Sermons
“The Lawyer and the Parable of the Good Samaritan”
Luke 10:25-37
By entering this story, the lawyer is freed from a world dominated by self-justifying logic. The parable confronts his pride and invites him to freely respond to the mercy of God standing before him. By the instrument of the parable, the lawyer is able to move from pride to humility.
“Following Jesus”
Luke 9:51-62
Jesus challenges us to follow him with radical hospitality and wholehearted commitment to him and his kingdom.
“Who do you say that I am?”
Luke 9:18-24
Peter’s declaration of faith invites us into bolder, more courageous faith and intimacy with Jesus, the Christ–with an understanding that we, like Peter, will also at times misunderstand or get things wrong or not quite be able to fully grasp something. And with an understanding that faith is not a static thing, but a growing thing–something that develops and enlarges and deepens throughout one’s life (as it did for Peter).
“Worship the Triune God”
John 14:8-17
Trinity Sunday is the culmination of the story the Church embarks on each year from Advent to Pentecost. In Advent, we awaited God’s redemption with hope as Gabriel announced to Mary she would give birth to a Son. At Christmas, we celebrated the Nativity of Jesus. In Epiphany, we witnessed God’s revelation of himself to the world. In Lent, we repented of our sins in preparation for the death of our Lord. In Holy Week, we received the command to love one another and watched our Lord betrayed, arrested, tried, condemned, beaten, crucified, and buried. In Easter, we entered into the joy and celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and his victory over death. At the Ascension, we saw Jesus taken up into heaven to sit in glory at the right hand of the Father. And at Pentecost, we received the Holy Spirit for comfort in our affliction and confidence in our mission. We respond in worship.
“The Power of the Holy Spirit”
John 14:8-17
In Acts 2, at Pentecost, the Spirit inhabits the church in a uniquely powerful way: through multiple languages spoken at once. This is a fulfillment (and anticipation) of Jesus’ words from Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 14:21-29
The more complex our world becomes, the more the simple invitation of faith resonates with our hearts. The call for obedience in this passage cannot be fully understood without verse 26. Jesus tells his disciples, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Rather than a set of rules, Jesus’ call to obedience is placed within the care of a Helper, a Counselor, One who knows our hearts, our experiences, our struggles. Let us hold ourselves in his presence within the life of the church (fellowship, Scripture, Eucharist, and prayer) that our affections may grow and the Holy Spirit may guide us into a joyful and life-giving obedience.
“The Paschal Mystery”
John 10:25
The works of Christ (his suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension) are at the center of the creed we confess each week. For our salvation “he suffered, he was was buried, he rose again, and he he ascended.” In the creed we are not professing an idea that we simply agree to. These are not things we merely believe. We are proclaiming a truth, a mystery that we participate in. As Paul writes in Romans 6:4, “We were buried … with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
“The Hospitality of Our Risen Lord”
John 21:1-14
The hospitality Christ offered the weary, grieving disciples is a model for us as we live out the gospel of hospitality.
“On the Third Day He Rose Again.”
Luke 24:1-12
The poets and artists rightly reflect of the unspeakable reality of the resurrection. In the tradition of Mary, the evangelists speak quite plainly: “We have seen the Lord.” These two responses satisfy each other. For the resurrection to be deeply true it must be simply true. And for it to be true at all it must be profoundly true.
“All Things as Rubbish”
Phil 3:7-16
Explore Paul’s heart through this message by contextualizing this famous passage within his broader ministry. How does Paul consider the loss of “all things” in light of “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ”? Consider God’s invitation for the “obedience of faith” in our own times.
“A Parent’s Heart”
Luke 15:11-32
Put yourself in the Parrable of the Sons and imagine the emotions and the heart of the Father. Certainly this is meant to discernible how the Father feels towards us, but also and invitation to ask that our heart would be more like His.
“An Undivided Devotion to the Lord”
1 Cor. 10:1-13
Look at how Paul responds to the division and moral corruption of the early church in Corinth by pointing back to the example of the Israelites. How is this passage (within the context of the entire letter) a challenge and encouragement to us?
“The Narrow Door”
Luke 13:22-35
When Jesus is asked, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” he shifts the question to a personal challenge: “Strive to enter through the narrow door.” In contrast to the open fields of instruction and invitation, the narrow door is the entrance into discipleship. Passing through this door is a recognition that Jesus is Lord and requires humility.
“Solitude and Silence
Luke 4:1-13
Listen to this reflection on Jesus’ days of fasting in the wilderness before his temptation. This was a place where Jesus could be free from distraction. It was a time when he listened to the Father’s voice. It is an example for us—to take time for retreat, where we too can listen to God.
“Giving Up and Taking Up”
Psalm 103:1-14
Lent is a special season designated for fasting, prayer, self-denial, and good works, which begins with the solemn recognition that we are utterly unable to do any of this apart from the mercy of God.
“To What Do We Give Our Attention?”
Luke 9:28-36
God reveals Himself as Jesus on the mountain. Through the disciples witness we too encounter God. Join the people of God in turning our attentions to Him. Be not distracted by the what the world offers, instead pursue Jesus the true Light of the World. God is giving you His attention!
“Discipleship, Mission, and the Body of Christ”
John 20:19-31
Our sense of mission and call to discipleship takes place within the fellowship of faith—within Christian community. Not only is individual piety a false idea, but so is individual mission. The individual is not called to mission; the church is called to mission. It is not just an individual that responds to a call, but an individual who is in Christ and who discerns that call together within the Body of Christ (Acts 13:1-3).
“The Center of Discipleship”
Luke 6:17-26
On the boat, Peter decided, “I desire to follow this miracle worker. I want his heart as my own.” Now, here, the disciples decide to step further into discipleship, where their hearts will be most deeply satisfied. This step into faith is the beginning of the journey that will always remain at the center of the heart of faith.
“The Call of Discipleship”
Luke 5:1-11
Peter’s understanding of mission would be slowly revealed as his formation as a disciple took shape. The meaning of Christ’s words, “you will catch persons,” would be learned from the very heart of Christ. But it begins with and carries forward through the first instincts of a disciple, a humble call to to holiness.