Humble Ourselves and Pray February 4th, 2007 Gerry Doerksen Text: 2 Chronicles 7:14 Good morning! If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways Then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. (2nd Chronicles 7:14 ) This Old Testament passage has been important to me since my Bible School days. I think I like it so much because,…
Fellowship Gone Global January 28th, 2007 Gary Harder Text: Psalm 71:1-6 Jeremiah 1:4-13 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Introduction: Seeing in a mirror dimly Just over two weeks ago now I had some very minor surgery on my right eye. As surgeries go this was about as minor as it gets, though the technical name for it is quite impressive. Right medial pterygium excision and conjunctival transplant. No, not a cataract surgery. It is simply that a film was growing…
The Gift Exchange January 14th, 2007 Michele Rizoli Text: John 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Psalm 36:5-10 Now that Christmas is over, we’re taking down decorations, starting diets and maybe heading to the stores to exchange some gifts. I need to tell you that one of my culture-shock experiences in North America is the idea that it is acceptable to exchange a gift. I can understand the need for a different size of something, or maybe a different colour sweater,…
Love Reveals the Way January 7th, 2007 Gary Harder Text: Isaiah 43:1-7 Luke 3:15-17; 21-22 Introduction “I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). I was intrigued this week by the two lectionary texts for today. The one from Isaiah 43 is addressed to exiles. It is addressed to people in despair. The second one, from Luke 3, is addressed to…
Love Frees From Fear December 17th, 2006Geoff Wichert Text: Isaiah 12:2-6 Zephaniah 3:14-20 Luke 3:7-18 Philippians 4:4-8 Most of today’s texts talk about not being afraid but first I want us to note how much fear is part of the Christmas story in fact, according to the gospel accounts, each of the major characters is instructed by an angel to not be afraid Stories: to Zechariah: “Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord,…
Love Invites Repentance December 10th, 2006 Gary Harder Text: Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 3:1-6 Introduction Ah, the baby grew up – and who could have known what the adult version would look like. The cute baby became a – well, a desert hermit breathing thunder and telling people off, calling them a brood of vipers. His parents were really too old to have a baby, and because his father just didn’t believe the angels message that his wife would…
Sermon on the Mount #9 (Conclusion): Living Into Dying, and Dying Into Living November 26th, 2006 Gary Harder Text: Matthew 7:13-28 IntroductionWe come today to the end of our series of sermons on the Sermon on the Mount. The section for today, Matthew 7:13-28 is often called the “Epilogue”. We come today also to the last Sunday of the old church year. Next Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, begins the new church year. This last Sunday is called “Eternity…
Sermon on the Mount #8: Fakes Exposed November 19th, 2006 Gary Harder Texts: Romans 2:1-4 Matthew 7:1-12 Introduction The Matthew text for today divides neatly into two chunks, but then each chunk has an awkward appendix. Part one is about a critical spirit. Part two is about trusting in God. 1) Judging others Jesus hits us between the eyes on this one. For two whole chapters of Matthew, of this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been…
Sermon on the Mount #7: Turning the Other Cheek: The Doormat Jesus November 12th, 2006 Tim Schmucker Text: Matthew 5:38-48 “Hit ‘em in the face. Come on, you gotta hit ‘em in the face” the boys standing around us impatiently shouted at me. It was the first real fight I had ever been in, with the real use of fists. Not just a smack or a shove. My enemy at the moment was my friend Ricky, the…
Sermon on the Mount #6: Don’t Worry, Be Happy November 5th, 2006 Jonathan Slater Text: Matthew 6:19-34 Romans 4:16-25 A young woman brings home her fiancé to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother tells her father to find out about the young man. The father invites the fiancée to his study for a drink. “So what are your plans?” the father asks the young man. “I am a Torah scholar,” he replies. “A Torah scholar. Hmmm,” the…