"O Happy Sin"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
August 29, 2010

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"The Wow Factor"
Series: David ~ Faith We Can Relate To
2 Samuel 7
August 22, 2010

We are going to look today at what many scholars say is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. Not just in the OT. In the whole Bible. Wow. That oughta make us sit up and take notice. So open your Bibles to 2 Samuel, chapter 7. This immediately follows what we looked at last week in our series on the life of David. [Now remember, when I say open your Bibles...]
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"When God Doesn't Make Sense"
Series: David ~ Faith We Can Relate To
2 Samuel 6
August 15, 2010

Have you been reading along in our series on the life of David? We have the passages for each week in the Connection. Anybody read the passage for today? If you did, you might be wondering, as I do, "What's up with that?" This is an odd passage, to say the least. Pastor Doug planned out this summer series on the life of David and I think he intentionally stuck me with this passage for my first sermon back after sabbatical. Today's story from the life of David is recorded in two places in the Bible: 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chron. 13 and 15. Open your Bibles to 2 Samuel, chapter 6.
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"Lean on Me"
Sermon by Jim Moseley
August 8, 2010

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"What the Lord has Given"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
August 1, 2010

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"Living in Ziklag"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
July 25, 2010

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"A Fool By Any Other Name"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
July 18, 2010

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"Refuge"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
July 11, 2010

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"Sheer Dogged Endurance"
Sermon by Dr. Will G. Barnes
July 4, 2010

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"A Tale of Three Kings"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
June 27, 2010

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"The Battle is the Lord's"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
June 20, 2010

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"Of Kings and Spirits"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
June 13, 2010

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"It's Not About You"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
June 6, 2010

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"What Kind of Soil are You?"
Sermon by Ginny Jones
May 30, 2010

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"The Spirit of Adoption"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
May 23, 2010

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"Prison Doors Flew Open"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
May 16, 2010

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"A Heart Wide Open"
Sermon by Ginny Jones
May 9, 2010

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"Grace in Sheep's Clothing"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
April 25, 2010

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"Reflections on New Orleans"
~ Lee Dalaski, Ginny Jones, Michael Koli
April 18, 2010

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"Receive, Believe, Pass On"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
April 11, 2010

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"On the Way"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
April 4, 2010

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"Love for the Long-Haul"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
40 Days of Love
March 28, 2010

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"Love Is Not Easily Angered"
Sermon by Shannon Hanson
40 Days of Love
March 21, 2010

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"Love Let's It Go"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
40 Days of Love
March 14, 2010

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"Spirit of Love"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
40 Days of Love
March 7, 2010

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"Loving as Jesus Loves Me"
40 Days of Love, Part II
February 28, 2010

Welcome back to 40 Days of Love! Today is day 15, so by now, you should have read through the first 14 days of readings in our study book, The Relationship Principles of Jesus. I also hope you are discussing that material with your LIFE Group or attending one of our two Adult Ed classes on Sunday mornings. If you're not, it's not too late! Join the discussion at 9:30 or 11 a.m. It's really great material. We're training to become Olympic-class lovers during this study--gold medal winners in love. My goal for us is that we will all have better relationships and become more loving people--not just for these 40 days, but for the rest of our lives.
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"Love Matters Most"
40 Days of Love, Part I
Luke 10:25-37, 1 Cor. 13:1-3, Eph. 5:1-2
February 14, 2010

Have you been watching the Olympics? Isn't it amazing what the human body can be trained to do? These athletes are the best in the world. World-class, every one of them, whether they win a medal or not, would you agree?
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"It's All About Love"
40 Days of Love Kickoff
1 Cor. 16.14, John 13.34-35, 1 John 4.7-12, 19-21
February 14, 2010

I want to begin today by asking you a question. How would you complete this sentence? My number one goal in life is _______. Think about it for a minute. Would you say my number one goal in life is to be happy? Or my number one goal in life is to be loved? Or my number one goal in life is to be successful? How would you answer that question? My number one goal in life is comfort or fun or to retire or get married and raise a family? My number one goal in life is to be popular? How you answer this question is very, very important. Because however you answer that question is what I'm going to call your dominant life principle.
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"Do You Love Me?"
Focus on Worship
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
February 7, 2010

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"...With all your mind"
Focus on Worship
Mark 12:28-33, Psalm 1, Romans 12:2, Phil. 4:8
January 24, 2010

Since the beginning of the year, we have been focusing on those words of Jesus we heard today from the gospel of Mark 12:30: Listen to it one more time, say it with me: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Loving God is worship, the fundamental and first purpose of your life.
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"...With all your soul"
Focus on Worship
Deut. 6:4-9, Psalm 143, Matt. 26:36-39, Luke 1:46-55
January 24, 2010

Name that tune: Heart and Soul. "Heart and soul, I fell in love with you, Heart and soul, the way a fool would do, Madly, because you held me tight..." When we think about loving someone "heart and soul" what that usually describes is loving them with the totality of our being. Have you ever thought about loving God that way? Of 'falling in love with God -- heart and soul'? Can you even imagine what that would look like for you? It's not such a crazy idea. Both the Old and New Testaments command us to love God with all our heart and soul.
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"...With all your heart"
Focus on Worship
Psalm 84, Luke 7:36-47
January 17, 2010

What comes to your mind when I say this: PDA? If you've been a member of one of the mission teams we've sent to New Orleans, PDA means Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. [Haiti] For the technologically-astute among us, PDA means Personal Digital Assistant, like a Palm Pilot, Blackberry, etc. The first time I ever heard of a PDA, I was in high school. I had a boyfriend who went to the Naval Academy and when I went to visit him at the end of his plebe summer, I learned that PDAs were a no-no. PDA = Public Display of Affection. There was to be no kissing, hugging, or even hand-holding in public. No PDAs. No public displays of affection were allowed. I want to speak with you today about a different kind of PDA, one that is acceptable and even desirable. But one we are a bit reluctant to embrace.
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"Obedience"
Series: Celebrate the Presence
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
January 10, 2010

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"Cause God Joy"
January 3, 2010

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"Why Were You Searching for Me?"
Sermon by Rev. Jane Day Stover
December 27, 2009

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"Can Christmas Still Change the World?"
Christmas Eve 2009

Some weeks ago, while doing a little Christmas shopping at the Christiana Mall, I noticed a sign outside a store: The best gifts change lives. Step inside. You know, this is all very beautiful, isn't it? It makes for a lovely evening and a warm feeling right now. I'm glad you've "stepped inside" to join us tonight. But what about tomorrow, or the next day or the next? Does it make any difference then? Does "stepping inside" here tonight make any difference out there tomorrow? I'm sure many of us will receive lots of wonderful gifts tomorrow, things we need as well as things we just want, and probably a few things we don't want or need. But will even the best gift we receive really change our lives? In the midst of war, homelessness, record unemployment, multi-trillion dollar debt, people dying from AIDS and children dying for lack of clean water, what difference does Christmas really make? Is anybody's life changed because of all this?
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"Give More"
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
December 13, 2009

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"Spend Less"
Series: Advent Conspiracy
James 5:1-6, Luke 3:1-6
December 6, 2009 ~ Second Sunday of Advent

Every time I start to think that we already get every catalog known to man, a new one comes I've never heard of before. Now, we always get lots of catalogs at our house, but have you noticed how it ramps up this time of year? Sometimes, we get several copies of the same catalog in the same week. Anybody else? And did you ever notice that the more you leaf through these catalogs, searching for just the right gift for that impossible-to-buy-for boss or grandparent or friend, that you discover they have things you never even knew you needed, but all of a sudden can't live without? That's their plan! It's a conspiracy. They know that we are susceptible to the power of suggestion, especially at Christmastime. They know that we have bought into the notso-subliminal messages of Madison Avenue: "You deserve it." "You're worth it." "You know you want it." And you can get it on 5-easy-pay. Bigger is better, newer is better, more is better, better is better. It's a conspiracy. A conspiracy to get us to spend more.
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"Worship Fully"
Series: Advent Conspiracy, Part I
Luke 1:46-55, Matthew 2:1-12
November 29, 2009 ~ First Sunday of Advent

When I was a child, on Christmas morning when we would come downstairs to see what Santa had left beneath our tree, the first thing we had to do before opening any Christmas presents was sing. My mother would guide us to our Nativity scene where we would sing "Happy Birthday" to baby Jesus. That was her way of remembering and reminding us that Christmas is first of all about the birth of Jesus and only secondarily about Santa and the tree and the presents. "Jesus is the reason for the season," right? And yet, even as we say that with our lips, our lives--our credit card bills, our bulging calendars--tell another story. The consumption and consumerism that is the story of Christmas in our culture has become more our story than the baby in the manger.
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"Coincidence?"
Series: Reformed School
Daniel 4:34-37, Psalm 135:3-14, Eph. 1:3-12
November 22, 2009

We finish up our series on the Reformed faith today with what is perhaps the most fundamental and central principle of the Reformed tradition. And already I know what you may be thinking. I got the question at CLASS 101, our membership class, last Sunday. You know the question I mean? The one about the ’ÄòP' word? Not Presbyterian, that other ’ÄòP' word. Predestination. Many people think that the central belief of Presbyterians is predestination. And most people don't like the idea of predestination, though it must also be said that most people do not really understand the doctrine of predestination. In any case, let me be clear: Predestination is not the central doctrine of the Presbyterian church. Predestination is really a subtopic of the larger doctrine which really is central to what Christians in the Reformed tradition like us believe. And that's what I want to speak with you about today. I want to speak with you about the sovereignty of God.
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"Baggage"
Youth Sunday Service
November 15, 2009

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"The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth"
Series: Reformed School
2 Timothy 3:14-17
November 8, 2009

Why do we make it such a big deal when we give Bibles to children who attend our Sunday School? Here's why: We want it to be very clear to them, to their parents, and to all of us that we believe that "God has something He wants to say to you through the Bible." We believe that the Bible contains the very words of God. We believe that there is no writing like it, no book that has the same authority and wisdom and power for living. We are careful to make sure that our children have all the school supplies they need: pencils, paper, dictionaries (does anybody still buy printed dictionaries these days? I just use dictionary.com.) We provide them everything we think they will need to learn what they need to learn, to be successful in school, and therefore, we hope, in life. In the same way, we give them Bibles because we believe that the Bible contains everything these students need to learn about themselves and about God, everything they need to know to be truly successful in life.
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"But God...by grace...in Christ"
Series: Reformed School
Ephesians 2:1-10
November 1, 2009

I want to speak with you today about something so essential, so foundational, so crucial that it's impossible to understand what it really means to be a Christ-follower without it. If we don't get ’Äì I mean really get ’Äì what I'm going to share with you today, we won't really get Christianity either. This concept is what is unique about the Christian faith compared to other major world religions. Last week, we began a series of messages on some of the foundational concepts of the Reformed faith tradition, which is the tradition in which we as Presbyterians find ourselves. And we began by talking about how unholy people as ourselves and be in relationship with a holy God. The Bible word for that is ’Äòjustification.' If "all have sinned and fall short" of what God intends for humanity, as Paul says in Romans 3:23, then what's a sinner to do? That was our question for last week.
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"What's a sinner to do?"
Series: Reformed School
Romans 3:20-28
October 25, 2009 ~ Reformation Sunday

When I was in my early twenties, I began to be sort of mysteriously drawn to the Bible. I say "mysteriously" because I had never owned a Bible nor really read the Bible. But I went out and bought a Bible, as I began to read it, I discovered something that changed my life. And since that time, I've found out that I'm not the only one. What I discovered had also been discovered by many others before me, and had changed their lives, too. In fact, the discovery of this concept I want to talk about today changed not only the lives of many individuals, it changed the church.
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Consecration Sunday
with Reverend John Groth
October 18, 2009

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"Here and Now"
Series: Miracle Man
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
October 11, 2009

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"What do you have?"
Series: Miracle Man
Mark 14:13-21
October 4, 2009 ~ World Communion Sunday

On the first Sunday in October, many churches participate in ’ÄòWorld Communion Sunday.' This is a day when Christ-followers everywhere around the world celebrate what it means to belong to the ’Äòholy catholic church.' Now, while I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church and many of you were also raised Catholic, I know that most of you were never Catholic. And so you might wonder why we say we believe in the ’Äòholy catholic church' when we use the words of the Apostles' Creed to say what we believe. There is a difference between ’Äòcatholic' with a small ’Äòc' and a capital ’ÄòC.' Capital ’ÄòC' refers to the church; small ’Äòc' means: "including or concerning all humankind; universal." So when we say we believe in ’Äòthe holy catholic church,' what we mean is that we believe that the church is not just our church, but the Church beyond this church body, beyond these church walls, the Church that includes all believers everywhere. The church that is open to including and concerned for all humankind, everywhere.
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"Do you believe in miracles?"
Series: Miracle Man
Mark 5:21-36
September 27, 2009

Over the last few months, many of you have asked me, "Do you have a cold?" I have been struggling with this drippy stuff ’Äì the "Delaware drip" ’Äì for the last year consistently, and really when I think about it, for several years before that, off and on. I tried various over the counter medications for a year or more and nothing seems to help. I use my voice so much in my work and I'm sick and tired of the sniffling and coughing and clearing my throat and always sounding like I have a cold. And I can't sing certain notes any more. I love to sing! So I finally decided to see an allergist. It's annoying to deal with a continuing health issue. But I know that many of you are dealing with conditions that are much more serious and painful ongoing than my little allergy problem. [Which still hasn't been diagnosed, by the way, but we're working on it.]
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"One Thing I Know"
Series: Miracle Man
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
September 20, 2009

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"If you want to walk on water..."
Series: Miracle Man
Matthew 14:22-33
Rally Day ~ September 13, 2009

On Labor Day, Paul and I returned from our annual Busch Family Beach vacation in South Carolina. It's a great week with Paul's brothers and sister, their spouses, and most of our children and grands. We've been doing it more than 20 years. Our grandson Tyler, who just turned 6, was there for only a couple of days, but that was long enough to see that he is a pretty fearless kid. Whether it is running into the waves, jumping into the pool, throwing and catching and running with the football, Tyler is an "all in" kind of kid. Most everything he does, he does with everything in him, fearlessly. He's "all in."
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"Building Materials"
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
September 6, 2009

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"Rock Your World"
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
August 30, 2009

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"The Fruit Will Tell"
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
August 23, 2009

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There is a Way
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 7:7-14 and others
August 16, 2009

On any given week as I stand before you, I know that many of you find yourselves in the midst of tough times, challenging and maybe confusing situations. It may not be apparent from the smile you carefully applied when you got out of your car, but I know there's a lot of pain out there on any given Sunday. I cannot imagine a better or more comforting statement to help us in the midst of life's trials and troubles than what Jesus says in our passage from the Sermon on the Mount for today. Among all the very challenging statements and commands of Jesus we've studied so far this summer, the first part of what we come to today is pure comfort and encouragement.
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Logjam
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 7:1-6 and others
August 9, 2009

I asked you a few weeks ago what you do when you encounter someone on the street who asks you for money. A homeless person, perhaps, or just someone asking for help. Today I want to ask you what you think when you encounter this kind of person. Probably lots of different thoughts go through your head. And since I don't want to put thoughts in your heads, I'll just be real honest about what goes through mine. I hate to admit it, but very often, I immediately make a judgment about the person. I think that they probably caused their own problem. I think they probably have a drinking problem or a drug problem that has left them on the street. I assume they are unwilling to work, or if they are unable to work, it's because of some bad or wrong choices they have made. What do you think in that split second you have to decide? What judgment do you make in that moment you have to decide about whether or not to give them money or help them in some way?
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Don't Worry, Be Happy
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 6:25-34 and others
August 2, 2009

Do you remember that song? My favorite memory of that song is of one day on our beach vacation with Paul's family many years ago, whatever year it was that song was popular. Paul and his brothers had been playing golf with their dad and after golf, granddad always liked to play cards with his boys. So it was getting later and later and the guys hadn't come home yet, hadn't even called actually. Now, my sister-in-law Marilyn was not actually worried about them. But she was anxious and I think a bit annoyed at the amount of time they had been gone, as well as the fact that we didn't know what to do about preparing dinner. When would they be home? Why didn't they call and give us a clue? So to counteract her anxiety, Marilyn bopped around the kitchen of our beach house singing this tune: Don't worry’Ķbe happy.
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"Where Is Your Focus?"
Old Testament Lesson - 1 Kings 17:7-16
New Testament Lesson - Matthew 6:19-24
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
July 26, 2009

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The Way You Do the Things You Do
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 6:1-18
July 19, 2009

When you pass by a person on the street with their hand out, what do you do? Some of us always give a little, sometimes more, some of us never give anything. But do you ever ask yourself, why you do what you do? If you're one of the givers, maybe you give out of pity for the person, a sincere desire to help. Sometimes guilt is the motivator, or maybe gratitude ’Äì "There but for the grace of God go I." Or maybe it just makes you feel good to help somebody else. If you're one of the non-givers, maybe it's because you think they're just going to buy drugs or alcohol with it and you don't want to support that habit. You don't want to be an enabler. What about when you give money to the church? Do you give out of a sense of obligation? A sense of self-satisfaction for obeying God's commands? A desire to support the work of God in the world? What's your motivation when you give?
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Its Not About Me
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:38-48
July 12, 2009

We come today to what some think of as the very heart of the SOM. Words of Jesus that are well known but often misinterpreted and always difficult to swallow because they seem, frankly, either unwise or impossible. Maybe both. Jesus continues on with the formula we have heard before: Matt. 5:38.
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Just Say No
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:27-37
July 5, 2009

Very soon after I was called to be your pastor, almost 12 years ago now, I received a letter from a member of the church arguing that I should not be a pastor because I had been divorced. To support his position, he quoted from the SOM, Matt. 5:19a: "Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven..." He assumed, I guess, that because I had been divorced, I thought divorce was okay, and that I would teach others that divorce was okay. To his credit, he had the integrity to sign his name [one of my mentors taught me never to read anonymous letters], so I called him immediately. I explained to him what I believe the Scripture teaches not only about the sin of divorce but also about the promise of grace. Both of those teachings will be important for us today.
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Anger Kills
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:21-26
June 28, 2009

What makes you angry? For some of you, something or someone ’Äì maybe several something's or someone's ’Äì immediately comes to mind. For others, maybe you think, "I hardly ever get really angry." Some of you have what we call a "short fuse" and others, a long one. Sometimes our anger could be called "righteous" anger: anger at injustice like racism, anger at the wrongs inflicted on innocents like helpless children, anger at the effects of poverty and disease. But much of our anger is not "righteous" ’Äì it is, rather, self-righteous. We get angry when things don't turn out the way we want. We get mad when people don't do what we want. We get angry when somebody cuts us off in traffic. We all get angry from time to time, in varying degrees. But as far as I know, anyway, none of you has ever been so angry that it led you to commit murder. You'd agree, would you not? that anger and murder do not belong in the same category. Yet Jesus puts these two together in this next section of the Sermon on the Mount.
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"The Heart of Righteousness"
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:17-20
June 21, 2009

I am pretty much a rule-keeper. I was always pretty obedient as a child. If my homework was due Friday, I'd have it done by Friday. If you tell me my curfew is 10 p.m., I might argue with you, but I'll be home by 10. I was one of those kids you might have referred to as a "goody two shoes." I'm not sure where that expression comes from. I'm not sure what being good has to do with shoes, but whatever it is, I'm for it. I found out pretty early on in my life that there were certain perks associated with obeying the rules. I got lots of positive attention, the approval of my parents and teachers. I don't think I so much obeyed the rules because I had a deep desire to be obedient. I obeyed the rules to stay out of trouble. I obeyed the rules because I got approval that way. And the approval of others led to my approval of myself. I rarely questioned the rules; I just learned what they were and followed them.
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"You are..."
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:13-16
Sermon by Doug McPheeters
June 14, 2009

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"The Good Life"
Series: Kingdom Culture ~ The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:1-12
June 7, 2009

It has become a tradition around here that during the summer, we preach through a book of the Bible. This year, we won't be working through an entire book of the Bible, but rather a mere three chapters from the gospel of Matthew. But what three chapters they are! Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew are popularly known as The Sermon on the Mount [SOM]. These mere 107 verses contain some of the best-known Scripture in the New Testament, maybe the whole Bible.
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"What does this mean?"
The Day of Pentecost
John 14:15-21, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Acts 2:1-13
May 31, 2009

Acts 2:1-13. Jesus had promised them this would happen. Before He returned to His Father in heaven, Jesus had told His followers to "stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you," Jesus had said. "And you will be My witnesses." What do witnesses do? Witnesses testify. And so they did. In languages they had never learned and didn't speak. What did they testify about? They spoke of the wonders of God -- the miraculous things God had done, the mighty works of God. And they spoke in the languages of the world around them so that the people could understand what they were saying. "What does this mean?" people wondered. Well, some folks thought they had just gotten into the Pentecost wine a little early. But most of them, Luke tells us, were "amazed and perplexed," and wanted to know: What does this mean? From this moment on, the church was never the same again. Three thousand people were converted that day after Peter stood up to speak.
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Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
Sermon by Viginia L. Jones
"For the Bible tells me so"
Psalms 19:7-14, Colossians 3:16
May 17, 2009

Upon completing my OT class at Dubuque, I enrolled in the NT class and continued to become more and more engrossed in God's Word. The wealth of information in the accompanying textbook readings and the conversations with my fellow CLP classmates made me think about how many - or perhaps I should say how few - people spend time reading and studying the Bible on a regular basis. I began to realize that a good percentage of our population is either unfamiliar with the Bible or, they just aren't interested! As I discussed this with my classmates, we determined that, "a lot of people don't read and study the Bible because they are either too busy or they don't want to".
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Sent to Serve
John 12:20-26
Gulf Mission Testimonies
May 10, 2009

"Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am, My servant also will be."
These folks served Jesus by following Him…all the way to New Orleans. Is Jesus in New Orleans? Of course He is. Do you think God cares about the folks in the Gulf who are still suffering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina? You bet He does. Jesus says that where He is, those who follow Him must also be. And so these 12 followed and went and served. And I have no doubt that the Father will honor them for their service, even as we do today.
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Got Joy?
Series: Life to the Fullest
Isaiah 12, Nehemiah 8:1-12, John 15:5-11
May 3, 2009

"I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." "My purpose," Jesus said, "is to give them a rich and satisfying life." "Them" is us. If you are a follower of Jesus, these words are for you. Jesus said His purpose in coming, the purpose of His life was to give us ’Äì to give you ’Äì LIFE. Abundant life, full life, overflowing and rich and satisfying life. More and better life than you can even imagine. Now. Not only in heaven after we die. Here and now. That's why He came. That's why He died. That's why He rose again on the third day. So we could have life. Since Easter, we've been talking about this eternal kind of life that is available to followers of Jesus because of His resurrection.
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Got Hope?
Series: Life to the Fullest
Psalm 130; Isaiah 40:28-31; Romans 5:1-5
April 19, 2009

I was surprised by how sad I was this week when I heard that Harry Kalas had died. I mean, I didn't really know Harry, I had never met him. But of course, in one sense, every Phillies fan knew Harry Kalas….maybe any baseball fan. On the day he died, one of the video clips I saw was of Harry leading the song, High Hopes, after the Phillies won the NL East Division Championship in 2007. "Just what makes that little old ant, think he'll move that rubber tree plant. Anyone knows an ant, can't, move a rubber tree plant. But he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes, he's got high apple pie in the sky hopes’Ķ" High hopes. High apple pie in the sky hopes. The ant's hopes are in himself. His ability by a sheer act of will to move that rubber tree plant. "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." The Phillies' hopes are in their pitching and their hitting. What are your hopes in? What high hopes do you have today? What are you hoping for?
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

Got Life?
Series: Life to the Fullest
John 10:10, John 20:1-18, 1 John 5:10-13
April 12, 2009

Earlier this week I had the great joy I have every year at this time as I shared in our preschool's annual Easter program. Moms and dads and grandparents gather and each class in the school sings songs or presents a poem about Easter. One of the classes sang this song: "You put your bunny ears in, you put your bunny ears out, you put your bunny ears in and you wiggle them all about. You do the bunny pokey and you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about." It's much cuter when three and four-year olds sing it. The Hokey Pokey. "That's what it's all about." You've probably all done it at one time or another. But have you ever wondered: What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

The Mystery of Unanswered Prayer
All-Access Pass ~ A Series on Prayer
Isaiah 55:8-9, 2 Cor. 12:7-10, John 11, selected verses
March 22, 2009

Earl Favinger was a long-time member of this church who died recently at the ripe old age of 92. More than once when I visited Earl, he would tell me that God always answered his prayers. Not only that, but Earl said that God answered his prayers immediately. Wow. I never really knew what to say to Earl when he told me that. I couldn't relate to that kind of response from God. It was hard to believe. But Earl believed it. That was his experience. How could I argue with that?
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

Praying the Scriptures
All-Access Pass ~ A Series on Prayer
Psalm 119:169-176, Phil. 1:3-11
March 8, 2009

Last week, we began a 5-week series on the subject of prayer. The series is called All-Access Pass, because, as we saw last week, we have an all-access pass into God's presence through the blood of Jesus. e have a memory verse for the series ’Äì Hebrews 4:16 ’Äì which you can find on your message notes insert. Last week, we learned the first phrase: Let us then approach the throne of grace… For this week we add: with confidence…" We can approach God, draw near to God ’Äì confident of His love for us, boldly coming into His presence ’Äì and say anything. We can speak freely to God about anything and everything on our minds. That's what prayer is: A free and open, honest conversation with God. But to say that prayer is conversation with God means that prayer is more than just me telling God what I think He needs to know. To say that prayer is a conversation implies that when we pray, we speak to God AND God speaks to us. Sometimes we forget that second part: God speaks to us. While it is true that we do have authorization for free access to God ’Äì freedom to say anything to God ’Äì we must also remember that prayer involves listening to God as much as it involves speaking to God.
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

You Can Get There from Here
All Access Pass: A Series on Prayer
Hebrews 10:19-22
March 1, 2009

Today we begin a series of messages on the subject of prayer that will lead us through the season of Lent. Maybe you are thinking that you already know what prayer is and how to do it. Maybe you think you already know everything you need to know about prayer. But I suspect not. I suspect that even the most devoted, Christ-centered saints among us sometimes feel like amateurs in the arena of prayer. Prayer is at once, I think, one of the most basic practices of the Christian life, and one of the most mind-boggling. Prayer is ’Äì after all ’Äì simple: It is ’Äì quite simply ’Äì conversation with God. That's it. Conversation ’Äì with ’Äì God. But that's why it's also mind-boggling: Because it is conversation ’Äì with God. We often have too small a concept of prayer, I think. "Let's have a little prayer." I've said this before: There are no "little" prayers. Because when we pray, we are speaking with a big God.
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

"Worship in Spirit and Truth"
Series: Catalysts for Spiritual Growth
Psalm 63:1-5, Rev. 5:11-14, John 4
February 22, 2009

Today we come to the last message in our series on Catalysts for Spiritual Growth. You will by now recognize this continuum we've used as a tool to help us think about where we are now in our relationships with Christ. Exploring Christ, Growing in Christ, Close to Christ, Christ-Centered. I started out the first Sunday of 2009 by saying that my great desire and prayer as your pastor was that all of us who call Covenant home would grow spiritually over the course of this year. God loves you wherever you are on the continuum, but He does not intend to leave you there. God's purpose for your life is that you become more and more like Jesus. God's desire is that you grow in your relationship with Him. To that end, we've been talking about various practices ’Äì catalysts ’Äì that produce spiritual growth in our lives. We've talked about Reflecting on the Scripture, Prayer, Fasting, Giving, Community, and Service.
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

"One Anothering"
Series: Catalysts for Spiritual Growth
Acts 2:42-47, Romans 12:1-8, 10-18
February 8, 2009

One evening back in 1989 ’Äì I think it was a Tuesday ’Äì I gathered for the first time with a group of folks who would soon become among the most important people in my life. After hearing so much about how wonderful they were, I had finally signed up to be in a Covenant Group, as we called small groups at our home church. After signing up, I thought, "Oh, great. Just when do you think you're going to have time for another weekly commitment?" I mean, I was as busy as you all are: full-time job, four kids at home, very involved at church, etc., etc., etc. That group was quite a diverse one: a mixture of couples and individuals, married and not, older and younger. We began to meet together weekly, studying the Bible together, sharing what was going on in our lives, praying for one another, having fun together. There is no doubt in my mind that that group of people, and the subsequent small group that Paul and I joined together, were among the tools God used to get me through one of the most difficult times of my life, and to prepare me for my calling to be a pastor.
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

Where Your Heart Is
Series: Catalysts for Spiritual Growth
Matt. 6:19-21, 2 Cor. 6:6-9
February 1, 2009

Welcome to February, the month of love! Hearts are wild this month! The heart is, of course, the symbol of love. "I HEART you." You've seen the bumper stickers, I'm sure. "I HEART Schnauzers." The HEART of the matter is the most important part, right? You can be half-HEARTed, whole-HEARTed, hard-HEARTed, cold-HEARTed, and broken-HEARTed. You can take HEART and you can lose HEART. You can be HEART-sick; you can pour out your HEART, or have a change of HEART. My favorite perfume is called ’ÄòHappy HEART.' Paul and I found out last year how very important it is that you have a healthy heart.
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

Prayer
Series: Catalysts for Spiritual Growth
Phil. 1:3-11, and others
January 18, 2009

If you are planning to attend the Inauguration on Tuesday, you'd better have a map of DC. As you probably know, access by car to the District is quite restricted. They are expecting 2 to 3 million people to attend, depending on who's making the prediction. There will be 5,000 portable toilets on the Mall and along the parade route. (In case you're wondering, that is 1 porta-potty for every 600 people.) And there will be 10 video walls on the Mall for watching the ceremony. Because you won't be able to get that close, unless you have a ticket, and even then, you won't be too close. They're expecting gridlock in Washington, DC on Tuesday. You won't be able to drive to the ceremony or get very close to the new president.
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

Reflecting on the Word
Series: Catalysts for Spiritual Growth
Isaiah 55:8-11 and various others
January 11, 2009

We began the New Year last week by talking about priorities, in particular, priorities for spiritual growth. My desire is that this would be a year of growing spiritually for every single person here. Jesus' priorities for us were that we would love God, love people, and make disciples. Jesus did not invite people merely to believe in Him. He invited people to follow Him. There is a huge difference between these two. One involves only one's head. The other, one's heart and life. Jesus didn't tell His followers to go to church. He told them to be disciples that make disciples, to invite others to follow Jesus and show them how to do it. God intends for you to grow in your relationship with Him. Believing in Jesus is not a destination; it is the beginning of a journey. A spiritual journey that will last the rest of your life here on earth.
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

First Things
Matt. 2:1-12, Eph. 3:1-12
January 4, 2008

The News Journal offers an Online Poll question every day. On January 2, the question was: "Did you make any resolutions for the new year?" Seven hundred and seven people responded to the poll question. Seventy-five percent of them said "no." If that rather unscientific poll is any indication, I would guess that the majority of us have not made any resolutions either. The thing about New Year's Resolutions is that we rarely keep them. That's why so many people don't make them. But this is traditionally the time of year when we look back over the year just past and think about the year to come. Have you set any goals for yourself for 2009? Maybe you want to lose a few pounds, commit to an exercise program, quit smoking, spend less time on the internet, spend more time with your family and friends. What is your top priority for your life in 2009?
>>Click here for a PDF of the entire sermon.

The Power of With

Luke 1:26-38

December 21, 2008

This well-known passage from Luke's gospel includes some of the most powerful words in all the Scripture:¬Ý "Nothing is impossible with God." Nothing is impossible with God.¬Ý Now I know that as soon as I say that, your head begins to fill up with all the things in your life or in the world that are impossible, or at least, seem impossible to you...

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Dare to Prepare

Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark 1:1-8

December 7, 2008

"A voice of one calling:¬Ý "Prepare the way for the Lord.""¬Ý The purpose of the whole season of Advent can be summed up in this one phrase:¬Ý "Prepare the way for the Lord."¬Ý ¬ÝThese four weeks before Christmas ’Äì Advent is preparation time.¬Ý A time to remember once again that old, old, story of when God came to be with us, Emmanuel, in Jesus, born in a manger. But Advent is also a time to look forward to that day when God will come again at the end of time to gather His people to Himself.¬Ý That glorious day when the trumpet will sound and Jesus will come on the clouds of heaven. In the meantime, we wait.¬Ý Jesus says, "Watch and be ready, because you don't know when that day will come.¬Ý Be ready...

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Choose this Day

Confirmation Sunday

Col. 2:6-10, Eph. 1:15-23, Joshua 24:14-15

November 23, 2008

Today is Christ the King Sunday, the day in the church calendar when we celebrate Jesus as King.¬Ý Not just that Jesus will be King at the end of time; the Bible says that He is King now.¬Ý In our Preparation Scripture, we heard:¬Ý Eph. 1:20-21. This is a great day to also be celebrating Confirmation.¬Ý Today, six of our young people will stand before you and claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior, confirming the vows that were taken on their behalf on the day of their baptisms, many years ago...

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Named and Claimed

Isaiah 43:1-7, Eph. 3:14-19

November 9, 2008

As I stood in line waiting to vote on Tuesday, I was struck by what an amazing thing it is that we get to choose our president and the others who govern us. We Americans are quite enamored of our right to choose for ourselves.¬Ý Not only in elections but in all areas of life.¬Ý We love our freedom of choice. We like to think that we determine the course of our lives.¬Ý But the Bible tells a different story...

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