Category: Sermons

Preached on August 6, 2023, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Matthew 14:13-21. Let me set the scene. The passage right before this one is about Herod Antipas and John the Baptist. John had been critical of Herod and his wife Herodias, so they both wanted rid of him. Herod arrested him but…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on July 23, 2023. Based on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. In today’s agricultural parable, we hear about “weeds” among the wheat. The Greek word used is “zizanion,” generally understood to be darnel. This is an especially undesirable weed for a couple of reasons. First, it looks very much like…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on July 16, 2023. Based on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. Who here is a gardener? Rhonda is, and her parents are, but I’m not. My preference is to buy produce at the store, or perhaps at the farmer’s market. If we must grow our own vegetables, then my preference…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on July 2, 2023. Based on Romans 6:12-23. Brené Brown is a researcher in the field of social work. She catapulted to fame in 2010 when she gave a TEDx talk called “The Power of Vulnerability.” Her research is primarily in the area of leadership, vulnerability, and shame,…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on June 25, 2023. Based on Matthew 10:25-39. Have you all heard of Brother Jed? He was a traveling preacher, at one time based in Columbia and later based in Terre Haute. He traveled around the country, mostly the Midwest, mostly visiting college campuses. He and his followers…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on John 14:15-21. Today’s passage is one of the several that serve as the basis for the doctrine of the Trinity. Looking ahead, John Nipper will be preaching on Trinity Sunday, sparing me from the burden of trying to explain it. Hey, he has a doctorate, so…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on May 7, 2023. Based on John 14:1-14. Today’s passage is the start of John 14, but I’d like to back up to John 13 to set the stage. John 13 opens with Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, as an example that he sets for them. He goes…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on 1 Peter 1:13-25. This sermon discusses a concept referred to as the “Cosmic Christ.” If you would like to learn more, consult The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr, the meditations on the subject that his Center for Action and Contemplation published, or this blog post by…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on April 2, 2023, Passion Sunday. Based on Matthew 26:57-68. The lectionary passage for today is actually much longer than this. It’s the whole Passion story, basically all of Matthew 26 and 27. I encourage you to read the whole story sometime this week as you prepare for…

Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on the Fifth Sunday in Lent. Based on John 11:1-45. Today is not Easter. Lazarus was just one man who was raised from the dead. In today’s story, Jesus did not usher in the messianic age. So why did Jesus bother raising just one man to just a…