"forgiveness" Tagged Sermons
The Origin of Corruption
Not only are there individuals who are wicked, but we can see systems and institutions that conspire together in their corruption. Wickedness and evil permeate so much of society that we can’t even so our own contribution. Genesis 6 tells the story of how a whole group of people can be led off into evil, and more importantly, what we can do to remain faithful to the Lord. Sermon Text: Genesis 6-9 Preacher: Pastor Bill Limmer
The Origin of Envy
God designed us to live lives of service towards others, so why do we struggle so much with envy? Genesis 4 tells the story of the first two siblings, Cain and Abel, and how Cain became envious of Abel’s success. This story shows us the origin of envy and how we can begin to overcome it. Sermon Text: Genesis 4 Preacher: Pastor Ben Sadler
The Origin of our Rebellion
God designed us to live for him. But instead of loving God above all things, we want to be in charge. We want to be our own gods. Where does that selfish impulse come from? Genesis 3 tells the story of the origin of our rebellion from God and what God promised to do to repair our relationship. Sermon Text: Genesis 3 Preacher: Pastor Bill Limmer
Song of Confession
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. For any of us who have ever found ourselves guilty of a sin (so, everyone), this psalm hits hard. The Psalmist David wrote this song after the prophet Nathan helped him recognize his sinful ways. All of us from learn about confession from this psalm, as we read how David cries out to God in repentance, knowing he is forgiven and saved from his sins.…
Why do we need to keep asking God for forgiveness?
Jesus lived a perfect life and died as our substitute to pay the price of sin. Then, he defeated death when he was resurrected. Because of all this, God doesn’t see our sins any longer. So why should we keep asking for forgiveness if we know we’re already forgiven? What’s the point of feeling guilty for our sins? To help us understand why we continually go to God with our sins and ask for his forgiveness, we’ll study Jesus’ parable…
Put People First
We often judge a person based on their appearance. But appearances are deceiving. The world may have taught us to look at and treat people a certain way based on their appearance or social status, but God teaches us to treat all people with mercy, loving all our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus didn’t and doesn’t discriminate against anyone; he lived, died, and rose for all. Sermon Text: James 2:1-13
Forgiveness Over Revenge
Forgiveness is easier said than done. We want to use forgiveness as a weapon. The problem is that withholding forgiveness doesn’t hurt the other person so much as it cuts into our souls. It makes us feel superior and in control, but the lack of forgiveness actually crushes us. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean we’ll feel instant joy or relief. But it does mean we’re taking the right steps to walk toward healing and renewal. Sermon Text: Matthew 18:21-35
Christmas… And Then This Mess?
We celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus at Christmas. But then… the mess is still there. In the Bible, we hear of the terrible tragedy of the deaths of the children of Bethlehem at Herod’s hand. And we see mess around us. But still, Jesus is near. Jesus is our example, so we can confront our sinful nature and recognize our need for him as our Savior. Sermon Text: Matthew 2:1-18
Christmas Eve: The Light Has Come
It’s Christmas Eve. The hope of the world has come. Jesus’ birth meant that God’s promises were fulfilled. The light came to earth to get rid of darkness. Jesus, the light of the world, is our sure and certain hope. We don’t have to live in the darkness of our current circumstances; we can live in the light of Christ. Sermon Text: Isaiah 9:2-3, 6-7 & John 8:12
Preparing for the Light
What does preparing for Jesus look like? As the holidays grow close, we make preparations for meals, decorations, and gatherings. We also need to prepare our hearts. The light is coming, and as we get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we need to examine our hearts and recognize our deep need for a Savior. Sermon Text: Isaiah 40:1-11
God Blesses Us
Because they could not see how God blesses them, the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. Over and over again, they grumbled and rebelled against God. Yet, God was still with them and loved them. We see God’s steadfast love in the story of Balaam. Balaam was a sorcerer, who was hired to curse the Israelites. But he came to see that he could not curse those whom God has blessed. Maybe some people wonder of God is…
Who Told You People are Basically Good?
We would like to believe that people are basically good. But if that were true, then why do we lock our cars? Why do we put virus protection on our computers? Why do we put security cameras on our house? We know that it is not just “bad people out there” who are the problem. What about the battle against evil that rages in our own hearts? We know deep down that we ourselves are not “basically good”. That’s why…