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 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…
Pentecost 3C Overcoming Discouragement
1 Kings 19:1-21 Our text presents a rather surprising scene; the great prophet Elijah struggling with discouragement. But James 5;17 reminds us that “Elijah was a man just like us” meaning that even those of faith can struggle with discouragement. That is helpful to know but of itself is no solution. But the rest of the story is. Elijah’s story helps us to find resources for overcoming discouragement: fleeing to God, being sustained by God, a new vision from God…
Pentecost 2C What Have You to Do with Us Jesus?
Luke 8 26-39 What if you could talk with someone from the community of the Gerasenes where Jesus cast demons out of a man? What would he say and what insights might you gain for your own life? At its core it is a story of tragedy, salvation, and new life. Sermon Date: June 23, 2019
Holy Trinity Oh LORD, How Majestic Is Your Name
Psalm 8 On Holy Trinity Sunday, we would like our readings to give us a nice neat explanation of the Trinity. But they don’t do that! In fact, God never seems to find it necessary to justify or give proof for the mystery of who He is. He simply states what He does and calls us to believe. And so the Scripture is more about what God does for us regarding provision and salvation than anything else. Psalm 8 draws…