Sermons From My Heart

What is so good about Good Friday? That is the question many of us probably ask when Good Friday comes around every year. After all, what is good about a day that commemorates Jesus' horrible torture and execution on a Roman cross? Good Friday is a dark day in some respects because it commemorates the day that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but it is also a bright day in other ways because...

John 13:31-35 is part of Jesus' farewell speech to his disciples. It takes place on the night before his crucifixion, and he is giving his disciples final instructions for continuing his work. Many of you have also provided instructions for loved ones at other points in your lives. For example, if you went away on trips you likely gave instructions to other people for picking up your mail, checkin...

Palm Sunday is a turning point in our journey of faith with Jesus. We walk alongside Him as He enters the holy city of Jerusalem for the last time. His fame as a messenger of God has travelled far. He is riding in triumph and humility on the back of a donkey. The crowd has spread their cloaks on the ground before Him and has strewn His path with palm branches. Jesus had to go to Jerusalem for the...

When someone makes a promise to you, do you expect them to keep it? I certainly do, and after reading Genesis 17:1-7,15-16, we can expect God to keep His promises to Abraham. God was committed to the covenant He made with Abraham and his descendants. God declared Abraham righteous in Genesis 15 simply because Abraham believed, but this faith must never be separated from obedience that flows from f...

The passage from John 11:30-47 shows Jesus at some of the highest and lowest points in his ministry. Jesus was told a few days earlier that his friend Lazarus was sick, but he waited for two days before he and the disciples went to the home of Mary and Martha, who were Lazarus’ sisters. By the time he arrived, Lazarus had been dead for several days, so it’s not surprising that Mary and Martha were...

We often say, “I don’t understand why God let my loved one be taken. I don’t understand why He is allowing me to suffer physically. I don’t understand the paths by which He is leading me. I don’t understand why plans and purposes that seem good to me should be baffled. I don’t understand why blessings I need badly are so long delayed.” We don’t have to understand all of God’s ways. In fact, God do...

The first seven chapters of the Book of Romans focused on the power of sin in our lives, and they have set the stage for chapter 8 by discussing Paul’s ideas about sin. Our reading today from Romans 8:1-11 is an entrance into friendly territory. It talks about the Holy Spirit, which was not mentioned in the previous seven chapters. In chapter 8 alone there are 21 specific references to the Holy Sp...

We live in a dark world that is full of temptation and evil. We try to live our lives as Christians, and sometimes we go astray. Most temptations are not great, obvious ones. We may never have been tempted to murder, commit adultery, or worship idols. Can we say the same thing about common sins like gossip or backstabbing? Have we never repeated a juicy rumour, even though we knew it was hurting a...

How many of your either know or knew someone who people might say is “different?” They end up in this category for many different reasons-race, colour, creed, beliefs, religion, the community they live in, or even a disability. I can tell you from personal experience that it is no fun to be labelled as “different.” I can sympathize with the blind man in John 9:1-41. I hope that all of us as Christ...

John 4:5-42 marks a shift in Jesus ministry. It marks a shift from ministry to the Jews only to ministry to both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus had to go through Samaria. God is willing to go anywhere to meet us as sinners. No one is outside the reach of God’s love. God’s gifts are for outsiders. Those who consider themselves worthy of those gifts will be in for a nasty surprise! Become a supporter of t...

Good morning boys and girls! Who likes getting gifts? I certainly do. Let me ask you this. Is something a gift if you have to pay for it? If you have to pay for it or do something for it, it isn’t a gift. When someone gives you a gift, it doesn’t cost you anything. All you have to do is accept it. What is the one thing you should not do when someone gives you a gift? The one thing you should never...

One of the most famous Bible verses is John 3:16: "For God so loved the world." Just how great is God's love and how could we measure it? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sermons-from-my-heart--2423678/support .

When we look upon the crucified Christ, like the Israelites who were bitten by serpents in Numbers 21 looked at the bronze serpent on the pole and lived, we are given a new life. In other words, we are born again. When we are born again, we receive the Holy Spirit. It encourages us to meet our needs in a way that honours God. It leads us to salvation, regenerates us, convicts us of our sinfulness,...

Have you ever faced temptation in your life? Each and every one of us has faced life’s temptations at some point in time, and we are always faced with the issue of how we are going to face them. Even Jesus was tempted, as we have heard in today’s Gospel reading. We can be tempted at any stage in life. Do we fight temptation or give in to it? Matthew 4:1-11 gives us instructions about how we as Chr...

When Moses came down from the mountain after his meeting with God, his face shone with the radiance of God’s glory. It was the same glory that Jesus radiated during the Transfiguration. When God’s glory shone in the faces of Moses, Elijah and Jesus, people saw them as they truly were and always have been. When we meet God for the first time, we are changed. Every time we meet God after that, we ar...

Have you ever had a moment when your life was changed? Perhaps it was similar to the Transfiguration. That moment changed the lives of Peter, James, John and Jesus, just like moments in our lives can change us. The disciples were changed from fearful, anxious, inactive cowards to brave, confident, active champions of the faith. We are also transformed when Jesus touches us, and we need that touch...

In 1 Kings 11:4-10, we see a good example of the old saying that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Solomon’s religious earnestness of his younger days was weakened by wealth, luxury, sensualism, and the increasing pagan influence of his foreign wives. Solomon did not completely abandon God. He continued to worship God and made his offerings three times a year in the temple. Become a supporter...

In the reading we just heard from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus spells out to the disciples and to us what the distinguishing marks of a Christian will be in the world. Jesus’ use of the symbol of salt emphasizes the call and influence of purity Christians bring to society. Just like salt keeps food from spoiling, Christians are preserving elements in society. They make the earth more authentic. Because...

Many of you have been in a situation where you’ve heard the last words of a friend or a loved one who was dying. A dying person’s final words are significant. These words may include final instructions or a final goodbye. Leaders typically give advice to their successors, and the words in 1 Kings 2:1-4,10-12 are no exception. King David’s death marked the end of a momentous 40-year reign in Israel...

Have you ever heard of the old saying, “Good things come to those who wait”? If so, the story of Simeon, Anna and the baby Jesus in the temple in Luke 2:22-40 is a good example. The coming of Christ involved all manner of waiting on God. A young maiden, a dying man and an old widow all model hearts yielded to God. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sermons-from-my...

If you could ask God for one thing, what would it be? In the passage we just heard from Psalm 27, David gives us a good suggestion. He longed to live in the house of God. He didn’t want to step away from God. Similarly, we as Christians should long to live in God’s house, because when we get there we will never want to leave. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ser...

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sound familiar? In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul addresses a problem that still exists today. That problem is the lack of unity in the Christian church. The Corinthian Christians were divided into factions based on who had baptized them instead of being united in the faith and the Gospel. They identified with different leaders because in that cult...

Have you ever stumbled around in the dark-either at night or during a power outage? It’s not a very pleasant experience, is it? Darkness is associated with a number of unpleasant things. When we are in the dark, we tend to move slowly or wander aimlessly. We tend to be scared in the dark, mainly because we can’t see the dangers that would be apparent if it were light. There is something about dark...

How many of your have ever gone fishing? What do you have to take with you when you go fishing? Suppose you forgot to take one of these things with you? Would you be able to catch any fish? Everything you need to go fishing works together to help you catch fish. Jesus wants to take us fishing, but we’re going to catch something other than fish. When we go fishing with Jesus, we fish for people. Je...

The season of Epiphany emphasizes mission and ministry, and the Gospel reading from Matthew that we heard a few minutes ago is especially appropriate for today. Jesus has called all of us to serve others as he did, to follow him, to sacrifice comforts, to bless the lives of others, to minister to the sick, and to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://ww...