Sermons

Sermons Hosted at HolyCrossHilo.com

  • Sermon: What Did You Go Out to See?
    December 14, 2025 Luke 1:46-55Matthew 11:2-11 “What did you go out to see?” Jesus asked the crowds, referring to the ministry of John the Baptist. “A reed shaken by the wind?” I rather like that image, even though I suspect, along with Biblical scholars, that I don’t really understand it. It’s probably a first century … Continue reading Sermon: What Did You Go Out to See?
  • Sermon: Towards Peace
    December 7, 2025 Isaiah 11:1-10Matthew 3:1-12 It’s a vision of improbable things. Wolves living peaceably with lambs, leopards and kids, calves with lions, cows with bears. They’re all grazing, which you’d think wouldn’t work for the wolves, leopards, lions, and bears. They don’t have the right kind of teeth. Through them wander these little children … Continue reading Sermon: Towards Peace
  • Sermon: Hope Worth Hoping For
    November 30, 2025 Isaiah 2:1-5Romans 13:11-14 There’s an old joke that tells of a man who saw another man beating his head against a wall. “Is something wrong?” he asked that man. “Oh, nothing’s wrong,” said the second man, but he winced as he hit his head against the wall again. “Then why are you … Continue reading Sermon: Hope Worth Hoping For
  • Sermon: Righteous Shepherd
    November 23, 2025 Jeremiah 23:1-6Luke 23:33-43 Ancient Israel had a somewhat romantic view of shepherds. They pictured themselves as herding people rather than farming people, people of the hillsides rather than the plains. They ignored lots of the gritty details of shepherding, including the long hours, low pay, and lengthy list of discomforts. Rather they … Continue reading Sermon: Righteous Shepherd
  • Sermon: An Example to Imitate
    November 16, 2025 Isaiah 65:17-252 Thessalonians 3:6-13 In some circles, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 is a very popular verse. “For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: anyone unwilling to work should not eat.” I think it’s safe to say that it supports a worldview in which activity, effort, and industry are … Continue reading Sermon: An Example to Imitate
  • Sermon: Shaken and Reshaken
    November 9, 2025 Haggai 2:1-92 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 In the first century in which the Apostle Paul lived, Christianity was very new. It wasn’t always clear how it was supposed to work. Its best-known leaders didn’t always agree. Then there were the basic problems of living in the first century. Most people were poor, very … Continue reading Sermon: Shaken and Reshaken
  • Sermon: Have a Paddle
    November 2, 2025Isaiah 1:10-18 Luke 19:1-10 I’m mixing metaphors that, in my experience, get mixed fairly often. If you’re in trouble, you might be up a tree. Or up the creek. If you’re in a lot of trouble, you might be up a creek without a paddle. And if you’re having trouble getting your metaphors … Continue reading Sermon: Have a Paddle
  • Sermon: Remembered
    October 26, 2025 Ephesians 1:11-23Luke 6:20-31 When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut. I also wanted to be a firefighter. I seem to remember that I wanted to be a soldier for a while. I don’t recall ever wanting to be a politician, but I did think it would be cool to … Continue reading Sermon: Remembered
  • Sermon: Out of Joint
    October 19, 2025 Genesis 32:22-31Luke 18:1-8 One of the things that is hard to appreciate in a translation is the presence of puns. Some of you are thinking that you don’t appreciate puns no matter what the language is. But we are missing something here. John E. Anderson tells us at Working Preacher, “There is … Continue reading Sermon: Out of Joint
  • Sermon: Prepare Supper
    October 5, 2025 Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4Luke 17:5-10 Increase our faith. It seems like a good thing to ask as a Christian, as a disciple of Jesus. Increase our faith. Any sensible faith leader would applaud someone’s efforts to deepen their devotion. So… why didn’t Jesus? As Francisco J. Garcia writes at Working Preacher, “Jesus’ loaded … Continue reading Sermon: Prepare Supper

Sermons Hosted at Ordained Geek