Podcast: FLC Sermons
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Moses’ Mother Gives Moses Up So He Can Live
We often take for granted this week’s story of Moses’s mom putting him a basket and floating him down the river to his eventual safety and future. It’s easy to see it as only a plot point in a fascinating tale that ends with God’s people being liberated from slavery. Yet, it is so much…
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Doubting Thomas
Doubting Thomas gets a bad rap. First, the man he had hoped would change the world and bet his whole life on was dead and things looked bleak for anyone known to follow Jesus. In the midst of his grief, hope was distant and even though Thomas and the other disciples trusted Jesus, they doubted…
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The Samaritan Woman at the Well
Many of us have parts of ourselves that we hide from the world because we are ashamed or worry about others reactions. Yet, God knows what those things are and still loves us. In our reading this week, we encounter Jesus at the well with a Samaritan woman who was there midday probably because she…
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Encouraging the Israelites in Exile to Plant Gardens & Build Houses
Sometimes we need to plan a funeral for our dreams because maybe then we can grieve the broken dreams and begin to see the beauty that surrounds us. This week we hear God tell the Jewish people exiled away from their homeland to begin to put down roots in Babylon – to build houses and…
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The Conversion of Saul to Paul
Change is the only constant in the world. And yet, it is something so many of us push back against, fight, or refuse to do. So much so, that it might take an act of God to put us on a different path – something the Apostle Paul knows all about. This week we hear…
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Pharaoh Hardens His Heart to Moses’ Requests
Is there really enough? Pharaoh would say no. God always says yes, there is always enough. Listen as Pastor Kate considers whether we trust God’s abundance and desire for freedom and justice, or if we, like Pharaoh, unravel God’s plans with our belief there simply isn’t enough to go around. Accompanying Scripture:Exodus 5:1-2; 7:8-23
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Zacchaeus the Wealthy Tax Collector
If we are to consider who might be worthy enough to host Jesus in our homes, some would likely either mimic a couple of the disciples who believed they were worthy and argued as to who should sit at Jesus’ right hand, or simply assume that they were not worthy. If you asked the crowd…
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Rizpah Mourns Her Sons
This week we read a story in worship you may not have heard before, in which Rizpah, one of Saul’s wives, very publicly mourns her sons – refusing to hide her grief. Listen as guest pastor Rev. Christopher Otten considers what it means to mourn our own losses, maybe even publicly. Accompanying Scripture:2 Samuel 3:7;…
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Peter Sinks in the Water
This week we hear the story of Peter’s attempt to walk across the water to Jesus, only to take one step onto the water and then begin to sink. Peter’s confidence unravels right there in the wind and the waves. Fortunately for him and for us, Jesus is there, the boat is there, his friends…
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Sarah Laughs
Over the past 16 months, we have seen our plans, expectations, and hopes for our lives unravel and change. In Genesis, we hear how Abraham and Sarah also experienced the pain of unmet hopes and expectations that they would one day have their own child and yet it became seemingly impossible. Listen as Pastor Kate…