In Sermons: showing 136-150 of 170

Following Jesus Is An Adventure(An Easter Sermon On Luke 24)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 27, 2007

Jesus is Risen! Is that Good News? Well ... if you had been promising yourself that you were never going to get yourself into trouble with the Roman occupation forces again...

Following Jesus is an adventure. It’s not always a barrel of laughs, but it’s always an adventure. Angel has been known to muse over where her life might be now, had she not married me, and so ’married into the church’ (so to speak). We’ve reflected numerous times on how she might have had a ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Wounds Endure (A Sermon On John 20:19-29)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 27, 2007

There is a mystery in the suffering of Jesus - we know that. His wounds are special, because they are Godxs wounds for us! We know that Jesusx wounds are deeply tied to His

We’re in John Chapter 20 today - revisiting the story of ’doubting Thomas’. This is a familiar story. We have it read to us in church every year, though I’m not entirely sure why that is. As most of you probably know, we in the Anglican church work on a three year lectionary, which means that we ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-29

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Nowhere To Rest! (Luke 9:57-62)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 27, 2007

It hurts when we lose someone we love, and it hurts because we love them. Love and pain are never far from each other. You can’t have one without the other.

Q: Why did the Palestinian cross the road? A: We don’t know either, but if he wont’ tell us what he was doing, crossing a road without a permit, we will detain him until we find out! I was looking for a joke with a jarring ending to introduce what I consider to be a particularly jarring Gospel ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:57-62

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Looking Through The Eyes Of Jesus (A Sermon On Luke 7:36-50)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 25, 2007

"Do you see this woman", Jesus challenges Simon, for in truth, he’d never seen her! He’d seen the prostitute, the bit of flesh, the easy conquest,

There’s nothing I enjoy more than watching a good stoush (I‘m talking ‘boxing’ here) except perhaps participating in a good stoush. I know that some of you here share my love of the pugilistic arts. I’m also conscious of the fact though that a goodly number of you people, for reasons that I can’t ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:36-50

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus V Legion: A Hellish Stoush! (A Sermon On Luke 8:26-39)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 25, 2007

I do personally believe that the greatest thing that holds people back from following Jesus, and that so often holds us back from truly giving ourselves to Him, is fear.

Those of you who tune in regularly to my online forum will know that there’s been a lot of discussion lately about Christopher Hitchens’ new book, "God is Not Great - how religion poisons everything". The publishers, Allen and Unwin, had sent me a review copy that I passed on to someone else on ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:26-39

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Faithful Servants (A Sermon On Luke 12:35-40)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 24, 2007

Following Jesus: It’s long hours, hard work, costly, and a little bit crazy, but would we ever consider changing positions and serving someone else? Not a chance!

I thought that I finally had a totally positive sermon for you today! I’ve been under rather trenchant criticism of late for repeatedly giving sermons focused on the theme of judgement and on the hard path of discipleship, and I admit that I have been looking for that text, "Come to me, all ye who ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:35-40

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Hating Your Family For Jesus' Sake?! (A Sermon On Luke 14:25-33)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 24, 2007

How can we hate our parents, partners and children? It has to be the most offensive exhortation Jesus ever gave - telling us that we have to hate the ones we love th most.

As soon as I noticed that our Gospel reading today was the one that begins by telling us that we’ve got to ’hate our mothers and fathers’, I decided then and there to give my sermon today on Paul’s Letter to Philemon! No, as much as I’d like to do that, I feel I have to stick with "hate your ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Parable Of The Sly Bastard (A Sermon On Luke 16:1-9)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 24, 2007

If you want to know how to handle money, take your lead from this sleaze-bag criminal accountant in Luke 16, for he was smart enough to know the most valuable thing that you.

One of the lads at Fight Club on Tuesday night approached me with a question: "You know that parable Jesus tells about the merchant who found the pearl of great price?”, he asked. “Yeah”, I said. “Well, I want to know who is the merchant in the story supposed to be?” This is not the standard sort ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:1-9

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Fate, Failure And Fig Trees (And Why Bad Things Happen To Good People)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 17, 2007

It’s the age-old theological question - why do bad things happen to good people? Jesus, as ever, doesn’t give us the response we expect.

They say that philosophy deals with two sorts of questions: * Questions to which everybody knows the answer (eg. Do I really exist?). * Questions to which nobody knows the answer (eg. Why do I exist?). Religious teachers tend to deal the same sorts of questions, perhaps particularly questions ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Institution Of Marriage

Contributed by David Smith on Jan 29, 2007

’Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like horse and carriage’. So we’re told, but not in my book they don’t, and by ’my book’ I mean the Bible.

’Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like horse and carriage’. So we’re told, but not in my book they don’t, and by ’my book’ I mean the Bible. That’s a warm and inviting way to start a sermon, isn’t it? But the tone is set for us today by our reading from the Old Testament - the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-28

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus, Justice & Jubilee

Contributed by David Smith on Jan 24, 2007

Father Dave’s sermon on the relationship between evangelism, social justice and the Gospel. Why was the Gosepl proclaimed as ’Good news the poor’ and what was Jesus’ vision of Social Justice?

There has been an unfortunate division in the church, that goes back over many years, between those who emphasise the preaching of the Gospel as the primary work of the church, and those who focus on issues of justice, love, and peace. It is regularly assumed that those who focus on the preaching ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:14-21

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Horoscope Of Jesus

Contributed by David Smith on Jan 8, 2007

What must Mary have thought when she first opened the door and found a group of Iranian astrologers, there to celebrate the birth of her son? These characters seem so inappropriate in the Christmas narrative, but maybe that’s the point?

The Xmas season is over! We’ve wished each other a Merry Xmas AND a Happy New Year, and now the festive season is PAST. The holidays (for most of us) are over. The time for singing carols and wishing peace and goodwill to all is finished. The presents have been handed out. The cards have all been ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Rejoice! Philippians 4:4-7

Contributed by David Smith on Jan 4, 2007

Father Dave’s sermon on what it means to rejoice in the Lord always.

"Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. Let your forbearance be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus Is The Answer - No ... Not Always (A Sermon On Acts 17)

Contributed by David Smith on Dec 21, 2006

Father Dave’s sermon on Paul, the preacher of the Gospel of Jesus, communicating with a group of persons who have never heard of Jesus. How did he go about it? And what is wrong with the ’Jesus is the answer to all your problems’ approach?

"Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols." (Acts 17:16) Ange and I have been to Athens, as I suspect many of you guys have also. We went for less pious reasons than St Paul. We went as the Australian contingent ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:22-31

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Spiritual Training: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Contributed by David Smith on Dec 21, 2006

Father Dave’s sermon on spiritual training... "I do not box as though beating the air," says St. Paul, and all the boxers in the congregation say ... Amen!

Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. (25) Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. (26) So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican