The Good Shepherd longs to see your face before him, it doesn’t matter your age, gender, or where you are in your journey with Him. Jesus longs to see you turn your eyes to him. The scriptures say that Jesus delights in seeing us come to Him. Today is Good Shepherd Sunday in which we turn our hearts and minds to the love of Jesus and how he wants to bless us and care for us.
View SermonEaster
Peter, Do You Love Me?
Have you ever had a conflict with someone or felt ashamed because you sinned against them? What is it like the first time you see them again? This is now Peter’s third time seeing Jesus after the resurrection, but also after his three denials.
View SermonThe Meaning of the Resurrection
The resurrection is a historical fact, and it verifies that Jesus was who he said he was. Many have claimed to be God, Jesus is the only one who rose from the dead!
View SermonUnited Through the Spirit
In Acts 2:14, the Apostle Peter quotes from the Prophet Joel saying “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Instead of us building a tower up to God (as the People in Babel did in Genesis 11), God bridges the gap and comes down to us. We approach God through repentance and faith and he pours out his forgiveness and mercy upon us and washes us clean in the water of Baptism.
View SermonWhat is Love?
The Apostle John says that “God is Love.” It is important to note that he doesn’t say this the opposite way “Love is God.” The order of the words makes a big difference. Some have made a God out of love. That is putting the cart before the horse! As one commentator says, “Love does not describe the fullness of God, but God defines the fullness of love.”
View SermonRejoice all the earth!
Amen, and I say let our spirits Rejoice! For We are wonderfully and uniquely made in the image of our loving God; and therefore I am assured that we have within us, the raw capacity to love, serve, protect, and care for one another; but we, in our corrupted nature, often struggle to move in the way of love, or fully discern, the way of truth and that of a pure heart, from those competing voices, of our flesh and our self-interest and the world. So, when we consider the precepts of God, that call for us to love one another, how would we say we are doing?
View SermonGood Shepherd
Why should we follow a Shepherd when we can make our own decisions?
When we follow the Shepherd he will show us how to live so that we can have calmer and more peaceful lives. Jesus longs to give us His sheep lives that reflect Him and bring His glory into the world. How might God want to stretch you and change you for His glory? How might God want to bring you closer to Him? Perhaps you can’t quite imagine being on the shoulders of Jesus. Perhaps you feel not ready or not good enough to be that close. I have a secret to share none of us are worthy enough but He delights in showing us mercy.
What Have You Seen and Heard?
A witness is someone who has personally observed something. John was one of the Apostles who lived with and observed Jesus. He saw Jesus die on the cross, and he was also a witness to the resurrection. I was not there to personally witness the resurrection, but I can rely on the testimony of John and others and I have personally seed evidence of what God has done in my own life.
View SermonLocked Doors
To say that “no one locks their doors here” is a badge of honor for many communities. It is an expression of confidence in the safety of the neighborhood. I once lived in such a community. When my parents first moved there, there was not even a lock on the door! Today I always lock our doors before going to bed. I bet you do too. I don’t think there is anything wrong with locking the door to your house but is worthwhile to consider whether you are locking danger out or locking yourself in.
For Jesus’ disciples, it was a little of both.
Did you Hear the News?
The Resurrection of Jesus was shocking, world changing news.
It was so unexpected that even his disciples struggled to believe it! As with most big news, some were excited and others were definitely not! There are three basic approaches you can take when a breaking story puts you in a bad light. 1) cover it up, 2) Wait it out, 3) Admit your wrongdoing, apologize and deal with the consequences. As we consider the news of the Resurrection of Jesus, let us consider each of these approaches.
