Sermons on Matthew (Page 2)

Sermons on Matthew (Page 2)

Gifts For Jesus

Gifts for Jesus Sunday, January 9, 2022 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, IowaMatthew 2:1-12; Ephesians 3:1-7 Matthew 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child  with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. • Introduction: I am a bad gift giver. Every year the Christmas season reminds me that some people are good gift-givers.…

The Easy Yoke

The Easy YokeMatthew 11:25-30Sunday, May 16, 2021 at The First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa Introduction:A former Marine started a new career as a teacher. Just before the school year started, he injured his back. He was required to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body. Fortunately, the cast fit under his shirt and wasn’t noticeable. On the first day of class, he found himself assigned to the most challenging students in the school. The students,…

The King’s Priorities

Matthew 25:31-46 Verse 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;…’” Introduction: Once, some years ago, Jeanne and I took at trip that involved driving our car into the hold of a ferryboat. The crew gave us two choices, one was to let them drive the car into the ship, the other was to drive it ourselves under…

With All Your Heart

Jeremiah 17:7-10; Matthew 22:36-40 IntroductionI remember listening to the story of a professor who led a student short term missions trip to a hostile country. He and his group had a wealthy benefactor who promised them all the financial support that they would need, only to abandon them once they arrived in the country. They managed to finish their goals and make it back to the United States, but it was a very difficult and nerve-wracking experience. They were not…

The Wedding Feast People Tried to Avoid

Matthew 22:1-14 IntroductionI don’t know about poorly attended wedding feasts. As a young minister I once lead a funeral for a man who died of alcoholism. He sister was there, his wife wanted to come but she had too much to drink and took the wrong train. The funeral home staff sat with the sister so she would not be the only one there to say goodbye to her brother. Today, we look at an odd parable that Jesus told…

The Chief Cornerstone

Matthew 21:42-44 IntroductionI remember a year of hospital chaplaincy training led by a former Catholic priest from Ireland named Steven. He was a wonderful guy and did a great job as our leader and teach in this program. One of his projects was a sort of group therapy in which the chaplaincy residents sat in a circle in silence until we all had “gotten in touch with tour feelings”. The feelings were often negative; irritation, sorrow, despair, anger (lots of…

Many are Called Few are Chosen

Matthew 20:16 “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” • IntroductionOne of the teachings of Scripture is that, in addition to natural skills, the Holy Spirit gives people gifts to be used for the benefit of others. They include gifts such as healing and prophecy, and also hospitality and service. Some gifts are more fun and dramatic than others, and it can be tempting to envy people who have gifts…

Some Thoughts on Forgiveness

Scriptures: Genesis 50:15-21; Matthew 18:21-35 IntroductionI remember several visits with Mr. Jones, some years ago. He was an amazing conversationalist. I literally could step into his living room, sit down, check my watch and say, “hello, Mr. Jones, how are you?” Those would be the last words I would say for the next two hours. He was in his nineties and he had several decade’s worth of stories about the oil industry, and life in Ohio when he was just…