a sermon from Fr. Nathan

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The readings for Pentecost 16 call God’s people to flee thedestructive loves of this world—especially the love of money—and to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

True godliness is not moral effort but participation in the life of Jesus Christ, “the mystery of godliness” made known in the flesh. To confess Christ is to live by his kingdom, which is not of this world and is advanced not through violence or self-assertion but through truth and mercy.

The cross reveals both the depth of human sin and the even greater depth of divine forgiveness. Those who follow Jesus are summoned to keep his commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” In turning away from greed, fear, and self-protection, we gain a richer life—the eternal life that begins now, sustained by God’s grace and marked by trust, gentleness, and joy in his provision.

a sermon from Fr. Nathan

On St. Matthew’s Day, we remember that Jesus called a tax collector—someone despised and isolated—to follow him. Matthew’s story reminds us that sin is not only about bad choices but about a condition of separation that Jesus comes to heal. He looks on Matthew with care, not condemnation, and offers a call to follow him into a new way of life. The Pharisees, in their zeal for purity, missed the presence of God in their midst, showing us how easy it is to let religious observance become an end in itself. Jesus, however, demonstrates that mercy always comes first, and that God’s nature is always to have mercy. His presence with tax collectors and sinners caused controversy then, and it still does now, but it reveals the heart of God for the broken. To follow Christ is to share in that same posture of presence and mercy in our homes, workplaces, and communities.

a sermon from Fr. Nathan

“Christ crucified” is God’s power and wisdom (1 Cor. 1:23–24). In John 12, Jesus’ lifting up glorifies the Father, judges the world, casts out the ruler of this age, and draws all people (John 12:28–32). The Cross is God’s decisive act against evil.

This week we receive it as medicine. The assassination of Charlie Kirk is a wound in our common life. The Cross is an instrument of healing lament: it teaches that every person bears God’s image; every death diminishes the human family.

It also prescribes our response. At Calvary, Jesus tells the truth, forgives enemies, and makes peace. So our pattern is simple and costly: tell the truth without vilifying, release revenge through forgiveness, and seek repair wherever possible.

As legacy claims multiply, the Cross is our diagnostic—the measure of truth and grace, resolve and reconciliation.

Finally, embrace the regimen: confess sin, trust that kindness leads to repentance (Rom 2:4), pray for enemies (Matt 5:44), practice peacemaking. The way of the Cross is life.

a sermon from Dcn Steward Toliver

This week’s reading from Philemon packs a powerful message. Paul writes not just to settle a dispute, but to call two believers—Philemon and Onesimus—to live as true brothers in Christ. It's a reminder that the gospel compels us understand one another as spiritual family. In a world that often divides, the Church is called to be a place of deep reconciliation and spiritual kinship. The invitation still stands, and Christ still teaches us to treat one another as beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord.

a sermon from Fr. Nathan

This week at Desert Mission Anglican Church, we reflected on the pervasive and destructive nature of pride and the transforming call of Christ to humble love.

Drawing on the wisdom of Sirach and the parable of the wedding feast in Luke 14, we were reminded that pride is not just an irritating personal flaw—it’s a poison that corrupts communities, nations, and even our closest relationships.

Jesus models a radically different way: power expressed through service, authority lived out in foot-washing humility, and relationships not built on status but on grace.

He calls us to take the lowest seat, to serve the least, and to live in non-transactional love that mirrors God's unearned generosity toward us.

When we crucify pride and follow Christ in humility, we begin to rehearse—even at our own tables—the joyful banquet of the kingdom to come.

a sermon from Fr. Nathan

In a world saturated with spiritual content and online guides, the apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians remind us of our deep need for spiritual parents—those who walk with us, sacrifice for us, and show us Christ through their lives.

True spiritual mothers and fathers do not merely instruct; they invest, nurture, and model the life of Jesus in personal, sacrificial ways. Unlike distant voices on screens, they embody Christ's servant-hearted love—serving rather than lording, giving rather than demanding.

May we be grateful for the spiritual parents in our lives, and may we aspire to become such people for others, pointing always to our true Father in heaven.

a sermon from Fr. Koos

The Christian life is compared in the Bible to a race—one that requires endurance, focus, and letting go of everything that weighs us down.

Hebrews 12 reminds us that we do not run alone: we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, saints and loved ones who have finished before us and now cheer us on.

Most of all, we keep our eyes on Jesus, who ran the race Himself, endured the cross, and now strengthens us to keep going.

So lift your drooping hands, steady your weak knees, and run the race with endurance, knowing His grace will carry you to the finish.

a sermon from Fr. Nathan

Faith isn’t wishful thinking—it’s trusting God’s promises and living in loyal relationship with him.
Hebrews 11 reminds us that this trust draws us into God’s friendship, shapes our lives, and keeps our hope fixed on his heavenly kingdom.
We may feel like strangers in this world, but our true home is the city God has prepared for his people.
So we walk with him daily, encouraged by the promise that “it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

a sermon from Fr. Nathan

Colossians 3:5–17 presents a powerful vision of transformation: a call to put to death all that is earthly—especially distorted desires and destructive speech—and to clothe ourselves with the character of Christ. The passage begins with a stark warning about how sin disfigures human dignity and relationships, yet it leads us into the hopeful promise of renewal. We are invited to live into the new self, one that is being remade in the image of its Creator.

This renewed life is marked by compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and above all, love—the bond of perfect harmony. The peace of Christ is to rule in our hearts, and thankfulness is to shape our lives. Whatever we do—in word or deed—is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, bearing witness to the new humanity made possible by His grace.

Correction: Fr. Nathan got a book title he referenced wrong! The correct title of Tim Keller’s book is Counterfeit Gods, not Idols of the Heart. Thank you for your understanding.

A sermon from Fr. Nathan

Paul expresses his deep love and struggle for the Church, desiring their encouragement, unity, and knowledge of Christ. True wisdom and authority are found only in Christ, who is sufficient for all things. Christians must resist plausible but misleading ideas that distract from Christ, keeping Him as both the lens and the goal of all understanding. A life rooted in Scripture, prayer, and thanksgiving is how we walk in Christ day by day.