Sermons on Faith
Lent 2A Abram and the Second Birth
Genesis 12:1-9 For some, the idea of being born again can be as puzzling now as it was for Nicodemus when he first heard Jesus speak of it. Both Jesus and Paul further describe it as dying and rising. It is a spiritual birth. Still another way of understanding it is to look at the life of Abram and God’s call to him. Here we see the second birth illustrated in real life. Sermon Date: March 8, 2020
Baptism of Our Lord
Isaiah 42:1-9 “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” God said through the prophet Zechariah. So does Isaiah describe God’s Servant in chapter 42nd of the book that bears his name. This prophecy points forward to Jesus who is the fulfillment. Matthew, in his recording of the baptism of Jesus, makes sure we understand that Jesus is indeed God’s Servant. As we look at Jesus’ ministry, it should be no surprise then, that we see he works…
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…
Lent 5C ……. Pressing On
Philippians 3:8-14 As with every project or sporting competition, our lives of faith have critical points at which it is important to “press on”. The Apostle Paul talks about our pressing on in the faith. There is an urgency to strain ahead as with a sprinter. But there is also a forgetting of what is past. It is all to know Christ which is about the three Ts of time, talk and trust. Sermon Date: April 7, 2019
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.
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;…