The LehmanCast

In short, because of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts. All those sings and wonders are just the start. The very spirit of Christ now lives in us. The very same God the disciples knew when Jesus was with them is now part of them, not just with them. Think of what that means for us as followers and believers in Christ. We will do signs and wonders, dream dreams and see visions and pr...

Last week, the scripture reminded the disciples that Jesus was “going to the Father.” The Ascension is that act. Had Jesus not gone to the Father, we would not have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. As it is, Jesus did leave for the purpose of sending the Holy Spirit. The Ascension is a very important part of our faith! Acts 1:1-11

Here is a promise made by Jesus that the Holy Spirit is given to guide, instruct and teach. When we are empowered in such a way, we remember the meanings of Jesus’ teachings and can be confident that we know the mind of Jesus, and therefore can teach others. To know, teach and live the truth of Christ is to be blessed, and is a hallmark of what it means to love God. John 14:23-29

Again, following the example of Christ, Peter reached out to the uncircumcised and upset the authorities. He was associating with the wrong people. “No matter who they are or what they have done, we never exclude people from the possibility of God's grace. The mission and ministry of the church must never be based on an inclination toward "our kind of people.” Acts 11: 1-18

Through prayer and following Jesus' example Peter was able to restore Dorca's life. The Holy Spirit will also enable us to do things we never could do on our own. How fitting on Mother's Day to remember a woman who devoted herself to acts of charity among the believers and people of Joppa. Acts 9:36-43

To Be the Light  |  Sermon 1 May 2022 On his way to Damascus, Saul was surrounded by a light from heaven and fell to the ground. His life was forever changed. Saul did not remain on the ground. He got up! What will it take for us to give God our very best and to be a l i ght for others ? Acts 9:1-20

To Be Witnesses  |  Sermon 24 April 2022 The apostles were demanded not to teach in Jesus's name. However, they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey God above all others. They were empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue to be witnesses of the risen Christ. We receive the same power when we align our time, attention, and purpose with God's. What is our purpose in life? What is God'...

Easter Sunday | Sermon 17 April 2022

These last words that Jesus prays to the Father are words of hope and faith and trust. They were an example of how to pray in our darkest moments of life, nurtured by years of a close relationship with God. Jesus puts himself into the hands of a loving parent. We have a God who cares especially during our times of uncertainty and fear. Perhaps it’s time to practice what Jesus exemplified and commi...

Jesus said this word to once again identify with our humanness. Jesus thirsted like we all do, albeit some moments before his death. He thirsted not just for what could be offered at that moment, but spent his life and ministry quenching the thirst of all who wanted to know the truth. What are you thirsting for? Hopefully it’s some of those same things Jesus worked for: love, justice, grace, etc....

Jesus’s words here are not just statements for John and Jesus’s mother to take care of one another, although they are that. Jesus was making a statement about the importance of family – and not just our biological ones, but also our spiritual ones. John and Mary were not blood relatives, but they were intimately connected to and with the Savior, which is why Jesus creates this new family for them....

This word from the cross reveals much about the humanity of Jesus. It could be questioned that Jesus need not cry out to the Father as he is intimately a part of the Trinity, but in this moment, Jesus shows that he is as human as the rest of us. We have been in godforsaken places, too, and it’s good to know Jesus understands. He feels what we have all felt at times. And he is the example of turnin...

Jesus’ response to the second criminal who asks this of Jesus has a different heart than the first. This criminal recognizes the power of Jesus’ name – “one who saves.” Maybe he knew of Jesus before this moment. Maybe he saw him in the crowds. Whatever the case, the criminal saw in Jesus what the other could not see, and so he asks a question all of us should ask at some point: Jesus, remember me....

When Jesus said, Father forgive them, who was the "them" he was referring to? The soldiers actually crucifying him? The crowd? The religious leaders? Could he also have been referring to us? The answer is, all of the above. This word of grace was offered while Jesus hung on the cross. Jesus did not want to wait until resurrection to let the world know that even when we do not know what we are doin...

As disciples of Jesus, we follow him down a narrow way – the way of the cross. We follow his footsteps down into the valley, making his way to the wood. Yet there are moments when we get to see a vision that sustains us through the journey; a glimpse of Christ and the joy of serving – maybe through worship or other ways. These are moments when we recognize that we are not just changed – we are tra...

Jesus commands us to forgive others, to love our enemies, etc… How is this behavior possible by us? Well, God asks us to play by a different set of rules. Maybe they don’t make sense or seem fair. But this is God’s world and the character of God determines what the world should look like. God lays out for us the right plan or rules so that we can successfully live in the world – according to God,...

The beatitudes in Luke sound a lot like the others in Matthew. Jesus encourages us to confront the reality in our lives, especially if we are left wanting for something in our lives. In the second half of this verse, those who mourn now should be happy, because sometime in the future, that sadness will turn to laughter according to the blessing of God. For what do you mourn at this time? Certainly...

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11 “Because you say so,” says Simon Peter when Jesus asks him to throw his nets in the water one more time. He’s about to have his life upended. But that’s what happens when you go fishing with Jesus – your life is forever different. In fact, you end up no longer fishing for fish, but for people after Jesus gets a hold of you. What has Jesus done in your life now that you know...

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 So we are called through our baptism, equipped with spiritual gifts, and placed specifically within the body to live out our call. But it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t do it with love. There are both positive and negative ways we can live out our call. But love never fails. Are we being loving in the way we live out our call?

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Continuing the call theme again, this Scripture makes it clear that we’re not left to ourselves in our call. We are not only called but called to function with our gifts in specific ways that fit it with others in the Body of Christ – the Church. And just in case we think what we do is less important than some others, God reminds us that they are actually the parts that we...

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 How do we do the things that God calls us to do? We use what God has given to equip us to do it. That means our spiritual gifts. We are encouraged that we’re not left to our own devices to live into our baptismal call. God gives each of us what we need to do what God wants us to do. We ‘re not asked to do this without the Spirit’s gifts.

Scripture: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 We discover who we are not just by people telling us, but also by what we are called to do. Christians believe our lives are not our own. Each of us have a call – a vocation. Each of us have something important to do, no matter how ordinary it may seem. We have been called through baptism to this important work. We have the opportunity to rediscover our call that let...

Epiphany 2021 January 2, 2021

The Grinch has succeeded. Everything that has anything to do with Christmas now sits in the Grinch’s sleigh ready to be pushed off the mountain’s edge. He waits to hear the weeping and wailing coming from Whoville, but he is shocked that the song he hears isn’t sad at all. It seems that Christmas came anyway!

“When You’re Sure You’re Right” We all have blind spots, and the Christmas story reveals just how vulnerable God’s love for us is.