“The gospel that we hear is that we are reconciled, conformed, harmonized, settled, brought to terms, patched up, fixed up, kiss and made up by Christ’s death to present us holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation! Alleluia.”
Tag: sin
Watching What Jesus Did
Matthew 9: 9-13, 18-26 I think we’ll talk a little bit about sin this morning. A twenty-seven-year-old minister was assigned to his first church only a short time when he noticed that one of his parishioners, an elderly woman, had missed several Sundays in a row. He decided to see her and find out the…
Departure From the Norm
John 9: 1-17, 28-41 A traveler was found by a U.S. Customs official to be carrying a half-gallon bottle from Mexico. The official asked the man what it contained. The traveler replied, “It’s just holy water. I took it from the shrine I visited. They say it causes miracles.” The inspector was suspicious and opened…
We All Have a Way to Go
Luke 18: 9-14 Mark Twain said many years ago, “I don’t know of a single foreign product that enters this country untaxed except the answer to prayer.” A kindergarten class went to the fire station for a tour and some instruction in fire safety. The firefighter was explaining what to do in case of a…
The Reality of Our Identity
Luke 4: 1-13 On this first Sunday in Lent, we’re hearing about the temptations of Jesus. An old time cowboy went with his friend to hear an evangelist in a very wild western town. The evangelist preached for an hour on the Ten Commandments. Both cowpokes listened with rapt attention. On their way home one…
More Stubborn than Righteous
Mark 10: 2-16 The Pharisees came to Jesus to test him. Students in school have been tested, challenged, quizzed by their teachers since schools first opened. On one occasion a student burst into his professor’s office and said, “Professor Stigler, I don’t believe I deserve this F you’ve given me.” To which Stigler replied, “I…
I’ve Believed Lies
For as much as I want to deny it, I can’t deny the fact that I believe lies about myself. I read a recent article my bishop wrote about faith and works. It was good, and I affirm what he wrote to be worthwhile. I go through periods in my life that whenever I hear…
Psalm 102 in The Message 