The Bible often prefers to show rather than tell. It is the difference between telling you I have a great jump shot and beating you one-on-one. One is telling, the other is showing. In our passage this morning, Jesus does a little telling and a little showing about what it means to be a disciple.... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Trading Good For Better
If you were with us last week, we heard God call us to repentance through the words of John the Baptist. We learned that to repent is to turn from all that leads us in disobedience to God and to turn in faith to trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. This... Continue Reading →
Sermon: The Kingdom of Heaven Has Come Near
Say these words after me: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Again, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. In this passage, 2 Timothy 3:16, God proclaims that every word of Scripture is breathed of God and all... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Christmas for Outsiders
The children and the choir did an excellent job of telling the Christmas story. Briefly, I want us to zoom in on one part of the story, the story of the magi and Herod in search for Jesus. It’s Matthew 2:1-12, but before we hear God’s Word, please take a moment to pray with me.... Continue Reading →
Sermon: A Father’s Love
In Luke 2:52, we learn “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Jesus grew up. He learned. Though he always had a special relationship with his heavenly father, Jesus, being fully human like us, learned from Mary and Joseph. Luke rightly focuses his telling of the birth of... Continue Reading →
Sermon: The Genealogy of the Messiah
How many days until Christmas? Anybody counting? That is a long time to wait. If you were cool like the Dutch, you could celebrate Sinterklaas this coming Tuesday and open your presents then. It is probably different depending on where you are in life, but as a kid Christmas seemed to take forever to get... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Do you believe this?
We have reached the end of our time exploring the core teaching of the Christian faith through the words of the Apostles’ Creed. Our hope has been that you have learned more deeply what Christians believe and why we believe it. We end this morning in the gospel of John, chapter 11, beginning in verse... Continue Reading →
Sermon: The Communion of the Saints
It is good to be back. Thank you to those of you who prayed for us on our trips. Both Wittenberg and Canada were beautiful. But it is good to be back with our people. We pick up again in the middle of our series on the Apostles’ Creed. We have been exploring together this... Continue Reading →
Sermon: The Holy Catholic Church
Words can become weapons. Words that should unite us, that should defined our shared life are used to draw lines, divide, and separate. In 1882, members of the congregation of Pillar Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan, entered the church with axe handles and chains, locking the doors and barring the consistory from entering the church.... Continue Reading →
Sermon: The Holy Spirit
[This sermon was part of a series on the Apostles' Creed. It may be helpful to read the creed and its exposition in the Heidelberg Catechism, which were recited corporately prior to the sermon.] In our journey through the core teachings of the Christian faith, we have arrived at God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit... Continue Reading →
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