A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. On this day when your hearts are filled with both grief and joy, we are certainly reminded of the truth that life in this world is temporary. Isaiah writes, “ All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:6b-8). The psalmist prays, “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before You. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!” (Psalm 39:4–5). We even incorporate the temporary into our language. We say that Gerrit passed away last Sunday. And even though Gerrit lived to be 83 years old in this passing world, we know that is really such a brief time when compared with eternity. As we gather t

"Jesus and the Canaanite Woman" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. "It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Our Western society, for the most part, has a high view of dogs. We invest a lot of emotional and financial resources in taking care of them. For many, probably for many of you, dogs are part of the family. A significant number of modern young couples have opted to have fur babies rather than bringing children into the world. The average dog owner spends about $1,200 a year for each dog. Many others splurge on spas, designer dog collars, gourmet food, and even electronic devices that allow them to “facetime” their dogs during the day. But throughout most of history and all around the world, people had a rather low opinion of dogs. We see that throughout Scripture. In Exodus 22:31, the term “dog” refers to the dogs that roamed

"His Mighty Hand" by Yongsung Kim Click here to listen to the sermon. Immediately [Jesus] made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 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.” Jes

"Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. “Now when Jesus heard [about the death of John], He withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed Him on foot from the towns. When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ But Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They said to Him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And He said, “Bring them here to Me.’ Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate