Sermons from December 2020

Sermons from December 2020

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…

The Established Life

Romans 16:25-27 4th Sunday of Advent Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began  but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith– to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.…

Life as a Mission

John 20:21  3rd Sunday of Advent Introduction:  purpose in life I remember, just a few days ago, watching part of a documentary about Hasidic Jews, who are fluent in Yiddish as well as English and live in certain parts of Brooklyn.  A resident of the neighborhood was guiding the filmmaker down the street when all of a sudden, a young man steps out of a storefront, looks straight into the camera and says, “We all have a purpose in life. …

1,000 Years Like a Day

2 Peter 3:8 Second Sunday of Advent Introduction:  Waiting is not always wasting time.           On this second Sunday of Advent we consider that waiting is not wasting time.  This runs counter to our fast-moving culture.  We usually are in a hurry to get things done, and that is not always bad.  Such people are often productive, but I was in a meeting recently and someone reminded me that we need to slow down the pace, be quiet and reflect…