Sermons by Pastor Gewecke (Page 9)
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…
Pentecost C Joining Jesus Pt 3: Doing Good and Praying
John 14:23-31 In response to Jesus informing his disciple that he was going away (ascending onto heaven) Judas (not Iscariot) had a question, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Good question right? The sermon today will explore two things. First, Jesus’s answer to the question. Second, how this answer dovetails with the Joining Jesus Mission Practices. Sermon Date: June 9, 2019
Easter 7C Joining Jesus Pt 2: Hearing and Talking
John 17:20-26 In the second part of our series on Joining Jesus we will talk about two more of the five Mission Practices. The first practice is “Seeking what Jesus is up to.” Today we continue with practice #3, “Hearing from Jesus” and practice #4, “Talking with People.” Jesus tells us the wise person puts his words into practice. So we don’t just want to know and believe but also to do. These practices will help us to do. They…
Easter6C
Acts 16:9-15 This is the first in a four-part series on Joining Jesus on Mission. There are three things we want to point out today. First that our world has changed and the methods we use to reach the world with the gospel need to change as well. Second, that being on mission is not going for Jesus but going with Jesus. The call of the Macedonian man in Paul’s vision helps us understand this. And third, as we go…