SERMONS

I don’t think you could find a more important word, a word more central to Christian faith, than grace. But of course it’s not a just a religious word. Grace is sewn into the fabric of our lives, in our words, in how we see some of the most important, special, and even the most ordinary acts and activities we experience or engage in. We say grace before meals, giving… Read More »WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT GRACE? 6/6/21

Today, it seems so many people are stressed and anxious. We’re trying to climb out of such a tough last year and more. Each of us is doing what we can to deal with the constraints and concerns that have become commonplace. What’s amazing is how well we can adapt to changes we face, and challenges we undergo. What’s troubling is how easily we can accept the stress we’re under… Read More »GOOD HELP ISN’T HARD TO FIND 5/23/21

It’s true God helps those who help themselves. Do well and one is rewarded. When we don’t do well, then life can turn rough on us. Get an A in your class, run faster than other kids, be more likeable than your friends, and things go well. But struggle in school, don’t succeed in areas of interest, have trouble with other people, and often life feels like an upward climb.… Read More »AN EYE-TO-EYE KIND OF GOD 5/16/21

We have information about the earliest Christian churches in Corinth, Thessalonica, Philippi, Rome, and others. I am thankful that the information we have doesn’t come in the form of annual statistical reports or financial statements. We have letters, mostly written by the Apostle Paul, to people and to churches. Reading between the lines is required because it’s been 2000 years, and because as in any letter some things are known… Read More »GOOD AT GRATITUDE 5/2/21

We live in a culture in which we are largely defined by what we do, meaning our job. We meet someone and they ask us, “What do you do?” They’re not expecting us to say, “Well, I play golf, I read books, I visit the grandkids, I watch Masterpiece Mystery on Sunday nights, I make scrambled eggs every morning.” They’re asking if you have a job and what is it.… Read More »WHAT ARE YOU DOING? 4/25/21

Everybody knows life is serious stuff often. Sometimes we hear of someone who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and life is never the same. School is harder today than it was in my day. Parents put a lot of pressure on their children these days. Even in a strong economy, people know they must take their job seriously and work hard to ensure they keep their… Read More »FIND YOUR FUN 4/18/21

It is after the resurrection. Jesus appears to his disciples and what we have this morning are Jesus’ final words to them, to closest to him, who followed him. This passage is known as the Great Commission. The Great Commission is a call to take the gospel to the world out there – to all nations. Someone has to do this. Jesus hands off this job to his disciples, who… Read More »LABOR OF LOVE 4/11/21

A non-Alaskan native was preaching in a little church in that state when an earthquake hit. “The earth heaved for a moment that seemed forever,” he wrote. “The little church shook. But the Alaskans sat there like it was another day at the office. Their only response was the woman who said, ‘How about that, the light fixtures didn’t fall this time.’” The pastor ended his sermon immediately. He was… Read More »SHAKEN FOR GOOD 4/4/21 Easter