Episodes
Monday Apr 14, 2014
Redefie ning Success - Philippians 2 and self-giving love
Monday Apr 14, 2014
Monday Apr 14, 2014
'Success' can be deadly...either if we achieve it or if we don't. If we put our identity, security and sense of worth in achieving success it can crush us under the weight of its inability to provide ultimate fulfilment.
In our competitive world, the way up is up.
Jesus redefines success by showing that the way up is down - into servanthood, self-giving love and even death for our sake.
The wonderful 'Christ-hymn' in Philippians 2 redefines success for us and shows us that the one who lost everything for our sake is now the one who is Lord over the whole universe.
This sermon was preached on Sunday April 13 (Palm Sunday) 2014 at St John's Southgate Lutheran Church.
It can be used with the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link.
Enjoy!
Monday Apr 07, 2014
What shall we do with death? John 11 and the raising of Lazarus
Monday Apr 07, 2014
Monday Apr 07, 2014
What do we do with death?
In my household, murder mysteries make popular tv viewing. What the murder mysteries do is fictionalise death - and by the reactions of the other characters, they imply that death doesn't matter.
On the other extreme, our culture sanitises death, pretties it up, and pushes it so far from our awareness that we can pretend that death doesn't happen.
We will do almost anything so that we don't have to deal with death.
When Jesus encounters death, in the person of his friend Lazarus, he doesn't pretend it doesn't matter, and he doesn't pretend it doesn't happen. He deals with it. He faces it head on and overcomes it.
And so the raising of Lazarus points to exactly what Jesus came to do: he came to deal with death. His own death and his resurrection proclaim the truth that for all who believe in him, death is not the worst thing that can happen. It's just a sleep. Not the end of existence. It has no ultimate power.
What shall we do with death? Put our trust in the one who has overcome it.
This sermon was preached on the fifth Sunday in Lent, April 6, 2014, at St John's Southgate.
It can be listened to in conjunction with the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link.
Enjoy!