Sermons on John (Page 4)
Recovering Believers
Recovering Believers 2nd Easter Psalm 133 April 11, 2021 John 20:19-31 Back in 1935, a man suffering from alcoholism was told that there was no medical cure—and then he was encouraged to find a spiritual means to sobriety. He sought out others who might be able to help—and Alcoholics Anonymous was born! Using a 12-step program, AA helps people face their situation with honesty, integrity, as well as mutual encouragement and support. It has spawned thousands of chapters, as well…
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…
Washing Feet
Washing Feet ——– Maundy Thursday ——– April 1, 2021 ——– 6:30 PM Psalm 116: 1-4, 12-29———John 13: 1-17, 31b-35 Those of you who are teachers understand the challenges of trying to convey a body of knowledge or a principle. Parents face this challenge with their children; customer service representatives have the same challenge when trying to inform a customer; anyone hoping to convey information to another person understands the limits of our language. Jesus is perhaps the best-known teacher the…
A New Covenant
A New Covenant—–5th Sunday in Lent Jeremiah 31: 31-34—–March 21, 2021—–John 12: 20-33 Being a PARENT is full of surprises! I always imagined myself teaching my kids—passing on wisdom and understanding and humor and insight. But, you know what?! My kids (and other people’s kids) have taught me! Today I want focus on one of the things that parenting has taught me about God. Here it is in a nutshell: God is our loving Father; in love, God carefully lays…
To Save, NOT Condemn
To Save, NOT Condemn—–4th Sunday in Lent Psalm 107: 1-3, 17-22—–Ephesians 2: 1-10—–March 14, 2021—–John 3: 14-21 When I was about 7 years old, I was playing over at a friend’s house. We were out in the shop with his dad, who was puttering around with an engine. My friend showed me something really cool—a miniature branding iron that he had made by bending a piece of wire into a shape. He heated up the brand part in a little…
Christ in the Marketplace
Christ in the Marketplace 3rd Sunday in Lent 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 March 7, 2021 John 2:13-22 If I had asked you to close your eyes and picture Jesus (at least before hearing today’s Gospel reading), you probably would have pictured him praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, or perhaps surrounded by children as he blessed them, or maybe gently knocking on a door. You might have pictured him feeding a big crowd, or walking on water. But, after hearing our…
Sam, Nate, Mack and Papa
Sam, Nate, Mack and Papa 2nd Sunday of Epiphany 1 Samuel 3: 1-10 January 17, 2021 Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18; John 1: 43-51 The human brain is a wonder. The mind and its ability to capture ideas and concepts. And perhaps its greatest ability is that no one can perceive the thoughts of another person. Our thoughts are truly our own until we choose to share them in one way or another. No other person knows what truly goes on…
A Humble Witness
A Humble Witness 3rd Advent Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Dec. 13, 2020 John 1:6-8, 19-28 There’s a movie that I like to watch every February. It stars Bill Murray, and it’s called Groundhog Day. He plays a hotshot weatherman with a “big future,” but he got stuck re-living the same day, over and over again, until he was able to //:release his sense of self-importance and begin to care about the people around him.:\\ Gradually, he became more humble, he gained…
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…
Created for Love
May 17, 2020 Created for Love 6th Easter 1 Peter 3:13-22 John 14:15-21 How do you feel about obedience? What do you do when you are told to obey? I would like you to imagine that you have been placed in a BIG playfield. Everywhere you look, there are inviting places to play. There is equipment for all ages, all ability levels to enjoy, and there are open fields with smooth grass just begging for all kinds of ball games. The place is…
A Glimpse of God
A Glimpse of God Mothers’ Day 5th Easter Acts 7:55-60 John 14:1-14 Years ago, before he was a popular author and speaker, Tony Campolo was an associate pastor in a church. On Mothers’ Day, he was supposed to read from Second Timothy, chapter one, which includes these words: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind…
Trustworthy Shepherd
Trustworthy Shepherd 4th Easter Psalm 23 John 10:1-10 Have you ever been a shepherd? How about a pretend shepherd in a nativity play, all dressed up in an old bathrobe with a piece of cloth on your head and a tall staff in your hand? In our church family, not many of us have ever actually tended sheep, but the lexicon of our faith is rich with shepherds! In the Old Testament, we have some big characters who tended sheep. Moses was tending…