Sermon Audio of "Death Defeated, Part 2: A New Creation" (see link to audio below) Our bodies die. And with that physical death come all sorts of loss and tearing of relationship. Physical death is a powerful reality that all human beings have to come to terms with. In this sermon, I explore what the … Continue reading Sermon #65 — Death Defeated, Part 2: A New Creation
Tag: Venice Presbyterian Church
Sermon #64–Death Defeated, Part 1: What is Death?
Death is all around us. It is woven into the fabric of our world. It's not supposed to be like that. But it is like that. The Bible has a lot to say about death, because we need to understand death--its origins, its meaning, its consequences for us, and its remedy. This message is the … Continue reading Sermon #64–Death Defeated, Part 1: What is Death?
Pastor Note #65 — A Congregational Vision for Prayer and Healing
A Vision for Prayer & Healing in the Life of our Church The Ministry of Prayer in the Life of our Congregation The presence of God is sought and found in a diligent and unremitting pursuit of God through prayer. Prayer is not the work of a few. It … Continue reading Pastor Note #65 — A Congregational Vision for Prayer and Healing
Pastor Note #63 — Mission Field America
Recently, I read about a church that had a sign at the exit from its parking lot, a sign that people read as they were leaving the church. The sign said, “You are now entering the mission field.” It’s a bracing thought and one that is more and more obviously true in North America. American … Continue reading Pastor Note #63 — Mission Field America
Sermon #60 — Power to Change the World, a Pentecost Sermon
Pentecost, a holy day that Presbyterians, my clan, have work hard to trivialize over the centuries, ought to serve as an antidote to the demoralizing conception that the Christian faith is at its heart a set of ideas and a moral code. Christianity is rather a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through the … Continue reading Sermon #60 — Power to Change the World, a Pentecost Sermon
Sermon #59 — The Resurrection Mission
The Resurrection Mission John 20:19-23 A Sermon Preached on April 19, 2015 at Venice Presbyterian Church in Cecil Township, PA There is room for only one priority in the life of a disciple of Jesus: namely, loving Jesus by living our his calling on our lives. This priority is quite imperialistic. It will tolerate no … Continue reading Sermon #59 — The Resurrection Mission
Pastor Notes #62 — The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Your Church’s Reason for Being
The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Your Church’s Purpose for Being What is your church’s purpose at this period of our history? What is its reason for being at this particular moment in its life as a congregation? These are important questions that churches can easily get out of the habit of asking. In fact, … Continue reading Pastor Notes #62 — The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Your Church’s Reason for Being
Sermon #58 — The Body of Jesus, Bodies for Jesus
The Body of Jesus, Bodies for Jesus A Sermon Preached on John 20:19-23 (see also Revelation 21:1-5) at Venice Presbyterian Church in Cecil Township, PA on April 12, 2014 Are we serious about serving an incarnate, an embodied God? Do we really mean it? And if we do, what does it mean for us that … Continue reading Sermon #58 — The Body of Jesus, Bodies for Jesus
Sermon #56 — “The Mighty Power of God,” an Easter Sermon
"The Mighty Power of God" Ephesians 1:15-23 & Ezekiel 37:1-14A Sermon preached at Venice Presbyterian Church (EPC), Cecil Township, PA Easter Sunday April 5, 2015 What are we to say in the face of the brokenness and evil and suffering of our lives? What does God say? No, actually, what does he do? Look at … Continue reading Sermon #56 — “The Mighty Power of God,” an Easter Sermon
Pastor Note #61 — Music, Worship, and Pleasing God
Worship music – the music we use in Christian worship – has become a source of sometimes significant conflict in American churches. It is probably inexcusably foolhardy of me to do it, but I propose to wade into the rapids of this dangerous subject in the hope that we can come to a richer, … Continue reading Pastor Note #61 — Music, Worship, and Pleasing God
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 