Strangers AND Neigbhors
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached March 9, 2025, Lent 1) The story of the man left beaten by the side of the road is told in Luke 10:25-37. A lawyer tests Jesus and ends up being the one who is tested. He wants to know what he must do and Jesus tells him who he must become.
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Jesus' Exodus
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached March 2, 2025) Luke 9:28-36 tells the story of Jesus' transfiguration and is often read the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. It functions like a book end to the resurrection story and encourages us for what lies ahead.
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Are You The One?
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached February 16, 2025) Luke 7:18-35 is a long reading included in the narrative lectionary for this year. John the Baptist is in prison and sends messengers to Jesus to ask him if he is the one. It is an important question for our time as we strive to understand what it means to be a Christian and follow Jesus today.
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Mercy Anyway
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached February 9, 2025) Two healing stories (Luke 7:1-17) show Jesus' mercy toward two dramatically different people. The challenge of Jesus, regardless of who is in need, is to show mercy anyway.
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Deep Water
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached January 25, 2025) Luke 5:1-11 tells the story of Jesus calling his first disciples. He tells Simon Peter, "From now on you will be catching people." This sermon invites us to re-imagine our understanding of "catching" in the context of this story.
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The Jesus Agenda
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached January 19, 2025) The sound quality is not very good - sorry! My microphone died. In Luke 4:14-30, Jesus gives his inaugural address. It is an opportunity for us to consider what it means to be a Christian in this time.
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Prelude to Jesus
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached January 12, 2025) John the Baptist and Jesus had different messages related to their eschatology, but they both agreed that the measure of the fruit we bear is reflected in how well we love our neighbor. Luke 3:1-22 portrays John as the one who prepares the way for Jesus and Jesus' message and gives us a glimpse of John's preaching and message.
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Losing Jesus
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached January 5, 2025) The only story of Jesus as a boy is told in Luke 2:41-52. Jesus is 12, and separated from his parents, who spend three days searching for him. They are frantic, while he is "at home" in the temple.
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Looking Forward
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached December 29, 2024) Luke 2:22-40 tells the story of Simeon and Anna as they encounter Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in the temple. The hope and fears of all theirs years were met in Jesus that day.
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Don't You Know
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached December 15, 2024 - Third Sunday in Advent) Mary's singing about a revolution as she announces the dethroning of the powerful. Luke 1 gives us a Mary that is anything but meek and mild. She resists her status as a lowly girl and births a revolution of love.
info_outline(Sermon preached December 1, 2024) Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark 1:1-15 both speak of preparing a way forward toward the Kindom of God that God imagines for creation. And yet, sometimes a hope this big can seem too out of reach and become discouraging. We need our big hope for direction, but our journey is one of doing the next right thing, one after another. We can build our resilience and find joy as we "micro-dose" on hope.