Sermons on Isaiah

Sermons on Isaiah

God of the Backwater

God of the Backwater Sunday, December 24, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Isaiah 9:2  The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. Our Story Begins in Backwater The regions mentioned in this passage were far away from Jerusalem, the center of cultural and religious life in Israel.  Their history was rough; foreign invaders oppressed them on…

The Beginning of the Gospel

Mark 1:1-8; (Isaiah 40:1-11) Sunday, December 10, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Mark is the Gospel that “gets right to the point.”  Believed to be heavily influenced by the preaching of Peter, Mark spends no time on the birth of Jesus and gets to action right away.  The words “baptize” or “baptism” show up more than once in the passage, so baptism, for Peter, is right at the beginning of the Gospel, the story of redemption…

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 Message of the Cross

The Message of the Cross Sunday, January 29, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Isaiah 29:13-16; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25   1 Corinthians 1:18-19  For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written:  “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”   Introduction: The Cross is Offensive to…

Light

Light Isaiah 52:7-10; John 1:1-14 John 1:4-5  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:9  “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. Sunday, January 1, 2023 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa   Introduction In our passage in John, we learn about Jesus as the “true light which gives light…

False Spiritual Leaders

False Spiritual LeadersIsaiah 57:2-21; Jude 1:12-15Sunday, August 28, 2022 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa • Introduction:One of the classics we read in high school was Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a series of medieval character studies involving a group of people on a pilgrimage. Several characters are people of authority in the church who are depicted as selfish and corrupt. God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the souls of women and men; those are matters of little importance. They…

My Word

My WordThird Sunday of Lent March 20, 2022The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, IowaIsaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth, it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”• IntroductionI remember, some years ago when I lived in Idaho, that a young man aged around fourteen years came to a youth group meeting and I struck up…

Beyond Our Understanding

Isaiah 64:4 1st Sunday of Advent Introduction:  The once and future king Today marks the first day of the Season of Advent, recalling the events preceding the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.  It has an ancient history and marks a wondrous theological truth; that in His birth Jesus, the eternal Son of God who is Creator of all things is Himself now part of Creation.  He has joined the human race, and when He resurrected and ascended to heaven, He…
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