RoboPreacher

transform my tragedy A sermon on Jesus' inexplicable baptism Today is the Baptism of Our Lord . It marks the completion of the season that began in Advent. If Lent is 40 days leading to Easter , Advent and Christmas are roughly the same thing leading up to today , the Baptism of Our Lord . Nevertheless, or perhaps because of this, we are unsure of what to do with this day. The strange thing, though, is the biblical witness is unequivocal . Jesus was baptized by John . This is something all four Gospels report. And I know that may seem obvious. But when you set each Gospel side by side, you realize it’s an anomaly when something turns up in all four Gospels, not just two or three of them.   However , when you compare how Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John report Jesus’ baptism, you begin to suspect they, too , are a little uneasy with Jesus ’ baptism. In today’s Gospel, for instance, you get the distinct impression Luke is trying to rush you along. Luke, who has a penchant for st...

down to the river / my baby & i A sermon on the Lord's superfluous baptism Welcome , Isaiah Alejandro! You know, I was baptized at about the age you are now, too . And I can’t help but wonder what’s in store for you , Isaiah. Perhaps you , too, will be called to the church .   I must say, in my own experience, it has been an honor . The pastorate is a good calling. And it provides a good life, too. I pray you will consider it as the years go on, Isaiah.   No matter what, though, I beseech you, Isaiah, keep the church as a part of your life. You will need the church as the years go on. You will need to hear over and over again that God , in Jesus Christ, has opened the future to you by his grace, mercy, and love.   Plus , it’s good to know people in the church. The folks who sit next to you in the pew week-in and week-out may be potential life-long friends . Or they might be the person who helps you get your foot in the door at that job where you discover a calling ...

i'm gonna set you free A sermon on Jesus' baptism : They say a little time on social media can cheer you up. Getting updates on old acquaintances. Checking in with friends. And if you’re Amanda, getting your daily-dose of dog pics; those are all things that can brighten you day… Like many things, though, too much of a good thing tends to have the opposite effect. At a certain point, instead of cheering you up, spending time on social media will start to bum you out. Until the whole thing goes upside-down; and you log off UNhappier than when you started! Now surely there’s plenty of reasons for this, but one must be our perennial tendency to measure ourselves against others.   After looking at yet another picture of some friends vacationing, your life starts to look a little shabbier . Scrolling through curated pic after curated pic of others living their best life, tends to cast a shadow over your own… It used to be that after high ...