Sermons found for the topic Mary

Journey to Bethlehem

That’s the way it was that first Christmas night 2000 years ago. Baby sleeping, mother dreaming, father thinking, and God watching over it all. More

The Boys of Bethlehem - Matthew 2:13-23

Through your tears, lift up your eyes and look again to Bethlehem. That sleeping child will rise to battle and no one will stand against him. More

Mary: Believing the Impossible - Luke 1:26-38

Let’s talk about Madonna. It seems like everywhere you go these days you see her face and hear people singing her praises. She’s certainly a hot topic.  No, I’m not thinking about that Madonna, the one who was on Nightline last Monday night. People are talking about her but for all the wrong reasons. I’m thinking about the real Madonna, the one who should have been on Nightline with Ted Koppel. Her s More

The Harried Homemaker: Christ Speaks to the Problem of Compulsive Busyness - Luke 10:38-42

Let’s begin with a series of “what-if” questions. Suppose that the folks from Publishers Clearinghouse pulled up in front of your home. Out of the van comes the camera crew and a man with a microphone. If he said, “I’ve got some good news for you. Do you mind if I come in?” what would you do?Or let’s suppose that the doorbell rings. When you answer it, there stands the President of the United More

Jesus The Revolutionary: Mary's Song - Luke 1:48-55

When the history of the 20th century is finally written, it may well be that the last forty years will be called the Age of Revolution. First we had the cultural revolution, then we had the sexual revolution, which was followed by the technological revolution. In the last few years we have had a political revolution. Consider the amazing events of 1991. Just 12 months ago the eyes of the world were focused on the Persian Gulf. T More

Why Are You Weeping? - John 20:11-18

The story of Mary Magdalene meeting Jesus at the empty tomb is found only in John’s gospel. I think Mary must have told John about it personally. Everything about this little slice of life rings true to human nature as we know it. A weeping woman lingers by an empty tomb, wondering what has happened to the body of the one she loved. When Jesus suddenly appears, she doesn’t recognize him. Then she grips his feet so tightly More

Shall We Kill Our Children Today? - Hebrews 11:23

The amazing faith of Moses’ parents shows us the high value that God puts on children, including those children that are born in less than ideal circumstances. Christians love children because God loves children. Ours is true pro-family religion. More

Three Questions for Christmas - Revelation 1:5

Today as yesterday and tomorrow as today, Jesus is the answer to the deepest questions of life. More

The Whole Bible in One Message

Here’s the whole Bible presented as a drama in six acts, starting with creation and ending with the Second Coming of Christ. More

Sunrise at Bethlehem - Luke 1:78-79

On the first Christmas morning the sun began to shine in Bethlehem. Now that he has come into the world, nothing can ever be the same again. Now we have light in the darkness, pardon from our guilt, and peace that passes all understanding. More

No Crib for a Bed: The God of Every Circumstance - Galatians 4:4

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7 KJV). While doing some preparation for this message, I ran across a sermon title that stuck in my mind. Someone preached on this text using the title, “Miracle on Manger Street.” That’s clever and catchy, and it’s also appropriate be More

Who is That Baby? - Hebrews 1:1-3

We live in a day when Christmas has become a controversial holiday. If you doubt that statement, just try putting up a manger scene on public property. Or try saying “Merry Christmas” instead of the ubiquitous “Happy Holidays.” Sometimes it seems as if there are more lawsuits than Christmas carols. Every year more and more people get offended by what were once considered innocent displays of Christmas cheer. T More

Why the Virgin Birth Matters: “Conceived of the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary” - Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38

Let’s begin our study with two familiar verses of Scripture: “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’” (Matthew 1:20).“The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High wi More

Born of a Virgin - Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23

Christmas is an amazing time of year. Yesterday I ran across a statement that sums it up: “Isn’t it amazing that a baby born in a stable 2,000 years ago can cause traffic jams this week?” I am thankful for this season. We Christians ought to enjoy Christmas more than anyone. Don’t be a Scrooge and grouch if others get carried away. Remember, it was our holiday first!More that that, Christmas is the first great More

Joseph: A Teenager's Dilemma - Matthew 1:18-25

If you were given the opportunity to meet any person in the first Christmas story, who would you choose? I’ve been thinking about that this week, and it’s not easy to decide. There are so many fascinating people: Herod–That wicked old toad squatting on the throne of Israel, insanely jealous lest a baby steal his glory. The Magi–The Wise Men from the East. Who were they? Where did they come from? Were th More

Out of Egypt

Sometimes you’re reading along when suddenly a phrase pops out and you say, “Whoa! Where did that come from?” That happened to me this week as I was reading the Biblical Illustrator in preparation for this message. I ran across a statement by W. P. Balfern regarding my text, which has Matthew quoting Hosea 11:1 regarding the flight to Egypt by Joseph, Mary and Jesus. Bible scholars have long wondered at Matthew&rsqu More

God’s Scapegoat: “Buried” - Leviticus 16

“I believe in Jesus Christ ¼ who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” The Apostles’ Creed This is a sermon based on a word that doesn’t seem necessary. We know Jesus died. We know he rose from the dead. If we know what happened on Friday and we know what happened on Sunday, why bother adding the word “buried?” Of course he was buried—that makes sens More

How to Kill a New Christian - Part 2 - Romans 14:1-12

Christians have always disagreed - a lot! And it’s not a bad thing. But there is always a danger that our own personal preferences will grow so important that we no longer accept our brothers and sisters in the Lord who disagree with us. The great unifying factor for the people of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. He has broken down the wall that separated us from God and from one another. In Him we are joined together in the body of Christ. If we truly believe More

Christ B.C. Part IV: Born of a Virgin - Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23

Christmas is an amazing time of year. Yesterday I ran across a statement that sums it up: “Isn’t it amazing that a baby born in a stable 2,000 years ago can cause traffic jams this week?” I am thankful for this season. We Christians ought to enjoy Christmas more than anyone. Don’t be a Scrooge and grouch if others get carried away. Remember, it was our holiday first!More that that, Christmas is the first More

The Cradle And The Cross: Simeon's Song - Luke 2:25-35

It’s a good question, isn’t it? If Jesus were born today, would it be any different than it was 2,000 years ago? We like to think the answer is yes, that we would be ready, that we wouldn’t make the mistake of turning the Son of God away. There would be room in our inn, we confidently say. We’d find room, or make room, or maybe we’d throw somebody out of their room, but in any case, we’d be rea More

I'll Be Home For Christmas - Luke 2:1-7

It had been a long, hard day on the road, and the two travelers were exhausted. It was a long trip no matter when you traveled, but this time of year the roads were so clogged that it took even longer.Three days had passed since they left Nazareth. Two more days and they would be in Bethlehem. When they left, it hadn’t seemed like such a bad idea. In fact, he liked the notion of a final trip before the baby came. It was al More

Further Thoughts on "The Passion of the Christ"

Here are some answers to questions raised by the movie: More

A Conversation with Jesus

Someone asked me recently where Jesus’ spirit went between the crucifixion and the resurrection. I replied that Christians have debated that issue for 2000 years since the Bible doesn’t answer the question with total clarity. Then came a second question. What is the meaning of John 20:16-17, which tells us about a… More

Follow the Christmas Star - Matthew 2:7-12

This isn’t exactly the sermon I planned to preach on the Sunday before Christmas, but I don’t suppose that will surprise anyone since Christmas itself comes as a relief at the end of a year that has not been what we thought it would be. If one searches for glimmers of light on the horizon, I would point out that the Bears are in the playoffs for the first time in many years. That’s good news. And the Cubs signed Moi More

Overcoming a Judgmental Spirit - Romans 14:1-12

Christians love to fight over our deeply-held beliefs. Unfortunately, sometimes we fight for things that don’t matter very much.Once upon a time a man took a walk and came to a bridge. When he got to the middle of the bridge, he saw a man standing on the rail, obviously about to jump. The man was distraught so he said, “Don’t jump. I can help you.” “How can you help me?” asked the man on the rail. More

A Savior is Born - Luke 2:11

Recently I received an e-mail from a man who attended “Two from Galilee,” the Christmas program presented by our music ministry several weeks ago. He wrote to say how much he enjoyed it, and then added this sentence: “God is just in the amazement business.” That Sunday—two weeks ago today—I preached on “No Crib for a Bed: The God of All Circumstances,” and I endeavored to show that ever More

A Question for Jesus - Matthew 11:3

If you could have any gift you wanted for Christmas, what would you ask for? That’s not an easy question to answer if you start to think about it. Some of us would ask for things. A new car.A new house.A nice blouse.A necklace.A train set.A new bike.A new computer.Some of us would ask for health. Perhaps you’ve been struggling all year with various physical ailments, and all you want for Christmas is to feel better. Perha More

When Was Jesus Born?

Let me begin by saying right up front that no one knows exactly when Jesus was born because the Bible does not clearly answer this question. That doesn’t mean the question is unimportant, only that it is not essential to our Christian faith. As we approach Christmas this year, it is good to remind ourselves that nowhere does the Bible command us to celebrate Jesus’ birth. If the first Christians knew the precise year and More

What God Wants For Christmas - Micah 6:6-8

There are only ten days left until Christmas. Have you done your shopping yet? Be careful, because there are some crazy people out there. Have you heard about this new doll called Tickle Me, Elmo? Every year there seems to be one new item that everyone has to have. A few years ago it was Cabbage Patch Dolls, then it was Nintendo video games. This year it’s Tickle Me, Elmo. The problem is, everyone wants this doll and no o More

Can You Hear the Angels Singing? Christmas and the "Other World" - Luke 2:8-14

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. A More

Good News for Poor Performers and Splendid Sinners - Luke 1:5-20, 57-64

This afternoon I read a bit from Faithfulness and Holiness by J. I. Packer. The book consists of Packer’s short biography of J. C. Ryle, the 19t5h-century Anglican bishop, and a reprint of Ryle’s justly-famous book called, simply, “Holiness.” I happened across this quote from Ryle’s chapter on “Sanctification” where he means to show that God is pleased with our least efforts to please him. He More

Final Words of a Family Man - John 19:25-27

Part three of a sermon series “The seven last words of Christ” More

The Church on its Knees: Unleashing the Power of United Prayer - Acts 1:12-14

"Prayer is that slender nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence." Charles SpurgeonI don’t often begin a sermon with a confession but this week it seems the appropriate thing to do. Over the years whenever I have prepared to preach on prayer, I have always approached my task with a bit of reluctance. It is not that I don’t believe in prayer, or that I don’t pray, or that I don’t like to preach on th More

Lessons from the Manger - Luke 2:12

“Christmas is full of surprises.” Somewhere in my reading this week I ran across that sentence. While I am sure it is true, it doesn’t always seem true. Christmas poses a yearly challenge to those of us who have heard the story since we were children. After you have attended 20 or 30 or 40 Christmas pageants, and after you have listened to at least that many Christmas sermons, and heard (and sung) every Christmas ca More

His Kingdom Will Never End - Luke 1:33

“He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33). “I’m gonna be famous.” That’s what Robert Hawkins wrote in his suicide note before going to the mall in Omaha last Wednesday where he murdered eight people and then took his own life.But he was wrong about that. Six months from now, few people will remember his name. Six years from now, fewer still More

Backstage at Bethlehem - John 1:10-13

It’s amazing how simple some things really are. Take the Bible, for instance. At first glance, it’s an intimidating book filled with strange names, places we’ve never heard of, books we can’t pronounce, and verses we don’t understand. Even people who have read the Bible for years still have trouble understanding parts of it. Sometimes it helps to remember that the message of the Bible is not very complic More

The Up and Coming Christ: “He Will Come Again to Judge the Living and the Dead” - John 14:1-3; II Peter 3:3-10

You never know where you will find spiritual truth. A few days ago I received a letter from Mary Jo Lynch. Thirty-five years ago, she lived with her husband Dudley in my hometown of Russellville, Alabama. Dudley Lynch pastored a tiny Cumberland Presbyterian Church built near a strip mine on state highway 24 between Russellville and Belgreen. It was a typical tiny country brick church. I remember attending services there a few times. More

Christmas Tears - Matthew 2:16-18

"The rulers of this world are seldom friendly to the cause of God.” J. C. RyleLast night the contemporary Christian musician Michael Card performed a Christmas concert at Wheaton College. As part of the build-up to the concert, the Chicago Tribune carried a brief article on Friday that begins with these words:Michael Card wants his Yuletide concerts to spread the news of a scandal – the scandal of Christmas. With dec More

Seed of the Woman - Genesis 3:15

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”This is the first promise given after the Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. It is also the first gospel sermon ever preached on the face of the earth. Theologians call it the protoevangelium–or first gospel. These words spoken by God contain the first More

Good News From the Graveyard - Luke 24:1-3

Thursday afternoon I took a walk through Forest Home Cemetery. It’s an old cemetery nestled between the Eisenhower Freeway and Roosevelt Road. When I arrived, the place was almost deserted. I drove down one of the winding narrow roads and stopped near a large monument. It’s a quiet place. You feel very alone even though the cars are whizzing by on the freeway. While I was there thousands of cars flashed by, hurrying More

'Twas the Day After Christmas - Luke 2:17-20

Our text tells us how to celebrate Christmas. In its most literal sense, this passage describes the various responses of people to the birth of Christ. In his sermon on this passage, Charles Spurgeon points out that certain activities fit certain periods of the year. In our own culture Christmas means holly and mistletoe, parties, gifts, carols, eggnog, big meals, a decorated tree, and last-minute shopping.While I would venture to sa More

Let's Bring Back the Holy Kiss: Rediscovering Real Love in the Family of God - Romans 16:1-16

“Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16).In some ways Romans 16 appears to be one of the least-interesting chapters of the New Testament. It consists mostly of Paul’s greetings to a long list of people in Rome. At first glance that doesn’t seem to offer much that would interest us today inasmuch as the names are hard to pronounce and even harder to spell. Paul sends greetings to people with strange More

When Did Christmas Begin? - John 1:14

Have you ever wondered when Christmas began? I’m not referring to the celebration of Jesus’ birth on December 25 because we don’t know exactly when he was born. It might be December 25 but it might be June 14 for all we know. The Bible doesn’t say and it doesn’t give us many clues. December 25 is a good day and it might even be the right day but no one can say for sure. I’m asking a slightly differ More

Martin Luther's Highway to Heaven - Romans 1:16-17

It is a mark of our changing times that many people have only a vague idea who Martin Luther is. Most of us have heard his name but we’re not sure where he’s from or what he did or when he lived. Some of us even get him mixed up with someone else. I would venture to say that most of us are aware of the fact that Martin Luther was a religious leader who managed somehow to get a whole denomination named after himself. A More

A Man Called Jesus - Colossians 2:9

"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” These 13 words by the Apostle Paul contain a world of truth about Jesus Christ. They tell us that he is fully God. In him we find “all the fullness of the Deity.” The word “fullness” speaks of the essence of God’s nature. The word “Deity” means that in Christ we see God himself fully manifested. These words also tell us More

"The Witch Doctors Are Liars" - Haiti 1993

You might say that we had a Murphy’s Law trip: Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Nothing went as we had planned. Most things weren’t even close to the way we planned. Yet God moved above and beyond our expectations. And through the chaos and trouble, we saw the power of God unleashed on our behalf in some remarkable ways.I suppose the tone of the trip was set the night before we left when Bruce Smith calle More

What Child is This? - Isaiah 9:6

One of the many important decisions confronting new parents is, “What shall we call our baby?” Most new parents spend hours debating this question. We all realize that names matter. Shall the new baby be named after his father, his uncle, a favorite friend? Should he be given a name that happens to be popular at the moment? Or one that simply sounds good?My wife and I have been through this process three times. Naming ou More

Christmas Joy - Luke 2:8-11

If there is a single word that describes what Christmas is all about, it’s the little word “joy.” Several of our favorite carols mention it: “Joy to the world, the Lord is come,” “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,” “Shepherds, why this jubilee, why your joyous strains prolong?” “Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice,” “Joyful More

Hope for Tomorrow: How God Keeps His Promises - Genesis 11:10-32

This is the 19th and final sermon in the series on Genesis 1-11 that we started in late April. Almost five and a half months later, we have come to the end. In bringing this series to a close, I feel as if I should congratulate the congregation for your patience and your perseverance because this is the longest series I have preached in the 13 years I have been your pastor. In the olden days, when I was younger and perhaps not as wis More

Eighth Day Savior - Luke 2:21

"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived” (Luke 2:21).Today we’re going to explore a forgotten corner of the Christmas story. If you doubt that it is forgotten, consider this: Whenever churches read the Christmas story from Luke 2, they almost always start at verse 1 and end at verse 20. That’s what we did for our Christ More