Sermons From My Heart

Storms often bring out our true spiritual condition. Too many of us want faith to be nice and simple and easy. Faith requires hard work. It involves coming out of ourselves to trust and care. If we lose faith, we lose hope and our ability to care. Fear wipes out faith. Discipleship is a life of faith. Faith is a deep, bedrock trust in God’s presence in the world, the church and our lives. When the...

Before he gained public prominence as Israel’s champion and king. David learned humility and confidence in the Lord while out in the fields tending sheep, with no one but God watching. Only faithfulness in the small things prepares God’s servants for greater service in His kingdom. David had confidence in his gifts, experiences and abilities. He needed them to face the giants in his life. Likewise...

The parable of the sower explains how the kingdom can start in the hearts and minds of each and every one of us. Someone-a minister, a parent or another faithful servant of God-plants a tiny seed of faith in each and every one of us. It doesn't matter how the seed is planted, only that it is planted. Those of you who were farmers or who have planted any type of seed know that it can take a long ti...

For Jesus, action in response to the call of God marks what it means to be a member of God’s family. Relationships in God’s family are couched in terms of doing God’s will. At this point in the story, the will of God is not defined. Jesus offers another invitation of hospitality that is about meeting people where they are, accepting anyone who is interested in God’s kingdom and responding to need...

How many of you have wanted something that someone else has? Well, you’re not alone. Envy and coveting have been around since the beginning of time. One of the Ten Commandments even says, “You shall not covet…” It’s too bad that the Israelites and the elders in the reading from 1 Samuel 8:4-20 didn’t remember that commandment. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/se...

There are many mysteries in the Christian faith, one of which has to do with the nature of God. How can we understand God who is described in the Bible as both the one true God and the God we know as Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Trinity Sunday, is the one Sunday when we consider this important part of the church’s doctrine, instead of considering a teaching or message from Jesus. Become a supporte...

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 do is ask “How much did it cost?” What do you think is the greatest g...

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 .

The Trinity is a difficult concept to understand let alone preach about, and part of the reason is because the Trinity is not specifically mentioned anywhere in the Scriptures, even though the concept of the Trinity is mentioned throughout the Bible. There is always a danger when a man-made concept is introduced into something God has created. The early church introduced the concept of the Trinity...

Have you ever wondered why God allows bad things to happen to his people? Well, God uses all of our circumstances to work for our good when we have faith. In other words, when we are Christ-like, God can take the negative circumstances of our lives and use them for our good, especially if using them for good fulfills his will for our lives. It’s like an oyster taking a grain of sand-something that...

All of God’s creation is subject to his authority, including the biggest sea creatures. All of creation must praise him. In return, he takes pleasure in everything he has created. They depend on him, and in return he is generous to them. They can rely on him. We are part of God’s creation, so we can also depend on him. God gives life. He makes the world new again and again. Creation is God’s and i...

Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday dear Church Happy Birthday to you! On Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the birth of the church. On the day of Pentecost over 2,000 years ago, the Holy Spirit came to the disciples, and through the Holy Spirit the church was born. It is a time when the church traditionally concentrates on the gift of the Holy Spirit and the ways in which it s...

In the passage we heard from John’s Gospel, Jesus addressed His disciples. They heard His words while He was with them, and they were with him from the beginning of His ministry. Jesus’ speech took place on the night before He was crucified. The disciples were so concerned about their own future that they weren’t the least bit curious about Jesus’ immediate future. Jesus knew about their concern a...

A few years ago, I preached and led worship at a church in a community near where I live. During the children’s talk I mentioned that Jesus told his disciples that he would be returning to the Father, but that they would receive the Holy Spirit. I compared the Holy Spirit to the batteries in a flashlight. Light is amazing. Without it, we would not be able to read and discover the world around us....

What would you say to someone if you knew that you were seeing them for the last time? If you were dying, what would be the last words you would say to your family and friends? If you’ve ever thought about the answers to these questions, then you can appreciate what was going through Jesus’ mind in the Gospel reading from John 17:6-19. This reading is part of Jesus’ farewell speech to his disciple...

Several years ago, when I was working for a local lumber mill, the company had a contest where the employees were encouraged to come up with a slogan that portrayed the company’s mission. The slogan was to be used on all of the company’s promotional material. The winning entry was “Together We’re Better”, and it reflected the employees’ desire to work together to produce top-quality products. Chri...

The events in Acts 10:44-48 occurred as part of Peter’s first sermon to the Gentiles. Peter received a vision from God. In that vision, a sheet unfolded from heaven. On that sheet were animals of all kinds, including animals that were unclean under Jewish law. God commanded Peter to eat, but Peter refused because of Jewish dietary laws. God replied that He has made these animals clean and what He...

If you were going on a long trip, what would you say to your family and friends before you left? If you knew that you were going to see someone for the last time, what would you say to them? When your children moved away from home, what did you say to them? In each case you probably gave them some instructions of words of advice. Well, in the Gospel passage from John 15:9-17, Jesus gave us and his...

Have you ever wondered how you can share the Good News with the people you meet? If so, the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-40 is a good teaching manual. Philip was leading a revival in Samaria that was leading multitudes of people to Christ. God called Philip from evangelizing the crowds to evangelizing to one person, but that one person-the eunuch-led to the spread of Chris...

What does it mean to be connected? Well, it means three things. First, it means that we have power. When we say we have connections, it means that we have access to power and wealth. It means that we can get things done. When we are connected to each other through our faith in Jesus Christ, it means that we are strong and can get things done. Our faith gets nourishment and strength from both Chris...

Our actions will speak louder than any words we will ever speak. When we call ourselves Christians, we are opening up our lives for inspection, and our lives become active witnesses for Jesus. People will respond to our good deeds and thoughtful acts of caring. In fact, people will want to know more about Jesus as our deeds prove to them that our faith is more than just talk. Become a supporter of...

John 10:11-18 is part of a longer discourse in which Jesus tells his disciples and us that he is the way to heaven and eternal life. In this passage he explains this concept by comparing himself to a shepherd. The image of a shepherd was one that was common among members of his audience. Palestine was more of a pastoral region than an agricultural region, so shepherds were very common. Sheep are q...

People need someone to take care of them. Who takes care of you? Jesus also looks after us, and he tells how and why he cares for us in John 10:11-18. Jesus referred to himself as the good shepherd so that the people would know what he was talking about. Jesus was preaching in Palestine, and sheep were quite common in that area. Sheep are not very smart though. They were easy prey for animals such...

Acts 4:5-12 features a boldness characterized by the Holy Spirit, which shows up just in time of need. The passage recalls the words of Jesus in Luke 12:11-12: “When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you that very hour what you ought to say.” Both passages...

Have you ever wondered how the disciples were able to accomplish so much after Jesus returned to heaven? The answer is revealed in the story of Peter and John and the healing of the lame man. We read what happened because of that healing in Acts 3:11-26. Jesus worked through Peter and the Holy Spirit to heal the lame man. Jesus had two main purposes for healing the lame man: 1.He loved the lame ma...