Sermons on Jesus (Page 3)
Pastor Jonathan Romig’s Last Cornerstone Sermon | Deuteronomy 34:1-12 (Moses on Mt. Nebo)
Thank you for calling me to serve as your pastor these last seven years, nine years in the same ministry if you count my time at Immanuel. I love this church, and I love you, and I’m thankful God gave me you. As I was trying to figure out what I should preach for my last sermon, my mentor Sam Kim mentioned this passage. This chapter, the last chapter in Deuteronomy, is also the last chapter of Moses’ life and…
Lord of the Storm | Mark 4:35-41
This Rembrandt painting is called “Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee.” It depicts Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. While most of the painting is black and dark grays and blues, you can see golden-light and light blue skies in the distance. Two thieves disguised as police officers broke into the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum in Boston and stole it in 1990. If you know where it is, let the FBI know. Jesus has…
Mary Magdalene and the Gardener | John 20:1-18 (Easter Sermon by a Woman)
Jesus found Mary Magdalene when she was lost, He gave her a new direction, He told her to find others. If you are feeling lost this morning, Jesus has found you. He wants to give you a purpose. He wants us to help the lost people in our lives. Mary Magdalene was lost. Not physically, but emotionally. We don’t know much about her from the text. The idea that she was a prostitute or secretly married Jesus – that’s not…
A Great Big Snake Story | Acts 28:1-10; 1 Samuel 17 (David & Goliath the Serpent)
Elijah really likes The Jungle Book. One of the characters in that story is a really big and sneaky snake named Kaa. He’s a python, and he’s famous for his colorful, hypnotic eyes and his ability to put Mowgli into a trance. He nearly catches and eats Mowgli, but Mowgli escapes. Snakes are a part of popular culture, from Indiana Jones to Harry Potter to the movie, Anaconda, and Snakes on a Plane (neither of which I’ve seen). But, our…
The Highest Court | Acts 25:1-22 (When we face injustice)
Have you ever faced injustice? Have you ever been treated unfairly? Maybe a boss mistreated you at work, or a family member or friend did not treat you right. Maybe you can think of a family member or friend who has experienced injustice. My dad told me the story of how he was let go from his job for something he had not done, and it was painful for him. Maybe you’ve faced something similar. As we look at the…
Invited to the Party | Hebrews 10:19-25
Remember what it was like before the pandemic when you’d get invited to someone’s birthday party? I remember birthday parties being really exciting when I was a kid. Your friend invites you (or their mom), you purchase a gift for them, and then you get to go over to their house for the party. There’s cake, games, and maybe a movie and a sleepover if it’s a really exciting birthday. Imagine your best friend has invited you to their birthday.…
Part 10. A Flourishing Future | Revelation 21:1-6; 22:1-5
I grew up in a mountain town in Colorado called Estes Park. Estes is famous for being the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. One of the tallest mountains in Colorado is right outside of town, a 14-thousand-footer named Long’s Peak(14,259 feet). But growing up in Estes, I never climbed Long’s Peak. We heard all the horror stories of people falling, getting stuck, and dying, and I didn’t want to risk it. And then I moved away to sea-level and…
Part 9. “H” – Help the Needy | Zechariah 7:8-12 & Matthew 25:31-46
We’ve been working through the word “F.L.O.U.R.I.S.H.” in our Faith & Flourishing in Politics sermon series. Today we’re finishing our acronym. Let’s review: F – Faith, Not Fear (or “faithful presence”) L – Love God & Neighbor (enemies too) O – Other Peoples’ Good (shalom/common good) U – Understanding & Wisdom R – Reign of Christ I – Image of God (Imago Dei) S – Speak Prophetically H – Help the Needy Last week we talked about speaking prophetically. We…
Part 7. “I” – Image of God (Imago Dei) | Mark 12:13-17
I want to start today’s sermon with a quiz. By a show of hands, I want you to guess whether the following portion of tweets are about a sports team or politics. These are actual selections from tweets: His biggest win yet. Let’s hear it for your [blank] champion[1] Sports or politics? “Let’s hear it for your 2021 #NASCAR Cup Series champion. . . ” Sports! Heads, we win. Tails, you cheated. Give me a break man.[2] Sports or politics?…
Part 6. “R” – Reign of Christ | Romans 13:1-7 & Philippians 3:20-21
I loved going to Awana club every week when I was a kid. If you’re not familiar with this part of the Christian subculture, Awana is a weekly after-school program where once a week, kids gathered at church to eat snacks, play games, memorize Bible verses, and sing worship songs. And I loved it! One week when I thought I wasn’t going to get to go, I had a major meltdown. I memorized so many verses I got my Sparky…
Part 3. “L” – Love God & Neighbor (even political enemies) | Matthew 22:35-40
Tom is leaning into his computer screen as his fingers slam down on his keyboard. His brow is furrowed, and he can feel his blood pressure rising. “I can’t believe Sam believes this junk,” he mutters as he forcefully types his response to Sam’s most recent Facebook post. Sam had posted another biased, misinformed poorly-written article, and he is about to unequivocally show him the error of his ways. Tom has been watching Sam for months now post article after…
Part 2. “F” – Faith, Not Fear | Matthew 5-7 (Sermon on the Mount)
Did you know that deep in the recesses of our brain is a grape-sized cluster of cells called the amygdala? Our amygdala is a little like the emergency response center of our brain. It is constantly searching for danger, and when it identifies it, it sounds the alarm. Our blood pressure rises, our heartbeat goes up, we go on high alert and get ready for action. The amygdala “activates the fight-or-flight response.”[1] Turn a corner and find a snarling dog;…