Sermons on Philippians
October 15, 2023
Psalm 106: 1-5; Philippians 4: 1-9 Rev. Dr. Tom Willadsen
October 1, 2023
World Communion Sunday Psalm 25: 1-9; Philippians 2: 1-11 “All Over the World” Rev. Dr. Tom Willadsen
The King Is Coming!
April 10, 2022……….Palm Sunday……….Pastor Pat Mecham Philippians 2: 5-11; Luke 19; 28-40 When I was a kid, two of my very favorite people were my Uncle Ozzie and Aunt Deede. I have a very vivid memory of anticipation–being excited about their arrival for a visit. I climbed up into the big willow tree in our front yard so that I could look ‘way down the street, keeping my eyes peeled for their little Volkswagen Beetle. I was so eager for…
Don’t Be Denied
April 3, 2022………..5th Sunday in Lent………….Pastor Pat Mecham Psalm 126; Philippians 3: 4b-14; John 12: 1-8 Hello. My name is Lazarus. You probably remember me because Jesus brought me back from the dead. Now, that was pretty spectacular, but I want to share with you the tremendous impact that Jesus had on my whole family—especially my sisters, Mary and Martha. I guess I ought to start with Mary, because she’s the one who introduced us to Jesus in the first…
Don’t Be “Detoured”
March 13, 2022———–2nd Sunday in Lent Philippians 3: 17 – 4: 1; Luke 13: 31-35 I have heard it said that life is a journey—and that it’s the journey itself more than the destination that is important and significant—and that sometimes the detours are actually part of God’s plan, and are significant waypoints on the path God means for us. I agree with this view…mostly. When the detours take us from the path we have selected for ourselves, and the…
Getting Ready
December 5, 2021……….Rev. Patrick Mecham………2nd Sunday of Advent Malachi 3: 1-4; Philippians 1: 3-11; Luke 3: 1-6 I would like you to imagine that you have something wonderful to give to someone you love. This is a something that is almost too delightful for words, something that will enrich their lives beyond measure. There is only one problem: their hands are full already, so they are not able to receive your gift! You say, “Empty your hands. I have something…
Make it My Own
Phil. 3:4b-14 Matt. 21:33-46 Would you describe yourself as a “goal-oriented person”? You know, someone who has a firm idea of what they want to do, and one who makes plans for all the specific steps needed to pursue this goal. Some folks are on the extreme end of this spectrum, while others are all the way on the other end—never making a plan, just kind of “rolling through life,” taking it as it comes to them. I suspect that most of us are somewhere…
The Power of Love – Unity
Philippians 2:1-13 September 27, 2020 Matthew 21:23-32 I want you to picture Lucy van Pelt and her little brother, Linus, from the comic strip Peanuts. Lucy and Linus are having a “disagreement,” but it comes to a sudden halt when Lucy gives a simple demonstration of UNITY. She says, “See these fingers? By themselves, they are nothing special, but when they combine into a single unit, they become a force that is TERRIBLE TO BEHOLD!!” Admittedly, it’s not a very positive example of unity,…
The Power of Love – Generosity
The Power of Love: Generosity 16th Pentecost Philippians 1:21-30 September 20, 2020 Matthew 20:1-16 Think for a minute about what a generator does. It takes some kind of power, like a gas engine or a windmill or a water-powered turbine, and converts that power into electricity. A generator. I thought about generators when I was studying Developmental Psychology in seminary, where we learned about the concept of “generativity.” Erik Erikson, the psychologist who developed the term “Identity Crisis”, coined the word “Generativity” to describe a stage…
The Humble Conqueror
The Humble Conqueror Palm Sunday Philippians 2:5-11 Matthew 21:1-11 Mike and Barbara Weber were practically newlyweds when the Nazi army overran their village. Mike was given two choices: 1. Join their army, or 2. Be killed. He joined them, and fought half-heartedly beside them until the war was over. On VE Day, Mike was far from home, and he was in territory that the Russians controlled. Everyone knew of the horrors that awaited them if they surrendered to the Russians,…
Adulation!
Adulation! Palm Sunday Psalm 118:19-29 Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 19:28-40 Intro: You may know that the Japanese Imperial Army ran the deadliest prison camps in World War II. At one camp, starving military prisoners of war were huddled in dozens of bamboo huts. They had experienced terrible deprivation and cruelty under the iron fist of the camp commander. But it was Christmas! They had been told that there would be NO religious celebration in the camp. But about midnight,…
Don’t Be Denied
Don’t Be Denied 5th Lent Psalm 126 Philippians 3:4b-14 John 12:1-8 Hello. My name is Lazarus. You probably remember me because Jesus brought me back from the dead. Now, that was pretty spectacular, but I want to share with you the tremendous impact that Jesus had on my whole family—especially my sisters, Mary and Martha. I guess I ought to start with Mary, because she’s the one who introduced us to Jesus in the first place. I’m not exactly sure what happened to Mary—how she started going wrong—but…