"faith" Tagged Sermons
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.…
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…
1/20/2019 Epiphany 2 John 2:1-11 Faith that God is Good
Have you ever felt rebuffed by God, like your prayer gets about as far as the ceiling and just bounces back? It is not an uncommon experience and something that Mary, Jesus’ mother, experienced too. Feeling rebuffed can lead us down a bad path of bitterness and non-responsiveness to God. But there is another way. Mary shows us what that is.
1/6/2019 Epiphany Rejoice with Exceeding Joy
Herod and the Magi are typical of two types of people; those who oppose God and those who have faith. Opposition leads to a troubled spirit as typified in Herod. Faith leads to exceeding joy as typified in the Magi. So how do you respond to the reign of God breaking into your world? Are you troubled in spirit or do you rejoice?
12/24/2018 Christmas Eve – Making Sense of the Census
The first seven verses of the birth narrative of Jesus are dominated not by the birth but the census. That is not to say that the birth is not the main thing and the climax of these verses. But the census plays an important part in telling the story of Jesus’ birth. What is Luke saying by giving the census such a prominent place? How do we make sense of the census?
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…