15-1224 Sermon for Christmas Eve

Scripture:  Matthew 1:18-23, Luke 1:26-37, 2:1-18

Story: The birth story of Jesus.

Theme:  Matthew and Luke make promises about what Jesus will accomplish. None of them would have come true if Jesus hadn't grown up.


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15-1220 Sermon on Luke 1

Scripture:  Luke 1:5-20

Story: The birth of John foretold.

Theme:  The miracle that Zechariah experiences gives him, and others, hope that God will perform a greater miracle.


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15-1213 Sermon on Ezra 1 and 3

Scripture:  Ezra 1:1-4 & 3:1-5, 10-13

Story: God's people lay the foundation of the Temple.

Theme:  As the Jews begin to rebuild their lives in Jerusalem, they discover that sorrow can reveal the true source of joy.


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15-1206 Sermon on Isaiah 40

Scripture:  Isaiah 40:1-11

Story: A message of hope for God's people in exile.

Theme:  The exiles discover that nothing can prevent God from being faithful to God's promises.


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15-1122 Sermon on Isaiah 5 and 11

Scripture:  Isaiah 5:1-7; 11:1-5

Story: The Vineyard Song and A Shoot from the Stump of Jesse.

Theme:  Isaiah pronounces judgement on Judah for not living a life of trust in God, which has led to their fear of Assyria. The prophet's message challenges us not to fear aggressors like ISIS, but to trust in God and show God's compassion to the poor and powerless.


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15-1108 Sermon on Mark 12 and 1 Kings 17

Scripture:  Mark 12:38-44 and 1 Kings 17:8-16

Story: A widow gives an offering in the temple and a widow feeds Elijah.

Theme:  Lost Creek and Trinity celebrated the Agreement on Full Communion between the ELCA and the PC(USA). Erin Bovendam's sermon about the widow's offering in Mark and Elijah receiving help from a widow in 1 Kings reminds us that every person we meet has a gift from God that they can share with others.


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15-1101 Sermon on 1 Kings 12

Scripture:  1 Kings 12:1-17, 25-29

Story: Israel is divided into 2 kingdoms.

Theme:  The division of Israel into the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah teaches us why it's important to live our lives as an example for future generations to follow.


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15-1025 Sermon on 2 Samuel 5:1-5; 6:1-5

Scripture:  2 Samuel 5:1-5; 6:1-5

Story: David is crowned king of all Israel and brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

Theme:  Prayer, Bible Study, and Worship are ways that God shows God's love to us and we grow closer to God.


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15-1018 Sermon on Ruth 1:1-17

Scripture:  Ruth 1:1-17

Story: Ruth chooses to follow Naomi.

Theme:  When we feel we have nothing to offer others, Ruth reminds us that our faith in God is a valuable gift we have to share.


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15-1011 Sermon on Deuteronomy 5:1-21, 6:4-9

Scripture:  Deuteronomy 5:1-21, 6:4-9

Story: Moses recites the 10 Commandments for the next generation.

Theme:  The 10 Commandments are a call to break away from the world's view of life and to start living a way that reflects God's grace.


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15-1004 Sermon on Exodus 1:8-14, 3:1-15

Scripture:  Exodus 1:8-14, 3:1-15

Story: Moses and the Burning Bush.

Theme:  Because God is with us, our actions do not have to be driven by fear, but can reflect the grace and compassion of God.


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15-0927 Sermon on Genesis 32:22-30

Scripture:  Genesis 32:22-30

Story: Jacob wrestles with God.

Theme:  This sermon was not recorded due to technical difficulties. In the story of God wrestling with Jacob we discover that, when we feel we are wrestling with God, it is God's way of building a relationship with us and transforming us into the image of Christ.


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15-0920 Sermon on Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7

Scripture:  Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7

Story: God promises that Sarah will have a son.

Theme:  God can be trusted to show us love and grace, and the church is to reflect that good news in its life together.


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15-0913 Sermon on Genesis 2:4-15

Scripture:  Genesis 2:4-15

Story: Adam and Eve in the Garden

Theme:  We begin another journey through the Narrative Lectionary by reflecting on how God is the source of all life, and we experience fullness of life when we trust and obey God.


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Final Sermon in the Series on the Psalms

Due to technical difficulties the last sermon in the series on the Psalms was not recorded.

15-0830 Sermon on Psalm 40:1-10

The Psalms (Part 5 of 6)

Scripture:  Psalm 40:1-10

Theme:  Psalms of thanksgiving remind us that God can be trusted to save us, not because God is expecting a favor in return, but simply because God loves us.


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15-0823 Sermon on Psalm 27:1-6

The Psalms (Part 4 of 6)

Scripture:  Psalm 27:1-6

Theme:  Psalms of trust invite us to reflect on God's faithfulness in the past so that we can trust God in the present.


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15-0816 Sermon on Psalm 69:1-16

The Psalms (Part 3 of 6)

Scripture:  Psalm 69:1-16

Theme:  Psalms of lament encourage us not to "hold our tongue" when problems assail us, but to pour out a problems to God because we believe God will help.


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15-0809 Sermon on Psalm 113

The Psalms (Part 2 of 6)

Scripture:  Psalm 113

Theme:  Psalms of praise not only express gratitude to God for God's activity in our lives, they also help lift up those who are feeling downtrodden.


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15-0802 Sermon on Psalm 1

The Psalms (Part 1 of 6)

Scripture:  Psalm 1

Theme:  Reflecting on the history of God's people, the psalmist discovers we are stronger when our lives are centered on God.


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15-0726 Sermon on Luke 1:39-56

Christmas in July (Part 5 of 5)

Scripture:  Luke 1:39-56

Theme:  Mary is able to praise God after God restores her spirit through her visit with Elizabeth.


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15-0719 Sermon on Luke 2:21-38

Christmas in July (Part 4 of 5)

Scripture:  Luke 2:21-38

Theme:  When Simeon and Anna see Jesus, they realize that he may not be the savior people were expecting, but he is the savior we all need.


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15-0712 Sermon on Matthew 2:1-12

Christmas in July (Part 3 of 5)

Scripture:  Matthew 2:1-12

Theme:  The story of the Wise Men reminds us that God's plans are not always our plans, and we need to consider how we are going to respond to that truth.


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15-0705 Sermon on Matthew 1:1-17

Christmas in July (Part 2 of 5)

Scripture:  Matthew 1:1-17

Theme:  Matthew's inclusion of 4 unconventional mothers in the genealogy of Jesus prepares us for a story of an unconventional savior.


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15-0628 Sermon on Luke 2:1-20

Christmas in July (Part 1 of 5)

Scripture:  Luke 2:1-20

Theme:  Luke describes Jesus being born in a house, not a stable. But the image of the stable may still be an appropriate image for us today.


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Sermon Series on Romans

The Narrative Lectionary ended this year with a series on Paul's letter to the Romans.

Typically it has been thought that Paul knows nothing about the church in Rome and uses this letter to introduce himself to the church, perhaps in the hopes of getting their support for a new mission trip to Spain.  So the first half of the letter is considered an introduction of Paul's theology and the second half of the letter describes some of Paul's answers to common problems churches face.

However, after reading the thoughts of some other commentators, I've come to believe that Paul is very familiar with the church in Rome.  This letter addresses a problem that is tearing the church apart:  differences in theology and practice within the congregation.  Paul writes to show how the Gospel calls them to exercise "mutual forbearance."  That is, because of God's love revealed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians should accept and encourage each other, even when we don't agree on what we believe or how we live out our beliefs.

15-0531 Sermon on Romans 14:1-12

Paul's Letter on Mutual Forbearance (Part 5 of 5)

Scripture:  Romans 14:1-12

Theme:  The presence of the Holy Spirit means Christians do not have to be afraid of differences.


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