The entire Epiphany season is about revelation, about learning things we couldn’t have known unless they were shown to us. We saw hints about who Jesus is in the confession of the Wise Men and the flurry of activity at his baptism. His miracles clearly pointed to his power as God, and over the last two weeks, we’ve seen how who Jesus is changes who we are. We can be gentle, yet inherit the earth; we have become the light of the world and the salt of the earth because Jesus has given us those preserving qualities for the world around us.
"Live What You Are!" (Sermon on Matthew 5:13-20) | February 8, 2026
How often do you learn something about yourself that you didn’t know? Maybe you tried a new hobby and found you have a great aptitude for it. Maybe you read a type of book that you normally would avoid and found out that you really enjoy that genre. Maybe you are going through a really difficult time and surviving in a way you never dreamed you could. Maybe the reverse is true—you found that something you thought you could handle just fine was way more difficult than you thought—perhaps even beyond your ability.
"The Path of Humility Is Difficult" (Sermon on Zephaniah 2:3, 3:11-13) | February 1, 2026
Looks can be deceiving. We’re probably all familiar with the trope in movies of someone who looks completely unqualified transitioning into someone qualified for whatever is going on. Usually, that takes place in a montage of clips, whether in a makeover or a training session. The gangly nerd wins the athletic event, the clueless space-cadet comes to save the day with academic prowess, or whatever expectations-subverting event the movie’s plot needs.
"Your Record Is Nailed to the Cross" (Sermon on Colossians 2:6-15) | January 18, 2026
It’s amazing what people think they can get away with, especially in our modern era, when we (evidently) have become pretty comfortable installing surveillance in and around our homes and businesses. You pretty much need to assume that if you’re out in public or outside on someone else’s property, you’re probably on camera.
"Jesus Fulfills All Righteousness" (Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17) | January 11, 2026
Have you ever started a project and then lost all the drive and motivation to finish it? Maybe you get that first coat of paint on the walls, but that necessary second coat just sort of feels like a bridge too far. Maybe you’re set on finally cleaning out the garage and getting to the point where you’ve filled up the driveway with random junk, but then sorting it and putting away the things that are staying just seems kind of impossible. Maybe you got the laundry all done, but it sits in the basket, wrinkling and never hitting the dresser or the closet.
"Seek Him Out" (Sermon on Matthew 2:1-12) | January 4, 2026
Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt? Or maybe someone set up (or you set up for someone else) a trail of clues to follow to get to a big surprise. It can be fun, but it also can be a bit nerve-racking if you don’t know what’s at the end of the trail or if you’re not really confident about where to look to find the next item or clue on the list.
"Behold God's Glory!" (Sermon on 2 Corinthians 3:7-18) | March 2, 2025
Things that have been hidden can be quite surprising when they are revealed. The engagement ring that was waiting until just the right moment to appear might take someone by surprise—in a good way. A cancer diagnosis when the person feels otherwise healthy will absoultely take someone by surprise—in a bad way.
While “ignorance is bliss” at times, we often prefer to know things rather than stay in the dark. Some things may need to remain hidden, at least for a while: the surprise party or the bad news that could be completely destructive to someone already going through a tough time. A surprise can be enjoyable when it’s fun, but when it’s something important and concealed, it can be frustrating and harmful.
"Love Your Enemies" (Sermon on Luke 6:27-38) | February 23, 2025
A common theme in political discourse throughout history is leaders (or would-be leaders) identifying a problem that some core part of their constituency has and then finding some group of “others” to blame it on. You see that especially in difficult economic times. Usually, the blame gets put on someone who is different than the core group—maybe a different religion, skin tone, language, or ancestry. More often than not throughout history, those claims and blames have been baseless.
"Is Jesus' Grace Sufficient?" (Sermon on 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) | February 16, 2025
Have you ever felt at the point of being completely overwhelmed, that you just couldn’t take one more issue or you were going to lose it? And “lose it” may have different meanings to different people in different contexts. Maybe you feel like you’re going to scream if one more person tries to put one more thing on your tasklist. Maybe you feel like you’re going to get sick if you have one more piece of anxiety-causing news come across your phone or TV screen. Maybe you feel like you’re going to quit your job or run away from some other responsibilities if things don’t change because you just can’t take one more minute of the way things are going.
"You're Sending Whom...?" (Sermon on Luke 5:1-11) | February 9, 2025
I don’t watch it often, but I love the PBS show Antiques Road Show. If you haven’t seen it, the basic premise is this: people attend an event and bring in old things they have in their homes (perhaps displayed, perhaps stashed away in the attic) to have them appraised. They film many of the appraisals, and the interesting ones tend to be aired on the show. Sometimes they’re interesting because the person is sure they’re sitting on a small fortune, only to discover that what they have isn’t worth much. On the other hand, sometimes people bring something in and it ends up worth 10, 100, or even 1000x what they thought it might be.
"What Does Gospel Success Look Like?" (Sermon on 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5) | February 2, 2025
Keep at it. Keep pushing. Fake it ‘til you make it. These sorts of encouragements are often shared with those who are finding the path ahead of them difficult. Maybe they’re trying to set new personal records at the gym, and just can’t seem to break through that plateau. Maybe they’ve started a new job or embarked on a new personal project and it has become clear that they are in over their head or didn’t have as solid a command of the material as they thought they did. What’s the encouragement? Keep at it.
"Rejection Is Not Failure" (Sermon on Acts 4:23-31) | January 26, 2025
When plans fall apart, it might leave you feeling like you failed. But the things that caused (or hastened) the failure were often out of your control. The picnic plans fall apart because of the rain. The project at work gets cut because of budget decisions far above your job description. The car you intended to keep for a decade or more is totaled because someone wasn’t paying attention and ran into you.
"Jesus' Power Brings About Faith" (Sermon on John 2:1-11) | January 19, 2025
If you’ve ever adopted a pet from a group like the Humane Society or an animal rescue, you’re probably familiar with all the hoops you need to jump through to complete the adoption. These groups will not just hand over an animal to you because you walked through the door and had the cash for the adoption fee. They ask for information, if you rent your home they want clearance from the landlord that it’s ok for you to have a pet. They want to know who your vet is to get a clear idea of how you’re caring for any current pets or pets from the past.
"Do You Laugh with the Lord?" (Sermon on Psalm 2:1-7) | January 12, 2025
Have you ever been in a situation so bad, frustrating, or seemingly hopeless that all you could do was laugh? Why is that a gut reaction for us sometimes? I assume it’s a response to things we can’t control, things that are sometimes so out of reach that it almost begins to be funny.
That laughter or “humor” (if we can call it that) is a dark, hopeless laughter. I can’t do anything but laugh. But it’s not expressing the joy that laughter often communicates. It’s certainly not expressing something funny or entertaining. So, there are many reasons someone might laugh at the situation around them, some of them positive but sometimes very negative.
"Do You Consider Yourself Worthy of Eternal Life?" (Sermon on Acts 13:46-49) | January 5, 2025
Have you ever gotten a gift, maybe this Christmas just finished or sometime in the past, that you felt unworthy to receive? Maybe it was something so personal, so dialed in to you, that you knew you could never, ever give such a thoughtful gift, and rather than appreciating the love and care that went into it, you felt only guilt over the generic nature of the gift you had prepared. Maybe there was a gift so costly that you were embarrassed to think that someone gave you a gift of such value. Perhaps it even left you wondering why they did.
