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Showing posts from November, 2019

The Secret of Contentment

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Click here to listen to this sermon.  

Jesus Comes into His Kingdom

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"Crucifixion" by Andrea del Castagno Click here to listen to this sermon. And he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And He said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The road to the cross has been christened by Christian tradition as the Via Dolorosa , the way of pain and grief. The road begins at the fortress of Antonia and winds its way through Jerusalem about one-half mile to just outside the northwest wall of the city. It is this path that He treads in His final steps before Jesus comes into His kingdom. But His is no ordinary coronation procession. He is not astride a proud war horse, nor carried on a palanquin by four strong me, but He stumbles beneath the burden as He carries His own cross. He is not accompanied by a band of loyal and chivalrous knights, but a couple of convicted criminals, rebellious men. The sold

Who Are You? A Short Devotion

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Who are you? Where do you find your identity? These are important questions. Questions most of us ask at one time or another. Who am I? People look for identity in many places. Some turn to DNA samples and family trees. Some take a pilgrimage; others retreat in solitude. Some find identity in their work; others hop from job to job, searching for purpose. Some pour themselves into their families; others leave relationships hoping to “find myself.”   When some asks me who I am, I will probably tell them my name, occupation, where I grew up and attended school, a little about my family, and interests. From that information, you can begin to understand who I am and what’s important to me. Part of my identity is who I am as an individual, but much is derived from the people I’m a part of. You also gain a sense of my identity by what others say about me. God’s Word has a lot to say about me as an individual. It tells me that God created me as both a physical and spiritual being.

There's Still More!

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"The Resurrection of the Body" by Luca Signorelli Click here to listen to this sermon.

For All the Saints

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Click here to listen to this sermon. Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:13-14). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Today we observe All Saints’ Day. This day is a little bit different from other saints’ days we might celebrate in the Church. On other days we identify and commemorate one particular saint, such as St. Matthew or St. John. Just who are we commemorating on All Saints’ Day? Well, all the saints; but who are they? Traditionally, someone is called a saint who has lived an exemplary life of faith. Most of the people we call saints have been canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, which teaches that saints have lived so well that they have merited a superab

Be Prepared ... Not Afraid

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"Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem" by Francesco Hayez Click here to listen to this sermon. And [Jesus] said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once” (Luke 21:8-9). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Our text begins with Jesus hearing His followers discussing the impressive appearance of the temple. This would have been quite a natural response to looking at Herod’s temple, which was not only lavishly decorated but was also the largest religious structure in the world at the time. When Jesus tells them of the coming destruction of the temple they respond with the obvious question: when will this happen? The remainder of the passage is an extended speech by Jesus, a response that goes far beyond the q