Sermons From My Heart

In Isaiah 55:1-9, God contrasts his thoughts and ways with the sinful thoughts and ways of the Israelites. Human plans inevitably fail and falter, but God’s plans are different. When He promises forgiveness and restored blessing for His people, He will be true to His word. Just as the rain and snow fall to the ground and fulfill their God-given purpose unhindered, God’s promises and purposes will...

Have you ever had something bad happen to you and it made you ask if God is punishing you or why God allowed it to happen? Well if you have, you’re not alone. People have asked this question since the beginning of time, and this same question is the foundation of the Gospel reading from Luke 13:1-9. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sermons-from-my-heart--2423678...

Jesus is like the fairy Delphinium in this story. He is always willing to forgive us, and he will never leave us not matter how badly we behave. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sermons-from-my-heart--2423678/support .

In Luke 13:31-35, a group of religious leaders went to Jesus and said to him, "Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!" Jesus replied, "Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must go about my business. It just wouldn't do...

There are three stages in every successful relationship, including romance. First, you must get to know the other person. Second, you must like the other person. Finally, you must love the other person. Our relationship with Jesus involves all three stages. Paul emphasizes this in Romans 10:1-13. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sermons-from-my-heart--2423678/su...

During Lent we prepare ourselves to share in and celebrate the real reason for our faith; namely, Christ’s death and resurrection. Lent is a spiritual desert similar to Christ’s 40 days in the desert, or the Israelites’ 40 years in the desert in the Book of Exodus, or Christ’s journey to Jerusalem. We live this experience in our lives during the annual observation of Lent. Become a supporter of th...

The choices we make today affect our future. Our words, our actions, how we use our money, the time we spend in prayer can be translated to eternal treasure when they are submitted to God. What the world offers isn’t what we are looking for. It leaves us disappointed. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sermons-from-my-heart--2423678/support .

Have you ever had a day that was so wonderful that you wanted it to last forever? I am sure you probably have. Did you know that Jesus' disciples had days like that too? The reading from Luke 9:28-36 is about one of those days. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sermons-from-my-heart--2423678/support .

When someone treats us badly, how do we respond? How do we treat them? The answer matters a lot. Negative responses such as back-stabbing don’t solve conflict. They don’t give us peace. Christ tells us to pray for those who persecute us. When we pray for them, God sets us free from the anger, the resentment and the pain. Sometimes the enemy changes, and sometimes they don’t, but praying for our en...

Jesus had something to say about being happy. The passage from Luke 6:17-26 is one of those times. The lesson begins with Jesus surrounded by a huge crowd of people. Have you ever noticed that wherever Jesus went, he drew large crowds of people? Why do you suppose that was? Maybe it was because many of them were sick, crippled, or injured and wanted Jesus to heal them. Perhaps some of them had a t...

The story of Jesus teaching from the boat in Luke 5:1-11 occurs early in his earthly ministry. He preached to the crowd, and then he asked Peter to do something that did not make sense to Peter. He asked Peter to go fishing in the daytime. As someone who had fished in this particular area for most of his life, Peter knew that the best time to catch fish was at night, because during the day the fis...

The reading from Isaiah 6:1-13 asks a curious question: “Who will go for us?” Why was this phrase used? It is because it is a foreshadowing of the Trinity. This passage is the most famous call of a prophet in the Bible. It is regularly offered as one of the readings for Trinity Sunday, apparently due to the thrice-repeated cry of “Holy.” The three cries were made to the three members of the Trinit...

The reading from Isaiah 6:1-13 asks the curious question "Who will go for us?" Why was this question asked? It's because it's a foreshadowing of the Trinity. This passage is the most famous call of a prophet. It is regularly offered as one of the readings for Trinity Sunday, apparently because of the repeated cry of "Holy." The three cries were made to the three members of the Trinity. Become a su...

The entire third chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians was devoted to the subject of justification. The word “foolish” refers not to inadequate intelligence but a lack of wisdom. It is living by the world’s rules rather than according to God’s Word. Paul realized that the Galatians didn’t lose faith because of judgment and reason. He knew that they were influenced by false teachers. He emphasi...

Here was Jesus, a simple, common local man who was saying such profound things………things that they didn’t want to hear. He was welcomed as a hometown hero……..until he exposed the darkness of their souls. That darkness included the view that they were “holier than thou”. They thought that Jesus should save his miracles and teachings for them, instead of including people they regarded as human trash;...

Have you ever been afraid? It doesn’t have to be an occasion when you were physically scared. It can be an occasion where you were afraid for your health or your finances or even for a loved one. How did you feel? How did you react? There are different ways to react. Some say God is dead. Some say God is in control. Some can withstand the grasp of their situation because they pray to God like the...

Psalm 19 points out two areas where God has chosen to reveal Himself. The entire universe testifies of the Creator and brilliantly displays the glory of God. If we look for Him in the beauty of the world around us, we will find Him. God has placed the sun (which was an object of worship among the pagans) in the heavens and is therefore supreme over it. The figures of the bridegroom and the runner...

There is a common thread in Nehemiah 8:1-10 and Luke 4:14-21 and it is freedom from slavery. In the case of the reading from Nehemiah, the story takes place after the Israelites have returned from captivity in Babylon. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus mentions that he has come to free us from the captivity of sin. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sermons-from-my-heart--2...

Hello boys and girls! How many of you like to go out on a nice, sunny day and play with your friends? Has anyone ever said that they can't play with you because they don't like you, or because of where you live, or because of who your parents are? Well boys and girls, I certainly know how you feel because I was shunned at times when I was your age. Jesus also knows how you feel because he was ofte...

How many of you like to do things for yourselves, such as tying your shoe laces or getting dressed or brushing your teeth? Do you like it when people try to help you when you don’t need their help? Boys and girls, there are some things that we can’t do by ourselves. For example, could you run a relay race by yourself? Could you play basketball or football if you were the only person on the team? T...

theme of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians is unity. The church in Corinth had many issues, but the greatest problem was the lack of unity within the church. In the section of First Corinthians that is just before the reading we heard today, the diversity of the body illustrated the diversity of the gifts within the body of believers. In this section of the Letter, attention is cast on the fa...

Jesus’ first miracle-that of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana-is a significant moment in Jesus’ ministry. It’s also an important explanation of God’s character and mission. Throughout the Scriptures God’s relationship with His people is compared to a marriage. God wants an intimate connection with us in which we are loved, known and made known. Become a supporter of this podcast: htt...

Jesus experienced times of new beginnings in his life. One of those times was when He was baptized. He was a carpenter and a faithful son of Mary and Joseph. He was about to begin his role as the Messiah, and He probably asked himself, “Who am I as I begin the greatest work in the universe?” There were a couple of very important things that happened when Jesus was baptized. First of all, the Bible...

The Feast of the Epiphany is the day when we remember the visit of the three wise men, but we also remember that Jesus came into the world for everyone-Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, upper class people and lower-class people, humble shepherds and wise men and so on. It is also a happy time or a sad time depending on how you look at it. It marks the end of the 12 Days of Christmas and the end of...

The three magi of whom Saint Matthew speaks in his gospel brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, recognizing Jesus as priest, prophet, and king. Additionally, their presence in Bethlehem demonstrated how Christ was manifest to the nations. In a similar way, Artaban's adventure showed that Christ calls us to manifest his glory to all nations. Artaban's goodness and openness to all, e...