A Famine Not of Bread

Photo by Robin D. Fish, Jr. Click here to listen to this sermon. “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will never be dismayed” (Isaiah 51:6). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! It seems a fitting text for today, given the recent solar eclipse. Judging from news reports and social media, there were a lot of people who were “lifting their eyes up to the heavens.” Hopefully, they did so with ISO approved safety glasses. Throughout history, total eclipses have caused a wide variety of reactions, including curiosity, awe, superstitious fear, and impending doom. It seems this last one is no exception. Some people predicted that this eclipse would signal the end of the world, since it’s been exactly 70 years since the modern nation of Israel...

Click here to listen to this sermon. But she came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And [Jesus] answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (Matthew 15:26-27). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! My one-year-old grandson, Boden, learned a new trick this week. When he’s full, he waits for their little dog, Poof, to come by. Then he reaches down from his high chair and hands Poof his leftovers and crumbs. Both of them seem quite happy with this arrangement. And let me tell you, when Poof has her teeth clamped on that scrap of food, you’re not going to get it away from her without a fight. The Canaanite woman was a lot like that little dog. When she got a hold of Jesus, she wasn’t going to let go until she got what she wanted—a few crumbs from the Master’s table. But Jesus wasn’t in a hurry to let her h...

"St. Peter Walks on the Sea" by Jame I. Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28–31). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Lisa was a hospice nurse so she knew how fragile life can be. She had helped countless people go through the dying process with their spouse or parent or child. She’d been with many families as they went through the storms of illness and the loss of loved ones. But suddenly it hit much closer to home. It started when she fell and broke her own elbow. Ten days later her father fell and broke his neck. After 35 ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over” (Matthew 14:20). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Every time I hear the story of the feeding of the five thousand, I’m reminded of my Grandma Moeller. No matter what hour of the day or how many people showed up unexpectedly, she could feed them and take care of them. No one ever left her table hungry. Perhaps you had a mother or grandmother like that. In the days before microwaves and pre-packaged foods, Grandma was a wizard at improvising and stretching a meal. Although she never would have been mistaken as a gourmet chef, she could turn a small beef roast and a few potatoes into more than enough for twelve. A loaf of Old Home bread, a brick of cheese, and a quart of ice cream made the made the most delicious “lunch” when people came visiting at night. How she was able to do that, I don’t know. I...