In Sermons:

"discipleship--Our Greatest Joy"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Jan 22, 2020

A sermon about calling, following, living and learning to love like Jesus.

“Discipleship—Our Greatest Joy” Matthew 4:12-22 Recently, I read something about the elephant seal of Argentina. Soon after giving birth to her seal pup, the mother seal will leave the pup on the shore in order to go feed in the waters off the coast. After feeding, the mother seal will often ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:12-23

Denomination: United Methodist

Caleb Series

Contributed by Gordon Pike on Jan 21, 2020

Such a small word … just three letters … b-u-t. A small word that we use a hundred times or more a day. “But” … it’s a word that can have dire consequences. Imagine getting hard labor for 40 years for one word … “but” … “b-u-t” … and not just for you but for your whole family too.

When I was growing up in upstate New York, in the summer we would go to swim in an icy glacial lake called “Green Lake.” Deep … almost 200 feet deep … and crystal clear. You could drop a quarter in it and tell if were heads or tails when it hit the bottom. And cold!! They had two diving ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 14:6-9, Numbers 13:17-20, Numbers 13:27-30, Numbers 13:32-33, Numbers 14:1-4, Numbers 14:34, Numbers 14:22, Numbers 14:9-10, James 1:2  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: United Methodist

Asa Series

Contributed by Gordon Pike on Jan 12, 2020

Any study of Biblical biographies can help us in our spiritual walk by giving us examples that we can emulate … or serve as a warning or a cautionary tale.There are many, many characters in the Bible we never hear of who have a lot to teach us

You know … there are so many familiar characters in the Bible. There’s God, of course … and Jesus. There’s Adam and Eve … Noah … Moses ... Samson … David … Solomon … Peter … John … Paul. But there are many, many others in the Bible we never hear of who have a lot to teach us … people like ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:20, 2 Chronicles 14:1-11, 2 Chronicles 15:2-7, 2 Chronicles 15:12, 2 Chronicles 15:15-17, Proverbs 16:25, 2 Chronicles 16:12  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: United Methodist

"what Is Your Identity?"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Jan 8, 2020

A sermon for Baptism of the Lord Sunday.

“What Is Your Identity?” Matthew 3:13-17 In the Upper Room Devotional for this past Wednesday, a woman from Ohio named Lois Wilson writes the following: “On the first day of each community-college art class I taught, I would ask the students to write a brief answer to the question, ‘Who are ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

Denomination: United Methodist

Good-Bye To A Good Man (Funeral)

Contributed by Gordon Pike on Jan 7, 2020

The highest and most powerful compliment you can give a person today is to call them a “good person” and sincerely mean it. Charlie Nanney was a good man … Charlie Nanney was a great man.

Charlie was a piece of work, amen? A genuine … one-of-a-kind … masterpiece … Hand-crafted by the very Master Craftsman Himself … And this is how he saw all of you … as genuine … one-of-a-kind … lovingly hand-crafted masterpieces. That’s how he saw everybody. That’s how he treated ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-43, John 14:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 1 Corinthians 15:35, 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, Psalm 139:17-18  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: United Methodist

"looking For God"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Jan 3, 2020

A sermon for Epiphany Sunday.

“Looking for God” Matthew 2:1-12 Today is Epiphany, according to the Christian calendar. Now what do we mean by that? Epiphany, really is that same word, as in, “Wow. I just realized something I had never thought of before. I’ve had an epiphany.” It’s a realization, a revelation, a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Denomination: United Methodist

2020 Vision

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Dec 25, 2019

A sermon for the New Year about how God uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary.

“2020 Vision” John 2:1-11 Cana in Galilee was a village near Nazareth. In Cana, there was a wedding feast and, it seems, Mary had something to do with the arrangements, because she was worried when the wine ran out; and she had authority enough to ask the servants to do whatever Jesus told them ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-11

Denomination: United Methodist

Jesus Was Born Into The Real World--Our World

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Dec 20, 2019

A brief sermon for Christmas Eve.

“Jesus Was Born into the Real World—Our World” Luke 2:1-20 There is an old story about a fisherman and his wife. Like most fishermen, this guy worked hard for not much pay. He was out before sunrise every morning and worked well into the day. He would cast his nets again and again, hauling ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: United Methodist

The Word Became Flesh

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Dec 17, 2019

A sermon about God coming to live with us.

“The Word Became Flesh” John 1:1-5, 10-14 The church I served in East Ridge was surrounded by abject poverty. One of the things that was “brand-new” to me was the number of people living in extended-stay hotels. I don’t just mean that they stay at these hotels for a week or two, I mean they ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Denomination: United Methodist

Here Am I

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Dec 11, 2019

A sermon for the 3rd Sunday in Advent.

“Here Am I” Luke 1:26-38 Mary was a teenager when the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth. We are told that young Mary was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. Joseph was a good man, and Mary had a lot to look forward to. The future was bright. They ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38

Denomination: United Methodist

Hope

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Dec 4, 2019

A sermon for the second Sunday of Advent.

My 4-year-old, whose name just happens to be Owen has book called “Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship." The book is based on what happened to a frightened young hippopotamus, that was separated from his family by a devastating Tsunami in Southeast Asia. Owen was ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-10

Denomination: United Methodist

"peace"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Nov 25, 2019

A sermon for the 1st Sunday in Advent.

“Peace” Isaiah 2:1-5; John 14:27 (Some ideas and themes for this sermon come from the Book: "Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience") “This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.” In chapter 1 Isaiah graphically laid out what was going on in Jerusalem ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5, John 14:27

Denomination: United Methodist

"shout For Joy To The Lord"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Nov 20, 2019

A sermon for the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

“Shout for Joy to the Lord” Psalm 100 Theologians have often pointed out that we human beings tend to engage in acts of worship, whether we believe in God or not. We all have objects that we praise: a musical instrument, an actor or actress or even an awesome view. “It’s amazing or ...read more

Denomination: United Methodist

So Great A Cloud

Contributed by Gordon Pike on Nov 18, 2019

Saints can be great people like Mother Teresa or Francis of Assisi … but saints can be ordinary people. People like you and me. People who have given their hearts to Jesus. People that the light of God … the light of the Holy Spirit … shines through.

One day a man and his five-year-old son were walking through a beautiful church. The church was filled with bright light from its many colorful stained-glass windows. As the boy looked at the windows, he asked: “Who are all the people in the windows, Daddy?” “They are saints,” his father ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Denomination: United Methodist

"concern For The Suffering Of Others"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Nov 15, 2019

A sermon about living with the compassion of Christ.

“Concern for the Suffering of Others” Matthew 9:35-38 Last week I was reading a story from a mainstream news outlet about a young couple who moved to Los Angeles, California looking for fame and fortune but quickly found themselves homeless and destitute. It was a moving story. In any event, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-38

Denomination: United Methodist