“A Prowling Enemy… A Restoring Ally” – 1 Peter 5:6-11   1. Introductory Illustration We interrupt the regularly scheduled sermon to bring you this illustration of the imagination… Come with me into my imagination for a minute – it will be an invisible journey, but not fictional. Let me paint...

“The Acts of… US – No Partiality” – Acts 10:34-48   Introduction: starting in the middle? Today, for the second time in my series of sermons on the Acts of US, our reading starts in the middle of a story, with a message, while leaving out the context, the event,...

“The Acts of… US – Tour Guides Through Scripture” – Acts 8:26-40   1. Tour Guides First of all, I want to thank those of you who submitted places and sites where you have taken a tour with a guide. It has been a long time since I have visited...

“Where to Find Strength When You’re Tired” – Mark 1 & Isaiah 40  Introduction: Labels There are a lot of labels floating around out there in our world – racist, introvert, hypocrite, homophobic, arrogant, sarcastic, self-centered, bossy, and the list goes on. There are some positive labels, too, but the...

“Powerful Words” – Mark 1:21-28 1. Three surprising things There are at least 3 surprising things in this brief Gospel reading today. The first surprise is a demon in the synagogue. The second surprise is the brevity and authority of Jesus’ words. The third surprise is the response of the...

“The Kingdom of God is at Hand” – Mark 1:14-20 Introduction: Epiphany – revealing Jesus I just want to begin by reminding you that we are in the Epiphany season, and that season and the accompanying Bible readings are about revealing the person of Jesus, and the Kingdom of God...

“Don’t Be Afraid… of Jesus” – John 1:43-51 [The sermon was preached from ¾ way up a ladder.] Introduction – The sky ladder and phobias The theme slide today features a 40 meter long sky ladder between two mountains southeast of Salzburg, Austria. Sometimes known as the Stairway to Heaven, it...