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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15-0524 Sermon on Romans 8:18-39

Paul's Letter on Mutual Forbearance (Part 4 of 5)

Scripture:  Romans 8:18-39

Theme:  The Presence of the Holy Spirit gives us hope for the future.


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