First Mennonite Church October 5, 2014 A Word of Encouragement Texts: 2Corinthians 1:3-5; 1Thessalonians 5:9 In the New Testament and particularly in the writings of the apostle Paul, we find a call to comfort and encouragement each other. In the Letter to the Hebrews the call to give daily encouragement to one another is to … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church September 28, 2014 Unity Is Not Only Good but Necessary Scripture reading Matthew 12: 22-32; Psalm 133 Before I go on to my central topic of unity, let me make two observation that are important in this text. The first is what Jesus says in verse 30. Jesus does not make … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church September 21, 2014 The Compassionate Father Text: Luke 15:11-31 A modern version Rudy and Kim raised a beautiful family of two girls. This couple was hardworking and well-respected in the community. They loved their daughters and provided for their every need. But when Mindi, the oldest of their children turn 16, she … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church August 3, 2014 A Healing Serpent and a Life-giving Cross Text: Numbers 21:4-9; John 3: 14-20 When children become bored, because they cannot watch TV, surf the internet, or eat junk food, they begin to grumble about everything else. Their world seems to consist of these three things they do not have … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church September 7, 2014 Two Incompatible Communions Text: 1Corinthians 10:14–22 Today we are having Communion. Sometimes it is also called the “Lord’s Supper.” This Christian practice of eating the bread and drinking the cup in the context of worship draws it source beyond the time of Jesus. Jesus himself established it in the … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church August 31, 2014 Making Hard Choices Text: Matthew 4:1-11 We live in an extremely divided society. And people are forced to choose sides. You have to either be Republican or Democrat, pro-choice or pro-life, tree hugger environmentalist or hardheaded denier, pro-Israel or pro-Muslim and so on. Besides these major social dividers … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church August 24, 2014 A Nation Like No Other Texts: Exodus 19:1-6; Numbers 23:9 The Exodus event, as we have been studying, has rich symbols and casts bright flashes of light on the Christian faith and life. Many elements within this great event transcend the life of Israel. Take for instance the institution … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church August 10, 2014 From the Fringes to the Whole Camp Text: Numbers 11: 1-15 You must have heard the story of Billy Sunday, the Chicago evangelist of the late 1880s and early 1900s. Billy Sunday was born into poverty in Iowa and spent some time in an orphanage. At the orphanage, Billy … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church July 27, 2014 Samuel: A Gift Received and A Gift Returned 1 Samuel 1: 1-28 (NIV) 1Samuel chapter 1 is a family drama. But beyond the immediate story of Elkanah, his two wives and their yearly trips to Shiloh, this story sets the stage for the larger story of Israel. (I will … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church July 6, 2014 The Great Deliverance (Exodus Series I) Exodus 12:29-42 (NIV) 29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as … [Read more…]