Sermons on Acts (Page 2)
To Whom Will You Listen?
To Whom Will You Listen? 2nd Easter Pastor Pat Mecham Acts 5:23-32 April 24, 2022 John 20:19-31 Forty-something years ago, I began reading The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I used to read them through every year, starting on my birthday, but these days I only pick them up every now and then. They are very entertaining, and I am still blessed with new insights as I read these tales. The “Christ Figure” in these stories is a…
If for This Life Only
If for This Life Only —– Easter Day —– April 17, 2022 Acts 10: 34-43 ———- John 20: 1-18 ———– Pastor Pat Mecham Many of you know the name of William Paul Young, or you’re at least familiar with his book, The Shack, which was a runaway best-seller back in 2008. It’s a story of a man who has suffered some pretty severe ordeals, and then gets to know God in a very personal manner. What you might not know…
The Work of the Spirit
The Work of the Spirit Pentecost Acts 2:1-21 May 23, 2021 John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 The book I want to highlight today is called The Hiding Place. It’s a true story about the amazing things God did with Corrie ten Boom during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Corrie and her family had been hiding Jews so that they wouldn’t be sent off to concentration camps (or extermination camps, as they turned out to be). When they were caught, they were…
While We Wait
While We Wait 7th Sunday of Easter Acts 1:1-11 ———- May 16, 2021 ———– Luke 24:44-53 Last week, I shared an excerpt from one of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This week, I will share some snippets from the book that kicked off the whole series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The author was an Oxford professor named C. S. Lewis. Although the book was written for children, adults responded to it in…
The Wide Family of God
The Wide Family of God ———–Mothers’ Day ————–6th Sunday of Easter Acts 10:44-48 —————May 9, 2021—————-John 15:9-17 Today’s story comes from the pen of C. S. Lewis, from his book called The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. One of the main characters is described in the opening sentence: “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.” He is described as an annoying, spiteful, friendless know-it-all who gets dragged into Narnia with his cousins (who had been there before). …
In the Name of Jesus Christ
In the Name of Jesus Christ 4th Sunday of Easter Acts 4:5-12 ———– 1 John 3:16-24 ———- April 25, 2021 ———- John 10:11-18 A few weeks ago, it was Easter Sunday. We celebrated the resurrection, and were reminded that we are “Easter People.” William Willimon explains it this way: “Resurrection is not just something that happened to dead Jesus. Resurrection is also something that happens to the dead followers of Jesus! Easter keeps happening, as Jesus keeps talking to us, keeps revealing and…
A Peek into the Kingdom
A Peek into the Kingdom ————- 3rd Sunday of Easter ———— April 18, 2021 Acts 3: 12-19 ———— Luke 24: 36b-48 Today, I am starting a series of sermons in which I use a story written by one of my favorite authors—folks like George MacDonald, C. S. Lewis, and Leo Tolstoy. (We’ll see who else shows up as we move along!) I am choosing stories that will come alongside the Scriptures for the day, illustrating the point, and perhaps making…
Real Life (In a Nutshell)
Real Life (In a Nutshell) —– Easter Day —– April 4, 2021 Acts 10: 34-43 —– 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 —– John 20: 1-18 It wouldn’t surprise you, would it, if I told you that our culture is always in a hurry? People travel to other places where the pace is slower—and they come back and talk about how it took awhile to get used to the lack of hurry, but they eventually came to enjoy it. But then they…
God’s Spirit at Work
God’s Sprit at Work Baptism of the Lord Acts 19:1-7 January 10, 2021 Mark 1:4-11 What comes to mind when I say the word “ghost”? Is it something creepy from Ghostbusters, or a haunted house like the Amityville Horror, or is it something more like Casper the Friendly Ghost? The word “ghost” is peppered throughout our vocabulary: “She doesn’t have a ghost of a chance”; or “We drove up to an old ghost town”; or “the car ghosted under the…
A Belle Melange
A Belle Mélange Acts 10:34-43 Matthew 16:13-19 In the 2001 movie, Tortilla Soup, Hector Elizondo plays the part of a retired chef—retired because he has somehow lost his sense of taste (and, with it, his self-confidence). But his old partner calls him with an emergency—they are catering a fancy dinner and one of the junior chefs has messed up the dessert. They need his help to rescue the dinner! He arrives on the scene, sees what they have to work with,…
The Spirit Gives Variety
The Spirit Gives Variety Pentecost Acts 2:1-21 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 Years ago, I was serving a church in north Idaho. There was a man in our church, Clayton Stoltz, who came to worship every other Sunday. Sometimes he would apologize for missing church so frequently, but he had an appointment with the Alzheimer’s men in the nursing home. Every other day, he would take his shaver and shave these men, while a stream of conversation flowed (even if he was…
Christ’s Prayer for Us
Christ’s Prayer for Us 7th Easter Acts 1:6-14 1Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 John 17:1-11 In C. S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Pevensie children have stumbled into the land of Narnia. It is winter, and has been for a long time (but never Christmas!), because the evil witch that rules the land likes winter. The children are told an ancient prophecy: Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will…