The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Luke 15, in which Jesus tells the famous parable of the prodigal son. What new thing can possibly be said about a story this old and well-known? Well, we don't look for new stories to tell, in fact. We tell--and retell--the old, old story of Jesus and his love.
The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Luke 13:1-9, in which Jesus tells a parable about an unfruitful fig tree. How are we to react when Jesus tells stories about the righteous anger of God poured out in his judgment of sin? We are to cling to the Good News! We have an intercessor, a savior, who steps between our sin and an angry God. It is Jesus who redeems us.
The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Philippians 3:17-4:1, in which Paul tells his readers that they should imitate...him? The Good News that Paul proclaims to us is that we don't have to "live up" to our savior. Our savior comes down to us.
The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Romans 10:8-13, in which Paul says that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. That sounds like wonderful news, but can it possibly be true?
The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon for Ash Wednesday, a day on which we make a mark on our foreheads...not to show how spiritual we are, but how deeply needy we are. The Good News is that Jesus Christ died for needy sinners...he died for us.
The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on 2 Corinthians 3, in which Paul says that we can now approach God with boldness. But how is that possible, as sinners? Going back to Moses and to the crucifixion, we see that sinful people have always had to fear a holy God...until the intervention of Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Genesis 45, in which Joseph forgives his brothers, and Luke 6, in which Jesus commands a revolutionary love of neighbor. How is such a love possible? It can only exist in light of a prior love, the one-way love of God in Christ for a sinful person.
The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Jeremiah 17, in which the prophet says that wise people trust in the Lord, while fools trust in their own strength. That's all well and good, but where is the Good News for those of who are addicted to our own strength? Spoiler alert: it's in Jesus.
The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Isaiah 6 and Luke 5, in which Isaiah and Peter (respectively) come into the presence of God. Both men, acknowledging their sinfulness, ask God to go away. And God, in his mercy, says "No."
The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Jeremiah 1:4-10, in which Jeremiah receives his calling from God. Unlike fantasy heroes, God's servants are not given a great mission to accomplish. We are given a great accomplishment to proclaim: Jesus' victory for sinners.
