Guerrilla Christianity: Recent Episodes
Pastor R. Bret Walker
An Unconventional, No-Apologies Exposition of God’s Grace from an Evangelical-Methodist Point of View
Sermon #94
God is the source of all light. So when Jesus calls us the light of the world, he meant that we reflect the light of God in a world of darkness and sin. But God is the source. In today's reading, Isaiah says that God's glory will rise upon his people and they will arise and shine in the world, and will attract others out of the darkness. So grab your Bible, turn it to Isaiah chapter 60, and prepare your heart and mind as we heed the words of Isaiah, to arise and shine.
Isaiah 60:1-6
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 4, 2015 (first published February 4, 2015)
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Sermon #136
Ambition is a human quality and at times it can be an admirable trait. After all, if someone does not strive to better themselves they become stagnant or slide back into oblivion. But when it comes to the Kingdom of God, ambition, Jesus tells us, is not a characteristic to be desired. In today's reading we meet James and John, two brothers who were fishermen, who took their ambition to great heights whey they aksed to sit at Jesus' right and left hand when he comes into his kingdom. But in the upside-down structure of God's kingdom, the person who humbles himself is the greatest. For when we seek to make ourselves more important, what we are really doing is diminishing God in our lives. So grab your Bible, turn it to Mark chapter 10, and prepare your heart and mind as we see what it means to be servants, everywhere and always.
Mark 10:35-45
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on October 18, 2015 (Originally published November 24, 2015)
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Sermon #304
Laity Sunday is a day when we celebrate the work of laypersons in the church of God. On this Laity Sunday we at Hudson UMC asked our Lay Leader Wayne Niebauer to describe a time when he felt abandoned by God, and how he could point to where God was at work in that moment. We often feel like in our hard times we are all alone, and yet when we look back at those times we can often see how God was at work, and it is in the retrospective view that we can gain confidence in hard times when they come.
Text: Mark 10:35-45
Recorded at Hudson UMC on October 21, 2018 (Originally published December 6, 2018)
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August 18, 2024
Old Testament: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
Psalter: Psalm 111
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 5:15-20
Gospel Lesson: John 6:51-58
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #7
Well this week we have a bonus sermon, one that I gave a couple years ago when I was a layperson. From the Gospel of John, this message centers on Peter's declaration to Jesus, "You have the words of eternal life." We sometimes forget that we can only be satisfied in Christ. We try to fill our lives with things that the world tells us to value. In this message, from the Summer of 2012, we look at what the world has to offer, and how it pales in comparison to God's abundant grace. So grab your Bible, turn it to John chapter 6, and join us as we look at Christ's words of eternal life.
John 6:53-69
Recorded at Pitman Grove Tabernacle on August 26, 2012 (originally published November 14, 2014)
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Sermon #294
What we find in the words "I Believe in... the holy catholic church, the communion of saints..." can be troublesome to some. How can we profess belief in one church when there are so many denominations? Often it is used against us as Christians to say that we can't even agree with each other. And yet, there is undeniably something universal about the body of Christ, and what we affirm in this section of the Creed is not antidenominational, but rather that it is the Holy Spirit acting in all believers, no matter what church or denomination they may belong to, that makes us one.
Text: Matthew 16:13-20
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 12, 2018 (Originally published October 3, 2018)
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Sermon #616
A priest is one who intercedes on behalf of the people to God, to make sacrifices to atone for sin. The high priest is one who makes atonement for the sins of all the people, in this case, the people of Israel. But the high priest is himself a sinful person and so he must first make atonement for his own sins before making atonement for the people. This is not the case for Jesus Christ, who was tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin. Having no sin to atone for in himself, he was able to be our sacrifice and atone for the sins of the world. And like the scapegoat described in Leviticus, he was able to take our sin far away from us.
Hebrews 4:14-5:10
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 21, 2024
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Sermon #457
The episode of David's sin does not simply end with his repentance. As is often the case, the wreckage of this single momentary lapse in judgment follows not only David but also his immediate and extended family for many years, and even affects the nation of Israel as it descends into civil war, led by David's third son Absalom. We often do not think about the consequences of our sin. Forgiveness may be available through Jesus Christ and the grace of God, but ultimately our sin still has real world consequences that can follow us for years, and may even be generational, as we see in this incident. Though the sin may look appealing in that moment of temptation, and though we may think if anything we are only hurting ourselves, it is rarely the case that the consequences of our sin ends with us.
2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 8, 2021 (Previously unpublished)
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August 11, 2024
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33
Psalter: Psalm 130
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Gospel Lesson: John 6:35, 41-51
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #293
We turn our attention in the Apostles' Creed to the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. There is much misinformation regarding the Holy Spirit given in the last hundred years or so, and so we take a look at some of the myths about the Holy Spirit and debunk them, then examine how the Holy Spirit works in the life of the baptized christian to bring about the purposes of God here on earth.
Text: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 5, 2018 (Originally published October 1, 2018)
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Sermon #615
God promises a rest for those who follow him in faith. To the Israelites, he promised they would enter into his rest in the land that he promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet they refused and instead feared the people of the land, and God made them wander in the wilderness for forty years. The rest that he promises to believers today is an eternal Sabbath rest, purchased by the blood of his own son, Jesus Christ. So what is keeping us from entering into that rest? What doubts and disbeliefs do we cling to as we resist the calling of the Holy Spirit to enter into his rest?
Hebrews 4:1-13
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 14, 2024
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Sermon #456
This dark chapter in David's life brings in a new person to the story, Nathan the prophet. Although David had hidden his sin from others, he had not hidden the sin from himself, and he certainly did not hide it from God. When Nathan confronts David with the made-up story of a rich man who stole a poor man's lamb, David was enraged. Yet when Nathan confronted David with his own sin, David repented of his sin and confessed all. The statement, "I have sinned against the Lord," seems small compared to the mountain of sin David had mounted up. But we see the fullness of his confession and repentance in Psalm 51. Our sin separates us from God, but God in his mercy forgives our sin and allows us to reconcile to him. Even so, the wreckage that is created by our sin still exists. We still have very real consequences. Though we often see the sin in ourselves as so much more insignificant than the sin of others, God sees our sin for what it is: a rebellion against his promises and sustaining providence.
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 1, 2021 (Previously unpublished)
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August 4, 2024
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a
Psalter: Psalm 51:1-12
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 4:1-16
Gospel Lesson: John 6:24-35
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #292
Our exposition of the Apostles' Creed brings us to the end of the Christological statement of faith. We who have embraced Christ by faith for forgiveness of sins can rest assured in the final judgment. But what about those who have not? Jesus said he will come again, and he talks about his return as a time of judgment - what the Old Testament calls the "great and terrible day of the Lord." Jesus came once as a savior. He will return as a judge. Though our society may want to clip the wings of Jesus and portray him only as loving and merciful, make no mistake: God is a God of justice, and He poured out His justice on Jesus at Calvary. He did that for you and for me. The question is, what will you do with the life God has given you in Jesus Christ?
Text: Matthew 25:31-46
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 29, 2018 (Originally published September 21, 2018)
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Sermon #614
After having asserted that Jesus, as Son of God, is greater than Moses (considered by the Jews to be the greatest prophet), the writer of Hebrews now looks at a particular event in the history of Israel, saying that even though God brought all of Israel out of Egypt, not all of them entered the promised land, but most perished in the wilderness due to their unbelief. And so the writer of Hebrews is exhorting his readers not to harden our hearts against the voice of God, but to believe. Remember that this letter was written to Jewish Christians in Rome under intense persecution by Nero. It would have been easy enough for them to forsake their belief in Jesus Christ and return to Judaism, where they would no longer be persecuted. But the writer is telling them, if they disbelieve the promise now, they are no better than those who perished in the wilderness, and they will likewise not enter the rest of God.
Hebrews 3:7-19
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 7, 2024
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Sermon #455
[This sermon was recorded in 2021 but was never released. In an effort to complete the Prophets & Kings series from that Summer, we are going back and releasing these sermons in 2024.]
In our series so far, we've only seen the good in David. He is faithful to God, he is faithful to Saul even when Saul wants to kill him, and he is faithful to the people of Israel. But something changes here in chapter 11 of 2 Samuel. He changes his routine, and suddenly temptation hits him and he gives into it in a disastrous way. He even tries to cover up his sin and becomes even more entangled. What we can learn from David is that we can resist temptation, but when we are weak there comes a certain point where we are powerless and sin is inevitable. Therefore we must be diligent in our relationship with God and intentional in our study of His word and our worship of Him. David's sin was avoidable. The consequences of that sin were not.
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 25, 2021 (Previously unpublished)
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July 28, 2024
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:1-15
Psalter: Psalm 14
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 3:14-21
Gospel Lesson: John 6:1-21
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #613
Without a doubt, the greatest figure in the history of Israel was Moses. He was the one who led the people out of slavery. He was the one to whom God gave the law. He was the leader of the Hebrews in the wilderness for 40 years. And yet, the writer of Hebrews insists that we ought to consider Jesus as greater than Moses. After all, Moses delivered the law to Israel, but Jesus brought grace and truth to all the world. And so the writer is challenging contemporary Jewish thought that exalts Moses and says, consider Jesus, who was sent by God to be our high priest, to offer one sacrifice for sin for all time.
Hebrews 3:1-6
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 30, 2024
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Sermon #454
Often in scripture, David is referred to as a man after God's own heart. We see that in today's reading as David expresses a desire to build a temple for God in Jerusalem. His desire is to put down roots for the nation of Israel, to establish the spiritual center of the family of Abraham. Yet God, in a play on words, says through the prophet Nathan that David will not build a house (temple) for God, but God will make David a house (dynasty). Here once more we see our covenant God initiating the blessings by giving His promise to a mere human agent, flaws and all. And it's because of His eternal promises that he never breaks that we can rely upon His promises for us today.
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 18, 2021 (Originally published October 25, 2021)
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July 21, 2024
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:1-14a
Psalter: Psalm 89:20-37
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 2:11-22
Gospel Lesson: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #291
It is easy for us to slip quietly past this affirmation, but that would be a mistake. We are told so much in the Gospels about the earthly ministry of Christ and very little about the forty days after the resurrection, and less about the actual ascension (only Luke records his account in his Gospel and in the book of Acts). Yet the Ascension of Christ means three major things in the life of the Christian. It means that Easter is not over; it means that the incarnation is not over; and it means that we have a brother sitting at the right hand of God and interceding for us sinners. Indeed, affirming faith in the Ascension should be great joy for Christians everywhere.
Text: Luke 24:44-53
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 22, 2018 (Originally published September 17, 2018)
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Sermon #612
One of the primary motivating factors in life is, ironically, death, or rather the fear of death. The evolutionist would tell us that the two things that drive every species on the planet is the desire to survive and the desire to reproduce. In reality, God made us without death in the world, yet we brought death into the world when we separated ourselves from the Source of Life through sin. And so Jesus died our death for us, that we would live forever, and in dying, he put to death death itself. And since the sting of death has been removed from us, we can live our lives in peace knowing that God invites us to live with him for all eternity.
Hebrews 2:10-18
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 23, 2024
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Sermon #611
As the writer of Hebrews begins to unpack the Psalms to identify the extraordinary nature of the Son of God (who has not yet been named in the epistle), he reminds us that we ought to pay attention to what is said, lest we drift away in our faith. The language used suggests mooring a ship to a dock lest it slide past the safety of the harbor. In reality, we can rely upon what scripture says about Jesus, because God's word is sure and foundational. Though the writer of Hebrews is pointing to the Old Testament, these are glimpses of things that have not been obvious, until the complete message is revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 2:1-9
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 16, 2024
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July 14, 2024
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
Psalter: Psalm 24
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 1:3-14
Gospel Lesson: Mark 6:14-29
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #453
What should worship look like? Nowadays Christians are divided in their desire to worship the Lord in certain ways. Some prefer high church; some prefer a less rigid but still traditional service with a choir and pipe organ. Some prefer gospel music; some prefer contemporary christian music. Some prefer no music at all. When it comes down to it, worship does not need to be a certain format in order to glorify God; all that is required is that God is at the center of our worship. If our worship doesn't glorify God and point our hearts to Him, then it is worship that is more about us and our desires than about God and his glory.
2 Samuel 6:1-19
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 11, 2021 (Originally published October 11, 2021)
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Sermon #290
We come to the pivotal point in the Christology of the Apostles' Creed, and, as some might say, it's all uphill from here. Now, in the message today I make a strong assertion that to believe in the resurrection is nothing less than necessary for our salvation, and I stand by that statement (and back it up with Biblical text). Yet there are many in the church today, professing Christians, who either do not believe in the Biblical account of the resurrection or don't believe it happened at all. And if that is true, then we as a church, we as preachers of God's word, have failed in adequately emphasizing the importance of this one crucial aspect of the reality of Christ, that on the third day he rose from the dead.
Text: Matthew 28:1-10
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 15, 2018 (Originally published September 14, 2018)
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Sermon #610
Having laid down some extraordinary claims about the Son of God, through whom God has spoken in these last days, the writer of Hebrews now turns to the Hebrew Scriptures - specifically the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament rendered in the Third Century B.C. - to make his case that Jesus (who thus far is unnamed in the epistle) is no ordinary man but the divine Son. He is superior to the prophets in that he is the Son of God himself, and he is superior to the angels who are ministering spirits and created beings. Through the Psalms and the words of Moses, the writer of Hebrews presents the case that this is the begotten Son of God and not a created being. In fact, the angels themselves are commanded to bow down to Him. Hence, there is something extra special in the message that He brings.
Hebrews 1:5-14
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 9, 2024
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Sermon #452
On the day in which we celebrate our independence here in America (this message was recorded July 4, 2021), we reflect on the foundation of Israel as a united kingdom under David after the death of Saul and the conquest of Jerusalem. There are some parallels to our formation as a nation and Israel's. For one thing, the entire nation assented to David's kingship. In the same way, General George Washington was unanimously (69-0) elected our nation's first president. Both nations were established with the understanding that all things come from God. We see the three reasons that David was chosen as king - that he is one of the Israelites' brethren, a descendent of Abraham; that he is a warrior strong in battle; and that God chose him to be king. But it is this last reason that ought to be the first - and only - reason given.
2 Samuel 5:1-5,9-10
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 4, 2021 (Originally published September 27, 2021)
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July 7, 2024
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10
Psalter: Psalm 48
Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10
Gospel Lesson: Mark 6:1-13
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #289
To say that Jesus descended to the dead seems like a redundant statement after affirming that he was crucified, dead, and buried. To say that Jesus descended to hell (another translation of the Greek version of the Apostles' Creed) seems like a theological conundrum. How could Jesus, the Son of God, sinless and holy, descend to the place of torment where people who deny God and refuse His grace end up? Although we as Methodists do not regularly recite this affirmation in the Creed, it bears examiniation.
Text: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 8, 2018 (Originally published September 10, 2018)
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Sermon #609
Welcome to the 12th season of Guerrilla Christianity! In this introductory sermon to the expositional series on Hebrews, we look at several things about this epistle in general, and then the opening four verses. First, we look at some of the theories surrounding authorship, concluding that we do not know conclusively who the author of Hebrews is, but that the ultimate author is undoubtedly the Holy Spirit. Second, we establish the timeline for when the letter was written and the circumstances surrounding its writing. Thirdly, we look at the major themes of the letter - the superiority of Christ; his three offices of prophet, priest, and king; the regulative principle of worship; and perseverance in the face of persecution. Then we look at the opening lines that describe this Son of God who is superior to the angels, through whom God has spoken to us in these last days. This series will carry us through the majority of the Season after Pentecost, and it promises to be enlightening and insightful.
Hebrews 1:1-4
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 2, 2024
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Sermon #451
The death of Saul and Jonathan is one that affected David deeply. On the one hand, Saul had been trying for several years to kill David, seeing him as a threat to his own rule over Israel. On the other hand, David was very close friends with Saul's son, Jonathan, and certainly his death would have devastated David. Yet even though Saul was paranoid, murderous, and pagan in his religious practices, David still considered him to be the Lord's anointed king, and throughout his flight from Saul he refused to raise a hand against him, even when he was in a position to kill Saul. And so we see David's heartfelt lamentation for both Saul and Jonathan, coming at a time when there should be joy over the gaining of the kingdom. David was a servant, and he also realized that there is a time for joy and a time to weep.
2 Samuel 1:1,17-27
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 27, 2021 (Originally published on September 6, 2021)
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June 30, 2024
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Psalter: Psalm 130
Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Gospel Lesson: Mark 5:21-43
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Two major considerations face us today as we continue our examination of the Apostles' Creed. First, what is the point of mentioning Pontius Pilate? When Jesus was betrayed by so many - the crowds, the Sanhedrin, Judas Iscariot - why do we affirm that he "suffered under Pontius Pilate?" Next, we look at the dual nature of Christ and that he was fully God and fully human, as demonstrated in that he was "crucified, dead, and buried - none of which makes any sense if Jesus were only God and not human.
Text: John 18:33-19:16
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 24, 2018 (Originally published September 5, 2018)
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S11E47: The Trinity in the Cross (Trinity Sunday 2024)
Sermon #608
On this Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost) we look at the work of all three persons of the Godhead in salvation at the cross of Jesus Christ. At the heart of the doctrine of the Trinity is the relationship between the three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is eternal and uncreated. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father and is likewise uncreated. The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from both the Father and the Son, is personal and not ephemeral, and each person is glorified and magnified equally. Yet there are not three gods but one God. It is an eternal mystery that Christian theologians have struggled to understand for centuries, and yet in this passage from John's gospel, we see the effortless way Jesus explains the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit in the salvation of the cross to an earnest Pharisee named Nicodemus.
John 3:1-17
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 26, 2024
Who Is God in Three Persons? Paperback by John R. Tyson (Amazon)
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Sermon #450
The story of David and Goliath is a very familiar story to anyone who was raised in the church. It is one of the first stories we learn in Sunday school. And because of its familiarity, as adults sometimes we can gloss over the greater meaning of the story. David was a shepherd, not particularly exceptional and decidedly not a battle-hardened warrior like Goliath. Yet David had something that Goliath did not, and that is faith in God. He saw Goliath as a little problem because he knew that his God is a big God who spoke and the worlds were formed. And he also knew that victory would not come because of his ability but rather because of his lack of it, for, as he said, the battle is the Lord's. God uses the weak to confound the strong, and ultimately He gets the glory for it.
1 Samuel 17
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 20, 2021 (Originally published August 16, 2021)
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Sermon #449
How do we judge people? I know, we're not supposed to judge people but we do, don't we? And how do we do it? Most of the time we judge by sight, by what a person looks like, by the things that they do outwardly. That's not how God judges. What we think of as wonderful, often God sees as corrupt. What we think of as worthless, often God sees as valuable. We as human beings are limited in our senses, but God knows all and sees all, and so when God judges, he judges by the content of our hearts. He knows our motivations. He knows our desires, even better than we do. And this is why God can reject a tall and handsome warrior king like Saul, and anoint a lowly shepherd boy like David. God looks on the heart.
1 Samuel 15:34-16:13
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 13, 2021 (Originally published August 5, 2021)
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Sermon #286
As we continue our examination of the Apostles' Creed, we come to one of the most difficult affirmations for the modern believer, that Jesus was "Conceived by the Holy Spirit" and "Born of the Virgin Mary." Such things we would be tempted to write off as superstitious nonsense and mythos but we need to be reminded that in affirming this belief, what we are saying about the birth of Jesus is that it is very special, for a child born of a very special purpose, and that it was real - and also very human.
Text: Matthew 1:18-25
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 17, 2018 (Originally published on August 29, 2018)
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June 16, 2024
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13
Psalter: Psalm 20
Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 5:6-17
Gospel Lesson: Mark 4:26-34
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #448
Welcome to the 9th season of Guerrilla Christianity! We are beginning a new series for the season of Pentecost called "Prophets & Kings." We will be looking at how God has appointed kings to rule over Israel, and how He uses prophets to speak to those kings when they get out of line, which is a frequent occurance. In today's lesson from 1 Samuel 8, we see the people crying out for a king to rule over them, God's warning through the prophet Samuel that the king they get will not be the king they want, and their ultimate rejection of both Samuel and God as they clamor for a king to rule over them "like the other nations."
1 Samuel 8:4-20
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 6, 2021 (Originally published July 28, 2021)
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Sermon #607
At Pentecost, Christian churches around the world celebrate the birth of the Church and the giving of the Holy Spirit as related in the Book of Acts, chapter 2. There were 120 disciples in the upper room when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they ran out into the streets proclaiming the gospel in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. We are told that three thousand were added to their ranks that day. Two thousand years later there are two ends of the spectrum when it comes to how churches approach the work of the Holy Spirit among us. Some would diminish the importance of the work of the Spirit. Some would over-emphasize it to the point of making the Holy Spirit the central object of their worship. But as we see in today's lesson from the Farewell Discourse of Jesus, recorded in John's Gospel, the role of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, is to point us to the Second Person of the Trinity, that is, Jesus Christ, and to glorify him. We can neither ignore the work of the Spirit in the church, nor can we make it the only thing we focus on, but Pentecost shows us that the Spirit is living and active among us and points us to the saving work of the Father in Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 19, 2024
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June 9, 2024
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 8:4-20; 11:14-15
Psalter: Psalm 138
Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
Gospel Lesson: Mark 3:20-35
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #285
We begin looking at the Christology of the Apostles' Creed with three statements of who Jesus is. First, he is Christ, the anointed of God. Second, he is the only begotten son of God. And third, he is Lord of all. Third in the series on the Apostles' Creed.
Text: John 1:1-18
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 10, 2018 (Originally published August 27, 2018)
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May 12, 2024
Recently (a few days before I delivered this sermon) I had been to the Billy Graham library in Charlotte, NC. The tour that they give illustrates the progression of how God used this man to proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. But more importantly, the tour was presenting the gospel itself as well. We preach the good news because we want others to know that God has loved them by sending his Son to be the propitiation for their sins, that they can have eternal life through Him. I've heard it said that gospel preaching is just telling people how you want them to be. In my case, I preach the gospel because of how God has transformed me, and how I know God can transform others. In today's closing passage in John's first epistle, we see four things that John wants his readers in the church to know with assurance: that we may have eternal life, that we may have deliverance from sin, that we have been regenerated (born again), and that Jesus Christ is God.
1 John 5:13-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 12, 2024
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Sermon #285
As we continue to examine our affirmation of faith, we turn next to the notion of God as "maker of heaven and earth." What does it mean that God is the creator of all things? What does it mean for us that we are part of His creation? And how does acknowledging God as creator of the universe affect our relationship with Him and with His creation: our home, the earth?
Text: Genesis 1:1-2:4
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 3, 2018 (Originally published August 20, 2018)
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June 2, 2024
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3:1-20
Psalter: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12
Gospel Lesson: Mark 2:23-3:6
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #283
The Apostles' Creed is one of our most ancient statements of the Christian faith. It affirms our belief in the triune nature of God, and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Many churches recite this affirmation of faith each week, but how often do we really consider the meaning of the words? Why did the ancient Christians determine the need for such a statement of faith, and what does it mean to us today? On this Trinity Sunday it seems only appropriate that we begin this series, "We Believe..." with a look at God the Father, Almighty, from the throne room vision of Isaiah the prophet.
Text: Isaiah 6:1-6
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 27, 2018 (Originally published August 16, 2018)
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Sermon #605
What does it mean to be born again? We know what it means to be born. I recently celebrated a birthday, and it's an annual reminder of an event that is momentous in my life, and yet I don't remember it actually happening. Modern day evangelists often accuse Christians of not being born again because they don't remember the exact day, hour, and minute that it happened. Surely something as momentous as an encounter with God would be worth remembering! Yet what we see in today's lesson is that we have as much to do with being born again as we have to do with being born at all, which is to say, not at all. We don't decide when to be born, and we don't demand of God to be born again. Jesus said that unless we are born again we cannot even see the kingdom of God. Why ask for something you cannot see, do not know exists? No, the act of regeneration is entirely a work of God, but the response afterward is faith based on sight - being able to see the kingdom and trusting in Christ alone for our salvation.
1 John 5:1-12
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 5, 2024
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Sermon #282
We begin our sixth season of the Guerrilla Christianity podcast with a deeper look at the Holy Spirit. We see the Holy Spirit at work in the pages of the Bible, and we know He is at work in us as believers in Jesus Christ. What exactly does "Pentecostal Power" mean? How can the Holy Spirit of God move in us to bring about glory for God as never seen before? We look at the first Christian Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles in the upper room, and when three thousand people were converted to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Text: Acts 2:1-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 20, 2018 (originally published on August 8, 2018)
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May 19, 2024
First Lesson: Acts 2:1-21
Psalter: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:22-27
Gospel Lesson: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #445
Since Easter Sunday we have been looking at what it means to live life in light of the resurrection of Christ. Today in a summary message, delivered on Ascension Sunday, in looking at Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus, we are examining several different markers of the Christian life. What is it that distinguishes us from the rest of the world? Paul mentions six different markers of the Christian life, given to us through the Holy Spirit, and made available for us because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, God offers to us the power he showed in the raising of Christ from the dead. When we repent of our sin and trust in Christ alone for our salvation, God offers to us eternal life in Jesus' name.
Ephesians 1:15-23
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 16, 2021 (Originally published on June 23, 2021)
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May 12, 2024
First Lesson: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Psalter: Psalm 1
Epistle Lesson: 1 John 5:9-13
Gospel Lesson: John 17:6-19
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #604
We've been learning about agape which is a transcendent and perfect Godly love. While 1 Corinthians 13 may be known as the "Love Chapter" of the Bible, this chapter before us uses the word "agape" in some form 29 times. That's over 1/5 of all the uses in the entire New Testament. And if John is using the word so frequently, we ought to look to see what John is saying. In this 15-verse passage, John shows us how agape comes from God, how we can know God through agape, and how we can know we are saved because of God's agape love in us.
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 28, 2024
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Sermon #444
When we claim victory over something or someone, we are establishing complete dominance over that thing or person. Just as the allied forces claimed victory over Germany and Italy on May 8, 1945, so Jesus also claimed victory over sin and death in the resurrection. And we who confess that Jesus Christ is the very Son of God can also claim that victory. By allying ourselves with the victor, we also become with Jesus the sons and daughters of God, reborn as it were in the Spirit of God.
1 John 5:1-6
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 9, 2021 (Originally published May 21, 2021)
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May 5, 2024
First Lesson: Acts 10:44-48
Psalter: Psalm 98
Epistle Lesson: 1 John 5:1-6
Gospel Lesson: John 15:9-17
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #603
I saw a meme on Facebook this week that put forth the notion that religion is defined by what we hate. Yet if we learn anything from John's first epistle, it is that the central theme of Christianity is love, and not just any kind of love, but agape love. The word "agape" means a higher form of love, a godly love, a transcendent love that is sacrificial and puts others before us. And so Jesus commands us to love God, to love one another, to love our neighbor, even to love our enemies. But do we see that in the world? Is the aforementioned meme that far off from what is portrayed in the media concerning Christianity? If we are to truly be followers of Christ we need to let our love be on full display both by what we do and by what we say - in other words, in our deeds and in the truth.
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 21, 2024
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Sermon #602
It's often been said that we are all children of God, every one of us in humanity's fold. But this simply isn't true. John's gospel tells us that to those who receive Jesus, who believe on his name, God gave the right to become sons and daughters. So how can we know if we are truly regenerated, reborn into the family of God, adopted as sons and daughters of God? It is through our association with God's attributes, especially his righteousness. Apart from Christ we cannot practice righteousness, but only practice sin. But once we are adopted, we practice righteousness, though we may still fall to sin. We wonder if we have lost our salvation because we dip our toes into the pool of unrighteousness, but God's word assures us that it's those who practice lawlessness as a general rule that are lost.
1 John 2:28-3:10
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 14, 2024
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Sermon #443
The Greek word "agape" describes a higher form of love. It is a love that is completely selfless and giving, expecting nothing in return, and it is the kind of love that God shows to us in Jesus Christ. Since agape is a Godly form of love, it stands to reason that the world at large does not and cannot conceptualize this kind of love. Homer used the word only ten times in his writings; Euripides only thrice. Yet the word "agape" appears in the New Testament 320 times, and 27 times it appears in this short passage from John's letter. It seems important to the apostles and to Jesus, and so agape ought to be important to contemporary followers of Christ as well.
1 John 4:7-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 2, 2021 (Originally published May 17, 2021)
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Sermon #442
Those who experienced the resurrection first-hand (the apostles, and the many eyewitnesses to Jesus' resurrection as reported by Paul) had a certain boldness to their evangelism. After all, they had seen the resurrected Jesus in the flesh. We who have received their eyewitness accounts can also experience this boldness when it comes to conviction of sin. While the Spirit within us convicts us of sin when we give into temptation, God's Spirit never condemns us - that condemnation was poured out on Jesus at the cross in our place. So we have boldness before God because our hearts do not condemn us. This is what John teaches us in his letter today.
1 John 3:16-24
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 25, 2021 (Originally published on May 4, 2021)
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April 21, 2024
First Lesson: Acts 4:5-12
Psalter: Psalm 23
Epistle Lesson: 1 John 3:16-24
Gospel Lesson: John 10:11-18
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #439
As Christians we have a temptation to say that we ought not to mourn in times of sadness. Yet there is much biblical evidence that mourning is a proper response to sad events, such as the death of a loved one. The disciples, who heard Jesus' teaching about his own death and resurrection, still mourned when he was killed on the cross. But their mourning was turned to joy when they encountered the risen Christ. What we see in today's teaching from Easter Sunday 2021 is that Christ turns our mourning to joy when he speaks our name.
John 20:1-18
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 4, 2021 (Originally published on April 8, 2021)
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Sermon #601
We're beginning a new series for the season of Easter based in the first general epistle of John. The purpose of John's letter was to dispute the twin heresies of Docetism and Gnosticism that was rising in the First Century church. Using statements that contrast dark and light, righteousness and sin, John systematically presents a case that shows that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all (1:5). He also addresses the Gnostic assertion that some secret knowledge is required for salvation, saying that all that is necessary is repentance and faith. He assures his readers that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all iniquity (1:8). All this is made manifest in the work and person of Jesus Christ, the personification of God's love to the world. And the word that we use to describe this perfect love is the Greek word Agape. This will be the focus of our series and it is the message that we receive this day.
1 John 1:1-2:2
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 7, 2024
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Sermon #441
What is hope? The worldly definition is that hope is a desire for something as yet unfulfilled. The Christian definition of hope is inextricably tied to the promises of God, that he has fulfilled those promises in the past and will fulfill them again in the future. That is our hope, and it was the hope of the early disciples who continued to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus because they had seen it with their own eyes. Their hope was in the past fulfillment of Jesus' words, that he must be betrayed, killed, and raised to life again on the third day. When that promise was fulfilled, their faith was solidified in the hope that his promise to prepare a place for us would likewise be realized.
1 John 3:1-7
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 18, 2021 (Originally published April 23, 2021)
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April 14, 2024
First Lesson: Acts 3:12-19
Psalter: Psalm 4
Epistle Lesson: 1 John 3:1-7
Gospel Lesson: Luke 24:36b-48
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #438
Easter Sunday is the day when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so it seems fitting to focus on the resurrection of Jesus throughout the Easter Season. The resurrection is what gives our faith validity. Without the resurrection, Jesus was merely a good teacher (although how good could he be, since he claimed to be the Son of God?). The resurrection is the receipt for the debt that Jesus paid for us on the cross. It puts the final stamp of approval on his ministry, and proves to the world who he is - the second person of the Trinity and seated at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus' death and resurrection is the good news, and as Paul tells us in his letter to the church in Corinth, we can believe in the resurrection because there were so many eyewitnesses. Ours is indeed a faith based in evidence.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Recorded at Hudson UMC Cemetery on April 4, 2021 (Originally published on April 6, 2021)
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Sermon #600
Why were Jesus' followers so willing to die for the truth of the resurrection? Why was the Christian Sabbath shifted from the seventh day to the first day of the week? Why did Paul insist that believing in the resurrection was of utmost importance? On this Easter Sunday (2024) we take a look at a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in 54 AD, and he stresses that the knowledge of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the good news of the gospel, and by it we who are believers are being saved. It's not some throwaway doctrine that is unnecessary on this side of the Enlightenment, when many religious leaders are embarassed by the miracles of Jesus. The resurrection is THE paramount miracle of Jesus, that he died and rose again according to the scriptures, and in fact everything we believe about Jesus Christ depends on the truth of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 31, 2024
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Sermon #569
When 18th Century Anglican Christians began to gather in what were called Methodist Societies, John Wesley initially stated that the only requirement for joining such was "a desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved from their sins." Simple, right? Yet how can a person demonstrate such desire? Wesley gave them three rules to live by - to do no harm, to do good, and to attend to all the ordinances of God. Today in the reading from Romans, we will demonstrably see why these three simple rules are Biblical, why they are necessary, and how they demonstrate a heart of agape love in the true convert.
Romans 13:8-14
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 10, 2023
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Sermon #407
When we receive the blessings of God, do we give thanks? As Christians, giving thanks ought to be like muscle memory, an automatic response to all that God has given us. And as Christians, we believe that all good things come from God. Yet few of us are quick to give thanks to God. In the conclusion to our series, Paul demonstrates his quick willingness to give thanks to God and acknowledging all that God has done for and through him for the furtherance of the gospel.
Philippians 4:10-23
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 6, 2020 (Originally published September 7, 2020)
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September 10, 2023
Old Testament: Exodus 12:1-14
Psalter: Psalm 149
Epistle Lesson: Romans 13:8-14
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 18:15-20
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #241
The common thread throughout the reading today is "Let love be genuine." By this we will examine all the exhortations of Paul to the church in Rome. What does genuine love look like? In order to avoid the counterfeit, we must first know what the genuine looks like, and Paul gives us a glimpse into genuine love through his teaching today.
Romans 12:9-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 3, 2017 (Originally published October 3, 2017)
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Sermon #72
What is it that marks us as Christians? What is it that sets us apart? In today's message, the apostle Paul gives us in his letter to the Roman church a list of marks that define the Christian ethos. But more than a set of instructions, or a new group of commandments, the common theme in all these is God's divine love. So grab your Bible, turn it to Romans chapter 12, and join us as we take a closer look at the heart of the matter.
Romans 12:9-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 31, 2014 (Originally published September 11, 2014)
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Sermon #568
This week we are beginning a new series that examines what it means to be Methodist. From its inception in the 18th Century, the Methodist movement has been one that is meant to bring people into closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Its founder, John Wesley, himself an Anglican priest, described what the people called Methodist were like in a letter to a colleague who was wondering what this movement might be about. Today as we look at the text from Romans 12, we compare Paul's words to the words of John Wesley as he describes this burgeoning Spirit-filled movement within the Church of England, and we see that the first mark of a Methodist - indeed, any true Christian - is that of genuine love, not hypocritical or fake but from the heart where God's Spirit resides.
Romans 12:9-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 3, 2023
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Sermon #75
At Hudson (in 2014), we started a Wednesday night contemporary worship service. In this message, the first preached at the Wednesday night service, we look at what forgiveness is, and how it heals, not just the forgiven, but the forgiver as well. It's been said that holding on to anger is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. When we offer forgiveness, we free ourselves from the shackles of anger and resentment. So grab your Bible, turn it to Matthew chapter 18, and join us as we look at freedom in forgiveness.
Matthew 18:21-35
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 17, 2014 (Originally published October 9, 2014)
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September 3, 2023
Old Testament: Exodus 3:1-15
Psalter: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c
Epistle Lesson: Romans 12:9-21
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 16:21-28
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #240
Paul exhorts the church in Rome to not be conformed to the ways of the world (in contrast to the ways of God), but to be transformed (completely remade in God's image) by the renewing of our minds.
Romans 12:1-8
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 27, 2017 (Originally published October 2, 2017)
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Sermon #71
In this, the eleventh part of our "Theology for Ministry" series, we look at how we can become part of the body of Christ. Paul uses the illustration of the human body with its many parts, and just as the many parts of the human body work in concert with each other, so we as the body of Christ work together to build the Kingdom of God here on earth, and we each have a part. So grab your Bible, turn it to Romans chapter 12, and join us as we look at Conforming to the Body of Christ.
Romans 12:1-8
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 24, 2014 (Originally published August 24, 2014)
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Sermon #567
We conclude our series looking at the life, ministry, and miracles of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of the Apostle Matthew with what may be considered the greatest confession of faith recorded in the New Testament. Jesus asks two questions of his disciples at Caesarea Philippi: Who do the people say that I am? And who do YOU say that I am? We look at both of these questions in the post-modern era and we look at seven conflicting beliefs of who Jesus is according to the world. Then we look at who the disciples of Jesus (including Christians today) believe him to be, and how we can know it through the reading of the inspired scripture and through the direct revelation of God through the Holy Spirit. What we confess about Jesus Christ absolutely defines us as Christians.
Matthew 16:13-20
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 27, 2023
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Sermon #406
In our current climate (2020) it seems like we have no reason to rejoice. But for the people of God in Jesus Christ, we have an eternal anchor for our soul to which we can look for joy. Paul exhorts the church in Philippi, and us as well, to rejoice in the Lord always, and that is the key. When we try to find joy in our circumstances, we can find temporary happiness, but lasting joy comes from an eternal source - God himself.
Philippians 4:2-9
Recorded at HUdson UMC on August 23, 2020 (Originally published August 24, 2020)
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August 27, 2023
Old Testament: Exodus 1:8-2:10
Psalter: Psalm 124
Epistle Lesson: Romans 12:1-8
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 16:13-20
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #239
We often talk about God's grace, but what is the difference between grace and mercy? Where is the evidence in the Bible of God's mercy? Is it only a New Testament ideal or is God's mercy demonstrated in the Old Testament as well?
Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 20, 2017 (Originally published September 6, 2017)
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It's good to be in worship every week. But when worship becomes routine, we lose sight of the object of our worship and we become complacent in our faith. Our guest speaker Kyle Clement reminds us of this, and gives us ways to keep our faith alive and vibrant.
This episode was recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 17, 2014. (Originally published August 20, 2014) S.D.G.
Sermon #566
Today we examine an account of Jesus' interaction with a Syrophoenician woman, and on the surface it appears as though Jesus' initial reaction to her presence is one of disdain and possibly even racism. Certainly, modern scholars have interpreted this passage this way. But when we look at the passage in the greater context of a discussion Jesus was having about how it is what comes out of the heart of a person that defiles him, we see that what Jesus is showing his disciples and us is that the woman has had a radical change in her own heart, demonstrated by the words and posture she uses in her encounter with Jesus. How then can we examine our own words and actions to determine if we have been given a new heart with new desires from God?
Matthew 15:10-28
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 20, 2023
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Sermon #405
When we run a race, we don't focus on where we've been but on where we are going. By staying focused on the finish line, we can run the race with stamina and press on to the end. This is the image that Paul is using today when talking about the Christian life in his letter to the church in Philippi, and he ought to know. Imprisoned in Rome, if Paul were to focus on his present circumstances he would surely lose hope. Instead he keeps his focus on his goal - attaining the resurrection of the dead through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Philippians 3:12-4:1
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 16, 2020 (Originally published August 17, 2020)
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August 20, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 45:1-15
Psalter: Psalm 133
Epistle Lesson: Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 15:10-28
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #238
If all we have to do to be saved is to confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead, then why don't more people do it? In fact, if it's that simple, then why isn't the entire world saved already?
Romans 10:5-15
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 13, 2017 (Originally published September 5, 2017)
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Sermon #70
Jesus told the woman at the well that "Salvation is of the Jews." Of course, that was before he gave his own life for the sins of the world. In today's message, the apostle Paul tells us that salvation is available to anyone who wants it, and that God has made it very simple for us, according to his abundant grace. But what does it mean to confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead? It is a simple thing God requires of us, but it is not easy. So grab your Bible, turn it to Romans chapter 10, and prepare your heart and mind as we look at The Place of Israel, part 2.
Romans 10:5-15
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 10, 2014 (Originally published August 16, 2014)
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Sermon #565
We come to another well-known and well-documented miracle, Jesus walking on the water. All throughout this passage we see that Jesus is modelling for us how to get alone with God and to call out to him in times of trouble. Yet the disciples, and especially Peter, miss the point. Peter challenges Jesus, telling him to command Peter to come to him on the water, which he does. And Peter gets out of the boat! But as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at the wind and the waves, he began to sink, and so he cried out the only prayer he could in that moment: "Lord, save me!" How often do we attempt to fix things ourselves and never even consider calling out to the Lord? Yet he answers each and every time and does what we cannot do.
Matthew 14:22-33
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 13, 2023
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Sermon #404
We all carry documentation that demonstrates who we are. But when it comes to a life in Christ, the only documentation we need is the word of God. In it we see what God has done for us through Jesus Christ, to rescue us from sin and death. What Paul tells us is that even though he has the most impressive resume in his religious life, he considers it all rubbish for the sake of what Jesus did for him. We rely not on our own merits, but on the righteousness of Christ, who gave his own life to save us and reconcile us to God.
Philippians 3:1-11
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 9, 2020 (Originally published August 10, 2020)
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Sermon #237
Paul agonized over the salvation of his fellow Jews. How could he see that Christ was the Messiah and others could not? He begins to set up the urgent need for proclaiming the gospel to a people in need of salvation.
Romans 9:1-18
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 6, 2017 (Originally published August 14, 2017)
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Sermon #69
In chapter nine of his letter to the Romans, Paul takes a departure from speaking on God's grace and our salvation, and turns his attention to the people of Israel. The apostle Paul was born a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin. So it would stand to reason that he would have great concern over his people and their salvation. This week we begin a two-part subseries to our Theology for Ministry series called The Place of Israel, and we will look at how the Jews receive God's grace, even today. So grab your Bible, turn it to Romans chapter nine, and join us as we look at the place of Israel.
Romans 9:1-5
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 3, 2014 (Originally published August 13, 2014)
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Sermon #564
The feeding of the 5,000 is a miracle so remarkable that it is recorded in all four gospel accounts. In fact, it is the only such miracle recorded in all four gospels, apart from the resurrection itself. So if it was so important that all four gospel writers needed to include it in their good news, we ought to take notice of what's going on. And what we see is a picture of how Jesus uses what we have to accomplish the work that he assigns to us, even when what we have is insufficient to the task. It's easy as human beings to look at things pragmatically or practically, but when we are answering the call of God we must act in faith to know that God will take our meager offerings and multiply them until they are more than enough.
Matthew 14:13-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 6, 2023
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Sermon #403
To be a living sacrifice means to live sacrificially, to spend yourself for the sake of Christ, who died for you. Very few people in the Bible exemplify this idea of being a living sacrifice as well as the two men we meet in today's reading from Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. Timothy and Epaphroditus, though from very different backgrounds, were united by faith in Jesus Christ to work alongside Paul in his imprisonment, even if it meant giving their lives for the furtherance of the Gospel.
Philippians 2:19-30
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 2, 2020 (Originally published August 3, 2020)
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August 6, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 32:22-31
Psalter: Psalm 17:1-7, 15
Epistle Lesson: Romans 9:1-5
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 14:13-21
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #236
Paul asks the question: If God is on our side, who could possibly stand against us? It's a fair question, and one we ought to examine for ourselves.
Romans 8:26-39
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 30, 2017 (Originally published August 2, 2017)
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Sermon #67
It's a mistake to think that coming to Christ will automatically exempt us from the bad things that happen in life. We are never promised an easy life for coming to Christ. We have to endure hardships just like everyone else. But the difference is, we have faith that God is always in control, and that our suffering is just for a season. This week we look at one of the greatest and hardest promises in the Bible, the promise of Romans 8:28. So grab your Bible, open it to Romans chapter 8, and join us as we Join Creation's Song.
Romans 8:26-39
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 27, 2014 (Originally published August 10, 2014)
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Sermon #563
Today we are concluding our look at the parables of Jesus recorded in Matthew's gospel. We find six short parables about the kingdom of heaven, and what its characteristics are. From these we can determine five characteristics of the Kingdom of Heaven, plus one characteristic of the workers of the kingdom who declare the gospel to the world. As we Christians claim to be citizens of this kingdom, with God as our king, we ought to know what the kingdom looks like and how we fit in.
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 30, 2023
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Sermon #402
When we talk about our life as Christians we talk about light and darkness. Jesus said we are the light of the world. The thing about light is that it pushes out darkness. Darkness cannot overcome even the weakest of lights. In fact, the more complete the darkness is, the more even a weak light will shine. In the reading in Philippians today, Paul is exhorting the church in Philippi to be the lights in the world, and we can take his words to heart for ourselves as well.
Philippians 2:12-18
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 26, 2020 (Originally published July 27, 2020)
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July 30, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 29:15-28
Psalter: Psalm 105:1-11, 45b
Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:26-39
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #235
Are all human beings children of God? Today we continue examining Romans chapter 8 and we discuss what it means to be adopted into the family of God.
Romans 8:12-25
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 23, 2017 (originally published August 1, 2017)
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Sermon #66
As Christians, do we suffer? Do we groan? Today we continue our look at the theology of ministry in Paul's letter to the church in Rome. The difference for us as Christians is that when we suffer and groan, we have hope for God's glory to come. So grab your bible, turn it to Romans chapter 8, and prepare your heart and mind as we join the spirit's groan.
Romans 8:12-15
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 20, 2014 (Originally published July 21, 2014)
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Sermon #562
In the parable of the wheat and tares, or the parable of the weeds, we find that both the children of the Kingdom of God and the children of the devil are planted in the earth together, and that they are allowed to grow together. At the end of all things, Jesus tells us, the wheat will be gathered into the barn and the tares bundled to be burned forever. In this parable we see a glimpse of hell as Jesus speaks of it, that it is a place of eternal conscious torment. But our desire to follow the Lord and be obedient to his commands should come not from a fear of hell, but the love we feel for the God who rescued us from it.
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 23, 2023
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Sermon #401
Humility in the modern era has been twisted to mean something that it did not mean when the Bible was written. Nowadays it means to do something for someone in order to gain their favor for a later time. But Jesus modelled true humility for us by becoming a man and dying for us, His creation. When Paul exhorts the church in Philippi (and us as well) to have the same mind of Christ, he is telling us to be humble as Christ showed us how to be humble.
Philippians 2:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 19, 2020 (Originally published Juy 20, 2020)
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July 23, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 28:10-19a
Psalter: Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:12-25
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #234
We come to the eighth chapter of Romans and we unpack in particular verse 1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. This verse carries the full weight of the gospel and the promise of our assurance of God's grace, and should be in the heart of every Christ follower.
Romans 8:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC and Hudson UMC on July 16, 2017 (Originally published July 17, 2017)
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Sermon #65
Do we focus on the flesh, or do we focus on the Spirit? It's an ongoing battle that we as Christians face every day. This week we will look at three ways that God's spirit speaks directly to us, and ways in which we can more keenly hear Him. So grab your Bible, open it to Romans chapter 8, and join us as we become more focused on the spirit.
Romans 8:1-11
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 13, 2014 (Originally published July 15, 2014)
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Sermon #561
This week we begin to look at the parables of Jesus, and why he told them. In the parable of the sower we see four different types of soil, and only one of them produces fruit. The question before us today is, which of these soils describes us? Are we the hard-packed pathway with the hardened hearts against the truth of God's word? Do we have rocky soil in which the seed springs up and withers under adversity? Is our faith choked by the cares of the world? Or do we receive the word of God and understand it, and yield an abundance in return? If your faith is not yielding fruit, which of these soils do you think describes you? Probing questions that demand our consideration are before us today.
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 16, 2023
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Sermon #400
Today in Paul's letter to the Philippians, we find out what the source of his joy is, despite his imprisonment. We find that Paul can find joy in his circumstances by rejoicing in the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. This is the central focus of everything that we do as Christians. When our life is hard, when we endure suffering for a season, even when we are persecuted as some are in other countries, we can find joy because we have an eternal hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:12-30
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 12, 2020 (Originally published July 13, 2020)
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July 16, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 25:19-34
Psalter: Psalm 119:105-112
Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:1-11
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #233
For the Born Again Christian, Paul's struggle between his sinful flesh and his regenerate spirit as recorded in Romans chapter 7 is all too real. But we can take comfort in knowing that this struggle is an indication of the grace that is already at work within us.
Romans 7:15-25
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 9, 2017 (Originally published July 10, 2017)
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Sermon #63
What is Sanctifying Grace, and how does the Holy Spirit work within us? Today we continue our series titled "Theology of Ministry" and look at Paul's words to the church in Rome as he describes his own struggle with sin. It's gratifying to know we are not alone in our struggle. So grab your Bible, turn to Romans chapter seven, and join us as we look at Sanctifying Grace: our need and God's provision.
Romans 7:15-25a
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 6, 2014 (Originally published July 9, 2014)
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Sermon #560
There are two burdens that we experience apart from Christ. First is the burden of our sin, or the weight of the guilt of sin. The other is for those who depend upon religion to bring them to God. They believe if they follow the rules of man-made religion, they will make it to heaven by their own efforts. Both of these are equally burdensome. But Christ invites us to take up his yoke, because when we do, he bears our burden for us - both the burden of sin past and future, and the burden of man-made religion that insists we follow their impossible standard. Christ invites us into a relationship with God the Father freely, as he himself has paid the price for us.
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 9, 2023
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Sermon #399
Throughout the Summer of 2020 we will be going verse-by-verse through the book of Philippians, the letter written by Paul to the church he founded in Philippi. In 2020 we have seen a lot of hardship through global pandemic, racial clashes and riots, political instability... It's been a tough year. Yet our joy comes from a source external to us. Paul, imprisoned in Rome, found joy in his imprisonment because of the continued spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so my hope and prayer is that this letter will encourage us all to embrace the joy of the gospel even in our current circumstances.
Philippians 1:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 5, 2020 (Originally published July 6, 2020)
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July 9, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Psalter: Psalm 45:10-17
Epistle Lesson: Romans 7:15-25a
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #231
This week we continue our look at the Riches in Romans with an examination of what it means to earn a wage, vs. the idea of receiving a gift. When we receive a gift, our first response is not "What do I owe you," but rather the love and thought behind the gift is appreciated for what it is. In the same way, when we receive the gift of God's grace we ought not think of what we must do to earn it, particularly since it has already been given freely.
Romans 6:12-23
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 2, 2017 (Originally published on July 3, 2017)
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Sermon #62
When we sin, we cause pain. Not just to ourselves but to others around us. Today we look at sin and its consequence, death, and we look at what God did to break the cycle of sin and free us for joyful obedience in Christ. So grab your Bible, turn to Romans Chapter 6, and join us as we look at freeing ourselves from sin.
Romans 6:12-23
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 29, 2014 (Originally published July 7, 2014)
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Sermon #559
As Christians we want to be welcoming. We want to welcome new people into our midsts so that the Kingdom of God can grow. Yet often we don't think about how we have been welcomed. Jesus said that whoever welcomes one of the least of his disciples welcomes him, and whoever welcomes him welcomes the one who sent him. There is a line of association between us and God the Father through Jesus Christ, which stands to reason, as he, being fully man and fully God, is uniquely qualified to stand in the gap between us and God. He is our sole mediator and the one through whom all come to the Father. So when we welcome God's people, we are welcoming God.
Matthew 10:40-42
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 2, 2023
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Sermon #121
This is a message that was delivered at the Pitman Grove Camp Meeting, on the day after Independence Day. We in America take our freedom for granted, and it is only on special days like July 4th and Memorial Day that we remember that our freedom came at a high cost. Likewise, we as Christians are often ready to embrace our freedom in Christ, without thinking about how much that freedom cost our God. So grab your Bible, turn it to John chapter 8, and prepare your heart and mind as we look at the high cost of freedom. Freedom isn't free.
John 8:31-36
Recorded at Pitman Grove Camp Meeting on July 5, 2015 (first published July 21, 2015)
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July 2, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 22:1-14
Psalter: Psalm 13
Epistle Lesson: Romans 6:12-23
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 10:40-42
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #230
We begin our fifth year of the podcast with a new Summer 2017 series called "Riches in Romans." Over the course of the Summer months we will be taking an in-depth look at Paul's letter to the church in Rome and peel back the many layers to disclose Paul's manifesto on the grace of God. We begin today by looking at Sin and Grace, defining those words and what they mean for both the follower of Christ and the unbeliever.
Romans 6:1-11
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 25, 2017 (First published on June 29, 2017)
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Sermon #61
This week {originally posted in 2014} we begin a new sermon series called "Theology of Ministy," and we will be spending a great deal of time this Summer in the book of Romans. We can learn a lot from Paul's letter to the church in Rome. Today we are looking at what it means to be baptized into death, and raised into newness of life in Christ. So grab your Bible, turn to Romans chapter 6, and join us as we begin to look at the Theology of Ministry.
Romans 6:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 22. 2014 (First published July 3, 2014)
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Sermon #558
We continue to look at Jesus' instructions and encouragement as he sends out the apostles to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God. Last week we ended with warnings about persecution and this week we pick up where we left off. Jesus tells his disciples that they are associated with him, and when he is reviled, they will be too. We see this in the world today, that Christ-followers are persecuted for their beliefs because they represent Christ. We are either of the world or of God, we cannot be both; and so when we choose to acknowledge Christ to the world, we are acting in opposition to the world and its celebration of sin.
Matthew 10:24-39
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 25, 2023
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Sermon #297
Something happens when I preach at the Camp Meeting, and I suspect other preachers feel it as well. In Pitman Grove, the Camp Meeting has been continuously held since 1871, and the motto has been "Pitman and Power." It's not the power of the camp meeting or the people who run it, but the power of God's Holy Spirit at work in the hearts of those who adore him. This message was preached last Sunday, August 26, the final Sunday of the 2018 Camp Meeting season, and all I can say is, the Holy Spirit is still providing power to preachers at the Pitman Grove Camp Meeting. I couldn't wait to post this one, so I'm giving us a brief intermission in the Apostles' Creed service to bring you: "Revival Starts Here." Enjoy.
Psalm 84
Recorded at Pitman Grove Camp Meeting on August 26, 2018 (Originally published August 30, 2018)
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June 25, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 21:8-21
Psalter: Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
Epistle Lesson: Romans 6:1b-11
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 10:24-39
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #229
When Jesus sent the Apostles out, he said to them "Freely you have received. Freely give." When we as Christians consider the fullness of the good news of Jesus Christ, the depths of our sin and how far God reached down to rescue us, how can we not share that good news that we have been given? God paid the price in the blood of Jesus Christ. Shouldn't we, who received this good news without price, give it freely so that others may find peace with God and enjoy eternal life in the name of Jesus Christ?
Matthew 9:35-10:8
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 18, 2017 (Originally published June 19, 2020)
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Sermon #68
We take a slight departure from our sermon series, Theology for Ministry, to look at some of the parables of Jesus that describe the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus used these simple stories to illustrate what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, to those of us who do not have the benefit of seeing it for ourselves... at least, not yet. Of course, we can trust the words of Christ as authoritative in this regard, because he had firsthand knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven himself.
Matthew 13:31-33,44-52
This episode was recorded at Pitman Manor Vespers on July 27, 2014. (Originally published August 12, 2014) S.D.G.
Sermon #557
What do we think of when we think of evangelism? Ugh, I have to talk about my faith? I don't even know the Bible that well, how can I give someone the Gospel when I don't even know what it is? Well, we don't have to worry about such things. Jesus shows us a model for evangelism that includes taking another believer with us for backup. Not only that, but when we go in pairs in the name of Christ, the Spirit of God goes with us to strengthen us further, and all that is required on our part is the faith to set out. Jesus' instructions include having radical faith that God will provide and also warnings of persecution, but even so he still assures the apostles that they do not go alone.
Matthew 9:35-10:23
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 18, 2023
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Sermon #398
In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul gives us an excellent treatise on the doctrine of grace. We as Christians often talk about God's grace, and we usually describe it as God's unmerited favor, but what does that really mean? And what does John Wesley mean when he talks about Prevenient, Justifying, and Sanctifying Grace? We focus our learning today on the second form of grace, that which we receive at the cross of Jesus Christ - Justifying Grace, and we learn what it means to be saved by Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Romans 5:1-8
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 14, 2020 (Originally published June 15, 2020)
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June 18, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7
Psalter: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
Epistle Lesson: Romans 5:1-8
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 9:35-10:23
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #64
Paul's words remind us that there is none righteous, no, not one. If that's the case, then what hope can there be for the sinner? Well today we look at Paul's words to the church in Rome and find that there is, indeed, hope that can only be found in the Grace of God. So grab your Bible, turn it to Romans chapter three, and join us as we look at Grace greater than all our sin.
Romans 3:21-26
Recorded at Pitman Grove Camp Meeting on July 6, 2014 (Originally published July 11, 2014)
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Sermon #556
Today from Matthew's gospel we read how the gospel writer himself is called by Jesus right out of the tax collector's booth. We see how Jesus associates with tax collectors and sinners, much to the chagrin of the ultra-religious Pharisees. And we see how Jesus heals a woman afflicted for 12 years without even touching her, and how he raises a dead girl to life. How are all these things connected? Just like Matthew, the woman, and the little girl, we are dead in our sins until we encounter Jesus, who raises us to life as well. Jesus is still in the business of healing the sick and he is raising the dead to life every day. We can witness these miracles if we just take the time to open our eyes and see them.
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 11, 2023
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Sermon #232
When it comes to spiritual warfare, few things are more effective than the use of prayer. Considering how often the people of the Bible prayed and God responded, it is surprising that we do not pray more often, even though we are called to pray at all times in every situation. Continuing the examination of the whole Armor of God in Ephesians 6, this is part 2 of a two-part message delivered on July 2, 2017 at Pitman Grove Camp Meeting.
Ephesians 6:10-20
Recorded at Pitman Grove Camp Meeting, July 2, 2017 (First published July 7, 2017)
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June 11, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 12:1-9
Psalter: Psalm 33:1-12
Epistle Lesson: Romans 4:13-25
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #232
Many Christians don't like to admit it or even think about it, but we are in a spiritual battle for our very souls. Spiritual warfare is not physical and doesn't call for physical protection but spiritual armor. In today's reading from Ephesians, Paul describes how the believer is to put on the full armor of God, and we break down what each piece does in the life of the believer. This is part one of a two-part message recorded at Pitman Grove Camp Meeting on July 2, 2017.
Ephesians 6:10-20
Recorded at Pitman Grove Camp Meeting, July 2, 2017 (Originally published July 5, 2017)
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Sermon #60
Who is God in three persons? In this message from 2014 I attempt for the first time in my ministry to tackle this deep and difficult question. The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is difficult to grasp for many, but it helps us to understand it better if we think about our relationship with a three-personal God, and the three types of Grace that John Wesley spoke of. God the Father loves us before we know who He is; that is His "prevenient" grace. God the Son reconciles us to the Father and pays the debt for our sin; that is His "justifying" grace. God the Holy Spirit dwells in and with us to make us more like Jesus day by day; that is His "sanctifying" grace. On this Father's Day in 2014, we look at the first Person of the Godhead, God the Father, and how He invites us into relationship with Him so that we may cry out "Abba, Father." And by looking at our own relationship with God the Father as our example, we who are fathers can learn from Him how to be better fathers to our children here on earth.
Matthew 28:16-20
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 15, 2014 (Originally published June 2, 2020)
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Sermon #555
We're beginning a new series for the Summer months called "According to Matthew" that will keep us in Matthew's Gospel at least until the end of August. Looking back on 10 summers of preaching series, I have never stayed in the Gospel track of the Lectionary and so this Summer we are doing just that. Today we begin at the end of Matthew's Gospel on this Trinity Sunday, and we look at the Great Commission. This is the mission of the church, and yet today very few Christians live it out as their own personal mission. How can we live out the Great Commission today? Making disciples through baptism and teaching. And if that seems too daunting a task, we are promised by Christ that he will be with us in our obedience.
Matthew 28:16-20
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 4, 2023
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Sermon #397
On this Trinity Sunday (2020) we hear the witness of Scripture as it testifies to the complexity and the fullness of the Godhead, three in one (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). We hear from the creation account in Genesis and in John's gospel how that all three persons of the Trinity were present and active in the act of creation. We hear the witness of Jesus in the Great Commission and in the Farewell Discourse in John's Gospel his own relationship with God the Father and God the Spirit, and his unique position within the Godhead as God the Son. We hear the witness of early Christian fathers as they toil and wrestle with the theology of the tri-unity of God in His fullness. it is a complex and difficult doctrine but one that points to the uniqueness of the Christian understanding of God.
Genesis 1:1-2:4a Psalm 8 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Matthew 28:16-20
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 7, 2020 (Originally published June 8, 2020)
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June 4, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Psalter: Psalm 8
Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 28:16-20
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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John Wesley's sermon, Justification by Faith, was first preached at the Long Acre Chapel in London on May 28, 1738. It was later preached again on top of Samuel Wesley's tomb at Epworth on June 8, 1742. It first appeared in print in 1746.
This sermon provides the foundation for Wesley's doctrine of salvation, that God justifies not the righteous, but the ungodly, and that by faith alone in Christ alone. Indeed, it is only by God's grace that we can be saved. In this, Wesley's doctrine of salvation did not differ with the reformers who preached salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, or Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus. This same doctrine of justification by faith alone, Wesley considered to be in kind with the teachings of John Calvin, and in fact stated "In this respect, I do not differ from him a hair's breadth."
Romans 4:5
Recorded on May 20, 2023
Justification by Faith - full sermon text
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Sermon #59
We often talk about the church needing revival, but what does that mean? To revive something is to bring it back to life from the dead. That is what the Holy Spirit did on that first Day of Pentecost, using the disciples of Jesus to tell the good news of Jesus Christ to Jews from all over the world, so that they would take that news back with them to their villages and cities, wherever they were from. God is asking us today to tell someone the good news, and He sends His Spirit to dwell in us so that we may speak the words of life, in whatever way they need to be heard. I talk about a couple of witness encounters I had just the week prior, and encourage my congregation at Hudson UMC to go out and tell someone, don't keep it to yourself. Revival comes in the church, and the Holy Spirit equips the church to take the good news to the world for an Awakening.
{I love listening to these old sermons, because it takes me back to what was going on in my life at the time. It also helps me to see how far I have come in organizing my sermon messages and developing the ability to END them. This sermon from 2014 tends to meander but the message I preached then is the message I preach today: The gospel saves souls, and we need to share the good news to everyone for the transformation of the world.}
Acts 2:1-21
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 8, 2014 (Originally published June 17, 2020)
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Sermon #554
What we see at the birth of the Church at Pentecost is a reversal of what God did at Babel. Whereas the people building a tower to heaven were all together in one place with one language trying to exalt themselves, the 120 in the upper room were all together in one place with one accord trying to glorify God. And so the Spirit of God fell upon them and gave them the ability to speak in the language of the people - at least fifteen regions and dialects that are listed in Acts Chapter 2. When our efforts are to give glory to God and to proclaim the Gospel, the Holy Spirit will likewise give us utterance, if only we are willing to open our mouths and loosen our tongues.
Acts 2:1-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 28, 2023
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Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 28, 2023
Sermon #396
The Day of Pentecost began as a Jewish holiday but has become important in the Christian Church as a memorial to the day when the Holy Spirit was given and the Church was born. Today we focus on what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit (He is a who and not a what)? How does the Spirit of God relate to God the Father and God the Son? And how does God act in our lives when we are filled with His Spirit?
I'm not going to lie, this sermon is pretty raw. I preached it on the heels of spending half the night watching riots all around the country on CNN. My heart breaks for these cities and the communities that feel so desperate in their oppression that they need to react violently, and also for the police who feel the need to rally their troops and put this uprising down by any means necessary. So even though I'm supposed to be preaching on Pentecost, somewhere around the 22 minute mark it went off the rails. Let this message stand as a testimony to the injustice and wickedness in the world today.
Acts 2:1-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 31, 2020 (Originally published June 1, 2020)
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May 28, 2023
First Lesson: Acts 2:1-21
Psalter: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
Gospel Lesson: John 7:37-39
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #227
We conclude our "Becoming" series with the final prayer, "By your Spirit, make us one... in ministry to all the world." On the heels of the 2017 Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, it occurs to me that even though we are divided in our theology, we can still be united in our ministry - the ministry of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Christ offered up this prayer to God the Father on the night he was betrayed, that we would be one even as he is one with God the Father. And so we ask the question, even with our deep differences, can we as a denomination truly be one in ministry? And how can we live that out?
John 17:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 28, 2017 (Originally published May 29, 2020)
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Sermon #58
When Jesus was taken up into heaven forty days after the resurrection, his disciples were caught flat-footed, staring into the sky. God sent two angels to remind them that there was still work to be done. In other words, don't just stand there, do something. Jesus will come again, but until he does, we are to continue the ministry that he left for us to do - to make disciples of all nations and continue to witness the good news, in our churches, in our neighborhoods, in the places we don't want to go and to people we don't want to save. We are not to simply wait for Jesus' return, we are to do what he commanded us to do.
Acts 1:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 1, 2014 (Originally published May 27, 2020)
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Sermon #553
Often when we are going through adversity it is difficult to see beyond our current circumstances. Certainly for the Christians in Asia Minor to whom Peter wrote this epistle had a hard time keeping their eyes on Christ as they suffered in his name. But Peter reminds them and us as well that God is not an uncaring and disconnected God. He intimately cares about the things that concern us. Jesus said as much in the Sermon on the Mount. And so we can look beyond our present situation into eternity and be reminded that ours is a living hope because we have faith in a living Christ.
1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 21, 2023
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Sermon #305
The Ascension of the Lord is a day on the Church calendar that is every bit as important as Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas. Why? Because our belief in the ascension (which we affirm every time we recite the Apostles Creed) is what informs our faith that Jesus Christ is alive today and seated at the right hand of God the Father. We have an advocate who is fully man - identifying with us - and fully God - identifying with and of the same will as the Father. There is great promise in this. And so we look at Luke's two accounts of the Ascension, in his Gospel account and in the book of Acts, and we find that belief in the Ascension is every bit as critical as belief in the Resurrection, the virgin birth, and the substitutionary atonement of Christ.
Luke 24:44-53/Acts 1:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 24, 2020 (Originally published May 25, 2020)
S.D.G.
May 21, 2023
First Lesson: Acts 1:6-14
Psalter: Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
Epistle Lesson: 1 Peter 4:2-14, 5:6-11
Gospel Lesson: John 17:1-11
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #226
Continuing with our "Becoming" series, today we look at how we become one with each other. There are many churches, many different denominations, many different interpretations of God's word, and yet we are all one body of Christ. How is that possible? The common thread that links us together is the Holy Spirit, which dwells in each of us when we are born again. And being indwelt by God's Spirit is not a small thing. Without God's Spirit, we do not know Jesus as savior. The world does not see him as such, and in fact cannot because the world does not have the Spirit of God. And so it is the Holy Spirit which draws us together and makes us one with each other.
John 14:15-21
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 21, 2017 (Originally published May 22, 2020)
S.D.G.
May 18, 2023
First Lesson: Acts 1:1-11
Psalter: Psalm 47
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 1:15-23
Gospel Lesson: Luke 24:44-53
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #57
As Methodists, we believe in a triune or trinitarian God - one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But even though we spend a great deal of time dwelling on and studying the nature of God the Father and God the Son in Jesus Christ, we tend to neglect the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost as some know Him. Yet He is the person of God that dwells in us and with us, who Jesus promised to give to us so that we would not have to face our fears and trials alone. The Holy Spirit instructs us and draws us together as one. From today's reading in John chapter 14, we learn from Christ who this Holy Spirit is, that He is not a disembodied force but an advocate and counselor for us all.
John 14:15-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 25, 2014 (Originally published May 20, 2020)
S.D.G.
Sermon #552
As Christians, we understand that the Great Commission tells us to go make disciples of all nations, but how do we do that? We do it by our witness. Peter, writing to the persecuted church, says that when we are abused for the name of Christ, that is our powerful witness, but only if we do not repay evil for evil. Ultimately, he points to Christ as our example, for he suffered in silence on our behalf, and so our witness is made more powerful when we suffer for Christ with meekness and humility.
But more than that, Peter calls upon us to always be ready to give a defense for the hope within us, with gentleness and reverence. Our witness is more than just our actions, although it is that. It is also our words, and we as Christians ought to always have a ready answer to the question, "Why are you a Christian?"
1 Peter 3:13-22
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 14, 2023
S.D.G.
Sermon #394
Maybe you've heard the old adage, "Many hands make light work." It's true that the more people who are involved in work, the easier the work becomes. It's the same way in ministry. In today's concluding message from our series, "What Are You Doing?" we look at our promise to faithfully participate in the ministries of the local church by our service. And we see how the early church struggled with this, and how a division of labor was needed to take on an important ministry need when it arose. We can learn from their example, and know that it is the responsibility of everyone to do something. But when only a few do everything, ultimately it all remains undone. So what are YOU doing for the local church?
Acts 6:1-7
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 17, 2020 (Originally published May 19, 2020)
S.D.G.
May 14, 2023
First Lesson: Acts 17:22-31
Psalter: Psalm 66:8-20
Epistle Lesson: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Gospel Lesson: John 14:15-21
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #225
In our Communion liturgy in the United Methodist Church, we pray to God the Father to "Make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world." Our Awakening/Becoming series turns now to Becoming, based on these three petitions. We begin with the Upper Room Discourse as recorded in John's gospel, as Jesus calls his disciples to go with him to the place he prepares for them. And we look at the First Century wedding tradition and how Jesus' words compare us, his disciples, to his bride. Becoming one with Christ means being in the same will and spirit as Christ, to join with him in an everlasting covenant. It is an invitation that Christ extends to us even to this day.
John 14:1-14
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 14, 2017 (Originally published May 6, 2020)
S.D.G.
Sermon #56
Postmodernism is a worldview that tells us that there is no absolute truth. Of course, that statement in itself is a contradiction. To declare there is no absolute truth is to put forth an absolute truth. When the world tells us that there are many truths and all of them are valid, we need to consider what that means. In reality, we cannot all be right, but we can, in fact, all be wrong. In today's reading from John 14, Jesus asserts that, in fact, HE is the truth, the only truth there is. He is the only way to the Father. While the world may condemn this exclusionary statement as only one of many truths, Jesus does not afford us that luxury. Either he is, or he is not. How do we decide? We follow the evidence of his works and the record of his words.
John 14:1-14
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 18, 2014 (Originally Published May 15, 2020)
S.D.G.
Sermon #551
When we are building a house, we need to be sure of a few things. First, we must make the foundation firm so that it will not sink into the ground and fall apart. Next, we must make sure the walls are square and plumb so they do not collapse upon themselves. Finally, we tie it all together with a roof that shelters the occupants within and keeps the damaging rain from the foundation.
Peter describes the church as a spiritual house, and its foundation is a living stone, the cornerstone Jesus Christ. He quotes Isaiah 28:16 and Psalm 118:22 and points to Jesus as that very cornerstone. A cornerstone is important because it gives bias to the entire structure. However the cornerstone is laid, the rest of the building follows. And so we who follow Christ orient ourselves with him. In so doing we become brothers and sisters of Christ, adopted into the royal family of God and a priesthood of believers that ministers to a sinful world.
1 Peter 2:2-10
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 7, 2023
S.D.G.
Sermon #393
The very first thing we promise to do as members of the local church is to pray for its ministries, but how many of us truly do that? We as Christians understand the importance of prayer, and yet so few of us spend time daily on our knees praying in the name of Jesus Christ for our local church. We can fully fund our ministries but if we do not begin with a foundation of prayer, then our ministries are doomed to fail. We need to seek God's will in prayer and make Christ our sure foundation before we do anything, and that is only accomplished by thorough and intercessory prayer. We are, after all, a royal priesthood.
1 Peter 2:2-10
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 10, 2020 (Originally published May 11, 2020)
S.D.G.
May 7, 2023
First Lesson: Acts 7:55-60
Psalter: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
Epistle Lesson: 1 Peter 2:2-10
Gospel Lesson: John 14:1-14
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
The text of Wesley's sermon was so incendiary, preached before the students and administration of Oxford, that when he published it as a pamphlet, he included the following disclaimer: "It was not my design, when I wrote, ever to print the latter part of the following Sermon: But the false and scurrilous accounts of it which have been published, almost in every corner of the nation, constrain me to publish the whole, just as it was preached; that men of reason may judge for themselves." Indeed, Wesley points to the first century Church as the model of Christianity as recorded in the book of Acts, and then asks the question: Is there indeed any nation on earth that can call itself a Christian nation? These words, though archaic in style, are just as relevant for our society today. And so let this sermon serve as a call to righteousness, that we might once again learn the model of scriptural Christianity.
Edited anonymously at the Memorial University of Newfoundland with corrections and other modifications by Ryan Danker and George Lyons of Northwest Nazarene University.
Copyright 1999 by the Wesley Center for Applied Theology. Text may be freely used for personal or scholarly purposes or mirrored on other web sites, provided this notice is left intact. Any use of this material for commercial purposes of any kind is strictly forbidden without the express permission of the Wesley Center at Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, ID 83686. Contact the Webmaster for permission.
Ezekiel 33:4; Acts 4:31
Recorded on April 18, 2023
Scriptural Christianity - Full Sermon Text
Commentary by Bob Kaylor on Wednesdays with Wesley
Sermon #224
Baptism is our entry into the Christian faith. It is often described as an outward sign of an inward reality, that we have died to Sin and are reborn in the Spirit. Though Baptism had been, since its earliest observance in the Christian church, sacramental in nature, after the Protestant Reformation it was often relegated to a ritual most commonly associated with the Catholic church, at least as far as the baptism of children is concerned. Yet Christ said that He is the gate (in our reading in John today), and that all who enter come through Him. So the sacramental nature of Baptism, the real presence of God through the Holy Spirit, has been largely restored at least in the Methodist church since the publishing of the 1964 Methodist Hymnal in which the ritual of Baptism is presented. Today we Methodists recognize the presence of God's Spirit in the act of Baptism and observe it as a holy sacrament.
John 10:1-10
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 7, 2017 (Originally published May 6, 2020)
S.D.G.
Sermon #55
In this Mother's Day message from 2014, we take a look at the mothers and the mother-figures in our lives. From our earliest development, the first voice we hear is our mother's voice (in the womb). When we are born and brand-new, we know our mother's voice because that is what we heard. And we are comforted because we know that this voice we can trust to care for us. In the same way, Jesus tells us from the passage in John that the sheep know his voice and vollow him. All the other religions of the world tell us what we must do for God (or gods) but only Christianity demonstrates God's love toward us in what He has done for us in Jesus Christ. We hear His voice and we follow Him because we trust in Him. We do not follow the voice of strangers. And ultimately it is He that gives us life abundantly, because of His great love for us.
John 10:1-10
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 11, 2014 (Originally published May 8, 2020).
S.D.G.
Sermon #550
Bearing in mind that this letter is written to the persecuted church, we face a truth that all Christians throughout the centuries have had to face: why do we suffer when we remain true to God? Those who are faithful to God have suffered, and there is evidence recorded for us in the pages of the Old and New Testaments of such suffering. The world is opposed to God and, by extension, to God’s people. Nowhere is this more plainly seen than in the suffering that Christ endured for us. After all, this was God in the flesh bearing our pain for us.
Peter reaches back into the Old Testament and the prophecy of Isaiah chapters 52-53, where the coming Messiah is portrayed as the suffering servant. It would behoove us as well to read this prophetic vision (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) to draw parallels between Isaiah’s suffering servant and Jesus Christ. Jesus’ suffering, Peter tells us, is an example of how we are to endure for good. Bearing punishment we deserve is just; bearing punishment we do not deserve in the name of righteousness is a credit to us and a witness to the world.
1 Peter 2:19-25
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 30, 2023
S.D.G.
Sermon #223
One of the major themes of the account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus is that Christ is revealed to them in the breaking of bread, which correlates to the experience we have when we receive Communion. All throughout the gospel accounts we see the picture of Jesus taking, and blessing, and breaking, and giving. We, too, are taken by Christ and blessed for our ministry, then broken (separated for various ministries) and given (to the world) so that all the world can be blessed in us, and in the presence of Christ. Christ's very real presence is in the act of receiving Communion, and therefore it ought to be something that we do each time we are gathered together in the name of Christ.
Luke 24:13-35
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 30, 2017 (Originally published April 29, 2020)
S.D.G.
The text of Wesley's sermon was so incendiary, preached before the students and administration of Oxford, that when he published it as a pamphlet, he included the following disclaimer: "It was not my design, when I wrote, ever to print the latter part of the following Sermon: But the false and scurrilous accounts of it which have been published, almost in every corner of the nation, constrain me to publish the whole, just as it was preached; that men of reason may judge for themselves." Indeed, Wesley points to the first century Church as the model of Christianity as recorded in the book of Acts, and then asks the question: Is there indeed any nation on earth that can call itself a Christian nation? These words, though archaic in style, are just as relevant for our society today. And so let this sermon serve as a call to righteousness, that we might once again learn the model of scriptural Christianity.
Edited anonymously at the Memorial University of Newfoundland with corrections and other modifications by Ryan Danker and George Lyons of Northwest Nazarene University.
Copyright 1999 by the Wesley Center for Applied Theology. Text may be freely used for personal or scholarly purposes or mirrored on other web sites, provided this notice is left intact. Any use of this material for commercial purposes of any kind is strictly forbidden without the express permission of the Wesley Center at Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, ID 83686. Contact the Webmaster for permission.
Ezekiel 33:4; Acts 4:31
Recorded on April 18, 2023
Scriptural Christianity - Full sermon text
Commentary by Bob Kaylor on Wednesdays with Wesley
S.D.G.
Sermon #549
How can we know God? God is revealed to us in the Holy Bible. As Christians, we believe that the Bible is the word of God, that it is inspired or breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16). So if we are to believe that the Bible is the very verbal, plenary, inerrant and infallible word of God, then we had better hope that the word comes to us accurately.
The Bible is the most verified and documented of any ancient document, by a longshot. So when Peter describes the word of God as “living and enduring,” he is speaking truth down through the ages. Perhaps Peter never thought that his epistle would be preserved as Scripture, and yet we have this letter for us two thousand years later. God has supernaturally preserved this document, because it truly is the very word of God. And that is what gives us a living hope, because the promises held within are yes and amen.
1 Peter 1:17-23
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 23, 2023
S.D.G.
Sermon #391
This week as we continue our series based on the five promises we make when we join the local church, we focus on our witness. Telling people about Jesus is something we are all expected to do as followers of Christ, yet so few of us ever share our faith. We think we don't know enough about the Bible to weather the fierce debate that will ensue over whether God exists or who Jesus really is. Yet all we really have to do is to tell our story. We don't have to make something up or make grand arguments to convince someone of the truth - that Jesus Christ died for our sins, that He rose again on the third day, and that He lives and reigns with God the Father and offers us eternal life in His name. That's the good news! And it starts with just telling our own story, because that is what He has done for us.
Luke 24:13-35
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 26, 2020 (Originally published April 27, 2020)
S.D.G.
April 23, 2023
First Lesson: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Psalter: Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
Epistle Lesson: 1 Peter 1:17-23
Gospel Lesson: Luke 24:13-35
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #222
This lectionary series from the Great 50 Days of Easter 2017 highlights how we are awakening into our faith and becoming more like Christ. We begin with the story of the first Sunday when Christ endowed His disciples with the Holy Spirit and commissioned them to go preach repentance for forgiveness of sins. The endowment of the Holy Spirit and this commission is for us as well. It is the Holy Spirit that enables our ministry to unbelievers so that God can work in their hearts as He has worked in ours. This understanding of the Holy Spirit and the commission of ministry is the basis for the Protestant Reformation doctrine of the Ministry of All Believers.
John 20:19-31
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 23, 2017 (Originally published April 24, 2020)
S.D.G.
Sermon #54
We all know the story of "Doubting Thomas," but I wonder if we don't give him enough credit. After all, how many of us, having witnessed the horrific death of a friend, having laid him to rest, would have believed if our friends came to us three days later and said "We have seen him, and he is alive!" It's hard to believe without seeing. We as Christians have the benefit of eyewitness accounts and yet we still have our doubts. It's not a lack of faith, but human nature to second-guess that which we do not see with our own eyes. Sometimes we doubt even what we see and experience first-hand. So let's consider how we can respond when doubts creep in, and remember that Jesus responded to Thomas by giving him the evidence he needed to believe.
As an aside, right after Easter 2014 I came down with a wicked cold that laid me up for nearly a week. I recovered just enough to deliver this message on the week after Easter, but you can hear in my voice and my pacing that I was still not 100%.
John 20:19-31
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 27, 2014 (Originally published April 22, 2020)
S.D.G.
Sermon #548
Throughout the Easter season we will be looking at the First Epistle of Peter the Apostle (try to say that ten times fast!) in a series called "A Living Faith." As Christians, ours is a living faith because we serve a risen Lord, one who is seated at the right hand of God the Father even now. In his letter to a persecuted church, Peter reminds the Christians in Asia Minor of this, and gives them a reminder that though we suffer trials in this life, there is waiting for us an eternal inheritance that cannot be touched in this world. And so the theme of the letter, as we will see in the upcoming weeks, is twofold: that our faith brings suffering trials, and that we are growing in holiness as a witness to the goodness of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:3-9
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 16, 2023
S.D.G.
Sermon #547
It's Easter Sunday! We celebrate the resurrection of our risen Lord! In this final message of the "Reconciled to God" series, we are looking at the letter Paul wrote to the church in Colossae. As we observe how the women came to the tomb early on the first day of the week to find it empty, we see how we are reconciled to God through His resurrection from the dead. Paul tells us that we are risen with Christ, and so we ought to set our minds on the things above, not things of earth. The resurrection power of Christ is the power of sanctification, of renewing a righteous spirit within us.
Colossians 3:1-4
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 9, 2023
S.D.G.
Sermon #390
During the Easter season (2020) we will be in a five-part series called "What Are You Doing?" In it we will be looking at the five promises that we make to the local church when we join as members. "As members of the local congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness?" In today's message we are looking at what it means to faithfully participate by our presence. In the story of Thomas after the resurrection, we see that his lack of presence that first week led to him missing out on receiving the Holy Spirit and the commissioning from Jesus. What are you missing out on when you neglect to be present in the ministries of the local church?
John 20:19-31
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 19, 2020 (Originally published April 20, 2020)
S.D.G.
April 16, 2023
First Lesson: Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Psalter: Psalm 16
Epistle Lesson: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Gospel Lesson: John 20:19-31
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #389
The uncertainty we face in the time of the coronavirus outbreak is nothing like the uncertainty that Jesus' disciples faced after his death on the cross. Even though Jesus told them numerous times that he would be raised from the dead, they didn't get it. And so the Sabbath after the crucifixion, when the disciples were shut in for fear of the Jews, and before they could go and properly grieve their Master's death, must have been a quiet time of pain, sorrow, and grief. So imagine the mixture of emotions when the women arose early on the first day of the week only to find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. It is this, the promise of the empty tomb, that allows us today to weather the storms of Covid-19, that tell us that the empty sanctuary is but for a season, but the emtpy tomb is forever.
Matthew 28:1-10
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 12, 2020 (Originally published April 13, 2020)
S.D.G.
Sermon #546
I love the Easter Sunrise service! I love getting up before dawn on the first day of the week, when it's still dark, to greet the sunrise with "He is risen! He is risen indeed!" When things seem at their darkest, it's comforting to know that there is still an eternal hope in Jesus Christ. The first disciples learned that for themselves as they rose early to anoint the body of Jesus for burial, only to find the empty tomb. Mary learned that for herself when, through blurred eyes, she beheld her risen Savior and heard Him speak her name: "Mary." What joy is to be found on this glorious Easter morn! Rejoice with us, Christian, and know that the Son is risen! He is risen indeed!
John 20:1-18
Recorded at Hudson UMC Cemetery on April 9, 2023
S.D.G.
Sermon #545
The community Good Friday service is one of my favorite services of the year. Through seven preachers we examine the seven last words of Jesus on the cross. During the Covid pandemic, since 2020 we have not held the service in person. This year, 2023, is the first year we brought it back, and it was wonderful to be a part of this service once again. This year we held the service at Second Baptist Church of Pedricktown, and I preached on the third word, "Woman, behold your son... Behold your mother." (John 19:25-27). I've preached on this word previously, but I find new things to explore - the mandate of God to care for widows and orphans because that is the heart of God, to care for those who cannot care for themselves, is more evidence that Jesus is who he said he was, God in the flesh.
John 19:25-27
Recorded at Second Baptist Church of Pedricktown on April 7, 2023
S.D.G.
Sermon #221
Our journey through Lent and the Psalms concludes with this Easter message based on Psalm 16, the very same text that Peter preached from (pointing to the divinity of Christ) on Pentecost. In these uncertain times we need a steady and secure refuge, and God (according to the Psalmist) is that refuge. He is where we can find our security. We try to place our trust in human-made things, but God establishes a foundation that is eternal, where human fortresses are destined to crumble and decay. In this Psalm we find three things that we can learn about the world. We find that the world has no physical foundations; the world has no intellectual foundations; and the word has no emotional foundations. For those we must turn our eyes to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who established our foundations in God when He emerged from the tomb.
Psalm 16
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 16, 2017 (Originally published April 17, 2020)
S.D.G.
Sermon #220
What sets Christianity apart from every other world religion is that we are not reliant on what we do, but rather on what God in His grace did for us through Jesus Christ. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, has no marker where His body lay. Millions of Christians travel to the holy land every year to see where Jesus walked, where He taught, even where He was buried, but there is no grave of Jesus today, for He is risen. He is risen indeed. The resurrection is the central tenet of our beliefs, and it is critical that we get this. It's all about the resurrection. Without the resurrection, Christ does not defeat death, and we have no hope beyond this life (and how's that going?). We must constantly remind ourselves that the resurrection matters a great deal, for it is everything to those of us who believe.
John 20:1-18
Recorded at Hudson UMC Cemetery (Easter Sunrise service) on April 16, 2017 (Originally published April 16, 2020)
S.D.G.
April 9, 2023
First Lesson: Acts 10:34-43
Psalter: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Epistle Lesson: Colossians 3:1-4
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 28:1-10
Easter Gospel Lesson: John 20:1-18
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Each year on Good Friday, the churches of the Ministerium of Penns Grove, Carneys Point, and Pedricktown hold a joint worship service from Noon until 3 PM. The Seven Last Wods of Christ on the Cross are presented, with worship music and sermon messages for each word. Each year for the last six years I have participated in this service, and each year I have preached on a different word. This year was to be my seventh year, but because of the Coronavirus, the service was cancelled. And so, because I had already written the sermon, I recorded it... But I also decided to compile all seven of the messages into one podcast for Good Friday. And so, in the order below, I present to you the Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross.
-
“Father, forgive them…” Sermon #387
Luke 23:34
April 10, 2020 – Ebenezer UMC -
“Today, you will be with me in Paradise.”
Luke 23:43
“The Tale of the Thief” Sermon #51
April 18, 2014 – St. Paul’s UMC -
“Behold your son…Behold your mother”
John 19:26-27
“The Heart of the Master” Sermon #161
March 25, 2016 – St. Paul’s UMC -
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:46
“Forsaken” Sermon #219
April 14, 2017 – St. Paul’s UMC -
“I Thirst.” Sermon #107
John 19:28
April 13, 2015 – St. Paul’s UMC -
“It is finished.” Sermon #332
John 19:30
April 19, 2019 – New Hope UMC -
“Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit” Sermon #273
Luke 23:46
March 30, 2018 – New Hope UMC
Compiled on April 5, 2020 (originally published April 10, 2020)
S.D.G.
View Full Service on YouTube
Tenebrae is a Latin word that means "Darkness." The Tenebrae service is a reading of the Passion account from John's Gospel, broken down into 16 readings, and after each of the first fourteen readings a candle is extinguished until the entire sanctuary is clothed in darkness. This represents the light of Christ being extinguised on the cross, and it also represents the three hours of darkness that the people experienced as He hung on the cross. After the 15th reading, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake that occurred at the death of Jesus. It is a somber and solemn service of contemplation. We have attempted to recreate the service in its entirety here, and hope that you will be blessed in its re-enactment.
Entrance - Gathering
The Call to Worship:
God is light, in whom there is no darkness at all.
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world,
and we loved darkness rather than light.
Hymn:
Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed (UMH #294)
Opening prayer:
Maundy Thursday (UMH #283)
The Passion of Jesus Christ
Sixteen readings, after each is extinguised one candle until the sanctuary is in "Darkness" (Latin: Tenebrae)
Sending Forth
Hymn:
Were You There (UMH #288)
Dismissal with Blessing
All depart in silence.
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 4, 2020 (Originally published April 9, 2020)
S.D.G.
Sermon #544
On this Palm Sunday we consider the hymn of Christ from Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. Paul, writing this letter from a Roman prison, exhorts the Philippian church to put aside their pride-filled disputes and be of one mind - and then demonstrates what kind of mind they should have by showing them the mind of Christ. In a Chiastic structure, Paul walks us through the descent of Christ from Heaven to earth to the cross, and then the ascension of Christ to exaltation and praise, all to the glory of God the Father. It is a structure that is echoed both in the Christology of the Apostles Creed and the timeline of Holy Week - beginning with Jesus' triumphal entry in to Jerusalem, leading to his betrayal and death, then his resurrection and ascension into heaven, and finally his giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Philippians 2:5-11
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 2, 2023
S.D.G.
April 5, 2023
Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalter: Psalm 70
Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 12:1-3
Gospel Lesson: John 13:21-32
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #50
When we get to Palm Sunday we are tempted to go straight from the celebration of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the ecstacy of the empty tomb and the promise of the resurrected Christ. But first we must go through the cross. It's easy to forget that the cross on which they nailed our Lord was meant for the murderous Barabbas. Easier still to forget that Christ took our place on the cross as well. As Max Lucado once said, it was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross, but the love of God. And so we invite you to lean in to the passion narrative as we raise our Palms of Praise.
Matthew 27:11-54
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 13, 2014 (Originally published April 8, 2020)
S.D.G.
April 4, 2023
Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalter: Psalm 71:1-14
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Gospel Lesson: John 12:20-36
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #543
One question I am often asked as a pastor is this: Am I truly saved, if I am still struggling with sin? The answer to that question may surprise you, especially if you ask this question yourself. Today we are talking about assurance, and how we can know we are saved, and saved to the uttermost. The simple fact of the matter is, those who are not born again, those who are unregenerate, do not ask that question, because the thought of their salvation never crosses their mind. In Paul's letter to the Romans he makes a strong case for this. Those in the flesh cannot submit to God, but those in the Spirit can and do. If we are asking this question it means we are saved, but also that we are focused more on our own efforts and not on the one who saves.
Romans 8:6-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 26, 2023
S.D.G.
April 3, 2023
Old Testament: Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalter: Psalm 36:5-11
Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 9:11-15
Gospel Lesson: John 12:1-11
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #218
Our journey through Lent and the Psalms brings us to this prophetic Psalm that looks forward to the coming of the Messiah who would deliver God's people. In the center of the Christian Bible, and s andwiched between the shortest and the longest chapters in the entire Bible is this beautiful song of praise, a prayer for deliverance from trouble. When we come to Palm Sunday we find that the people used these words - "Save us now!" (Hosanna), and that is what Jesus came to do, but it wasn't to save the Jews from Roman oppression, it was to save the world from slavery to sin and death.
Psalm 118
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 9, 2017 (Originally published April 7, 2020)
Buy the companion DVD and other resources for A Journey Through Lent
S.D.G.
April 2, 2023
Palm Readings
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 21:1-11
Psalter: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Passion Readings:
Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalter: Psalm 31:9-16
Epistle Lesson: Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 26:14-27:66
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #385
Psalm 130 is a song of ascents, which means the Jewish pilgrims would sing it to themselves and to each other as they went up the mountain to the temple in Jerusalem. It is a song that is meant to keep our eyes fixed upon God, and what is it that this song tells us about God and His relationship with us? We are sinners, and our state is hopeless without the forgiveness of God. But we have hope in God's word, the promise that he has redeemed and he will redeem again. And we have this assurance in God's steadfast nature. It is a psalm of hope and assurance, and a reminder of the greatness of God's grace.
Psalm 130
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 29, 2020 (Originally published on March 30, 2020)
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Sermon #49
The account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is a familiar story, and like all such stories it may be easy to miss the important details. Once again we see that Jesus performs a miracle for the purpose of demonstrating who he is and so that God would be glorified. But there is something promising in his "I am" statement: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25-26) Though spoken to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, this promise is for us as well. Everyone, Jesus said, everyone who believes in him, though they die, yet shall they live. Our life in Christ is like this. We are dead in our sins, yet an encounter with Jesus raises us to newness of life. It's what we call being born again. And with it is the promise of eternal life as promised in John 3:16.
John 11:1-45
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 6, 2014 (Originally published April 3, 2020)
Watch the scene from "The Greatest Story Ever Told"
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Sermon #217
Psalm 110 is a truly remarkable song among the Jewish book of songs, in particular because from it is quoted passages in the New Testament more often than any other passage of scripture in the Old Testament. It is a song of praise for a king, but specifically points to the coming Messiah which will deliver his people Israel. Jesus himself pointed to this Psalm, written by King David, as evidence that he, the Christ, was greater than David because he came before him. What else can we learn about the nature of Jesus the Christ from this prophetic and messianic Psalm?
Psalm 110
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 2, 2017 (originally published April 1, 2020)
Buy the companion DVD and other resources for A Journey Through Lent
S.D.G.
March 26, 2023
Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalter: Psalm 130
Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:6-11
Gospel Lesson: John 11:1-45
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #384
The Shepherd's Psalm is one of the best-known and most-memorized passages of scripture apart from the Lord's Prayer, and like the Lord's Prayer, we mostly know it from the King James Version. We also primarily know it as a prayer from funerals, and for when we are in imminent ang grave danger. The risk in expositing such a well-known passage of scripture is the potential to miss something. Today as we examine the 23rd Psalm, we find that the nature of God and His relationship with us is revealed inthe picture of a shepherd watching over his flock. David, the shepherd King of Israel, knew more about being a shepherd than most of us, and the picture he paints of God as our shepherd is one where God provides for us, guides us, and protects us from eternal dangers. In this crisis of the coronavirus outbreak, it is well worsh our time to give this Psalm a second look.
Psalm 23
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 22, 2020 (Originally published March 23, 2020)
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Sermon #48
Why do good things happen to bad people? Why do bad things happen to good people? These are some of the questions that confound people, believers and non-believers alike. What we see in the account of Jesus' healing of a man born blind is that God can use both good situations and bad for the benefit of those who love him, and for his own glory. Every healing Jesus performed resulted in the glorification of God the Father, and this blindness, we are told, is so that God would be glorified. Trouble is, the religious people of the day were themselves so blind that they couldn't see the glory of God in this miracle. Could we fall into that same trap today?
This message was preached originally during Lent of 2014, but its message is pertinent to us today, when there are so many people asking if we are being punished for our sin by COVID-19. What does God's word tell us about the nature of suffering, and what is God's response to it?
John 9:1-41
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 30, 2014 (Originally published March 27, 2020)
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Sermon #542
As Christians, we are called to be light in a world of darkness. In Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus, he encourages the believers there to be light, so that those in darkness will come to the light of God in Christ. Now, we can't perfectly be light all the time, but with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, increasingly we become more and more Christlike. And that is what it means to be Christian - the word means "little Christ," and from the beginning it has been understood by believers and pagans alike that we are to live our lives as Christ's representation in the world.
Ephesians 5:8-14
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 19, 2023
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Sermon #541
As we come to Romans chapter 5 we are faced with a harsh reality, that before we came to Christ we were at war with God. Jesus said those who are not for me are against me. There are no passive spectators in the war between God and the world of darkness and sin. Yet what is demonstrated in His grace is the infinite height, depth, and breadth of God's love - that while we were still sinners, while we were actively opposed to God and warring with Him, Christ died for us, for the ungodly. That is a remarkable statement, and it is one of my favorite verses in all of scripture (Romans 5:8). It fully encapsulates the reality of the good news, that we are sinners in need of God's grace, and that He supplies all that we need.
Romans 5:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 12, 2023
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Sermon #216
We as a society are infatuated with celebrity, to the point that when we see someone famous we tend to get... well, giddy. But when is the last time we were giddy over being in the presence of God? Psalm 98 is a song of praise - one of the "royal" psalms that exalts God in his kingship, and the words of the psalm are positively giddy. How can we get back to that place where our giddiness over God causes us to gush in worship? By remembering God for the deliverance he gave us in the past, by acknowledging his present reign, and by looking to the future judgment he will bring.
Psalm 98
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 26, 2017 (Originally published March 25, 2020)
Buy the companion DVD and other resources for A Journey Through Lent
S.D.G.
March 19, 2023
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalter: Psalm 23
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 5:8-14
Gospel Lesson: John 9:1-41
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #383
It's easy to praise God in the good times. But how many of us truly do? Do we praise God and worship Him when we are enjoing the bounty of His provision? And what about in times of leanness, when it seems like God has departed from us. In Psalm 95, the psalmist gives us an example to avoid - the example of the people of Israel who grumbled and complained that God was not taking care of them, even after he had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. During the present coronavirus outbreak, it is easy to forget to worship God, but now more than ever we need to worship and bow down before God our maker.
Psalm 95
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 15, 2020 (Originally published March 16, 2020)
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Guest Sermon
The Great Commission in Matthew's gospel records the final marching orders of Jesus to his followers. He calls us all to go make disciples. Today, our guest speaker, missionary Scott Rambo, looks at not only Jesus' final words, but his first words to his disciples. Scott reminds us that the same disciples who heard "Follow me" were with Jesus at the end when Jesus said "Now therefore go." And Scott talks about how God makes a way even when we think there is no way, so that we can see God's Kingdom even in places where we think God's Kingdom is absent. As a missionary to the Congo, Scott speaks from the heart on how God is moving and building his kingdom.
This message was first preached in 2014 but never published on the podcast. Since 2014, Scott and Meg Rambo and their family have finished their mission to the Congo and relocated to South Jersey, where Scott is now an associate pastor at Trinity UMC in Mullica Hill.
Maybe after hearing Scott's story you will feel led to pray for and financially assist missionaries around the world for the furtherance of the Gospel. If this is so, you can help by going to World Gospel Missions and clicking on the link that says "Give."
Matthew 28:16-20
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 23, 2014 (Originally published March 20, 2020)
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Sermon #540
What separates the Catholic church from protestant churches is the doctrine of justification. Catholics believe that they are justified by faith and works, while protestants believe that we are justified by faith alone, and not by works. As we continue to examine what it means to be reconciled to God, we take a deeper dive into this critical doctrine from Paul's perspective. After having just argued that justification is by faith alone, he then uses the example of Abraham to show that he was counted righteous by his faith before the institution of the sign of circumcision, and long before the law was given to Moses. This doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone builds upon the doctrine of Salvation by Grace Alone, and sets a sure foundation for the Reformation principles that would be erected upon them.
Romans 4:1-17
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 5, 2023
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Sermon #215
In Psalm 91 we see a beautiful picture of God's protection over us, in the image of a mother bird who spreads her wings over her chicks to keep them from harm. We see strength coupled with tenderness - the strength of the mother bird against danger, and the tenderness under her wings. We think of God's protection for us in the same way. But thinking that God will never let anything bad happen to those who trust him completely comes with inherent danger. First, when trouble does come, we think either that God does not keep his promises, or we think that somehow we did not have enough faith. But what Psalm 91 promises is not temporal safety in this life, but eternal protection for our very souls in God's abundant love.
This sermon was prepared and never preached in 2017. Because its message is so pertinent to what is going on today amid the news of coronavirus spreading [written in 2020], I thought it would be good to record the message and release it as part of the sermon series "A Journey Through Lent" from 2017.
Psalm 91 (Listen to Psalm 91 performed by Mark Swayze Band)
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 17, 2020 (originally published March 18, 2020)
Buy the companion DVD and other resources for A Journey Through Lent
S.D.G.
March 12, 2023
Old Testament: Exodus 17:1-7
Psalter: Psalm 95
Epistle Lesson: Romans 5:1-11
Gospel Lesson: John 4:5-42
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #382
A song of ascents, or a song of degrees - these are common in the book of Psalms, but what are they? Just as we would have the radio on as we took a road trip to a faraway place, the Jewish pilgrims would sing these songs as they would journey upward toward Jerusalem, situated on Mount Moriah. These songs were meant to give them encouragement as they made the arduous journey, and to help them focus on the destination - the temple of God. During this season of Lent, sometimes we can lose focus, lose sight of the destination - the cross, and the empty tomb. Psalm 121 helps assure us that God is always with us, helping us along the way.
Psalm 121
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 8, 2020 (Originally published March 9, 2020)
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Sermon #47
Over the years there has been a great deal of confusion over what it means to be "Born Again," and it started with the first person to hear it. This Pharisee named Nicodemus didn't get it at first, but as we look at his life we see how God has worked in him to bring about a radical transformation. So grab your Bible, turn it to John chapter 3, and join us as we look at what it means to "Be Born Again."
John 3:1-17
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 16, 2014 (First published March 13, 2020)
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Sermon #214
Lent is a time when we reflect upon our own sin which separated us from God. But why did Jesus have to go to the cross? Why was it necessary for the Son of God to be our perfect sacrifice in order to reconcile us to God? We look at Psalms 42 and 43 today for our answer. Our soul thirsts for the living God as a deer pants for streams of fresh water. There is a yearning within us for God that cannot be satisfied until we find our satisfaction in a relationship with God, and for that to happen we need to have our debt paid. It was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross, but God's love. These Psalms collectively describe our condition, they diagnose the causes, and then they prescribe a cure - and the cure is the cross.
Another note about the audio - during the recording of this sermon at Ebenezer UMC, my then-3 year-old son (Isaac) was running around the sanctuary doing what 3 year-old children do. So when you hear odd noises in the recording, it was probably Isaac playing with something. I have always believed in kids expressing themselves in the worship space. "Suffer the little children to come to me," Christ said, "For to such is the kingdom of God." If you have children in your worship that you think are "disruptive," try looking at them as God does.
Psalms 42-43
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 12, 2017 (First published March 11, 2020)
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March 5, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalter: Psalm 121
Epistle Lesson: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
Gospel Lesson: John 3:1-17
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #381
During the season of Lent we humble ourselves, confess any unrepented sin, and turn back to God. It is a season of renewal. What we find is that the forgiveness we find in God's grace offers us blessing or happiness that is not offered to others who do not confess and repent. David learned this lesson the hard way when he committed the sins of adultery and murder, but confession and repentance is like dropping a burden that is weighing us down - a burden of our own making.
Psalm 32
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 1, 2020 (Originally published March 2, 2020)
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Sermon #539
When someone offers you a gift, what do you do? You thank them and hopefully appreciate the gift and the thought behind it. What if it is an extravagant gift, one that is extremely valuable? Sometimes the temptation is there to say, "What do I owe you for this?" But if the gift is given in love, there is no obligation, no strings attached. That is how God's gift of grace in Jesus Christ is described in the Bible. In fact, it is called a "free gift" for a reason - it is offered without price, although it cost a great deal, and it is given in love with no obligation, and all we need to do is to receive it. In the Epistle to the Romans today, we see how the curse of sin, brought into the world by one man (Adam), was reversed by a single act of righteousness by one man, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:12-21
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 26, 2023
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Sermon #46
Renounce. It's not a word we use very often. It means to give up or put aside voluntarily. Today as we look at the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, we reflect on what it means to renounce worldly things for a relationship with God. So grab your Bible, open it to Matthew chapter 4, and join us as we look at how God calls us to "Renounce."
Matthew 4:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 9, 2014 (Originally published May 8, 2014)
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Sermon #213
Fear. It's what drives us. It's what motivates us to action. The ancient Greek response to fear is not to get to attached to things or people. The modern humanist perspective is that we should get over our fear, conquer our fear. The Biblical response to fear is what we see in the Psalm today. David, facing enemies behind him and in front of him cried out to God to deliver him from his fear. Fear can be healthy, but it can also be crippling, and so David's prayer is one we can use to arise from our fear into a place of faith, the antithesis of fear.
By the way, I just wanted to make a note about the quality of this recording. This recording was originally saved but unprocessed (I never listened to it), and when I went to put it together for the podcast, it turns out that both this recording and the one from Ebenezer had a lot of scratchy noise and I have no idea what it is. Being that this was a Communion Sunday, I am guessing that the microphone was behind my alb (I also used to keep it behind my tie but this time it may not have been). Rest assured I was not holding a newspaper the entire time. But the message is there so focus on that.
Psalm 34
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 5, 2017 (First published March 6, 2020)
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February 26, 2023
Old Testament: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
Psalter: Psalm 32
Epistle Lesson: Romans 5:12-19
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 4:1-11
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #380
The season of Lent is upon us, and with it comes a new series based on the Psalms. The word "selah," as we have explored in the past, is a Hebrew word that most scholars believe means "pause, and reflect on what you just heard." Last week God told Peter, James, and John to listen to Christ, and so we are pausing to listen to what God is saying to us.
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. It is a somber and solemn reminder of the sin that separates us from a holy God, the sin that sent Jesus Christ to the cross. Though we lament our sin with fasting and mourning, we mark our sorrow with the ashes of repentance, and we are reminded in scripture that God's grace is greater than our sin, and that the promise of repentance is the promise of restoration in Jesus Christ. Today we look at the words of Psalm 51, which is David's outpouring of repentance after his grave sin in 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12. This Ash Wednesday, we invite you to reflect upon your sin, repent, and trust in the Lord Jesus for your salvation.
Psalm 51:1-17 (2 Samuel 11-12)
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 26, 2020 (Originally published February 28, 2020)
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Sermon #538
For the season of Lent 2023, we will be looking at what it means to be reconciled to God. Throughout this Lenten journey, we will be looking at Paul's writings as they pertain to our journey of faith in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul tells the church in Corinth to "Be reconciled to God." The ministry of reconciliation has been given to the church by our head, Jesus Christ, whose ministry of reconciliation brought us to God the Father. Now it is upon us to be light in a world of darkness and sin. On this Ash Wednesday, we see how Jesus bore our sin on the cross and imparts to us his righteousness through faith and repentance.
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 22, 2023
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Sermon #212
In this season of Lent (2020), I would like to present to you some of my unpublished sermons from years gone by. And since this year I am preaching through the Psalms during Lent in a series called "Selah - Life in a Minor Key," I want to go back to 2017 when I preached through a series of Psalms using Tim Keller's book, "A Journey Through Lent," which our Ministerium was also presenting as a Wednesday night Bible study. As with other sermons that I appropriated using other peoples' format, I made the series my own and preached from the Psalm of the week guided by the Holy Spirit and what He was showing me. So to kick off this series, which will be presented in parallel with our current series, we are going back to March 1, 2017, which was Ash Wednesday, and we are beginning with "Preparation." We prepare for renewal. We prepare for relationship. We prepare for resurrection.
Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 1, 2017 (Originally published March 5, 2020)
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Sermon #537
In the conclusion to our "All Things New" series, we are taken with Peter, James, and John up a high mountain to see a new vision of God. Here Jesus has been walking with the disciples, and although Peter had declared just six days prior that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, the disciples may have still had some confusion over who this Jesus was in their midst. And so they see him transfigured in all his resplendant glory for the first time. It was an event so earth-shattering that all three of the Synoptic Gospels record the events in perfect detail, and both Peter and John refer to it in their writings as well. What can we know about Christ in this new vision? That he is no mere man but that he is the second person of the Trinity - Jesus is God.
Matthew 17:1-9
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 19, 2023
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Sermon #211
We come to Transfiguration Sunday and the end of our Great Invitation series. All along the way we have been challenged to obey the command of Christ to go make disciples of all nations... but have we? And if not, is there any reason that we ought to obey the word of Christ? We find out in today's episode.
Matthew 17:1-9
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 26, 2017 (First published March 15, 2017)
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Sermon #536
After the blessing (beatitudes), Jesus moves into the heart of his sermon to his disciples. We must remember that these words are for all our benefit, as Christ followers, but they are also directed to those who have experienced the new birth and are living in the Kingdom of God. And so Jesus tells us that we are salt and light, bringing the preserving action of the Holy Spirit to a world of sin and driving away the darkness with the light of Christ. He goes on to say that the law and the prophets will not pass away until all is accomplished. And everything is pointing to the glory of God, and not to ourselves. That is the new purpose we are given as children of God, reborn in his image - the purpose of glorifying him and enjoying him forever.
Matthew 5:13-20
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 5, 2023
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Sermon #535
As we continue to look at how God is making all things new, we begin our examination of the Sermon on the Mount in light of the new birth that we as believers experience in Christ. Jesus begins his sermon with a blessing, whereas most of the time the blessing is given at the end of the message. But what Jesus is showing us is that to be reborn of water and the Spirit is to be blessed. And although to the rest of the world around us it might seem counter to nature, we are truly blessed when we are poor in spirit, when we are merciful, when we are meek. Jesus' words set society on its ear and tell us that there is not a blessing reserved for us when we are these things, but that being blessed means that we are already those things in our heart because of the new birth.
Matthew 5:1-13
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 29, 2023
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Sermon #209
Question: What does Jesus mean when he says "You have heard that it was said... But I say to you..."?
In part 2 of "This, Not That," we continue our look at the Sermon on the Mount and how Jesus calls his disciples to a deeper understanding of the law, rather than what was said in the oral tradition.
Matthew 5:21-37
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 12, 2017 (First published February 18, 2017)
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Sermon #209
As we continue our Great Invitation, Jesus begins to pick apart the contemporary interpretation of God's law by saying "You've heard that it was said... But I say to you..." both affirming the validity of the written word and his own authority as the Son of God.
Matthew 5:21-37
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 12, 2017 (First published February 15, 2017)
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Sermon #208
What does it mean to be the "salt of the earth?" Or what does it mean to be the "light of the world?" Jesus says WE are salt and light. We'll take a deeper look at just what that means in the life of a believer today.
Matthew 5:13-20
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 5, 2017 (Originally published February 7, 2017)
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Sermon #39
Have you ever wondered why the accounts of Jesus calling the disciples differ between John's gospel and the others? Well, today we look at this very question as we examine the way Jesus calls us all, and how we respond to his call.
Matthew 4:12-23
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 26, 2014 (Originally published January 17, 2014)
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Sermon #534
[Sermon #533 was called "A New Name" but was never preached, as Pastor Bret was sick that week and services were cancelled. The next in the series was preached the following week.]
Repentance is a core doctrine in the Christian church, so much so that it is the first sermon that Jesus ever preached. We have talked a lot about what repentance is and what it is not. In today's message, we cover what worldly repentance (attrition) is, and how it differs from godly repentance (contrition), and why only the regenerate heart can fully express the latter type. It is the repentance we see in David's song of repentance (Psalm 51). When God calls us to repentance, it is not for sorrow over the consequences of our sin, but the sin itself.
Matthew 4:12-23
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 22, 2023
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Sermon #207
Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount with a benediction, telling his disciples that they are blessed at times when the world may consider them cursed. God's ways are not our ways.
Matthew 5:1-12
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 29, 2017 (Originally published February 5, 2017)
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Sermon #38
There are many churches today that are welcoming churches, including the two that I serve. But today I challenge the congregation at Ebenezer United Methodist Church to be not just welcoming, but invitational. So grab your Bible, turn to John chapter one, and join us as we "Come and See."
John 1:29-42
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 19, 2014 (Originally published January 19, 2014)
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Sermon #532
The first Sunday after Epiphany is the day when we commemorate the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. In our churches, we take this day as a day not only to remember Jesus' baptism, but our own. In today's message, we look at a doctrine that is essential to understanding how salvation works in the life of the believer - the doctrine of the new birth, or rebirth, or being born again. There is much confusion over this topic, and has been much debate over the centuries among Christians. But when we break down the Biblical text, we see that our spiritual rebirth, much like our physical birth, has little to do with our own efforts and everything to do with forces outside of us. And when we remember this, then we can truly understand the doctrine of Prevenient Grace, as it is God acting on our behalf to open our blind eyes.
Matthew 3:13-17
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 8, 2023
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Sermon #206
Why did Jesus call fishermen to become his first disciples, calling them into ministry from their previous vocation? As it turns out, God often calls the workers in His kingdom from ordinary people, not just from the priesthood.
Matthew 4:12-23
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 22, 2017 (Originally published January 26, 2017)
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January 22, 2023
Old Testament: Isaiah 9:1-4
Psalter: Psalm 27:1, 4-9
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 4:12-23
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #205
We don't have to have all the answers as evangelists. All we have to do is to bring them, and Jesus will make them see.
John 1:29-42
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 15, 2017 (Originally published January 22, 2017)
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Sermon #531
A new year brings the promises of starting over. We often find ourselves in times or seasons of struggle and adversity. The word of the Lord promises us that there are hard times in life, but there are good times as well. As we mature and grow in God's word we begin to see that behind each season of life there is the promise of eternity, and that is what gives us hope. So if the season you are in is not to your liking, wait a moment, and a new season will begin.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 1, 2023
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Sermon #204
The first Sunday after Epiphany is called "Baptism of the Lord," and on it we remember both Jesus' baptism and our own. In today's episode we will examine what baptism is, what it means, and why it was necessary for Jesus to be baptized.
Matthew 3:13-17
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 8, 2017 (Originally published January 11, 2017)
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January 8, 2023
Old Testament: Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalter: Psalm 29
Epistle Lesson: Acts 10:34-43
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 3:13-17
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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January 6, 2023
Old Testament: Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalter: Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 3:1-12
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 2:1-12
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #530
On Christmas Eve we sang Silent Night in a sanctuary lit with candles. On Christmas morning we were bathed in the light of day. What better way to celebrate the birth of our Savior than with the opening strains of John's gospel, which present a thorough Christology for us. Jesus is described as the Word, who was with God and was God. He is the life, and the light of men - the true light that darkness cannot overcome. When we repent and trust in Jesus we come out of the darkness, hiding our sin in shame, and step into the light where we can give glory to God by our good works. This Christmas we celebrate the Lord's day with praise and worship to our God and king, receiving the greatest gift ever given - salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
John 1:1-14
Recorded at Hudson UMC on December 25, 2022
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Sermon #529
This Christmas Eve we are looking at the text from Isaiah which prophecies the coming Messiah. Isaiah begins by speaking of the darkness that has fallen over the northern kingdom of Israel - the darkness of war and the conquest of the Assyrian empire. God had used Assyria to punish rebellious Israel, and the northern kingdom would never be the same again. In Jesus' time, this area was called Samaria and Galilee - and it was out of a town in Galilee called Nazareth that salvation would come, in the person of Jesus Christ. So out of the darkness of sin and apostasy, God has brought forth a great light, and Isaiah had told of this seven hundred years before Jesus was born. Today, God is still bringing people out of the darkness of their sin into the light of Christ, and my own testimony bears this out.
Isaiah 9:2-7
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on December 24, 2022
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Sermon #203
Epiphany Sunday is the observance of the end of the Christmas season. The word "epiphany" means a revealing, and in the letter of Paul to the church at Ephesus, he indicates that the incarnation of Christ is a revealing of God's mystery to the world, and that mystery is that 1. Gentiles are fellow heirs, 2. they are part of the same body, and 3. they are recipients of God's promise, along with the Jews. This revelation is incredible, because previously it was thought that God's grace and salvation were available only to those born of Abraham's seed. Yet Paul tells us that all of creation from the beginning of time has been under God's grace, and that this mystery has been revealed to the world in Christ.
Ephesians 3:1-12
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 1, 2017 (originally aired January 2, 2017)
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Sermon #202
I found it interesting that Christmas fell on a Sunday this year (2016), but what may have been more interesting is the reaction many people had to having service on Christmas day. My rebuttal was usually in the vein of, "Well, if you don't want to come to church on Christmas, then don't." That might seem a bit blunt, but honestly, we as Christians are challenged to a deeper relationship with God through Jesus Christ than simply indulging in the gluttony of Christmas gift-giving. After all, what gift could possibly top the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus? None that I can think of. Through the opening stanzas of John's gospel we hear the incredible truth that Jesus is God, and that God became flesh and dwelt among us. It's a startling revelation that, once we as Christians fully understand it, we are never the same. So grab your Bible, turn it to John chapter 1, and prepare your heart and mind as we take a closer look at the Word made flesh.
John 1:1-14
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on December 25, 2016 (Originally published December 30, 2016)
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Sermon #201
We hope you are finding some deeper meaning to this season of Christmas, and that's what this Christmas Eve message was all about this year. We see it every year in the malls, in the extravagant light displays, in the mounds of presents under the tree, and so I just want to ask us all, do we get it? Do we really get what this holiday is all about? Because beneath the veneer of wrapping paper and bows and stockings and twinkling lights, there doesn't seem to be even a fleeting glimpse of the Christ child for whom this celebration is all about. Now, I had planned a message based on Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. But as sometimes happens, God laid it upon my heart to change the message at the last minute. And so here is the message from Christmas Eve, following an extended scripture reading that we had at Hudson United Methodist.
Luke 2:1-20 and related scripture
Recorded at Hudson UMC on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2016 (Originally published December 27, 2016)
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Sermon #200
We're still working our way through the Advent sermons, and the fourth Sunday of Advent focuses on the word "Dream." Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, had at least three dreams that we know of from Matthew's gospel account, and each time he acted on them swiftly and obediently. The question for all of us today is, do we dare to dream big dreams when it comes to God's kingdom work, or are our dreams limited by our inability to imagine beyond what we are capable of? Our God is a God of great possibilities, and he even gives us the faith to dream bigger.
Matthew 1:18-25
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on December 18, 2016 (Originally published December 26, 2016)
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Sermon #199
We are continuing our Advent journey and the word for the third Sunday is "See." When John the Baptist found himself in prison he began to have doubts. After all, he had given his entire life to onepurpose, determined before he was even conceived. That purpose was to proclaim the coming Christ. And now, in prison, he was thinking, is this it? Or did I waste my whole life? Jesus' response to John's inquiry reminds us that sometimes we need to stop seeing things the way the world wants us to see them, and start seeing things the way God does.
Matthew 11:2-11
Recorded at Hudson UMC on December 11, 2016 (Originally published December 24, 2016)
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December 11, 2022
Old Testament: Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalter: Luke 1:46b-55
Epistle Lesson: James 5:7-10
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 11:2-11
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #198
The second sermon in our Advent series focuses on the word "Turn," and we look at what it means to repent, to turn away from sin and turn back to God. The concept of repentance is what separates Catholicism from Protestantism, and is so pivotal that it was the content of the first four of Martin Luther's 95 Theses. What is it about repentance that is so central to the Christian faith? We're about to find out.
Matthew 3:1-12
Recorded at Hudson UMC on December 4, 2016 (originally published December 21, 2016)
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Sermon #197
Well, the Advent season is upon us, and everywhere we look we see signs of Christmas rapidly approaching. Of course, the Advent season is not like the secular Christmas season which seems to begin earlier and earlier each year. Where the secular world is preparing for the arrival of a jolly old elf in a red suit, the church is preparing for another arrival - the return of Christ on earth. And so we begin our sermon series based on the words: Watch, Turn, See, Dream, Peace, Word, and Reveal. This week, we hear the words of Jesus as he proclaims the advent of his second coming, and we learn what it means to keep watch, keep vigilant, keep ourselves prepared for Christ's imminent return.
Matthew 24:36-44
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on November 27, 2016 (Originally published December 6, 2016)
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November 27, 2022
Old Testament: Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalter: Psalm 122
Epistle Lesson: Romans 13:11-14
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 24:36-44
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #29
In the good times and in bad times, no matter what we ought to give thanks to God for all things. Here in 2020 we have been going through some of the most difficult times that most of us can remember. And so this Thanksgiving message from 2013 is especially poignant. When we consider the people who followed Jesus looking for a repeat of the miracle feeding of the multitudes, we see in them a glimpse of ourselves, who cannot see beyond our present circumstances. Yet Jesus says to them and to us that we are to strive for the eternal things of God, not for the temporal things of the world.
John 6:25-35
Recorded at Hudson UMC on November 27, 2013 (Originally published November 26, 2020)
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Sermon #28
Although this sermon was preached for Christ the King Sunday (the Sunday before Advent begins), it is an appropriate message for Good Friday. The thief on the cross said to Jesus, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." Strange words to say to a person condemned to death on a Roman cross. Yet what we see in the crucifixion is that Jesus is not the king that the people expected; he is the King that we needed. And even though his throne was a cross and his crown was made of thorns, he still reigns and lives today.
Luke 23:33-43
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on November 24, 2013 (originally published April 19, 2019)
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November 20, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalter: Luke 1:68-79
Epistle Lesson: Colossians 1:11-20
Gospel Lesson: Luke 23:33-43
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #520
The Bible is the very word of God and as such, to us Christians it ought to be precious to us. After all the reformers fought to give the word of God to the people, often at the cost of their very lives. Today we have more access to better and more scholarly translations of the Bible than ever before... And yet we do not hold it precious as we should. We expect the church to provide the word for us. We only read the word when the Pastor is preaching on it. God Himself wrote us a letter, and yet we do not consider it important to read it. Sometimes it's because the word convicts us and we don't like that. We want the word to make us feel good about ourselves. But God's word is a mirror that shows us our need for a savior so that we can come to Christ and be saved.
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Recorded at Hudson UMC on October 16, 2022
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November 13, 2022
Old Testament: Isaiah 65:17-25
Psalter: Isaiah 12
Epistle Leson: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Gospel Lesson: Luke 21:5-19
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #249
The final sermon in our series commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Soli deo gloria means that everything we do is for God's glory alone. He alone is God and worthy of all praise, glory and honor.
Romans 11:33-36
Recorded at Hudson UMC on October 29, 2017 (Originally published November 26, 2017)
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Sermon #248
The Church in the time of Luther added the burden of meritorious works and the sale of indulgences to the sufficient work of God's grace, and Luther and the reformers sought to free God's people by dismantling the scaffolding.
Ephesians 2:1-10
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on October 22. 2017 (Originally published October 31, 2022)
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Sermon #247
Having established that we are justified through faith alone, the question remains: faith in what, or whom? The Bible tells us that whoever believes in Jesus will be saved. The Reformers restored to Christ's followers the understanding that it is faith alone in Christ alone, and that Christ is our only savior, the only sacrifice, and the only mediator between a holy God and sinful man.
Acts 4:5-13
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on October 15, 2017 (Originally published October 30, 2017)
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Sermon #246
With our foundation built upon Scripture Alone, we continue our observance of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with our look at the doctrine of Sola Fide - we are justified by faith alone, not by works. This flies in the face of the Catholic doctrine of Luther's time (and affirmed at the Council of Vatican II in the 1960s) that we are justified at the time of baptism but need continual practice of the sacraments of Communion, Penance, Matrimony, Extreme Unction (last rites), and, for the chosen few, Ordination, in order to maintain our salvation. Luther showed by Biblical texts that we are justified by faith alone and not by works, so that no one may boast in themselves but in what Christ did on the cross.
Romans 3:21-4:9
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on October 8, 2017 (Originally published October 25, 2017)
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Sermon #245
We begin a new series based on the five "solas" of the Reformation. It was five hundred years ago on October 31 that Martin Luther nailed his protest, titled "Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," more commonly known as the Ninety-Five Theses, to the door of the castle church in Wittenburg, Germany. Five hundred years later, we mark the occasion by examining the principles of the Protestant Reformation and how they apply to us today. We begin with a foundational principle, Sola Scriptura - scripture alone is the final authority.
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Recorded at Hudson UMC on October 1, 2017 (Originally published October 23, 2017)
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November 6, 2022
Old Testament: Haggai 1:15b-2:9
Psalter: Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21
Epistle Lesson: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Gospel Lesson: Luke 20:27-38
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #188
We've been looking at what the gospel is, and we get that the gospel is the good news. But sometimes in order to understand the good news, we first have to hear the bad news. Today as we continue our look at the Gospel in one verse, we are going to see why the bad news is really bad, and how that makes the good news that much better.
John 3:13-17
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 18, 2016 (Originally published September 22, 2016)
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Sermon #188
John 3:16. We see it everywhere we look, at football games and golf tournaments, there's usually someone holding up a sign that says John 3:16. Even non-Christians are sometimes able to quote this verse. As Christians, we understand that this single verse of scripture holds the entirety of the gospel, and yet many of us are confused as to what the gospel is, exactly. Today on Guerrilla Christianity, we will look at what the gospel is, why it matters, and how to find it in its entirety in this one verse, John 3:16. Now, if you would, open your Bible to John chapter 3 and prepare your heart and mind as we find the gospel in one verse.
John 3:13-17
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 18, 2016 (Originally published September 21, 2016)
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Sermon #251
We continue looking at "Who We Are" as a church by examining the central message of everything we do: the Gospel (or the Good News). But many modern Chistians face a dilemna: we don't know how to put the Gospel into words, and some of us don't really know what the Good News is, exactly. In American society the Gospel has become watered down into a feel-good self-help message that doesn't challenge us out of our comfort zone. Jesus said the Gospel would be an offense and a stumbling block. But we are called upon to preach the gospel at all times, and so preaching the gospel as a church is what makes us who we are.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on November 12, 2017 (Originally published December 12, 2017)
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Sermon #321
In the 21st Century, the Christian church in America has completely lost touch with the holiness of God. We feel comfortable with a God that we can pal around with but not with a God that demands strict purity. Looking at this throne room vision by Isaiah, we examine the infinite holiness of God and what it means for us as children of God. Rather than elevating ourselves, this message is meant to put us in proper relation to Almighty God.
Isaiah 6:1-8
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 10, 2019 (Originally published February 11, 2019)
View on YouTube
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Sermon #519
For anyone who has ever served in the military (and I am one of them), you know what it means to be inspected by the commanding officer. Sometimes the inspection is scheduled and you stand in parade formation in your dress greens (I was in the Army), and sometimes it's a surprise inspection in which you see the dreaded white glove come out. The point of the inspection is to show your readiness, and in the same way we are to always be ready to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and be unafraid to present ourselves to God. As we continue reading through Paul's second letter to Timothy, let us take Paul's words to heart, that we are to be faithful in all we do because Christ was and always will be faithful to his promise to us.
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on October 9, 2022
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October 23, 2022
Old Testament: Joel 2:23-32
Psalter: Psalm 65
Epistle Lesson: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Gospel Lesson: Luke 18:9-14
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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October 16, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 31:27-34
Psalter: Psalm 119:97-104
Epistle Lesson: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Gospel Lesson: Luke 18:1-8
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #119
This week we begin a new sermon series based on questions asked by the congregations at Ebenezer and Hudson. I asked them back in January to ask the tough questions of faith and they responded with fourteen really good and challenging questions, which we will be taking on all Summer long. This week we look at miracles, and whether God continues to perform miracles even today. It's an uplifting message with promise. So grab your Bible, turn it to Luke chapter 17, and prepare your heart and mind as we look at modern-day miracles.
Luke 17:11-19
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 28, 2015 (Originally published July 4, 2015)
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Sermon #518
We begin a new series based in Paul's second letter to Timothy, who was the young pastor Paul left in charge at Ephesus. This is the last of Paul's letters that we have recorded; shortly after writing this letter, Paul was executed in Rome for his faith. And where Paul's first letter to Timothy was more instructive in the polity of the Church, this letter is more personal, encouraging Timothy to maintain his course in the faith that Paul imparted to him, along with Timothy's mother and grandmother. In fact, Paul encourages Timothy to stir up, or rekindle the faith he felt on the day of his conversion. If you remember your conversion, as I do, you know it was an emotional time. Let us all strive to maintain that faith we have been given, and also endeavor to share that faith with others, that the Kingdom of God can continue to grow and flourish until Christ returns.
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Recorded at Hudson UMC on October 2, 2022
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Today I wanted to give you, the listener of Guerrilla Christianity, an update on where we are as a podcast and on what's been going on behind the scenes. Last week we only published one episode, and I feel like I owe you an explanation. I don't like making excuses or lamenting outside circumstances that prohibit me from providing new content. However, I do feel like any lapse in programming deserves being addressed. So let's talk about what it means to be a part-time licensed local pastor in the UMC; what it means to be bi-vocational; what it means to have to attend Course of Study; and of course, what it takes to be an Eagles fan during football season along with everything else. So strap in.
Recorded on October 9, 2022
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October 9, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Psalter: Psalm 66:1-12
Epistle Lesson: 2 Timothy 2:8-15
Gospel Lesson: Luke 17:11-19
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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October 2, 2022
Old Testament: Lamentations 1:1-6
Psalter: Psalm 137
Epistle Lesson: 2 Timothy 1:1-14
Gospel Lesson: Luke 17:5-10
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #356
(This series from 2019 has previously not been published)
In the week before this sermon was delivered, on Wedenesday, September 18, 2019, my sister Susan died. She was my only sibling, and she was very young, only 44 years old. Many people suggested that I take the week off from preaching to allow myself time to grieve. And yet, this message is a perfect message for expressing my grief over my sister, because the text in Jeremiah is a lament over Jerusalem, over the loss of a major touchstone of life. We as Christians often think we are not to grieve, but Paul tells us we are not to grieve as those with no hope. We have a hope, a hope of eternal life given in Jesus Christ. And so, while I miss my sister, I know that I will see her again in eternity. She loved the Lord and had faith in Him for forgiveness. But in this season of loss, there is grief. There is lament.
Jeremiah 8:18-9:1
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 22, 2019 (Previously unpublished)
In memory of Susan Jane Walker
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Sermon #132
When we become Christians, one of the first things we learn is that Christ is the only way to God. So it's natural that one of the first questions we ask is, what happened to people who died before Jesus was crucified? After all, if Jesus is the only way to God, then in our minds that leaves out those who were, as Paul puts it, untimely born. Today we will hear a story of two men, told by Jesus, and find clues that lead us to better understanding of the afterlife, and how Christ truly is the only way, and has always been. So grab your Bible, turn it to Luke chapter 16, and prepare your heart and mind as we discover God's eternal grace.
Luke 16:19-31
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 20, 2015 (Originally published November 5, 2015)
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Sermon #517
As we wrap up our short series on discipleship, we look at the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Jesus uses this story to illustrate the danger of relying upon riches instead of the providence of God. The entirety of the 16th chapter of Luke seems to be focused on this truth, that one's reliance upon riches - and that to the detriment of those in need - is a sin that separates us from God. The story also illustrates the plain fact that our final destination is determined by what we do in life. And in death, our attitude does not change. There is no repentance in the afterlife.
Luke 16:19-31
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 25, 2022
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September 25, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Psalter: Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16
Epistle Lesson: 1 Timothy 6:6-19
Gospel Lesson: Luke 16:19-31
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #516
As we continue to look at what it means to be a disciple of Christ, we come to a particularly difficult passage, one of the so-called "hard sayings" of Jesus. On the surface, it seems that Jesus may be suggesting that the disciples act dishonestly when dealing with worldly issues. Yet when we probe deeper and look at the passage in its proper context, we see that what is in view here is to use the resources that God gives to us - which can often be colored in dishonest gain - to bring others to repentance and faith in Christ, that we may build an eternal kingdom, rather than a temporal one that we will leave behind when we die. It is a difficult passage and a challenging message.
Luke 16:1-13
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 19, 2022 (original September 18 recording unusable)
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September 18, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 8:18-9:1
Psalter: Psalm 79:1-9
Epistle Lesson: 1 Timothy 2:1-7
Gospel Lesson: Luke 16:1-13
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #355
(This series from 2019 has previously not been published)
When we are in a time of chaos - a natural disaster, some financial crisis - it's hard to imagine anything good coming from it. Yet time and time again we see that destruction is not the final word for God. Where some may see an end, God sees a beginning. It was that way in Jeremiah's time, when the Babylonian armies were about to sweep in and destroy Jerusalem and Judah, taking the Israelites away to exile. Yet God promised through Jeremiah that out of the chaos would come a new creation. We see this happening in our own lives as well, and God will continue to bring creation out of chaos again.
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 15, 2019 (Previously unpublished)
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Sermon #354
(This series from 2019 has previously not been published)
In today's reading from Jeremiah, God leads Jeremiah to the potter's house where he witnesses the potter smashing a pot that displeased him and remaking it into something else. It's a picture of how God transforms us through a process called Sanctification. God is our creator, and just like the pot cannot complain to the potter, so we cannot complain to our creator when he demands of us loyalty and faith. Yet we continue in our sin to separate ourselves from him, and all the time he continues to call to us to turn from our sin and return to him, in an action called repentance.
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 8, 2019 (Previously unpublished)
Sermon #353
(This series from 2019 has previously not been published)
We're beginning a new series based in Jeremiah called "Season of Creation." As the Summer winds down and we begin to slip comfortably into Fall, we are reminded of our own mortality and our estrangement from God. Indeed, Jeremiah reminds the people (by way of God's word) that they have been trying to do things on their own rather than relying upon God, and that is a very bad plan indeed. God calls all of creation to testify and judge the people of Judah, and in the end they are found wanting. Let this be a reminder to us that God is the source of living water, and we ought not to rely upon cracked cisterns of our own making to quench our spiritual thirst.
Jeremiah 2:4-13
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 1, 2019 (Previously unpublished)
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Sermon #515
As we continue to look at what discipleship demands of us, we come to the realization that as disciples, we are commissioned to make other disciples. And part of that commission is knowing that the world is lost, that everywhere we look there are lost souls in need of being found. Jesus told three parables in Luke 15 that describe lost things that are found. But what lies at the root of this truth is, all of us are lost without God, and none of us are seeking him - it is God that seeks us, and we, the church, are his lamp to draw the lost out of darkness.
Luke 15:1-10
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 11, 2022
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September 11, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Psalter: Psalm 14
Epistle Lesson: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel Lesson: Luke 15:1-10
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #514
We're starting a new series in the book of Luke called "Having Words with Jesus," and the focus of the series will be on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Before we begin our journey, though, we first need to take stock of our lives and decide if we are willing or even able to submit ourselves to the life that Jesus calls us to. We need to count the cost of discipleship to determine if we are able to follow through. But Gd gives to us all we need in order to follow him; we only need to be willing to make him the primary relationship in our lives, over every earthly relationship and over every possession. We need to be able to put to death our old nature and be raised again in Christ. Can you do that? Then let's begin our journey and follow hard after Christ, who gave his all for us.
Luke 14:25-33
Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 4, 2022
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September 4, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 18:1-11
Psalter: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
Epistle Lesson: Philemon 1-21
Gospel Lesson: Luke 14:25-33
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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S7E07: Praise God (Practical Wisdom from Jude pt. 9)
In this final message on the Epistle of Jude, we look at Jude's closing words, both doxology (glory saying) and benediction (good saying), a beautifully composed sentence both glorifying God and encouraging the believers in their mission to seek and to save the lost. In these final verses we see how Jude exemplifies for us all a need to praise God in all that we do and say, and provides for us a pattern for such praise and worship.
Jude 24-25
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 11, 2019
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So now, after Jude has railed against these false teachers, what are we to do with them? What Jude tells us is that we ought to treat them like any other unsaved person - we ought to respond in mercy, even after contending for the faith. After all, Jesus responded to the unsaved with mercy. But we are to be careful that they do not drag us down, like someone who is drowning might drag down a lifeguard who is trying to save them.
Jude 22-23
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 4, 2019
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Sometimes it is difficult for us to continue on in the face of adversity. Sometimes it seems like we don't have it in us to keep going when all we see is failure after failure. We are given a great promise of eternal life, and so we have a hope in us that others who are not follwers of Christ do not have. It is this hope in eternity that helps us as Christians to persevere when others might give up.
Jude 17-21
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 28, 2019
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Sermon #513
In this final message in the Prophet Margins series, we look at a somewhat uplifting prophecy of Jeremiah. I say this because whereas the other prophecies that we've looked at went unheeded and ended in disaster for the people of Israel, this one prophecy came as a warning to the people of Judah, and immediately following the nation saw reforms that abolished Ba'al worship and restored the worship of God as prescribed in the book of the law. And so we should be encouraged that God is still active and working to draw his wayward people back to himself. Yet just a generation later, under the son of King Josiah, the nation of Judah would fall into worse apostacy, and would ultimately be conquered and carried off by Babylon for 70 years. Yet God's promises are not empty and his word does not return void. We can learn from these warnings in our lives with God today.
Jeremiah 2:4-13
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 28, 2022
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August 28, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 2:4-13
Psalter: Psalm 81:1, 10-16
Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Gospel Lesson: Luke 14:1, 7-14
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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I can think of no better message to kick off the eighth season of Guerrilla Christianity than this message which was preached at the Pitman Grove Camp Meeting in 2019. Very few Christians today share their faith in Jesus Christ, and perhaps it is because we have no idea who Jesus is. The writer of the book of Hebrews offers us the foundational testimony toward building a solid Christology (the study of Christ and His nature) which is important because by knowing Christ, we can know what He has done for us, what He offers us, and how He rescued us from sin and death. Then we can truly appreciate the vast greatness of the gospel, which ought to inspire us to tell everyone the best good news in the history of the world.
{For the last two weeks in June, 2020, we will be posting messages that were given at the Pitman Grove Camp Meeting auditorium. This year the Camp Meeting is on hold until at least August, so please enjoy these messages from years gone by.}
Hebrews 1:1-4
Recorded at Pitman Grove Camp Meeting on August 25, 2019 (Previously unpublished)
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We who are saved by Christ and washed in his blood ought not to take for granted what he has done for us. How we live our lives as Christians matters greatly to the one who purchased our lives and redeemed us by his own son. To say that sin does not matter is to say that what Jesus did for us does not matter. In fact, it matters a great deal. And so we are called to live lives that please God, rather than living lives that please the world.
Jude 14-16
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 21, 2019
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Sermon #512
Jeremiah was the prophet who prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah in the years leading up to the Babylonian exile. His words were often unheeded and so he was known as the weeping prophet, because he would weep over the sins of the people of Judah. When God called him as a prophet, he was young and inexperienced; yet what we see in Jeremiah's calling is that it is not about our abilities, but our willingness to be obedient to God. God takes the most unlikely of people, ill-equipped for the job at hand, and He goes before them in order to give them the ability to do what God is calling them to. He does the same for us today, and so if God is calling you to a higher purpose than simply sitting in the pews, then he will strengthen you for that purpose.
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 21, 2022
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Sermon #511
Isaiah delivers to the people of Judah a parable of a vineyard owner who did anything and everything he could to yield a harvest of good grapes, and yet in the end the vine only produced sour berries that could not be used. The question Isaiah poses is, is it the fault of the vineyard owner that the vine produced bad grapes? Or is the vine at fault? He then drops the boom on the people by telling them that God is the vineyard owner and they are the vine. This prophecy, delivered before the exile of the northern kingdom, was a warning to the people of Judah, and they heeded its call.. for a while, at least. But what does this prophecy mean for us today? Are we producing good fruit? Or are we, like the people of Judah, producing something that looks good and yet is unpalatable?
Isaiah 5:1-7
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 14, 2022
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August 21, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalter: Psalm 71:1-6
Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 12:18-29
Gospel Lesson: Luke 13:10-17
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #510
We now shift our attention to the southern kingdom of Judah and the major prophet Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied at the same time as Amos and Hosea, yet his audience was found in the king's court in Jerusalem. He was affluent and well educated. Perhaps it is for this reason that so many of his prophetic visions were quoted and alluded to in the New Testament in regards to Jesus Christ. Yet even though he had a position of influence, he was also willing to clearly and courageously deliver God's message to the people - a message that was not a word of praise, but of judgment. In prosperous and stable times, the religion of Jerusalem had become mechanical and loveless. God used Isaiah to call the people to a deeper relationship with him, a life of obedience and devotion rather than meaningless religious rituals.
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 7, 2022
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Sermon #509
Through Hosea the prophet, God speaks tenderly even to the people that he will soon displace for their infidelity. Just as Hosea redeemed his unfaithful wife and paid off her debt, so God does the same for us through the blood of his son Jesus Christ. Though the religions of the world tell us what we must do in order to gain the attention of whatever deity we worship, Christianity stands alone in that God gets our attention by what he has already done for us, in what we could not do for ourselves and what he accomplished for us. Even as God was telling the northern kingdom of Israel that they would be sent into bondage in Assyria, he was already laying out his plan of restoration, before they were exiled. In all of this, we see the incredible and steadfast love of God on full display.
Hosea 11:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 31, 2022
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Sermon #345
Bearing fruit is what we as Christians are called to do. God does not save us by our works, but he saves us for good works, and so if our lives in Christ are not bearing fruit, then we are, as Jude says in today's reading, twice dead trees plucked up by the roots. It is a sobering charge and it gives us a reason to examine our own lives and ask this vital question: how is my life in Christ bearing fruit?
Jude 12-13
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 14, 2019 (Originally published July 15, 2019)
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Sermon #344
In today's lesson from Jude, we are shown how we can determine if modern interpretive "revelation" is from God, and whether we should believe it or not. We are also shown, in the contrary behavior of the "dreamers" of Jude's time, what we are not to do, and given practical application as to what sort of behavior that we, as Christians, ought to engage in instead. Though written nearly 2,000 years ago, Jude's letter still holds true and offers us wisdom we can apply in our own lives, and this is true of the entirety of the Bible itself.
Jude 8-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 7, 2019 (Originally published July 10, 2019)
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Sermon #508
Today in our series "Prophet Margins" we begin by looking at the life of Hosea, who was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel just prior to the Assyrian exile. God used the life of Hosea as an illustration of God's relationship with His bride, Israel. Hosea was to marry a prostitute and to name his children prophetic names that would point to the exile. Ultimately, Hosea's wife Gomer would be unfaithful to him and leave him, just as Israel has done to God. But Hosea would do something remarkable, in that he would purchase his wife's life back from the man to whom she owed a debt. Despite her infidelity he would continue to show her love, and that is what God did for us in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Hosea 1:1-11
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 24, 2022
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August 14, 2022
Old Testament: Isaiah 5:1-7
Psalter: Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19
Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Gospel Lesson: Luke 12:49-56
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #353
Welcome to Season 7 of Guerrilla Christianity! By God's grace we will continue to proclaim the good news to a world in desperate need of it. As we begin our seventh season, we also continue our series based on the book of Jude. We look at the modern objection to the concept of hell that the sins we commit are not so great that they deserve eternal punishment. In verses 5 through 7 Jude gives us Old Testament examples of rebellion against God. The Israelites sinned in setting up idols in place of God. The angels sinned seeking unnatural relations with human women. Then men sinned seeking unnatural relations with angels. Is there no end to rebellion against the God that made us? We'll see how obedience to God is in fact freedom - freedom from bondage to sin and death.
Jude 5-7
Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 30, 2019 (Originally published July 4, 2019)
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Sermon #342
The greatest attacks on the church of Jesus Christ come not from outside of it, but from inside. It is not the world and its pagan, Godless ways that we as Christians must battle, but false teaching from within. And so Jude, wanting to write a letter celebrating the common salvation he shares with other Christians, instead felt the urgency to fire off a letter inciting the church to "contend for the faith." In today's message we see that what Jude's audience was contending against is not so unlike the things facing modern Christians, and we look at the difference between legalism and license, and where the true Gospel of Christ falls between them.
Jude 3-4
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 23, 2019 (Originally published June 25, 2019)
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Sermon #507
As we continue our exposition of Amos' prophecy, we come to the fourth of his visions - a basket of Summer fruit. The word for Summer fruit in the Hebrew sounds very much like the Hebrew word for "the end," and so God through Amos is using a pun to declare that the end is here. The judgment of God will fall upon Israel, and yet, through it all God is using his judgment to draw the faithful to himself. What we see in God's judgment is that there is no loss of control in his emotions. God is not overtly angry or seeking revenge against his people. Instead, he uses the judgment as a way to turn the hearts of the people back to himself - and we see that God desires repentance rather than atonement.
Amos 8:1-12
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 17, 2022
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August 7, 2022
Old Testament: Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Psalter: Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23
Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Gospel Lesson: Luke 12:32-40
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #341
We talk about being a Bible-believing church and that means we believe ALL the Bible is God-breathed, or inspired to be the very word of God for the church in every age. So even though the short (25-verse) letter of Jude is excluded from the Revised Common Lectionary, we are endeavoring to unpack its wisdom verse-by-verse in a Summer series titled "Practical Wisdom from Jude." Today we begin with an introduction and overview of Jude's letter and answer the questions: Who was Jude? Why do we have his letter in the Bible? and To whom was the letter written, and why? And over the course of the next several weeks we will go verse-by-verse through this letter to glean its wisdom for us today.
Jude 1-2
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 16, 2019 (Originally published June 19, 2019)
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Sermon #506
In this Summer series we will be looking at the words of many Old Testament prophets, and today we see the words of Amos, who was not a professional prophet but a shepherd whom God called to prophecy to the northern kingdom of Israel in the time of Jeroboam II. Jeroboam was on the throne for many years and the time saw much prosperity in the kingdom, which made the call to repentance that much harder to hear. But Amos was faithful to God's calling and delivered the message as was told to him. What we see is that in times when life is easy and things are going well, we must not forget the God who has prospered us, which the people of Israel had done. And so in our current time and situation we must ask ourselves if we are giving proper due to the God who created us and gave us all things to live and prosper, or are we relying upon ourselves and worshiping the things we have made by our own hands?
Amos 7:(1-6),7-17
Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 10, 2022
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Interview #14
Rev. Beth Caulfield has been on a stellar track in ministry. She had been appointed to the Bishop's cabinet on his "Dream Team," overseeing Small Groups Formation in Greater New Jersey (UMC). It seemed as though she was on a trajectory that would carry her higher to proclaim God's word to a multitude. Then suddenly, everything began to change. She received less-than-favorable appointments, even to churches where women were not accepted as clergy. She was turned down for ordination twice. In all of this her faith was tested, and ultimately prevailed. She has written a book about her journey, called "People Throw Rocks at Things That Shine: A Clergy Whistleblower's Journey." I sat down with Beth via Zoom Meetings on July 27 and we discussed her book, the problems with the UMC ordination process, and what she's been doing since - serving in the Wesley Covenant Association and recently ordained in the Global Methodist Church.
Beth's Website
Website for the book
Recorded via Zoom Meetings on July 27, 2022
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Sermon #505
Our series for Summer 2022 is called "Prophet Margins." The Revised Common Lectionary for Ordinary time after Pentecost uses readings from the prophets in the Old Testament, primarily because the Gospel texts come from Luke and Luke portrays Jesus as a prophet. These prophets spoke the word of God to the people, and it was usually not very well received. In fact, the prophets were often treated badly, even killed for speaking the truth of God's word. As such, they lived on the margins of society. It was a lonely existence. So we're looking at prophets on the margins, and we begin with Elisha in the northern kingdom of Israel, who is called upon to heal Naaman, a general of the Syrian army and a leper. The question is, can Naaman be humbled so that God can work in his life? As we'll see, he can, and does, and experiences a radical spiritual transformation, not just a physical one.
2 Kings 5:1-14(15-19)
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 3, 2022
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July 31, 2022
Old Testament: Hosea 11:1-11
Psalter: Psalm 107:1-9, 43
Epistle Lesson: Colossians 3:1-11
Gospel Lesson: Luke 12:13-21
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #500
Today we wrap up our series titled "We Are Witnesses" by looking at waht by all appearances seemed to be a catastrophic failure in Philippi. Paul and Silas are arrested on false charges, beaten and imprisoned. Yet in the middle of the night they were found singing praises to God. The end result was a converted jailer and his entire family. So what can we learn? We learn that we as Christians are always being watched by non-believers, and that God can and often does uses us right where we are, despite our circumstances. Society may never understand how we live but we are to live as ambassadors of Christ because we are always witnessing to others, either by words or actions.
Acts 16:16-34
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 29, 2022
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June 5, 2022
First Lesson: Acts 2:1-21
Psalter: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:14-17
Gospel Lesson: John 14:8-17, 25-27
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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May 29, 2022
First Lesson: Acts 16:16-34
Psalter: Psalm 97
Epistle Lesson: Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
Gospel Lesson: John 17:20-26
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #338
On this Sunday before Memorial Day, we look a little at our history as a nation at war, and we consider how we as a nation, and how all nations need healing. Yet God's word in Revelation 22 promises healing for all peoples of the earth. We see the gift of the Holy Spirit, the River of the Water of Life, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb. We see the restoration of the Tree of Life. Yet all these things are available only to those who conquer, to those who find victory in the death and resurection of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 21:7-10,22-22:5
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 26, 2019 (Originally published May 28, 2019)
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May 26, 2022
First Lesson: Acts 1:1-11
Psalter: Psalm 47
Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 1:15-23
Gospel Lesson: Luke 24:44-53
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #499
In today's reading from the book of Acts we have two major topics to examine. First, sometimes God says "no" to our ministries, even when it would bring him glory. We don't always understand why, and oftentimes it frustrates us, but if we are submissive to God's will and leading we often find ourselves in a situation where we are bearing much fruit for the Kingdom. Second, it is not up to us to convince an unbeliever of the truth of the Gospel, or to choose the method by which we proclaim it. We let God's word be God's word and either the seed we spread will take root in the fertile soil of a human heart or it will not. Ultimately it is God who opens the heart of the unbelieving. We are mere instruments in the hands of God, speaking his word, but it is God who opens the heart, as he did to a believer named Lydia in the city of Philippi in Macedonia - a place where Paul and his companions were not even going to go until God said "no" to them proclaiming the gospel in Asia Minor.
Acts 16:6-15
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 22, 2022
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Sermon #498
Who in your life is receptive to the word? Who would you not tell about Jesus Christ because you know they will reject the good news? How do you know? The fact of the matter is, we do not know who will and will not receive the good news of Jesus Christ. We certainly can't tell by looking. Jesus said we ought not to cast our pearls before swine, but He also said we are like sowers broadcasting seed (the word of God). Ultimately it is God who knows the human heart. In today's reading from Acts, Peter tells the Jewish believers in Jerusalem how God sent him to preach the good news to the family of a Roman centurian named Cornelius. We must be faithful in our witness and rejoice when God provides the increase. We can't let our prejudices determine who we will or will not share the gospel with.
Acts 11:1-18
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 15, 2022
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May 22, 2022
First Lesson: Acts 16:9-15
Psalter: Psalm 67
Epistle Lesson: Revelation 21:10,22-22:5
Gospel Lesson: John 14:23-29
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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May 15, 2022
First Lesson: Acts 11:1-18
Psalter: Psalm 148
Epistle Lesson: Revelation 21:1-6
Gospel Lesson: John 13:31-35
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #336
What does "Saved" worship look like? It looks like this scene from Revelation chapter 7 where those who defended the Gospel with their lives spend day and night before the throne of God worshipping Him for all He has done. We who are saved recognize that it is not by our merit that we have been saved, but by the grace of God. For that reason we commit our lives to the one who gave His life for us.
Revelation 7:9-17
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 12, 2019 (Originally published May 15, 2019)
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Sermon #497
As Christians we all face ups and downs in our walk with Christ. Today we are talking about four "ups" that we as Christians all experience. First, we "Get Up." Our conversion is a rising from the dead, putting to death our old sinful nature and rising in Christ's resurrection to newness of life. Next, we "show up." We join a faith community that can nurture us and disciple us, and as we mature and grow we can nurture and disciple other new Christians. Third, we "step up." We get into service and express agape love through selfless acts of charity and goodwill. Finally, we "point up" to God in everything we do, giving Him glory for his mighty deeds in Jesus Christ. In today's reading, which deals with the raising of a dead woman named Tabitha, we see all of these (and a few other "ups") on full display.
Acts 9:36-43
Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 8, 2022
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May 8, 2022
First Lesson: Acts 9:36-43
Psalter: Psalm 23
Epistle Lesson: Revelation 7:9-17
Gospel Lesson: John 10:22-30
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #496
This might come as a shock to you, but those who deny God's existence or oppose His people are opposed to God and at war with Him. The problem is a matter of knowledge about who God is. Saul faced the same issue when he was persecuting the early church. He had no idea that the God of the universe was the very Lord that he was opposing by bringing Christ's followers to their death. And make no mistake, we are in the same situation as Saul before we repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our forgiveness. We find that we are enemies of God when we oppose His people. But God's prevenient Grace, in the form of the Holy Spirit's conviction, will knock us off our high horse and into reality - a reality where we realize we have been blind, but now by God's grace we see.
Acts 9:1-20
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 1, 2022
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May 1, 2022
First Lesson: Acts 9:1-20
Psalter: Psalm 30
Epistle Lesson: Revelation 5:11-14
Gospel Lesson: John 21:1-19
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #164
Eastertide is the season of seven weeks beginning with Resurrection Sunday and ending with Pentecost. It's easy on the day after Easter Sunday to feel as though we have reached the end. But historically in the Church, Eastertide was the time of preparation for one's baptism into the Body of Christ. To that end, for the next seven weeks we are going to look at the seven vows that we as United Methodists make at our baptism, and we'll look at them against the backdrop of the beginnings of the Christian church as chronicled in the Book of Acts. This week we look at the first vow we make, to renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil of this world, and repent of our sin. So grab your Bible, turn it to Acts chapter 5, and prepare your heart and mind as we renounce, reject, and repent.
Acts 5:27-32
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 3, 2016 (Originally published on April 11, 2016)
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Sermon #335
After the cross, after the empty tomb, what have we got to celebrate? On this second Sunday of Easter we look at the continuation of the story in the building of the Christian church in the First century. Peter and the disciples are told by the Jewish authorities that they must not teach in "that" name (the name of Jesus Christ). Even today, the name of Jesus Christ is an offense to those who do not believe. But when the good news is so good, how can we but proclaim it boldly? When God offers us eternal life in Jesus' name, how can we but share it with everyone we know?
Acts 5:27-32
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 28 2019 (Originally published May 1, 2019)
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Sermon #495
In the world of godless people, the most offensive name is the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The world would deny that name because it is the name of salvation, and carries with it the power of God's grace to save. When we see people objecting to religious activities, they are almost certainly Christian activities. In today's reading we see the high priest accusing the disciples of preaching in the name of Jesus, yet he will not even say the name. Peter tells him that they must obey God and not men and this is true; where governments make laws that are contrary to the word and commandment of God, we must, in good conscience, oppose those laws. We have been called by God to be witnesses to his authority and power, called to be in the world but not of the world. And we are thankful for the early Christians who fulfilled their duty as witnesses, so that we could receive the witness of their faith today.
Acts 5:27-32
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 24, 2022
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April 24, 2022
First Lesson: Acts 5:27-32
Psalter: Psalm 150
Epistle Lesson: Revelation 1:4-8
Gospel Lesson: John 20:19-31
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #334
Easter is a day when we celebrate the fact that Christ rose from the dead three days after being crucified for our sins. While we often focus on the promise of the empty tomb, some only observe the resurrection of our Lord without considering the reality of the cross. In today's message, we will see why, using the Old Testament model of atonement, both the cross and the empty tomb are required for the the complete deliverance of the sinner from his or her sin.
Luke 24:1-12
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 21, 2019 (Originally published April 26, 2019)
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Sermon #494
For the season of Easter we are starting a new series called "We Are Witnesses" based on Acts 10:39, in which Peter tells the Cornelius and his family, "[W]e are witnesses of all that [Jesus] did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem." From Luke's account of the resurrection, we see how the women are witnesses to the disciples that Christ has been raised from the dead. We find that witnesses first of all see, hear, or experience something that others do not, and they also tell others what they know. A witness tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, as per our legal parlance. So what is it that we know that others do not? What can we witness about Jesus and His love?
Luke 24:1-12
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 17, 2022
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Sermon #493
The Easter Sunrise service is my favorite service of the year, because it connects us in a tactile way to the women who went to the tomb early on the first day of the week, just as the sun was coming up. And we can identify with those grief-stricken women, having lost their Lord on the cross just two days before, and suddenly coming upon the stone that was rolled away on the mouth of the empty tomb. We can try to identify with what they were feeling. And we can wonder at the angels and at Jesus who asked Mary a simple question: "Why are you weeping?" It's not as if it is inappropriate for Christians to weep. The Bible tells us there is a time to weep and a time to laugh. But this was a time for celebration, not weeping, for as Mary soon found out, Christ was not in the tomb but he had risen indeed.
John 20:1-18
Recorded at Hudson UMC Cemetery on April 17, 2022
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Sermon #388
There is a lot of action in the Resurrection account from John's Gospel. First, the women arrive at the tomb to find it open, and they run to tell the disciples. Then John and Peter have a footrace to the tomb. John gets there first but doesn't go in. Peter goes in and sees the linen cloths. Then John goes in and sees it all. Then they return home, and in their absence Mary encounters the risen Christ, who tells her to go tell the other disciples, and she does. Eighteen verses packed with a lot of action, and we hear these words every year, but what truths can we glean from them this day? I ask the question, are you on the outside of the tomb, looking in? Or are you on the inside of the tomb, looking out? In other words, have you committed yourself to following Jesus? Have you repented of your sins and trusted in Jesus for your forgiveness? Or are you orbiting the faith wondering if it is true, if it is for you? If you are on the outside looking in, I invite you in. And if you are on the inside looking out, you are being sent to bring others to know that Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.
John 20:1-18
Recorded at Hudson UMC Cemetery (Easter Sunrise Service) on April 12, 2020 (Originally Published April 14, 2020)
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April 17, 2022
First Lesson: Acts 10:34-43
Psalter: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
Gospel Lesson (Easter): John 20:1-18
Gospel Lesson (Year C): Luke 24:1-12
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Each year on Good Friday, the churches of the Ministerium of Penns Grove, Carneys Point, and Pedricktown hold a joint worship service from Noon until 3 PM. The Seven Last Wods of Christ on the Cross are presented, with worship music and sermon messages for each word. Each year for the last six years I have participated in this service, and each year I have preached on a different word. This year was to be my seventh year, but because of the Coronavirus, the service was cancelled. And so, because I had already written the sermon, I recorded it... But I also decided to compile all seven of the messages into one podcast for Good Friday. And so, in the order below, I present to you the Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross.
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“Father, forgive them…” Luke 23:34 April 10, 2020 – Ebenezer UMC
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“Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43 “The Tale of the Thief” April 18, 2014 – St. Paul’s UMC
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“Behold your son…Behold your mother” John 19:26-27 “The Heart of the Master” March 25, 2016 – St. Paul’s UMC
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“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 “Forsaken” April 14, 2017 – St. Paul’s UMC
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“I Thirst.” John 19:28 April 13, 2015 – St. Paul’s UMC
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“It is finished.” John 19:30 April 19, 2019 – New Hope UMC
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“Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit” Luke 23:46 March 30, 2018 – New Hope UMC
Compiled on April 5, 2020 (Originally published April 10, 2020)
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April 15, 2022
Old Testament: Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalter: Psalm 22
Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 10:16-25
Gospel Lesson: John 18:1-19:42
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Tenebrae is a Latin word that means "Darkness." The Tenebrae service is a reading of the Passion account from John's Gospel, broken down into 16 readings, and after each of the first fourteen readings a candle is extinguished until the entire sanctuary is clothed in darkness. This represents the light of Christ being extinguised on the cross, and it also represents the three hours of darkness that the people experienced as He hung on the cross. After the 15th reading, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake that occurred at the death of Jesus. It is a somber and solemn service of contemplation. We have attempted to recreate the service in its entirety here, and hope that you will be blessed in its re-enactment.
Entrance - Gathering
The Call to Worship: God is light, in whom there is no darkness at all. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and we loved darkness rather than light.
Hymn: Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed (UMH #294)
Opening prayer: Maundy Thursday (UMH #283)
The Passion of Jesus Christ Sixteen readings, after each is extinguised one candle until the sanctuary is in "Darkness" (Latin: Tenebrae)
Sending Forth
Hymn: Were You There (UMH #288)
Dismissal with Blessing All depart in silence.
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 4, 2020
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April 14, 2022
Old Testament: Exodus 12:1-14
Psalter: Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #160
We are still in the midst of our Lenten series, based on Adam Hamilton's book 24 Hours that Changed the World. On this Palm Sunday, we find Jesus on the cross, which was literally the darkest moment in Christian history. The disciples were scattered, their Master was dead and laid in a tomb. Certainly this would be the end of all that Messiah nonsense, or so the religious leaders thought. Today we know that the crucifixion was not the end, but the beginning. But the first followers of Christ thought that it signalled the end of their movement and worse, potentially the end of their own lives.
Mark 15:25-39
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 20, 2016 (Originally published March 28, 2016)
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Sermon #331
Palm Sunday holds a certain tension for those of us who know the full story. On the one hand, we come celebrating Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. On the other, we know deep down that the same voices crying "Hosanna!" on Sunday will be crying "Crucify him!" come Friday. We can be like that, too. We can come praising God on Sunday and the next day (or even that afternoon) go back to living the way of the world. This Palm Sunday, we find ourselves preparing our hearts and minds for Holy Week - for the Passion, the Cross... and ultimately, the empty tomb.
Luke 19:28-40
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 14, 2019 (Originally published April 17, 2019)
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Sermon #492
We conclude our series titled "Gathered Up in Jesus" on the day we observe called Palm/Passion Sunday. It is very easy to get caught up in the pagentry and the victory of Palm Sunday, to see Jesus' triumphal entry through the eyes of his disciples, and to immediately want to get to the empty tomb, but that is a mistake. Without the bad news, the good news doesn't seem very good. We must take time to gaze upon our Lord on the cross as he bore our sins. We cannot fully appreciate our salvation without the full realization of the cup of God's wrath that Jesus drained to the dregs for our sakes. Jesus understood fully well the moment that he was heading toward and the horrible things that would be done to him by week's end, and yet he went willingly, driven by God's agape love to restore our world and rescue us from our sin.
Luke 19:28-40
Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 10, 2022
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April 10, 2022
Palms Readings: Luke 19:28-40 Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Passion Readings: Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 22:14-23:56
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Sermon #159
We come now to the final hours of Jesus' life and it's not a particularly pleasant picture. We have already seen how brutal the Roman scourging can be in last week's message. This week, we look at Jesus' arduous journey over a third of a mile carrying a hundred pound crossbeam. After the scourging and the humiliation of the soldiers, it proves to be too much physically for the man Jesus. And so a man from another city altogether is pressed into service. The actions of Simon of Cyrene are so pertinent to the story of Christ and these 24 hours that they have been recorded in three of the four gospels. And as we look at this journey we have to ask ourselves, what part would I have played in the crowd, had I been there? And what part do I play today? So grab your Bible, turn it to Mark chapter 15, and prepare your heart and mind as we make ourselves watch the torture and humiliation of the King.
Mark 15:15b-23
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 13, 2016 (Originally published March 25, 2016)
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Sermon #158
This week as we continue our journey through the 24 Hours that Changed the World by Adam Hamilton, we come to the criminal trial of Jesus by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Here we find in Pilate a ruthless and harsh Roman authority who is curiously reluctant to condemn Jesus to death. Yet in the end he relents, not because of justice or mounting evidence against Jesus, but because he wanted to appease the people. We even see him trying to give the Jews a more undesirable choice - freeing Jesus or freeing the murderous insurectionist Barabbas. And yet we also see that the place Jesus took on the cross was not just Barabbas', but also yours and mine. So grab your bible, turn it to Mark chapter 15, and prepare your heart and mind as we see a study of three men - Jesus, Barabbas, and Pilate.
Mark 15:1-15
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 6, 2016 (Originally published March 21, 2016)
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Sermon #329
This Lenten season our focus has been on returning to God with all our heart. In today's reading from Joshua, we see how the people of Israel came together to remember how God had delivered them from their slavery in Egypt. We also see how God's provision in the wilderness is ended so that the people would begin to enjoy the produce of the land that God was giving to them. When God does a new thing, He sometimes needs to end the old so that we do not return to it out of comfort and familiarity.
Joshua 5:9-12; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 31, 2019 (Originally published April 3, 2019)
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Sermon #490
In this familiar parable, Jesus teaches the religious people of his day that any time a sinner comes to repentance, there ought to be a celebration. Yet these same people were grumbling because Jesus was associating with sinners and tax collectors. In the story, Jesus shows us what it means to be lost and what it means to be found. Many times we were told that Jesus came to seek the lost sinners, to bring them to repentance. Here he makes the point that those who belive themselves righteous only show their true nature when it comes to welcoming lost sinners home.
Luke 15
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 27, 2022
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March 27, 2022
Old Testament: Joshua 5:9-12
Psalter: Psalm 32
Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Gospel Lesson: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
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Sermon #157
This week as we continue to look at the 24 hours that changed the world, we come to the trial of Jesus by the Sanhedrin. It's been widely accepted that this so-called trial was a sham, a travesty of justice, which was set up to serve the purpose of once and for all getting Jesus out of the picture. The Jewish religious rulers had already determined that they would have Jesus executed, and now they just needed a reason to do so. And the irony is, the so-called religious people were condemning to death the very God they supposedly worshiped and adored. But this trial wasn't just about Jesus. As we will soon see, it was a trial for two people, and in the end both were convicted. So grab your Bible, turn it to Mark chapter 14, and prepare your heart and mind as we see Jesus condemned by the righteous.
Mark 14:53-72
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 28, 2016 (Originally published February 29, 2016)
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Sermon #328
Lent is a season of denying ourselves so that we can grow closer to God. In the reading from Isaiah today, God promises to the people of Israel rich abundance if they only repent, turn away from their sin and return to God. In today's message, we will examine what it means to repent, and why it is important to confess to specific sin in our lives in order to truly return to God with all our heart.
Isaiah 55:1-9
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 24, 2019 (Originally published March 27, 2019)
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Sermon #489
There are two inter-connected parts to this message, and they both have to do with repentance. First, some people came to Jesus talking about how Pilate had massacred some worshipers in Galilee, and their unspoken question was, what sin did they commit to deserve such deaths? We ask the same in times of disaster, but the truth of the matter is, as Jesus said, we must all repent or we will perish like them. The second part of the message deals with the fruit that we bear as repentant sinners. We are told in Psalms 1 that a person who meditates on the law of God day and night is like a tree planted by streams of living water and we will bear fruit in season. And so we ask ourselves, as followers of Christ, what kind of fruit do we bear, and how does God's word inform us on what kind of fruit we should be bearing?
Luke 13:1-9
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 20, 2022
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March 20, 2022
Old Testament: Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalter: Psalm 63:1-8
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Gospel Lesson: Luke 13:1-9
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #156
As we continue our Lenten journey through the 24 Hours That Changed the World, we come to one of the darkest places in the gospels, the Garden of Gethsemane. In today's reading we are given a glimpse into the humanity of Christ, and we hear the very private prayer of Jesus to God the Father. It's a moment that we can all relate to, the feeling of helplessness, that the world is pressing down upon us. Yet Jesus caps off his prayer with a demonstration of his own faithful obedience to the will of God, when he says "Yet not what I want, but what you want." It's a very telling moment, and one which we, as followers of Christ, can use to grow even closer to the nature of Christ. So grab your Bible, turn it to Mark chapter 14, and prepare your heart and mind as we join Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Mark 14:26,32-42
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 21, 2016 (Originally published February 23, 2016)
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Sermon #327
[In 2019], the United Methodist Church held a special session of General Conference at which our voting body affirmed our current statement on homosexuality. In response, many annual conferences, including Greater New Jersey (of which both Hudson UMC and Ebenezer UMC are members), had special sessions to discuss the ramifications of the vote at General Conference. In response to these, we took a look at what it means to be a loving church, using Christ as our example.
Luke 13:31-35 and John 8:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 17, 2019 (Originally published March 25, 2019)
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Sermon #488
We come to the passage of scripture from which the title of the series comes. To be gathered up in Christ is the most secure place in the world. The image Jesus uses is that of a mother bird protecting her young under her wings, and if you know anything about mother birds, you know that they will defend their chicks with their very lives. Jesus likewise will sacrifice himself in order to save us from our sins. The question is, are we willing to be gathered up in him, or do we prefer to do our own thing apart from Jesus and his loving protection?
Luke 13:31-35
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 13, 2022
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March 13, 2022
Old Testament: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Psalter: Psalm 27
Epistle Lesson: Philippians 3:17-4:1
Gospel Lesson: Luke 18:31-35
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #155
We are continuing our study of 24 Hours That Changed the World, a book by Adam Hamilton. In this first Sunday of Lent we take a look at the Last Supper and the institution of Holy Communion that arose from it. We also look at what it means to do things in remembrance and how Communion arose out of the Jewish memorial feast of Passover, and compare and contrast the Passover to Communion as well as the things that they are each intended to memorialize. So grab your bible, turn it to Mark chapter 14, and prepare your heart and mind as we take a deeper look at the Last Supper.
Mark 14:12,22-25
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 14, 2016 (Originally published February 16, 2016)
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Sermon #154
Ash Wednesday is the first day in the season of Lent, the season on the church calendar that leads into Easter. Lent is marked by fasting, prayer, and penitence, and has been traditionally associated with preparing converts to Christianity for baptism. This year we are doing a churchwide study based on Adam Hamilton's book, 24 Hours That Changed the World. It's an in-depth look at the final day of Christ's life before his death on the cross. On this Ash Wednesday, we begin with an introduction to the Last Supper, and look at what it means to prepare for a meal. So grab your Bible, turn it to Luke chapter 22, and prepare your heart and mind as we begin preparing for the meal.
Luke 22:7-13
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 10, 2016 (Originally published February 14, 2016)
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Sermon #326
On this first Sunday in Lent we examine a passage from Deuteronomy and a passage from Romans that speak to the generous heart of God. Everything that we have comes from God, and every good thing we have received from God's own hand. From the air we breathe to the life we live, to the faith within us that brings us to salvation - indeed, salvation itself is an act accomplished by the will of a generous and loving God. Rather than give thanks just once a year, we ought to live our lives in thanksgiving to this God - OUR God - who loves us and provides for us all that we need.
Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Romans 10:8b-13
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 10, 2019 (originally published March 13, 2019)
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Sermon #325
Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season, is a time to reflect on our own mortality. We wear the ashes to remind ourselves that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. This Lenten season we are focusing on the word of God from Joel 2:12 - "Yet even now, return to me with all your heart." Even when we have turned away from God, from the ashes of the wreckage of our sinful lives, God still invites us to return to Him. In this Lenten series we will be looking at the Old Testament and Epistle texts in a series called "With All Your Heart."
Joel 2:1-2,12-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 6, 2019 (Originally published March 11, 2019)
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Sermon #487
When temptation comes, what do we do? Do we resist it? Do we hand it over to God? Do we go to scripture and seek the Holy Spirit for strength? All those things we can do, but most of us give very little thought to the temptation and dive right in to sin. When Jesus fasted in the wilderness, he faced the same temptations that the Israelites faced for forty years in the wilderness. The difference is, He did not give in to temptation, and instead used the words of Moses (scripture) to defeat the devil. In this story, which begins the season of Lent, we also see that even though the devil is defeated, he retreats until an opportune time. He would be back to strike at the heel of Jesus, as he was nailed to the cross. But Jesus emerges victorious at the end of Lent and on Easter Sunday. Join us for the journey as we are Gathered Up in Jesus.
Luke 4:1-13
Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 6, 2022
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March 6, 2022
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalter: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Epistle Lesson: Romans 10:8b-13
Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:1-13
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #486
We are beginning a new series for the season of Lent called "Gathered Up in Christ." We just spent the season after Epiphany examining what it means to be the body of Christ, so now we will look at what it means to put aside the differences that separate us and focus on the things that draw us together: our repentence, our faith, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
So what is "Piety" anyway? Other translations use the word "righteousness," but we are also often told that we have no righteousness in us apart from Christ. Maybe that's the point. But in this instance, acts of piety that Jesus describe are acts that express the agape love that we have been given from God, and a response to God's grace. Yet Jesus warns us that there is a right and a wrong way to practice acts of piety. He uses the word "when," as in "when you give, when you pray, when you fast," so there is a certain expectation that followers of Christ will do these things. But what we see today is that we need to be aware of our motivations. Are we doing them to be seen of others? To be seen of God? Or are they a natural response to the grace we have already been given?
Matthew 6:1-18
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 2, 2022 (Ash Wednesday)
March 2, 2022
Old Testament: Joel 2:1-2,12-17
Psalter: Psalm 51:1-17
Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 6:1-6,16-21
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #485
What do the separate accounts of the Transfiguration of Jesus tell us? First, they tell us that the disciples who witnessed this event could not contain themselves but wanted to share it with all. Of the three - Peter, James, and John - both Peter and John wrote about the event in their letters, and all three of the synoptic gospels record the event within the same context and chronology. But after the revealing of the glory of Christ, there is the fading of the afterglow, and when the disciples descend from the mountain with Jesus they are met with a man in a desparate situation. We are often found in these situations as well, and because we haven't seen the glory of Jesus with our eyes, it is easy to believe that God can't or won't help us in our time of need. But what we see here is that nothing could be further from the truth. Whether bathed in glory or clothed in human flesh, Jesus is still God, and He is still seated on the throne.
Luke 9:28-43a
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 27, 2022
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On February 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, despite weeks of Russian President Vladimir Putin assuring the world that invasion was not the intention of Russia. To date (February 27, 2022), over 200 civilians have been killed in this military action. Russian forces have captured Chernobyl, a nuclear waste facility was hit by Russian missiles, and Ukranian citizens, along with their President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have taken up arms against the invasion force of Russia, in order to defend their homeland.
On January 24, prior to the invasion and as Russian troops amassed on the border, the Ukranian Orthodox Church of the USA issued an appeal for Christians to join in their prayer for Ukraine and an end to hostilities. On February 27, our voices joined theirs as we prayed the prayer that they shared with the world. Please continue to pray for Ukraine, for an end to the violence and bloodshed, and for Russian forces to retreat.
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 27, 2022
Statement of Bishops of the Ukranian Orthodox Church of the USA
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February 27, 2022
Old Testament: Exodus 34:29-35
Psalter: Psalm 99
Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Gospel Lesson: Luke 9:28-43a
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #26
Human beings have a certain fascination with the concept of an afterlife. Many cultures over the millenia have developed theologies of a world beyond this one. Thousands of books have been written on the subject, many of which are written from the perspective of people who have supposedly gone to Heaven and returned. But today, in this sermon delivered very early in my ministry, we meet a group of Jews who do not believe in life after death, and challenge Jesus on the matter using an elaborate story that they believe will destroy the notion of any kind of resurrection. Of course, Jesus being God, He sees through their ruse and uses their own knowledge of scripture to demonstrate the error of their thinking and to show us today that there is indeed life after death.
Luke 20:27-40
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on November 10, 2013 (Previously unpublished)
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Sermon #323
Having established 1. that Jesus Christ has been resurrected, and 2. that there is a resurrection, Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 now turns to the topic of what our resurrected bodies will look like. He uses the example of a seed to show that what is sown is not what grows. In other words, we cannot know from the appearance of a seed what the tree that grows from it will look like. In the same way, all of what our resurrection bodies will look like is contained in our bodies, but we can also look at Jesus' resurrected body to know what we will be on that last day.
1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 24, 2019 (Originally published March 4, 2019)
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Sermon #484
Now we come to the question of what our resurrected bodies will look like. Paul brings us methodically through the image of a seed which dies and is planted in the ground, but then grows into a plant that is different from the seed itself, yet identical in substance. He goes on to say that we are the same. We start as seeds bearing the image of our earthly father Adam, from whom we inherit sin and death. But then we die to self and are raised in the glory of our spiritual father, Christ, and so inherit righeousness and everlasting life. The church as a body of Christ is the same, taking on the attributes of Christ in our members and so bearing the fruit of Christ's Spirit living in us.
1 Corinthians 15:35-50
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 20, 2022
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February 20, 2022
Old Testament: Genesis 45:3-11,15
Psalter: Psalm 37:1-11,39-40
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50
Gospel Lesson: Luke 6:27-38
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #322
What does the resurrection of Jesus mean for Christians today? For some, the idea of unexplained phenomena (ooften called "miracles") don't fit in with our 21st century scientific sendibility. For others, it's just something to remember once a year at Easter (alongside eating the ears off chocolate bunnies). But in the text from 1 Corinthians 15 we find Paul arguing that if we don't believe in the resurrection, our very faith is entirely hopeless. In other words, the resurrection isn't just another thing to believe about Jesus, it is THE thing we MUST believe about Jesus, and we are going to look at the resurrection with a critical eye and determine if it is truly worth believing in.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 17, 2019 (Originally published February 20, 2019)
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Sermon #483
In Paul's time, people in the church in Corinth had some confused ideas about the theology of Christ (Christology). Some of these ideas may have been influenced by the predominant schools of Jewish thought of the day - particularly the Sadducees and the Pharisees (of which Paul was one). The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection of the dead, and so Paul countered this flawed theology by presenting an argument thusly: If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ was not resurrected; and if Christ was not resurrected, we are still in our sins. This bad theology, which grew into outright heresy in the time of Arius and the Council of Nicaea, continues today even among some prominent church leaders, despite church doctrine to the contrary. But is it really necessary to believe in the resurrection of Christ? Paul argues emphatically yes - and I agree with him.
1 Corinthians 15:12-28
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 13, 2022
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February 13, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 17:5-10
Psalter: Psalm 1
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Gospel Lesson: Luke 6:17-26
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Sermon #482
We've been looking at what it means to be the body of Christ. We started by observing the baptism of Christ and remembering our own baptism, the start of our membership in the body. We turned our attention to the letter Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, and we began by looking at the spiritual gifts we are given to edify and build up the body. Last time we looked at Agape, the godly form of love that is impossible to attain apart from the Spirit of God living in us. Today we return to our roots as Christians. What is the common ground for all members of the body? What is it that brought us to the body? It is the proclamation of the gospel. And in our post-modern era, we find it more and more difficult to share the good news to a world that is increasingly ambivalent toward Christianity as a religion. But as we will see, it is our duty and imperative to preach the gospel, not just with our lives, but with our words.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 6, 2022
S.D.G.
February 6, 2022
Old Testament: Isaiah 6:1-13
Psalter: Psalm 138
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Gospel Lesson: Luke 5:1-11
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Sermon #152
After Jesus' first sermon in his hometown synagogue, the people were at first amazed, then irate that he would not do the miracles in Nazareth that they heard about in the surrounding country. Jesus reminded them that God's kingdom extends beyond the borders of Israel - in fact is borderless - and that in times past non-Jews had received grace that God withheld from the Jews. Though the context is difficult to understand today, the sentiment is the same. We often look around and think that there are others who are far less deserving than us. Yet God loves all of his creation and called it very good in the beginning. Why should we feel sole ownership over the gospel?
Text: Luke 14:21-36
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 31, 2016 (Originally published February 8, 2019)
Sermon #320
Those of us in English-speaking countries throw the word "love" around a lot. I love this movie. I love that burger. I love my country. But we also allow the dilution of the word to creep into our vocabulary in the church. Love is love. Love trumps all. From 1 Corinthians 13 we learn that the love we often talk about is not the love that Jesus commanded us to have for each other, or the kind of love that is held up as the greatest love. The greatest love of all is not learning to love yourself, as Whitney Houston sang. Rather it is to love others before myself, and to do so sacrificially, the way God modelled love on the cross of Christ.
Recorded at Hudson UMC on February 3, 2019 (Originally published February 4, 2019)
S.D.G.
Sermon #481
Note This sermon was recorded in the Hudson UMC Parsonage during a Facebook Live broadcast of the Ebenezer UMC Sunday service, January 30, 2022. The Friday and Saturday before, South Jersey experienced a winter Nor'Easter and the in-person service was cancelled. Consequently the audio will sound a little off.
In the English language we have only one word for "love," though it has many different shades. Conversely, in Koine Greek there are four words that denote different types of love - Storge, Eros, Philia, and Agape. It is this last type that is our focus today, from the so-called Love Chapter (1 Corinthians 13), where we find the most comprehensive and complete definition and description of Agape love. Though this passage is often read at weddings, the type of love it describes is a Godly love, a transcendent love, a love that is sacrificial - in other words, the love that God showed to us in the cross of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
S.D.G.
January 30, 2022
Old Testament: Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalter: 71:1-6
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:21-30
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
Considering this is the third installment of Wesley's Standard Sermons that I have posted, I decided to create a new Podcast wrapper for the Standard Sermons, and also set Saturdays as the day when I would post them.
Today's Standard Sermon is not by John Wesley, but instead by his younger brother Charles. Charles Wesley is primarily known as a prolific hymn writer, having written over 4,000 hymns in his lifetime. But he was also an ordained priest of the Anglican Church and a fellow of Oxford's Christ-Church, and so he was called upon to deliver the odd oratory. Here he takes on the text from Ephesians and turns it into a clarion call for the Church. We often forget that the Methodist movement was never intended by the Wesleys to be a new denomination, but rather a reformation, a revival within the Church of England. And so Charles Wesley calls out those sleeping souls in the church to awaken from their spiritual slumber, and invites them into a new revitalized passion for Christ, in loving God and neighbor not as merely the form of religion only, but also the substance of the Holy Spirit living in them. We in the church today would do well to heed this call in our own spiritual lives.
Ephesians 5:14
Recorded on January 25, 2022
Awake, Thou That Sleepest Full Sermon Text
S.D.G.
Sermon #151
When Jesus preached his first sermon in his hometoown synagogue, he providentially opened the scroll to Isaiah chapter 61 and read what was in essence his mission statement. It is important for us to have a mission statement so that we can maintain a clear vision of what our purpose is. If we fail to do this, we are setting ourselves up to fail, because we can easily get distracted and pulled away from our true purpose with other things. So what can Jesus' mission statement tell us about what the church's mission is today?
Text: Luke 4:14-21
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 31, 2016 (Originally published February 6, 2019)
S.D.G.
Sermon #319
When we are baptized, it is not a private affair. Instead, it is a public declaration of the grace we recive from God through Jesus Christ. And when we are baptized, we are not baptized to be in isolation. Rather, we are baptized into the body of Christ, which is a universal organism, ordained by God for one purpose, with each of its individual parts made for its own purpose. And when one of those parts fails to perform, the entire body suffers. Today we challenge ourselves to live up to the life that God has called us to in Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 27, 2019 (Originally published January 28, 2019)
S.D.G.
Sermon #480
There are many who look at the disparity of theology in the church as evidence that God is a fabrication. Why would so many different denominations be necessary? Why can't followers of God agree on who God is and how to worship him? But rather than demonstrate inconsistency in God's character, it only serves to show that those of us who believe in God and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord can still be united in God's Spirit despite differences of what John Wesley called "opinions." It is God's singular and concise Spirit that draws all of us together into the one body of Christ, and as members of the one body we each have a role to play in the building of God's kingdom on earth.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 23, 2022
S.D.G.
January 23, 2022
Old Testament: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalter: Psalm 19
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:14-21
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
In this message from Acts 26:28, Wesley brings to light the state of the almost Christian, and contrasts it with what it means to be altogether Christian. Wesley is not timid in his words, nor is he speaking from a point of moral high ground, but rather he is warning his listeners from the depths of his own depraved experience. He recognized in himself the very faults he was illuminating in the former while also giving testimony to the path laid out to arrive at the latter state. Wesley's words are at once convicting and encouraging. While we draw breath we are not yet hopeless before God, and thus he (Wesley) hopes to awaken those who slumber in the mere form of religion into the love of God shed abroad in their hearts.
Acts 26:28
Preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford, before the University, on July 25, 1741.
Recorded on January 18, 2022
The Almost Christian - Wednesdays with Wesley Podcast
The Almost Christian - Full Sermon Text
S.D.G.
Sermon #150
None of Jesus' miracles occurred prior to his baptism in the river Jordan, and today we are looking at the very first of the miracles that he performed - turning water into wine. Temperance arguments aside, ultimately there were two primary reasons for this being Jesus' first miracle. First, he was showing the people who he was, his "credentials" if you will, by performing an impossible task - changing the chemical composition of water into wine, displaying his mastery over the elements of nature. Second, he was turning the enslavement to ritual legalism into a celebration of joy. And of course, John himself tells us that these miracles are recorded so that we may believe today.
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 17, 2016 (Originally published January 25, 2019)
S.D.G.
Sermon #318
In Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, he gives us perhaps the best and most comprehensive list of spiritual gifts that God gives to believers for the building of His kingdom here on earth. Today as we look at these gifts, we see how each gift is uniquely gifted and used for different purposes, and we also ask the question: what spiritual gifts has God given to you, and are you using them to glorify God?
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 20, 2019 (Originally published January 21, 2019)
S.D.G.
Sermon #479
This week we begin our journey through Paul's letter to the church in Corinth in earnest, and we begin by looking at some of the spiritual gifts that God gives to the body for the building of the body. Many Christians are confused about this, but Paul spells it out clearly, that the gifts of the spirit are for the benefit of all, not just for some; and also that not all the gifts are given to all believers, nor is there any one gift that is given to all by which we can identify true faith. Instead, God gives to one a particular gift, and to another person something different, so that we can work in union with each other to benefit the whole body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 16, 2022
S.D.G.
January 16, 2022
Old Testament: Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalter: Psalm 36:5-10
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Gospel Lesson: John 2:1-11
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
S.D.G.
I'm not sure if this will be a regular installment of the podcast or a one-off, but it has been my intention for a while now to read and record the standard sermons of John Wesley, in the original language. Wesley's sermons are one of the four foundations of Methodist theology, apart from the Bible (the others being Wesley's notes on the New Testament, the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church, and the Confession of Faith of the United Brethren Church).
The first of Wesley's standard sermons, Salvation by Faith, was preached at St. Mary's, Oxford, in front of the University, on June 18, 1738. In it, Wesley defends his stance that salvation is by faith alone (one of the five Solas of the Reformation) and not of works. This position cements Wesley as a staunch reformer of the church and places his theology in the midst of Protestant reformers of his day. He also offers several answers to objections to this doctrine, objections which are often raised today, such as that this doctrine will lead to licentiousness and sin. Wesley instead argues that the faith that is preached is indellibly and irrevocably linked to holiness of heart, which can only come about when God is our rule and stay. Please enjoy this, the first of what I hope will be many of Wesley's Standard Sermons, "Salvation by Faith."
Ephesians 2:8
Recorded January 11, 2022
Salvation by Faith - Wednesdays with Wesley Podcast
Salvation by Faith Full sermon text
S.D.G.
Sermon #149
In the Bible there is not one recorded miracle that Jesus performed prior to his baptism. Baptism for Jesus marked the beginning of his earthly ministry, and for us as Christians it marks the beginning of our walk with God. God knows us intimately before we know him - we call this "Prevenient Grace." So baptism is less about what we do and more about what God does in us.
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 10, 2016 (Originally published January 23, 2019)
S.D.G.
Sermon #317
For those of us who preach from the Lectionary, there is a danger of letting certain days on the church calendar become routine. But there is nothing routine about the Baptism of the Lord, which all four of the Gospel writers recorded for our benefit. Indeed, it is one of only a few events that is recorded in all four Gospels, and that alone should tell us that it is something extraordinary. On this Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we look at the baptism of Jesus and what His baptism says about ours - whether we were baptized as adults or children. And we are invited to remember our baptism and rejoice in knowing that God has loved us even before we knew Him.
Luke 3:15-22
Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on January 13, 2019 (Originally published January 14, 2019)
S.D.G.
Sermon #478
On Baptism of the Lord Sunday we commemorate both the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ and the remembrance of our own baptism into the body of Christ. And so we begin a new series for the season after Epiphany in which we will be examining the first letter of Paul to the church in Corinth to see what it means to be members of the body of Christ. Today, however, we are looking at Luke's account of the baptism of Jesus, and we see that in His baptism, Jesus identifies with sinners like us, and in our baptism, we identify with a righteous and holy Christ.
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Recorded at Hudson UMC on January 9, 2022
S.D.G.