LifeSpring Sermon Blog

Simmering Anger

The text for this sermon come from Matthew 5:21-26 and is the opening of a section of the Sermon on the Mount called the "antecedents" because Jesus repeatedly says, "You have heard it said before that...." followed by Jesus' expostion of what God's real and true intention was vastly different than what the religious leaders were saying.  Today's sermon examines the issue of simmering anger.  "You have heard it said that you shall not kill, BUT I say to you, don't even be angry with your brother (simmering anger) or call him a moron."

A City on A Hill

This sermon comes from Matthew 5:13-16 and is the place where Jesus says to his disciples, "You and you alone are salt and light."  The sermon looks at how being salt and light reshapes a person's life in their discipleship to Jesus.  By being salt and light we bring glory and praise to God.  This is our divine purpose.

Caring About the Weak

This sermon looks at the second four of the eight beatitudes in Matthew 5:  merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and the persecuted.  The beatitudes, in sum, give a picture of the transformation that occurs to those who take discipleship to Jesus seriously.

Realizing Our Need for God

This is the first of two sermons on the Beatitudes and the gateway to a Winter/Spring series on the teachings of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew.  Each of the Beatitudes serves like a link in a chain, each link dependent on the previous.  The text for the sermon is Matthew 5:3-10.

I Am Gabriel

The angel Gabriel is the voice of this sermon as it looks at the role that angels have played in delivering messages from God.  The angels help us to see the weight that is given to the birth of Jesus as the work of God in manifesting his plans to mankind.

Weak Knees and Tired Hands

This sermon was the fourth and last in LifeSpring's Advent series and took it's text from Isaiah 7:10-16.  It looks at the manner in which Isaiah speaks what some call "a word out of place."  In other words, when things look bleak is the time when Isaiah says the hopeful and forward looking thing.  It's the word you most want to hear when things look hopeless and associated this time of year with the coming of Christ.

The Lame Will Leap Like Deer

This sermon is the third in our Advent series and takes its text from Isaiah 35:1-10.  It explores the theme of Hope which is evident in Isaiah's reminder to "Be strong and do not fear."

A Shoot from the Stump of Jesse

This sermon is the second in the Advent series and takes it text from Isaiah 11.  This text predicts a world that is topsy turvy from the existing world of political turmoil, corruption, and greed.  Most scholars conclude that the text was not fulfilled in contemporary times but was rather looking forward to the coming of Messiah.  The sermon looks at what that meant to Isaiah's audience as well as to ours.

The Mountain of the Lord's House

This sermon was delivered on the first day of Advent, 2016.  Advent is the expectation experienced in the first century as the birth of Jesus was anticipated and also experienced in latter day disciples of Jesus who await his return in glory.  The sermon looks at a prophecy from Isaiah delivered to ancient Judah who was being overrwhelmed by the great military powers, first Assyria and then Babylon.  Isaiah 2 paints the picture of a glorious time in the history of God's people when the "mountain of the Lord's house would be the highest point and all peoples would be drawn to it.  This is in keeping with the Advent theme, Hope.

Confirmed In Three Ways

This sermon is the last in a series of sermons concerned with the several, broad-ranging Christologies by New Testament writers.  These Christologies give us a good understanding of who Christ is and how that informs our lives today.  The text is from 1 John 5:5-10.