LifeSpring Sermon Blog

We want to sit at the head table.

This sermon takes its text from Matthew 20:20-28 where the mother of James and John asked Jesus for her two sons to sit at his right and left hand in his kingdom.  She was in effect asking for her sons to have the two most powerful positions of authority aside from the King's.  This sermon is about how we often miss the point and get snared by petty pursuits.

Things are not what they appear.

This sermon's text is taken from Matthew 20:1-16.  In this parable, Jesus tells the story of a vineyard owner who hires workers at 5 different times during the day from the local labor pool.  The first group hired worked 12 hours, and the last group hired worked one hour.  Despite this the laborers were all paid the SAME wage.This parable and sermon are about the generosity and grace of God.

He grabbed him by the throat.

This sermon is taken from Matthew 18:23-35, the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.  In this parable Jesus tells the story of a servant who was forgiven a huge, insurmountable debt.  We expect him to be thankful and full of mercy as a result.  The sermon is about what happens when he isn't.

Things That Defile

The text for this sermon comes from Matthew 15:10-20.  In the passage Jesus is addressing religious leaders who are excellent at keeping rituals but who do not live with the integrity that God want us all to have.  

The Authority of Scripture

This sermon looks at the Bible as a knowable and dependable guide to life and our relationship to God.  The sermon also looks at the self-consciousness of biblical writers and how they  believed they were writing with divine inspiration.

How We Got the Bible

This sermon is the second in a series, and it takes its text from Luke 1:1-4 and 1 Peter 1:20,21.  The purpose of the sermon is go do a brief overview of how the Bible, in its present form, came to us over the centuries.  It also looks at how New Testament writers viewed Scripture in regard to its validity.

Why is the Bible important?

This sermon is the first in a series about the importance of the Bible.  This sermon looks at how God is communicating and persistent, as reflected in His unrelenting attempts to communicate with people expressing His will for the Creation.  This was delivered on 11/3/2013.