Tag: Character of Jesus Christ
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 16 [21]): The Gospel Passage – Long ago, faith began
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:13-14) What does public opinion say? In the days we…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 14 [19]): The Gospel Passage – Trusting in the Lord God, no matter the depths and circumstances
“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.” (Matthew 14:22) To paraphrase, and set the scene, Jesus and the disciples had just gotten done “cleaning up the crumbs” and gathering up the leftovers after the feeding of the multitudes (five thousand…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 12 [17]): The Gospel Passage – The Kingdom of Heaven is . . . .
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 10 [15]) : The Gospel Passage – Growing in and with the Lord God Jesus Christ
“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 9 [14]) : The Psalm Passage – Being wooed to a new and different kind of love
“Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him; the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people with all kinds of wealth. The princess is decked in…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 9 [14]) : The Epistle Passage – Paul leads us through an obstacle course of theology
“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15) What Paul, the writer of Romans, wants to do is follow God’s will. What he says he ends up doing is the opposite of God’s will and that is human…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 8 [13]) : The Gospel Passages – Whoever
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 6 [11]) : The Gospel Passage – Spreading the Word
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness.” (Matthew 9:35) According to the gospel of Matthew, Jesus had just completed a series of healings, and was setting out to see and spread his ministry to…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 6 [11]) : Epistle Passage – The Beginning of Faith
“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2) Boasting – it is not something that you would expect a…
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Trinity Sunday: The Psalm Passage – Knowing & Naming the Divine
Preacher: “O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” Seeker: Who is this Sovereign Lord? What shall we call this Divine Majesty? By what name shall we know and worship this Deity? Preacher: “Out of the mouths of babes and infants you…
A Simple Desire 