Sermons by Pastor Pat Mecham (Page 9)
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…
Beginning a New Chapter
Beginning a New Chapter 3rd Easter Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Luke 24:13-35 During this time of quarantine, I have read a lot of comments saying something to the effect of, “When this is over, I’m going to be living differently from what I was before.” Instead of just “getting back to normal,” many folks are going to be intentional about taking what they’ve learned and using it from now on! Yes, we can step into a new way of living! I was reminded of…
Imperishable
April 19, 2020 Imperishable 2nd Sunday of Easter 1 Peter 1:3-9 April 19, 2020 John 20:19-31 I’ve always been a “people watcher.” In the days when we were able to be out in crowds, I would observe how people behave and talk and relate to others. One phenomenon I have observed countless times is that of a child carrying something precious but doesn’t want to be in charge of it at the moment. They bring it to Mom or Dad or…
The Humble Conqueror
The Humble Conqueror Palm Sunday Philippians 2:5-11 Matthew 21:1-11 Mike and Barbara Weber were practically newlyweds when the Nazi army overran their village. Mike was given two choices: 1. Join their army, or 2. Be killed. He joined them, and fought half-heartedly beside them until the war was over. On VE Day, Mike was far from home, and he was in territory that the Russians controlled. Everyone knew of the horrors that awaited them if they surrendered to the Russians,…
From Theory to Practice
March 15, 2020 From Theory to Practice 3rd Lent Romans 5:1-11 March 15, 2020 John 4:5-42 Anyone who has been around church for awhile knows most of the basic theory of Christianity—love your neighbor as yourself, feed the poor, visit the sick and imprisoned, love God with all your heart, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We know the drill, and we can talk about the theory, the precepts all day long—but it’s the practice that sometimes has us stumped. If you wanted to…
Eyewitnesses of God’s Majesty
Eyewitnesses of God’s Majesty Transfiguration 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9 My mother was born and raised in Missouri (or “Missour-uh”), a state that is apparently proud of its skepticism. If Mom didn’t exactly believe what she was being told, she would say, “I’m from Missouri. You’ll have to show me.” I didn’t exactly understand until I saw their license plates—The Show-Me State! We are told, “You can’t believe everything you hear.” (Especially true during an election cycle!) You certainly can’t believe everything…
Passing Along the Blessing
February 9, 2020 Passing Along the Blessing 5th Epiphany Genesis 12:1-4a February 9, 2020 John 3:1-17 Think for just a moment about all the times you have given someone some money, and they have said, “I’ll pay it back!” It’s the normal way things are done. Now I’d like you to hear a few lines from a letter written in 1784—from Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Webb: “I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you…meet…
The Light – Foolish Wisdom
February 2, 2020 The Light: Foolish Wisdom 4th Epiphany 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 February 2, 2020 Matthew 5:1-12 Who is your favorite fool? If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, it might be Falstaff. If you watch a lot of re-runs, it could well be Gilligan. Attending a “Riders in the Sky” concert at Cowboy Poetry gatherings introduced me to Sourdough Slim! Your favorite fool might be someone as famous as Red Skelton, or as little-known as the person you live with or…
A Mission Shared
A Mission Shared Isaiah 9:1-14 Matthew 4:12-23 We’ve talked before about what it is like to live with a 2-year-old. Can you remember? Two-year-olds are famous for having learned how to say “NO!”—it’s an important step in their early development (even if it IS frustrating to their family). Another thing kids often learn to say, around the age of 2, is “I DO IT!” You’re trying to help them put on a coat or color a page or select a…
The Light is the Lamb
The Light Is the Lamb Epiphany 2 Isaiah 49:1-7 John 1:29-42 There’s a story about a young fellow who had a habit of skipping out on church. He would go across the street and play pinball with the money his folks had given him for the offering. But he was careful to stand near the preacher as people were filing out so that he could pick up on some snippets of conversation about the sermon. He needed to do this…