Joy to the World   Pentecost 27A 11/16/08   Matthew 25:14-30

Grace and peace be to you, from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Me: What would it be like if you could read my mind and know what I was thinking during the sermon? Perhaps it would sound something like this…

Voice in [...]

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The price of a barrel of crude oil on the commodities market topped out in late July at over $140 a barrel. Heating oil and gasoline prices jumped up in response to this surge, striking fiduciary fear in the hearts and pocketbooks of homeowners, school…

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>Do you like to be scared? Do you like to be “jump three feet off the ground and scream like a girl” scared? Do startling noises, people popping out from behind a tree, ghost stories, amusement park rides, skydiving—take your pick—do they get t…

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I wanted to start off this week on a serious note. But it didn’t work out that way! Because, first I want to talk with you about good news, and bad news. As in, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news.” Ever hear that kind of joke? But did y…

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Shhh! There’s a TV show that I’m not allowed to watch. My wife, Lisa, won’t let me. South Park, it’s called. It’s a cartoon. How could a harmless, little, cartoon get on Lisa’s banned list? Well, she thinks it’s vulgar (and it is). But it…

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Note - this sermon contains references to the presidential campaign–as an organizational device for the message, and an attempt at humor. In no way does it endorse one candidate or the other. Can you spot the references?May the boundless grace and tot…

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Now that summer’s officially, if not astronomically, over, I’m regretting all the things I wanted to do during it, but didn’t get to, for one reason or another. For example, I didn’t go swimming near enough—too rainy. I didn’t get to the be…

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In the heavenly justice system, God’s people are affected by two separate but equally important concepts—the LAW which convicts the heart and causes despair, and the GOSPEL, which allows us to be judged not guilty. These are their stories. LAW. No…

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Who is Jesus? There are many answers to that question. In our modern days, we pretty much define ourselves. But in ancient Palestine, one’s identity was given by others—who they thought you were, you were. We see this notion reflected in the scri…

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Where do you get your news? Television? “Fair and balanced,” or the other one? Radio? Anyone count on the radio to keep them in the know? The internet! Blogs, and vlogs, and RSS feeds, social networking systems, and streaming quicktime video on the…

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