Second City Sermons

It is an undeniable characteristic of human personality to think of ourselves as good. Deep down we say to ourselves “I am alright – I’ve got this. The Bible is unflinching in its condemnation of our foolish high view of ourselves. But God does not leave us in despair. There is hope in the unmerited favor found only in Jesus. Listen to learn more….

Matthew 11:25-30 records six verses that are some of the most lovely and precious in all of God’s Word. Jesus praises His Father in heaven for revealing Himself to those of His choosing. He rejoices that their fellowship is complete with each other and revealed to those whom the Son chooses. Therefore, Jesus calls to those who are weary and burdened to come to Him for He alone is able to give them...

Our precious savior Jesus Christ, out of love for His cherished Bride, as provided leaders in the church as gifts to equip the followers of Jesus for the good work of ministry so that they will grow strong and devoted to God as each person is able to provide what God enables so that the whole Body of Christ is built up in love as each person does their part.

Joshua meets a man with his sword drawn and asks, “Are you for us or for our enemies.” Will you try to help us? Or are you another formidable obstacle we will have to overcome? The answer he receives is a surprising relief: “No! I am the commander of the army of the Lord. I have come.” Exhale! Now I can breathe again. All my fears, all my attempts at formulating a plan of attack, can end. I am not...

How do we trust God in the midst of life’s challenges? The book of Job tells us our hope is ultimately anchored in God showing up and not in figuring out what God is doing or even in answers to our prayers. We maintain and even grow in trust as we wholeheartedly communicate our pain and suffering through lament and affirm our trust in knowing the love of Christ.

In 1 Kings 22, the prophet Micaiah stands alone against King Ahab and 400 of his false prophets. Though pressured to speak favorably of the king, Micaiah insists on being faithful to the word of the Lord, causing him to be thrown into prison. Micaiah presents a picture of faithful service to God and his word. Micaiah's brave stand against certain consequence foreshadows the very life of Jesus.

Matthew 20:1-16 "The Kingdom of God is His" is a short parable where Jesus teaches His disciples and us that God is in full control of His creation, so that all who are His, the workers in the vineyard, regardless of one's time and level of involvement, all receive the fullness of His love and fellowship unto eternal life. All God has to offer is complete and full in Jesus Christ and comes to His...

Jesus interacts with a rich young man seeking to know what he must do to get eternal life. The man's pretense is that he has done many good things but still thinks he has something else he needs to do. Jesus shows the man his own heart, in that he is more focused on himself and his many possessions than on God. The seemingly very capable man turns away causing Jesus' disciples to question whether...

Are we in the habit of praying to the Lord and recognizing his answers to our prayers? It was an amazing time in the history of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Hezekiah was a good king. Isaiah was prophesying – one of the best kings ever – one of the greatest prophets ever. There was also one of the worst adversaries ever - the Assyrian Empire. In those days this Hezekiah became proud. In those day...

Are we in the habit of praying to the Lord and recognizing his answers to our prayers? It was an amazing time in the history of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Hezekiah was a good king. Isaiah was prophesying – one of the best kings ever – one of the greatest prophets ever. There was also one of the worst adversaries ever - the Assyrian Empire. In those days this Hezekiah became proud. In those day...

When a person first receives Christ, the natural question that is upon their heart is, what do I do now? How do I live this faith that has been given to me by God's holy spirit? How do I live my life now that Jesus is my savior lord? And new believers tend to answer that question by looking at people that they perceive are, further along in their spiritual walk and patterning their lives after tho...

Transitions in life are difficult. The birth of a child; the death of a parent/someone you love; a major change in your health; a change in marital status; graduation from school, college, university; going off to college; losing a job; starting a new job… MOVING. I could go on and on. How long has it been since your last major transition? The Children of Israel were getting ready to make THE BIG...

Numbers 6:24-27 may be the most common benediction in Christian worship. "The Lord Make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you" is at its center. What do we make of this? What does it mean for a deity to "turn his face toward you?" Is this a good thing? Is God's grace all that we need?

This lovely parable of Jesus has a simple message of living life with all that God provides for each of us for His glory and honor. No comparisons are needed. Some are given more, and some are given less. Each of us can enjoy the Master's Happiness by using the best we can, that which He has given to us for His pleasure. We do all of this in the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we can work wit...

Psalm 23:4-6 highlights the core of Psalm 23 with the statement of David that he knows, The LORD, his Shepherd is always with him . David proclaims that it is The LORD who is with him in the Valley of The Shadow of death. It is the LORD who comforts him with correction and instruction. And it is the LORD who guides and directs him through life and unto eternal life in Jesus Christ by the almighty...

In Psalm 23, David describes the reality that Yahweh, the One true and living God, revealed in Jesus Christ, is the Shepherd of His blessed people. He is our Creator and He is our Sustainer. He provides all that is needed for His people, "His sheep", in this world and in the next. He is the One who enables us to be at peace with ourselves, with Him and with others. Out of this relationship in Jesu...

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the foundation of our Christian faith. If surveys are correct, Christians spend little time in the Scriptures, let alone delighting in them, yet they are our foundation and “rule faith and life”. We learn to delight in the Scriptures by letting go of needing to have all the answers, accept the mystery of the ambiguities and difficulties of Scripture...

In the first chapter of Genesis, the very first book in the Bible God speaks and brings the world into existence. He places all things where he wants them. At the end of his creative work God makes us. He makes humankind, male and female. He makes us after his image. And what we read there, right at the very beginning, is that the first thing that God after making us is to bless us. “And God bless...

After the long Emmaus road resurrection narrative where the Cleopas and his companion have burning hearts for God's Word and their eyes opened by the broken bread of Jesus, Jesus appears to the eleven disciples and he leaves them with a commission that they would take the news of Jesus from Jerusalem with the aid of the Holy Spirit, the "power from on high"! But what news of Jesus are they to take...

It is very easy to get lost in the theological ramifications of Jesus’ death and miss the perspective of those who witnessed his crucifixion in all of its gory spectacle. As they walked home from Jerusalem, after Jesus’ death, Cleopas and Mary were most likely emotionally overwhelmed. Despair was their companion when they meet one whom they did not at first recognize. In describing Himself in the...

Jesus has risen. Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James have encountered the empty tomb and an angel. Peter races to the tomb and finds only empty strips of cloth. What is going on here? The obvious answer has yet to manifest himself. Next in his account, Luke tells us the experience of Cleopas and his wife Mary as they walk back to Emmaus reflecting on the tragic events in Jerusalem,...

Henry David Thoreau said "The price of anything is the amount of life you are willing to exchange for it". That's an amazingly insight for budgeting and for how we spend out resources, whether that be our money or our time or our intellect or anything else that we have. It is also an amazing insight into the gospel of Jesus. New life broke forth into the world that first Easter morning and we are...

The last words in Jesus' ears were not "Crucify him!" but rather "save yourself." He had entered Jerusalem to cries of "Hosanna!" which means "Save us!", Jesus stays on the cross not to save himself, but to save us. He doesn't save himself, but rather he saves the guilty, he saves us. This is the good news. And this good news is received as we, like the thief on the cross, know that we have nothin...

lm branches swaying, cloaks being thrown on the ground and shouts of Hosanna in the air. All of these things that took place on that first Palm Sunday during our Lord's "Triumphal Entry" were asking Jessu to be a savior and a king of their liking, establishing their nation, doing away with Rome and having an Israelite back on the throne. They wanted the cosmis yes-man in their court. How similar a...

As we make our way our way with our Lord through the streets of Jerusalem to the place of the Skull, Luke gives us two short vignettes, two short encounters with others. There are women mourning what is happening to Jesus. They are likely mourning death, but even more mourning the fact that the Romans have the power they have and kill the way they do. To them, Jesus says, "Mourn for your...