Anyone who thinks that church is boring never heard about Pentecost. The “Birthday of the Church” was one wild party. The followers of Jesus did not plan this party. No committees met, there was no strategy session, it just happened. Pentecost happened to them. The only contribution they made was their presence together. “The disciples were all […]
For some reason, this passage has always amused me. Jesus floats away like a balloon and his disciples stare as he disappears behind a cloud. I picture them gazing into the clouds with their mouths hanging open, catching flies. Suddenly two “men in white robes” appear and ask an obvious question, “Why do you […]
This Sunday, we focus on a well-known and often used passage from the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Paul begins his 5th chapter with a lot of talk about boasting. Strange choice of words, I think. We usually think of boasting as a first cousin to “pride,” which is listed by the early church […]
I receive my mail at a post office box in Manchaca. It was close to my previous church and handy as I went back and forth between home and work. And it was easier to keep all of that in place after I retired. I went by the post office last week to pick up […]
It was a week after Easter, and the disciples of Jesus were awed, overjoyed, and blown away with the fact that they had seen their risen master. Almost giddy, they descended upon Thomas and told him what they had seen. Judas was gone, so that left 10 of them. Talk about peer pressure! “We have seen the Lord!” they […]
Happy Easter! In today’s sermon Pastor Jim examines Matthew’s account of the resurrection. Matthew is the only Gospel writer that mentions the earthquake. He describes it as violent. It was dark, just barely dawn, when women went to the tomb. Matthew calls them “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.” The earthquake was caused by a descending […]
On Feb. 16, Pastor Jim preaches on 1 Corinthians 13. 1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as […]
On Feb. 9, Pastor Laura preaches on James 5:14-15. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; […]
On Feb. 2, Pastor Jim preaches on 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. 23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that […]
On Jan. 26, Pastor Jim preaches on 2 Timothy 1:1-7. 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I am grateful […]