Sermons on Mark
In the Presence
In the Presence 2nd Sunday in Lent 2 Kings 2: 1-12 February 28, 2021 Mark 9: 2-9 Once upon a time, there was a young boy who walked to Sunday School every single Sunday. An old sinner who lived near the boy’s path decided he would intercept the young fellow and “throw a wet blanket” on his faith. So, one Sunday morning, he stepped in front of the boy and said, “Son, I’ll give you a nickel if you can…
Lead Me in Your Truth
Lead Me in Your Truth 1st Lent Feb. 21, 2021 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15 I have been thinking this week about TRUTH, and (as always) it has reminded me of a movie—one that focuses on how important it is to tell the truth. It’s called “Liar, Liar” and it stars Jim Carrey as a lawyer who uses lies in every aspect of his life, both his professional life and his personal life. He is suddenly no longer…
The Cure
The Cure 2 Kings 5:1-14 February 14, 2021 Mark 1:40-45 Many of you know that I spent five days in the hospital in the middle of January, recovering from COVID-19. From my room, I could hear the coughs and cries of other patients in the “COVID ward,” and I marveled at all the nurses and therapists who never seemed to be discouraged by the whole ordeal. As the “brain fog” cleared, I found myself thinking a lot about healing,…
When the Spirit Says “Move”
When the Spirit Says “Move!” 5th Sunday after Epiphany 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23 February 7, 2021 Mark 1: 29-39 Several years ago, a church in South Africa split. The pastor left, and took most of the members. Those who remained couldn’t afford to maintain the facility, much less pay a pastor. But then, God led John to them. Pastor John asked his new flock (of fewer than 40 members) to consider what God wanted to do through them. They felt…
A New Teaching
A New Teaching 4th Epiphany 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 January 31,2021 Mark 1:21-28 Life is all about making choices. The essence of life is found in the choices that one makes. So, how do you make most of your choices? After all, there are MANY ways to choose. For example, there is the impulse way—walking past a tray of warm chocolate chip cookies and grabbing one and stuffing it into your face, without considering how it fits into your eating plan. …
What’s the Catch?
What’s the Catch? 3rd Sunday of Epiphany 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31 January 24, 2021 Mark 1: 14-20 Actually, I don’t know a lot about fishing. My Dad never taught me anything about it. There was some thing about him and his brother so he did not want anything to do with hunting or fishing. And since I didn’t know what I was missing, I didn’t mind it. Until my sons wanted to go fishing and I realized I…
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…
Prepare the Way of the Lord
2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 I want you to imagine that the most important person in the world is coming to Sparks. What would we do to get ready for this visit? I’m sure we would arrange for some special music to be performed, some welcome speeches would be written—we would do everything we could think of to make this person feel welcome! Of course, there would be a parade, and all the buildings along the parade route would be decorated. Of course,…