We Have a Savior!

Reading: Luke 1:46-55, 67-79

Sorry for the lack of posting recently; Carey and I were on vacation over New Year's. I still owe a Christmas sermon, though, so here it is. This is the conclusion to our Lamentations: We Need a Savior series. I should note that this sermon was actually preached in two parts during our Christmas Day worship service, so there's a break in there when Carey reads Mary's song (about eight and a half minutes in).

Click here to view a manuscript for this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on December 25, 2011 at PLWC.

Two Sermons: "Lord, Save Us From Our Exile!" and "Lord, Save Us From Our Excess!"

It's a sign of how busy this season gets for pastors that I didn't get to post my 12/11 sermon last week, so this week I'm posting the last two sermons in our Advent series focusing on Lamentations. Also note that I'm including the Advent Wreath readings for these two weeks; they give us a message of hope after the sermon points out our need for a savior.

"Lord, Save Us From Our Exile!"
Reading: Lamentations 3:1-24; Isaiah 9:1-7
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.
Click here to view the Advent reading accompanying this sermon (.pdf).
Preached on December 11, 2011 at PLWC.


"Lord, Save Us From Our Excess!"
Reading: Lamentations 4:1-22, 5:19-22; Isaiah 60:1-5, 10-11
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.
Click here to view the Advent reading accompanying this sermon (.pdf).
Preached on December 18, 2011 at PLWC.

Lord, Save Us From Our Enemy!

Reading: Lamentations 2; Isaiah 40:1-11

This is the second sermon in our Advent series using the book of Lamentations to call us to examine our need for a savior. I for one find it a little shocking how Jeremiah speaks of God as the people's enemy in Lamentations 2, but it's certainly a powerful statement on the effects of sin in our lives.

Also, note that I've added a link below for the Advent reading that accompanies this sermon.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.
Click here to view the Advent reading accompanying this sermon (.pdf).

Preached on December 4, 2011 at PLWC.

Two sermons: "Healing We Don't Deserve" and "Lord, Save Us From Our Desolation!"

I'm posting two sermons here since I didn't post anything during the week of Thanksgiving. We'll start with the oldest first, the sermon for Christ the King Sunday which concluded our series on healing. One of the most potent demonstrations of the Lordship of Jesus Christ is found in this shocking call to love our enemies.

Reading: Genesis 16:1-13; Luke 6:17-38
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.
Preached on November 20, 2011 at PLWC.

This first week of Advent begins a new and somewhat unconventional series for us. Advent is a season of expectation and preparation, and so this year we'll be drawing our theme from the book of Lamentations, in which the people of Israel lament the destruction and exile that resulted from their sin. Their need for a savior was literally right in front of their faces, and so we'll be entering ourselves into their story during Advent to recognize our own sin and need for a savior. Note that each sermon during this series will be accompanied by an Advent reading; the sermon calls us to repentance and confronts us with our sin, while the Advent reading proclaims the promise of a coming savior.


Reading: Lamentations 1, Isaiah 54:1-10
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.
Click here to view the Advent reading accompanying this sermon (.pdf).
Preached on November 27, 2011 at PLWC.