Cape Elizabeth Church of the Nazarene - Weekly Sermon Podcast

Text: Luke 19:1-10
The familiar story of Zacchaeus reminds us that God has always been looking for us to welcome Him into our lives and change the way in which we live among each other. Our past, titles, and labels do not need to define us because the Son of Man came to save us and bring us into the fold of the people of God.

Text: 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
Today’s passage has Paul near the end of his ministry, saying that he has finished the race, promising a victory for those who practice the grace and love modeled by Jesus and live faithfully to God. The promise of the Resurrection is God finishing race with us, restoring His creation, and saving us for His new Heavenly kingdom.

Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
We continue reading Paul’s second letter to Timothy. This week, Paul encourages Timothy to remember the scriptures he read from childhood and recognize how Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promises made in them. As followers of Christ, we receive our faith from the words found in Scripture which reveal to us who Jesus is for now and forever, and this allows us to live our lives in anticipation of what Christ will do for us and the entire world.

Text: 2 Timothy 2:8-15
Pastor Amanda Lawton brings us a message this week from 2 Timothy. Paul instructs Timothy to remember the work that Christ did for us on the cross and to remind the people he encounters of the same. When we live into the same calling and live into that truth, it helps to increase our faith in God and helps increase the faith of those around us.

2 Timothy 1:3-14
We welcome back Pastor Eric Larsen as our guest preacher. This week, we look at the “pattern of sound teaching” that Paul describes to Timothy. It is a faith that is 1) consistent and prayerful with a connection to Jesus, 2) continually practiced by being put into action, and 3) empowered by the Holy Spirit, recognizing that the holy life we are called to cannot be done alone.

Text: Luke 16:19-31
In today’s passage from Luke, we study the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.  We are meant to be a people who show comfort, favor, and mercy to those in need, even if they are the ones who are normally kept outside the gates.

Text: Luke 16:1-13
Through the Parable of the Dishonest Manager, Jesus says that we must live in a way that practices for being ready to have a home in the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Lost and Found”
Text: Luke 15:1-10
Today, we hear the parable of the Lost Sheep and the parable of the Lost Coin from the Gospel of Luke.  Both stories show that God is the one who knows us and seeks after those who are lost or those who have been pushed out of the fold.  They remind us when interacting with the world around us to see others as those made in the Image of God.

Text: Luke 14:25-33
This week, we read challenging words from Jesus on what one must do to become a disciple. They are not a call to destructive behaviors, but we recognize they have purpose; a way of setting us forth with a mission to follow Jesus and not let the temptations of other allegiances get in the way.

“Fishers of Men – Judgment and Grace”
Text: Luke 5:1-11
The use of fishing imagery when Jesus calls His disciples in Luke is familiar to us.  Fishing-related imagery is also used in other prophetic scriptures, usually in a way that judges the people.  Pastor Tim explores some of these and explains that Jesus reframes this imagery to provide grace, rather than judgment, to those who are “caught.”