The Seriousness of Advent A SERMON BASED ON PSALM 66

The days leading up to Christmas for Christians have always been a very serious time. This can be jarring to people not used to that kind of pre-Christmas experience. However, it's necessary. This sermon on Psalm 66 introduces us to why Advent is taken so seriously and what is involved in meeting God according to the call of the poet of the Psalm.

Don’t Let the World Get You Down A SERMON BASED ON LUKE 21:25-36

As we begin this Advent season, we look ahead not only to Christ’s coming in Bethlehem but also to his coming again at the end of time. Jesus opens our eyes to see that his coming is near. The signs are all around us. Jesus shows us how to interpret these signs, and he invites us to examine what’s happening in our lives so that we are ready for his coming. 

Turn, turn, turn! A SERMON BASED ON ECCLESIASTES 3:1-15

Peter Seeger ripped the lyrics of Ecclesiastes 3 wholesale for his song entitled "Turn, turn, turn." Then, the Byrds set it to a new tune, and it went straight to the top of the charts. He added very little to Solomon's original poem. "Turn" was one of the sole additions. That little word helps interpret the poem. This sermon uses that word to gather up Solomon's teaching about how we should respond to so much of our lives that are totally in God's hands.

Remembrancing your Creator A SERMON BASED ON ECCLESIASTES 12:1-8

It may be challenging to bring together Solomon's extravagant poetry initially. This sermon notices that, makes it cohere, and then applies it to life with God. Life is not a right. It is a gift of grace. On the one hand, we are to receive that life daily, appreciating it. On the other hand, we will want to depend on our Creator in faith, becoming children again before we do because of age.

Here are the slides from the informational meeting after church.

The Preacher wants all searching to end. What is the end of searching for him? It is meeting God at the judgment. This sermon, preached on Last Judgment Sunday, brings the Preacher’s teaching to our moment and shows how it places the Christian on the other side of judgment.

The Gospel According to Solomon A SERMON BASED ON ECCLESIASTES 7:15-22

Solomon gets our minds whirring with his words of wisdom. How are we to live? Solomon presents us with two extremes. The answer, however, is not somewhere in the middle. The answer is the gospel. This sermon will clarify the gospel message according to Solomon and provide us with true wisdom for our lives under the sun. 

Discipleship Will Cost You Your Life A SERMON BASED ON MARK 10:35-45

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Bonhoeffer eventually died for his faith, but this fact holds true for all Christians. The call to discipleship involves a death to self. It means that discipleship isn’t about “me.” Discipleship is so much bigger than that. It’s about our Savior and living a life for others.

Three Money Lies and the Gospel Truth A SERMON BASED ON ECCLESIASTES 5:10-20

Here the Preacher deals with lies we tell ourselves about money. They tend to sound like, “I have to have enough, or I won’t be secure.” Or, “I need more of it so I can be happy.” These lies enslave us, making us stingy and insecure. The Preacher has truth here that will set us all free. What he does here is push back three money lies and leave us with one hopeful truth.

Carpe Diem!A SERMON BASED ON ECCLESIASTES 9:7-12

“In the moment of our talking, envious time has ebb'd away. Seize the present; trust tomorrow e'en as little as you may” (Horace). There are your famous lines from the Roman poet. In that translation, "carpe diem" is translated as "seize the present." As we advance from Horace, it's become somewhat commonplace. It's the idea lurking behind the acronym YOLO or the tattoo you occasionally see "memento mori." It's worth pointing out that the world's most famous and arguably most insistent carpe diem passages are in the Christian Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes. However, the seizing is less an act of our sheer will and more an act of reception of God's pure and unbridled grace.

The Provocation of InjusticeA SERMON BASED ON ECCLESIASTES 3:16-22

We may very well see more injustice in our world than ever before in human history. This does not mean there is more of it. It simply means that because of technology, we see more of it. This does affect us. We are, perhaps more often than ever before, deeply provoked. How should we respond? Arguably, Solomon gives us the most extended response to human injustice that you'll find anywhere in the Bible. He guides us with wisdom so that we might even enjoy our lives as we live amid a very provoked and provoking world.