Recent Sermons

April 20, 2025

You can watch the 10:45 am Easter Sunday worship service on YouTube HERE>>

Today is Easter Sunday! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

But when the women went to Jesus' tomb on that first Easter, and found that He had already risen from the dead, they were bewildered and frightened. Mary Magdalen in particular seemed frozen to the spot in grief, until Jesus came and asked here "Why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for?"

The most important answer to those questions when we seem frozen in grief is the promise of Easter - "Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!"

You can read the Scripture lessons at these links:

• You can read John 20:1-18 HERE>>
• You can read 1 Corinthians 15:16-26 HERE>>

April 13, 2025

You can watch the 10:45 am Palm Sunday worship service on YouTube HERE>>

Today is called Palm Sunday in the church year. It’s the last Sunday in the season of Lent, and the beginning of what we call “Holy Week.”

Centuries ago, Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem for the last time before His death on the cross, surrounded by His disciples and an excited, cheering crowd. But that was only the start of this awesome week that also includes the Passover meal that He transformed into the Lord’s Supper on Thursday, and His death on Good Friday.

You can read the Scripture lessons at these links:

• You can read Philippians 2:1-11 HERE>>
• You can read Zechariah 9:9-10 HERE>>
• You can read Luke 19:29-48 HERE>>

The Red Letter Challenge -

"Going"

April 6, 2025

At the links below, you can

Watch the 8:15 am worship service on Facebook HERE>> or the 10:45 am worship service on YouTube HERE>>

This is our last week in The Red Letter Challenge; our theme for this week is “Going!”

After Jesus rose from the dead that first Easter Sunday, He met His disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to reassure and restore them, especially Peter. But He also said to Peter, “When you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18).

This morning we’ll think about Jesus’ command to all His people to tell everyone about the love of Jesus, and especially in difficult times, scary places, and frightening situations. As Jesus says in one of today’s readings, “Let’s go!”

You can read Ezekiel 37:1-10 HERE>>, Matthew 26:36-46 HERE>>, and Matthew 28:16-20 HERE>>

The Red Letter Challenge -

"Giving"

March 30, 2025

At the links below, you can

Watch the 8:15 am worship service on Facebook HERE>> or the 10:45 am worship service on YouTube HERE>>

Our theme for this week is “Giving.”

One news item you may have missed is that soon the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case about whether or not the social service ministries of a church-related group are “distinctively religious” (if you like, you can read the article at https://tinyurl.com/250330ORLCGiving).

If you followed along in last week’s Red Letter Challenge, you learned that for Jesus, the service that we do for others is indeed the service we do for Jesus Himself. This week we’ll focus on what Jesus had to say about another “distinctively religious” activity - Giving - and for today in particular, “giving thanks.”

You can read Psalm 100 HERE>>, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 HERE>>, and Luke 21:1-2 HERE>>

The Red Letter Challenge -

"Serving"

March 23, 2025

At the links below, you can

Listen to the sermon from the 8:15 am service on the Route 42 podcast, or

Watch the 8:15 am worship service on Facebook HERE>> or the 10:45 am worship service on YouTube HERE>>

Last week we heard that “Forgiving” can be described by the letters in the word “SCARS” = Sin, Confession, Absolution (forgiveness), Restoration, and Sanctification. We heard details about most of those words, but didn’t spend much time on Sanctification, other than to say its “the process of becoming holy.” In today’s sermon we’ll hear that some Christians have described the process as “downward mobility,” and we’ll here why that’s such a good definition of “serving.”

You can read Luke 17:1-10 HERE>> and Mark 10:42-44 HERE>>

The Red Letter Challenge -

"Forgiving"

March 16, 2025

At the links below, you can

Listen to the sermon from the 8:15 am service on the Route 42 podcast, or

Watch the 8:15 am worship service on Facebook HERE>>

During this season of Lent, up near our altar and under the crucifix is the word “SCARS.” We remember that after Jesus died by being nailed to the cross, when He rose from the dead He still had the nail scars on His hands. This morning we’ll remember that the word SCARS can challenge us to think about the way we forgive one another as we think about Sin, Confession, Absolution (or forgiveness), Restoration, and Sanctification (living a holy life).

You can read the Scripture lessons at these links:

• You can read Luke 15:1-3, 11-25 HERE>>

The Red Letter Challenge - "Being"

March 9, 2025

At the links below, you can

Listen to the sermon from the 8:15 am service on the Route 42 podcast, or

Watch the 8:15 am worship service on Facebook HERE>> or the 10:45 am worship service on YouTube HERE>>

What habits have you developed over the years that have helped get you through life? Maybe your work habits? Maybe the way you drive your car? Maybe the way you talk or listen to other people? And speaking of other people - is it true that the people you hang around with are the ones you imitate the most? And if that’s true, how have they influenced your behaviors, your habits, and your life over the years?

During this first week of the season of Lent in 2025 we’ll focus on the habits that Jesus Himself used in His life and ministry, and think about why they might be good habits for us to imitate, too.

You can read the Scripture lessons at these links:

• You can read Romans 10:8-13 HERE>>
• You can read Luke 4:1-13 HERE>>

March 5, 2025

At the link below, you can

Watch the Ash Wednesday worship service on YouTube

One of the traditions of Ash Wednesday is that pastors take ashes on their fingertips and trace the sign of the cross on the foreheads of worshipers, to remind them that God said to Adam and Eve “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). It’s supposed to mark the beginning of Lent, a 40 day season of repentence ending just before Easter. But I wonder whether the “season of repentence” for some people only lasts until they wash the ashes off their forehead before they go to bed? So, have the ashes of Ash Wednesday become an empty and meaningless tradition after all these centuries?

Or think about this: during Jesus’ last evening just before His death on the cross, He washed the feet of His disciples (John 13) and told them they also should wash each others’ feet. Some Christians do that; others don’t. So I also wonder if this “washing the feet” is another empty and meaningless tradition after all these centuries - or if there is a deeper meaning to the footwashing that we’ve been missing?

You can read the Scripture lessons at these links:

• You can read Philippians 2:5-11 HERE>>
• You can read John 13:1-17 HERE>>