Sermons on Racial Justice

Sermons on Racial Justice

A Reconciling Peace

TEXT: Ephesians 2:13-18; Luke 15:25-32 Division, arguments, polarization, barriers, frustrations, anger, fear… while these things have been around since the first sin of Adam, it seems all around us (and in us) in a new and alarming way these days. Do you feel it? It’s not just politics, economics, or race; those are manifestations of something deeper and more pernicious.…

If Not for God

We are continuing in our summer series, entitled “Psalm +1.”  Each week we are looking at one of the Psalms, from the songbook of God’s people; and we are pairing it with a text from the New Testament which connects or opens up the Psalm to the Good News of Jesus Christ. This week we are looking at Psalm 124, one of the Psalms called a “Psalm of Ascent,” to be sung…

Pastures of Plenty

TEXT: Psalm 23:1b-2a; Ezekiel 34:11-15 Today we continue in the second of seven weeks in Psalm 23. Last week, we looked at the image of God as Shepherd and talked about some of the characteristics of a shepherd as a provider, protector, and guide. Today we will focus specifically on two phrases: “I shall not want” and “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” On the…

Standing in the Gap

TEXT: Philemon 17-25; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 This is our fourth and last week in Philemon, a short letter found in the New Testament, from the Apostle Paul to his friend and Christian leader, Philemon. In the past three weeks we have looked at several aspects of this letter. The first week we looked at the exemplary character of Philemon, whom Paul praised as a “good…

No Longer as a Slave

TEXT: Philemon 10-16; Galatians 3:24-29 We are continuing today in the short letter to Philemon, found near the end of the New Testament. It is a personal letter from the Apostle Paul to the head of an early Christian house church, a man named Philemon. The situation, which we really hear about in today’s text, is that Paul has met a man named Onesimus who is a…

An Appeal for Love’s Sake

TEXT: Philemon 8-9; 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 Last week we began a four-week series on the letter to Philemon. Philemon was the leader of a house church and greatly esteemed by the Apostle Paul. Last week we looked at Paul’s words of appreciation and noted that even a “good man” or a “good Christian” can have a blind spot. While there is no evidence that Philemon mistreated…

A Good Man

TEXT: Philemon 1-7; Luke 6:39-45 For the month of August we will be looking at the short New Testament book of Philemon. Let me offer a short overview of the whole before we walk through it in parts and more slowly. What has apparently happened is that Onesimus, a bondservant to Philemon, has run away and come to Paul, who is in prison as an old man.  For…

Three Compassions

TEXT: Luke 7,10,15 4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember…