Category: Sermons

The Gifter

God gives us the ability to participate in the Church by empowering us. These abilities are gifts from the Holy Spirit. These gifts enable us to serve each other, to imitate Jesus. So… how do they work?

The Gardener

God calls us to be loving, joyful, peace-making, patient, kind, generous, gentle, faithful and self-controlled. This list of virtues is as inspiring as it is intimidating. Which of us can say we’re any of these, let alone all of them? Paul’s letter to the Galatians reveals how we come to embody these virtues: not by working at them, but by giving the Spirit space to change us.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

God forgives anything… except blaspheming the Holy Spirit. What does that mean, exactly? And why is that particular sin unforgiveable? Believe it or not… the answer is actually really good news about how the Holy Spirit works to rescue us.

The Judge

We like rules because they make things black and white. But real life is full-color, and knowing what’s right can feel nearly impossible sometimes. Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as our judge, the one who reveals both sin and righteousness to the world. What does that look like?

The Advocate

None of us likes to feel put on the spot, singled out or attacked. That’s part of what makes sharing our faith so scary – who knows how people are going to react! But before Jesus left us, he promised the Holy Spirit would be our Advocate. What does that mean? And how does the Spirit advocate for us in the world?

A Breath of Fresh Air

The first Easter was a time of fear and isolation. In other words, we have a lot more in common with the disciples on that first Easter than we usually do, when Easter is a big party in our church buildings. So what can we learn from that first Easter? How does Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit offer hope to all us who are trapped inside today?

Laodicea: The Self-Sufficient Church

How much of our life actually involves Jesus? Is he essential or a mascot? The church at Laodicea paid Jesus lip service, but when he came to town, they left him out in the cold. On this Palm Sunday, how can we be sure we’re welcoming Jesus as our lord, not ignoring him?

Philadelphia: The Weak Church

How does a Church measure success? Is it with numbers? Activities? Size? By any of those measures, the church at Philadelphia was a failure – and yet Jesus praised them more highly than any of the other churches. What can we learn about how to be faithful from this weak church?

Sardis: The Dead Church

What does it mean for a church to have a good reputation in the world? After all, reputation is rooted in values, and what should matter to a church isn’t always what matters to Jesus. The Church in Sardis got it wrong; how can we get it right?

Thyatira: The Divided Church

Part of the pain of growing older is learning the world isn’t as black and white as we thought it was. We struggle to navigate a life – and a faith – that is messier than we wish it were. The Church in Thyatira faced similar problems – with different teachers advocating different solutions to their tension. They needed a Jesus with burning eyes and bronze feet (what?!). And so do we.