Audio Sermon for March 22, 2020 – “Mountain Top Faith”

No Fear

Like many faith communities, large and small, our congregation is trying to strike a healthy balance – no pun intended – between prudent response and panicked reaction – to the covid-19 pandemic. We have decided to temporarily suspend all group church activities, including Sunday morning worship services.  We have done this not because we think… Continue reading No Fear

Come Into the Light

Matthew 4:12-17 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of… Continue reading Come Into the Light

Silent Night, Holy Night

Tonight, in just a little while, I will gather with the members of my congregation, Elpis Christian Church, and we will do what we always do on this silent, holy night.  We will listen to a little music, sing a few carols, hear the Christmas story as told by Luke, and light some candles.  It… Continue reading Silent Night, Holy Night

Time to Wait

Well, it’s Advent again.  So what? In answer to that question – I have nothing new or flashy to offer.  I don’t have a catchy new program idea; music you’ve never heard; a video that will really grab your attention – nothing.  Except this… For thousands of years, people in need waited for God.  They… Continue reading Time to Wait

Family Guidance

Psalm 128:1–6  1  Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!  2  You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.  3  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.  4  Behold, thus shall… Continue reading Family Guidance

Prayer

We talk about it a lot.  Hopefully we do it frequently.  Yet it still remains something of a mystery for many.  Somehow, many of us are not quite sure we are doing it “right.” What am I talking about?  Prayer. It is key to our relationship with God.  No wonder then that the disciples specifically… Continue reading Prayer

Aging

My wife and I both had birthday parties this month. We had small but very nice celebrations that another 31,536,000 seconds had ticked by – that’s the kind of fact you can find in an instant on Google. So that has gotten me thinking a bit about aging – what the dictionary defines simply as… Continue reading Aging

Counting the Cost: Discipleship

I suppose it says something about my age that when I think of the word discipleship – several images come to mind: Jesus, sitting on a hillside, teaching his closest followers An oriental sage teaching a young monk nicknamed “grasshopper” A Jedi knight teaching a man named Luke Skywalker about “the force” I know –… Continue reading Counting the Cost: Discipleship

In the Lion’s Den: Integrity

Not many people I know have thoroughly read the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. A bunch of people I know are at least vaguely familiar with the story of “Daniel and Lion’s Den” found there.  Here’s a very quick synopsis: Daniel has been granted a great deal of responsibility by his boss. Some… Continue reading In the Lion’s Den: Integrity