LifeSpring Sermon Blog

Racing with Horses

This sermon looks at God's response to whining Jeremiah.  "If you can't race with humans, how will you race with horses?"  This sermon looks at the importance of being both strong and prepared in order to live with discipline in tough times.

The God Who Cries

Spence Boelter was guest speaker at LifeSpring on September 13, and his sermon was entitled, "The God Who Cries."

Hiding Money Under a Mattress

This sermon comes from Matthew 25:14-30 and looks at the Parable of the Talents.  This parable sits within a larger section of Matthew and comprises a body of teaching from Jesus about the importance of preparation.

Parables About Lost Things

This sermon comes from Luke 15:1-7 and takes a look at the parables of the lost coin, lost sheep, and lost son.  These parables are Jesus' own characterization of the kind of care that he has for the lost and disenfranchised as compared to religious authorities who care more about their own power and privilege.

You do the same thing.

This sermon is taken from Luke 10:25-37 and is the story of the Good Samaritan.  The principle question of this parable is "who is my neighbor" and how should I treat him/her. This is the second in a 4-part series on the Parables of Jesus.

Divine Reveresals

This sermon comes from Jesus' story about the Rich Man and Lazarus.  The sermon looks at the way that gates and doors often function to change or reverse our lives, as in the case of the Rich Man who passed through his gate to his rich lifestyle while ignoring poor Lazarus at his gate.  The man found to his dismay that the life of privilege actually was a portal into a life of suffering, while poor Lazarus went from suffering to life.  

You never threw me a party!

Alan Culpepper said that calling the parable of Luke 15:11-32 "The Prodigal Son" prejudices the hearer to think that the main character is the younger son.  This sermon looks at the role of the father and the older son as well and invites the hearer to enter the parable in other ways.

Pilgrimage to God's House

Psalm 24 is one of a series of psalms that were sung on pilgrimages to Jerusalem where the Temple was located.  This psalm is commonly thought to be one that was created after the events of 2 Samuel 6 and the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple by David.  A question that the Psalm asks is who is "fit" to gain entry into God's presence.

We Are Surrounded

This sermon begins a four-part series on the Psalms.  In this Psalm the writer shows how we humans are surrounded and enveloped by the work of God.  The idea of "the universe" or the latest astrological report controlling our lives is preposterous given that God created the universe and defines our purpose in the world.  Indeed, "we are surrounded."

A Wealth of Generosity

This sermon takes its text from 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 and focuses on the exemplary generosity of the Macedonians (people who lived north of Greece).  Paul says that despite conditions which he described as "severe," "ordeal," "affliction," and "obligation," they were generous with what little they had and actually begged for the opportunity to participate in the contribution.  The sermon discusses four lesson that can be gained from the Macedonian example.