Week 1 on the Solas – “Sola Gratia” – From Reformed Worship, June 2017 Ephesians 2:1-10 Sermon notes – While the world may teach us that “there is no such thing as a free lunch,” according to Scripture – the greatest gift of all – grace itself is freely give, Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches, “For it is by grace you have been saved,…
In the Beginning – The First First Presbyterian Genesis 1:1—2:4a Creation by word; light, life; it was good. (John 1:1-5) Once Upon A Time We tell stories about how we get here, or how we got here. We tell the story of creation as one such beginning, and the story of Jesus as another beginning. Sometimes the beginning isn’t the beginning, as we find…
Acts 2:1-4 Pentecost Galatians 4:1-7 Spirit poured into us Galatians 5:16-26 Gifts of the Spirit It all Comes Together This is the day to which we date the birth of the church. Imagine such a thing.These two passages from Galatians illustrate what a change happens when the Spirit gets involved. We go from slaves to free, we go from minors to adults. We…
Galatians 3:1-9, 23-29 Neither slave nor free Faith and Law Faith and law have been held in tension in our theology since, well, since Christ. We heard the tension in the Jerusalem Council, and in the readings from last week. We have struggled with the law given, the law broken, and the place of justice, grace, and forgiveness. We have struggled with…
Galatians 1:13-17; 2:11-21 Paul’s former life, conflict with Peter at Antioch, by faith Insider and Outsiders This is the oldest, or earliest text in the New Testament. Galatians is at the beginning of what we have – ~54 AD, a mere 21 years after the crucifixion and resurrection. As such, it sheds some light on how the church was working or not…
May 14, 2017 – Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 15:1-18 Jerusalem Council Standards This is a turning point in the life of faith. Without this conversation, we’re probably all keeping kosher, circumcising, and worshipping on Saturday. This is a really big deal. One group of believers says that one set of rules must be followed. That unless one is circumcised according to…
April 30, 2017 Third Sunday of Easter 5 th Sunday Music Service Mark 16:1-7, Matthew 28:1-7, Luke 24:1-9 #236 – The Strife is O’er #246 – Christ is Alive Christ the Lord is Risen Today
April 23, 2017 Second Sunday of Easter Luke 24:13-35 Hearing Anew This is an Easter story. It happens on that first Easter. And it is a story we typically tell on the 2 nd Sunday of Easter. As a result, many of us know this story. We may know it as well as the two disciples know the story of what had happened in Jerusalem…
April 16, 2017 – First Sunday of Easter Luke 24:1-12 Empty Tomb Empty How scary is empty? Empty plates scare us. Empty bank accounts scare us. Empty wells scare us. Empty homes scare us. And then we have today. Today, empty is liberating. Today, empty is miraculous. Well, it’s those things if we know why it’s empty. Otherwise, it’s terrifying. What have they done with…
Our Easter Sunrise service begins in the uncertainty of the morning, and moves to the joy of the resurrection.