Sermons from Christ Presbyterian Church in Burke, VA

Pastor Harlow examines the familiar story of Zacchaeus through a fresh lens in Luke 19:1-10. While we often focus on the tax collector’s determination to see Jesus, this passage reveals a deeper truth: Jesus was already seeking Zacchaeus before Zacchaeus ever climbed that sycamore tree.

The story unfolds in three movements. First, we see Zacchaeus thinking he is the seeker, going to great lengths to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Then comes the stunning reversal when Jesus calls him by name, revealing that God has been pursuing him all along. Finally, we witness Zacchaeus’s transformative response through genuine repentance, generous restitution, and joyful hospitality.

This encounter reminds us that every conversion story is ultimately about God’s grace reaching down to us. Christ came “to seek and save the lost,” and this mission drives every divine encounter, including our own.

Pastor Porter Harlow examines one of life’s most challenging questions: Why does the Lord sometimes delay His answers to our prayers? Through Luke 18:31–43, this message explores five biblical reasons the Lord may choose to wait before acting on our behalf. Drawing from the persistent widow, the healing of the blind beggar, and the prophetess Anna, Pastor Harlow reveals how God’s delays are never without purpose. He may wait to display His power, transform us or others, or answer in unexpected ways. Through it all, His heart remains moved by our circumstances even when His hands appear still.

Pastor Hasler explores Jesus’s tender invitation to children in Luke 18:15-17, where Christ rebukes His disciples for turning away infants and their parents. When Jesus declares, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God,” He reveals what it means to receive God’s kingdom with childlike faith—simple trust, humility, and complete dependence on our heavenly Father.

This week’s message examines the heart of true humility in Luke 18:9-14. Through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Jesus reveals the stark difference between self-righteousness and genuine repentance before God.

In this passage, Christ shows us that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be exalted. The tax collector’s simple prayer—”God, be merciful to me, a sinner”—demonstrates the posture of heart that God desires and honors.

In this message from Luke 18:1-8, we explore the parable of the persistent widow and discover how Christ’s words serve as a great encouragement to all of us seeking to “revive” our prayer time with the Lord. Through this powerful parable, we’ll learn what it means to approach God with bold persistence and unwavering faith, finding practical wisdom for deepening our communion with our heavenly Father who delights to hear and answer the prayers of His children.

This week’s message explores the profound tension between the “now” and the “not yet” of God’s Kingdom. In Luke 17:20-37, Jesus reminds His disciples—and us today—that the Kingdom of God has already come in Him, even as we await its final and glorious fulfillment with hope.

In this passage, Jesus calls us to stay watchful, faithful, and ready. He points us to the stories of Noah and Lot as sobering examples of how sudden His return will be, urging us to live each day with hearts set on the eternal rather than clinging to the temporary.

This past Sunday, Pastor Robert preached on Jesus’ cleansing of the ten lepers from Luke 17:7–19. In this passage, we see not only Christ’s power to heal but also the transforming power of gratitude in the hearts of those who are redeemed by His grace. Listen as we reflect on what it means to respond to God’s mercy with thankful hearts.

What does it mean to live as a Christian in a culture marked by division, blame, and bitterness? This week’s sermon from Luke 17:1–6 walks us through Jesus’ call to a life transformed by grace. In a world desperate for peace and healing, Christ’s words offer a path of grace, forgiveness, and spiritual renewal.

This Sunday was a moment of joyful significance in the life of our church, as we witnessed the ordination and installation of our pastoral intern, Robert Hasler, as Assistant Pastor.

In the sermon, Pastor Harlow preached from Titus 1, focusing on Paul’s call for pastors and all believers to hold fast to God’s trustworthy Word. The message addressed the problem of disorder in the early church and the God-given solution: appointing faithful elders who are shaped by Scripture and committed to teaching it.

Through a series of pastoral charges—to the elders, to Robert, and to the congregation—we were reminded that leaders and members alike are rooted in the Word, formed by the Word, and bold to proclaim the Word.

In this week’s sermon, we look back to Peter’s first message at Pentecost and the powerful response it sparked in the hearts of his listeners (Acts 2:22–47). Preaching on the ascension of Christ, Peter’s words ignited a movement—one that gave birth to the first churches of the New Testament era. This message explores how those early believers responded: by devoting themselves to the Word, to prayer, to the sacraments, and to one another in loving fellowship. Their devotion became the foundation of the Church—and a model for us today.