Sermon: “Go Fish”, Luke 5:1-11 (January 26, 2025)

You know, over the course of my ten years of ordained ministry, I’ve had frequent doubts about the content of my sermon. Sometimes I think, “Maybe I should try to be a little more intellectual in my writing. Maybe I use too many weird metaphors about butterfly goop[1]  and Barbies[2]  and Witness Protection[3]  and cups full of mud[4]. But then, of course, I remember that Jesus was the KING of metaphors. I remember that he refers to himself as bread, a vine, and a gate; that he calls his disciples salt, sheep, and light; that he describes the kingdom of God as a mustard seed, a pearl, and a hidden treasure; and I feel less self-conscious about my sermon illustrations.

Liturgy: Fish for People, Luke 5:1-11 (January 26, 2025)

  *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 #170, “You Walk along Our Shoreline” 

Hymn GTG #726, “Will You Come and Follow Me” 

Hymn GTG #751, “From the Nets of our Labors” 

Sermon: "No Offense", Luke 4:14-30 (January 19, 2025)

“People are so easily offended these days. You can’t say ANYTHING anymore!” Such is the attitude that seems to have taken hold in certain corners of the popular modern imagination. We’re living in the era of “cancel culture,” and to hear some people tell it, it’s the worst thing that could possibly happen to society. If only people would just stop being so sensitive, we’d be able to focus on things that really matter, instead of spending all our time tiptoeing around the “snowflakes.”

Liturgy: Sermon at Nazareth, Luke 4:14-30 (January 19, 2025)

 *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 #772, “Live into Hope” 

Hymn GTG #345, “In an Age of Twisted Values” 

Sermon: “Into the Unknown", Luke 2:41-52 (January 5, 2025)

As many of you know, this past December was unusually rough for me, but for the first time in a long time, it doesn’t feel like the new month and new year offer a fresh start. If anything, I almost feel MORE dread for what comes next, and I know I’m not alone. I was joking with someone on Christmas Eve that, while I usually see social media flooded with posts full of hope that the new year will be better than the last, this year I saw a cartoon with a door labeled “2025” and people peering at it from around the corner, cautiously opening the door with a nine-foot broom. The characters in this cartoon are obviously not looking forward to finding out what’s behind that door, and that seems to be the vibe that we’re all entering this year with.

Liturgy: Jesus in the Temple, Luke 2:41-52 (January 5, 2025)

*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 #143, “Angels, from the Realms of Glory” 

Hymn GTG #135, “There's a Star in the East”