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His Love Endures Forever | Psalm 136
As I prepared this week I listened to a sermon on Psalm 136 where a pastor asked his congregation to write down “One thing God has changed, saved, or redeemed in my life.” We’re going to do the same thing. Would you write down “one thing God has changed, saved, or redeemed in my life”? We’re going to come back to these as part of the service, so write something you’re comfortable with others hearing. Would you do that? (pause…
An Example of Honest Prayer | Psalm 73
Honesty is refreshing. In our current culture people aren’t honest. I don’t think it’s because we’re intentionally dishonest. We just want to put forward our best selves forward and we do that by posting happy photos of ourselves on Facebook and Instagram. Have you ever posted a photo of how you’re actually feeling? How did people respond? Did people want to see it? When I climbed Long’s Peak back in 2010 I posted this picture of my face from the…
Praying the 23rd Psalm | Psalm 23
Today I’m going to do something a little different. I’m going to pray the 23rd Psalm. Most of us are familiar with this Psalm. We’ve heard it read at funerals, we’ve seen it written on Hallmark cards, we’ve recited it in church, and maybe we’ve even heard a sermon or two on it. Maybe this is your favorite Psalm. You know it by heart. For others of us. We know about it, but it hasn’t sunk into our hearts. Praying…
Praying in the Dark | Psalm 18:1-19
Do you ever have a really bad dream? I mean just a terrible dream. I have a recurring dream of being chased by a bear. Maybe you’re lost and alone in the woods or maybe a close family member or friend dies? Isn’t it great when you wake up in the morning and realize you’re not lost or alone and your loved one is still there? In those moments do you ever just take a deep breath and say, “Thank…
Pray with your eyes open | Psalm 19
When I sat down to write this sermon, I looked out the window and the urge to write the sermon left me because it was so beautiful outside. The birds were chirping, the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and it felt like spring had finally arrived. I got a powerful urge to go outside and spend a few moments enjoying the sun, and the sky, and the birds before writing my sermon, and so I did, and it…
Hear Us Cry | Psalm 80
Listen to Bernie’s Psalm 80 sermon on how the church is a place where the people of God cry out to God together. You can download Bernie’s sermon manuscript by clicking “Save” and “PDF.” Thanks! Our God and our savior, tonight we cry out to you. We pray that you would forgive us of our past sins and teach us to be your people, your church. We thank you for your Son Jesus who died for us that we might…
How to Complain Well | Psalm 3 (scripture reading in Hebrew)
No one likes a complainer, but everyone likes to complain. Have you ever heard that? As human beings, we complain—we vent, we express, we share. But no one really wants a perpetual Eeyore in their lives. Eeyore is Winnie-the-Pooh’s donkey friend who has a never-ending rain-cloud hovering just above his head. He’s gloomy, depressed, pessimistic, and grey. He’s a complainer. Do you have a friend or family member who constantly complains? If you do, you probably don’t want to spend…
Praying with Purpose and Praise | Psalm 67
Today’s Psalm starts by asking God to bless his people. When you think of blessing, what do you think of? Maybe you think of blessing your meal before you eat. Does a voice from the past or from a recent Holiday tell you to, “Count your blessings”? Maybe you think of the last time you gave money to a homeless person or the bell-ringer for the Salvation Army and they said, “Bless you…” Maybe you’ve had a priest or a…
Cookies and the Cross | Acts 2:22-24 (Easter Sunrise Service)
Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do? Kids do this all the time, right? You tell them not to eat the chocolate chip cookies and when you come back into the room the cookies are gone. And you ask the child, “Did you eat the cookies?” And he says, “No, my brother did.” Of course, you have to ignore the chocolate wiped across his face, that he’s holding an empty cookie jar, and that his brother was…
Praying with Christ | Psalm 22
I love listening to people pray because we all pray a little bit differently. I appreciate how people from a Catholic background or a more formal (aka. liturgical) church setting pray. Their words always seem so reverent and thoughtful. But I also like listening to people pray who just talk to Jesus like they’re talking to a friend. Their prayers seems so relational and honest. I even like hearing people pray who are going through a hard time. There’s something…
The Certain Gospel: Get Your Go Bag Ready! | Luke 12:35-48
Christians believe that one day Jesus is going to come back. We believe his return is going to be unexpected, surprising, and everyone will see it. Today’s passage explains how to prepare for that day. That got me thinking about other times in life where we prepare for someone’s arrival, but we don’t know when they are coming. And of course that reminded me of our upcoming baby’s arrival. Our care provider has given us a due date of Saturday,…
The Certain Gospel: 6 Warning Signs of a Heart Problem | Luke 11:37-54
My family has a history of heart-attacks. My uncle died of a massive heart-attack, and my dad had two heart attacks. So I personally am interested in not having a heart attack, but also being able to identify the signs of a heart attack. The American Heart Association lists Warning Signs of a Heart Attack: Pain or discomfort in chest Lightheadedness, nausea, or vomiting Jaw, neck or back pain Discomfort or pain in arm or shoulder Shortness of breath It’s…