Christ Our Hope Sermons: Recent Episodes
Christ Our Hope Anglican Church
Audio sermon archive for Christ Our Hope Anglican Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com.
On the fourth Sunday in Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches a sermon reflecting on the theme of the Lord as our shepherd.
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On the third Sunday of Eastertide, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches a sermon focusing on the Gospel narrative of the road to Emmaus, and how we are given a clear model for ways the risen Christ makes Himself known to us - in the breaking of bread and in the reading of Scriptures.
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Fr. Philip Johnson rotates into the sermon calendar for the second Sunday of Eastertide. Beginning with "Doubting Thomas's" unflinching declaration of Christ's Lordship after beholding the scars, Fr. Philip then expounds on what it means to preach the gospel to a world that - by default - is entirely made up of those "who have not seen."
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches an Easter Sunday sermon on the joyous hope of the Resurrection, even (or perhaps especially) amid the persistent failings and heartaches of a broken world still awaiting the final fulfillment of the promises secured by the risen Christ.
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As we enter into Holy Week, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches a sermon reminding us that the events we observe on Palm Sunday prepare us for Easter Sunday. The long walk of Lent finally ends at the empty tomb, but it must first pass by Calvary, and it is there we must fix our eyes on the Cross.
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On this last Sunday of Lent before Holy Week, lay preacher Jared Dybzinski delivers a message highlighting the common thread between two of our Scripture passages for the day. Both Ezekiel's prophetic vision of the Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14) and Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44) invite us into this challenging statement: "if you believe, you will see the glory of God."
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On the fourth Sunday of Lent, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the account of Christ healing a man of both physical and spiritual blindness, and how God is glorified through the healing acts of Jesus.
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In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand unpacks the weighty passage from Romans 1:16-32 under a bold thesis statement: the wrath of God is good news.
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Fr. Jeromie preaches on Romans 4 and Paul's point that God has always justified His people through faith, under both the old covenant and the new covenant in Christ.
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Fr. Philip Johnson reads a prepared sermon from Fr. Jeromie Rand on the ways that "mountaintop experiences" of God's presence are meant to prepare us for the ordinary days of quiet faithfulness.
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Guest preacher Fr. Philip Johnson delivers a message on the three lectionary readings for the week, primarily the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:21-37.
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On this fifth Sunday of Epiphany, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Matthew 5:13-20, following up from the previous week's sermon on the Beatitudes with a provocative message: "The kingdom of God is fundamentally inefficient."
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the well-known passage from Matthew containing the Beatitudes.
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches from Matthew 4, expounding on the idea that Jesus' words come from His being. Therefore, the words He speaks carry particular weight when He gives His followers the command to repent, and follow Him.
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On this second Sunday of Epiphany, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches from the Gospel of John 1:29-42, with an extended look at the theological implications of John the Baptist identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God.
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On this first Sunday of Epiphanytide, also observed as the feast of the Baptism of Christ, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches a sermon on St. Matthew's account of the Baptism of Christ.
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On this first Sunday of the new year (but second Sunday of Christmastide), which is also the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the revelation of God's character through how He names Himself - culminating in the name given to His Son.
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches a short homily to worshippers at Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols.
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Fr. Jeromie Rand continues our Advent series from the book of Isaiah. On this third Sunday of Advent, we hear a teaching on Isaiah 35:1-10, and an illustration of a world restored to joy through the presence of the King.
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On this second Sunday of the season of Advent, Fr. Jeromie continues our sermon series on readings from the book of Isaiah, this time focusing on Isaiah 11:1-10 (The Stump of Jesse) with additional time spent in Isaiah 6.
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On this first Sunday of the season of Advent, Fr. Jeromie begins a short sermon series on readings from the book of Isaiah with a passage from Isaiah 2:1-5.
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On Christ the King Sunday, before celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Colossians 1:9-20 and how the anticipated end of the Christian life imbues the present moment with radical purpose.
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Christ's words on the destruction of the temple and impending persecution of His disciples in Luke 21:5-19.
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Bp. Ken Ross visits Christ Our Hope to administer the rite of Confirmation and preaches a sermon on Luke 20.
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In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the story of Zaccheus, the chief tax collector with a repentant heart. What is a modern parallel for a chief tax collector in the ancient near-East, and what are we to make of the message of God's "scandalous" grace - a grace offered to the most undeserving among us?
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In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the story of Zaccheus, the chief tax collector with a repentant heart. What is a modern parallel for a chief tax collector in the ancient near-East, and what are we to make of the message of God's "scandalous" grace - a grace offered to the most undeserving among us?
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In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches once again from the Gospel of Luke, when Christ tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector and the contrast in their prayers. What would it look like to be a people who "pray like the tax collector?"
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In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8, as well as 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, with a message on God's faithfulness and justice.
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Note: last week's sermon audio was not captured due to technical difficulties.In this week's sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Jesus' healing of ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19 and the ways that the Greek logos and mythos - two different "ways of knowing" - can both contribute to our faith in a transcendent and miracle-working God.
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the central point of two lectionary Scriptures: Jesus' parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-10 and the words of Paul in 1 Timothy 1:12-17. In both, we are reminded that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - to leave the ninety-nine and go after the one lost sheep.
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Christ's three "parables of the feast" from the Gospel of St. Luke (ch. 14:1, 7-14), and talks about honor, shame, and grace.
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In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches from the book of Hebrews 12:18-29.
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the words of Christ in Luke 12:49-56, and what Jesus meant when He spoke of "interpreting the present time."
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Luke 12:32-40, where Jesus reminds us to invest in things of eternal instead of temporal value - our preparation for the eventual day (whether through death or Christ's return) when we see God face to face.
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Visiting priest Fr. Tony Vandenberge leads us in a reflection on passages from Ecclesiastes and Colossians.
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In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the Lord's Prayer as recorded in the Gospel of Luke; with it, he expounds on why trust in God's character is a foundational element of our ability to approach Him in prayer.
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In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the account of Mary and Martha's encounter with Jesus, the responsibility of hospitality, and "sitting at the feet of Jesus."
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan to deliver a message on mercy and our neighbors.
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Following the readings laid out by the lectionary, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches a sermon on giving from Galatians 6:6.
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In this sermon, visiting priest Fr. Joseph Acanfora leads the congregation of Christ Our Hope in an interactive "storytelling" sermon on Luke 9:22, inviting us into a dialogue about the high cost that Jesus sets before those who would follow him. What does it mean to set your hand to the plow and not look back?
Note: certain sections of this audio were amplified where possible to better hear congregational participation.
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In this sermon, visiting priest Fr. Philip Johnson preaches primarily from Paul's letter to the Galatians concerning the unity of all believers because of a shared identity in Christ.
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On this Trinity Sunday, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches from the Gospel of John, where Christ responds to Philip's request that He "show us the Father." We go deeper into this passage with eyes of wonder at the mystery of our God in Three Persons.
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In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Revelation 19, and expounds on the political realities of what we proclaim in worship - when we say "Jesus is Lord," we are implicitly saying "Caesar is not."
For the season of Eastertide, we progress through a sermon series on lectionary readings from the book of Revelation, painting a picture of a new creation praising and glorifying the Risen Lord in eternity.
Scriptural focus: Revelation 19:1-9
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For the season of Eastertide, we will hear a sermon series on lectionary readings from the book of Revelation that paint a picture of a new creation praising and glorifying the Risen Lord in eternity.
Scriptural focus: Revelation 1:1-19
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On Easter Sunday 2022, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches a message on what it means to live in resurrection hope amid a world still experiencing the grip of death.
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The Anglican liturgy for Palm Sunday begins with an outdoor procession of palms into the church closely followed by a congregational reading of the Passion narrative in Luke. In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand invites us to contemplate the juxtaposition of these events - cries of "Hosanna" turned to "Crucify" - and what they reveal about the seemingly paradoxical nature of our salvation and our own hearts.
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As Lent draws to a close, we begin to wrap up our sermon series on Christ entering our story so we can enter His. This Sunday, lay preacher Jared Dybzinski delivers a message on the parable of the wicked tenants in Luke 20:9-19.
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For the season of Lent, we are journeying through a sermon series focused on ways Christ entered into our story so we can enter into His. For this fourth Sunday of Lent, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Christ's parable of the two sons and God's joyous reception into restored fellowship that awaits the repentant.
Scriptural focus: Luke 15:11-32
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For the season of Lent, we will be journeying through a sermon series focused on ways Christ entered into our story so we can enter into His. For this third Sunday of Lent, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Christ's parable of the fig tree and the fruit of repentance.
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For the season of Lent, we will be journeying through a sermon series focused on ways Christ entered into our story so we can enter into His. For this second Sunday of Lent, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on Luke 13:22-35, and speaks on how Christ knows us in the ways we don't even know to ask.
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For the season of Lent, we will be journeying through a sermon series focused on ways Christ entered into our story so we can enter into His. For this first Sunday of Lent, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the Luke passage detailing Christ's victory over temptation in the wilderness.
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Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a time to acknowledge our mortal and fallen nature and begin any forms of fasting we may be undertaking for the next forty days. Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches from Isaiah 55 and 58 on the nature of entering a fast rightly.
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As we close out the season of Epiphany, Fr. Jeromie Rand wraps up our sermon series on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We end on the famous "love chapter" of Ephesians (Ephesians 13), examining how Paul's words provide a model for the ways the church may use her gifts.
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For World Mission Sunday, Fr. Jeromie Rand delivers a message on Romans 10:9-17, exhorting us to remember that the "mission" of the church in the world depends on and flows from an unwavering proclamation of Christ as the way, the truth, and the life.
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In this sermon continuing our sermon from 1st Corinthians, Fr. Jeromie Rand expounds on two of Paul's points: what life would mean if Christ hadn't raised from the dead, and what life does mean because He has.
Scriptural focus: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
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Fr. Jeromie Rand continues our sermon series on the gifts of the Holy Spirit with 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, a reminder that interest in "spiritual things" shouldn't distract us from the heart of the Gospel - new life in Christ Jesus through His death and resurrection.
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In this sermon, guest priest Fr. Tony Vandenberge draws primarily from Luke 4:21-32 to preach on Christ's calling of His church into community with one another.
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Throughout the season of Epiphany, we will be walking through a sermon series on the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. In this message, Fr. Jeromie Rand teaches on 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, reminding us that a) the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not meant to burden us with more striving for perfection and b) these gifts are for the building up of the body.
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Throughout the season of Epiphany, we will be walking through a sermon series on the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Join us as Fr. Jeromie Rand begins the series with a message on Christ's Baptism and anointing with the Spirit.
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In this first sermon of the year 2022, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on the Song of Simeon and the ways we can continue to live a life of hope, no matter what the "year in review" looks like every January.
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The Christmas celebration continues into the season of Christmastide, a 12-day feast in the church calendar that extends into January, ending in the season of Epiphany.
On this first Sunday of Christmastide, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on John 1:1-18, and invites us to ponder the miracle of the Creator becoming like His creation - and what that means for us.
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In our final sermon of Advent, Fr. Jeromie Rand leads us into a contemplation of the "already/not yet" tension of this season we enter into every year, and the ways the Magnificat (the Song of Mary) embodies that same tension - how she celebrated God's promise made to her as though it was already fulfilled.
Sermon Series: Four Prophesies of Advent
Scriptural Focus: Luke 1:39-56
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Journey with us through an Advent sermon series on four prophetic passages from the Old Testament and the Gospels.
Sermon Series: Four Prophesies of Advent
Scriptural Focus: Zephaniah 3: 14-20
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Journey with us through an Advent sermon series on four prophetic passages from the Old Testament and the Gospels.
Sermon Series: Four Prophesies of Advent
Scriptural Focus: Malachi 3:1-5
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Journey with us through an Advent sermon series on four prophetic passages from the Old Testament and the Gospels.
Sermon Series: Four Prophesies of Advent
Scriptural Focus: Zechariah 14:1-9
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We close out the season of Ordinary Time with Christ the King Sunday, a feast day celebrating and acknowledging Christ as the King of all kings, now and forever.
Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches from several of our weekly texts to remind us of what it means to serve Christ as King.
Sermon series: N/A (Lectionary preaching)
Scriptural focus: Daniel 7:9-14, John 18:33-37
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With our sermon series on James recently concluded, Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on how Christ's model of enduring suffering empowers us to endure in kind.
Sermon Series: N/A (Lectionary preaching)
Scriptural Focus: Hebrews 10:31-39
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Fr. Jeromie Rand wraps up our fall sermon series from James, with a particular emphasis on bringing our need for healing to the Lord in prayer.
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 5:13-20
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As we near the end of our sermon series on the book of James, Fr. Jeromie Rand expounds on James' message of how God's judgement is actually good news.
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 5:1-12
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In this "Proverb of the New Testament," James urges a lack of presumption about our own plans and fates, for only God is sovereign over the "vanishing mists" of our lives.
With a little help from Leo Tolstoy, Fr. Jeromie Rand gets to some of the "proverbial" aspects of this passage.
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 4:13-17
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Fr. Jeromie Rand continues our fall sermon series going through the book of James.
How does being recipients of grace enable us to walk the humble way of the Cross?
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 4:1-12
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Fr. Jeromie Rand continues our fall sermon series going through the book of James.
In a time when the Church itself feels on the brink of multi-way ideological fractures, what does it mean to be a people who embody the "folly" of the Cross, which bids all our sad divisions cease?
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 3:13-18
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Fr. Jeromie Rand continues our fall sermon series going through the book of James; last week we dove into the implications of a faith made visible through our works. But does this mean that somehow our words don't matter? This week we see the depth of James' answer to that question.
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 3:1-12
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Fr. Jeromie Rand continues our fall sermon series going through the book of James; this week we delve into the well-known passage of "faith without works is dead." What does James mean, both to the original recipients of his letter and to us?
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 2:14-26
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Fr. Jeromie Rand continues our fall sermon series going through the book of James; this week we examine James' words about partiality between rich and poor, and what it means to favor mercy over judgement.
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 2:1-13
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Fr. Jeromie Rand continues our fall sermon series going through the book of James; this week we delve into the implications of being "doers of the Word and not hearers only."
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 1:19-27
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Fr. Jeromie Rand introduces our fall sermon series going through the book of James.
Sermon series: "Living by Faith (The Book of James)"
Scriptural focus: James 1:1-18
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Bishop Ken Ross visits Christ Our Hope for the service of confirmation, and preaches from the well-known Ephesians passage on "putting on the full armor of God."
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Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches on John 6:60-69; the disciples recognize that though Jesus words about being the "Bread of Life" are hard to accept, they are still "the words of eternal life"...with Jesus as their only source.
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Lay preacher Jeremy Kicklighter preaches on Psalm 147 and what it means to declare with the Psalmist that "it is good to praise the Lord."
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Visiting priest Fr. Al Janssen preaches the last of three sermons on spiritual conflict using the examples of Old Testament warriors and what they can teach us about fighting today's spiritual battles.
Scriptural focus: Exodus 32:7-14 - Moses Pleads with God
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Visiting priest Fr. Al Janssen preaches the second of three sermons on spiritual conflict using the examples of Old Testament warriors and what they can teach us about fighting today's spiritual battles.
Scriptural focus: 1 Kings 19:1-14 - Elijah's Flight into the Desert and Encounter with God
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Visiting priest Fr. Al Janssen preaches the first of three sermons on spiritual conflict using the examples of Old Testament warriors and what they can teach us about fighting today's spiritual battles.
Scriptural focus: Judges 6:11-16 - The Call of Gideon
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This Sunday, Fr. Jeromie Rand concludes our Ordinary Christian Life series from the Psalms with a closing examination of the hard work of trusting God even in seasons of doubt.
Through the first seven weeks of the season of Ordinary Time, we'll examine aspects of "The Ordinary Christian Life" found in the Psalms. As we walk through this longest season of the church year, we'll reflect on these reminders of the daily commitment to following Jesus.
Sermon series: The Ordinary Christian Life
Scripture: Psalm 22
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Through the first seven weeks of the season of Ordinary Time, we'll examine aspects of "The Ordinary Christian Life" found in the Psalms. As we walk through this longest season of the church year, we'll reflect on these reminders of the daily commitment to following Jesus.
This Sunday, lay preacher Jared Dybzinski fills in for Fr. Jeromie with a meditation on Psalm 85.
Sermon series: The Ordinary Christian Life
Scripture focus: Psalm 85
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Through the first seven weeks of the season of Ordinary Time, we'll examine aspects of "The Ordinary Christian Life" found in the Psalms. As we walk through this longest season of the church year, we'll reflect on these reminders of the daily commitment to following Jesus.
This Sunday, the 4th of July, we deviate from the standard lectionary to incorporate readings set aside for Independence Day. Fr. Jeromie still preaches from the Psalm but with a timely examination of where Christians in America should - and shouldn't - direct their praise.
Sermon series: The Ordinary Christian Life
Scripture: Psalm 145
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Through the first seven weeks of the season of Ordinary Time, we'll examine aspects of "The Ordinary Christian Life" found in the Psalms. As we walk through this longest season of the church year, we'll reflect on these reminders of the daily commitment to following Jesus.
Sermon series: The Ordinary Christian Life
Scripture: Psalm 112
Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)
Through the first seven weeks of the season of Ordinary Time, we'll examine aspects of "The Ordinary Christian Life" found in the Psalms. As we walk through this longest season of the church year, we'll reflect on these reminders of the daily commitment to following Jesus.
Sermon series: The Ordinary Christian Life
Scripture: Psalm 107
Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)
Through the first seven weeks of the season of Ordinary Time, we'll examine aspects of "The Ordinary Christian Life" found in the Psalms. As we walk through this longest season of the church year, we'll reflect on these reminders of the daily commitment to following Jesus.
Sermon series: The Ordinary Christian Life
Scripture: Psalm 92
Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)
Through the first seven weeks of the season of Ordinary Time, we'll examine aspects of "The Ordinary Christian Life" found in the Psalms. As we walk through this longest season of the church year, we'll reflect on these reminders of the daily commitment to following Jesus.
Sermon series: The Ordinary Christian Life
Scripture: Psalm 130
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The first Easter Sunday was quite different than it is for us today, arriving at the day in celebration after a long season of anticipation. But in some ways, we are not so different from those women who first found the empty tomb, because we sometimes still bring that heaviest of questions before God: is it really true that Christ rose from the dead?
Fr. Jeromie Rand preaches an Easter sermon inviting us into that question, and more importantly, into the implications of the answer being "yes."
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Ash Wednesday marks the start of the season of Lent, the period of 40 days leading up to Easter. Lent is a season often characterized by what it lacks, what we set aside - the small things we "give up," the "alleluias" we take out of our liturgies, the adornments we remove from our worship spaces. But the Good News of Jesus - and the grace of God, made possible through His redeeming work on the Cross - is not set aside, in Lent or any other season. .
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In Mark 1:7-11, we hear of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, the first of St. Mark’s recorded events of Jesus’ life and a central piece of the ongoing revelation of God’s glory through Christ. Not only does John recognize the culmination of his own ministry – preparing the way of the Lord – but more importantly, he bears witness to the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove on the baptized Lord. With this vision, the voice of God declares Jesus to be His “beloved Son.” Whatever else John’s mostly-unknown successor might be, the most important thing about Him was who God declared Him to be. These were the definitive statements of His identity – what God said about Him was more important than His successes, failures, or what anyone else said about Him. And this is true of us as well.
This series, which will carry us through the season of Epiphany, walks through key events in the life of Christ culminating in His Transfiguration on the mountain with the disciples. Each of these events lends us an additional glimpse into the character and person of Jesus and the ways God’s glory was revealed through Him.
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Primary texts for this sermon: Ephesians 1:11-23 & Revelation 7:9-17
11 In him [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
The apostlePaul was in prison when he wrote those words to the Ephesians - not the usual place to pen a message of hope. Yet Paul writes of a present hope, alive and well in his heart, rooted in the present, eternal reign of Jesus Christ.
How can we look around our own world and gain that kind of confidence, especially in times as fraught with trial as the year 2020 has been? Though we aren't meant to deny the reality of our circumstances, we also must remember not to mistakenly let them be the root of our faith, or our faith will not endure. Like Paul, our steadfast hope is in Christ alone, whose reign is not an abstraction but a present reality.
Fr. Jeromie Rand delivers a message on the present, enduring reality of our hope in the risen and reigning Jesus'. In this hope, many saints have died and gone before us, and in this hope we await the day when in Christ "everything sad will come untrue."
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In the above excerpt from Matthew 22, Jesus delivers an answer to Pharisees asking which of the Old Testament commandments was the “greatest.” With this response, Jesus provides the lens for viewing and contextualizing everything they knew of Scripture at the time. And today, if we view Scripture through that same lens, we are quickly confronted by how much we fall short of those two central commandments to "love God and love neighbor."
In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand delves into the deepest implications of Christ’s “apocalyptic” (or revelatory) message: when we see our inability to completely orient our lives around this “love for God and love for neighbor,” we again see a glorious image of Christ Himself as Scripture’s ultimate fulfillment.
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In Matthew 22:15-22, the Pharisees pose a loaded question to Jesus: "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” Jesus replies with the well-known adage, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” As Jesus often did when answering these sorts of insincere questions, He answers in a way that gets at the heart of the matter. In doing so, He gives us an important principle for how believers are to engage their governing authorities and political systems.
In this message, delivered at a time of considerable division in American politics especially, Fr. Jeromie Rand leads us into Jesus' deeper meaning in a text sometimes misconstrued. The realms of Caesar's and God's authority are overlapping, not separate. The Kingdom of God is breaking into the kingdom of this world. By giving us a direction that's not quite so clean and neat as in other places in the Scriptures, Jesus invites us to the greatest act of faith in a ruling authority: to trust God with radical dependence.
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Primary Scripture for this message - Philippians 4:4-13
In chapter 4 of his letter to the Philippians, Paul exhorts: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." Taken apart from the rest of the chapter, this instruction might seem less like an invitation to joy and more of a task or worse - a burden. After all, if we mistakenly interpret this to mean that being a Christian requires constant and ceaseless rejoicing, there is little room for the times when we are in pain, when the world is suffering, or when rejoicing feels impossible.
Fr. Jeromie Rand delivers this message to the Christ Our Hope congregation gathered and online: Paul's words are meant to be an invitation to us rather than an obligation. Further, they enable us to hold a posture of joyful hope even in times of trial, because we know "the Lord is near."
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In Philippians 3:14, the apostle Paul spoke of "pressing on toward the goal, to win the prize for which God has called [him] heavenward in Christ Jesus." Improperly interpreted, we may mistakenly think this means our salvation is dependent on our own striving. But "try harder" is not the message of the Gospel.
Bishop Ken Ross focuses on this chapter of Paul's letter to remind us that the "goal" is not attaining our own salvation, but rather to live into what we have already attained - our life as a new creation in Christ Jesus.
"You've been made a new creation. Now live into that truth."
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Obedience - especially in a Biblical context - means more than just following a set of rules. This idea runs counter to much of our modern understanding and use of the term, where there's at least an implicit message that to "obey" means to align oneself with a certain standard of behavior. So how can we ensure that when we talk about "obeying" God, we're doing so with the right heart posture?
In this message, Fr. Jeromie Rand works from Jesus' Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32) to explain how God's call to obedience is a call to listen, trust, and submit to His Word more than simply following a set of rules.
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Jesus' parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard [Matthew 20:1-16] is just as perplexing to us today as it was to the disciples: a landowner sends laborers into his vineyard to work, but at the end of the work day pays them all a day's wages, whether they worked a full day or only one hour. From a business sense, this would be a baffling decision on the part of the landowner. But as an illustration of God's grace, it is perfectly accurate.
In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand delves into this parable and its implications for "an economy based on grace," an economy of abundance, and what it means to be laborers in the economy of God.
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A well-known parable of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 18:21-35, that of the unforgiving servant; despite having received unconditional forgiveness for an impossible debt he owed his master, a servant immediately - perhaps even cruelly - calls in a much smaller debt owed him by a fellow servant. Jesus uses this parable to contrast the behavior we ought to exhibit to one another - forgiving one another because we have been forgiven.
In this message, Fr. Jeromie Rand outlines the real work it takes to engage in Biblical forgiveness, reminding the congregation and listeners that "our choice to forgive is a marker of the salvation that has already been given to us free of charge."
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In a community as diverse as the global Church - people of varied life experiences, economic backgrounds, political stances, and ethnicities - what are the qualities that remain constant, both in our day-to-day life and in our gatherings of worship? What are the truths that are applicable to all believers, let alone all people?
In his first sermon to the congregation of Christ Our Hope, Fr. Jeromie Rand draws from Romans 12:9-21; in addition to being instructions on how we are to live as the Church, they are also reminders of the most significant constant of who we are -a people who have received the mercy of God, a people called to "let love be genuine."
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Relationships between believers are a significant component of Scripture, particularly in the growth of the early Church. The apostles - with their various strengths and giftings - helped to create the environment for the Gospel to take root, grow, and thrive through their relationships with individuals and communities. To some, the apostles were mentors. To others, they were friends and peers. But all of these shared a connection with fellow members of the body as a first step to build each other up in Christ.
In his last sermon as interim pastor of Christ Our Hope, Fr. Al Janssen unpacks selections from St. Paul's last known epistle in 2nd Timothy chapters 2 and 4. At once specifically directed to the Christ Our Hope congregation yet relevant to all seeking to walk in love and charity with one another, Fr. Al extrapolates ways believers of all kinds - the soldiers, the athletes, and the farmers alike - can embody the church to one another and the world at large.
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In 2nd Timothy 3, Paul warns Timothy of hard times ahead, reminding him of certain difficulty for those seeking to live a life in Christ Jesus. But when we seek context for our life and circumstances in Scripture, we see that regularly seeking to embed God's Word deep in our hearts is our best preparation for whatever life may bring - good or ill.
In this second of a 3-part series from 2nd Timothy, interim pastor Fr. Al Janssen highlights three ways we can "read, learn, and inwardly digest" God's Word, providing context for why this practice is so central to the Christian life - especially in times of uncertainty and hardship.
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The characteristics of a healthy church - especially in the Western world - are often reduced to a set of metrics. What's your average Sunday attendance? How many programs does your church offer? Does your building use the most modern technology? Yet in Paul's second letter to Timothy - presumably the final letter he would write in his life - we are shown a rather different set of characteristics for how to evaluate the health of a church.
Fr. Al Janssen begins a series on 2 Timothy to bring us to the end of his season as interim rector of Christ Our Hope, offering three introductory characteristics of a healthy church to encourage and prepare the congregation to welcome a new pastor.
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There are many kinds of storms we can experience in the life of faith. This message is especially prevalent in 2020, when political unrest, a global pandemic, and numerous other worries and fears besiege our weary hearts. Simon Peter and Jonah experienced two literal storms on the open ocean. Though their circumstances were different, their common response was a cry to God for help.
In this sermon, interim rector Fr. Al Janssen compares and contrasts the two scenarios from the book of Jonah and the Gospel of Matthew, examining characteristics of the prayers of God's children in distress.
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"The kingdom of God is not about showing off how great we are. It's about demonstrating how great our King Jesus is."Scripture provides countless examples of God's people totally outmatched by their assignments from God; Noah's construction of the ark, Moses' confrontation of Pharaoh, Gideon's small clan taking on the Midianite army, David and Goliath, and Jonah's charge to preach repentance to a hostile nation are all instances of God giving His people tasks that would be doomed to failure without His intervention. Jesus' miracle of feeding the five thousand embodies the reality of how God reveals Himself when we are not suited for the task in front of us.
Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen unpacks this story in a sermon applicable to the everyday believer and to mark the special occasion of commissioning a sister at Christ Our Hope to serve in the mission field.
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"If God is love, why is there suffering?"
One of the Christian's persistent struggles, and a common argument of the non-Christian, is bound up in the term theodicy, literally meaning "justifying God." This points to our human need to reconcile our belief in a loving God with the countless examples of suffering in the world. We can neither ignore or reason away this "problem of pain." But this is is exactly what Jesus addresses in the parable of the wheat and the weeds in Matthew 13:24-30.
In today's message, interim rector Fr. Al Janssen walks through the entire parable to show the layers of Christ's message and His answers to questions about this age and the age to come.
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"The Kingdom of heaven is like..."
Why did Jesus choose to speak in parables so often? In Isaiah 55, we are reminded that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are far beyond human comprehension. Yet in Jesus' parables, simple illustrations in our own human language, we are given ways to begin to understand the thoughts of God.
Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen begins a new series with Jesus' first parable, the Parable of the Sower, recorded in Matthew 13.
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What does it mean to "come to Jesus," and what does that simple phrase imply for the life of discipleship? Jesus didn't disperse His first disciples right away, telling them to go preach His name. Instead, He invited them to follow Him, to learn His ways and of His love, before going to invite others into relationship with Him.
Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches on these themes from Matthew 11, inviting us to let Jesus give us His rest.
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In Matthew 10:34-42, Jesus states that our priorities as His followers should begin with love for Him - even if it comes at a cost. But we surrender our own dreams and plans entrusting them to God's care and His direction.
At a time when so many of our dreams and plans have been disrupted by forces outside our control, may we remember that God invites us to not fear these temporary losses or even the ultimate loss - death. Instead, may we see them as gifts showing us who we really are and were created to be.
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"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves."
So begin Christ's words to His disciples in Matthew 10:16. Yet they were also told that even if they were met by a world of open hostility, they need not fear things "[that] can kill the body but cannot kill the soul."
Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches from this passage and selections from Jeremiah, reminding us that though we hear much in the news today of things that can kill the body, our hope remains in the saving name of Christ, just like always.
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"Remember...if you pray for workers to go into the Lord's harvest, you might be asked to be part of the answer to your own prayer."
How does God use our unique gifts, qualities, and circumstances to advance His kingdom? What - if anything - do we have in common with the disciples whom Jesus told to "go ... to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?" For the first Sunday in the season after Pentecost (or "Ordinary Time"), interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches from the Gospel of Matthew 9:35-10:15.
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Sunday of the Ascension
Fr. Steve Hoskins delivers his final sermon to the Christ Our Hope congregation, preaching on the story of the servant woman from the gospel of Luke chapter 7.
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Pentecost Sunday
Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches a Pentecost message to the Christ Our Hope congregation online.
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Trinity Sunday
Against a backdrop of racial violence and social unrest in June 2020, interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches a timely message on the Great Commission from the Gospel of Matthew 28:16-20.
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Sixth Sunday of Eastertide
Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches from 1 Peter chapter 3 in his penultimate sermon to the Christ Our Hope congregation.
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Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches the Good Friday homily to Christ Our Hope online.
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Third Sunday of Eastertide
Fr. Steve Hoskins explores the account of the road to Emmaus from the gospel of Luke to the online congregation of Christ Our Hope.
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Second Sunday of Eastertide -
Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches from the book of 1 Peter to the Christ Our Hope family online.
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Fourth Sunday of Eastertide - "Good Shepherd Sunday"
Ken Ross, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Rocky Mountains (DRM) delivers a special sermon from the gospel of John and Psalm 23 to the online congregation of Christ Our Hope.
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On Palm Sunday, Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches to the COH congregation online using the Passion reading as preparation for Holy Week.
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Fifth Sunday of Eastertide
Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches from the book of 1 Peter to the online congregation of Christ Our Hope Anglican Church.
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Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches on the well-known Valley of Dry Bones passage from the book of Ezekiel on the last Sunday of Lent before Palm Sunday.
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Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches from the Gospel of John on the first Sunday of socially distanced worship online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Visiting priest Fr. Greg Smith preaches from the Gospel of John, Chapter 4:5-26, 39-42 on Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well.
The first few seconds of this sermon went un-recorded, in which Fr. Greg opened with a reference to the Comfortable Words in the Anglican Liturgy following confession and absolution.
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Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches a short homily during the memorial service for Santha Goodwin. This recording will remain online for a limited time to allow those who were not able to attend Santha's memorial a chance to hear it.
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Transfiguration Sunday Mathew 17:1-9
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First Sunday after Christmas Isaiah 61:10-62:5
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Father Steve preaches on Matthew 11:2-19 John's questioning Jesus
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Father Steve preaches on Col.1:11-20
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Fr. Steve preaches from Acts 28:17-31
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Father Steve Preaches from Acts 17:1-15
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Father Steve preaches from Acts 2:1-21, 36-47
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The Kingdom of God on earth
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
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Father Al preaches from Hebrews chapter 11
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
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Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)
Fr. Al Janssen preaches on prayer life following the example of the Lord's Prayer.
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
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Fr. Al Janssen preaches on Biblical hospitality.
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
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Fr. Jeff Stone preaches on the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
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Mitch Majeski concludes his sermon series from the Gospel of Luke.
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
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Mitch Majeski preaches a sermon in a series from the Gospel of Luke. Due to a technical error, the first five minutes of this sermon went unrecorded.
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)
Fr. Al Jannsen preaches from Acts 16: 16-34
Christ Our Hope's regular priest, Father Steve Hoskins, is on Sabbatical until September 2019. In his absence, Christ Our Hope is blessed to welcome numerous guest preachers throughout summer 2019.
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Fr. Steve preaches on the Sabbath.
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Father Steve preaches from Psalm 30
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Father Steve preaches from Philippians 4:1-23
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Fr. Steve Preaches from Philippians 1:1-26
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