Today’s passage from the Hebrew Bible underscores questions that are critical for our Christian life. Can I trust the promises of God? How reliable are the promises of God? How central are the promises of God to my daily life? How do the promises of God shape my identity? How do God’s promises relate to my safety? This passage from Genesis is one of the great turning points in the Biblical story, but it also raises issues that are a turning point for your own personal story as well.
View SermonGenesis
Unfolding the Master Plan
The Ulm Minster is the tallest church in the world (530 ft). It was planned and begun by Heinrich Parler in 1377, but it was not completed until 1890. That’s 513 years of construction! In the beginning, God had a clear plan for the heavens and the earth, for the garden, and for Adam and Eve. Unlike Ulm Minster, which had many architects and builders along with way, God has overseen the development of his plan over thousands of years.
View SermonMarriage and Divorce
In the Gospel today, Jesus teaches about divorce in response to a question from the Pharisees. Jesus is not speaking to make the divorced person feel condemned, he is addressing the Pharisee’s faulty thinking. Jesus points beyond their debate to the very beginning, to the very first marriage, to show how God intended for marriage to be permanent…”till death do us part.” Part of the the beauty of marriage is in this permanence. But it doesn’t always end that way because of the hardness of our hearts.
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 SermonThe “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 SermonListening to the Lord
This past year or so has felt much like a long season of Lent. For many of us we have given up so many experiences, times with family and friends, activities we used to enjoy, or even just feeling like things are normal. It can be very tempting to focus on everything that is different and yet Fr. Chris and I truly feel like it is an invitation for all of us to draw closer to the living God who wants to speak to each of you and to provide a way for you. Abraham was faithful to God and God provided a way out of His situation. God provided a sacrificial ram that would take the place of Isaac.
View SermonBlessing the Nations
When God called Abraham in Genesis 12:3 he told him: “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God didn’t save you to keep that blessing for yourself, he wants you to share it. There is no treasure greater than a relationship with the Living God! By sharing this treasure you lose nothing and those who receive the gift gain everything. We are called to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. What part is God calling you to play in his mission?
View SermonThe Strong Name of the Trinity
As we look at the doctrine of the Trinity, both in the Scriptures and in theology, we can say simply that we worship One God in three Persons. We can’t really explain exactly how this is possible, and it bends our brains trying to figure it out. What we can do is respond to the Trinity in three important ways: comfort, awe, and praise.
View SermonStorming Heaven
Abraham petitioned the Lord over and over again for the innocent. He relented only after asking the God of the heavens and earth for each of the people. Abraham shows us a way to pray, petitioning God for the concerns of our heart. When people suffer, make bad choices, need help, and experience scary circumstances we need to storm heaven for them. Not assuming that we know the right answer for their life but rather asking God to care for them, provide for them, and have his way in their life. God’s vision is so much clearer and wider than ours. We see life in a limited manner however God can see it all.
View SermonA Son of Laughter
Sometimes when we hear God’s voice, it can take a long time for his promises to come to fruition. This was the case with Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament as they waited for God to give them a son. When this happens we can be tempted to take things into our own hands or fall into despair and disbelief. God calls us to another way, patience. We have a God who always keeps his promises and he is always faithful to deliver. Let us put our trust in him and wait with patience.
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