Sermons on Advent (Page 8)

Baptism prepares you for the coming of Christ

Download Life Guide Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone… December is upon us… and it’s that time of year again. It’s time to get ready for…that’s right… Christmas. For millions of Americans, and I’m sure for many of you here today, the Christmas preparations are already underway. Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday, and Cyber…

Mary is Expecting a Baby

It’s an announcement which typically brings joy to the hearts of those who hear it. The announcement made by that young couple recently married, when they share the good news, “We’re expecting a baby!” Isn’t that right? I mean, it’s got to be right up there with “I just got engaged!” After that announcement, the second most exciting announcement—the one that is…

Dealing with Doubt

Download Life Guide Your teenage son isn’t home yet– 30 minutes late for curfew. What assumptions pop into your head? “He was in a terrible car accident! He’s dead in a ditch somewhere! He’s been kidnapped!” But…5 minutes later, he walks through the door totally fine, just a forgetful teenager. A young woman’s boyfriend hasn’t texted her back in over an hour.…

Defining Repentance

Download Life Guide What do you think of when you hear the word “repentance”? Maybe you think of a child tearing up after you put them on a timeout… a husband buying flowers for his wife after an argument… or a wife apologizing for… well, actually… it’s never really her fault… but you get the idea… I think we usually think of…

Certainty in the Unknown

Download Life Guide Is there a more annoying customer service phrase than, “Your repairman will arrive sometime between the hours of 8am and 4pm”? Whether it’s the plumber coming to fix your sink, the cable guy coming to install your cable, or the dishwasher repairman coming to unshackle you from the nightmare of handwashing your dishes, a vague, unknown arrival time is…

Have yourself a Mary little Christmas

In 1944 Hugh Martin wrote a song for the MGM musical Meet me in St. Louis. And I’m sure the song is familiar to most of you. It’s called Have yourself a merry little Christmas. In the movie Judy Garland’s character sings that song to her little sister who’s upset about the prospect of moving to New York… hoping to cheer her up…

Repent with Rejoicing!

Download the Life Guide. A young boy, outraged that his little brother had the gall to play with his favorite dinosaur toy, smacks him. As his brother cries, Mom rushes in, sees what happened, and demands that the boy apologize. With his arms crossed, the boy squeezes out through a pouty face, “I’m sorry.” But…

Christian, Be Faithful!

Can you tell me, what qualities do you think a Christian congregation should look for in a pastor?  In other words, if you were filling out a survey of what you want your pastor to be, would you say “I want a pastor who is…” Dynamic Friendly Intelligent Eloquent A leader Popular Good looking Faithful You realize, of all those qualities, the…