Sermon Archive

Sermon Date: April 13, 2025

Palm Sunday / Maundy Thursday

John 12:12-19

“¹² “The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ¹³ they took palm branches and went out to meet Him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One — the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: ¹⁵ Fear no more, Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt. ¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. ¹⁷ Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify. ¹⁸ This is also why the crowd met Him, because they heard He had done this sign. ¹⁹ Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look — the world has gone after Him!”

Sermon Date: April 6, 2025

Justice and Judgment of God

In the refining fire of God’s judgment, we find,
A justice that restores, leaving no sin behind.
Not retribution, but a loving hand,
Guiding us back to truth, helping us understand.

As we view our lives through His loving gaze,
Our mistakes come to light, remorse ablaze.
With truth revealed, our hearts humbled and contrite,
Guided gently towards repentance, in His light.

In the furnace of His love, we’re cleansed by fire’s embrace,
Our sinful self-consumed, our true essence to replace.
Amidst the flames that sear, our genuine self is revealed,
As the dross is purged, our identity is healed.

Though the process may be painful, a journey of strife,
God’s refining fire brings forth abundant life.
With each burning ember, He molds and forms,
Shaping and renewing us through flames that transform.

Through the refining fire, we emerge anew,
Clothed in righteousness, His image shining through.
God, the consuming fire, devours lies, sin, and evil’s might,
In His presence, all darkness fades, consumed by His righteous light.

When judgment’s fire comes, our works will be laid bare,
Selfish deeds consumed, no trace left in the air.
But what was done in love, with selfless hearts ablaze,
Will stand the test of time, and receive eternal praise.

Every act of kindness, every word of grace spoken,
Will shine like radiant jewels, never to be broken.
For in the refining flames, our true intentions revealed,
And those fueled by love, in eternity are sealed.

Through His judgment, He sets all things right,
Bringing justice to every person, ending their night.
No soul forgotten, no injustice ignored,
His justice prevails, a promise fully restored.

His justice is good news, a cause to celebrate,
He restores all because we all relate.
His justice is a balm, healing every wound,
Drawing us closer to Him, no one is eternally doomed.

In the end, all will be made whole,
Every broken story, every shattered soul.
God’s restorative justice, a symphony of grace,
Bringing redemption and wholeness in every place.

So let us trust in His judgment, His divine plan,
For His justice is love-driven, not the wrath of man.
With His hands at work, everything will be set right,
His restorative justice, a beacon of eternal light.
(Copyright: Nick Wallace)

Psalm 33:5 “He loves righteousness and justice.”

Deuteronomy 16:20 “Justice, justice you shall pursue.”

Psalm 106:3 “Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!”

Proverbs 21:2-3; 12-13 “All a person’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs hearts. Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked; he brings the wicked to ruin. The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will himself also call out and not be answered.”

Proverbs 21:15-16 “Justice executed is a joy to the righteous but a terror to evildoers. The person who strays from the way of prudence will come to rest in the assembly of the departed spirits.”

Isaiah 1:16-17 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.”

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 “I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness. 1I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work.”

Micah 6:8-9 “Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God. The voice of the Lord calls out to the city (and it is wise to fear your name): “Pay attention to the rod and the one who ordained it.”

Sermon Date: March 30, 2025

Luke 15:11-32

“¹¹ He also said, “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. ¹⁵ Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. ¹⁷ When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. ¹⁹ I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.”’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. ²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate. ²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. ²⁷ ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ ³¹ “‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Sermon Date: March 23, 2025

1. Matthew 21:32 “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”

2. Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Be a watchman on the wall (Isaiah 62:6-7) standing on the walls of the Church, warning about enemies; Satan.

Stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30) interceding for others and pleading for God’s mercy.

Sermon Date: March 16, 2025

Mark 1:14-15
“¹⁴ Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the gospel.”

1 Peter 2:1-7
“¹ Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, ² and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, ³ if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. ⁴ And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” ⁷ This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers, “A stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief cornerstone, …”

Ephesians 2:19-22
“¹⁹ “So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 3:9-11
“⁹ “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Sermon Date: March 9, 2025

Luke 4:1-13

“¹ Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness ² for forty days to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry. ³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” ⁴ But Jesus answered him, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone.” ⁵ So he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ The devil said to him, “I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. ⁷ If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours.” ⁸ And Jesus answered him, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” ⁹ So he took him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you, ¹¹ and they will support you with their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” ¹² And Jesus answered him, “It is said: Do not test the Lord your God.” ¹³ After the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.”

Sermon Date: March 2, 2025

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (Christian Standard Bible)

“¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! ¹⁸ Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” ²¹ He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Sermon Date: February 23, 2025

Luke 5:27-32 (after Jesus healed a leper, and a paralytic; about which the church complained)
“²⁷ After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” ²⁸ So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. ²⁹ Then Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus at his house. Many tax collectors and other people were eating there, too. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the men who taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to Jesus’ followers, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” ³¹ Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to invite good people but sinners to change their hearts and lives.”

John 12:23-26
“²³ Jesus said to them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to receive his glory. ²⁴ I tell you the truth, a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die to make many seeds. But if it never dies, it remains only a single seed. ²⁵ Those who love their lives will lose them, but those who hate their lives in this world will keep true life forever. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me. Then my servant will be with me everywhere I am. My Father will honor anyone who serves me.”

Sermon Date: February 16, 2025

Fences; Fortunes; Faith

Aaronic Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.