All the Sermons

Exodus 17:8-13 Have you ever asked for intercessory prayer? Two weeks ago, at Wednesday Bible study, Eleanor asked us to pray for her. So we anointed her forehead with a little oil in the sign of the cross and we asked God to heal her sore back. That’s intercession. To intercede is to act on behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition. Eleanor believed it would do her some good. Her faith is based on the word of God where it says in James 5:14-15, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.” Eleanor simply obeyed this word by faith and called on us to pray for her. And God kept his word. The next morning, she tells us, there was no soreness in her back! And today she is still free from that pain, even after a tumble in the garage the next Sunday might have undone her healing! It is significant that E...

Acts 2:1-21 What happens next? You don’t really know! You go by what has happened in the routine of the past. But you don’t really know. You make a plan, like we have our order of service here in the bulletin, so we have an idea what is supposed to come next or what we intend to do, but really, anything can happen in the next second that could change everything! For example, our bake sale got canceled last week because Verna had an unexpected change of plans. Then there’s the kind of anticipation that comes from waiting for something and you don’t quite know when it will happen. We could hear the blast of that trumpet announcing Jesus’ arrival! (listen!) Can you feel a sense of anticipation? Anticipation is an expectant waiting. That’s what the disciples were feeling when the day of Pentecost had fully come. And while you are waiting, do you pray that whatever comes it will be good, or that it will be God’s will? Usually a sudden change of plans isn’t good news. But sometimes i...

Luke 18:1-8 I saw a story recently about a couple of Chinese ladies who were sad and tired because there was no church close to them. They had to walk several miles to a different village every time they wanted to go to church. They prayed for many months that God would lead someone to build a church in their village so it would be closer. Then one day one of the ladies said, “You know what, I think God wants us to build that church ourselves!” That is how God answered their persistent prayer. He inspired them to build. Their husbands helped them. Then they had to get permission from the government. Actually they just started building the church and then a government official noticed the new building and asked them to explain. They said “church” and he said you can’t do that without permission! Every new church has to be registered with the official state church. So they registered and got permission. But they also gave thanks that their village is so far from the government offic...