Sermon: "So That All May Know", 1 Kings 8:28-30, 37-43 (October 27, 2024)

Before we dig into today’s scripture reading, I want to read just one verse from Genesis, which we’ll come back to later on. Remember that in chapter 12 of Genesis, the focus shifts from the world’s primeval history to the patriarchs (and matriarchs) of our faith. In particular, it zeroes in on God’s specific interest in the lineage that will result in the people, and eventually kingdom, of Israel. As soon as the third verse of this chapter, God communicates God’s intentions to Abram without any ambiguity: “All the families of the earth will be blessed because of you.”

Liturgy: 1 Kings 8:28-30, 37-43 (October 27, 2024)

      *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #275, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” [vv. 1, 3, & 4]
Hymn GTG #346, “For the Healing of the Nations” 

Hymn GTG #341, “O God, Show Mercy to Us”

Liturgy: Solomon's Wisdom, 1 Kings 3:5-26 (October 30, 2022)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Call to Worship

Leader: A heart true to the Lord does not desire wealth or victory.
People: We come before God seeking the Wisdom of Solomon.

Sermon: "Better Together", 1 Kings 3:5-26 (October 30, 2022)

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When I was very young – I don’t remember exactly how old, but the memory is fuzzy, so it must have been a long time ago – I learned an important lesson about paper currency. I think what had happened was that my mom had given me a one-dollar bill to take to the corner store so that my friend and I could get some candy (it’s hard to believe, but you could still get some types of candy for a few cents in those days). Now, I knew that the money was intended for us to share equally, and I didn’t want one of us to accidentally benefit from our resources unfairly. Although we were making the trip together, we’d be making our candy selections independently once we arrived, so I did what seemed to me to be the fairest solution: I ripped the bill in half.

Sermon: "It's Time to Wise Up", 1 Kings 3:5-14/Proverbs 8:22-26, 30-31/James 1:5-8 (November 12, 2017)

11/12/17

Sermon video here.

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Wisdom is a slippery topic. It’s one of those things we think we understand, but if we were asked to define it, most of us would stammer until we came up with an unsatisfying answer. When I asked some pastor friends this week for a definition off the top of their heads, most offered many examples of what wisdom looks like, or factors that contribute to wisdom; very few were able to tell me what it IS. And yet, it’s crucial to our understanding of God and our calling as Christians. There are 180 mentions of the word “wisdom” in the Common English Version OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ALONE. Wisdom literature is its own genre in the Bible. Wisdom is even personified in the book of Proverbs. But it still remains an elusive concept.