The archive of the online Bible study of the book of Psalms is available here or as a YouTube playlist.
The archive of the online Bible study of the book of Acts is available here or as a YouTube playlist.
Pentecost 17C Building on the Promises of God Part 10: The Tomb Is Temporary
1 Corinthians 15:54 Habakkuk reminds us that the righteous live by faith. Yes, even in the face of injustice and death. In fact, our great enemy is death. It would tear us apart and separate us from God. So what exactly happens to you at death? People postulate many ideas. All of them leave us hopeless and in despair. But God, in Christ, gives us the hope of the resurrection to eternal life through Jesus’ own resurrection. He is the firstfruits…
Pentecost 16C Building on the Promises of God Part 9: The Devil Is Defeated
Revelation 12:7-12 The Festival of St. Michael and All Angels reminds us that there is a whole other realm beyond this earthly realm in which we live. We are called to see our earthly struggles and the problems of evil from a cosmic level. That is where it all begins. So our enemy is not flesh and blood but rather the forces of the spiritual realm. But exactly who is our enemy, the devil? Among other things and of most…
Pentecost 15C Building on the Promises of God Part 8: Christ Is Praying for You
Romans 8:34 The Scriptures remind us that prayer for all people is an important part of our worship and daily life. But did you know that Jesus is also praying for you? He is at the right hand of the Father interceding for you. That doesn’t mean you get a pass on the troubles of life. But what does it mean? Sermon Date: September 22, 2019
Pentecost 14C Building on the Promises of God, Part 7: No Condemnation
Romans 8:1 The National Debt Clock not only illustrates the rapidly rising national debt, but can also be an illustration of our ever rising sin debt against God. Jesus’ parable of the Unmerciful Servant drives the point home; we have a great and unpayable debt of sin before God. But the Apostle Paul, who himself had a great debt to God cancelled, reminds us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Sermon Date: September 15,…
Pentecost 13C Building on the Promises of God, Part 6: Power from the Holy Spirit
Acts 1:8 Jesus set a high bar for discipleship; if you do not renounce all that you have you cannot be my disciple. So count the cost. Make sure that you can finish before you begin. Do you have the resources? Really? We know from experience that we don’t. But God does! And he promises, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. There is the power for discipleship! Sermon Date: September 8, 2019
Pentecost 12C Building on the Promises of God, Part 5 God Gives Grace to the Humble
1 Peter 5:5 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. So we see in the classic example of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4. But why? The answer lies in grace, the very way that God deals with us. But the answer for our lives lies in Christ and his humility given to us and how we are connected to him. Sermon Date: September 1, 2019
Pentecost 11C Building on God’s Promises, Part 4 In Christ You Are an Heir
Romans 8:16-17 If one day you got the good news that you are an heir to a great fortune, would that change the way you live? We might say, “I wouldn’t change a bit”, but the reality is that it can’t help but change us. So too with we who are heirs of God in Christ. But too often our problem is like that of the Israelites in the wilderness who did not take hold of their inheritance in faith.…
Pentecost10C Building on the Promises of God Part 3: God Hears and Answers Your Prayers
Luke 11:1-13 We pray, but not nearly as much or as insistently as we should. Jesus’ teaching on prayer and his parable of the impudent neighbor gives us three reasons to pray more diligently; 1) the example of Jesus’ own prayer life, 2) God’s eagerness to hear our prayers, and 3) God answers us with good gifts. Sermon Date: August 18, 2019
Pentecost 5C Building on the Promises of God Part 2: Made in the Image of God
Genesis 1:26-27 You are made in the image of God. But what exactly does that mean? And what difference does that make for our daily lives? Here is a promise of God to build on, so elementary that it shapes our identity and self-worth, as well as the way we seek and treat others. Sermon Date: July 14, 2019
Pentecost 4C Building on the Promises of God Part 1: Promise, Promises, Promises
2 Peter 1:3-4 Could you live one day, one hour without depending on a promise given by another? Not really! We live by promise. But that is our problem. Promises are broken all the time. One of the great themes of the Bible is the demonstration of God’s ability to fulfill and faithfulness to his promises. So we live by faith in God’s promises. God’s faithfulness to his promises enables faith. This sermon is the introduction to a series on…