Sermons on Acts
Dry Bones, Flames, and a New Spirit
This is Pentecost Sunday! In the Christian tradition, this is sometimes celebrated as the birthday of the universal church. This Sunday we will explore how the gift of the Holy Spirit inspires us to new life, new ministry, new ways of being community and the church! Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Acts 2:1-8, 11b-21 (CEB)
We Believe: The Holy Spirit
This third week we consider God’s Holy Spirit. The words in Hebrew and Greek for spirit generally have more than one additional meaning including breath, air, and wind. Consider, then, that it is God’s Spirit that is close enough to be the air that we breathe. Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2, Acts 2:1-4 (CEB)
Sparks of the Spirit
Pentecost Sunday is a long-standing tradition in Christian churches because it is the moment of the arrival of God’s Holy Spirit among the faithful followers. Classical Christian theology affirms God in trinity, and this moment brings completion to the triune presence. Scripture: John 14:8-17, 25-26; Acts 2:1-8, 12-21 (CEB)
From Darkness to Light
Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Each year, Easter Sunday is the culmination of a season of introspection and spiritual discovery, an emerging from a time of authentic introspection to a time to celebrate the natural transformation that takes place as a result of such work. We sing hymns and we recognize the newness that is made possible! We celebrate a fuller understanding of new life, especially new life in the risen Jesus! Scripture: Luke 24:1-12, Acts 10:34-43 (CEB)
Playing with Fire
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday! In the Christian tradition, we celebrate this as the time when God’s Holy Spirit is given to the disciples who are then empowered to do some incredible things!
Gospels & Acts
This is the fifth week of our series on Reading the Bible Again, informed by Marcus Borg’s Reading the Bible Again for the First Time. As we worship online, let us continue to pray for our community as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue our exploration with the core writings that help Christians claim their unique identity of faith: the Gospels and Acts. These five books share the “good news” of Jesus Christ with the world, telling age-old…
Letters & Epistles
This is the fourth week of our series on Reading the Bible Again, informed by Marcus Borg’s Reading the Bible Again for the First Time. As we worship online, let us continue to pray for our community as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are jumping into the New Testament with the letters and epistles from Paul and other authors. The reason we are starting the New Testament here instead of with the Gospels is that many of these…
Origin Stories
This first message during a new “appointment” at LJUMC includes a dialogue message with both Pastor Bob and Pastor Lea as they discuss their beginnings of faith and their calls to ministry. Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 2:1-11