Sermons

Rocket Science?

9/24/2017

Exodus 16: 2-15; Philippians 1: 21-30; Matthew 20: 1-16
September 24, 2017

Today's gospel; men looking for work. Which of us haven't gone through that process; either ourselves or with a loved one? I know I went through it several times years ago with a young wife and children. But it seems, and this may just be part of the aging process, it seems much harder watching our kids go through it. Bear with me as I update our kids and their job journeys:

0 Comments

In the Depths of the Sea (or at Least Lake Ripley)

9/10/2017

0 Comments

Micah 7: 18-20; Romans 13: 8-14; Matthew 13: 8-14
September 10, 2017

Sin. That's a word that is not very popular in churches today. We are much more comfortable talking about God's grace without dwelling too much on sin. But really, what is grace if there is no understanding of sin preceding it? I want to look at sin today but only as the precursor to the marvelous forgiveness that God offers us all.
I begin with two basic classifications of sin—sins of commission and sins of omission. Commission is the act of disobedience. You know you shouldn’t do it, you maybe even try talking yourself out of it, but you disobey God's good plan for your life. You decide to do things your own way. These sins are usually pretty easy to recognize. Sins of omission on the other hand...well this came up in a Sunday School class. The teacher asked her students, what are sins of omission? After some thought one little fellow said, “They are the sins we should have committed but didn't get around to.” Close...they are the good things we should have done but didn't do.

0 Comments

Fast-Food Christianity

9/3/2017

0 Comments

Exodus 3: 1-15; Romans 12: 9-21; Matthew 16: 21-28
September 3, 2017

How many of you remember this? (sing) “Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce; special orders, don't upset us. All we ask is that you let us serve it your way!” (invite them to finish-Have it your way at Burger King) This was the Burger King theme song from 1974 or so. Their point was that we could have our Whopper any way we liked; hold the pickles, extra ketchup, no onions. And it is a pretty well accepted practice at all the fast food places now. But it wasn't necessarily easy or common 40 years ago.
My title today, Fast-Food Christianity, is not original to me. I heard this expression years ago, but it stuck with me and it came back to me as I worked on this sermon. In our reading today, Peter wanted to treat his Christianity like a fast food order. He wanted to special order his Christianity.

0 Comments

Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Forgiveness

8/20/2017

0 Comments

You undoubtedly recognize where I got my sermon title from today; Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Now that I have some theatrical experience, I thought it was appropriate to borrow this. If you've seen it, you know Joseph's story. The title came from the “coat of many colors” that Jacob made for Joseph as his favorite son. But you know, that coat is just a tiny part of this long, complex story of Joseph. I count only three mentions of it, and two were when they took it from Joseph and covered it with blood to show their father. No, to me the key elements in the story of Joseph; God's providence in getting Joseph into a position to save the nations. The amazing forgiveness that Joseph gave to his brothers. And I want to see in his life and grace a precursor to the life and grace of Jesus.

0 Comments

<<Previous

Rocket Science?

In the Depths of the Sea (or at Least Lake Ripley)

Fast-Food Christianity

Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Forgiveness

Pastor Gordy

Archives

Categories