Sermons on Spiritual Disciplines (Page 2)
You Got It All Backwards | Matthew 5:2-12
Listen to Tom Taylor as he takes a deeper look at the paradoxical message of the blessings of the Beatitudes. Tom is an elder at Immanuel Church in Chelmsford and an ordained minister.
The Rhythms of Life: Stopping | Exodus 20:8-11, Mark 2:23-28
Dave Astolfi is a second career pastor, having earned an M.Div from Bethel Seminary of the East. He retired early from a 35 year career in science research to devote more time and energy to pastoral ministry. Dave was ordained at Grace Community Church in Chelmsford, while serving as Pastor of Care. He is enjoying semi-retirement, serving God through pulpit supply, interim ministry, mentoring and volunteering at a community pantry … Oh, and he also keeps busy playing with his…
The Good Farmer | Matthew 13:1-9 and 18-23
Andy Bradshaw preached this sermon at Cornerstone Congregational Church on Sunday, June 20th, 2021. You can read Andy’s faith story here.
Ode to a Donkey | Matthew 21:1-11 (Jesus’ Triumphal Entry)
Today is Palm Sunday, the day the church celebrates Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, only to be crucified by the end of the week. There’s one character in the story of Jesus’ ride into town that has just captured my imagination. This character shares the spotlight with Jesus, but I don’t think we give him or her enough time. Can you guess who I’m talking about?… The donkey! I was reading a book for my Doctorate of…
Praying to a Righteous God | Daniel 9:1-23
Thank you Rob Cooper for guest-preaching at Cornerstone. We’ve recommended another one of Rob’s sermons here or you can access Rob’s sermon archive here. You can find a PDF of his sermon slides below. Please welcome Rob Cooper’s family. Top row: Bethany, Nadine, Zachoia. Bottom row: Philip, Jonathan, Elias. Center: Rob.
Life Disrupted | Acts 9:32-43
Do you all remember January 1st? It had so much promise, didn’t it? A brand new year. A brand new decade! We had New Year’s Resolutions! We had hopes and dreams for our families, our careers, and our church. And then what happened? Covid-19 happened! Covid happened and everything stopped. Life was completely disrupted. Most of the time when we think about disruption, it’s a bad thing, like the DOW dropping a thousand points or wildfires destroying half of Australia.…
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work | Acts 6:1-7
Monica and I have a saying in our home, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” This isn’t a saying we created, but it’s something we like to say. So like when Monica is cooking dinner and I am playing with Elijah we’ll say, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Or when I’m doing dishes and Monica is getting Elijah ready for bed, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Or when Monica is scrubbing the floor and I’m playing video games, “Teamwork makes the…
Good Intentions | 1 Chronicles 13:1-14
Mark Pender preached a sermon on good intentions and how we need to be accountable to others and know Scripture.
Loans, Laziness, & God’s Heart | Proverbs 6:1-19
Loans (Prov 6:1-5) As I studied today’s passage, Proverbs 6:1-19, I realized it can feel a bit disjointed. Last week we looked at Proverbs 5, the second half of chapter 6, and chapter 7, all of which was about adultery. And here in chapter 6 we encounter loans, laziness, and what God hates. It feels out of place. Trying to force them into one common theme felt a bit like trying to fit a square block through a circle or…
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…
Prayer & Fasting | Matthew 6:16-18
I tried fasting for the first time when I worked at the Farm Credit Administration in McLean Virginia. I tried it because my pastor preached a sermon on it. In his sermon he turned to our passage tonight, Matthew 6:16-18, and pointed out something that really convicted me. In Matthew 6 Jesus teaches on prayer and fasting and when he does this he says, “when you fast” not “if you fast…” He says it twice (c.f., Matt 9:15). Have you…
Four Prayer Requests | Ephesians 3:14-21
Let’s start by reviewing the big picture of the book of Ephesians. Chapters 1-3 How God is gracious to us Chapters 4-6 How we are to live-out grace The first three chapters, chapters 1-3, don’t include many imperatives, or commands. They don’t tell us how to live as much as they tell us what God has done for us. The next three chapters, chapters 4-6, tell us how to respond to grace and are full of imperatives and commands. Grace…