Month: September 2016
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Longing for the Riches of Heaven (Luke 16:19-31)
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost + September 25, 2016 Text: Luke 16:19-31 When you’re a kid you can’t wait until your birthday—when I’m 7, I’ll get to… For adults that still happens, except that we’re not looking forward to being another year older. We look forward to vacations, getting a raise, or buying a house. …
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Freed to Serve with Eternal Riches (Luke 16:1-15)
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost + September 18, 2016 Text: Luke 16:1-9 Some parables which our Lord tells are easier to understand than others. Take last Sunday’s about the Shepherd looking for His lost sheep. It’s easy to identify as the sheep who Jesus takes up on His shoulders and carries home rejoicing. Then there’s…
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Only God Can Judge and Save (Luke 15:1-10)
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost + September 11, 2016 Text: Luke 15:1-10 Most people think that Christians condemn sins like abortion, fornication, homosexuality, and divorce. After all, it’s people who identify as Christians who hold the picket signs outside Planned Parenthood, and it’s people who call themselves Christians who shun a woman after a divorce…
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Onesimus: A Portrait (Philemon 1-21)
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost + September 4, 2016 Text: Philemon 1-21 The story of Philemon and his slave, Onesimus is one of redemption. Cultural background: slavery is integral to households in the Roman world. Masters, even though they owned their household servants, were responsible for their wellbeing. In turn, slaves served their masters in…