Category: FPC Rolla

Sermon for May 10, 2026, Sixth Sunday of Easter, preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Acts 17:16-34. Today’s lesson finds Paul in Athens, first in the agora and then on trial before the Areopagus. Let’s broaden our view just a bit to get into the story. Saul of Tarsus was a persecutor…

Preached on April 19, 2026, Third Sunday of Easter, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Acts 2:14a, 36-41. This year, I’m making an effort to preach texts other than the Gospel selection in the lectionary. During the season of Easter, the Gospel selections are largely the same every year. Last week was the…

Preached on March 29, 2026, Palm/Passion Sunday, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Matthew 27:11-54. Today and this week, we reflect on the most political events of Jesus’s life. Jesus was, above all, a political figure. He was the Christ, the Messiah, the One Anointed to lead the nation of Israel. This was…

Preached on the Third Sunday in Lent, March 8, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on John 4:5-42. Let’s review where we are in the story of Israel, and the story of Jesus. Under David and Solomon, the northern and southern kingdoms were united. They split, and then the northern kingdom was conquered…

Sermon preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on February 15, 2026, Transfiguration Sunday. Based on Matthew 17:1-9, with references to Exodus 24:12-18. Let me situate today’s readings in the story arc. First, the Exodus passage. The Israelites had escaped from Egypt and started wandering in the desert. They got to Sinai, God delivered the…

Preached on February 8, 2026, Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Isaiah 58:1-12. We’re in Isaiah again today, but a different section of it. Isaiah’s 66 chapters can be broken down into three parts, chapters 1-39, 40-55, and 56-66. There is some dispute about the division, but there is…

Preached on the Third Sunday After Epiphany, January 25, 2026, to First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. We worshipped on Zoom due to inclement weather. Based on Isaiah 9:1-7. It has been a little while, so let me remind you that I’m planning to march through the Old Testament lessons this year. I was talking to…

Homily for December 24, 2025, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Luke 2:1-20. This is the time of year when people travel great distances to visit the people that they love. In today’s world, do we really have to travel? Most of us carry around a little device that enables us to communicate…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on December 21, 2025, Fourth Sunday of Advent. Based on Isaiah 7:10-16. Let me start by reviewing where we are and what we’re doing. I’m working through the Old Testament texts this year, and in Advent, that means Isaiah. Isaiah was one of the major prophets. He lived…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on December 7, 2025, the Second Sunday of Advent. Based on Isaiah 11:1-10. Before we get into today’s text, let’s review a few things I said last week. Isaiah was a prophet in the 8th century BCE, the same time as Micah, Amos, and Hosea. The Assyrians were…