Concord United Sermons

Jesus sends out his disciples to share the good news about God. He informs them that “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Still, today Jesus sends out his followers. And the good news about God still changes lives and transforms communities. The biggest challenge facing the spread of the Gospel is not the Gospel’s lack of power – if has more than enough, it is the lack of people ready and willing to spread. In our culture, we have been discouraged from sharing our faith by the lie that religion is private. The Christianity we inherit from Jesus’ own teachings to the earliest disciples is personal, not private. Every Christian is called to learn the art of spiritual conversation – learning to listen and relate to the spiritual journey of others and to share the Gospel in a gracious, kind, and loving manner.

Scripture - Luke 10:1-11,17-20

Jesus sends out his disciples to share the good news about God. He informs them that “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Still, today Jesus sends out his followers. And the good news about God still changes lives and transforms communities. The biggest challenge facing the spread of the Gospel is not the Gospel’s lack of power – if has more than enough, it is the lack of people ready and willing to spread. In our culture, we have been discouraged from sharing our faith by the lie that religion is private. The Christianity we inherit from Jesus’ own teachings to the earliest disciples is personal, not private. Every Christian is called to learn the art of spiritual conversation – learning to listen and relate to the spiritual journey of others and to share the Gospel in a gracious, kind, and loving manner.

Scripture - Luke 10:1-11,17-20

Love is a word with many implications, from the trivial to the significant. The same is true for hate.  We use the words loosely to describe our feelings towards things and people.  We love and we hate.  There is healing and damage within both, yet there is a love bigger than our human attempts.  It is the love that undergirds our hope, faith, community, purpose, grace, and forgiveness.  The love that poured out on the cross for each of us.  The love that challenges our words and actions, and leads us to something bigger than the world can give us.  The love of our God, of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit.  Love is something bigger than.

Scripture - John 15:12-13

Love is a word with many implications, from the trivial to the significant. The same is true for hate.  We use the words loosely to describe our feelings towards things and people.  We love and we hate.  There is healing and damage within both, yet there is a love bigger than our human attempts.  It is the love that undergirds our hope, faith, community, purpose, grace, and forgiveness.  The love that poured out on the cross for each of us.  The love that challenges our words and actions, and leads us to something bigger than the world can give us.  The love of our God, of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit.  Love is something bigger than.

Scripture - John 15:12-13

Harms are committed every day, both unknowingly and intentionally.  These harms cut deep into our souls, and we carry them.  The question of forgiveness looms below the surface and stares directly into our souls. Peter asks the question that we might wonder as well, a question about forgiveness that Jesus’ answer leaves us uncomfortable.  Forgiveness is not a question, but an action rooted in something bigger than us, God’s love and grace.  Forgiveness begins with an understanding of our need for forgiveness, thus leading us to forgive others.  Forgiveness is something bigger than. 

Scripture - Matthew 18:21-22

Harms are committed every day, both unknowingly and intentionally.  These harms cut deep into our souls, and we carry them.  The question of forgiveness looms below the surface and stares directly into our souls. Peter asks the question that we might wonder as well, a question about forgiveness that Jesus’ answer leaves us uncomfortable.  Forgiveness is not a question, but an action rooted in something bigger than us, God’s love and grace.  Forgiveness begins with an understanding of our need for forgiveness, thus leading us to forgive others.  Forgiveness is something bigger than. 

Scripture - Matthew 18:21-22

In a world that seems to thrive on division, judgment, and even hate, we become overwhelmed.  Demonization, weaponization, and tribalism seem to rule the day.  We are all in need of the gift bigger than all this - grace.  Grace is the thing we all so desperately need and want, yet it is so difficult to give it.  Grace is the gift we do not deserve and comes from God.  Seeing ourselves and each other through the lens of God’s grace counters our culture and removes the walls that divide.  We are each sinners in desperate need of God’s grace.  Grace is something bigger than.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-9

Other Scriptures:  2 Corinthians 12:8-10; John 1:16

 

In a world that seems to thrive on division, judgment, and even hate, we become overwhelmed.  Demonization, weaponization, and tribalism seem to rule the day.  We are all in need of the gift bigger than all this - grace.  Grace is the thing we all so desperately need and want, yet it is so difficult to give it.  Grace is the gift we do not deserve and comes from God.  Seeing ourselves and each other through the lens of God’s grace counters our culture and removes the walls that divide.  We are each sinners in desperate need of God’s grace.  Grace is something bigger than.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-9

Other Scriptures:  2 Corinthians 12:8-10; John 1:16

 

There are times within our lives when our purpose is undeniable and success is attainable.  There are other times when our purpose seems fleeting at best.  Jesus shows us that our purpose is in something bigger than ourselves, serving others.  No matter our age or stage in life, serving others gives our lives purpose and meaning.  We are to do as Jesus has done.  God calls all to serve. There is a place for all to serve. There is a need for all to serve. Serving is bigger than. 

Scripture - John 13:12-17

A persistent experience for many, across the generations, is loneliness, even being lonely in the midst of crowds.  We long to belong, to have connection.  We are created for connection to God and others.  The church is Jesus’ idea, formed in the early days of Christianity as a means to glorify God and share the good news of Jesus Christ.  Within this mission and structure, connection to God and others occurs.  Through being part of something bigger than ourselves, the church, the assembly of those seeking and following, not simply an institution, we find the connection to God and others.  Community is something bigger than.

Scripture - Acts 2:42-47