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Sermon Reading: Romans 8:22-27 Alternate New Testament Reading: Acts 2:1-21 Psalm: Psalm 104:24-34 Preamble We move to Paul’s Letter to the Romans, which is perhaps the most well-known of his letters.  Paul is writing to Christians in diaspora—or Christians who live outside of Israel.  We know, just by looking at the title, that this particular… Read More »

Sermon Lesson: Luke 24:13-35 Alternate N.T. Lesson: 1 John 3:1-7 Psalm: Psalm 4 We are in the Easter Season and as not all of us have been able to get to church, I want to situation you in the timeline. Sunday Morning – Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene (Easter Sermon – “Early that Morning”) Sunday… Read More »

Sermon Lesson: Mark 8:31-38 Alternate New Testament Lesson: Romans 4:13-25 Old Testament Lesson: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Psalm: Psalm 22:23-31 For this mini sermon I want you to step away and forget what you know.  But what we think of as the “Messiah” didn’t necessarily translate to what the Jewish people two thousand years ago thought… Read More »

Sermon Lesson: Mark 1:12-15 Old Testament Lesson: Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm: Psalm 25:1-10 Referenced Bible Lesson: Job 1-2:10 The Temptations  I remember growing up, one of my favorite band was the Temptations.  And, really, what’s not to love?  As Christians, we’re conditioned to think of temptation (the earthly sort, not the blues group) as a bad… Read More »

 Sermon Lesson: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 Old Testament Lesson: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Referenced Gospel Lesson: Luke 21:1-4 This is a passage about motive, and there could be no better passage for Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, a time for penance and contribution in the Christian calendar. In religious life, we often have to strike a… Read More »

As a minister, there is no topic that does not come up in my discussions with my parishioners.  In this past week, I found myself discussing the new proposed budget in Congress.  Officially, I have no opinion.  But the question of the defense budget came up and the great deal of money we are pledging… Read More »

Mini Sermon #4 Sermon Lesson: Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 New Testament Lesson: Revelation 21:1-6 Psalm: Psalm 8 I want you to put this aside and save it for the very end of December.  After all the hustle and bustle of Advent and the Christmas Season, this should be taken out the last few days of December, when… Read More »

New Mini Sermon #3 All Saints’ Day This month’s mini-sermon is not scriptural.  Instead, I’d like to mark one of Christianity’s holidays that often passes with little or no recognition—All Saints’ Day.  All Saints’ Day, also called All Hallows’ Day (“hallow” meaning “holy”) or Hallowmas, falls on November 1st. (If All Hallows’ Day sounds almost… Read More »

Mini Sermon #2 Sermon Lesson: Lamentations 1:1-6 Today we start off at a very specific point in history, specifically 586 BC when the Babylonians had devastated Jerusalem.  Jerusalem was a “widow” when once she was a loved wife who had a husband.  She is a “vassal”, or a servant, when once she was once a… Read More »

Reverend Averill’s Note: For the blog, I’m going to start posting old Newsletters every week on Thursday mornings.  If you missed out on old copies of The Radius, I hope you enjoy the mini sermons here. New Mini Sermon #1 Sermon Lesson: Jeremiah 18:1-11 N.T. Lesson: Luke 14:25-33 Psalm: Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18 It is not… Read More »