In Sermons: showing 181-195 of 337

Family Practice Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 29, 2022

Conflict isn't bad. Conflict is part of life. But there are constructive ways of dealing with conflict, ways that destroy families and communities, and destructive ones.

Early in my pastoral career a nearby hospital released a 7-week-old baby to her homeless, drug-addicted mother even though the child was at severe risk of pulmonary arrest. The hospital provided the mother with an apnea monitor to warn her if the baby stopped breathing while asleep, and trained her ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Unwrapping God's Gifts Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 29, 2022

If you aren’t actively seeking out or using your gifts to build up the body of Christ, why not? It’s why you were made.

I love bumper-sticker theology. And one of my favorites is, “Life is hard try reading the instructions.” Those of you who have assembled toys or furniture may have discovered this principle the hard way. I’ve neglected to count the parts. I’ve put things together upside down and backwards. When I ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Under Warranty Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 29, 2022

Nothing can happen to us that God cannot turn to our good and his glory.

When you go to buy a big-ticket item, they always try to sell you an extended warranty, or a service contract, don’t they. For just a few hundred more, they’ll come around and do maintenance and maybe even replace a part or two. My old Saturn came with a towing benefit as well... There was a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-30

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Work Of Waiting Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 28, 2022

We are to wait neither so eagerly that we lose our patience, not so patiently that we lose our expectation, but eagerly and patiently together.

Some of you know that Steve and Susan Forrester are expecting a baby. On the other hand, some of you might not even know who Steve and Susan Forrester are. Steve’s the pastor of the Methodist church up the street, and Susan is one of the counselors at their counseling center. Anyway they’re ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:15-25

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Faithful Turncoats Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 28, 2022

The gift of salvation is the door opened to a relationship with God for people who know they’re separated from God and don’t want to be.

The country once called Zaire is gone. It’s hard to believe how fast it happened, isn’t it? The suffering has been terrible, but 7 months is an incredibly short time for a civil war to begin, run its course, and end, especially a country the size of Zaire. I mean, the Republic of Congo. It’s as big ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:12-17

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Day Of The Living Dead Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 28, 2022

What does being dead to sin actually mean?

Have you ever seen a zombie movie? I haven’t; I’m not into horror movies, I’ve never thought that fear was fun. But zombies are the monster du jour. Space invaders, werewolves and vampires are all old hat. What’s the fascination with graves opening and corpses in various stages of decomposition ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:1-11

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

All For One Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 28, 2022

Jesus gave all he was, all he had, for each one of us.

Anybody here remember Alice Cooper? No, she didn’t used to attend this church. As a matter of fact, she isn’t even a she. Alice Cooper is a man. He’s a rock star from the early seventies, the first "shock rock" act. I suppose you could call him an early Marilyn Manson. He used to parade ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:12-21

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Bragging Rights Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 28, 2022

Suffering is part of the process of changing us into people fit for the kingdom of God.

Everybody knows that Christians shouldn’t boast, right? Some people are so leery of boasting that they hide the gifts God has given them in the mistaken notion that God will be pleased with their humility. But that’s just as bad as seeking every opportunity to grab the limelight, because God can’t ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Lovers Leap Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 28, 2022

The lack of an apostrophe in the title is not an error: it's a simple declarative sentence. Lovers of Jesus take the leap of faith.

I love the Indiana Jones movies. I think my all-time favorite will always be the first one, Raiders of the Lost Ark, but the third one, Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, is almost as good. How many of you have seen it? Sean Connery (who played Indy’s father) was almost as gorgeous as Harrison ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:13-25

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Does Your Faith Work? Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 28, 2022

Faith that works acts on God’s promises.

Do you remember the advertising slogan, “They got their money the old fashioned way: they earned it!” It was very popular, and very clever. But of course many - if not most - people with the real money in this country didn’t get it by earning it. They got it the real old fashioned way: they ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:1-17

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Living Wage Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 28, 2022

There’s a difference between dead-end religion and living faith.

I expect the issue of minimum wage will come up in Congress again this year. There are good arguments on both sides - Those who are in favor of raising it will argue, rightly, that you can’t support a family on a minimum wage job, and that people who “work hard and play by the rules” should be able ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:1-17

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Call Waiting Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 27, 2022

If God puts unexpected obstacles in your path to ministry, how should you handle it?

When I graduated from seminary, I had no idea when or where I would be called into ministry. Many of my classmates were luckier. They knew where they were going. They had received a call. I, on the other hand, would not even be eligible to receive a call for at least one year, perhaps two or more. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:8-15

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Between Yesterday And Tomorrow Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 27, 2022

Paul explains why he can't come to rome just yet.

As Paul says, the good news - the gospel - was promised a long time ago. The first hint that God would defeat evil one day comes - according to many scholars - right there in the beginning, in the third chapter of Genesis. I’m a little dubious about that interpretation, myself, but certainly by ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:1-12

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Foreigner Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 27, 2022

Imagining Jezebel's story - a woman who clung to her power and her gods in the face of enormous pressure. Are the two connected?

My name is Jezebel. I am a Phoenician princess, the daughter of Eshbaal, King of Sidon and the Queen of Israel, the strongest nation in the world from Assyria to Egypt. My father Eshbaal gave me in marriage to Ahab of Israel to strengthen the alliance between our two countries, because although we ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Refugee Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Nov 26, 2022

Naomi tells the story of her sojourn in Moab and her return with Ruth.

Good evening. My name is Naomi. You've probably already heard of my daughter-in-law Ruth, who has become very famous. But the story really began long before Ruth came on the scene. Before everything started to go wrong, my husband Elimelech and I lived in the city of Bethlehem in Judah. It had ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed