Ebenezer Church Sermon Archive

Paul uses a farm analogy to invite the Christian community in Corinth to acknowledge the profound impact their gift-giving, investment can make in the lives of many folks. “…whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” As followers of Christ, we are called, challenged, and invited to respond to God’s great generosity by giving: Thoughtfully, Freely, Cheerfully, and Generously.

Simon Peter and his fishing partners get a surprise visitor one morning after a long night of fishing. Jesus shows up with a crowd and asks Simon Peter to row out from shore.  The encounter changes Simon’s life. He trusts Jesus in his struggles and is surprised to catch the biggest haul of fish he has ever seen. Our encounters with Jesus can change our lives and struggles, too. Jesus invites us to trust him with the hardest things in life – and invites us to discover the fish right where Jesus put them for us to find. What a blessing to be able to see that Jesus is with us on our hardest days – in more ways than we can count.

It may be difficult for us to comprehend who Jesus is, what he does, and what he knows about us when he steps into our world. We can only answer from the context and experience of our own lives. There is no way for us to know all that Jesus would do. Having been immobile for most of his life, a man trusted the waters, believed to contain healing properties, would heal him. Then God comes to his neighborhood and gives him a greater sense of hope. Jesus is our hope, and we are the man at the pool.

There are 37 miracles recorded in the Gospels, pointing to Jesus turning the ordinary into something extraordinary, making a way where there was thought to be no way. These miracles show the providing, sustaining, and healing power of God at work. A miracle is the work of God bringing about transformation in God’s creation. In this first miracle of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of John, we see Jesus turning water into wine. An account of God meeting us in the place where we have run out, where things within us and around continue to go wrong. And yet, we see God cares about every detail in our lives and it is this same God who changes the water of the law into the wine of grace. Where do you need God to be at work transforming your life? Where and How is God calling you to respond to His Love and Grace?