Psalm 62:5-12 • Jonah 3:1-5, 10 • 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 • Mark 1:14-20
This week’s theme is epiphanies demand a response. In our call to worship psalm, affirmation of God’s faithfulness enables a renunciation of placing vain hope in riches. Jonah, although reluctant, serves as an instrument of bringing God’s message to Nineveh that gained a response of repentance. Our reading from 1 Corinthians records Paul’s reminder that all other values are minimized by the surpassing worth of Christ. The Gospel text in Mark recounts the fishermen who leave everything behind when called by Jesus.
A Proclamation and Calling
Mark 1:14-20 ESV
It doesn’t take Mark long to tell a story. Our text today begins only fourteen verses into... Read the article
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Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 • 1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20) • 1 Corinthians 6;12-20 • John 1:43-51
This week’s theme is God’s divine intimate knowledge. In our call to worship psalm, David affirms that nothing in his life escapes God’s notice. In 1 Samuel, the young prophet receives the word of the Lord concerning Eli the priest. In 1 Corinthians, Paul declares that we are in intimate union with God through Christ. And in our pericope in John, Jesus reaches Nathanael by telling him things that only God could know about him.
Can Anything Good Come from Nazareth?
John 1:43-51 NRSV
A young college student was invited by his girlfriend’s grandparents to join them one Sunday afternoon at their farm. As he perused their ample garden, he... Read the article
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Psalm 29:1-11 • Genesis 1:1-5 • Acts 19:1-7 • Mark 1:4-11
This week’s theme is the manifestation of God’s power. In our call to worship psalm, the psalmist affirms God’s power over nature. In Genesis, we witness God’s power in creating the heavens and the earth. In the book of Acts, we see the power of God as the Holy Spirit falls on new believers. And in our pericope in Mark’s gospel, he records the Spirit descending upon Christ at his baptism.
Why Was Jesus Baptized?
Mark 1:4-11 NRSV
Our sermon today falls on the first Sunday of the year. We can’t change a thing from last year, what’s done is done, what was said is said, it’s all in the past. The old year is dead and buried, never to return. And this is the... Read the article
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Psalm 2:1-11 • Exodus 24:12-18 • 2 Peter 1:16-21 • Matthew 17:1-9
This week’s theme is on the mountaintop. The psalmist prophetically looks ahead to the time in which God would install Jesus as king on Mt. Zion. In Exodus, Moses is sent by God to the top of the mountain where he witnessed the glory of the Lord. In Matthew’s gospel, he records the transfiguration of Christ on Mt. Zion. And in 2 Peter, he confirms that he was present on the mountain with Christ during the transfiguration event.
The Transfiguration of Christ
Matthew 17:1-9 (NIV)
When was the last time you had a strong sense of anticipation? As a kid, I was so excited that I could hardly sleep on Christmas Eve because of the anticipation of unwrapping presents... Read the article
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Psalm 119:1-8 • Deuteronomy 30:15-20 • 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 • Matthew 5:21-37
In this sixth week of Epiphany, our theme is the challenge of righteous living. Speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land, God urges them to choose life over death by following his commandments and decrees. In Psalm 119, the psalmist extols the blessings of a life lived in accordance with God and laments the inevitable decline that follows a lapse in judgment. The Apostle Paul mourns that quarrels and pettiness have prevented the Corinthian church from learning the deeper lessons of faith. In our sermon passage from Matthew, Jesus declares the chilling challenges of leading a truly righteous life. In the Sermon on the Mount, he... Read the article
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Psalm 112:1-9 • Isaiah 58:1-9a • 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 • Matthew 5:13-20
As we continue in the Epiphany season, contemplating the God revealed by Jesus Christ, we should take time to consider our response to that revelation. We should seek to humbly and diligently follow his word. Therefore, the theme for this week is authentically worshipping God. In the call to worship Psalm, we read about the generational blessings awaiting those who wholeheartedly worship the Lord. In Isaiah, the prophet condemns empty religion and echoes God’s call for justice, liberation, and care for those most in need. In the Corinthian passage, Paul spoke about the Christian’s reliance on the Holy Spirit to reveal the gospel and God’s plan for... Read the article
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Psalm 15:1-5 • Micah 6:1-8 • 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 • Matthew 5:1-12
This week’s theme is the kingdom of heaven. The call to worship Psalm reflects on what is required to be in the presence of God. The Old Testament reading from Micah speaks of doing God’s will that involves justice, mercy, and humility. The text in Corinthians records Paul’s statement of the cross where God’s foolishness conquers man’s wisdom. In the Gospel reading from Matthew, we have Jesus’ teachings on the blessings of the kingdom of heaven.
Rejoice and Be Glad
Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV)
Today our epiphany will come, not from a story about Jesus, but by his words spoken to us. You have probably heard these words many times. They are the words known as... Read the article
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Psalm 27:1, 4-9 • Isaiah 9:1-4 • I Corinthians 1:10-18 • Matthew 4:12-23
The theme for this week is not us and them, but all of us. Our call to worship in Psalm 27 presents the inclusive full range of a Christian’s experience, including the high points of faith and the low points of lament and doubt. Isaiah 9 focuses on our release from oppression, whether it comes from within us or without, by our Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace. In Matthew 4, Jesus calls Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to become fishers of people, snagging hurting hearts with the good news of God’s love and acceptance of all people. Our sermon text is 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 which addresses the problem of tribalism and how we can solve it.
The... Read the article
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Psalm 40:1-11 • Isaiah 49:1-7 • 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 • John 1:29-42
This week’s theme is a call to faithfulness. The call to worship Psalm expresses thanksgiving to God for his faithful deliverance. The Old Testament reading from Isaiah recounts the calling of the servant to be a light to the nations. The text in Corinthians records Paul’s introductory remarks to a letter calling a wayward church back to faithful obedience. In the Gospel reading from John, we have Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist who bears witness to Jesus as the Lamb of God, which calls others to follow him.
Faithful to the End
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (NRSVUE)
Today, for the Second Sunday of Epiphany, we have the opportunity to read someone else’s mail. It... Read the article
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Psalm 29:1-11 • Isaiah 42:1-9 • Acts 10:34-43 • Matthew 3:13-17
This Sunday, we celebrate the baptism of the Lord, remembering the day that Jesus was baptized on our behalf. It is the first Sunday after Epiphany and serves as a bookend — along with Transfiguration Sunday — to the Epiphany season. Jesus’ baptism revealed something very important about him and about human beings. Christ lived a sinless life, so he did not need to be cleansed of his sins through baptism. Yet, he submitted to the sacrament so that we, in him, could be free from sin. Therefore, the theme for this week is Jesus is our righteousness. The passage in Psalms speaks about the power of God, especially his power to defeat evil (symbolized by the waters or... Read the article
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