Exodus 34:1-28, Exodus 34:29-35, John 1:1-18, Acts 9:1-19a
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... to witness to their own experiences of conversion.] *Christopher Peppler, Truth is the Word: Restoring a Lost Focus (2013). Based on the Story Lectionary Major Text Moses Receives the Ten Commandments and Reappears with Radiant Face (Exodus 34) John’s Testimony to Jesus’ Divinity (John 1:1-18) Paul’s Experience of Heavenly Blinding Light and the Voice of Jesus (Acts 9:1-31) Minor Text The Genesis of the Light (Genesis 1) God Makes a Covenant with Abram with Light (Genesis 15) Moses and the ...
... I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:7-18) We usually think of the mezuzah as a common and contemporary kind of Jewish iconography. In current day Judaism, the mezuzah is a ceramic, wooden, or leather rectangular box-like container into which a small rolled scroll is placed containing one or two verses from the Torah ...
... not good that the man should be alone," God mused after his creation of Adam. "I will make him a helper fit for him" (Genesis 2:18) - and he did! God made Eve, the first woman, and Adam knew that he would never he lonely again because Eve was "bone of his bone ... , as the Father knows me and I know the Father" (John 10:14-15). We also know that he will never desert us nor fail us, again because he said so: "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you" (John 14:18). We know we belong to Jesus as long as we ...
... soul as well." Is that any way to speak to someone who is highly favored among women and is blessed by God? In Matthew 2:16-18, Mary and Joseph had to flee into Egypt while a group of children in the local village were murdered by King Herod. It seems that ... been very hard for her. So many times the Bible declares that, "Mary pondered all these things in her heart." Now I want to turn to John''s gospel 2:1-11. This is the famous story of Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding in the town of Cana. It ...
... were kind of sticking their toes in the dark side. Some concerned members went to talk to the dad and his three sons named Jim, John, and Sam about their condition, but they didn't have any success at all. Then the pastor went to visit and they didn't ... into the dark side. For example, He can refuse to listen to our prayers. Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear." (Psalm 66:18, NASB) When you cross over to the dark side, God just shuts down the communication line. ...
... man draws in one direction and another in the other direction, until he be dead.” (Barclay, The Daily Bible Study, The Gospel of John, Vol. 2, p. 2). But no man is here. Can’t you imagine how that must have intensified this accused woman’s anguish, pain ... . Do you recall how Elijah ordered the death of 400 false prophets following his vindication in the great contest with BaaI? (I Kings 18: We all know that a hard-line against proven criminals is far more popular with people than a soft-line. This is not ...
... My Light Psalm 104: The Lord is Wrapped in Light Ezekiel’s Vision of Radiance and the Coals of Fire (Ezekiel 1) The Throne of Flaming Fire (Daniel 7) Jesus Heals a Blind Man and Talks About the State of Blindness (John 9) John’s Testimony to Jesus’ Divinity (John 1:1-18) Paul’s Experience of Heavenly Blinding Light and the Voice of Jesus Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in ...
... at Bethel (Genesis 28) The Blessing and Monument at Gilgal When the Ark Came Up Out of the Jordan (Joshua 4) Psalm 18: The Lord Lives in High Places Psalm 24: Ascending the Mountain of God Psalm 68: Proclaiming the Power of God Psalm 110: ... he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him ...
... the likeness of God. One of those men was the only minister to sign on the dotted line, Presbyterian minister, The Reverend John Witherspoon. He and they put their hand to that document, secure in the belief that they were held in the hand of God ... evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings" (Jeremiah 18:11). You can take that two ways: as a threat if you perceive that the potter's plan goes against what you had in mind. And ...
... sounding imperiously deep in the forest. But as often as he gained the soft unbroken earth and the green shade, the love of John Thornton brought him hack to the fire again." Is not this the parable of life? May the love of God so gloriously demonstrated ... back to the Master’s way. It was said of Mary, "But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:18). Maybe that is the key. Mary saw and heard all those wonderful happenings that first Christmas. She, was determined not to let go of ...
... with supreme dignity. This is our picture. Yes, we want to say more than the ancient gossip about his being another John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or some other prophet. But those childish images are generally sufficient, even if they ... Too Human," TIME, 5/15/00, p. 86 3. http://www.hollywoodjesus.com 4. Shorter Catechism, Q.21 5. Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25 6. Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23 7. G. K. Chesterton 8. Quoted by Charles Jacobs, "Life's Most Important Question," sermon, in 88 ...
... Newton. Let me tell you about John Newton. He was born in 1725, the son of a Mediterranean sea captain. His mother died when he was seven. He quit school at age 10 and went to sea with his father at age 11. At 18 he was “impressed,” compelled by force to enlist on a British man-of-war. He was en route to becoming an officer when he deserted, was caught, was whipped publicly, and put in irons. Before long, he found himself on a slave ship, almost a slave himself. Eventually he became ...
... restrictive and oppressive areas of the world. One testimony came from Rev. Li Chen of China who had been in prison for 18 of the last 25 years because of his preaching the Gospel. They beat and tortured him when they heard him quoting the ... productive you can be if you maintain some degree of calm and clear-headedness. This mammoth man -- would you believe his name was John (Big John). John concluded that we had no choice -- there was only one alternative. If we would do so quickly, we could rent a car, drive ...
... waves of the sea foaming up their own shame." He says in v.16, "They walk according to their own lusts." He says in v.18 again, "They walk according to their own ungodly lusts." Do you know the real reason apostates deny the Word of God? They don't want ... is not His." Remember an apostate is not someone who had salvation and lost it; it is someone who never had salivation and proves it. John was talking about these apostates when he said: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of ...
... . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. [17] His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." [18] So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. John proclaimed the good news. People heard it, received it and asked "What should we do?" And that's a pertinent question for today. "What should we do?" Let's look at a portion of the answer this morning. "What ...
... Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live for ever. (1 John 2:15-17) Remember, too, Saint Paul's anguish from his words in the second half of Romans 7, when he says among other things, "I ... sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested" (Hebrews 2:17-18). What is more, we have the never-ending promise of God's word for us, "We do not have a high priest who is unable to ...
... He said, in the Name of the Lord, that the army of the north would withdraw and that the locust plague would end too (2:18-25). The people of Judah, it was claimed, would be satisfied, enjoy prosperity, and never again be put to shame (v. 26). But things do ... to a dead end. We cannot avoid the lure of these old habits. Here the Holy Spirit is our Comforter. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley says all that needs to be said about the matter. In a 1736 sermon, he wrote: ... but the light that most necessarily ...
... , the Word which is really a name, The Word made flesh who dwelt among us. Jesus. Listen to what Paul writes. 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 (NRSV) [18] As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been "Yes and No." [19] For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, ... righteousness and sanctification and redemption." D. The world says: I can't forgive myself. God's "Yes!," Jesus, says: I FORGIVE YOU. 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all ...
... coliseum would leave their seats to hear him speak. Listen to a description of some of them in Corinth from John Chrysostom: He says you would hear these individuals, "shouting and abusing each other, and their disciples, as they call ... him (Acts 2:22; 10:38). The climax of Jesus' mission was the Jews' unwitting fulfillment of prophecy through the crucifixion (Acts 2:23; 2:36; 3:13-15, 18; 4:10; 5:30; 10:39; 13:27-29) and the crowning vindication of Jesus was the resurrection (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10: ...
... " (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). But here, Paul is addressing the corporate body of Christ, the church. We know that because in verses 16-18 the "you" Paul addresses is a plural you, "y'all." He is no longer focusing on the work of the builders — himself, Apollos, Cephas, ... continued, "Take the subject of slavery, for instance. The time was when this subject was not before the public mind. John Newton continued in the slave trade after his conversion, and his mind had been so perverted, and so completely was ...
... ) The Lord Will Prepare a Feast (Isaiah 25:6-9) Again You Will Plant Vineyards (Jeremiah 31:1-14) The Mountain Will Drip With New Wine / The Time Has Come (Joel 2:15-24; 3:17-18) The Lord Will Restore His Vineyards (Amos 9:11-15) John’s Witness About Jesus’ Miracle During the Wedding Feast at Cana in Galilee (John 2:1-12) Paul’s Letter to the Corinthian Church Regarding Baptism in One Spirit (1 Corinthians 10 and 12) The Beginning of Creation In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now ...
... Jesus was always a man of surprises, wasn’t He? And guess what? He still IS. Based on the Story Lectionary Major Text John 12 Minor Text The Crushing of the Serpent’s Head and the Striking of the Heel of Man (Genesis 3) The Census of ... God’s Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53) The Shepherd Will Deliver (Micah 2:12-13) The Death and Martyrdom of Eleazar (2 Maccabees 6:18-31) The Martyrdom of the 7 Sons (4 Maccabees 18:6-24) Ezra Sees a Vision of the Son of God and Palms (2 Esdras 2:42-48) The Stories of the ...
... I send you." Some Christian groups have applied these words about our forgiving sins only to the original twelve disciples or (more commonly) only to ordained ministers. But neither here in John's gospel nor in other places (for example, Matthew 18:18, Luke 24:33, 47) is it clear that only some Christians are to speak words of forgiveness. John commonly distinguishes between "the twelves" and a larger group of disciples; "disciple" is more of a generic term for any and all who followed Christ and it is to ...
... in the journey. As Christ was the central figure in baptism, so he was the central figure in the commitment which I made at age 18. I certainly would not have made a commitment to the church. I believed that it was full of hypocrites. I couldn't make a ... Truth, and the Life." You were made by his hand. "All things were made through him and nothing was made without him," the Gospel of John says. You will one day return to him. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end," Jesus said. The only way ...
... Jesus to be his disciples. They were not called to be fans of Jesus, but followers. Their names were Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, four fishermen. But this reading is also about you and me, because we have been called to be disciples as well. We also ... second epistle Peter encourages us “to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3: 18). Growth is why we come to church. The place most of us encounter Christ and learn about him and grow in our spiritual ...