Sermons

Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (Matthew 22: 17). That was certainly a loaded question asked of Jesus.  If he said ‘Yes,’ he lost popular support. If he said ‘No,’ the Jewish authorities would quickly denounce him to the Romans. They didn’t want an actual...

Have this mind among yourselves. Christ did not grasp at equality with God, but humbled himself, even to death on the cross. Therefore God has lifted him up, and given him the name that is above all names… (Philippians 2:5-11). Our lives usually aren’t just one...

This is such a confronting text. First, Jesus gives her the silent treatment, then he says she has no claim on him, then he calls her a dog. She does not give up on her fierce desire to get help for her daughter. She claims a rightful place at God’s table, Jesus...

‘If it’s really you, Lord, tell me to step out to you on the water.’ Peter, in the storm and in the dark, utterly exhausted. (Matthew 14:28). This isn’t about showing off. It’s a group of distressed and utterly exhausted men, knowing they are about to drown, seeing a...

Matthew 14:14 When he came ashore (expecting to be alone) there was a great crowd already waiting for him. When he saw them, his heart went out to them, and he healed those who lacked strength. I find it very challenging that Jesus, wanting to be alone to process the...

I love making bread. On Sunday at the beginning of worship, with the help of my Kenwood Chef, the children and I mixed 20 g of salt, 560 mls of filtered water and 1 kg of ‘OO’ flour. Then we added the starter from 6am (1 teaspoon dried yeast, I tsp of sugar, 1 scoop...

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Romans 6:18 ‘You gotta serve somebody,’ sang Bob Dylan from his 1979 album, Slow Train Coming. ‘Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you gonna have to serve somebody.’ He was...

‘Lord, you took advantage of me. At first I liked being with you, but now it’s not so fun.’ (my paraphrase of Jeremiah 20: 7). Jeremiah had God’s Word burning inside him, and it had to come out. Except that the Word was about the consequences of breaking the covenant...

Jesus called ordinary people, who were doing ordinary jobs. In Matthew’s case, because he was a tax collector, he was not allowed into the temple to worship God. His job automatically excluded him from being part of the worshipping community. Yet Jesus comes straight...