Sermon Archives

What God most wants from humanity is love. It is easy to think that God is more interested in other things: time, money, effort, will, submission, and so forth. But what God really wants from humanity is love. When people really love the LORD with all the heart, soul, and mind, then all else is freely […]

So how do we navigate the tension? How can we reconcile our belief in divine providence with the realities of human experience? One approach is to embrace a theology of mystery and paradox, acknowledging that human understanding is limited in its ability to comprehend the ways of God. Job understands this when he says, “I […]

Faith matters because it is easy to lose our way in the world. Faith is knowing that God can always find us, even when we cannot see God. Faith is believing that God has a good plan for us, even when life is grim. Faith is moving forward in the darkness trusting that God knows […]

Respect is something that matters to us as disciples of Jesus. Watching the political debates recently, I’ve come to a new appreciation about the difference between civility and respect. Civility is a formal display of courtesy and politeness. Political candidates show civility when they shake hands before and after a debate. But civility is not […]

The advice of the wicked refers to the prevailing value system promoted by an unbelieving world. These are the messages the media dole out every day. We hear the siren-song: acquire more; be more successful; look younger and feel better; pursue your own personal happiness; use other people to get what you want. This is […]

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 […]