Sermons on Jeremiah
Part 4. “O” – Other Peoples’ Good | Genesis 1:28; Jeremiah 29:4-7; Acts 2:42-47
We are now in our fourth week, third word, of our sermon series, Faith & Flourishing in Politics. F stands for “Faith, Not Fear.” L is “Love God & Neighbor,” and today we’re on O, “Other Peoples’ Good.” A British game show in the late 2000s tested whether people would put other peoples’ good before their own. The show was called Golden Balls, which was named after golden balls the size of tennis balls that had money from £10 to…
But… Why? | Galatians 6:1-2
This summer my son started doing something that’s really cute. We’ll ask him to pick up his toys, or take a few more bites, or get his shoes on, and before he does any of those things he’ll ask us a question. Do you know what it is? “But… why?!” He throws his arms open wide and with the deepest look of sincerity a two-year old can muster he asks, “But… why?!” That’s probably the first question we are asking…
The Heart | Proverbs 4:23
Have you ever had one of those moments where you’re listening to a teaching or reading or watching a documentary and something “clicks” in your mind? You finally “get it” and the way you think has changed? Maybe it’s a radical “paradigm shift” or just a “aha moment.” Something is different. I had one of moments this fall when I began reading Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp. This is a book on parenting, but he starts with the…
Wine | Proverbs 23:29-35
For the Christmas season this year I am talking about topics we encounter this time of year. Last week I preached on gifts and gift-giving since many of us are purchasing gifts for family and friends this time of year. Next week I’m preaching on family as we often spend time with family over the Holidays. Today, I’m preaching on drinking wine but more generally alcohol. As we go to work parties or spend time with friends we may be…
Politics | Jeremiah 29:4-14 (Faithful Presence)
Today I’m preaching on politics. I was just at my fourth Ockenga retreat at Gordon-Conwell and this was our topic. My goal today is not to convince you to vote for a candidate or issue or to review this week’s news but to help us all process how the Bible calls believers to think about politics. Today’s sermon is not comprehensive, but hopefully you’ll find it helpful, or at least thought-provoking. If you want to have a friendly conversation about…
Meditations on Gethsemane | Luke 22:39-46
Meditation #1 – Prayer defeats temptation by connecting us with Christ and each other. (Luke 22:39-41, 45-46) Tonight I have three meditations on Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion (Matt 26:36; Mark 14:32). After each meditation you will have a chance to pray and reflect and respond in song. We’re doing this with the hopes that this passage will sink in deeper and be more life-changing. We don’t want to come to church and…
Just Power | Micah 3
When you think of “power” what do you think of? The pink energizer bunny? Your local power station? Powerade? Maybe you think of superheroes and villains each have a power they can wield to either help or hurt humanity. Maybe you think of your boss or the President. Each one has power. What is power? Is power the strongest person in the room? Is power violence? Power can mean a lot of things but when I say power today I’m…
The Certain Gospel: Divorce & Remarriage | Luke 16:18
I think I’m a bit naive. When I chose preaching on divorce and remarriage this week I thought it would be an easy sermon. I mean I’m preaching on one verse, right? How hard can it be? Don’t the majority of pastors and scholars agree about what the Bible has to say on divorce and remarriage? No they do not. The more I studied this topic the more I realized I don’t know, but I’m still going to try and…
Outreach | Jeremiah 29:4-7
Outreach – “We serve others and share the gospel.” Our final Core Value is a great way to end the series. It reminds us how important it is to put what we’re learning into action. In Jeremiah 29:4-7, God’s challenge to the exiles also challenges us to live for Jesus no matter what circumstance we’re in. The Judean exiles taken to Babylon were supposed to bring peace, true Shalom, to their city. We’re to care for the physical and spiritual…