St. Martin United Church of Christ - High Ridge, MO

Based on Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30. Religious people can be difficult to please. John the Baptist stayed to himself; he was a minimalist who lived off the land. He didn't do anything to cause offense, except point out "the condition of sin" everyone was living under and needed repentance of. So, religious people dismissed him as having a demon. Jesus came and looked like one of us. He ate and drank...

Matthew 10:40-42. Isn't it a bad idea to promise rewards? Today, we explore the use of rewards and punishments in the Bible to see if there is something we are missing. And we will talk about why it's a bad idea to drop bombs on the children of God, ALL the children of God.

Matthew 10:24-39. If you read through the Gospels, you'll soon discover that Jesus didn't have much good to say about families. In fact, Jesus seems to suggest that the family is a poor substitute for the community he wants to establish on earth, the church! On any given Sunday, the church is full of people whose families are divided. Yes, we need good fathers, but if you don't have one, no worrie...

Sermon based on Genesis 18:1-15; (21:1-7). The news about the old "Mainline" denominational churches couldn't be much worse than it is today with plummeting declines in worship attendance, membership, and persons going into to the ministry to become ministers. So, should we jump ship? ignore the trends? or change course? But if we need to change course, where exactly should we go? In this sermon,...

Sermon based on Genesis 12:1-9. Sure, the publishers all agree this is Abram's, soon to be Abraham's, call story. but it's nothing like the stories we tell about receiving a call, discerning our path, and embracing our future. No, it's more like, "Hey, so you thought you were in charge of your life, well not so fast! You are going to pack up all your things, the whole family, and go to a foreign l...

Genesis Chapters 1 & 2 contain two different creation stories that are actually focused on interpreting God’s commandments. Should we read the Bible like a textbook on every subject under the sun, or more like a collection of literature aimed at imparting wisdom, love, and encouragement on how to live? Let’s explore this topic together in this teaching sermon.

On this Pentecost Sunday and Memorial Day Weekend, we consider the Tower of Babel, the threat of nationalism, and who we should give our lives serving. Based on Acts 2:1-21.

How did we get here? I mean how did we get involved in the church in the first place? On this Mother's Day, we look at the commandment keeping of others and how that has impacted our own lives and faith journeys. This sermon is based on John 14L:15-21.

In this sermon I'll explore the old style evangelism that used guilt as a means to bring people back into the church. Did it ever really work? Does Jesus ever use guilt and shame to motivate his disciples? Based on John 14:1-14.

Is it harder to believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, or to believe that you have been forgiven of your sins? Based on John 20:19-31 .

Are there worse things than death? Yes, the staggering consequences of our sin. On Easter Sunday, we explore the large amount of myrrh used to prepare Christ’s body for burial by his secret disciples and the the difficulty we have seeing and following Jesus in the daylight. John 20:1-18.

In this message, we explore why John wrote his Gospel, who he was addressing, and the reason Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life” in John 11:1-45.

Does sin equal punishment and salvation equal prosperity? What is expected when I join the church? Do I even need to be a member? I was baptized already, so will I need to get re-baptized? We will explore these questions in today's sermon as we take a look at John 9:1-41 , where Jesus heals a blind man on the Sabbath.

This sermon is based on John 3:1-17 . In this message, we will examine the setting for this story involving Nicodemus and Jesus. I'll argue that people have to make commitments and with those commitments come consequences. Is there a warning here about serving two masters? Is there a danger in trying to serve both the flag and the cross?

On Ash Wednesday, we focused on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18, which spells out certain spiritual disciplines Christians often observe during the season of Lent in preparation for Easter Sunday. In this message, I argue it's all about "avoiding the spotlight".

This message is based on Matthew 17:1-9 for Transfiguration Sunday (Year A). You are part of something much bigger than a nation state! You are a child of God. There is nothing God wouldn't do to save you! Let's explore this uplifting message together!

Following the Beatitudes, Jesus provides a lesson on being the church. Our mission, if you choose to accept it, is to demonstrate God's love. Jesus provides a couple of helpful word pictures to make his point. So, we will explore "salt" and "light" as we seek to follow in his footsteps (Matthew 5:13-20).

In this message, we'll explore Jesus' agenda as spelled out in the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-11.

John the Baptist gets our attention and points to Jesus’s identity as the Messiah in the act of Baptism. However, Jesus isn’t what we expected. In the aftermath of violence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where a young woman lost her life in a dispute with ICE agents, perhaps all of us are having trouble seeing Jesus. Today, I’ll talk at length about Christ’s identity, so we might see him as something...

Today we explore Matthew 2:1-12 the day after the USA conducted a military action against the nation of Venezuela. What does the Bible say about such power? How are Christians to respond? Perhaps the story of Herod’s violence against children in Bethlehem in pursuit of killing any threat from a new King could be instructive to us in our new situation as we enter 2026.

Why is the story of Jesus’ birth important to the Christian faith? In this message, we’ll explore the significance of Jesus’ birth and title, Savior of the World based on Luke 2:1-20.

If you have your doubts about Jesus, then don’t sweat it. John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin, yet in today’s scripture from Matthew 11:1-6 he asks about Jesus’ identity. So, Jesus’ own cousin is surprised by what Jesus is doing, namely, eating and holding fellowship with sinners and outcasts. “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” In this message, we will explore this tex...

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” …is there something about fire that can help us understand our need for forgiveness and reconciliation with God? In today’s sermon, we will explore the imagery of fire in Matthew 3:1-12 as we come to grips with John the Baptist’s message and baptism.

What are we supposed to be preparing for this Advent? The second coming of Jesus Christ? Our own deaths and eternal life? In this sermon, I'm going to debunk "the Rapture" while lifting up Noah as an example to follow in our Christian life. Maybe what we need to prepare for is the next tragedy? One minute, we are living our normal lives, then suddenly it hits us! The death of a loved one, a tragic...

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let's explore what blessings we have received from God. Is it possible we have mistaken the religious packaging of the true gift from God ? Let's explore John 6:25-35 together in this podcast sermon.