Sermons by Derek Nguyen
Lost at Home
The Scripture for this Sunday is the story from Luke 2:41-52. Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and those who observed the Passover Festival at Jerusalem just finished their big holiday celebration, and they were on their way home. They were returning to the normalcy of home and the everydayness of life. But unexpectedly they found themselves in a predicament. They couldn’t find their son anywhere, and they were terrified! Perhaps you can empathize with Mary and Joseph because you have had a…
Family Candlelight Service
Our 5:00 pm Christmas Eve Service focuses on children and families and will tell the story of Christmas through scripture and song. Children may be invited to join an informal visual tableau (no rehearsal required!) with fun costumes and easy movements. We will conclude with Christmas carols and candles.
Time to Go Home
As Jesus’ message in the parables and his teachings often tends to challenge our conventional understandings of faith and practices, it also invites us to re-evaluate, re-imagine, and re-interpret our usual understanding of things. With this in mind, the text for this Sunday is both challenging and inviting. It’s challenging our normal perception of Advent and inviting us to see it through new lenses. Scripture: Luke 21:25-36 (CEB)
The Laborers in the Vineyard
This Sunday we continue our sermon series on the parables of Jesus, guided by the book Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy-Jill Levine. In a fair world, everybody would get equal treatment. We would all get what we deserve and not get what we do not deserve. Yet, that is not always the case. This parable helps us to consider the issue of fairness from an economic point of view, but it also…
The Mustard Seed
This Sunday we continue our sermon series on the parables of Jesus, guided by the book Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy-Jill Levine. We’ll get to explore another parable about the kingdom of God. The Scripture is from Mark 4:30-32, the parable of the mustard seed. In this passage, the kingdom of God is compared to a small mustard seed being scattered on the ground, where it eventually grew into a big plant…
The Pearl of Great Price
Continuing our series on the parables of Jesus, this Sunday’s text describes a merchant who in his act of searching for many fine pearls found one precious pearl and sold everything to acquire it. He is no longer a merchant because he no longer has a trade or anything left besides his precious pearl. This is an example of extravagant discipleship, and many of us would not find ourselves doing the same thing. However, in recognizing God’s invaluable gift for…
Heart of the Matter
This Sunday we will focus on the lectionary text from Mark 7, which covers the conversation between Jesus and some Pharisees and legal experts. Although it is easy to glance over this text and jump to a conclusion that Jesus is condemning the religious practices held by the Pharisees and legal experts, a closer look at Jesus’ response will help us understand that what he is mainly concerned with is the intention of their hearts. Technical note: We experienced ongoing…
How Does Science Relate to Faith?
This Sunday’s question addresses a topic long debated among scientists, theologians, philosophers, and more. The Church’s history is inconsistent in terms of how scientific theories have been viewed, and many wrestle even today with this question. With a background in molecular biology, Pastor Derek addresses this important question reminding us that science and faith are not necessarily incompatible with one another. Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5, 9-13, 20-21, 24-27; 2:4-9, 18-22 (NRSV)