How many of us have heard the warning – play with fire and you will get burned? This morning, our reading from the book of James reminds us that the tongue is a fire – and it can consume us. On the one hand, fire brings warmth, safety, clean drinking water and cooked food. But…
Readings: Romans 11: 1-2a; 29-31 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! … God has not rejected his people who he foreknew. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you… have now received mercy… so they now, by the mercy shown to you, they too many…
Readings: Romans 9: 1-15 Matthew 14:13-21 Psalm 145: 8-9, 14-21 Compassion: These verses from Matthew & Romans 9 contain a common theme: the compassion of Jesus for the crowd and the compassion of Paul for his Jewish countrymen. Paul is anguished that his Jewish countrymen cannot see the truth of Christ being the promised…
How many times, on a Palm Sunday, have you sat in a Church pew and listened to the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the donkey’s colt or on the donkey or on the donkey with the colt walking next to her – to not say straddling the 2 donkeys? Every year, since I…
Readings: Ezekiel 37: 1-14 – The Valley of Bones John 11: 1-45 – Lazarus So, this morning we’ve heard the reading from Ezekiel: the Valley of Bones, and we’ve also heard the story of the raising of Lazarus. Given that they were long readings, my sermon this morning is going to be adequately short, because I know…
Last week’s sermon focused on Isaiah 49, verses 1 to 7 and in particular verse 4. But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose! As part of that sermon, we looked at the warning that Jesus gave the disciples on the night of the betrayal, that…
If you asked me to name my favourite book of the Bible, I would be hard-pressed to choose between Proverbs and James. This could be because James seems to be so knowledgeable about Proverbs. The book of James is quite short: it has only five chapters and is known for its practical wisdom and common sense.…