We know that God loves a cheerful giver. However, if I am honest with myself, my giving is often guilty, grudging, and grumpy. What’s the matter with me, and how can I change? Fortunately, God doesn’t leave us hanging but provides the solution and antidote for grumpy giving. Stay tuned… This sermon was given…
We are living in a time of great loss, stress, and uncertainty. In such times it can be easy to hunker down, protect what we have, and live out of a sense of fear and scarcity. However, this is not the way of the kingdom of God. In today’s passage Jesus offers us a new…
We are always looking for ways to enhance our lives, ways to be happier, more peaceful, and more content. The self-help industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. In the gospels we see that Jesus also has our flourishing in mind, and invites people to abundant and eternal life. However oftentimes going to church, praying, and…
In the throes of rampaging viruses and in a nation aflame with violence and rage, we are faced with many questions, but few simple answers. What is the solution? What is the antidote? What can we do to make things better? What is God saying to His church? In a clandestine, nighttime meeting with one…
Waiting is hard. Especially in a pandemic. When will this thing end? When will our lives get back to normal? When will they find a cure? When will I go back to work? When will the kids go back to school? When will my loved one get home from the hospital? Waiting is hard. This…
When we’re in a crisis like the Coronavirus and feeling overwhelmed, it often feels like the walls are closing in, like the light is growing dim, like there’s no way out. In today’s passages from Isaiah and Luke, this is the condition people find themselves in – darkness, confusion, and bondage. Fortunately though, for God’s…
We are familiar with wars and rumors of wars being the birth pains of the last days, with blood moons and falling stars heralding the end. But in the very last verses of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi offers one surprising and encouraging prophesy about the end times. It is exceedingly practical and has everything to do with family dynamics. This…
Disillusionment and abandoned dreams make the heart sick. We see this in Nehemiah as he hears of a ravaged Jerusalem. However, the Lord opens a surprising door to hope and restoration. Today, offer the Lord your own disappointments and hear of the grace he offers to the downhearted. This sermon was given on Sunday, March…
Zechariah’s remarkable prophecy of a triumphant king mounted on a donkey has become so familiar that we can forget just how radical of an image this was. It would have been nearly unprecedented in the ancient world. And yet, it is just one of countless examples of the radical grace that makes the gospel unparalleled…
Today we once again celebrate Sanctity of Life Sunday. This is a Sunday where we look beyond our hysterical culture wars to what God himself says about human life – its beginning, its meaning, and its end. This morning we will explore the challenges of life when it is not easy to live, and where…