Sermons & Worship (Page 37)

Matthew 13:44-46 I want you to imagine for a moment that you are on the game show, “Let’s Make a Deal.” The host has just called your name to “Come on down!” and so you run down the aisle and if you are in good ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ form, you jump excitedly about in your chicken costume or whatever outlandish outfit you wore to catch the camera’s attention. Once you have calmed down, the host holds out a stack…

Introduction: The past few weeks, I have been preaching not only on the words of the Bible but on the words of my great-niece Leona and here is the story again. On December 28th, my sister’s five year old granddaughter, Leona climbed into my sister’s bed and declared, “In three more days, it will be a new year.” My sister Wendy nodded, “That’s right.  In three days it will be 2019.” Leona contemplated this fact for a moment and then declared,…

Luke 6:31-36 The past few weeks, I have been preaching not only on the words of the Bible but on the words of my great-niece Leona but because we had a week off for snow, I need to remind you of what she said, so here is the story again. On December 28th, my sister’s five year old granddaughter, Leona climbed into my sister’s bed and declared, “In three more days, it will be a new year.” My sister Wendy…

Luke 8:4-8, 11-15     Last week I began my sermon with a story that I said I would be preaching on throughout January, and so for those who did not hear it last week, here it is again: On December 28th, my sister’s five year old granddaughter, Leona climbed into my sister’s bed and declared, “In three more days, it will be a new year.” My sister Wendy nodded, “That’s right. In three days it will be 2019.” Leona contemplated this…

Matthew 2     On December 28th, my sister’s five year old granddaughter, Leona climbed into my sister’s bed and declared, “In three more days, it will be a new year.” My sister Wendy nodded, “That’s right. In three days it will be 2019.” Leona contemplated this fact for a moment and then declared, “It will be a new year but I am still five and I’m still brave and strong and kind and a little bit silly.” Wendy posted this conversation…

Luke 2:8-12December 23, 2018Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott On that night so long ago when Jesus was born, there were shepherds on the hills overlooking Bethlehem. That night, a group of ragged men tried to keep warm and tried to stay awake as they listened to the wind to discern if there was anything out there that might harm the sheep. In other words, they were working. Shepherding wasn’t a prestigious job — their neighbors often turned away to avoid…

Matthew 1:18-25 “He was a rebel, yes a rebel.  He changed water into wine, he was human and divine, and he sold a revolutionary line.  That was the trouble.  That was the reason.  Nearly everything he said was bound to cost his head for what he told the people sounded like treason.” This rather unmelodious tune has been stuck in my head for about fifty years now.  It was written in 1971 by Avery and Marsh, songwriters whose simplistic tunes were considered the cutting edge…

Mark 1:1-8 Imagine that day on the banks of the Jordan River where the crowd shuffles nervously as they gather on the shore, talking in low tones.  There is a hushed respect in their voices because this is no ordinary river; this is the mighty Jordan.  This is the river that has figured so prominently in the hearts of the Jewish people for over a thousand years.  Here at the Jordan River, the weary Hebrew slaves stepped out of the wilderness into the…

John I: 1-14  How important is the physical person that is you to the you who you have become?   Would you be the same person you are today if you had arrived on this earth in a different body?  How has the shape of your body, the tenor of your voice, the chemistry of your brain affected the choices you have made in your life or conversely, the opportunities that have been offered to you?   Some of the older members here may…

I Kings 18:1-21 Let me begin this sermon with a fable, or to biblical about it, a parable.   There were once three turtles who decided to go on a picnic together.  One turtle packed sandwiches and another provided the drinks, but the third one simply came along for the company.  The turtles headed off through the woods but about halfway to their destination it started to rain, so they took shelter under a large rock to decide on their plan of action. …