Preaching
Sermons, homilies, meditations, and reflections on the art of preaching.
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Must We Preach John 3:16?
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1 min read
Those that know me generally understand that I don’t like to write sermons on Saturday. Today is Saturday and I’m writing a sermon for tomorrow. And tomorrow’s text includes the ubiquitous John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish…
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Destination Unknown
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3 min read
Text: Mark 1:29-39 Distractions This gospel is like life: it has a lot of distractions. There are lots of details we could run down; tangents we could explore: These new disciples, their mom and her mysterious ailment, the demon possession. This gospel, on the other hand, is actually about the gospel. It is about moving, finding,…
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A Humble Beginning
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1 min read
My Christmas Message Christmas isn’t just some story about family. It isn’t about shopping or gift-giving. It isn’t about all the hoopla. And even “putting Christ back into Christmas” is to make Christmas something it isn’t. It is way more than that. Have a very Merry Christmas!
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Don’t Be Afraid. I Really Do Mean It!
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2 min read
Text: Luke 1:26-38 In this morning’s gospel, we have what should seem absolutely crazy. It doesn’t for two reasons: 1) its very familiar and 2) the virgin birth has been an ideological litmus test for fundamentalists as something to intellectually believe with deep-rooted conviction. Rather than treating this like we do the rest of the…
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It’s That Time of Year…For Repentance?
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1 min read
Why do you hate Advent? Seriously. What did it ever do to you? It never tried to steal your lunch money. It never made up rumors about you and spread them around school. So what gives? Why are you talking about a holiday that isn’t even here while ignoring the season that is? It isn’t…
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We Begin At the End (full sermon w/ audio)
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5 min read
a Sermon for Advent 1B Text: Mark 13:24-37 The down ending Jesus and his buddies walk out of the Temple. It’s late Tuesday afternoon of Holy Week and Jesus has been teaching thousands of people, revealing the hypocrisy of the church leaders. Jesus has, as they say, arrived. He’s a rock star. People are chanting…