Sermons on Aram:

Excuses, Excuses

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Apr 19, 2022

If you had the chance to go back to the time of Jesus and follow him as a disciple, would you take it? Jesus pointed out that there were people who saw his ministry and saw John the Baptist's ministry, but made excuses rather than commitment, so they missed out.

I love preaching through the life of Jesus. There is something about his teachings and the things that he did that just stretches me again and again. Any time I start to think I have it all figured out, I just need to take another look at Jesus, and I know there are more wonders still ahead for ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:31-35

Those Who Are Forgiven Much

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Apr 19, 2022

Church life can become awful conventional, safe and predictable. One day Jesus met a woman who blew all of that away.

Our text for this morning is a surprising story of the reaction that different people had when they met Jesus. It is Luke 7:36-50. I encourage you to open your Bible so you can see it for yourself. In the pew Bibles it is on page 66 of the New Testament section. And please stand for the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:36-50

The Battle Within

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Apr 11, 2021

If we want to be useful for God, we will need to learn to say "no" when our body calls for food or rest in ways that hold us back. When the devil tried to deter Jesus from his mission by tempting him to turn stones to bread when he was supposed to fast, Jesus stood strong.

Perhaps once or twice in a century a truly titanic battle occurs in which the history of earth hangs in the balance. The D-Day invasion might be one. Both armies had invested many thousands of their men, millions of dollars worth of equipment and their very best modern strategies. It was a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13

On Putting God To The Test Series

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Apr 11, 2021

If we want to be useful for God, it is essential to learn that God is God. God determines the conditions of our service and we are to obey. It is too easy to descend into a pit of one demand upon another for God to serve us before we step out in obedience

If you read newspaper advice columns, like Dear Abbey, very often, you will recognize a scenario that comes up again and again. It is usually a woman who writes in about the man she loves. She insists they really love each other, but there’s this problem. She just can’t keep him happy. She ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13

Temptations Of The Flesh Series

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Apr 11, 2021

Every day we are-forming our brain by the decisions we make. Jesus was solid in choosing the way of obedience and we need to practice the spiritual disciplines to train ourselves as well.

Last week we started looking at an episode in the life of Jesus, one of many episodes that sound really strange it you stop and look at what is really happening. Jesus presented himself to John to be baptized, as his public statement that he was standing up and accepting God’s calling on his life ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13, Galatians 5:13-26

The Temptation Of Pleasing People Series

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Apr 11, 2021

When we start out wanting to serve God it is so easy to get distracted by what will please the people around us. But we have to choose one or the other, please God or please people.

I had quite a dream last night. Spring training hasn’t even started yet, but in my dream I saw the final game of the 2007 World Series. It was in Wrigley Field. The Cubs were winning in the bottom of the 9th. Two outs, bases loaded. Kerry Woods is on the mound, looking to cap a phenomenal ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13

Preparation For Ministry 2: Understanding Power Series

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Apr 11, 2021

The devil's offer of giving to Jesus authority over all the nations might have seemed like an easy shortcut to fulfill his calling, but of course, Jesus saw through the temptation of power. He saw power far above coercion. He saw the power of love and servanthood.

When you hear me say the word, “power,” I’ll bet it can stir up all sorts of feelings inside. On one hand it may bring memories of a time when someone used power over you in a painful and destructive way and you cringe a bit inside. On the other hand it may stir up a hope of having power ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13

Ruth: Refugee With A Human Face

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Jun 21, 2021

The Book of Ruth doesn't get much attention, but it can remind us that God sees refugees and can use them in his purposes.

I imagine we probably all have a favorite book of the Bible. The gospels should be high on everyone’s list because they tell us the story of Jesus. And when the church’s heart and mind are fixed on Jesus, everything comes together. When we lose sight of Jesus things go wrong. Luke is my ...read more

The Best Mother's Day Ever

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 7, 2022

Mothers care that their kids are well provided for. That is close to God's heart of concern for those less fortunate in our world.

We all know what mothers are supposed to want on Mother’s Day. A card is great, whether professionally made, with a beautiful picture on the front and a sentimental poem on the inside, or maybe home made, decorated inside and out with crayons that are handled with more love than professional ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:16-21

Not A Tame Lion

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 7, 2022

We like to keep things calm and happy in church, but one day Jesus really upset folks in his home synagogue. Are you ready to follow him?

You’ve heard me say before that I love The Chronicles of Narnia, written by C.S. Lewis. We read them over and over again to our children as they were growing up. Maybe a year ago one of them, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, came out in a very successful movie. That inspired me to read ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:14-30

Membership Has No Privileges

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 7, 2022

Do we come to church for what we can get or for what we can give?

Our sermon text for today is really scene two of one of the key moments in Jesus’ early ministry. We looked at scene one several weeks ago, that was Luke 4:16-22, and Kurt just read it for us again as a refresher. Scene one is a proud moment. Jesus has been speaking in synagogues in a number ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:23-30

Jesus Spoke With Authority

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 7, 2022

The modern mind doesn't like to submit to authority, but if you don't recognize Jesus's authority, you don't recognize Jesus.

Three weeks ago we left off of our series on the early ministry of Jesus as he was walking out of his home town, Nazareth, very much alone, having been violently rejected by the people of the synagogue where he grew up. What a tragic story. We don’t know that he ever went back. If you missed ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:31-37

Devoted To Good Works

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 7, 2022

If we follow Jesus, he will call us to service of others

I am endlessly fascinated by Jesus Christ. I have been seriously studying the New Testament for more than 4 decades, and I am still coming to new appreciations of the life he lived. Over and over again, as I come to understand what we have written about him, I am stretched as I see how he ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:31-37, Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 5:16, 1 Timothy 6:18, Hebrews 10:24, Hebrews 13:16  (view more)  (view less)

A Broader Vision

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 7, 2022

Our lives can get so cluttered with good things that we miss the best.

Our text for this morning is Luke 4:38-44. “After leaving the synagogue Jesus entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:38-44

Jesus And The Crowds

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 16, 2022

Are we content to just see the same people in church week after week or do we really want to welcome many more?

We are working our way through the life and ministry of Jesus, as told in the Gospel of Luke. We’re still very early in his ministry. And in today’s text a problem starts to emerge that will come to be a difficulty for Jesus on many days. It’s the problem of too many people wanting to come and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-3