"grace" Tagged Sermons
God’s Love – Agape! – Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Agape is God’s never-ending love for all humans. Go out and share this love with your neighbors! God’s love is a love that is so deep and so freely given that it defies human understanding. There is no human equivalent to agape, divine love. Divine love is such a challenging concept that it even requires its own word; Agape. A love that is not human, not transactional, not marred by contradictions. But it is that love that helps us through…
Continue the Mission – Luke 24:44-53
Continue the Mission – Luke 24:44-53 Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47) In Jesus’ name, repentance and forgiveness are to be proclaimed to all nations. All nations mean everybody. Not just Jews. Start in Jerusalem, but then continue with everybody who is left. Proclaiming God’s grace to everybody created the church. Jesus gave us a gift. He reconciled us with God. And he gave us a…
Nicodemus
Nicodemus – John 3:1-21 I have often discovered in myself and others the tendency to view fallible biblical figures like Nicodemus, or Peter or Judas, as foils against which we contrast ourselves to our advantage! “Nicodemus walked away from Jesus, I would have asked to be baptized then and there! Peter denied Jesus, I would have courageously stood up for my Lord! Judas betrayed Jesus, never ever would I be tempted by my own disappointed hopes, or money, or fame…
Who are we?
Who are we? – Matthew 4:1-11 One of the major questions that Jesus asks his disciples is; who do you think that I am? We ask ourselves the same question. Who are we? Who do we want to be? How do we define who we are? This is a quest to discover the core of our humanity. When we can name it, we can access it, and we can embody it. Who you think you are, has consequences in how…
Who is Jesus?
Who is Jesus? – Matthew 16:13-17:13 Many things have happened between Jesus’ baptism by John, the Baptist and the scene we read about today; Jesus’ transfiguration. Transfiguration means a change in appearance, which is prone to be exalting, glorifying, or spiritual. In the church year, the Feast Day of Jesus’ Transfiguration stands at the end of the Season of Epiphany, Jesus’ baptism at the beginning. Both events feature God’s voice, proclaiming; This is my Son, the Beloved, with him I…
Fear of Death
Fear of Death – Matthew 24:36-44 The fear of death is the most primordial fear of the human race. Death is a mystery. We know the consequences that death will have for our bodies when our biological clock stops ticking. We can be as intellectual as we want, we can be highly spiritual people, but what defines us most are our bodies. We don’t have bodies, we are our bodies. We exist in the rhythm of our physiology. And when…
How to Move Mountains
How to Move Mountains – Luke 6:20-31 What is strong and what is weak? The early church faced a dilemma. In the time of Jesus, the common expectation was that the messiah would be a hero. He would be a victorious fighter who defeats the Romans and restores Israel as a free and independent country. Jesus did not really do that. He died painfully on the cross and the Romans were as powerful as they were before. But when we…
Challenging Thoughts
Challenging Thoughts – Hebrews 13:1-8 Some bible texts challenge the way we live, feel and think. These verses are not intended to shame and compel us, but they are words that help us open our eyes and ears and listen and see. These verses help us to not give into the mind numbing force of culture and ideology that calls us to close our eyes and ears and our hearts and minds, just so that we can hold on to…
Asking For Something
Asking For Something – Luke 11:1-13 It seems that Jesus gives us straightforward advice in the gospel of Luke. He says, “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” Just ask, how hard can that be? – It turns out asking for something is harder one would expect, especially in a society that values independence. Independent people have no need to ask…
We and They
We and They – Luke 10:25-37 We are all part of a group some other group calls “they”. And there is always someone who thinks that “they”, in this case that would be us, – that they – are out to get us. And most of the time nobody asks the most obvious question; Why? What nefarious reasons have they to go out and get us. Why? We should take a step back and realize that whatever “they” are supposedly doing…
Strong as a Lamb
Strong as a Lamb – Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 The readings chosen for today are just a small excerpt of the vast body of Scripture which tells us that God’s power is not the power of war and domination, but of peace and universal well-being. The Hebrew Bible, in Christian tradition called Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, is full of the gospel truth of God’s love, grace and peace! When Jesus trains his disciples and sends them out…
Inclusive Grace – Luke 4:21-40
Inclusive Grace – Luke 4:21-40 Prophets often get into trouble when they preach God’s grace to those who are closest to them. Not so much when they preach that God’s grace is on them, but when they suggest that God’s grace includes people that are not part of the family, tribe or nation. That is what Jesus does in his home synagogue. He talks about the prophets Elijah and Elisha through whom God’s grace is bestowed on a Sidonian widow…