Sermons on Psalms (Page 8)
Empowered Despite Grief
Empowered Despite Grief 9th Pentecost Psalm 17:1-7, 15 Matthew 14:13-21 Friends, you and I are one chapter in a l-o-n-g story—the story of God’s work in this world. There have been some pretty embarrassing chapters about our spiritual ancestors—painfully recorded in Scripture. And there have been some funny moments—like when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, and asked him to call him out of the boat and walk on water as well. When he suddenly realized that he was walking on water, he started…
Trustworthy Shepherd
Trustworthy Shepherd 4th Easter Psalm 23 John 10:1-10 Have you ever been a shepherd? How about a pretend shepherd in a nativity play, all dressed up in an old bathrobe with a piece of cloth on your head and a tall staff in your hand? In our church family, not many of us have ever actually tended sheep, but the lexicon of our faith is rich with shepherds! In the Old Testament, we have some big characters who tended sheep. Moses was tending…
The Joy of God with Us
The JOY of God-With-Us 4th Advent Isaiah 7:10-16 Ps. 80:1-7, 17-19 Matt. 1:18-25 Those of us who have had toddlers remember a phase our kids went through. I call it the “I do it!” phase, because kids begin to understand that they are capable of things they were never able to do before, and they INSIST on doing them! “I do it!” It’s an important step in the continuous process of becoming independent and creative. However, there are milestones along the…
A Snapshot of Heaven
A Snapshot of Heaven 22nd Pentecost Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 Luke 20:27-38 I know that many of you are already familiar with the story of little Colton Burpo. When he almost died in surgery, he reportedly took a little trip to heaven and got a glimpse of what awaits us! He was so little, the memories of his experience came out in brief snippets over a period of many months. He says that, while in heaven, he met members of his family…
With Understanding Comes Life
November 3, 2019 With Understanding Comes Life 21st Pentecost Psalm 119:137-144 November 3, 2019 Luke 19:1-10 Have you noticed how human beings have a tendency to “pigeonhole” other people? You know, find a little box in which we can neatly place others according to their “category.” I was talking to some pretty savvy high school students 10 or 12 years ago, and I asked them to identify the different groups they saw on campus. Here is a sample of their list…
Chained to the Rock
Chained to the Rock 20th Pentecost Psalm 65 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 While I was serving in Elko, I was invited to be a guest speaker at a class at the local community college, Great Basin College. The class was entitled “The Meaning of Life.” This seminar group had been reading a variety of sources, and talking at length about what gives life significance and, of course, how they could live life more deeply. I was asked to come and share “the Christian perspective”…
Godliness and Contentment
September 29, 2019 Godliness with Contentment 16th Pentecost Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Sept. 29, 2019 Luke 16:19-31 If I had to name ONE thing that describes what Christian Faith is all about, I would have to say IT’S ABOUT LIVING THE GOOD LIFE! Really! Think about it—all of the concepts and components, all the principles and promises, all the encouragements and examples point in the same direction: how to “live large” in every aspect of life! After all, Jesus did say “I have come that you might…
Mercy for the Ignorant
Mercy for the Ignorant 14th Pentecost Psalm 14 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-10 Every now and then I see a comic strip posted on Facebook called “Coffee with Jesus.” There are a variety of characters who have “conversations with Jesus” over a cup of coffee. It’s an interesting way to explore what it means to live out our faith. Just the other day, I saw this one: A man named Carl says, “I’m such a mess-up, Jesus. Bad husband, lousy father,…
Tearing Down, Building UP
Tearing Down, Building Up 11th Pentecost Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 Luke 13:10-17 I once read a story about a father who had given his little daughter a necklace full of fake pearls—just play jewelry. She LOVED that necklace, and wore it very frequently. When she got just a little older, he bought a REAL pearl necklace for her—but he didn’t give it to her right away. He wanted to try something unusual. When he was tucking her into bed, he asked her if…
Waiting for God
Waiting for God Trinity Sunday Psalm 8 Romans 5:1-5 John 16:12-15 In the 1950’s, Samuel Beckett published an absurdist play—absurdist. The play is titled “Waiting for Godot.” It has two strange characters hanging out on a roadside by a sickly tree, and both are waiting for someone named “Godot.” Their conversation rambles and some other characters appear then leave, but these two wait with hope. At the end of Act I, a boy appears and tells them that Mr. Godot is not coming today,…
Experiencing God’s Presence
Experiencing God’s Presence Pentecost Psalm 104:24-34 Acts 2:1-21 John 14:8-17, 25-27 Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a piano concert by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish pianist. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and went down the aisle to greet her. Left to his own devices, the little boy soon discovered a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE” and he explored his way onto the…
Make Wide the Net!
May 19, 2019 Make Wide the Net! 5th Easter Psalm 148 May 19, 2019 Acts 11:1-18 John 13:31-35 I’m curious to know how many of you have been, or currently are, part of a step-family? (You know—you have step-sisters or step-brothers, step-mom or step-dad, or step-children.) Family counselors do a lot of work with step-families, helping them adjust to new people who are thrust into their lives. We already know that being a part of a biological family is sometimes difficult enough—but at least…