Hope
Luke 1:39-45 02-Jan-22 First Sunday in Christmas (observed) If you have already spent time reading our passage this morning, you are probably wondering what has gone wrong with my mind. Don’t I know that Christmas is over? Christmas was more than a week ago now, and in our passage this morning, Mary is just barely […]
Watching For God’s Assurances
19-Dec-21 (26 Dec 21 snow date) Luke 2:1-20 Fourth Sunday in Advent Most of us would probably be willing to admit that we get just a little bit sentimental at this time of year. And while this is definitely a time of year to be thinking about birth and new birth and new life, it […]