Sermon Archives

The Lord’s Prayer is not meant to be a one-time prayer. Jesus intended us to speak it repeatedly as a regular discipline. Prayer is more like daily athletic training than a dash to the finish line. We must nurture the connection to God. God wants us to be happy. God wants to reduce our stress. God […]

So, let’s show the world our superpowers. They come not from the invisible cosmic rays or superhuman abilities, but from Jesus who is the image of the invisible God. With Jesus at work in us, we can show people God’s powerful love. We can bear one another’s burdens. We can work for the good of […]

Finally, give hands, arms, and legs to your faith. True faith rolls up its sleeves, puts its shoulder to the wheel, and gets its hands dirty. The priest and Levite had titles implying devotion to God, but their actions showed them to be gutless and faint of heart. They wanted to limit who they called […]

I offer up my journey into ministry, not to be the hero of the story, but because it proves to me the persistence of God and the patience of God while big decisions are made. God is not a helicopter parent, micromanaging us, ready to intervene at the slightest danger or criticize our every move. […]

I’m not sure what Elijah’s play is here. Does he want sympathy from God? Does he want God to show him special favor? Maybe Elijah is hoping that God will let him retire because it’s all become too much to handle. “Just let me go,” Elijah says to God. Not surprisingly, God does not let […]

Pentecost is about power, but not the sort of power that pressures doom-spenders until they feel trapped in a pattern of excessive consumerism. The Greek word for “power” is a common one throughout the book of Acts. The word is dunamis, from which comes our word “dynamite.” Dynamite is destructive by its very nature, but […]

Revelation 22 closes with a beautiful reminder: “The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (v. 20). Our response to the promised reward Jesus offers should be one of anticipation and readiness. Just as we prepare ourselves for service in this world, looking to do our […]

Today’s churches need to ask: “Are we in the church business, propping up the institution? Or are we in the Gospel business, loving God and our neighbor? Is the focus of our attention primarily on the inside of the stained glass among our own members or on the outside among people on the fringe? Are […]

The Book of Revelation is full of otherworldly images; but Revelation is meant to be a guide that helps us align ourselves with God’s goal for human life, building a new heaven and a new earth. When Lisa Fagin Davis first saw the Voynich Manuscript, she thought, “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” […]