December 30            (First Sunday after Christmas)     

 

Text:                Matthew 2:13-23

Title:                “THE ROAD TO BETHLEHEM: NO PLACE TO LINGER”

Theme:           Bethlehem proves to be a violent and bloody place, much like the world we live in. Because of this we can’t linger in Bethlehem but Christ calls us to make a move, but as we move with Jesus away from Bethlehem, to Nazareth and finally to a place called Golgotha, we will find that we are not the same people we were when we left Bethlehem.

 

December 24            (Christmas Eve)      

 

Text:                Luke 2:4-7

Title:                “THE ROAD TO BETHLEHEM: THE WAIT IS OVER”

Theme:           Our long journey to the manger is over, but do we have the courage to look into that manger at that baby, and see not only a peaceful, sleeping child, but can we look long and deep and see the demanding and challenging Savior?

 

December 23            (Fourth Sunday of Advent) 

 

Text:                Matthew 1:18-25

Title:                “THE ROAD TO BETHLEHEM: WATCH THE SIGNS”

Theme:           Joseph has never received much attention in the gospel story. And yet Joseph was willing to follow the strange and unexpected movements of God and walked the road of faith wherever it took him. But perhaps we need more Josephs, perhaps we need more of the quiet faithful, unspectacularly faithful people who quietly, and without much fanfare, just go about giving their best to God.

 

December 16            (Third Sunday of Advent)

 

Text:                Isaiah 35:1-10                      

Title:                “THE ROAD TO BETHLEHEM: A WAY WHERE THERE WAS NO WAY”

Theme:           As we travel on the road of faith we encounter obstacles, but even though many of these obstacles are self-inflicted, God finds a way for us; brings the exiles home, makes deserts burst into full bloom, because God makes a way where there was no way.

 

December 9              (Second Sunday of Advent)         

 

Text:                Matthew 3:1-12        

Title:                “THE ROAD TO BETHLEHEM: A U-TURN IN THE WILDERNESS”

Theme:           As we journey the Bethlehem road a man named John reminds us that we must come to God on God’s terms, and that means we repent, we turn around, we change. As it turns out that’s the good news, that we can repent, that with God’s help we can change.

 

December 2              (First Sunday of Advent)

 

Text:                Matthew 24:36-44

Title:                “THE ROAD TO BETHLEHEM: UNEXPECTED DESTINATIONS”

Theme:           We often think of the church as a matter of tying things down, getting faith firm, making a final decision for or against Christ, when the truth is things are far more unpredictable than that. As we begin our journey down the road to Bethlehem, we are warned to expect the unexpected because our relationship with God is in God’s hands not ours.

 

November 25            (Last Sunday after Pentecost)      

Text:                John 18:33-37

Title:                “IMPORTANCE: OF EATING YOUR OWN DOG FOOD”

Theme:           This text is the story of Pilate questioning Jesus. Pilate had always presented himself as a fair judge, but when it comes to Jesus he doesn’t practice what he preaches (he doesn’t eat his own dog food). If we’re to have any chance of selling our faith to world, we have to eat our own dog food. To know faith, we have to life faith.

 

November 18            (Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost)    [Stewardship Sunday]

Text:                Matthew 6:25-33

Title:                “IMPORTANCE: OF CLAIMING THE PROMISES”

Theme:           The Bible gives certain promises regarding our well-being. But what most folks don’t realize is that the promises generally come with a qualifier, God says, “You do this and I’ll do that”. This sermon is a stewardship sermon which will focus on God’s promise of provision; that is, if we give to God what is God’s.

 

 

November 11            (Twenty Fourth Sunday after Pentecost)           

Text:                Mark 12:38-44

Title:                “IMPORTANCE: OF JESUS EYES”

Theme:           The way that Jesus saw the world was very different from the way his contemporaries saw the world. This is still true today. As illustrated in this text those who we see as important don’t seem to matter much to Jesus at all. If we are to grow in our faith, it’s important that we learn to see each other through Jesus eyes.

 

November 4              (All Saints Sunday)

Text:                Ruth 1”14-17

Title:                “IMPORTANCE: OF SAINTS”

Theme:           This sermon will tell the story of Ruth and her close attachment to Naomi, suggesting that we Christians are just as closely attached to each other. Just as the two women needed each other to survive, so we need each other to successfully be the church and grow in our faith.