A Famine Not of Bread

  Click here to listen to this sermon. [Jesus] came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch Him, for power came out from Him and healed them all. And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. And [Jesus] lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. ”   ( Luke 6:20-26). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! So, is it better to be dirt poor or filthy rich? Horribly hungr...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways!” (Psalm 128:1). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Greg and Jessi, Almost six months ago, we met for a similar, though much smaller, gathering, as you were joined together in the union of holy matrimony. In the sight of God and before your parents and grandparents, you pledged yourself, your faithfulness, to one another, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death parts you, according to God’s holy will. You were pronounced to be husband and wife in the eyes of the state and of the Church. Today, you will not repeat those vows, for they have been made once and they are for a lifetime. So, we are not gathered here today so you can have the wedding of your dreams—whatever that may we be. Neither are we here for the party—though I’m sure the reception will be wonderful. And ...

An adaptation of a short story by W.R. Evans I am an old church pew, an ordinary pew—like the ones you folks are sitting in now.   I belonged in a nice, ordinary church—something like your church.   My church was made up, for the most part, of ordinary, everyday people—people like you.   People who got together every Sunday for worship, who gathered with their families and friends for special holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. As some of you may have already discovered, one of the pleasures of old age is thinking back over one’s experiences and telling stories about people we have known.   I find it helps me remain more thankful for all of God’s blessings I have now, and it enables me to hold onto my hope for the future when I consider what He has already done in the past.   And since this is the evening before Thanksgiving Day—a time in which we reflect upon God’s blessings—I thought you might be interested in hearing my story. ...