Podcasts by Zions Stone UCC
The weekly sermons from Rev. Mike Landsman, pastor at Zion's Stone UCC in Northampton, PA.
Further podcasts by Sermons from Rev. Mike Landsman, pastor of Zion's Stone UCC in Northampton, PA
Podcast on the topic Religion und Spiritualität
All episodes
Trust in the Lord from 2022-02-14T17:51:53
Pastor Mike preaches on the difference between those who trust in themselves versus those who trust in the Lord, what results from choosing one or the other, and the corruptibility of the human hea...
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Encounter & Action from 2022-02-08T16:10:29
Pastor Mike preaches on how an encounter with the Divine is an encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ, and how that encounter reveals who we are and how we are to cooperate with his freely given grac...
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The Prophetic Pattern of Divine Speech from 2022-02-01T19:15:13
Pastor Mike preaches on how the prophetic pattern of divine speech helps break us from the vicious circles of sin. As we gather divine speech exposes our hearts and build us up in Christ.
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Today is Holy to the Lord from 2022-01-24T18:23:55
Pastor Mike preaches on the assembling of the people of God to hear the reading of the Word of God, to respond to the Word of God, and to rejoice by feasting and how that models our own worship
Do Whatever He Tells You from 2022-01-18T19:09:10
Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana and how, following the example of the Blessed Virgin we are to notice what is wrong around us, intercede for o...
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Bring Home What You Have Received from 2022-01-04T17:08:54
Pastor Mike preaches on some spiritual lessons of the monastic life and how, though most of us are not called to that life, the church functions much in the same way. What we have been given we are...
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Signs of Joy from 2021-12-21T16:00:48
Pastor Mike preaches on how joy rooted in Jesus Christ surpasses any attempt to substitute that with anything our materialistic and secular culture has to offer.
4th Sunday of Advent; Is...
Salvation & Story from 2021-12-15T17:48:49
Pastor Mike continues his Advent series, Emmanuel: God With Us. In today's sermon he highlights the overarching story of salvation that David and Zechariah were part of, a story that we are called ...
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Justice & Righteousness from 2021-11-30T15:12:32
Pastor Mike begins a new series for Advent, Emmanuel: God With Us by preaching on justice and righteousness. Jesus brings us both now and in the age to come, and how that differs from cultural defi...
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The Kingship of Jesus from 2021-11-23T19:35:13
Pastor Mike preaches on the kingship of Jesus and how it is shown in his coming judgement, the freedom he brings, and the truth he incarnates.
Christ the King, Year B: Daniel 7:9-14; Reve...
The New & Living Way from 2021-11-17T21:06:16
Pastor Mike preaches from the Epistle to the Hebrews on Jesus Christ as the new and living way into the presence of God and the finality of his sacrifice, once for all time.
25th Sunday A...
They Will Shine Forth from 2021-11-09T02:29:07
Pastor Mike preaches on how the wicked do not know the secret purposes of God, the secret purpose of God is Christ in us, and just like the departed saints we will share in the glory of Jesus as ic...
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The Blessed Are Known By, & Know, Jesus from 2021-11-02T17:14:21
Greg Parker, Jr. preaches on Psalm 1, considering Christ who is the blessed way.
Reformation Sunday, Year B: Psalm 1; Acts 15:12-22; Matthew 13:54-58
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St. James & the Way of the Righteous from 2021-10-26T17:31:10
Pastor Mike preaches on the life and example of St. James the Brother of the Lord and his turn from unbeliever to believer, from scoffer to disciple.
St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of th...
The Life of Faith from 2021-10-19T14:41:57
On the feast of St. Luke, Pastor Mike preaches on St. Paul's final instructions to Timothy, how that helps us navigate the life of faith, and how St. Luke demonstrated that in his own life.
On Suffering, Pt. 2 from 2021-10-12T17:43:47
Pastor Mike continues his short series, On Suffering. Entrenched in his suffering Job, responding to the false accusations of his friend Eliphaz, desires to find God to present his case before Him....
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On Suffering from 2021-10-05T14:43:20
Pastor Mike preaches on the reading from Hebrews that says Jesus was made lower than the angels, how his suffering and death led to his glorification, what it means that his suffering perfected him...
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Rabble Rouser (or Strong Cravings) from 2021-09-28T13:40:24
Pastor Mike preaches on how the rabble, mixed among the people of God, caused God's people to focus on the strong craving for what they left behind instead of gratitude on God's gracious provision....
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The Cure for Quarreling Community from 2021-09-21T16:09:06
Pastor Mike preaches on quarreling in church communities, where those disagreements stem from, and how God directs us to deal with them.
17th Sunday After Pentecost, Year B: Jeremiah 11:18...
Reorientation from 2021-09-14T14:13:16
Pastor Mike preaches on the pattern of confusion, confrontation, and reorientation that occurs when we have wrong ideas in our minds of who Jesus is, and what he's done, when we encounter who Jesus...
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Partiality, Judgment, & Mercy from 2021-09-06T23:56:52
Pastor Mike preaches on how in the church we are all one and thus it is sinful when we show partiality to the rich and powerful over the poor. When we see the poor and the suffering in our midst an...
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Hard Words (Or Faith Seeking Understanding) from 2021-08-31T15:40:16
Concluding his series on John 6, Pastor Mike preaches on the unbelief of Jesus' own disciples at his hard words and how their reaction exposes our own unbelief. Faith is not blind belief it is trus...
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Eating or Believing? from 2021-08-24T14:36:38
Continuing the series on John 6, Pastor Mike preaches on eating and believing. Jesus intensifies his earlier statements leaving his hearers baffled. Is eating his flesh merely a metaphor for believ...
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How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Mother of God from 2021-08-16T03:00:08
On the Feast of the falling asleep of the Blessed Virgin, Pastor Mike preaches from the Magnificat from the Gospel of Luke, and how it shows us Mary's humble acceptance of God's divine plan, her re...
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The Food that Endures from 2021-08-03T14:56:01
Pastor Mike continues his sermon series on John 6. Jesus is sought by the crowd not because of his teaching or his signs, but because they want something from him. And in response Jesus identifies ...
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Theophanic Bread from 2021-07-27T13:56:22
Pastor Mike begins a new series, The Bread of Life, based on the readings from John 6. In the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves followed by Jesus walking on the sea, we see how both are n...
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The Pattern from 2021-07-06T16:15:54
Pastor Mike preaches from the stories of David, Paul, and Jesus highlighting the pattern of being hit with adversity after experiencing moments of God's goodness, and how they responded.
6...
St. Paul, Qin Shihuang, & Grace from 2021-06-08T14:14:24
Pastor Mike preaches on the Chinese emperor Qin Shihuang's obsessive quest to find immortality, contrasting it with St. Paul's self giving love on display for the Corinthian church and how even as ...
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Worship of the Trinity from 2021-06-07T01:41:55
Pastor Mike preaches from Psalm 29 on how the church is the reconstitution of the heavenly beings called to offer worship to God arrayed, or in the beauty of, holiness and how the doctrine of the T...
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Three Activities of the Holy Spirit from 2021-05-25T01:26:37
Drawing from Jesus' words to the disciples in John 16, Pastor Mike preaches on the three activities of the Holy Spirit: convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Pentecost ...
Burdened or Victorious from 2021-05-11T14:58:40
Pastor Mike preaches on how the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ are not burdensome and how our fulfilling them shows our abiding in God's love. This enactment of our faith aids in our victory ove...
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Life on the Vine from 2021-05-04T14:14:42
Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus' imagery of the vine, fruit, and branches and how God is glorified not through the damnation of sinners but through the growing to maturity, bearing fruit, of those wh...
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Knowing Love & Truth from 2021-04-27T14:55:02
Pastor Mike preaches on the link between love and truth. Too often these are set at opposition against one another but actually work together.
4th sunday of Eastertide, Year B: Acts 4:5-1...
The Key to the Scriptures from 2021-04-20T15:04:02
Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus' post-resurrection appearance to his disciples and giving them the key to understanding the Scriptures: his passion, resurrection, and forgiveness of sin being proclai...
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Confession & Forgiveness from 2021-04-13T14:12:24
After an opening excursus on sin and death (mortality), Pastor Mike preaches on how Jesus gave the Apostles the gift of being able to forgive sins that was grounded in his work of redemption. When ...
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The Veil of Death & the Lord's Salvation from 2021-04-06T14:29:50
Drawing from the reading from the prophet Isaiah, Pastor Mike preaches on the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the prophet's words that the Lord would swallow up the veil...
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Kingship, Humility, & Suffering from 2021-03-30T14:01:19
On this Palm & Passion Sunday Pastor Mike preaches on the three themes of Kingship, humility, and suffering from the Triumphal Entrance of Jesus and the Passion narratives from the Gospel according...
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Take From Me from 2021-03-08T02:43:20
Drawing from the Lenten prayer of St. Ephrem, Pastor Mike preaches on who St. Ephrem was, why his Lenten prayer is still so powerful, and gives scriptural examples to highlight the four things the ...
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The Faith that Founded Us is the Faith that Sustains Us from 2021-03-02T19:47:55
On the 250th Anniversary of Zion's Stone UCC, our own Ray Biery preaches on the faith of those who founded our church and how that faith is one we share. Their own stories and struggles continue to...
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The Church is the Body of Christ (Not a Social Club) from 2021-02-23T15:32:32
Pastor Mike concludes his series The Church Is/Is Not by preaching on the Church is the Body of Christ (Not a Social Club). The church is not a social club or gathering. The church, marked by the p...
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Repent & Return to the Lord from 2021-02-18T03:12:14
Pastor Mike preaches on how Lent is one of the primary ways we are confronted with the holiness of God, human sinfulness, and God's abundant mercy and love, and his call to repent and return to him...
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The Church is For our Transfiguration (Not Moral Transformation) from 2021-02-16T16:07:24
Pastor Mike preaches on the mistake of seeing the faith primarily as a pattern of moral transformation that inevitably leads to moralistic therapeutic deism. Our participation in the resurrected li...
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The Church is Inclusive (Not Exclusive) from 2021-02-09T15:55:40
Pastor Mike continues his series The Church Is/Is Not and preaches on The Church is Inclusive (Not Exclusive). After starting out with the cultural definition of inclusivity we turn to the Scriptur...
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The Church is Exclusive (Not Inclusive) from 2021-02-03T15:13:14
Pastor Mike preaches on the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as the means of human salvation as well as the exclusivity inherent in the reception of the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist, and how ...
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The Church is for Our Conversion (Not our Actualization) from 2021-01-26T17:29:55
Continuing the series, The Church Is/Is Not, Pastor Mike drawing from the conversion of St. Paul preaches on how his conversion to Christ is the model for our own. Our conversion isn't a one time d...
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The Church is a Hospital (Not a Training Camp for Activism) from 2021-01-19T17:42:21
Second Sunday of Epiphany, Year B
Building on his theme from last week of rival "baptisms" that seek to draw us from Christ, Pastor Michael begins a series on the church is/is not. In toda...
Baptism & its Rivals from 2021-01-12T15:23:50
Pastor Mike preaches on how rival baptisms, primarily those on the political right and left, try to draw us away from living out our baptism into Christ by replacing it with worldviews and ideologi...
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The Word of God & the Structure of Reality from 2021-01-05T18:24:46
Drawing from John 1, Pastor Mike preaches on the eternal Word of God as the foundation of reality and the pattern that sets for the church's life and mission.
Second Sunday of Christmas, ...
Nativity Sermon of St. John Chrysostom from 2020-12-31T15:11:11
Pastor Mike reads the Nativity sermon originally preached by one of our fathers in the faith: St. John Chrysostom.
First Sunday of Christmas, Year B
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Impossible from 2020-12-22T15:19:28
Pastor Mike preaches on God's promises to David and the annunciation to the Virgin Mary and how God continually does what looks like, from our perspective to be, the impossible.
Fourth Su...
Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks from 2020-12-15T18:42:37
Pastor Mike preaches on what it means to always rejoice, pray, and give thanks and how that will help us to abstain from evil as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Third Sunday ...
Scoffers, Patience, & God's Inactivity from 2020-12-08T18:13:48
Pastor Mike preaches on the coming day of the Lord and how scoffers call it into question by what looks to be God's inactivity. But what looks like inactivity is God exercising patience so that mor...
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The In-Between Time from 2020-12-01T15:41:37
Jeannette Bellesfield, our guest homilist, preaches on the first Sunday of Advent giving us hope as we wait, in the in-between time, for Jesus' second coming. We wait and wonder and shine our light...
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The Sheep & the Goats from 2020-11-24T00:15:07
Pastor Mike preaches on the parable of the sheep and the goats and how as King , Christ rules and reigns over all and on the last day will judge all.
Christ the King, Year A: Ezekiel 34:1...
To Obtain Salvation from 2020-11-17T15:08:39
Pastor Mike preaches on how the coming Day of the Lord is meant to be a message of encouragement as well as what it means that salvation is something we have yet to fully obtain.
24th Sun...
The Foolish & The Wise from 2020-11-12T16:34:12
Pastor Mike preaches on the parable of the five wise and the five foolish virgins.
23rd Sunday After Pentecost, Year A: Wisdom 6:12-16; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13
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A World Lit by the Saints from 2020-11-03T16:34:02
Drawing from St. John's first epistle, Pastor Mike preaches on what we're destined to become, how our destiny is grounded in God's love, and how what we are to become is able to begin to be seen in...
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Three Traps from 2020-10-27T15:51:05
Drawing from St. Paul's first letter to the church at Thessalonica, Pastor Mike preaches on the three traps- flattery, greed, and glory- that if not avoided will damage or negate our Christian witn...
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The Promise of Presence from 2020-10-20T14:33:53
Concluding the series on Exodus, Pastor Mike preaches on Moses' intercession for the people of Israel after their sin, God's promise to go with them, and Moses' request to see God's glory, how Jesu...
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The Decalogue, Pt. 2 from 2020-10-13T17:25:21
Pastor Mike preaches on the final commandments not covered the previous week: how they indicate that God cares how we treat our neighbors and family, our sexual proclivities, and the inherent digni...
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The Decalogue, Pt. 1 from 2020-10-06T15:48:06
Pastor Mike preaches on the Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue. Before dealing with the first four commandments that deal with the interior life, or our relationship with God, we have to...
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Presumption & Grace from 2020-09-29T17:07:03
Pastor Mike preaches on the story of the people of Israel grumbling because of the lack of water. It demonstrates their lack faith and their expectation that God is supposed to respond to their dem...
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Ingratitude & the Bread of Heaven from 2020-09-22T16:55:38
Continuing through the series on Exodus, Pastor Mike preaches on the grumbling of the people of Israel and God's response in sending them bread from heaven and how we, in our own faithlessness, are...
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The Water of Deliverance (and Destruction) from 2020-09-14T02:41
Pastor Mike preaches on the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt through the miracle of the opening of the Red Sea. The water that delivered and saved them from their enemies brought dest...
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God Against the gods from 2020-09-08T13:58:34
Pastor Mike preaches on the institution of the Passover by dealing with being made uncomfortable with the death of all the firstborn and what's going on behind the scenes spiritually that can help ...
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Unexpected Encounter from 2020-09-01T14:15:42
Continuing through Exodus, Pastor Mike preaches on Moses' unexpected encounter with God at the burning bush and how that encounter asked of him, and of us, to place his trust, faith, and obedience ...
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Forgetfulness, Preservation, & God's Providence from 2020-08-25T14:41:25
Beginning a new series on Exodus, Pastor Mike preaches on the forgetfulness of Pharaoh leading to oppression of the Children of Israel, and God's preservation of his people and providentially sendi...
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The Preservation of Life vs. The Cult of Death from 2020-08-18T15:56:48
Drawing from the Joseph story in Genesis 45, Pastor Mike preaches on how the Christian vocation of the preservation of life conflicts with the surrounding culture's worship of the cult of death, an...
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Faith vs. Doubt from 2020-08-11T14:12:13
Our own Ray Biery preaches on even though we're not always perfectly faithful during difficulties, there are ways that we can refocus our faith when doubts arise all around us.
10th Sunda...
Hope in the Silence from 2020-08-04T11:40:20
Greg Parker Jr. is a candidate for ordination in the PCA. He is a graduate of Cairn University and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Edi...
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Storms (and the Inseparability of Christ's Love from 2020-07-28T11:14:28
8th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A: Genesis 29:15-28; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33,44-52
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Intro & Outro music:
Parallel by Hotel Pools & ...
St. Mary Magdalene: The Tomb, The Encounter, & The Mission from 2020-07-21T13:33:23
Pastor Mike preaches on the story of Mary Magdalene's experience at the empty tomb and how it mirrors our own encounter with the risen Christ and the mission he has tasked us with.
Feast ...
Isaac & Rebecca from 2020-07-07T14:11:28
Drawing from the insights of St. Ambrose, Pastor Mike preaches on the story of Isaac and Rebecca in Genesis 24 on why Isaac can't take a wife from the local people, how Rebecca's choice is similar ...
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What Can I Do? from 2020-06-16T14:22:37
Drawing on today's reading from Romans and Psalm 116, Pastor Mike preaches on how we react to the unexpected generosity of God, how we can never repay that generosity, and how we respond in gratefu...
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Cure for Community in Chaos from 2020-06-09T12:43:23
Pastor Mike preaches on St. Paul's final instructions to the church at Corinth as a model for how we should seek to cure the ongoing problems of distorted human nature and factionalism in both the ...
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Pentecost & Prophetic Proclamation from 2020-06-02T13:42:39
In today's message, Pastor Mike speaks on the racial tensions in our country before speaking about how our being filled with the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to prophetically proclaim the savin...
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Glory & Eternal Life from 2020-05-26T15:19:20
Drawing from Jesus' High Priestly prayer, Pastor Mike preaches on eternal life as ever deepening communion with God, and the glory shared between the Father & the Son, and how it is shared with us....
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Reflection on the Ascension from 2020-05-21T15:12:31
In this short reflection on the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, Pastor Mike speaks about the necessity of the Ascension as part of the Christian faith. If Jesus was not raised and then ascended the...
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The Mythless Altar from 2020-05-19T13:45:58
Pastor Mike preaches on St. Paul's sermon from the Areopagus where he linked the altar to the unknown god with the true God. When confronted by the knowledge of the true God, all are called upon to...
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St. Stephen & Boldness from 2020-05-12T15:35:04
Pastor Mike preaches on the martyrdom of St. Stephen and how we have been given the same Holy Spirit who will grant us boldness in witnessing to Jesus Christ and boldness to stand against the wicke...
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The Door, the Shepherd, & the Gatekeeper from 2020-05-05T14:28:36
Drawing from John 10, Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus' description and explanation of being the door, the shepherd, and the proper place and identity of the faithful gatekeeper.
4th Sunday o...
Metanarrative & Misunderstanding from 2020-04-28T14:39:16
Drawing from the story of Jesus encountering two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus Christ being the metanarrative of the arc of Scripture and of our lives.
3rd...
Hope Amidst the Test from 2020-04-21T13:48:33
Pastor Mike preaches on the living hope that we have in Jesus Christ and how that hope enables us to endure times of testing and hardship as we await our inheritance: salvation.
2nd Sunda...
Good Friday from 2020-04-11T02:31:15
Pastor Mike shares a short reflection on Jesus' arrest in the garden, Peter's cutting off someone's ear, and our own unwillingness to hear and recognize Jesus and what he has done for our salvation...
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Jesus is Lord from 2020-04-07T14:20:44
Drawing from St. Paul's epistle to the Philippians and Jesus being judged before Pilate, Pastor Mike preaches on the Lordship of Jesus Christ and how it is exercised through humility.
Palm...
From Grief to Glory from 2020-03-31T16:04:56
Pastor Mike preaches on the raising of Lazarus and how it highlights our unrealistic expectations about sickness and death, our experience of grief, and the glory that awaits us if we are Christ's....
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The Sleeper Must Awaken from 2020-03-24T14:50:06
Pastor Mike preaches on St. Paul's instructions to the Ephesians to no longer walk in darkness but to be awakened by the light of Christ and lay aside sin, and how this is highlighted by Jesus' hea...
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Suffering & Endurance from 2020-03-17T17:53:29
Pastor Mike preaches from Romans 5 and what St. Paul says about our having peace with God, as well as the role of suffering in the Christian life and how it produces endurance and character.
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Born From Above from 2020-03-10T14:38:33
Pastor Mike preaches on the story of Nicodemus visiting Jesus by night and his confusing Jesus' words about being born from above with born again, and how that confusion continues in our own time.<...
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Divine Anger from 2020-03-05T15:27:55
Drawing from the Jonah story, Pastor Mike preaches on divine anger and its purpose in the biblical narrative and how God's anger is always tied in with, and can be averted by, repentance.
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Temptation Reversed from 2020-03-03T16:35:27
Pastor Mike preaches from the story of Jesus' temptation and how Jesus' not yielding to Satan undoes the sin of Adam and Eve failing their own moment of temptation.
1st Sunday of Lent: Ge...
Christ Unveiled from 2020-02-25T15:31:48
Pastor Mike preaches on the parallels between the story of Moses' vision of God on the mountain and Jesus' revealing of his divinity to Peter, James, and John. The vision of Jesus Christ revealed a...
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Reawakening our Moral & Spiritual Imagination from 2020-02-18T15:37:28
Drawing from the reading from Deuteronomy as well as the Didache, Pastor Mike preaches on how our moral and spiritual imagination is reawakened so we can choose rightly between what gives us life a...
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The Message We Need (& the Way that We Need it) from 2020-02-11T15:33:21
Mark Evans preaches on the message of the cross and how God has worked to reconcile us to himself. The message of the cross, though difficult to hear, is how God has chosen to work in the world.
Blindness & Baptism from 2020-01-14T14:26:05
Pastor Mike preaches on the the baptism of Jesus by John, how Christian baptism is different from John's baptism, and how baptism opens our spiritually blind eyes.
Baptism of the Lord: Is...
Light, Mystery, & Revelation from 2020-01-06T12:50:55
Pastor Mike preaches on the Epiphany vision of light, mystery, and revelation and how God had always planned to draw all people through the sending of Jesus Christ to dispel the darkness.
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The Incarnation from 2020-01-02T19:14:57
On the first Sunday after Christmas, Pastor Mike preaches from the Epistle to the Hebrews on the Incarnation, God the Son, taking flesh and blood and why it matters.
1st Sunday After Chris...
The Root of Jesse & the Glory of the Lord from 2019-12-10T19:30:31
Pastor Mike preaches on the prophecy from Isaiah foretelling the coming king who will reign in righteousness and the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covering the earth.
2nd Sunday of A...
Christ the King from 2019-11-26T17:50:26
Concluding the sermon series The Hard Sayings of Jesus, Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus Christ as King and his actions of gathering, delivering, and saving.
Christ the King, Year C: Jeremia...
Cut it Off from 2019-11-22T19:25:42
Continuing the sermon series The Hard Sayings of Jesus, Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus' words about adultery, how lust can grow in our mind, and how we are to fight against it.
Matthew 5:2...
To Fear or Not to Fear from 2019-11-14T19:42:14
Continuing the sermon series The Hard Sayings of Jesus, Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus' words to fear not but then immediately following that up with something that sounds opposite, the instruction...
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The Immeasurable Greatness of His Power from 2019-11-07T15:30:54
Pastor Mike preaches on how we as the saints of the present need to remember and emulate the saints of the past, both the great saints of history and the departed saints from our own families. The ...
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Of Fools and Hellfire from 2019-10-31T14:27:12
Guest minister, Mark Evans continues the series The Hard Sayings of Jesus. This week we look Jesus' words from Matthew 5:21-24 on murder, anger, and the necessity of reconciliation.
20th ...
Mountain Moving Faith from 2019-10-23T02:09:30
Pastor Mike continues the series The Hard Sayings of Jesus. This week we look Jesus' words about faith the size of a grain of a mustard seed being able to move mountains. Matthew 17:14-20.
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Be Perfect from 2019-10-15T23:02:05
Pastor Mike continues his series, The Hard Sayings of Jesus, by preaching on Jesus' command to be perfect and how that relates to loving our enemies.
18th Sunday After Pentecost
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The Unforgivable Sin from 2019-10-09T19:05:49
Continuing the series, The Hard Sayings of Jesus, Pastor Mike preaches on a text that many have misunderstood. Is there one sin that is so unforgivable that even a Christian who commits it will be ...
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Buy a Sword from 2019-10-01T14:32:24
Continuing the series, The Hard Sayings of Jesus, Pastor Mike preaches on an often misunderstood saying of Jesus to sell one's cloak to buy a sword. How does this gel with Jesus' calls to non retal...
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Turn the Other Cheek from 2019-09-26T14:16:50
Continuing the series, the Hard Sayings of Jesus, Pastor Mike preaches from Matthew 5:38-42 focusing on Jesus' words to turn the other cheek when struck.
15th Sunday After Pentecost
Take Up Your Cross from 2019-09-17T14:16:26
Pastor Mike continues his series on the Hard Sayings of Jesus by preaching on Luke 9:23, "“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
H...
Camel Through Needle from 2019-09-10T19:19:33
In part two of the series The Hard Sayings of Jesus, Pastor Mike preaches on a passage that can be particularly difficult for those of us who are Americans as it cuts to the core of what we value. ...
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Eat My Flesh & Drink My Blood from 2019-09-03T18:27:22
Pastor Mike begins a new series: The Hard Sayings of Jesus by preaching on what is probably the hardest saying of Jesus: "Eat my flesh and drink my blood."
John 6:25-66
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Baptism: What Does it Do? from 2019-08-06T14:28:31
Many churches define baptism by what it doesn't do, robbing it of its power. Pastor Mike preaches on the reality of what is accomplished through our baptism. Far from being a mere symbol, it is our...
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Captive or Rooted? from 2019-07-30T16:19:45
Drawing from the reading from Colossians, Pastor Mike preaches on the ways we are taken captive and how being rooted in Christ keeps us from falling prey to captivity.
7th Sunday After Pen...
Mystery & Formation from 2019-07-23T20:05:48
Pastor Mike preaches on God's mystery finally being revealed: Christ in us, the hope of glory.
6th Sunday After Pentecost, Year C: Genesis 18:1-10a, Colossians 1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42
The Antidote to Self Justification from 2019-07-16T19:26:03
Drawing from the story of the Good Samaritan Pastor Mike preaches on how we try to justify ourselves and the reasons why we justify ourselves and how the antidote to self justification is selfless ...
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Expection vs. Reality from 2019-07-09T19:26:33
Pastor Mike preaches on the story of Naaman and how our expectations of the spiritual life and our expectations of God get challenged which highlight our ongoing need for healing.
4th Sun...
Follow or Turn Back? from 2019-07-02T15:24:55
Pastor Mike preaches on the tension between following Jesus and the desire to turn back. Many will start on out on the journey but some will fall away.
Third Sunday after Pentecost, Year ...
Divine Encounter from 2019-06-25T17:44:20
Pastor Mike preaches on what happens when we encounter God using the story of the encounter between Elijah and YHWH and the encounter between Jesus and the man possessed by a legion of demons.
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Salvation & the Trinity from 2019-06-18T18:07:15
Pastor Mike preaches on how we cannot derive from nature anything analogous to the Trinity, the Trinity's involvement in our salvation, and how we are called to share in God's divine life.
The REAL TRUTH about the Holy Spirit from 2019-06-11T17:12:20
In the Gospel of John, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of truth. Pastor Mike preaches on the truths that the Holy Spirit illuminates and empowers in and for us.
Pentecost, Ye...
Kingdoms Clash from 2019-06-04T19:04:14
Pastor Mike preaches on the story of St. Paul casting the spirit of divination out of a slave girl, and how when the Kingdom of God advances it will clash against, but always triumph over, the king...
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Lessons From the Heavenly City Pt. 2 from 2019-05-28T15:09:39
Pastor Mike continues looking at the description of the heavenly city from Revelation 21 & 22 and preaches on what we can learn from the description of the city not needing a temple, the river of l...
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Lessons From The Heavenly City from 2019-05-21T19:41:26
Pastor Mike preaches on the descent of the New Jerusalem from Revelation 21 and what that means for us: God's dwelling with us and our own promised healing.
5th Sunday Easter, Year C: Acts...
Jesus From Three Perspectives from 2019-05-07T16:07:55
Pastor Mike preaches on three different perspectives of Jesus- cosmic, corporate, and individual- and how they correct the false ones we encounter or believe in ourselves.
3rd Sunday of Ea...
The Faithful Witness, The Firstborn, The Ruling King from 2019-04-30T13:52:21
Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus as the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruling king and how he loved us, freed us from sin, and made us a kingdom of priests to God.
2nd...
The Resurrection: Contrast & Clarity from 2019-04-23T19:28:14
On Easter Sunday, Pastor Mike preaches on the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Starting with popular misconceptions of what the resurrection is not, he then moves into what the resurrection m...
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The Lord Has Need of it from 2019-04-15T12:25:02
Jesus sent his disciples ahead of his entrance into Jerusalem to get a colt for him to ride on, and to explain their actions by saying "The Lord has need of it." Building off of that, Pastor Mike p...
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What Do You Have? from 2019-04-04T18:21:22
Pastor Mike preaches on the story of the widow and the jar of oil and Jesus feeding the 5000.
4th Wednesday of Lent, Year C: Psalm 53; 2 Kings 4:1-7; Luke 9:10-17
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The Conditionality of Time from 2019-03-26T15:23:18
Pastor Mike preaches on the theme of what we are to do when faced with conditionality of time. We are to seek, repent, and learn in the light of God's patience while also realizing that time to do ...
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The Battle is God's from 2019-03-21T14:26:02
Pastor Mike preaches on the how we are powerless in the face of our ancient enemies of sin and death and how our Lord Jesus Christ fought and won the battle against them.
Second Wednesday...
The Way of Imitation from 2019-03-19T16:31:01
Pastor Mike preaches on how in the light of receiving the righteousness given to us by Christ, we are to imitate, anticipate, and stand firm in our faith. This will put us in opposition those who a...
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Be on your Guard from 2019-03-14T14:54:35
Pastor Mike speaks about the unexpected tragedy of the death of Job's children and how the day of the coming of the Lord will also be as unexpected. In light of his second coming we are told to sta...
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Wilderness & Temptation from 2019-03-13T00:42:48
The Christian spiritual life is one of highs and lows and we need to be aware of how the tempter tries to sway us and how Jesus' example of resistance teaches us how to resist.
First Sund...
Memento Mori from 2019-03-07T19:01
Pastor Mike preaches on how Lent serves as a memento mori, and how the reminder that we are going to die helps us to orient our hearts towards God so that we do not receive his grace in vain.
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Beholding the Light of Christ from 2019-03-05T17:22:40
Pastor Mike contrasts the story of Moses coming down from the mountain with shining face and the transfiguration of Christ. As we behold the glory of Christ, we are called to be transformed from gl...
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Planted Tree or Parched Shrub from 2019-02-18T02:20:05
Drawing from Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17, Pastor Mike preaches on the difference between being a shrub in a parched land or a fruitful tree planted by the streams of water. Jesus is the blessed man who...
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Encounter & Commission from 2019-02-12T17:03:24
Pastor Mike preaches on how Isaiah, Peter, and Paul after having an encounter with God became aware of their own sin but experienced not only God's gracious forgiveness, but also a divine commissio...
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Christian Love & Character Catalyzation from 2019-02-05T17:18:34
Pastor Mike preaches on 1 Corinthians 13, one of the most widely read passages of Scripture. Far from being a treatise on romance, it is not a description of a feeling, it is the explanation of a w...
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Dependence & Diversity from 2019-01-29T17:03:51
Pastor Mike preaches on St. Paul's comparison of the church with a body. Just like a body has many parts, the church- as Christ's body- is also made of many parts. This should then lead to unity am...
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Through Water & Fire from 2019-01-13T16:43:13
Pastor Mike preaches on the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and how Jesus passing through the water of baptism and anointing by the Holy Spirit, water and fire, sets the pattern for those who ...
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From a Star to the Son from 2019-01-08T03:34:41
Pastor Mike preaches on the story of the Magi journeying to see Jesus and how they as Gentile unbelievers, who did not have the law or the prophets, are able to see what Herod and the religious lea...
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Mothers & Mission from 2018-12-31T20:15:17
Pastor Mike preaches on the typology present in the story of Hannah and Samuel and Mary and Jesus, and the importance of a mother in shaping the faith, and sense of mission, of their children
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Deus ex Virgine & Christmas Magic from 2018-12-24T12:38:25
Pastor Mike preaches on how remnants of of the spiritual remain inside, what has largely become, a secular holiday, how the blessed Virgin was a necessary participant in God's plan, and how the Mag...
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Past, Present, & Future Preparation from 2018-12-12T20:12:09
Pastor Mike continues through the Advent season by speaking on John the Baptizer and his mission and message of preparing the way for the coming of the Lord, as well as how our hearts are prepared ...
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Past, Present, & Future Promise from 2018-12-05T19:18:05
Pastor Mike opens the Advent season by preaching on how Advent shows us the promise of coming salvation, our receiving and lived experience of salvation in the present, and full realization of our ...
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Putting it All Together from 2018-11-27T18:10:13
Pastor Mike finishes the series Pray Like Jesus just in time for Advent! He preaches on the necessity for disciplined times of prayer as well as using the Lord's Prayer as an outline for your own p...
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Temptation & Deliverance from 2018-11-21T20:37:56
Pastor Mike preaches on the part of the Lord's Prayer where we ask not to be led into temptation, knowing that God does not tempt us and that we can trust that he will deliver us from trouble even ...
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Courage and Hope from 2018-11-14T21:05:10
Rev. Dr. Bonnie Bates, the Conference Minister for the Penn Northeast Conference, joined us on Veteran's Day and preached on courage and hope as modeled by Ruth, Naomi, and the poor widow who gave ...
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Forgive Us As We Forgive from 2018-11-06T18:08:41
Pastor Mike preaches on forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer. Our debts and trespasses pile on us like weights and we need forgiveness from God for those sins as well as forgiving those who have sinned...
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Daily Bread from 2018-10-30T17:18:01
What does Phil Collins, MTV, and the prosperity gospel have to do with asking God to give us our daily bread? And are we only asking for God to meet our physical needs or is there something deeper?...
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Kingdom & Will from 2018-10-23T15:35:15
Pastor Mike preaches on why we pray for God's kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it done in heaven. We are asking for the kingdom to come in its fullness and learning how to align ...
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Hallowed Name from 2018-10-16T15:39:35
Pastor Mike begins a new series, Pray Like Jesus, focusing on the Lord's Prayer and how it functions as our crutch, road, and lesson. He also preaches on what it means when we pray to our Father in...
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Resurrected Life from 2018-10-07T17:59:56
Pastor Mike concludes the sermon series on the Apostle's Creed by preaching on what it means to confess the resurrection and eternal life. We are to be resurrected as embodied, not disembodied, hum...
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Forgiveness of Sins from 2018-10-02T15:53:28
Pastor Mike preaches on what it means when we confess our belief in the forgiveness of sins. Christ's atoning work has cleansed us from the sin we all bear because of our humanity, but we still str...
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Catholic Communion from 2018-09-25T15:06:05
Continuing the series through the Apostles Creed, Pastor Mike preaches on what it means when we confess that the church is catholic and how that ties in with us being in communion with the saints.
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The Holy Spirit from 2018-09-18T14:16:05
Continuing through the sermon series on the Apostles Creed, Pastor Mike preaches on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not an energy field or personless force, The Holy Spirit is God. He also prea...
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Seated & Returning from 2018-09-09T16:33:32
Continuing the sermon series on the Apostle's Creed, Pastor Mike speaks on Christ being seated and how he is interceding for us and reigning over all things. Jesus is also returning to judge which ...
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Resurrected & Ascended from 2018-09-04T15:51:17
Pastor Mike continues his series through the Apostles Creed preaching on Jesus' resurrection & ascension, and how the resurrection of Jesus is central to the Christian faith in that there is no Chr...
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Dead, Buried, & Descended from 2018-08-28T19:36:08
Pastor Mike preaches on what it means when it says in the Apostles Creed that Jesus died, buried, and descended to the dead. He talks about the differences between Hell and Hades and how Jesus' des...
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Suffered & Crucified from 2018-08-20T17:18:12
Continuing through the series on the Apostles Creed, Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus' suffering, the mention of Pontius Pilate, the crucifixion, and what it accomplished. He also touches on the shame...
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Spirit Conceived, Virgin Born from 2018-08-14T14:22:20
Pastor Mike continues his series through the Apostles Creed and preaches on Jesus being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. The Virgin birth is not an isolated story in Script...
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Jesus the Son, Christ, & Lord from 2018-08-07T15:59:44
Pastor Mike continues his series through the Apostles Creed and preaches on what it means to call Jesus the only begotten Son as well as Christ and Lord.
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Almighty Creator from 2018-08-01T17:33:50
Pastor Mike continues his Sunday sermon series on the Apostles Creed by preaching on what it means that God the Father is the Almighty Creator. We see that God's power is best seen through the cros...
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Scattered & Gathered from 2018-07-24T19:38:55
Pastor Mike takes a break from the summer series, Credo, to preach on how God is regathering his scattered people, Jew and Gentile, to create a new people who are all one in Jesus Christ.
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God the Father from 2018-07-10T01:55:49
In part two of our sermon series on the Apostles Creed, Pastor Mike preaches on why we call God, the Father even though Scripture at times uses feminine imagery to speak of God.
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What Will This Child Be? from 2018-06-26T19:49:52
Pastor Mike preaches on the Nativity of St. John the Baptist and, how like St. John, our lives are lived in service to Jesus Christ.
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Old vs New Creation from 2018-06-19T01:15:27
Pastor Mike preaches on St. Paul's words on how those in Christ are new creations and how the tension in the Christian life is the battle between the old and the new.
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The Eternal Weight of Glory from 2018-06-12T16:38:19
Pastor Mike preaches on how St. Paul's perspective on how his sufferings caused him to display Christ helped him to see those sufferings as momentary in the light of eternity.
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Clay Jars & the Glory of Christ from 2018-06-05T13:40:48
Pastor Mike preaches about how the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ has been given to us, we are clay jars, and how this -on the surface -seems counter intuitive but how God has ...
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Isaiah's Vision & Our Vocation from 2018-05-29T13:42:59
Pastor Mike preaches on Isaiah's call narrative and how his vision of God lays out our own worship as well as our vocation as Christians.
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Cutting Through the Babble of Babel from 2018-05-22T15:40:30
In this Pentecost sermon Pastor Mike speaks on the confusion of the languages at Babel and how upon the outpouring of the Holy Spirit humanity is reunited, in their own cultures, languages, and con...
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Testify to Life in the Son from 2018-05-15T14:56:24
Pastor Mike speaks on how those who have the Son have life and how those who do not have the Son do not have life. He also speaks on the life of Christ as the testimony of God himself before touchi...
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Love & Fear from 2018-05-01T16:48:44
Pastor Mike preaches on the tension between the fear of God being the beginning of wisdom and perfect love casting out fear. He also touches on what is meant by Jesus being the atoning sacrifice fo...
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The Shepherd of His People from 2018-04-24T19:13:21
Pastor Mike preaches on Psalm 23 and how it describes our lives in Christ.
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Healing, Repentance, & Refreshment from 2018-04-18T16:37:47
Pastor Mike preaches on the story of the healing of the paralytic in Acts chapter 3 highlighting the apostolic preaching of Peter of Jesus as the suffering, crucified, & risen messiah and what we c...
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Receive & Hold Fast from 2018-04-03T16:19:30
On Easter Sunday, Pastor Mike preaches on the gospel and our response to the proclamation of the risen Christ. We are to receive and hold fast even as we proclaim the good news of Jesus to others.
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The Humble Triumph of Jesus from 2018-03-27T19:07:53
Pastor Mike contrasts the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem with the triumph of Titus as he entered Rome, after conquering Jerusalem 30ish years later. Titus came in lavish splendor but Jesus...
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The New Covenant: Forgiveness, Knowledge, & Union from 2018-03-20T18:24:15
Pastor Mike preaches on God's promise to make a new covenant with his people, and how in this new covenant God will forgive sins, all will know him, and we will be united with him.
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The Serpent & the Cross from 2018-03-14T15:04:59
Pastor Mike speaks on the story of the fiery serpents sent to bite the Israelites and the bronze serpent on the pole- which brought healing to those who looked at it- and how Jesus uses it to teach...
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The Folly & Wisdom of the Cross from 2018-03-05T21:03:46
Drawing from 1 Corinthians, Pastor Mike speaks on the Cross as the folly and wisdom of God as well as how the Cross IS the sign the Jews demanded as well as the answer to the arguments of the Genti...
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Rage Against the Hiding of the Light from 2018-03-01T01:38:43
Pastor Mike speaks on how singing, glorying, seeking, and remembering God's gracious acts towards us helps us focus on the light of Christ, whose light will be hidden from those who reject him.
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Counter Intuitive Discipleship from 2018-02-27T16:06:10
Pastor Mike preaches on Peter's confession of Christ and his subsequent rebuke by Christ after trying to keep him from the journey to the cross. Like Peter, we don't know God's plan, and even when ...
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Counter Intuitive Devotions from 2018-02-22T17:50:26
Pastor Mike speaks about how we like the heroes of the Old Testament, and like Jesus, meet both God and the tempter in the wilderness. Unlike the OT heroes Jesus did not fall into temptation and th...
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Only the Penitent Man Will Pass from 2018-02-15T19:14:52
Pastor Mike speaks about the need for penitence and humility as we endeavor to battle the source of all sin: pride. Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are all mortal, and that in light of our mortali...
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The Call to Renewed Worship & Vision from 2018-02-12T03:15:36
Pastor Mike speaks on the story of the Transfiguration and how the revelation of the deified Christ helps refocus our worship and sharpens our sin blurred vision .
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The Call to Mission from 2018-02-06T23:10:52
Pastor Mike continues his series by speaking on the call to mission. Drawing from St. Paul's description of his laying his apostolic rights aside for the sake of his mission of gospel proclamation ...
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The Call to Relationship: Each Other from 2018-01-30T16:27:49
Pastor Mike speaks on the second part of the call to relationship by outlining some of the issues St. Paul faced in Corinth and how we as a church community can learn to love one another and mitiga...
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The Call to Relationship: God from 2018-01-24T22:17:21
Pastor Mike expands on the call to relationship focusing on cultivating our relationship with God through spiritual formation using the classic Christian practices of prayer, fasting, and giving
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Here I Am: Answering Three Calls from 2018-01-16T16:35:22
Pastor Mike begins a new series and speaks on the three calls from God we see in 1 Samuel 3:1-10, The calls to relationship, mission, and renewed worship and vision.
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Separation From Darkness & The Baptism of Christ from 2018-01-10T18:16:06
Pastor Mike speaks on the first day of creation and how the Spirit hovering over the waters, and the separation of the light from the darkness, relates to the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
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Darkness & the Light of Christ from 2018-01-03T18:00:34
Pastor Mike speaks on the experience of light shining in the darkness when the angels appeared to the shepherds and how the Virgin Mary treasured and pondered the experiences of the Nativity in her...
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The Fullness of Time from 2018-01-02T15:51:58
In the final sermon of 2017, Pastor Mike preaches on Galatians 4 on Jesus being sent in the fullness of time, born under the law, to free those enslaved so they could be adopted as God's sons and d...
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The Dwelling Place of God from 2017-12-27T18:38:44
Pastor Mike speaks on the example of the Virgin Mary and on the Old Testament language of God building himself a house among his people. Mary said yes to God, and her reception of Jesus in her womb...
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Comfort, Preparation, & Peace from 2017-12-13T01:51:02
Pastor Mike talks about the message of comfort from Isaiah, the message of preparation from John the Baptizer, and the message of diligent peace from Peter.
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Hope: Waiting & Wakefulness from 2017-12-05T17:32:44
Pastor Mike begins the Advent season speaking on the theme of hope. We can have hope because of the promise of salvation, God's faithfulness in our waiting, and hope producing in us the desire to s...
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The Heavenly Feast from 2017-11-21T20:56:09
Pastor Mike speaks on the centrality of the Eucharist in Christian worship and how many Christians have marginalized its importance. He also speaks on what it means and what in accomplishes and wha...
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Patterns & Proclamation from 2017-11-14T21:54:16
Drawing from the work of the theologian Robert Webber, Pastor Michael speaks about the biblical pattern of worship and the necessity for worship not being divided up into pieces we like better than...
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The Neverending Story from 2017-11-07T17:29:53
Pastor Mike Landsman talks about how worship is the call to become part of God's story of his saving activity in the world and how worship does God's story, remembers the past, and anticipates the ...
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First Steps in a Larger World from 2017-10-31T15:41:14
Pastor Mike speaks on how church is where we come to be renewed, reoriented, and retrained through worship, most especially around the preaching and receiving of God's word and the sacrament of Hol...
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I Don't Know from 2017-10-24T15:06:36
Pastor Mike continues his series Whats the Point. He speaks on how we don't know what we love but we can tell what we love by what we steer our lives toward. He also speaks on how we need to learn ...
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Tainted Love from 2017-10-17T16:22:22
Pastor Mike continues his new series Whats the Point? by talking about how what we love is shaped by the habits and practices of our hearts and how our loves need redirection towards God through wo...
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