A Heavy Heart
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached September 15, 2024) In Mark 8:27-38, Jesus asks, "Who do people say that I am?" And then he asks his disciples, "Who do you say I am?" The rest of the passage reveals that they are still "on the way" to understanding, but not there yet.
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A Changed Heart
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached September 8, 2024) Mark 7:24-37 tells the story of a gentile woman falling at Jesus' feet, pleading for him to heal her daughter. His reply is troubling. It appears he is denying her request and calling her a dog. Would Jesus do that? What can we learn from this story?
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The Defiled Heart
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached September 1, 2024) This is the first of five sermons from the gospel of Mark, a series I am calling, "Matters of the Heart." Mark 7:1-23 addresses the challenges of trying to be pure and spins back around to tell us we are the ones who need our hearts examined.
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Seeking Wisdom
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached August 18, 2024) What is wisdom and why should we care? In Proverbs 9:1-6, wisdom cries out to us, inviting us to a feast. She invites us to seek insight and to walk in the way that bends toward life in all its fullness.
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Walk in Love
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached August 11, 2024) The lectionary reading for today from Ephesians (Ephesians 4:25-5:2) is an appeal to a Christian community to embody the love of Jesus and to walk in love with one another. Sometimes its messy.
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Exposed
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached August 4, 2024) God is not happy with King David so God sends the prophet Nathan to David with a little story that packs a big punch. He is humbled and will forever bear the consequences of his actions. The scripture is 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a.
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Absolute Power: David and Bathsheba
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached July 28, 2024) 2 Samuel 11:1-15 tells the story of King David grossly abusing his power to rape and murder. Why do we need to know this? What about Bathsheba?
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God's House
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon Preached July 21, 2024) 2 Samuel 7:1-14a contains the promise God made to David for an everlasting dynasty. This sermon helps to connect the dots from this promise to Jesus and to us. It asks: Where is God's house?
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Shake It Off
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached July 7, 2024) Mark 6:1-13 tells the story of Jesus' rejection in his hometown. He then prepares his disciples for rejection as he sends them out two by two to heal and cast out demons and preach. It is a good lesson for us as we see the way of Jesus being rejected by people who identify as Christians.
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Rise Up
FCCO Sermons: Take 2
(Sermon preached June 30, 2024) In Mark 5:21-43, the gospel writer sandwiches a story within a story about two people receiving healing. One has suffered for twelve years, the other is twelve years old. Jesus meets them both with tenderness and calls them to rise up. This sermon invites us to consider how we can help each other to rise up.
info_outline(Sermon preached July 16, 2023) The story of the tower of Babel is found in Genesis 11:1-9. This sermon is the third in a series titled the Kindom of God: Among Us, Within Us ( a series created for congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in anticipation of the General Assembly of the church held in Louisville, July 29 - August 1.) When we compare the story of the tower of Babel to the story of Pentecost we see that there are two kinds of unity. Unity based on conformity and uniformity and unity rooted in purpose; unity with diversity. Note which one God prefers.