The Spirit is Willing
The Spirit is WillingMark 14:38 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”Palm Sunday, March 28, 2021The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa IntroductionI stopped making New Year’s Resolutions many years ago, mainly because the resolution to stop making resolutions is the only resolution I have kept. I remember, years ago, resolving to become more organized so I bought a datebook that came with a “how to organize your life”…
Honor from the Father
Honor from the FatherSunday, March 21, 2021Fifth Sunday of Lent at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, IowaJohn 12:26 “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”• Introduction: The Remains of the DayThere’s a famous novel about a man who was the butler to a wealthy British nobleman, a duke or an early or something, who labored for years under the…
A Beloved Sibling
A Beloved Sibling Philemon 1:16 Sunday, March 14, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa. Introduction: Judges 19: One of the Darkest Episodes of Scripture One of the darkest stories of slavery, as I see it, is found in the Book of Judges (chapter 19). A woman is attacked by a group of men and left for dead. Her “husband”, if I can call him that, takes a cavalier attitude to the attack until he realizes that she…
God Our Savior
God Our SaviorSunday, February 28, 2021Titus 3:5 “…not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,…” Introduction: You don’t have to…you get to…Look at all the good works mentioned in this letterI remember some friends in Spokane, Washington who always encouraged their friends to do good by considering the opportunity to do something good something to cherish. “You don’t ‘have to”,…
The Reality of Kingdom Living
Mark 1:9-15
From Life to Life
From Life to LifeFebruary 14, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa2 Kings 2:1-12 Introduction: upon meeting someone importantThis time, ten years ago, I was working as a chaplaincy resident at a large hospital in Toledo, Ohio. One of the most embarrassing moments that whole year was when I was asked to attend a meeting with top level doctors, administrators and nurses with a family who lost someone recently at the hospital. During the course of the meeting,…
Why Jesus Came
Why Jesus CameHebrews 2:17 “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”Sunday, February 7, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction: Mark Twain toward the end of his life wrote a story, The Mysterious Stranger in which the ending has people awaiting word from an angel about forgiveness for…
Saul At En Dor
Saul at En Dor1 Samuel 28:13-15Sunday, January 31, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa IntroductionPeople try to somehow contact the dead, and interest in spiritualism has been longstanding. It was widely practiced in ancient times, yet worship of ancestors continues to this day in some parts of the world. I remember the wealthy couple who donated the estate that became the University of St. Mary on the Lake. It includes the tomb of their only son, who…
DAvid and the Showbread
David and the Showbread1 Samuel 21:6“So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.”Sunday, January 24, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction There’s a lot of literature about presence, and that just being present and paying attention to someone who is struggling can help…
David and Goliath
Sunday, January 17, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa 1 Samuel 17:51 “Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.” Intro.When a professional sports team wins a championship, many in that team’s home city celebrate. Some teams have enjoyed ticker-tape parades. Because our daughter…
The Great Blessing
Numbers 6:24-27 Sunday, January 3, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction: The priestly blessing Our worship service, and most worship services, end with a benediction, a sort of blessing and then sending you back out into the world to make the most of your days until we gather again for worship. The call to worship and invocation collects and unites us to present ourselves as a community to God Almighty, and the benediction is the…
The Fullness of Time
Scriptures: Luke 2:25-32; Galatians 4:4-7 Sunday, December 27, 2020 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Intro. This sermon is for those followers of Christ who feel frustrated with themselves, who feel their imperfections acutely and wonder what will become of them. They struggle with this life, and feel that if they were better Christians, they would not struggle so much, or that their struggles and frustrations indicate that they are poor excuses for Christians. The purpose of this…