By what authority are you doing these things and who gave you that authority? Those are the questions on the table in this morning’s Gospel reading. Jesus is challenged by the temple authorities - the chief priests and the elders, the guardians of the religious institution and theological status quo. Who did…
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You’re probably not going to like this parable. There. You’ve been warned in advance. This isn’t going to be one of those sermons you want to send off to the relatives. This one’s kind of embarrassing. Best keep it “in-house” so to speak. You won’t like this parable…
“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?” There’s a great question. There has to be limit, doesn’t there? The line in the sand. The point beyond which you will not go, and be justified in it. Yes, Jesus taught His disciples to pray as…
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God. (Romans 13:1)
We are talking about “life as liturgy”, today from Romans chapter 13. Your life is a priestly liturgy as you, a baptized priest to God offer your own body as a living…
At first, it would appear that we’ve been dealt a weird hand by the folks who assembled the lectionary for this Sunday. We get part of Romans 11 tacked on to part of Romans 12. The part that begins with “Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” and…
She was desperate. You could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice. The urgency, the fear verging on panic, the despair. Her little girl was suffering from demon possession. We don’t know more than that. How long had it been? What were the symptoms? But our…
We’re pressing on with Romans chapter 10 this morning. Last week, we heard Paul speak of his passionate desire that his fellow Israelites, the blood descendants of Abraham, would turn from the religion based on commandment-keeping to the true righteousness of God that comes through faith in Christ. In fact, this is the…
So what about those Israelites, the blood descendants of Abraham, God’s chosen people? What went wrong? If the Gospel is the power to save, why didn’t they believe? Why did they reject their own Messiah? They had it all: adoption as sons, the divine glory, the covenants, the Torah, the…
We know that everything works for good for those who love God, those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28).
This sermon is about nothing; and it is about everything. It’s about how nothing in all this world can separate the baptized believer from the love of God that’s in Christ Jesus. Nothing. Not…
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Paul knows a thing or two about suffering. Listen to his own personal litany: imprisoned, flogged, beaten, exposed to death, five times he received the forty lashes less one, three times he was…