The LehmanCast

Second Sunday of Advent

First Sunday of Advent 2022

What are the signs of a church that chooses to remain faithful at all times? Among others, it is a church that gives. It’s a church where the people take individual responsibility to do their part in maintaining the life of the congregation, from taking care of the building to taking care of others. It’s a church that understands and lives out the importance of the promises it makes both to God an...

What are the signs of a church that chooses to remain faithful at all times? Among others, it is a church that gives. It’s a church where the people take individual responsibility to do their part in maintaining the life of the congregation, from taking care of the building to taking care of others. It’s a church that understands and lives out the importance of the promises it makes both to God an...

Sarah Birmingham Drummond wrote:  "As Christians we are shaped by more than our own experiences; we are shaped by our hopes, by the future into which we are living, and by the convictions by which we are living.  Hope is best perceived with the eyes of the heart.  Hope is best lived within the hopeful community, in the company of saints both living and departed."  We all need h...

Sermon 30 October 2022

Hang In There!

Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. The widow in the story does not give up asking for what she wants. We may not always see the results of our prayers, but that doesn't mean God is not listening and answering. God will always hear the persistent prayers of our hearts. Luke 18:1-8

What We Do, Not What We Say

We don’t deserve extra credit for doing what we’re supposed to do. As a Christian, I am to do my Christian duty and my reward is not praise. It is the knowledge that I have been faithful. Perhaps on this special Sunday, we can remind ourselves of our duty to remain unified under the sacrifice of Christ, putting aside those things that are non-essentials to our faith so we might celebrate the One w...

I referenced this Scripture a few weeks ago when I preached about money, but it’s not just about those who are rich. It’s a call to focus on the things that will truly last: doing good, being generous, and sharing with others. In this way, we put our hope in God (a reminder from last week) and have the opportunity to embrace the things in this world that truly bring life.  1 Timothy 6:6-19

These days are challenging times for the church, and maybe for us, too. But we serve a God who is not absent during those times. In fact, there is a promise upon which we can place our hope. God knows the future, and his plans to get us there can be trusted, even though we may not be able to see past our difficulties. This promise was made to the exiles, and his promise is also for us. Hope is rea...

How Should I Pray?

Following Jesus is not private. It is a lifelong journey taken with fellow Christians. Research shows: Young adults who continue their involvement in a local church beyond their teen years are as those who don’t to have a close personal friendship with an older adult in their faith community (59% vs. 31% among church dropouts). 1 Peter 4:8-11; Galatians 6:2-3; James 5:16; John 15:12-13

Everyone needs money to live.  How much is enough?  How does God want us to use our money? The phrase “how to budget” receives 72,102 unique monthly searches on YouTube in America The most important financial goal of American Christians is to “provide for my family” The second most important financial goal of American Christians is to “support the lifestyle I want” Th...

To make a point, 4 out of the 10 most popular Bible verses on Bible Study Tools directly address fear.  Faith and Scripture play an integral role in combatting fear and uncertainty. Of course, fear is unavoidable. Being equipped to confront fear in an ever-changing world is critical.  Philippians 4: 10-13; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 23

Doubt is a necessary part of almost every faith journey, but it can be crippling. Consider that almost half of people (46%) that experience spiritual doubt respond by quitting church altogether. Our churches need to know that doubt is okay – even the disciples doubted at times. But we also need a game plan. What do you/we do when a crisis of faith hits us? James 1:5-8

God has called us according to his purpose and has plans for us. Jesus saved us and called us to live a holy life. Simply stated, most of us long for purpose and meaning. As it turns out, this longing is reflected in the Bible verses we turn to most often. Of the ten most popular Bible verses on Bible Gateway, more than half possess themes of purpose and meaning.

The analogy is clear. We are to have deep roots when it comes to living in Christ. If we will be deeply rooted in Christ, we can then be built up in him. The Colossians were those in the midst of receiving false teaching that was not according to the Gospel. For this reason, Paul insists that those rooted and raised (built-up) in Jesus would be able to withstand this false teaching, and overflow w...

After a statement of who Christ is, Paul speaks about how we are reconciled to him. It is the centrality of the cross that gives us hope. Because of the cross, we are made holy and blameless before God. But we should be careful to remain that way. Let’s not drift away from the Good News we have heard, but continue to stand before Christ without fault through what he has done. Colossians 1:15-28

How do we live lives that honor and please the Lord? When we are filled with the knowledge of the will of God and when we have spiritual wisdom and understanding. These things are what Paul and others prayed about for the Colossians. If we want to live worthy lives, lives that produce good fruit, and we want the same for others, then our pursuit should be that of knowing God better and better as p...

It can be difficult living life as a Christian. We live our lives differently than the world. But we harvest what we plant. If we choose to live life according to the world with its selfish ambitions, we will reap decay and death. But if we don’t give up in doing what is good, we will reap a harvest of blessing. What will it take for us to keep on keepin’ on? Whatever it is, that’s what we need to...

Franklin D. Roosevelt envisioned four basic freedoms after the war ended: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The  Holy Spirit can give us the fifth freedom - freedom from sin and self.  He enables us to fulfill the law of love, to overcome the flesh, and to bear fruit. Galatians 5:1, 13-25

When we look at the story of the Prodigal Son, the focus is usually on the son or on the son, the father, and the older brother.  Pastor Nancy focuses here on the father.  The key to understanding the power of this story is to get a sense and feel for God's grace.  At the heart of this story is the grace of a loving father.  Of course, the nature of God's love is grace. Lu...

Paul suggests that we should always be joyful because of what Christ has done for us. Peace and joy should abound as we claim our faith. But even if everything isn't just the way it should be in our lives - even if there's trouble - we should be joyful all the more, for trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope that does not disappoint. Even in...