Sermons

Jesus calls us to care for the greatest in the reigning of heaven. But whom might they be, and how do we care for them?

Following his confession of who Jesus is as "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Peter quickly moves from rock to stumbling block. He becomes a hindrance to Jesus' mission to go up to Jerusalem and suffer and die there. What about us? We, too, may find ourselves as roadblocks and obstacles that oppose, rather than support, God's kingdom. This is a call to repentance, and to take up our cross, following Jesus wherever He may lead us. We can only do this because Christ has himself first taken up his cross for us, giving his very life as the atoning sacrifice for all our sins.

Simon Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ is central to our faith, but why? Who do you say that Jesus is?

Jesus comes to his weary disciples on the Sea of Galilee, walking on the water in the midst of the storm. Jesus comes to his weary disciples today who struggle in the midst of life's storms. What He said to his disciples then, He says to his disciples today: "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."

God provides what we need to truly live, both for body and spirit.

Jesus and the free gift of salvation that God freely gives in him is that priceless treasure in life, like treasure hidden in a field, or a pearl of extraordinaryly great value. In order to possess these things, people will put all their resources into service to make it their own. The kingdom of heaven that centers in Jesus is the supreme treasure because it fully satisfies the heart and brings inner peace - peace which the world cannot give.

God is at work, even though his timing is not based in our expectations. Yet even so, God’s timing is for our benefit. The Master has a plan, and it will all be set right in the end.

Jesus' parables focus on the kingdom of God and what this is like. In the parable of the Sower and the Seed, despite the various soil types and conditions (hardened pathway, rocky soil, thorn-infested, soil, and good soil), the sower casts the good seed widely and generously. That seed is the life-giving Word of God, which carries within itself the power to grow and produce a rich harvest for the kingdom of God. God's kingdom has come to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, who now invites us to scatter the good seed of his Word widely and generously in the fields around us today.

What does it mean for Christians in America be truly patriotic?

Jesus calls his disciples to take up our cross and follow him. What is the cost of the cross? For Jesus, it was the price of his own life. What is the cost of the cross for us as disciples of Jesus today? To belong to Christ is a privilege so valuable that no other relationship can replace. To follow Christ is a calling so important that every other obligation must give way to this. Though we often fail to take up our cross for Christ, he did this for us. Jesus took up his cross and not only carried it, but was nailed to it. The One who has taken up his cross for us will strengthen us to carry our cross for him.