There are a lot of weeds in our society. As we try to live as a people of God, serving others and seeking justice, there are those that are promoting a doctrine of hate, greed and discrimination. Our natural tendency is to want to eliminate those weeds in society so we can live in a more just world as children … Read the rest
Matthew
Sermon: Tell All the Truth, But Tell it Slant
The events of Charlottesville and political aftermath have been difficult for us. Perhaps most difficult for us as a church is to determine how we talk about racism.
Jesus began his ministry by talking with moralism, but as his crowds grew and opposition increased, he changed the method of his preaching by talking in parables. The beauty of parables is … Read the rest
Sermon: Of Doubts, Dovetails, and Discipleship
Like the disciples when Jesus gave them The Great Commission, we find ourselves caught between doubt and faith. But the great thing about Matthew 28 is that we see that it’s OK to have doubt.
It’s impossible to fully understand God, but we can continue to have faith and trust in God, because God fully understands us. We can go … Read the rest
Sermon: Church is not a den …
When Jesus enters the temple in Matthew 21:12, he overturns tables and chairs, saying “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a den of robbers.”
Many interpretations of this passage focus on the evil Jesus felt was happening inside the church. That’s an easy way to view this passage. We would never do … Read the rest
Sermon: Form an alternate political reality with silence
God is always open to having a relationship with us. But often things get in the way of our relationship. One such thing our human desire for recognition, which can lead to self-righteousness. Jesus addresses this when he tells us in Matthew 6 that when we pray, we should do so in secrecy. Those who pray loudly and publicly trump their Christianity … Read the rest
Sermon: Jesus goes Jerry Springer
Jesus went all “Jerry Springer” in Matthew 5:17-32. He upended traditional thought by preaching that it’s not the religious laws that ultimately matter, it’s what’s in one’s heart. And if we have God in our heart, we will ultimately follow the law.
For example, anger against another person can grow inside us to the point that it turns into contempt, … Read the rest
Sermon: Trump got you down? Through Jesus, we can make it right.
Banning refugees from our borders, promoting torture for our prisoners, placing a physical barrier between our Mexican brothers and sisters, creating a universe of “alternative facts” — the last week has been tough for many Christians.
We are in a blood fight. Not just in a blood fight about policy and what is right or wrong, but about what is … Read the rest
Sermon: Is Jesus Smart?
We readily say we have tremendous love and respect for Jesus. We think of Jesus as our savior, the divine God, a wise teacher … but typically we don’t think of Jesus as “smart.”
We don’t tend to rely on the advice of Jesus when it goes about living our daily lives. The booming market of self-help books, TED Talks … Read the rest
Sermon: Are we vulnerable enough to let God in?
It’s difficult to grasp the concept that Jesus was both God and human. He isn’t like Spiderman, who distinctively lived two different lives: as Peter Parker the photojournalist, who could turn into a superhero when needed.
Jesus was God and human — all the time. When he healed people, he did as God and human. When he prayed, he did … Read the rest
Sermon: If you’re not paying attention to the world, you’re not paying attention to God
Herod was surrounded by religious and political authorities, however, it was three wisemen — essentially pagan astrologers — who knew about the birth of Jesus. While religious leaders of time were very studied men, they were not open to seeing God in nature. It was the wisemen who were open to God.
In our life, we need to follow the … Read the rest