A Fork in the Road of Life
The Fork in the Road of Life Luke 5:11 “So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” Sunday, July 30, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Luke 5:1-3 1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.…
Why We Do VBS
Why We Do VBS Sunday, July 23, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 24:32-35 Introduction: VBS is hard. Why is it worth it? Every year, the biggest and hardest project takes place in the Summer, usually near the end of July or the beginning of August. It is Vacation Bible School. Starting tonight, and going through Thursday night, upwards of 60 children from the church and neighborhood will gather for skits, music, games, snacks…
The Greatness of God
The Greatness of God Matthew 14:22-33; 1 Kings 19:9-18 Sunday, July 9, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction: A husband and wife were having a bad day. They were arguing a lot until the wife got fed up and said to just write her a note if he really wanted to talk to her. He agreed, so for the rest of the day they passed notes here and there. At night the husband left a note…
The Gift of Freedom
The Gift of Freedom Exodus 3:9-10; 2 Corinthians 3:17 Sunday, July 2, 2023 at the First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction I remember reading an old interview in Life Magazine with young people in India who were members of the “Untouchables.” The interviewer asked of their goals, hopes and dreams for their life. They didn’t understand the concepts. They were born in a caste where such things were not allowed, so to think they could ever aspire to anything…
THe SOund of Music
The Sound of Music Revelation 5:8-10; Daniel 3:4-7 Sunday, June 18, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction: The Hills are Alive The other day I looked up “youtube” and watched Christopher Plummer and the kids, and later Julie Andrews sing “The Hills are Alive” from “The Sound of Music.” It’s a great song and it made me feel better just hearing it a couple of times. Music has that effect on us. We hear it from…
Our Father’s Business
Our Father’s Business Luke 2:45-52 Sunday, June 11, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction Our sermon today is called, “Our Father’s Business” and while I do not presume to exhaust the subject in one little sermon, I’d like to share some of what it does, and does not, involve. First a story about someone who has the wrong idea about the Father’s business. Son-in-law joins the family business A successful businessman sat down with…
A Complex God
A Complex God Genesis 1:1-2; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Trinity Sunday June 4, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Genesis 1:1-2 In our first passage of Scripture, the first two verses of the Bible, we find that God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, chaotic and lacking order. The Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters, and then God spoke. The word for “create” in the Old…
SHARED gIFTS
Shared Gifts 1 Corinthians 12:12; Numbers 11:24-30 Pentecost Sunday, May 28, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa I’d like to begin with a story about a delivery person, and I will explain why in just a minute. The story goes as follows: “Around 2004/2005, I lived alone in New Jersey without a car. I ordered from the local pizza place pretty much every other night. Delivery was usually done by someone in a beaten up car, or…
The Last Thing He Did Was Bless
The Last Thing He Did Was Bless Luke 24:51 Sunday, May 21, 2023 The Seventh Sunday of Easter at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction: after graduation, a new chapter for a person Across the country people will be graduating from high school or college or something similar and it is almost always the end of a chapter and the start of a new chapter in a person’s life. For high schoolers, it is the end of taxpayer…
Hearing the Voice of God
Hearing the Voice of God Sunday, May 14, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa 1 Samuel 1:8-18; Luke 1:35-38 The Sixth Sunday of Easter Introduction I started putting together this sermon with the idea that I would feature two women in the Bible who heard the voice of God, and hopefully draw some inspiration from them that we can relate to our own life experience. What I found is that attitude is vital when it…