Sermon Archive
March 2021
A Strange Coronation
Have you ever, in a moment of pain, frustration or anger, said something you later regretted? Have you ever mashed your thumb with a hammer and almost reflexively a swear word came flying out? Our mastery (or lack of mastery) over our tongues at such times is very revealing.
The missionary Amy Carmichael once said, “a cup of sweet water cannot spill one drop of bitter water- no matter how suddenly jolted.” Jesus himself said it best in Luke 6:44-45, “For each tree is known by its…
To Fulfill the Scriptures
Way back in August we spent some time studying the fifth chapter of John’s Gospel in which Jesus was quoted as saying to the Jewish religious leaders, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…”
And after the resurrection when Jesus appeared to the two disciples walking along the road to Emmaus he told them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was…
Truth on Trial
Pontius Pilate hailed from a minor aristocratic family in the region of Samnia in what is now Italy. He served as Governor of Judea during the reign of the Emperor Tiberius. History does not tell us how Pilate rose to this position or what became of him later in life, but it seems most likely that his promotion had to do with family connections rather than any great accomplishments in government. He was not a Jew himself, a…
The High Priestly Prayer
In the last four chapters of John that we have studied (chapters 13-16), Jesus has been talking to the disciples about the Father, but now in chapter 17 he switches gears and talks instead to the Father about the disciples. Both activities are critically important. As Christians, we should follow Jesus’ example in talking often to the people in our lives about God, and to God about those people. No one is fully formed as a winner and maker of disciples who does one but not the other.
February 2021
Falling Away
Chapter 16 of John’s Gospel account marks the last discourse between Jesus and His disciples before going to the cross, and it begins and ends with words of explanation from Jesus.
“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.” (verse 1)
and
“I have said these things to you, that in me, you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”“ (verse 33)
and
“I have said these things to you, that in me, you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”“ (verse 33)
No matter how careful we are or how mu…
To Abide in Christ
If you get a chance before you listen to this message, read the fifteenth chapter of John. That’s the portion of scripture that we will be studying together. If your preferred version of the Bible is the King James, ESV or NASB count the number of times the word “abide” occurs as you read. If you prefer the NIV than count the number of times the word “remain” occurs. It is impossible to read John 15 without coming away with the impression that the idea of abiding or remaining in Christ is hugely important, thus the repetition, but what precisely does it mean to abide in Christ? That’s the question we’ll be taking up when we worship God through the study of His Word.
Saint Valentine Was Single
This Sunday fell on Saint Valentine’s Day. According to church history, Valentine was a Christian priest, or possibly a Bishop, living in Rome who was martyred on February 14th in 269 AD during the reign of Claudius II for the crime of marrying Christian couples against the orders of Caesar. In time, he would be recognized for this heroic act and would become the patron saint of lovers as well as beekeepers and epileptics. However, it is ironic, isn’t it, that the man for whom the day w…
Greater Works and the Means to Accomplish Them
As I was reading my way through chapter 14 this week I was brought up short by something Jesus said. In verse 12, Jesus explains to His disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” At this point in our study through the Gospel of John we have become accustomed to Jesus saying surprising and thought-provoking things, but this statement is one of the most startling. …
January 2021
A Thumbnail Image of Heaven
Back in 2011, for our tenth anniversary Sarah and I talked her Mom into watching the kids for a week and we made reservations at The Clement Hotel in Monterey, California. We had originally planned to do something really, super-duper splashy for our tenth but then reality and certain pesky things like budgets, car repairs and babies intruded. Still, with some help from family, we managed a week away in Monterey. Although we were living in California at the time, I had never been to Monterey…
Disciple In Training
In the book of 1 Peter the Apostle Peter writes to his fellow believers scattered abroad and encourages them, among other things, not to fear those who would seek to harm them because of their association with Christ. “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled…,” he writes. Then he continues, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…” Given all that we know about Peter…
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