Melbourne Heights - Sermons

The theologian Elizabeth Johnson describes Jesus as "ineffable mystery" - meaning that Jesus is beyond our ability to fully understand or explain. So how can we ever hope to know who Jesus is?

Well, knowing Jesus isn't about information...it's about a relationship. So the only way to know Jesus is to know him personally.

Who is welcome in the Kingdom of God? This is a question that just about every follower of Jesus wrestles with from time to time.

In this sermon, we'll wrestle with an uncomfortable exchange Jesus has with one particular woman. And we'll see what this exchange has to teach us about who is and isn't welcome in God's kingdom.

The word miracle means "to marvel" and, when we read about the miracles Jesus performs, it's easy to want to marvel at how he can heal the sick, or calm the sea, or feed the hungry.

But sometimes we get so caught up in the individual miracles that Jesus performs that we miss the bigger picture. In this sermon, we'll take a step back and look at the miracles Jesus performs as a whole to see what they teach us about who Jesus is.

You can't become more like Jesus unless you know who Jesus is. But if you've been a part of a church for years, it's easy to feel like you already know everything there is to know about Jesus.

In this sermon, we'll be reminded that Jesus is an ineffable mystery - Jesus will always be beyond our ability to fully understand or explain. So we all still have a lot to learn about Jesus.

It's been said that the New Year is like an empty book waiting to be written...but it's not always easy to know what story you want to write. As a new year begins there are so many possibilities that it's easy to become paralyzed by them.

In this sermon, we'll talk about what our first priority always needs to be as followers of Jesus. And we'll be challenged to focus on this priority as the new year begins.

The story of Jesus' birth has been told for more than 2,000 years. So this is a story we know well. We know who was involved. We know when it took place. We know where it happened.

But because we know this story so well, we take it for granted. In this sermon, we'll take a fresh look at the story of Jesus' birth and we'll be reminded of how Jesus' birth changed everything.

From buying the perfect presents, to putting up the perfect decorations, to baking the perfect cookies...there seem to be a lot of reasons why we want every Christmas to be perfect. But many of these reasons boil down to just one thing: We want to be loved.

In this sermon, we'll be reminded that at Christmas God shows us just how much God loves us all.

From buying the perfect presents, to putting up the perfect decorations, to baking the perfect cookies...there seem to be a lot of reasons why we want every Christmas to be perfect. But many of these reasons boil down to just one thing: We want to be loved.

In this sermon, we'll be reminded that at Christmas God shows us just how much God loves us all.

In the movie Jingle All the Way, Arnold Schwarzenegger's character spends the entire movie trying to find an action figure for his son as a way to make up for missing out on an important moment in his son's life. But no matter how hard he tries, a toy won't make up for his past mistakes.

Having the best Christmas ever won't make up for your past mistakes either. But Christmas can give you the chance for a clean start.

If you've ever tuned into the Hallmark Channel leading up to Christmas, it's easy to feel like everyone is having the best Christmas ever...except you. But no matter how pretty a tree may look, or how happy your holiday guests may seem...there's no such thing as a perfect Christmas.

So instead of wishing that your Christmas could be better, may it's time you start focusing on the blessings you already have.