Category: Sermons

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on September 22, 2024. Loosely based on Mark 9:30-37. This message was particularly intended for FPC Rolla at this stage of its life. I am providing it here both for our own members’ reference and as potential inspiration for other churches who seek renewal. In today’s Gospel lesson,…

Preached on September 8, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Mark 7:24-37. Let’s start by asking, Why was Jesus in Tyre? Last week, Susan preached on the first part of Mark 7. Jesus had done some amazing things reported in Mark 6. He fed 5000 men, walked on water, and after landing…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on August 25, 2024. Based on John 6:56-69. Who here is familiar with the book Good to Great by Jim Collins? It’s a famous book about companies that somehow emerged from mediocrity to become great. One that they talk about that has a nexus with S&T is Nucor.…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on August 11, 2024. Based on John 6:35, 41-51. Let’s back up a couple of weeks and paragraphs. At the beginning of chapter 6 in the Gospel According to John, we hear of one of the few miracles that are reported in all four Gospels. Jesus is in…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on July 21, 2024. Based on Ephesians 2:11-22. In this passage of Ephesians, Paul talks about a dividing wall of hostility that separated Gentiles and Jews. Why? What caused this division? Well, it all went back to the Law of Moses as it was understood and practiced. I’m…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on July 7, 2024. Based on Mark 6:1-13. Carol Dweck is a psychologist whose 2006 book, called Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, brought her work into popular culture. To oversimplify, she categorized people as having one of two mindsets: fixed or growth. With a fixed mindset, you…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Mark 4:26-34. Most of you know that I hunt elk and deer. But that’s not all. I hunt squirrels and doves, too. Doves are an entirely different form of hunting because you shoot them as they are flying by. It’s a very active experience. I’m not…

Sermon preached June 9, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Mark 3:20-35. A few times in the Gospel of Mark, and a few other places in the Bible, we encounter a rhetorical figure known as an inclusio. One of the most famous examples is the story about the woman who had a…

Sermon preached June 2, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on 2 Corinthians 4:1-12. If you listen to the podcast, the meditation begins at 20:24. We have this treasure in jars of clay. Hmmm. What exactly is meant by “jars of clay”? Well, in Paul’s time, clay jars were the most common storage…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on May 5, 2024. Based on John 15:9-17. I deviated from my script more than usual this week, so you may notice some differences with the podcast or video. The first time I went elk hunting, I did what I thought was a lot of preparation to get…