February 23 2025 — Throughout this season of Epiphany, Jesus has described the governing principles of His kingdom being completely opposite to the governing principles of the world. This week Jesus asks us to befriend our enemies, to love those who hate us, and to repay evil with good. Worldly logic would say that is…
February 16 2025 — “This is good. That is bad.” We often think life is that simple. We believe we can assess a situation accurately and quickly determine if it is positive or negative. That’s hubris. As Jesus gathered followers, He taught them that His kingdom runs exactly opposite to the principles and priorities of…
February 9 2025 — Imagine you need heart bypass surgery. When meeting with the surgeon, you ask, “How many of these have you done?” He responds, “You get the honor of being my very first patient!” You probably feel more anxious than honored. With important jobs, we understand it is crucial that the person doing…
February 2 2024 — In 2009, Facebook added the “like” button. That same year, Twitter added the “retweet” feature. Interestingly, reported cases of depression began to rise sharply in 2010. It is easy to think that the more people like us, the more successful our lives must be. Likewise, it is easy to believe the…
January 26 2005 — When you are trying to share some important information with someone, but they refuse to listen or perhaps totally reject what you are saying, it feels like you have failed. This is especially true when someone rejects the gospel! We proclaim the good news because want others to know the love…
January 19 2024 — “Epiphany” comes from a Greek word that means “reveal.” When someone has an epiphany, it’s not that reality changed. The way they see that reality is what changed, for a deeper truth has been revealed. An epiphany is an “a-ha!” moment causing us to look at things very differently. In the…
January 5 2025 — On Christmas Eve the angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10). One wonders if those words struck those Jewish shepherds as odd. For centuries, God had given special attention to one nation—Israel. There were Jewish religious leaders who…
December 29 2024 — Have you ever opened a Christmas present and had to ask, “What is it?” Perhaps it was some new type of technology or perhaps a unique toy. You were grateful for the gift, but also not 100% certain what you were looking at. “What is it?” On Christmas we learn the…
This 4th Sunday in Advent our readings focus our attention on the truth that true Christmas Joy comes to the humble. The ultimate example is Mary. Our sermon this week will be on the words of her famous song, “The Magnificat.” Here is the Worship Folder link for those watching online: Advent 4 Service Folder…
Sunday, Advent 3, December 15 2024 — If you want a real Christmas, then you need to observe Advent. Advent is Latin for “coming.” In the season of Advent, Christians observe the connection between the first time the Son of God came into our world as the Savior and the second time He will come…