Clarifying “Righteousness”

Our pastor is preaching a series of sermons on the Sermon on the Mount and this is the third sermon in the series. I'm excited to share this sermon with you. Enjoy!

1-22-17 Clarifying "Righteousness" (Matthew 5:17-20) - Saint Matthias Anglican Church - Oakdale, CA

Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 5:17-20 - English Standard Version

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law - "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Laugh Out Loud!

For those of you who enjoy a bit satire...happy Wednesday!

Confirmed: Earliest Manuscripts Of Jeremiah Just Had Chapter 29 Verse 11 | The Babylon Bee

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL-Newly discovered manuscripts of the prophet Jeremiah's writings have confirmed that the prophet's original words were likely confined to just the eleventh verse of Chapter 29 found in modern Bible translations, with all other parts of the book being forgeries, Bible experts announced Wednesday.

Clarifying the Beatitudes

Below is a link to a great sermon about the Beatitudes. Unlike the other sermons on my blog, we didn't find it online, we heard it preached live and in person on a Sunday morning! (And it sounded pretty good because I just finished tweaking the sound system.) The church is Saint Matthias Anglican Church in Oakdale, California and the pastor is John Roberts. If you enjoy the sermon and want to visit, let me know and we'll save you a seat right next to us! You can find more sermons on the church website.  

Sermon Cloud 1/15/17 Clarifying the Beatitudes (Matthew 4:23-5:16) Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 4:23-5:16 - English Standard Version

Book Recommendation

Are there any avid readers following my blog? If you like what you are listening to and want a good book to read about the central massage of the Bible, I recommend this book. I found it to be interesting, thoughtful, and well written. Used copies are available for less than $3.00! Happy reading!

Law and Gospel: A Theology for Sinners (and Saints)

The Steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases

This is a wonderful sermon on the unpopular subjects of suffering and lamenting. The lexionary text is Lamentations 3:19-26, but Jamie Howison gives us a broader look at the entire book.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases? | Jeremiah's stubborn hope - saint benedict's table Bible Gateway passage: Lamentations 3:19-26 - English Standard Version

Blood On The Floor

I've been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. Maybe it's because I need it more than I'd like to admit or that I struggle with giving it as freely as I have received it, but I also see so many hurting relationships around me that desperately cry out for forgiveness. I am reminded of this quote:

 In order for forgiveness to really happen, something has to die. Whether it's your expectations of a person, or your idea about who you are. There has to be a death for forgiveness to happen...where forgiveness is easy, and love is easy, there's not enough blood on the floor to make sense of that. -Brené Brown

In Christianity the blood on the floor is Jesus' blood, and after we receive His forgiveness for our sin, He says take up your cross and follow me. Apparently forgiving others is going to cost us something too. But any dying we do in forgiving others, serves to crucifies our flesh and reminds us we are already dead and Jesus is our life. The act of forgiving others is no less God's gift to us than the forgiveness He shows to us. Both are drawing us closer to Him and to each other.

Below is a link to a video interview with Brene' Brown that includes the above quote as part of her personal testimony. I think it's worth the time to listen to.

Brene' Brown Returns to Church (and Finds Jesus Weeping)

Government

Here is a good sermon appropriate for the season. It was preached in the fall of 2008 by William Cwirla. Below the audio player is a link to the Biblical text and a manuscript of the sermon.




Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

Laying Down The Law

Below is a blog post about the purpose of the law. It will give you an interesting perspective on those new year's resolutions you made and what can actually change your life...the Gospel! This isn't a one-off. Grunewald has a great blog and some other resources. Here is a link with some recommended reading from his blog. Happy New Years!

What We Want the Law to Do That It Can't Do