Sermon Archives

Peter went to his death boldly. He never gave up on the love we are to have for one another, the love that Jesus modeled in the humble act of washing feet. In response to that self-giving love of Jesus, Peter gave up his own life willingly. Peter served others by giving the example of […]

So, today, let us wave our palms and sing our hymns of victory. Let us cheer Jesus’ triumphal entry as our King. But let us also be aware that, between the hosannas of Palm Sunday and the alleluias of Easter there is an arrest, and a flogging, a trial, and a cross. A king’s ransom […]

When Jesus says that his followers must be “born from above” he means that we must exchange our loyalties. The apostle Paul says something like this to the Galatian Christians. Paul uses the word “flesh” to describe the things of this world that can be detrimental to our mental, physical, and spiritual health. He counsels […]

  Among the most famous nautical yarns is the mutiny on the Bounty, a Royal Navy ship sailing the South Pacific. In 1789, a group of mutineers led by his master’s mate, Fletcher Christian, overthrew the captain of that ship, William Bligh, a notoriously harsh taskmaster. Rather than murdering their captain, the mutineers put Bligh […]

Jesus came into the world “to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37), and the world rejected Him and scoffed at Him. But His sheep know the voice of their Good Shepherd, and they follow Him. He gives them eternal life, and no one will snatch them from His hand. We, too, bear witness to the […]

Being a disciple of Jesus is not like choosing how to watch TV, where we can choose between cable, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, or YouTube TV. We live in a culture of choices. We expect the business community, our friends, neighbors, and our church to offer us choices. But the Christian life is nothing like […]

The book of Psalms is the playlist for the people of Israel. Many psalms are upbeat songs of praise. “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth” (Psalm 100:1). “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1). “Praise the Lord, my […]

King David is not interested in being one of these fugitive fools. He longed to come clean with God. “I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me,” he writes (51:3). Our sin is ever before us, whether it is the lobbing of a cherry bomb at firefighters (Howard Mechanic’s crime) or losing […]

When we allow God to work through us we are part of God’s visible mending. When we embrace the pain of others, showing a love that transmits strength, we become the kind of heroes who helped William Sloane Coffin and Kate Bowler. When we remain faithful and prayerful in the face of losses and disappointments, […]