Sermons from 2023

The First Sunday after Christmas December 31, 2023 Luke 2:21-40 Good News of Great Joy—Peace on Earth!   22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the…

The Third Sunday in Advent December 17, 2023 Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11 The King Shall Come— He is Bringing Perfect Peace!   1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who…

The Second Sunday in Advent December 10, 2023 Mark 1:1-8 The King Shall Come— Prepare to Meet Him!   1The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.   2It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— 3“a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” 4And so John came, baptizing in the desert region…

The Last Sunday of the Church Year November 26, 2023 Matthew 25:31-46 The Time In Between— A Time to Yearn for the End!   31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right…

The Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost November 19, 2023 Matthew 25:14-30 The Time In Between— A Time For Faithful Service!   14“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put…

The Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost November 12, 2023 Matthew 25:1-13 The Time In Between— A Time For Watchfulness!   1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming,…

All Saints Day November 5, 2023 Revelation 7:9-17 The Time In Between— A Time to Focus on Future Glory!   9After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who…

Reformation Sunday October 29, 2023 Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23 The Time In Between— A Time for Steadfast Faith!   10Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12So they…

The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost October 15, 2023 Matthew 22:1-14 A Story of Foolish Rejection!   1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.             4“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared…