Christ Lutheran Church Harrisburg

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like...

Come on Jesus, just tell us what the Kingdom of Heaven is.  That's not how it works.  Maybe that's because we wouldn't know if we walked into it.  Instead we get glimpses of it.  How do you encounter the Kingdom of Heaven?  The sermon is based on Matthew 13:44-50.

How to Read the Bible

How do we read the Bible?  There are helpful and unhelpful ways.  It helps to start with knowing some things about the Bible.  Just after 21:30 into the podcast I offer a direct example of reading Scripture in light of shootings around the church.  The sermon is based on 2 Timothy 3:10-17.  

The Pentecost Miracle

The Holy Spirit gives us gifts and draws us together.  We are given unique gifts to build up the body of Christ, to serve, to love, to live - in community.  It's a miracle.  The sermon is based on Acts 2:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-13.  

What is Love

What is Love?  We can talk about it.  We can think about it.  We can experience it.  We can share in it.  What is the greatest?  The sermon is based on 1 Corinthians 13.  

A Special Place and Community of Healing

Peter and John heal a man lame from birth.  And when healed, he becomes a part of the community.  But it is far more than just physical healing that happens.  Christ is still active in healing in a multitude of ways today. We experience this healing at Christ Lutheran Church and we witness it to the ends of the earth.  The sermon is based on Acts 3:1-10.

Witness to a bigger God

Humanity has great imagination for destruction, but limited in what God is capable of doing to improve creation and life.  We are called to witness to God's acts, which are much better.  The sermon is based on Acts 1:1-14.

Easter Sermon, 2024

Early Easter morning, the women come to the tomb.  They bring their expectations.  They enter the tomb where their expectations die, because Jesus is risen and unleashed on the world.  He can't be contained.  What's he going to change?  The sermon is based on Mark 16:1-8.  

Which parade are you going to?

There's a couple of parades in town.  One seeks to maintain order and control through the threat of violence.   The other seeks to free people, but not in a way they expect.  Which parade are you going to?  The sermon is based on Mark 11:1-11.

No One Knows...

There have been many predictions about Jesus coming back. All have been focused on death and destruction.  All have been wrong.  Instead of predicting when Jesus is coming back and how destructive that will be, Jesus calls us to active faith that will restore and bring hope.  The sermon is based on Mark 13:1-8, 24-37.

Jesus versus the Scammers

The sermon is based on Mark 12:28-44.  Jesus confronts a big scam that was going on.  Appearances looked one way, but behind the curtain, Jesus shows what's really going on.  And he offers a better way.  Where do we see this same thing in our lives and society today?