The Last Supper - or the beginning of the longest Blog.
Upsala's blog page will continue a long tradition of blogging. Blogging is a modern way to pass on stories and information. Return to our page to get the Cliff Notes on last week's sermon, or perhaps a deeper dive into the message.
As I reflect on the road to Emmaus, I want you to see yourself in that journey. Because if you’re honest, we’ve all walked that road at some point—confused, discouraged, wondering why things didn’t turn out the way we thought they would.
That day, those disciples were leaving Jerusalem. They weren’t celebrating the resurrection—they were walking away from what they believed was a failed hope. And I imagine their conversation wasn’t calm and theological. It was raw. It was emotional. They were trying to make sense of loss.
And then—Jesus shows up.
But here’s the part that gets me: they didn’t recognize Him.
Isn’t that just like us? Jesus can be walking right beside us in our pain, in our confusion, and we don’t even realize it’s Him.
So He asks them, “What are you discussing?” Not because He didn’t know—but because He wanted them to say it out loud. Sometimes the first step in healing is being honest about what we’re carrying.
They tell Him everything—the disappointment, the shattered expectations. “We had hoped…” That’s one of the saddest phrases in Scripture. We had hoped He was the one. We had hoped things would be different.
And then Jesus begins to speak.
He doesn’t just comfort them—He corrects them. He walks them through the Scriptures and shows them that what happened wasn’t the end of the story—it was the plan all along. What looked like defeat was actually victory. What looked like loss was actually redemption.
And I think about how often we misread our own lives the same way.
We see the moment—but God sees the story.
They still don’t recognize Him, but something is happening inside them. Later they would say, “Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road?” That’s what happens when truth meets a hurting heart—something begins to come alive again.
Then they arrive, and Jesus acts as if He’s going on. But they urge Him, “Stay with us.”
And that’s the turning point.
Because it’s not just enough to walk with Jesus—you have to invite Him in.
When they sit down at the table, Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it—and suddenly, their eyes are opened. In that moment, they recognize Him.
And just as quickly—He’s gone.
But everything has changed.
They don’t stay where they are. They don’t go to bed. They don’t wait until morning. They get up immediately and go back to Jerusalem.
Why?
Because an encounter with the risen Christ will always move you from despair to purpose.
They went from walking away in defeat… to running back with hope.
And that’s my question for you:
Where are you on that road today?
Are you walking away from something? Carrying disappointment? Struggling to see where God is?
Because the truth is—He’s already there. Walking beside you. Speaking to you. Calling you to see beyond the moment.
And maybe today is your moment to invite Him in… to let your eyes be opened… and to let your story turn around.
Because the resurrection didn’t just happen then.
It’s still happening now—in us.
Sermon Summary (Pastor Charla Koerner)
I began by reminding us that life often brings seasons where we feel uncertain, stretched, or overwhelmed. In those moments, it’s easy to wonder where God is. But Scripture assures us that He is always present: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Even when we cannot see it, God is working behind the scenes for our good.
I shared that we often want clarity before we move forward, but God calls us to something deeper. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith means trusting Him in the unknown, believing that His plans are good even when our circumstances feel difficult. As Proverbs reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
Many of us carry burdens—fear, doubt, past hurt, or disappointment—and those things can keep us from fully stepping into what God has for us. But Jesus gives us this invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). God does not intend for us to carry these weights alone.
I emphasized that growth doesn’t happen in comfort—it happens in surrender. When we release control, God begins transforming us. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). And often, that transformation comes through trials, because “the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2–4).
I challenged you to consider where you might be holding back. Are you waiting for perfect conditions? Scripture speaks directly to that: “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap” (Ecclesiastes 11:4). God calls us to take steps of faith, even when the outcome isn’t fully visible.
Finally, I reminded you that you are never alone in this journey. “The Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is guiding you, strengthening you, and working all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Your story is not finished—God is still writing it.
So my encouragement to you is this: trust Him fully, surrender what you’re holding onto, and take the next step in faith.
Welcome! I am Pastor John, and during our service today, we looked at the Gospel of John and explored a big concept: epistemology, which simply means how you know what you know.
As Presbyterians, we are sometimes affectionately called "God's frozen chosen" because we like things to be done "decently and in order," and we can be a bit afraid to talk about our profound spiritual encounters. I shared a story about an interviewer who discovered that many churchgoers have had mystical, life-changing experiences with God, but they never tell anyone because they are afraid people will think they are crazy. But the truth is, most of us didn't come to believe in Jesus Christ through a purely logical, rational process; rather than solving faith like a math problem where we say "I got it," we experience faith when Christ gets hold of us and we say, "it got me".
We see exactly this kind of mystical experience in our scripture reading about Jesus healing the man born blind. When the disciples asked whose sin caused the blindness—a popular assumption back then—Jesus shifted the focus to the here and now, explaining that this was an opportunity for God's works to be revealed. Jesus then used mud to heal the man's eyes, using a method that the man could accept and understand.
This is where the religious authorities, the Pharisees, got involved. Honestly, they were acting like good Presbyterians—they wanted everything decently ordered and questioned the healer's credentials. Because Jesus performed this healing on the Sabbath, breaking their incredibly strict, sometimes humorous rules about working on the day of rest, they refused to believe He was from God. Their attitude was essentially, "I made up my mind, don't confuse me with facts". They interrogated the man and his parents, trying to cast doubt on the miracle.
But the newly healed man found his courage and gave the ultimate testimony of personal faith: "This I know I was blind but now I see". He couldn't answer all their theological questions, but he knew what he had experienced.
To bring this home, I shared a story about a man who suffered from terrible addictions, losing his wife and his job, until Jesus touched his life and took those addictions away. When skeptical people questioned him about how it happened or why he was healed and not others, his simple answer was always: "All we know is that I was a drunk going down and [He] revealed to me".
My message to you today is this: do not be embarrassed to talk about your mystical experiences with God. You don't have to perfectly explain how or why God works, and you certainly shouldn't let cynics shut you down. I encourage you to face the world with confidence, stand firm in what God has done for you, and simply say, "All I know is it happened like this".
The service utilized three scripture readings centered on the theme of God's chosen servant and the act of baptism:
Isaiah 42:1–9: Describing the chosen servant who brings justice to the nations.
Acts 10:34–43: Highlighting that God shows no partiality and that Jesus was ordained as judge of the living and the dead.
Matthew 3:13–17: The foundational account of Jesus’ baptism by John, where the Holy Spirit descended like a dove.
Between readings, the speaker explained the Presbyterian symbol, which incorporates a cross (Christ’s death), a triangle (the Trinity), an open Bible (the Word), a dove and flames (Holy Spirit), and a fish (discipleship), as well as a chalice that reminds us of communion and also represents a baptismal font.
The sermon explored why Jesus—who had no need for repentance—chose to be baptized. The speaker argued that Jesus was modeling obedience for believers and identifying with those He came to save.
Key themes from the message included:
Rejecting the "Exception" Rule: Using an anecdote about a speeding driver who asked, "Do you know who I am?", the speaker emphasized that no one is too good or too important to need baptism.
Sin as Displacing God: Sin was defined not just as "bad things," but as the rejection of God and the desire to choose for ourselves what is good and evil.
Moving Beyond Comfort Zones: The speaker shared a personal experience of feeling like an outsider in an Airman’s club to illustrate that following Jesus requires a deliberate effort to befriend and love those who are not like us.
Spiritual Kindergarten: Baptism was described not as a "graduation ceremony" for those who have arrived, but as the beginning of a journey or "on the job training" (OJT).
The congregation was invited to renew their baptismal vows by renouncing evil and accepting Jesus as Lord. In a physical act of remembrance, participants were encouraged to come forward, touch the water in the baptismal font, and take a small stone as a reminder that they are "marked as Christ's".
Scripture Readings
The service featured three primary scripture readings:
• Jeremiah 31:7–14: A prophecy regarding God gathering the remnant of Israel and turning their mourning into joy78.
• Ephesians 1:3–14: A passage detailing spiritual blessings in Christ, the mystery of God’s will, and the seal of the Holy Spirit89.
• John 1:10–18: The foundational text for the sermon, describing the Word becoming flesh and bringing grace and truth to the world910.
The Sermon: "Introducing Jesus"
The sermon used the metaphor of "seeing clearly" to encourage the congregation to view God accurately through the lens of scripture11. The message emphasized that every Christian has the calling to introduce Jesus to others, drawing a distinction between a believer's responsibility to share the news and the Holy Spirit’s role in convincing the listener12.
Key points of the sermon included:
• Grace and Loving Kindness: Drawing from the Greek translation for "grace," the speaker argued that people respond better to loving kindness than to condemnation213.
• Trustworthy Truth: In a world of cynical perspectives and conflicting news, the speaker identified Jesus as the absolute, trustworthy truth1314.
• The Mission at Home: The speaker noted that sharing faith in modern America can be difficult because many people have been "inoculated" with a "dead" version of Christianity, building up a resistance to the real message1516.
• Practical Opportunities: The congregation was encouraged to pray for and watch for opportunities to share the "good news," just as one would naturally share a cure for a disease1718.
Scripture Readings
The service featured three scriptural lessons:
• Isaiah 63:7–9: Recounting God’s gracious deeds and His mercy toward the house of Israel67.
• Hebrews 1:1–4 & 2:5–18: Highlighting that while God spoke through prophets in the past, He has now spoken through His Son, who is the "exact imprint of God’s very being"27.
• Matthew 2:13–23: Chronicling the flight of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod, and their eventual return to Nazareth1....
The Sermon: "Can you hear me now?"
The sermon used the famous AT&T ad slogan to illustrate that "hearing is not the same as understanding" and that "information is not communication"1. Through humorous anecdotes—including a plumber who misunderstood a warning about a corrosive cleaner and a man who misread laundry instructions on a Michigan sweatshirt—the speaker argued that humanity often misinterprets God's nature210.
Key sermon points included:
• The Clarity of Jesus: Because people often had the "wrong idea" that God was out to get them, God sent Jesus to make the message clear2.
• Costly Love vs. Convictions: The speaker warned that having the "courage of your convictions" is not enough, as historical figures like Stalin and Hitler had convictions that led to evil. Instead, Christians must ensure their convictions align with the "costly love" of Christ, which sacrifices self for others1112.
• The Example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The speaker cited Bonhoeffer as a pastor who dared to criticize the Nazi government when the church had become an instrument of state propaganda1213.
• Individual Importance: Using the metaphor of a farmer who wished he could become a sparrow to lead birds to a warm barn, the speaker explained that God became human to save us because every individual is of "ultimate importance" to Him1415.
Advent Liturgy and Scripture
During the lighting of the second Advent candle, the congregation focused on the peace that Christ brings to life2. The service included a prayer of confession, acknowledging times when the community failed to trust the "good news" or expected too little hope5. The scripture readings for the day included:
• Isaiah 35:1–10: A prophecy of the wilderness blossoming and the weak being made strong67.
• James 5:7–10: An exhortation to be patient until the coming of the Lord8.
• Matthew 11:2–11: An account of John the Baptist questioning if Jesus was the Messiah and Jesus pointing to the miracles of healing as evidence of God's work89.
Sermon: "Much Love—Hope Sent"
The message explored the difference between false hope and the reliable hope found in God's character310.
• The Necessity of Hope: Hope was described as essential for survival, while "hopeless" was identified as one of the saddest words in the English language3.
• God’s Intervention: A central theme was that God is not a distant figure but one who intervenes in human history to do what people cannot do for themselves1112. This was illustrated through the phrase "much love hope sent," representing God’s message to humanity through the birth of Christ1113.
• The Wilderness Experience: Using the historical exile of the Jews in Babylon and the imprisonment of John the Baptist as examples, the message addressed "wilderness" times when foundations crumble and human determination is insufficient14....
• Signs of Presence: The congregation was encouraged to look for signs of God's intervention in the world, especially when facing personal struggles or feeling "at the end of their rope"1316.
Scripture Readings
The service featured two primary readings:
• Isaiah 2:1–5: A prophecy of the mountain of the Lord being established and nations beating their "swords into plowshares," learning war no more8.
• Colossians 1:11–20: A passage describing Christ as the "image of the invisible God" and the creator of all things, through whom God was pleased to reconcile the world910.
The Sermon: "Jesus is More"
The sermon utilized an ancient hymn found in the letter to the Colossians to argue that while people often look to Jesus for peace, joy, or friendship, "Jesus is more" than those things211.
Key points included:
• The Creator in Control: Jesus is the creator of the universe and is in charge even when the world feels chaotic12.
• Who is in Charge?: To illustrate human confusion over authority, when Secretary of State Al Haig erroneously claimed he was "in charge" after President Reagan was shot13. The sermon contrasted this with the spiritual truth that Christ is the last word and remains in control regardless of personal or global messes3.
• The Head of the Church: Jesus—not individual members—is the head of the church3. Unity is found not by agreeing on every detail, but by collectively seeking what Christ wants rather than what makes individuals comfortable14.
• Reconciliation, Not Anger: The sermon addressed the common fear that God is "mad" at people when bad things happen15. God proved He is "for us" through the cross and is actively reconciling the whole world, including people we may personally dislike1516.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup
overflows. (Psalm 23:5 N.R.S.V.)
It has been wisely said that there are two types of people in the world. Those who operate from a sense of entitlement and those who operate from a sense of gratitude.
Those who operate from a sense of entitlement are forever upset and grumbling because things are not going their way. Those who operate from a sense of gratitude are able to find joy in even the most difficult of times.
The title of this sermon “I’m Drinking From My Saucer” comes from a country music song co-written by Jimmy Dean. The lyrics go like this:
So, Lord, help me not to gripe/ ‘Bout the tough rows that I’ve hoed,
I’m drinking from my saucer/ ‘Cause my cup has overflowed. . .
Some people talk about their cup being half empty or half full. But for those of us who have experienced the love and the rule of God in our lives- our cup is overflowing.
As the Psalmist puts it so well,
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)
In our lesson from Luke, Jesus heals 10 lepers. But only one seems to be living out of a sense of gratitude. All of us struggle somewhat with feelings of entitlement. We would never say so quite so boldly, but we often act like we deserve to have good health all of the time, a good job, a place to live.
That sense of entitlement leads to much of the misery we experience in life. What can we do to change that?
Let me suggest two things. First count your blessings often and second pay attention to the special gifts that are ours in Christ. The special gifts are things that the world did not give us and the world is powerless to take away.
The story from Luke 19:1-10 is about the conversion of the undignified tax collector, Zacchaeus. He is rich and powerful, but so what? He is also lonely, hated, and tired of it all. He wants something different. He needs something different. But what?
Zacchaeus hears about Jesus and decides he must see Jesus for himself. He wants to know what Jesus is offering and if that is what he himself so badly needs and wants. He is too short to see over the crowd, so Zacchaeus take the undignified approach of climbing a tree that overhangs the road. He literally climbs out on a limb in order to see Jesus.
Have you ever been out on a limb, hanging on for dear life? What put you there? Was it loss of a job, family problems, an addiction to alcohol or drugs, or maybe a health crisis?
It is not a comfortable place to be, out on a limb. But it is a good place to really see Jesus. And it is a good place to be seen by Jesus.
Jesus stops right under the tree. He invites Zacchaeus to come down and join him. He wants to spend time with Zacchaeus and to eat with him. He comes down and faces Jesus. And Jesus declares that his sins are forgiven. In response, Zacchaeus becomes a new man.
He faces up to the fact that he has done wrong and he commits to changing that. He asks for help and Jesus gives him that help.
Zachaeus is excited. He is a new man. He may no longer be rich and powerful, but he doesn’t care. He has found something so much better.
How about you? If you find you are out on a limb this morning, if you are looking for Jesus, if you want something different than the sins that are making you feel isolated and desperate, . . . then come down from your tree. Jesus invites you to join him on the way and to become part of something so much greater than anything you could imagine.
“. . . I tell you, this man went down to his hone justified rather than the other.”
(Luke 18:14 N.R.S.V.)
At Leasters and Sinners
The purpose of this parable is to help us catch a glimpse into the heart of God. It answers the question, “Who is worthy of receiving special treatment from God?” The answer is that none of us is worthy of God’s grace and forgiveness.
We may not like it, but the reality is that in this world some people get treated better than others.
Some people get the VIP treatment. Others get ignored. That is the way our world works. So it is not surprising that many people think that God works that way too.
The pharisee in Jesus’ parable was apparently one of those people. The pharisee thought that he deserved special treatment from God because he worked so hard to be pious and devout. The pharisee really was a good person according to the law of Moses. However, Jesus declares that the sinful tax collector receives God’s grace instead of the pious pharisee. The pharisee is condemned for his arrogance and his contempt for the tax collector.
While none of us might stand up in public and speak like the pharisee, we are guilty of playing the comparison game. Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, I may not be the best person in the world, but at least I never scammed vulnerable people out of thousands of dollars?” Or “I know I have my faults but at least I come to church every Sunday.” Or perhaps, “I may sometimes treat others in less than the most loving ways, but at least I’m not like that pharisee.”
This doesn’t mean that what we do or don’t do in unimportant. What we do is important because sin in any form hurts us and those around us.
The point of the parable is that God’s forgiveness and mercy cannot be earned or deserved.
It always comes as a free gift.
It is worth noting that Jesus was criticized many times in the gospels. But he was never criticized for being too harsh toward sinners. He was criticized for extending grace to sinners. For being too nice to them.
For Jesus came to save sinners. That’s you and me, and everyone else. Jesus came to save sinners, only sinners.
The Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our Faith.” (Luke 17:5N.R.S.V.)
Increase Our Faith
Jesus often tells us to have faith. In our text from Luke, he tells the disciples to forgive others, even if they commit the same offense seven times. In response the disciples say, “Increase our faith!” When we consider how difficult it is for us to forgive others, this makes perfect sense. If we are going to forgive, we need more faith and trust in God. Jesus says that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed they could say to a tree, “Be planted in the sea,” and it would obey.
In Mark 9, the disciples are unable to heal a boy suffering from epileptic seizures. When Jesus is able to accomplish the healing where they failed, he tells them that their failure was due to a lack of faith. And that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, they could move mountains.
So how does one increase in faith? Can one simply concentrate on denying doubt and therefore get what you pray for? I’m sure you will agree that it is not that simple.
The first thing to note is that everyone struggles with faith even the first disciples! The next thing is that faith is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and that it is part of an ongoing relationship with God. Finally, our faith is increased along the way. Faith is found in obedient service.
How do we increase our faith? Our faith is increased as we practice being faithful. Our faith is increased along the way as we journey with Jesus.
One more thing, from the story in Mark 9, when the boy with the seizures was brought to Jesus,
the father of the boy asks if it is possible for the boy to be healed. Jesus replies that all things are possible to one who believes. To which the father cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
This is one of my favorite prayers when I find myself in difficulty. “I believe, God, help my unbelief!”
1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31
Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. . .
You may have noticed that both of our scripture passages for today talk about money and material possessions. This is exciting stuff, really it is! It is a chance to reframe how we see the world and kingdom living. It is a chance to discover the secret to contentment and generosity. This is really good stuff!
The message of Jesus Christ is always good news! Even when that message challenges us and makes us squirm, it is always good news. Jesus Christ wants more for you!
So what is the good news for today? Part of what intrigues me about the passage in 1 Timothy is that it talks about contentment, generosity, and joy. Paul says that the proper use of money and possessions brings contentment and joy. How are you doing on the contentment and joy scale this morning? In our text from Luke, Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. We are not told the rich man’s name. He is simply identified by his economic status. He eats expensive food. He lives in a fancy house. He wears expensive clothing.
We are told very little about the poor man who hangs out begging by the rich man’s gate. But we are told this poor man’s name. His name is Lazarus.
We are told that he is very hungry and that he longs for even the crumbs that fall from the rich man’s table. He also suffers from sores on his skin. Likely because he cannot afford medicine. After they both die, their conditions are reversed. Lazarus is in a place of safety and comfort, while the rich man is in torment. He begs Father Abraham to send Lazarus to bring him even the smallest amount of water to cool his tongue. Abraham says it can’t be done.
The rich man then is resigned to his fate, but he begs that Lazarus be sent back from the dead to warn his five brothers so that they may not share in his torment. But Abraham replies, “They have Moses and the prophets, they should have listened to them. And even if someone were to come back from the dead, they would not listen.” This is a bit of foreshadowing of what will happen when Jesus himself does come back from the dead in his resurrection. In spite of his coming back from the dead, many refused to believe him.
What strikes me this morning about this parable is the way it challenges an unspoken assumption that many of us live by. That assumption is that our identity and importance are in our wealth and possessions. An extension of that is that God sees the world the same way we see it. We so easily believe that the wealth and possessions we have and how we use them is the way God ordained things to be.
Let’s look at the passage from Timothy. There we read that there is much gain in godliness and contentment. Our text also contains the line, “ . . . for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” It continues, “ . . . for in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” Did you get that? Their running after money has brought them pain and sorrow.
It is not money, of course, that is evil, but rather the love of money. The danger, Paul warns, is that money is seductive. No matter how much we have, it never feels like enough. How do we deal with that? How do we find contentment?
Paul says the way to combat love of money is to practice generosity. There is more to life than making money. And sharing what we have helps us bring things into focus.
Paul talks about contentment and generosity as being signs of spiritual health. Have you ever thought about it that way?
So how do we become more generous? We get there with practice, intention, and God’s help.
Luke 15:1-10
The one sin that seems hardest for us to conquer in ourselves is the sin of envy. Instead of being satisfied with having enough, we are always making ourselves unhappy because we want more than others. We want more attention, more wealth, more love.
We are all too often preoccupied with what is fair. We even have problems with God’s grace. God’s grace is not reserved for the hardest workers or the most deserving. God’s grace is poured out freely on all. And that just doesn’t seem fair.
How easily we forget that none of us actually deserves God’s grace. It is always an earned gift.
In our lesson for today, Jesus tells two parables about the grace of God. He talks about a woman who has ten coins. When she discovers that one of them is missing, she turns the house upside down until she has found it. Then she calls all of her neighbors together and throws a big celebration. And Jesus says, just so, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance.
Then he tells a story about a shepherd who has 100 sheep. When one of them gets itself lost in the wilderness, the shepherd leaves the 99 and goes in search of the one who is lost. When he finds the lost sheep, he throws a great party with his friends. And Jesus says, just so, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance.
It isn’t that the good shepherd does not care about the 99 who are safe, the point is that Jesus refuses to be limited. He refuses to spend all of his time and effort on the 99 and instead focuses on the one who is lost. It is not fair, but it is grace, it is love.
The reason that we have outreach programs is because that is the example of Jesus. He cares about those who are hurting and we are following his example. More than that, we are sharing in his joy. It is worth noting that in these two very short parables, Jesus uses the words joy and rejoicing five times. God takes joy in his people. Imagine that! God takes joy in being with you, yes. And God takes joy in being with the people we don’t like and try to avoid too. Imagine!
When two parties cannot be reconciled, there is a need for a mediator. Our text says, “For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all.”
Our sin and refusal to bow to God’s will is the problem. Contrary to popular belief, God is not out to take away all of our fun in life. Giving in to greed, lust, and hate will never lead to true joy in life. Instead, these sins destroy life. God wants so much more for us.
Even though we may know this on an intellectual level, we are still addicted to sin. We need help. We need someone to make a way back to God for us. That is what Christ Jesus does.
Our sin and separation from God does make God angry. But that does not mean that God is out to get us. God is angry because he wants so much better for us. In our text from 1 Timothy we read, “This is right and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
If your life seems empty and missing something vitally important, God invites you to come find what you are missing in him. Seek the face of God. Jesus Christ stands ready to help you do this. You have only to ask.
For the complete service and sermon, click on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roJR_o7ebd0
Luke 14:1,7-14
When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
(Luke 14:13 N.R.S.V.)
We are used to thinking of Jesus as a shepherd, comforter, prince of peace, lover of our souls. But here we see Jesus as judge. At first this might seem like bad news. No one likes to be judged or corrected. It is not fun. It is not a good feeling at all.
Let me suggest that Jesus judges us because we need it and because he loves us. We need to be corrected in our kingdom living. One of the greatest misconceptions about Christianity is that it is all common sense. In actual fact, there is much about following Christ that is not common sense. This is stuff that we would never have come up with on our own. There is much about Christian living that we must be taught, and judged, and for which we must be held to account. Otherwise, we will not mature in Christ.
It would be a poor parent indeed who simply accepted and affirmed the bad behavior of their children. “Oh, you want to go play in the traffic. Sure go ahead. Love you!” For the good of their child, parents must be judging and correcting. It is their job. So today we encounter Jesus as Judge. He is calling into question common ways of acting and living. He is challenging us to do better. And he is doing that because he loves us. Jesus loves us just as we are. But he also loves us too much to leave us in our sin. He wants more for us.
See the whole service by clicking the YouTube link to the side.
Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! (Luke
12:51 N.R.S.V.)
Popularity versus Faith
Many people today are guided by what is popular. Jesus was not guided by popularity. Although his healing and feeding miracles made him popular with many, Jesus was not afraid to challenge people to change and grow in ways that had many turning away. In our text Jesus says, “I come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
. . . Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!”
Jesus was not guided by what was popular but rather by what God wants. This is a challenge for us who want to follow Jesus. What we want or desire is not the same as what God wants for us. Many people don’t get that at all. A lot of people come to Jesus wanting a little bit of cosmetic surgery to their life. They want just enough of God so that they can feel a bit better about themselves. What Jesus offers is a heart transplant. Jesus talks about a baptism of fire. He talks about burning down the old life and starting over with a new life.
Jesus uses some hard language in our text because he knows how hard it is for us to change our lifestyles, to break with the value systems that have defined us in the past. I want you to note, however, that Jesus lived what he preached.
At the moment he was preaching this sermon, he was still very popular with the people. Yet, he knew that this would not last. He knew that in order to be faithful to God, he would have to endure the shame and pain of the cross. He knew all this. And yet, he was faithful. He willingly went to the cross for us.
The question before us is this: Are we willing to follow Christ all the way to the cross?
For the complete sermon and service click on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI9r2XB8oDY
Disciples vs. Apostles
In our text for today, the disciples have reached a critical point in their time with Jesus.
Up until now, they have been disciples, students. Now they are being sent forth as ambassadors.
That is what the world apostle means, one who is sent.
So here is the thing. Many Christians get stuck at the disciple level and never move on to the apostle level. Being a disciple, a student requires humility, dedication, and hard work. But it does not require power from above.
You can come to church for years and still doubt the power of the Holy Spirit. But you can’t go forth to do ministry without the help of the Holy Spirit.
Not every Christian is called to be a teacher or a preacher, but every Christian is called to be in ministry. The work of the church is the work of everyone.
So, if you are ready for the next step. If you are ready to be an apostle, an ambassador for the Lord, how do you start? The text suggests three things; prayer, bringing healing and peace, and witnessing that the kingdom of heaven is near.
So we are to announce the coming of the kingdom, and that is indeed good news. Living by God’s will is not a burdensome restriction. It is a relief and a joy.
You can view the complete service and sermon by clicking on this link:
2025 07 27 - A Change of Plans
In today’s text, Jesus is telling the disciples to be ready to continue his work. He tells them that “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He also tells them not to be afraid to live their faith. When Jesus says “the kingdom of God,” he is talking about the beloved community. This is the good life that God has always intended for us.
What is the beloved community like? In the beloved community God alone is worshiped and there are no idols, no murder, no stealing, no false witness, no covenanting. Doesn’t that sound like an inviting place to live?
In these passages from Luke and Hebrews, we learn that faith is the antidote to fear. Fear blinds us to the reality of the kingdom and to the many opportunities God gives us to live into the kingdom. While faith may be invisible, we can see its effects in the lives of the saints.
The challenge that faces the people of God is always to trust God and move forward with his work in spite of not having easy answers to the doubts that arise. Yet for those who perserve, there is life in the beloved community. It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
What is holding you back from living in the beloved community today?
For more on this click on the link below to view the whole service and sermon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqhvBlqvyPI
Naaman was a proud man and it must have been difficult for him to admit that he needed healing from God, especially when he didn’t even worship God. Then when he got to the house of Elisha, he was not greeted by the prophet himself, but rather by a servant who told him to go wash seven times in the Jordan River.
Again, Naaman had to humble himself and submit. At first he complained that the rivers of his home country were better than the Jordan. Then one of his advisors asked him, “If the prophet had asked you to do something hard, would you not have done it? Why then, are you refusing to do this easy thing?” Naaman heeded this advice and so was healed of his dreaded disease.
This sermon is done in the first person from Naaman’s perspective. It challenges us to consider why we are not doing the small, simple things that we already know God is asking us to do. It also challenges the idea that we are so good, or powerful that we do not need help.
For the full sermon and worship service, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoPTzDO30y4
This is the story of a major healing that Jesus does with a man who has so many demons he calls himself “Legion.” What is interesting to me about this story is what happens after the healing. Here is a man who has been so hated and feared that the townsfolk have driven him away. He is forced to live in the cemetery.
After he is healed, Jesus sends him right back to the very townsfolk who rejected him before. His mission is to witness to what God has done for him in the town that rejected him. That would be a difficult mission indeed!
It has been suggested that the modern mindset has become so focused in on the healing that Jesus can give us, that are ignoring the broader picture of God’s agenda. In our prayers, we have reduced God to merely another member of the health care team.
God is at work in the world around us and he invites us to join him in that work. Sometimes it is dangerous, inconvenient, and messy, but it is always glorious! What would you be doing if you opened yourself fully to what God wants you to be doing for him?
Do you dare? Do you trust God enough to do that?
See and hear the full service and sermon by clicking on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBx1iIbyfRM
Trust seems to be in short supply these days. Human beings often let us down and break trust with us. That is an unfortunate fact of life. But, here’s the thing. Our lack of trust in people can also bleed into a lack of trust in God.
Dr. Ronald M. Brown, a former professor at the University of Minnesota contends that we need to recognize two categories of trust. One that deals with God and one that deals with people. (Dynamic Preaching, June 2022, pg. 35) In human relationships our trust is conditional. Brown talks about people being “Iffers” and “Untillers.” We may not say this out loud, but we all have a list of expectations that others must meet in order to be trusted.
“I will trust you if you are consistent, if you are honest, if you don’t exaggerate.” In addition there are usually the until conditions. “I will trust you until you lie to me, or until you have an affair, or until you betray our secrets.”
Many people treat God the same way. “I will trust you if you answer my prayers the way I want.” “I will
trust you, God, until you let something bad happen in my life.” God, however, is not like people. God is always worthy of our trust. We may not understand what is happening, but we can trust God to always love us and work for our ultimate good. Learning to trust God in all circumstances and all times is the secret to knowing true joy and true peace. How can we move in that direction?
For more see the complete service and sermon at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v3292-awTs
Every church wants to believe that they are a healthy, vital church. But how do we judge that?
What makes a church a good, healthy church? What are the signs?
In our society, bigger is seen as better. So, society often judges the success of a church on the number of its members and the size of its budget. The larger these numbers are, the more successful a church is deemed to be.
Down deep, most of us know that the faithfulness of a church cannot be measured by this kind of numbers. But this impression persists because membership size and budget size are concrete numbers that are easily measured. Faithfulness, on the other hand, is an abstraction that is difficult to measure.
Having said that, let me reassure you that there are signs that we can look for to indicate if a church is healthy, faithful, and vital. A healthy, faithful, vital church is one that looks upward, outward, and forward.
A healthy, vital, faithful church is one that looks upward for the power of the Holy Spirit, outward for those in need, and forward toward the future that God is building for us.
For more see the full of video of our worship service and sermon by clicking on this link:
June 1 2025 - Signs of a Healthy Church
How to you respond when what you planned doesn’t work out the way you wanted it to? If you haven’t had that happen to you yet, it will happen to you. It is a universal experience. Things don’t always work out the way we planned them.
There is an old “Peanuts” cartoon strip most of us can relate to. Charlie Brown says, “I learned something in school today. I signed up for folk guitar, computer programming, stained glass art, shoemaking and a natural foods workshop.” He continues in the next panel, “(Instead, I got spelling, history, arithmetic, and two study periods.”
Charlie Brown’s friend asks, “So, what did you learn?”
“I learned that what you sign up for and what you get are two different things.”
There is no question as to whether you will experience times when things don’t go as planned. All of us have times when we say, “This is not what I signed up for.” But the real question is about how we respond to these changes. That is especially true when really bad things happen to us. Will we trust God in those times and seek his plans or not? Scripture reminds us that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and his ways are not our ways. How will we respond when our plans are destroyed?
Paul had great plans to take the gospel into Asia. But the Holy Spirit said, no! Then Paul had a dream about a man pleading, “Come over to Macedonia.” So what did Paul do? He immediately set sail for Macedonia. He was obedient. At at first he had little success, but he remained obedient. In the end, through his encounter with an unlikely woman named, Lydia, Paul started a new church there. What looked like a busted plan, was instead of utmost importance.
What will you do when God or life changes your plan? Will you keep trusting that God has a plan for this too? Will you see this as an opportunity that God is providing for you to do something important? Will you be obedient even when you don’t understand the plan?
For more see the complete service by clicking on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=tMNY3KMNt-Y&list=PL8LzK6qLS5-JSZBWWfVcXxt8uHj-NBa6P
No one is born a Christian.
My Grandpa Koerner came over from Germany just prior to World War 1. He had to go through a process to become a naturalized citizen of this country. My Grandma Koerner was born in this country so she did not have to do anything to become a citizen.
However, Christianity does not work that way. You may be born to a Christian family. You may be born in a Christian society. That does not make you a citizen of heaven. Someone has to tell you the good news of Jesus Christ and you have to accept Jesus for yourself. Someone has to tell you the good news. You can’t figure it out on your own. It is not something that comes naturally. It is not common sense. Someone has to share the good news with you. Before Jesus ascended to heaven he charged his disciples to tell others about him. Those others were to tell still others. And that has continued down through the centuries. Now it is up to us to share the good news with others.
Jesus knew this would be difficult sometimes so he sent the Holy Spirit to remind us of all that Jesus taught and to empower our ministry. He did not leave us or orphaned and on our own. We have the Holy Spirit to help us.
Our calling may be difficult, but it is not some terrible burden. After all, if you discovered the cure to cancer, would you not tell everyone you met? The gospel is even better news than that. Share the goodnews!
For more view the complete service and sermon by clicking on the link below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITrBKkFxShQ&list=PL8LzK6qLS5-JSZBWWfVcXxt8uHj-NBa6P
She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. (Acts 9:36 N.R.S.V.)
It is not easy being a mom. But we are so grateful for the mothers and mother figures in our lives. Among the things most of us learned from our mothers or mother figures is how to be compassionate. The ability to care about others is not something we are born with. We have to be taught how to be compassionate.
In our lesson from Acts we are introduced to a female disciple named Tabitha. We are not told if Tabitha was a mother in the traditional sense. There is no mention of children. What we are told is that she was a mother figure in the lives of many of the poor widows of her community.
Tabitha was known for her compassion, for her good works of love and caring. Tabitha was a woman of means, purpose, and compassion.
Tabitha was a woman of means. She had a certain amount of wealth, enough to afford both the material and the time to make dresses for poor widows. Tabitha was probably not extremely wealthy. But she had enough that she was comfortable. That makes her a good model for many of us.
Tabatha was using her means and influence. She didn’t just say to the poor widows who had no means of support, I’ll pray for you. She made dresses. She acted to correct the situation.
As the late Pope Frances is quoted, “First you pray, then you feed people. That is how prayer works.”
Tabitha was a woman of means and of purpose. As human beings we need a purpose in life. Tabitha had a purpose in life. She was serving God. She was helping people. She was making a difference.
Tabitha also had compassion. Compassion is empathy paired with loving action. It is the very opposite of the numbness and indifference to the pain of others that is so common in our society.
Tabitha was beloved by her community. You don’t get to be beloved by treating people
as if they were not worth your time. Right? And such compassion is contagious. When we experience it, we want others to experience it too.
For more, view and listen to the service by clicking on this link:
God did not stop working in the world with the death and resurrection of Jesus. He continues to shape and reform his church and his people. Just because we have long done something or long believed something does not necessarily mean that this is what God wants. We human beings seem to have an inexhaustible ability to sin and stray from God’s will.
At the same time, the world is always pulling at us to water our faith and actions down. So how do we know when God is calling us to change? What would it take for you to change a long held belief?
This week’s sermon explores what it took for the early church to accept gentiles directly into the Christian community. We need to remember that Jesus himself was a Jew. All of the original 12 disciples were Jews. Jesus’ message was first to the Jews. So was the good news of salvation just for the Jews or for those who were willing to convert to Judaism first?
Peter was given a powerful vision from God. He then was sent to witness to a gentile who was also an officer in the hated Roman Army. Peter saw first hand how the message was not only received, but also how the gift of the Holy Spirit was given to this gentile convert.
This sermon is a first person sermon in which I pretend to be the Apostle Peter and tell the story from his perspective. For more see the full sermon by clicking on this link:
Does God have a sense of humor? Did Jesus ever laugh out loud?
This last Sunday I preached on John 20:19-31. This is the story of Jesus appearing to the disciples in the locked room. Thomas wasn’t there and when told about the appearance of Jesus, he refused to believe unless he could see and touch Jesus for himself.
Jesus does appear to Thomas and invites him to touch and feel and believe. We are not told the tone of Jesus’ voice or the look on his face. Some imagine that Jesus was sternly rebuking Thomas for his lack of faith,.
While most would say that Jesus was joyful, traditional drawings of him show him as always serious and intense. I think those drawings sell Jesus short. Humor is one of God’s greatest gifts to us, and I believe that Jesus smiled and laughed often.
In the case of him appearing to Thomas, I see Jesus with an understanding smile. I see him here with a twinkle in his eye as he invites Thomas and the disciples in on the greatest cosmic joke ever. Satan and death thought that they had won, but here is Jesus back from the dead, laughing and celebrating with them.
How would other Bible stories change if we could see them in the light of God’s humor and laughter? For more you can view the whole sermon for Holy Humor Sunday at www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Zh22CnaxOeZmFdPVfVWCQ
Many people, even some Christians, think that God does not really intervene in our day to day lives. They think that in the beginning God set up the world and the natural laws and then left things alone. Many think that if God is watching us at all, he is doing so from a distance - off in heaven somewhere. That is a depressing thought because, if true, would mean that we are on our own to sink or swim.
The great, good news of Easter is that God does indeed intervene in history and in our lives. Jesus took on human form and lived among us to show us the way that is right in God’s eyes. He died on the cross that we might be forgiven for our sins and wanderings from God. On the third day, Easter, God intervened directly to raise Jesus from the dead. Those who put their trust in him will also be raised from the dead to eternal life with God.
Although Jesus is the most obvious example of God intervening in history and our lives, it is far from the only example in scripture. Time and again in scripture we read how it seemed like all was lost, but then God acted and changed the outcome.
For more on this theme, I invite you to view the Easter message at
www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Zh22CnaxOeZmFdPVfVWCQ
