Sermon–March 16, 2014–Lent 2A

Second Sunday in Lent A Preached at Faith Lutheran Church, Three Lakes, WI. Genesis 12:1-4a Psalm 121 Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 John 3:1-17 In 1975, Bill Hybels met with 125 other people in Willow Creek Theatre in Palatine, IL, and organized a new church. Over the next 35 years, the church grew and grew until over … Continue reading Sermon–March 16, 2014–Lent 2A

Let the Children Come

A Lenten reflection for March 12. “Let the little children come to me.” These words conjure up an image of Jesus with his arms wide open, a smile on his face, calling the little kids in the crowd to come up and to hug him, to touch him, to sit with him. It warms our … Continue reading Let the Children Come

Sermon–March 9, 2014–Lent 1A

First Sunday in Lent A Preached at Faith Lutheran Church, Three Lakes, WI. Genesis 2:15-3:21 Psalm 32 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 Why do we need Lent? When I was in high school, a boy and a girl in my circle of friends started dating. This happened all the time, but thought the pairing a bit … Continue reading Sermon–March 9, 2014–Lent 1A

Sermon–March 5, 2014–Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday Preached at Faith Lutheran Church, Three Lakes, WI. Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Psalm 51:1-17 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 This afternoon, I had a visit from Pastor Gary Gilbert from the Union Congregational United Church of Christ. He had been asked to deliver some materials to me, and after introducing myself, I invited … Continue reading Sermon–March 5, 2014–Ash Wednesday

Sermon–March 4, 2012–Lent 2B

Second Sunday in Lent BPreached at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Muskegon, MI, while on Internship. Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Psalm 22 Romans 4:13-25 Mark 8:31-38I wasn’t all that thrilled when I read today’s Gospel. In fact, it was a tough decision whether I was even going to preach on it. Paul’s theological argument in Romans is … Continue reading Sermon–March 4, 2012–Lent 2B