Children, You Are Conquerors
1 John 5:1-8 (NLT) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and...
View ArticleChildren, Abide
1 John 3:1-7 (NLT) See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children...
View ArticleChildren, Seek the Light
1 John 1:1-2:2 (NLT) This is the first sermon in a six-part series, “Children of God.” It is written in conjunction with Life Group Bible studies held through Luminary United Methodist Church in Ten...
View ArticleNow We Know
Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NRSV) The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with...
View ArticleThe Temple Most Real
John 2:13-22 (NRSV) The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables....
View ArticleOne of Us
Mark 1:9-15 (NRSV) In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit...
View ArticleOverwhelmed by Reality
Mark 9:1-9 (NRSV) And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” Six days later, Jesus took...
View ArticleGood to Great
Matthew 1:18-25 (NRSV) Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from...
View ArticleThe Last Episode
1 John 2:28-3:3 (NRSV) And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you...
View ArticleBuilding Blocks
Romans 15:1-6 (NLT) We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up...
View ArticleThe Explorer’s Sacrifice
Romans 12:1-2 (NLT) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find...
View ArticleThink About the Future
Romans 4:13-25 (NLT) Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith....
View ArticleAnd So We Begin
Romans 1:1-7 (NLT) This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in...
View ArticleDivision
Luke 12:49-56 (NRSV) “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you...
View ArticleBurglar Christ
Luke 12:35-40 (NRSV) Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon...
View ArticleTough Words
Luke 9:51-62 Tolerance is a catchword these days. Lord knows, we need tolerance. It is not all we need, but it is a good place to start. Regarding the first part of today’s verses, Scottish theologian...
View ArticleShowdown
For the next few weeks, we’re going to be hearing stories of the prophet Elijah. Before I go much further, it will help if you know a couple of the other main characters. First, there was Israel’s King...
View ArticleHow to Praise
Just because we’ve finished our series on Revelation doesn’t mean our visions of God must come to an end. Psalm 97 hearkens to a more primitive time for the Hebrews, when they contended with the notion...
View ArticleThe James Series: Single Minded
James 3:13-4:8 The image of an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, each whispering what to do, is a trope you see repeatedly in cartoons, advertising and comedy. It also is an external...
View ArticleThe James Series: Stung by the Tongue
James 3:1-12 We are called today to consider how we speak to others. As James notes, “all of us make many mistakes,” and we’re all familiar with what we sometimes call a slip of the lip. For the...
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