Sermon Archives

Moses knew that no performance could be as powerful as the institution of Passover. In similar manner, no pastor on a platform can shape people like the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s supper in a Spirit-filled community. Our challenge, as we begin this new church school year, is to be formative Christians, being shaped […]

In all seriousness, though, even suffering can have a positive aspect. It may sound pollyannaish to say that “every cloud has a silver lining,” but there is a fair bit of truth in that statement. In the meantime, consider offering this honest prayer, or something like it: “Lord, I don’t know what you’re doing with […]

John 6:24-35 is a prime example. The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 is all about Jesus handing out loaves and fishes to a hungry multitude. So appealing was the flashy food distribution that it attracted crowds who followed Jesus to the other side of the sea, hoping for a repeat performance. Responding to […]

Jesus takes the loaves, gives thanks, and distributes them, along with the fish. Everyone gets as much as they want, and then Jesus tells the disciples, “Gather up the fragments” (v. 12). They fill 12 baskets with leftovers, causing the people to stare at Jesus in amazement. They begin to say, “This is indeed the […]

Forgiveness means that we are not destined endlessly to replay the grievances of yesterday. It is the ability to live with the past without being held captive by the past. It would not be an exaggeration to say that forgiveness is the most compelling testimony to human freedom. It is about the action that is […]

The colors of creation appear through the one and only light of this world, Christ Jesus, the Son of God. When the Creator’s light hits the first two planes and is refracted through the third plane, which is the Holy Spirit, it is transformed into a wondrous array of colors, each showing one aspect of […]

The bad news about being human is that we will make mistakes. The good news is that we do not have to be defined by those mistakes. There is always someone who struggles with the same thing we do; and we have a God who knows our weaknesses and loves us anyway. In the game […]

There is an old story about a king, whose people had grown soft and entitled. Displeased, the king hoped to teach them a lesson. He placed a large boulder in the middle of the road, completely blocking entry into the city. Then he hid nearby to observe their reactions. Would they band together to remove […]

Jesus’ parables to help to us recognize the truth of who we are and who we might become with God’s help. That truth is revealed in the parable of a tenacious seed, scattered by a gardener, which grows to offer abundance. This process is a mystery to the gardener, but not to Jesus, who teaches […]