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.”
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Recent sermons preached by Wise Church pastors and preachers.
Rejoice 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.
The “Goodness” of that Friday
How can a day filled with so much pain, suffering, and injustice be called “Good.” When faced with the reality of Jesus’ passion, we might wonder whether all of this was really necessary. Couldn’t there have been another way? It is even worse when we remember that Jesus didn’t die because of something he did, like the criminals next to him, he died because of something you and I did.
View SermonProclaiming the Lord’s Death Until He Comes
Jesus, on the night before he died, took the ancient Jewish Passover meal and transformed it with new meaning and significance. Through the sacrament of Holy Communion we are united to Christ, united to one another, and spiritually strengthened to live our our faith in the world.
View SermonPalm Sunday
It is in the nature of God to profoundly love us even though we are broken, lost, and often make bad decisions. It was profound love for you, me, and all of humanity that Jesus took upon the cross so many years ago so that we might know the way to the Father. Jesus’ gift of being willing to suffer so traumatically for all of us was meant to set us free from our brokenness and free from our addictions and free from our thoughts of worthlessness. Come and see that the Lord is good this Holy Week.
View SermonWe Wish to See Jesus
If someone came to you and said that they wanted to see Jesus what would you do? This is exactly what happened to Philip in the gospel passage today. Jesus’ disciples had gotten pretty used to people wanting to see Jesus, but these men were Greeks! Gentiles! Philip didn’t know what to do. While Jesus doesn’t seem to address these Greek men directly, the interaction seems to signal something significant to him.
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