Sermons on Aram:

Maintaining God's Unity

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Sep 11, 2019

When God's church is unified in love, wonderful power flows. But too often the flow is blocked. We need to learn to maintain the unity that God provides for us.

We lived for 7 years up in Winthrop Harbor, the Cornerstone of Illinois. Our house was 6 blocks from the Wisconsin border and about 2 miles from the Lake Michigan shoreline. We were maybe 5 miles from the Zion Nuclear Plant. We had several good friends who worked there. This week I’ve been ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6, James 5:16, Romans 15:7, Colossians 3:16, Romans 12:10  (view more)  (view less)

Be One! Be Different!

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Sep 11, 2019

No one is useless in the church. The Holy Spirit gives everyone some gifting that they can contribute. The church needs you.

This is a bit embarrassing to say, but I have this thing about doing the Tribune’s crossword puzzle each day, and I couldn’t finish Saturday’s and it’s bugging me. Maybe you can help me out. Then I can focus on our sermon text. Can you help me for a minute? I got most of it already. This should ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:7, Ephesians 4:11-16

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

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

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

Now You Do It

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 16, 2022

What will you do when Jesus calls you to take a step of faith that is outside of your comfort zone?

We all have memories that are indelibly impressed upon our minds. Do you remember where you were when you first heard the news of Pearl Harbor, or the assassination of President Kennedy? Can you remember the scene of a certain wedding or a funeral, or any number of things? For me, one of those ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Followers Of Jesus

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 18, 2022

It's nice to stand on the fringes of what Jesus is doing and watch good things. But remember that he just might call you to jump in to some form of service.

For the last several weeks we’ve followed the course of just 24 hours in Jesus’ life. It was an amazing time. It started on the Sabbath day. He preached in the synagogue at Capernaum, cast a demon out of a heckler there, went home to Peter’s house and healed Peter’s mother-in-law in the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Jesus Touched A Leper

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 18, 2022

Nobody touched lepers in Jesus' day. Their disease was disgusting. People were afraid to catch it. Lepers were totally ostracized. When Jesus touched a leper, heads would turn. That just wasn't done. Who are the 'lepers' of our culture who need a loving touch from us?

A few weeks ago I heard a report on National Public Radio about a medical team that went to Kenya to meet the medical needs of those who had the least receive medical care available to them. They started out with a survey to see where the people were and where the doctors were. And in that survey ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:12-16, Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-45

Jesus Heals The Whole Person

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 18, 2022

Jesus is here for us to heal the invisible, deepest pains in our hearts.

Our text for this morning is a really nice story about Jesus, a story that shows a number of things. It shows some beautiful things about his character. It starts to explain to us why such an amazing man was persecuted and even put to death. It shows some deep insight into us human beings. I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:17-26, Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12

Bringing People To Jesus

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Feb 18, 2022

There are people who need Jesus, but just aren't going to come to church on their own. Here's how you can help them come to Jesus.

Our text for this morning is another one of those stories of an amazing day that stuck vividly in the memories of his disciples. When you follow Jesus you never know what is going to happen. . Our text for this morning is Luke 5:17-26. 17 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:17-26, Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12