Archive for the ‘Sermons & Studies’ Category

Lessons from the Beach

Apr 20th, 2009 / 0 Comments

John 21:1-14  John 21:1 Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened.  2 Several of the disciples were there– Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.  3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.  4 At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn’t see who he was.  5 He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied.  6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” So they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.  7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore.  8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet.  9 When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread.  10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said.  11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.  12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. And no one dared ask him if he really was the Lord because they were sure of it.  13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.  14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.

I can imagine the disciples sitting around the sea of Galilee, thinking about all that Jesus had taught there and skipping rocks across the water.  They were bored, and what’s better to do when you’re bored than to go fishing.  Peter started it and all the disciples jumped aboard.  They fished all night and caught nothing.  (Sounds like one of my fishing trips!)  And in the morning, a voice from the shore suggested they throw into the deeper water.  When they saw the miraculous catch, they knew it was Jesus.  Peter jumps in, coat and all, and swims to be with Jesus.  And when everyone gets there, they share breakfast together.

So, what does this teach us?  That Jesus isn’t finished with us yet.  Easter isn’t the end, but the beginning of a life of grace.  When we experience Christ we are called to more than our regular lives.  When we experience the power of the resurrection, we cannot just go back to our old lives and our old ways.  Jesus wants more from us.  And we should want more as well.  We should want to be with Jesus.  Peter wanted to be with Him so much that he leapt out of the boat!  We should long to be with Jesus because He longs to be with us.  He wants us to share fellowship with Him.  Easter shouldn’t just be one moment of celebration, but a lifetime of commitment to Christ.  Christ came to give us new life, and we should live that new life in fellowship with Christ.

Sermons & Studies

The Great Faith Experiment – Luke 24:1-12

Apr 12th, 2009 / 0 Comments

Luke 24:1-12  Luke 24:1 But very early on Sunday morning the women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  2 They found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside.  3 So they went in, but they couldn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus.  4 They were puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly, two men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.  5 The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive?  6 He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Don’t you remember what he told you back in Galilee,  7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?”  8 Then they remembered that he had said this.  9 So they rushed back to tell his eleven disciples– and everyone else– what had happened.  10 The women who went to the tomb were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several others. They told the apostles what had happened,  11 but the story sounded like nonsense, so they didn’t believe it.  12 However, Peter ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

IT’S EASTER!!  What an exciting day!  Jesus is risen and life is changed!  Amazed!  Confused?  Excited!  Life changes forever on Easter!  Jesus is risen, and with Him comes hope for eternal life.  PRAISE GOD FOR EASTER!!

Great Faith Experiment

The Great Faith Experiment – Luke 23:50-56

Apr 11th, 2009 / 0 Comments

Luke 23:50-56   50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council,  51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he had been waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.  52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.  53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock.  54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation for the Sabbath.  55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where they placed his body.  56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to embalm him. But by the time they were finished it was the Sabbath, so they rested all that day as required by the law.

To me, the Saturday had to be the hardest.  Jesus had died and it was starting to sink in.  The hope that it was all a dream was gone.  The chance that he would raise up like he had talked about was growing dim.  How would life go on without Him?  Saturday was that day of darkest doubt.  Still, Sunday was coming.  Even in the darkest days of our lives, God has a Sunday coming.

Great Faith Experiment

The Great Faith Experiment – Luke 23:33-43

Apr 10th, 2009 / 0 Comments

Luke 23:33-43  33 Finally, they came to a place called The Skull. All three were crucified there– Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side.  34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people, because they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.  35 The crowd watched, and the leaders laughed and scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Chosen One, the Messiah.”  36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine.  37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”  38 A signboard was nailed to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”  39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself– and us, too, while you’re at it!”  40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you are dying?  41 We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”  42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”  43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

It takes great faith to believe in Jesus on the cross.  How else would one believe that Jesus was going to come into His kingdom?  In the darkest of days, the one criminal saw beyond life and into the blessing of God.  In our darkest days, may we have the strength of faith to trust that God will have victory even when it seems hopeless!

Great Faith Experiment