Sermons by Pastor Gewecke (Page 12)
Expectations
Advent 3C Luke 7:18-28 Life can hardly be lived without expectations. They can be too low or high or misguided but we have them. So the issue is managing expectations. And this is true not only at Christmas time but generally in our relationship to God… This is the story of our text for today. John the Baptist, in prison, has some doubts about Jesus and who he is. His doubts stem from some misguided expectations. Today we see…
It All Starts in the Wilderness
Advent 2C Luke 3:1-14 What do you think of when the word “wilderness” is mentioned? For the Jew of Jesus’ day, the wilderness wanderings would have immediately come to mind. The prophets used the events of the wilderness to tell God’s people… that the wilderness is where God’s work of restoration would begin. So when John appeared I the wilderness with the message of repentance and baptism, they had an idea that God was up to something. Advent is our…
Your Salvation Draws Near
Have you ever wondered about the catastrophic event in nature we continually see with ever greater frequency and intensity? It seems like the world is coming unglued. In fact, Jesus warns as much… But the point is not to leave us perplexed, fearful, or full of foreboding. Rather Jesus say when you see these things look up. It is a time for faith not anxiety. Your redemption is drawing near. Of this we can be sure for while this world…
Stay Awake
Are you tired? It seems that we all are and in fact, the statistics bear that out. The average person gets less that the recommended hours of sleep and many have trouble falling asleep. So Jesus’ words, “Stay awake” may not be the message we are eager to hear… But Jesus is not talking about physical sleep but about spiritual watchfulness. Fine. But what does that look like? Jesus’ short parable about the household whose master has gone on a…
Faith Expressed in Works
Pentecost 24B James 2:14-26 Some find a conflict between James and Paul on the subject of faith and good works. But a closer look reveals that they are in agreement. A deeper look at what faith is and the role of good works solves the apparent disagreement. So what is faith? It has three parts as a triangle has three sides; knowledge, assent, and trust. And what about good works? What are they? Well, there are two kinds of works;…
Always Enough
Pentecost 25B 1 Kings 17:8-16 You have heard it said, “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.” But faith works differently. The Prophet Elijah said to the widow of Zarephath, “Do not fear…first make me a little cake and afterwards make something for yourself and your son.” She was called upon to let go of that which was certain to gain the promise of God of never empty jars of flour and oil. Stewardship is a matter…
True Riches
Pentecost 22B James 5:1-6 The passage before us is not an easy one to hear. It pulls no punches and offers little, if any, gospel. It is a stern warning against the ungodly rich and to Christians who find themselves acting in a similar way. The rich young man turned away from following Jesus because he could not sell what he had and give to the poor. He loved his worldly wealth more than Jesus. So too, we often envy…
The Future Determines the Present
Often we approach life with the thought that the present determines the future. In some ways that may be true. But James challenges us to think about life the other way around. For the Christian the future can inform and determine the present. There are all kinds of things that stir us up. These are not just external but internal as well. James refers to this internal stirring as suffering, cheerfulness, and sickness. But how do we respond to these.…
A Taught Tongue
James reminds us that the tongue is a restless evil full of deadly poison. Like a wildfire it starts small but can set the world on fire. Is there hope for us to control our tongues? Jesus’s healing of the mute boy with an evil spirit is our first clue today of the hope we have to control our tongues and use them for good. Our OT reading from Isaiah gives us a second clue in what we call the…
No Partiality, But Love
Are you partial? Of course. We all are in some ways. But when it comes to receiving others God, who is impartial calls us to be impartial. So why is partiality a sin? James gives us two reasons: one that it is based on false distinctives and the second that it is contrary to the royal law of love. But the question still remains as to how we overcome partiality in our lives. It starts with God who is impartial…