LBFC Weekly Sermons

Advent is a time when those who follow the classic church calendar look forward to Jesus returning - an Advent, a coming. Many others look back to remember when he came born as a baby in Bethlehem. In this second Advent message we look at the theme of peace, better explained through the Hebrew word "shalom." What is our purpose in this time between Jesus' Advents, or comings? In this message, we c...

It's the Halloween season again. These days, Halloween has a bad reputation among many Christians. Is it deserved? Should Christians participate in the events surrounding Halloween? At the very least, we need not be afraid. In this message, recorded live on October 19 (apologies for the echo in the audio), Joe discusses some brief history of Halloween, positioning it in relation to All Saint's Day...

Well, we are certainly in a time when hate and violence seem to be gaining momentum and acceptance - even among some who claim to be Christian. The temptation to become a fierce, crusading warrior "for Jesus" is strong in our time, apparently. But no. Just no. This is not a new temptation. It is not Christian and not of Jesus. It is a deception. In this episode of the Christians, Politics, and Gov...

We took a two week break from our ongoing series starting Labor Day weekend. Circumstances conspired to make it impractical to release a pre-recording of the message for this past week (September 7, 2025). However, we recorded the message live in our English-language service on Sunday and decided to put it out on our podcast feed. It's about living in the wilderness of a broken world, and uses a r...

As was inevitable, some have wondered if this series has been "political" - wondering if that is improper. Christianity is political, and speaking as a Christian inevitably has political implications. However, we do not speak in a partisan manner to support one party or another. We speak the truth in love with wisdom, as nearly as we can discern it, with humility. We explore this theme in this epi...

In our series on Christians, Politics, and Government we are moving into considering what it means to love our neighbor. This message only mentions briefly any application of this idea to government and politics, so expect to be personally challenged. Of course, listeners are encouraged to consider how the concept of loving one's neighbor is embodied in our current politics and government policies...

In our series on Christians, Politics, and Government we are moving into considering what "other gods" may be taking priority in our politics, government - and in our own lives. This briefer-than-usual message includes questions for discussion and personal application, reproduced here for your convenience: Questions for Discussion: 1. What are "other gods" are given priority in our society? What o...

In our series on Christians, Politics, and Government we are moving into specific topics now that a foundation for a Christian approach is established. Our first topic is... immigration! Can we discuss immigration with others truthfully with less heat and light that shows us as people who love our neighbors - both those who already live in our communities and those who may be immigrating to join t...

How should Christians respond to evil? How should Christians respond to evil done in Jesus' name? In this episode we work through a bit more of the basic teaching of Jesus for all of his followers and then consider when to speak up, or act, and when to remain silent. Visit us on the web:  https://www.lbfc.org . Give: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3ZJ93YXC6X9AS Music "Front Porch"...

I'm sure you noticed the hostile tone of discourse in the media these days, even from those who claim to be Christians. In this episode we work through Jesus' ways of using words, beginning with a broader discussion of hate. Visit us on the web:  https://www.lbfc.org . Give: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3ZJ93YXC6X9AS Music "Front Porch" by Adam Selzer, see https://openchurch.com/...

We seem to be living in a time when politics is particularly driven by fear, when government is introducing policies that seem to be motivated or supported by fear. What does it mean to be a Christian - to follow Jesus, in such a time? We consider the most frequent instruction or command one can find in the Christian scriptures: "Do not be afraid!" Why? How? Can we love our neighbors and fear them...

What does it mean to be a Christian - to follow Jesus? Many Christians in the United States seem to be doing things that are inconsistent with following Jesus, or supporting such things. So how do we identify what it means to be a Christian? How do we evaluate the actions of our government? What responsibility do we have to speak up when things are done that are are inconsistent with following Jes...

Matthew reports in chapter 26, verse 30 that Jesus and the disciples sang... something? I mean, after eating the Passover meal that we often call The Last Supper. What did they sing? In this episode we discuss the Psalms that they would have sung (Psalms 113-118) and then my granddaughter Malea and I read them for your meditation so you can hear them in the context of Jesus going to the cross, bei...

In this episode we again consider what God is like. Beginning with the description God gives of himself in Exodus 34, we consider what it means that God is loving and faithful - two characteristics that are inseparable in God. Visit us on the web:  https://www.lbfc.org . Give: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3ZJ93YXC6X9AS Music "Front Porch" by Adam Selzer, see https://openchurch.co...

In this episode we consider what God is like. Following up on the description God gives of himself in Exodus 34, we consider what it means that God is compassionate. It may seem simple, but we often have a difficult time with compassion! Visit us on the web:  https://www.lbfc.org . Give: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3ZJ93YXC6X9AS Music "Front Porch" by Adam Selzer, see https://op...

In this episode we consider what God is like. Following up on the description God gives of himself in Exodus 34, we consider what it means that God is gracious. Visit us on the web:  https://www.lbfc.org . Give: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3ZJ93YXC6X9AS Music "Front Porch" by Adam Selzer, see https://openchurch.com/free-download/front-porch-1011834/, (CC-BY-SA-3.0) Most Scriptur...

In this episode we consider what God is like. Is he the angry, vengeful God so often attributed to the "Old Testament"? Is he like Jesus? Visit us on the web:  https://www.lbfc.org . Give: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3ZJ93YXC6X9AS Music "Front Porch" by Adam Selzer, see https://openchurch.com/free-download/front-porch-1011834/, (CC-BY-SA-3.0) Scripture quotations are from the Ho...

In this episode we consider the scriptures associated with Christmas from the standpoint of some passages we studied in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount - the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, and even the Sheep and the Goats passage from Matthew 25. Visit us on the web:  https://www.lbfc.org . Give: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3ZJ93YXC6X9AS Music "Front Porch" by Adam Selzer, see https:...

In this episode we consider three advents of Jesus. He has come, He is coming, and He will come! Visit us on the web: https://www.lbfc.org . Give: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3ZJ93YXC6X9AS Music "Front Porch" by Adam Selzer, see https://openchurch.com/free-download/front-porch-1011834/, (CC-BY-SA-3.0) Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®...

In this episode we conclude our series on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, covering his challenge to "build our house on the rock." We consider in some detail a foolish plan for life that is building on sand. We encourage everyone to check out the Bible Project series at https://bibleproject.com/playlists/  and https://bibleproject.com/podcasts/the-bible-project-podcast/. Visit us on the web:  https://...

We've arrived at the concluding challenge section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In this podcast the focus is Jesus' warning against the danger of false prophets. The podcast from last time that reviews the Sermon on the Mount, as referred to in this episode can be found at https://five.libsyn.com/show/episodes/view/33713342 The Long Beach Ministers Alliance Post-Election Prayer Video can be viewe...

We've arrived at the concluding challenge section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In this podcast we briefly review the sermon so far, and then focus on the images of two gates that Jesus uses in his conclusion: one small opening to a narrow road and one broad leading to an easy road. We also take a little detour into a discussion of "many" and "few" with respect to who finds the gate that lead to...

Jesus has taught us to seek first God's kingdom and right relationships - and not to judge or condemn others, but to use discernment. He has moved into teaching us about our relationships with one another. And then, he says "Ask, Seek, Knock..." For what? We often take this passage out of context and miss Jesus' point. This session includes a reference to the August 1, 2024 message that you can fi...

Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount" has included his warning against hypocrisy, then his encouragement toward generosity, and last time we condluded with his admonition that we cannot serve both God and money! That naturally brings up our human inclination to worry about the future. This time, we consider Jesus' teaching to leave worry behind, instead seeking first God's kingdom and right relationships....

We worked through Matthew 6.16-24, focusing on the purpose of prayer and fasting, and then on generosity. In this passage, Jesus talks about "storing up treasure in heaven." What is that, exactly? We encourage everyone to check out the Bible Project series at  https://bibleproject.com/playlists/  and https://bibleproject.com/podcasts/the-bible-project-podcast/. Visit us on the web:  https://www.lb...