Sermon Text: Ephesians 5:15-21 The image of someone drinking alcohol alone – often drinking to excess – is not a happy picture. But the moderate use of wine or alcohol in a group, on social occasions, can often contribute in a positive way to the cheerful atmosphere of such a gathering. Psalm 104 declares that…
Genesis 28:10-17 One of the common beliefs that was held by the pagan idolaters of the ancient world, was the idea that certain deities were attached to certain geographical places, and served as special guardians and patrons for the people who lived in those specific geographical places. So, based on where they were at any…
1 Corinthians 1:4-18 Today’s sermon text is taken from the second section of today’s Epistle lesson, and from several verses that follow this section, beyond what we read a few minutes ago. In his First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter one, verses 4 through 18, St, Paul writes: “I thank my God always concerning you…
Ephesians 4:1-16 Christians are supposed to be confident. But as they are confident, they are also supposed to be humble. Is that a contradiction? Well, it might seem to be, if you equate confidence with arrogance, and if you equate being humble with being demeaned. From that perspective, people, in their pride, would want to…
Galatians 5:16-24 The primary thrust of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians is summarized in this passage from chapter 2 of that letter, where the apostle writes: “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in…
Matthew 5:14-16 The parable of the Good Samaritan, which we heard in today’s Gospel from St. Luke, applies primarily to Jesus, and to the mercy he shows to us, who have been deeply wounded and left in the gutter by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Jesus is the Samaritan who picks us up…
Genesis 4:1-15 Cain, the fratricidal son of Adam and Eve, is treated in Scripture as being among the most heinous of villains. St. John writes in his First Epistle: “Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard…
Romans 9:30-10:4 What does it mean to “pursue righteousness”? That’s not a phrase that we hear very often. Does this mean that people today don’t pursue righteousness? Or does this mean that they describe and define this pursuit in different ways, with different terms? Well, to be righteous, or to have righteousness, means that things…
1 Corinthians 10:1-13 “Now let that be a lesson to you.” When you were young, you probably heard that from your parents, as a response to some blunder that you committed, or that someone else committed, resulting in a bad outcome. They wanted you to avoid this blunder in the future. In today’s reading from…
Matthew 7:15-23 Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets.” Those of us who are familiar with the Bible know about this statement. For this reason, it doesn’t sound all that strange to us. But we need to realize that for most people today, the very concept of a false prophet, or of a true prophet, is…