Wife Swap–Genesis Style!

A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho July 24, 2011 Gen 29:15-28 When I read this story, I feel like I’ve just read someone’s diary and exposed the hidden secrets of a family. It just doesn’t seem right. Surely Rachel and Leah deserve some privacy so that they can deal with the…

Other Side of the Storm

A sermon preached at the Massanetta Middle School Conference, July 2011 Luke 8:26-39 (The theme of the conference was “I of the Storm” and we looked at the Matthew 14 account of a storm where Peter walked on water.) Luke’s text picks up right after Jesus has calmed a storm and rebuked the wind on…

Sign me up!

A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church May 22, 2011 Acts 7:44-8:8 Wasn’t the joyful gospel proclamation of Stephen so well received by his audience!? We didn’t hear the entire story of Stephen, which begins in chapter 6, but he offers the crowd a sweeping narrative of the Hebrew story, culminating with Jesus standing in…

One Flock, One Shepherd

A Sermon preached at Boise Presbytery meeting May 14, 2011 John 10:1-19 We are in good company when we disagree over interpretation of Scripture. In our text this morning, we’re told that the community was divided because of Jesus’ words. They weren’t even dealing with issues of translation or cultural context, as we must, when…

A Night to Remember

Maundy Thursday Worship April 21, 2011 Southminster Presbyterian Exodus 12 John 13 When we last checked in on Johns’ Gospel, the week before Palm Sunday, Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb. Since then, Jesus has been back to the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, where Mary has anointed his feet with nard, and…

The Temptations

A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church March 13, 2011 Gen 2:15-17, 3:1-7 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;  but of the tree of…