Changed By God To Make A Difference For God

In this season of the Epiphany with its emphasis on bringing God's light to the nations, why should we care? Don't we have enough problems of our own that weigh us down? Why would we possibly want to proclaim the Good News of God's healing love in and through Jesus to those who still live in the darkness? If you've ever had those kinds of questions or concerns, this sermon is for you. Lectionary texts for today's sermon are Isaiah 49.1-7; Psalm 40.1-11; 1 Corinthians 1.1-9; John 1.29-42.

Have you ever wondered why the evangelists talk about Jesus' baptism in all four gospels? What's the big deal? Have you ever stopped to reflect on your own baptism? What's it all about? Or have you ever wondered why people should get baptized? Today Fr. Maney explores answers to these questions. Check it out and see what you think. Lectionary texts for today are Isaiah 42.1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10.34-43; Matthew 3.13-17.

Have you ever wondered what the Epiphany is all about? Do you even know what epiphany means? Why should you care? What’s up with those wise men who follow the star and their strange gifts to the child Jesus? Well, for starters its about light and darkness and what God is doing to sort it all out. As we enter a new year, what better time than now to think about the nature of our human condition, the nature of the reality of living in God’s good but broken world, and the nature of God so that we can better understand what God is doing to rescue and heal us. Fr. Maney addresses these issues in his sermon today. Check it out and see what you think. Lectionary texts for today are Isaiah 60.1-6; Psalm 72.1-14; Ephesians 3.1-12; Matthew 2.1-12.

Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Christmas? Have you ever pondered John's gracious words that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1.5)? What does it all mean? Why should you care? If you've asked questions like that, this sermon's for you. Check it out and see what you think. This evening's lectionary texts are Isaiah 52.7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1.1-12; John 1.1-14. Merry Christmas to you and yours from St. Augustine's Anglican Church!

Have you ever wondered how the Christian celebration of the Christmas feast came to be associated with gift-giving, good food, and merriment? If you have, then Fr. Feister’s sermon is for you. Check it out and see what you think. Lectionary texts for today are Isaiah 7.10-16; Psalm 80.1-7, 18-20; Romans 1.1-7; Matthew 1.18-25.

Have you ever thought it strange that the man who baptized Jesus and declared him to be God’s Messiah (see John 1.29-34) now sends messengers to Jesus from prison asking him if he really is the Messiah? What’s going on here? How are we to deal with John’s doubt about Jesus and our own, especially during this season of Advent with its focus on the Lord’s second coming? This is a question everyone must answer, believers and unbelievers alike, because it is precisely our doubt about Jesus that keeps many from following him. But is our doubt based on solid ground? Check out what Father Maney has to say about this and see what you think. Lectionary texts for today are Isaiah 35.1-10; Psalm 146.5-10; James 5.7-10; Matthew 11.2-11.

In our lessons today, we read some of the wonderful promises of God to heal and restore his broken and disordered world through Jesus, his promised Messiah. But as we look around, we have a hard time seeing any of these promises coming to fruition. Wolves still eat lambs, poisonous snakes still bite, and evil and injustice still seem to run rampant. What are we to make of these wonderful but as yet unfulfilled promises? Check out what Fr. Kevin Maney has to say about these vexing questions and see what you think. Lectionary texts for today are Isaiah 11.1-10; Psalm 72.1-7, 17-18; Romans 15.4-13; Matthew 3.1-12.

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. Today Fr. Philip Sang explores what that means for us who live in the 21st century. Check it out and see what you think. Lectionary texts for today are Isaiah 2.1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13.11-14; Matthew 24.36-44.

In today's epistle reading the apostle Paul declares unequivocally that Jesus is God's promised Messiah. But Paul also states boldly that Jesus is much more than God's Messiah. He is the very image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation, and the first-born from the dead. You can't get a much more exalted and clearer description of Jesus the king than this! Yet most of his own people rejected Jesus and many continue to do so today, failing to recognize him as God's appointed ruler over the cosmos, both now and forever. Why is that? Check out what Fr. Maney has to say about this and see what you think. Lectionary texts for today are Jeremiah 23.1-6; Psalm 46; Colossians 1.11-20; Luke 23.33-43.

Jesus warns his disciples that the destruction of the Temple is coming. But what does that have to do with us? What are we to do with Jesus' warnings that there will be wars, famine, and natural disasters, not to mention persecution from even family and close friends for those who follow him? Are we to look and long for the end of history so we can flee from this world? Not so fast, my friend! Check out what Fr. Maney has to say about what today’s lessons have to say to us and see what you think. Lectionary texts for today are Isaiah 65.17-25; Canticle—A Song of Deliverance (Isaiah 12); 2 Thessalonians 3.6-13; Luke 21.5-19.