The Defining Moment
This is a sermon about a man named Simeon and how God called him to wait at the temple daily until the Messiah was brought to the temple as a baby. Jesus is brought to the temple for his circumcision and dedication to the Lord. Simeon is drawn to this child and is immediately aware that this baby named Jesus is the Messiah, the glory to the people of Israel. Luke 2:21-40
Second Sunday of Advent
Our Scripture is focused today on Mark 1:1-8, a passage that holds immense significance, particularly as we find ourselves engaged with the Second Sunday of Advent. As I said the last time we met, Advent is not just about anticipating Jesus’ birth; it's about preparing our hearts for His coming, both as the babe in Bethlehem and as the returning King in glory.
Third Sunday of Advent
On this third Sunday in Advent, we again turn our attention to a remarkable figure: John the Baptist. The people wondered who John the Baptist was. He appeared as a rather strange person who came from the wilderness, preaching repentance, dressed in camel's hair, surviving on a diet of locust and wild honey. John the Baptist was the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. Yet his message of good news seemed as strange as his attire.
Christmas Eve - Lessons and Carols Service 2023
“Our hearts are forever restless until they find their rest in God." A brilliant, articulate university professor, St. Augustine of Hippo, made that statement more than 1,600 years ago. A cover story in Newsweek magazine on September 5, 2005, entitled “Spirituality in America"- I know it is a little dated but think the conclusion they came to is still true. Their conclusion was “There is a hunger in the human heart for a transcendent experience of God."
First Sunday of Advent
This sermon comes from Mark 13 and this chapter is called the Olivet Discourse. The Olivet Discourse is in all three of the Synoptic Gospels – Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. You may remember I preached a couple of weeks ago Matthew 25:1-13 - the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids, and remember it is a part of the Olivet Discourse. What was the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids about? Being prepared for Christ’s return and keeping awake. The parable in our scripture for today, Mark 13:32-37 is about watching (being on guard) and keeping awake for Christ’s return.