December 24

Text:                     Luke 2:1-7

Title:                     Our Coming Savior: “The Innkeeper”

Theme:                There are countless children’s Christmas pageants where we see the Innkeeper telling Mary and Joseph, there’s no room at the Inn”. But the truth is the Innkeeper is never mentioned in the scriptures. So our story tonight is highly conjectural. We can only guess at what an Innkeeper might have said to Mary and Joseph, if indeed they ever actually spoke to one. But the fact that there was no room at the Inn should cause us to ask the question, “How much room is there for Christ in my life?”

December20           (Fourth Sunday of Advent)

Text:                      Luke 1:26-38

Title:                      Our Coming Savior: “Mary and Joseph”

Theme:                  In the face of the news of her pregnancy Mary asked the angel a very pointed question, “How”? As Christian people who have the mission of making disciples in a world that is increasingly hostile to those who share their faith, we might ask the same question. But then we would receive the same answer; “With God all things are possible!”

December20           (Fourth Sunday of Advent)

Text:                      Luke 1:26-38

Title:                      Our Coming Savior: “Mary and Joseph”

Theme:                  In the face of the news of her pregnancy Mary asked the angel a very pointed question, “How”? As Christian people who have the mission of making disciples in a world that is increasingly hostile to those who share their faith, we might ask the same question. But then we would receive the same answer; “With God all things are possible!”

December 13         (Fourth Sunday of Advent )

Text:                      Luke 2:8-15

Title:                      Our Coming Savior: “The Shepherds”

Theme:                Shepherds have a huge role in the telling of the Christmas story. Imagine having  a Christmas pageant that did not include a shepherd. But it’s surprising that of all  the people to whom God would send an angelic invitation to the birth of his Son,           that he would invite Shepherds. They were not at the top of anyone’s guest list, but as surprising as this is it tells us something very important about God. 

December 06        (Third Sunday of Advent)

Text:                      Matthew 2:1-8

Title:                      Our Coming Savior: “Herod”

Theme:                 Herod is the villain of Christmas. In a very real way he is the first Scrooge. But  Herod has far more in common with Hitler than with Scrooge. He was a murderer of babies. He was evil incarnate. Although we may want to exclude Herod from the Christmas story, we can’t because evil is real, even at  Christmas.  And we shouldn’t exclude Herod if only for the reason; that his story reminds all of us that evil is why Christ came to this world, and evil is why he hung on the cross.

November 29        (First Sunday of Advent)

Text:                     Luke 1:5-20a

Title:                     Our Coming Savior: “Zechariah and Elizabeth”

Theme:                The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is seldom told during the Christmas season, and yet it is an important story that has a very important message: God hears our prayers because God’s faithfulness is not dependent upon our faithfulness, but God does require obedience.

Luke 17:11-19

Thanksgiving is also about love and compassion

November 15                    (Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost)

Text:                      Luke 13:1-13

Title:                      Understanding the “Churchy” Words:  “The Will of God”

Theme:                  One of the biggest question that Christians and Non-Christians alike have in             regards to God is, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  Too often the             phrase, “The Will of God” is used to answer this question. But before we attempt to call everything, “God’s will” perhaps we had better explore the possiblity that        there may be more than one type of “God’s will”

 

November 15                    (Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost)

Text:                      Luke 13:1-13

Title:                      Understanding the “Churchy” Words:  “The Will of God”

Theme:                  One of the biggest question that Christians and Non-Christians alike have in             regards to God is, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  Too often the             phrase, “The Will of God” is used to answer this question. But before we attempt to call everything, “God’s will” perhaps we had better explore the possiblity that        there may be more than one type of “God’s will”

 

 

November 8          (Twenty Fourth Sunday after Pentecost)

Text:                      Luke 21:5-9

Title:                      Understanding the “Churchy” Words: “Born Again”

Theme:                  We often refer to Christian conversion as being, “born again”. Many times we talk about this new birth in Christ as if it’s a one-time happening. But the bible suggests over and over again that conversion is not a one-time happening but a life-long process.