Scripture Readings: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22; Ps. 124; James 5:13-20; Mark 9:38-50 Sermon by Ted Johnston from James 5:13-20 Drawing from commentary by Warren Wiersbe (Bible Exposition Commentary), Peter H. Davids (New Bible Commentary) and Luke Timothy Johnson (James, Anchor Bible). Let Us Pray! Introduction In today’s reading in the Epistles, James, the half-brother of … Continue reading "Sermon for September 30, 2018" Read the article
Scripture Readings: Prov. 31:10-11; Ps. 54; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37 Sermon by Martin Manuel from Mark 9: 30-37: Prov. 31:10; Prov. 9:10; James 3:13-16 Restoring Humility to our Humanity Introduction Though we all possess the corrupt, fallen human nature that resulted from Adam and Eve’s rejection of God, there is good news: The eternal … Continue reading "Sermon for September 23, 2018" Read the article
Scripture Readings: Prov. 1:20-23; Ps. 116:1-9; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38 Sermon by Lance McKinnon from James 3:1-12 A Word Fitly Spoken In his epistle, James, the half brother of Jesus, begins by seeking to strengthen the faith of Christians going through difficult trials. Then in the section of the letter covered in today’s reading, he … Continue reading "Sermon for September 16, 2018" Read the article
Scripture Readings: Isa. 35:4-7; Ps. 146; James 2:1-13, 14-17; Mark 7:24-37 Sermon by Linda Rex from Mark 7 and Isaiah 35 Hearing and Speaking the Word Introduction Stories about animals that talk and understand humans are fun and fascinating for children and adults alike. Perhaps that’s because God created us for relationship. We see our … Continue reading "Sermon for September 9, 2018" Read the article
Scripture Readings: Deut. 4:1-2, 6-9; Ps. 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Sermon by Sheila Graham from Deuteronomy 4, Mark 7 and James 1 (drawing from the Expositor's Bible Commentary) Embracing True Freedom Introduction According to popular legend, just over 500 years ago, on October 31, 1517, German priest and theologian Martin Luther defiantly nailed … Continue reading "Sermon for September 2, 2018" Read the article
Scripture Readings: 1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43; Ps. 34:15-22; Eph.6:10-20; John 6:56-69 Sermon by Lance McKinnon from Ephesians 6:10-18 Take Your Stand Introduction Ever feel up against more than you can handle? You might feel that way when reading what the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:12 concerning formidable “powers of the dark” and “spiritual forces … Continue reading "Sermon for August 26, 2018" Read the article
Scripture Readings: 1 Kings 2:1-12; 3:3-14; Ps. 34:9-14; Eph. 5:15-20; John 6:51-58 Sermon by Linda Rex from John 6:51-58 Our Living Host Introduction I have a relative who spent years studying bats in many different parts of the world. Someone who knows a lot about bats knows that most of them eat only insects and … Continue reading "Sermon for August 19, 2018" Read the article
Scripture Readings: 2 Sam.18:5-9, 15, 31-33; Ps. 34:1-8; Eph. 4:25-5:2; John 6:35, 41-51 Sermon by Sheila Graham from John 6:35-51 and Ephesians 4:25-5:2 The Bread of Life Have you noticed that bread is mentioned a lot in the Bible? That’s not a surprise—bread was the main part of daily meals in the Mediterranean world. According … Continue reading "Sermon for August 12, 2018" Read the article
Scripture Readings: 2 Sam. 11:26-12:13a; Ps. 78:23-29; Eph. 4:1-16; John 6:24-35 Sermon by Martin Manuel from Ephesians 4:1-16 Living Into Our Calling The indicatives of grace The epistle of Ephesians was sent originally to Christians in Ephesus and surrounding towns. In the first half, Paul declares what theologians call the indicatives of grace—the gospel truths … Continue reading "Sermon for August 5, 2018" Read the article
Scripture readings: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Ps. 145:10-18; Eph. 3:14-21; John 6:1-21 Sermon by Sheila Graham from 2 Kings 4, Ephesians 3 and John 6 When the Impossible Becomes Possible Introduction The apostle Paul constantly encouraged the early Christians to have faith, and, as they went out into the world with the gospel message, to access … Continue reading "Sermon for July 29, 2018" Read the article
