Sermon Archive

Here are audio recordings, and a few video recordings, of some sermons I’ve preached. I hope that they are helpful for you.

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Video	Audio	Date	Description
no		2/19	Listen to Him!. (Part 4 of Transitions.) What’s going to happen next? How will it turn out? These are the questions we ask when we’re going through a transition. The problem is, we don’t know the answer to either one. But the Scriptures give us a principle to help us navigate times of uncertainty. Even more, they provide a standard against which we can evaluate our success. Pastor Luke, who will be leaving Desert Hills Presbyterian Church so he can accept a new call in Alaska, discusses this principle in his message, “Listen to Him.” Text: Mark 9:2-9.
no		2/12	Could It Be Any Easier?. (Part 3 of Transitions.) Is God willing to bless his people? And if so, what can we do to receive his blessing? Are there things we do to prevent it? The story of a Syrian general called Naaman and an anonymous slave girl has clues to help us answer these questions, as Pastor Luke explains in his message “Could It Be Any Easier?” Text: 2 Kings 5:1-14.
no		1/29	Promises, Promises. (Part 1 of Transitions.) Uncertainty isn’t much fun. When we go through transitions in our lives, though, we have to go through periods of uncertainty. We don’t know what will happen until we get there. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they had to do so without Moses. What can we learn from their experience that helps us to deal with uncertainty in our own lives? The book of Deuteronomy contains a passage that teaches us how to deal with uncertainty and where we can find certainty, as Pastor Luke discusses in his message “Promises, Promises.” Text: Deuteronomy 18:15-20.
no		1/15	Listening. How can we hear God? Is it even possible? And if we do, how can we be sure it’s God that we’re hearing? The story of a prophet named Samuel helps us answer these questions. Pastor Luke explores the call of Samuel in his message “Listening.” Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-10.
no		12/25	We Have Seen His Glory. (Part 5 of Ornaments.) There are a lot of small mysteries about Christmas, like why it’s held in December, when we’re all so busy celebrating the holidays. But the really deep mystery is why Christmas even occurred. Even assuming that God loves us and wants to save us, why did God have to become human? Although they lay out the bare facts of the Christmas story, the more familiar passages in Luke and Matthew don’t explain the incarnation. But John’s account of the gospel tells us why God had to become human. Pastor Luke looks at this most poetic and profound account of Christmas in “We Have Seen His Glory,” the final part of “Ornaments,” our series of Christmas messages. Text: John 1:1-18.
no		12/18	The Manger. (Part 4 of Ornaments.) People do a lot of entertaining at Christmastime. Even kids prepare for a visitor when they put out cookies for Santa. But how do you prepare when your visitor will Jesus? After all, nobody wants to make the mistake Bethlehem did, when Jesus was laid in a manger “because there was no place for them in the inn.” But how can you avoid it? How do you prepare when Jesus is your visitor? Pastor Luke explores the answers to these questions in “The Manger,” part 4 of “Ornaments,” our series of Christmas messages. Text: Luke 2:1-7.
no		12/11	Shepherds and Magi. (Part 3 of Ornaments.) The shepherds and magi (the wise men) were different in almost every way except one—but that thing is something they share with every one of us. What is it that we have in common with them, and what does it teach us about God? Pastor Luke explores the answers to these questions in “Shepherds and Magi,” part 3 of “Ornaments,” our series of Christmas messages. Text: Luke 2:15-20.
no		12/4	Mary and Joseph. (Part 2 of Ornaments.) Christians enjoy the hope of heaven, but we also want our lives here on earth to matter. What can we do to make a difference with our lives, to leave a legacy behind us? The answer is illustrated by the stories of Joseph and Mary. Joseph was a modest man who lived under the the shadow of more famous ancestors. But he had a world-changing legacy, as Pastor Luke teaches in “Mary and Joseph,” part 2 of “Ornaments,” our series of Christmas messages. Text: Matthew 1:1,17-25.
no		11/27	Angels. (Part 1 of Ornaments.) What’s the deal with angels, anyhow? Of all the figures in the Christmas story, they’re the ones we have the most difficulty relating to. But Angels also have great appeal to us: the hope of a face-to-face messenger bringing news to us from God. This Christmas season, Pastor Luke looks at the different figures in the Christmas story, beginning with the Angels, part 1 of “Ornaments.” Text: Luke 1:26-38,2:8-14.
no		11/20	Buried Treasure. Since the economic downturn began, people have been concerned about how to make good decisions about managing their money. But money is just one thing we manage — we have to manage our careers, our relationships, even our leisure time. Jesus gave us a principle that teaches us how we to be good managers of all the different things in our “portfolios.” Pastor Luke talks about that principle in his message “Buried Treasure.” Text: Matthew 25:14-30.
no		10/23 2011	Serve. (Part 6 of Values.) The sixth value in this fall’s series of conversations about the church is “Service.” We serve because Jesus has always called his followers to different types of service in the church. In this final message in the series, “Serve,” Pastor Luke looks at how Jesus named some of his followers to be apostles, and what it teaches us about our own calling today. Text: Luke 6:12-16.
no		10/16 2011	Safe. (Part 5 of Values.) The fifth value we uphold as a church is “Safety.” The church should be a place, where people can safely come to be healed by Jesus. Does that describe our church? There’s a tendency for churches to impose a lot of religious expectations on people, and judge everyone who doesn’t “measure up” to those standards. Pastor Luke looks at three stories where Jesus confronts people trying to impose their expectations on him and his disciples. What can we learn from Jesus in those encounters? Text: Luke 5:33-6:11.
no		10/9 2011	Share. (Part 4 of Values.) The fourth value we uphold as a church is “Evangelism.” Not many people would say they’re good evangelists. Some people would say they don’t want to ever _be_ good evangelists. Part of the reason is the negative images a lot of us have about evangelists. But what does the Bible say about evangelism? Pastor Luke looks at one story in the Bible that might challenge our understanding of evangelism. It might even help us become better evangelists. Text: Luke 5:27-32.
no		10/2 2011	Support. (Part 3 of Values.) The third value we uphold as a church is “Community.” In “Support,” the third message in our annual fall “Values” series, Pastor Luke looks at how the church is called to be a community, that individual believers are part of something else: members of the body of Christ. Why is that important? How do we get connected to that community? Text: Luke 5:17-26.
no		9/25 2011	Lifesaver. (Part 2 of Values.) Each fall we step back for several week to look at our values: what we understand about our church and the mission Christ calls us to be about. In this second message, Pastor Luke looks at our 2nd Value: “Grace.” What is it, and why do we need it? Text: Luke 5:1-16.
no		9/4 2011	Crumbs II. (Part 2 of Crumbs.) The only miracle Jesus performs in all four gospels is when he fed a multitude. In Matthew’s account, that miracle is reported in chapter 14. Then, in chapter 15, Jesus does it again! Jesus says the reason he keeps bailing out people who go unprepared into the desert is that he has “compassion.” What does that mean? In his message “Crumbs II,” Pastor Luke looks at the second miracle of feeding and what it teaches us. Text: Matthew 15:29-39.
no		8/28 2011	Crumbs. (Part 1 of Crumbs.) Jesus seems, well, not very nice, in Matthew’s description of an encounter between Jesus and a Canaanite woman. But it’s important to understand this passage, because in some ways, this woman is our spiritual ancestor. If she is a “dog,” then we’re “dogs” too. In his message “Crumbs,” Pastor Luke looks at this woman, whom Jesus said had “great faith,” and what she can teach us about our own faith. Text: Matthew 15:21-28.
no		8/21 2011	Slip-Up. What is holiness, and why would we want it? The word refers to things or people that have been ‘set apart’ for God. For some people, that’s enough. They’ll do whatever God says to become holy and stay that way. But when Jesus taught about holiness, he said there’s a purpose to holiness that’s more important than the status itself, or the rituals we perform to maintain it. Pastor Luke continues his examination of Jesus’ teachings on holiness in “Slip-Up.” Text: Matthew 15:10-20.
no		8/14 2011	Hand-Off. These days, ‘tradition’ is one side of a debate, with ‘contemporary’ at the other side. But tradition means much more than ‘old-fashioned.’ What does the church need to know about tradition, and how do our traditions relate to the mission to which Christ calls the church? In his message “Hand-off,” Pastor Luke examines one of Jesus’ most important teachings on tradition. Text: Matthew 15:1-9.
no		8/7 2011	Take a Walk. Jesus walking on water is a lot like the rest of his ministry: he does something that we wish we could do, and makes it look easy. In this lesson, Peter also walks (briefly) on the water. What does that mean for us? Pastor Luke says this miracle teaches us what it’s like to live in the Kingdom of Heaven. Text: Matthew 14:22-32.
no		7/24 2011	No Brainer. (Part 3 of Kingdom Parables.) What do a shrub, yeast, buried treasure, a pearl, and a fish-net have in common? Jesus uses them to illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven: God’s rule in our lives. These pictures show how the kingdom grows within us, and what we do to speed up or slow down its growth. With “No Brainer,” Pastor Luke concludes his series of messages from Jesus’ Parables of the Kingdom. Text: Matthew 13:31-33,44-53.
no		7/17 2011	Just You Wait!. (Part 2 of Kingdom Parables.) From science fiction movies to the nightly news, we are sometimes reminded that some things in our world are simply evil. Unfortunately, we can’t always tell what they are or what they’ll do. In one of his parables, Jesus tells us why this is so, and what we should do about it. Listen to “Just You Wait!,” the second part of Pastor Luke’s series of messages on the Parables of the Kingdom. Text: Matthew 13:24-30,36-43.
no		7/10 2011	Yield. (Part 1 of Kingdom Parables.) Jesus proclaimed the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven: the availablity of God’s rule. To illustrate what the kingdom is like, Jesus provided parables, or picture-stories, that compared it to everyday things like farming. Pastor Luke discusses one of those parables, the parable of the sower, to see what it teaches us about God’s rule in our lives. Text: Matthew 13:1-9,18-23.
no		7/3 2011	Jesus’ Yoke. Jesus’ critics said he was a “drunkard and a glutton” and a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But Jesus said his yoke is easy, and his burden light. What did he mean, and how does it answer the criticism about drinking and being a friend to sinners? Pastor Luke discusses “The Great Invitation” in Matthew’s gospel, where Jesus tells his disciples how we can find rest for our souls. Text: Matthew 11:16-19,25-30.
no		6/19 2011	School of Jesus. Christians everywhere have heard, and many can recite, the Great Commission that Jesus gave the Church before ascending to heaven. But what does it mean? How does it apply to the Church today, and how does it guide our mission? Listen to Pastor Luke’s message, ‘School of Jesus.’ Text: Matthew 28:16-20.
no		6/12 2011	What’s the Big Deal?. Pentecost is called the birthday of the church. For centuries, God’s Spirit rested on specific individuals like Moses or Elijah, but at Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out onto all believers. Why is that a big deal? What is God’s purpose in sending the Spirit? Listen to Pastor Luke’s Pentecost message, ‘What’s the Big Deal?’ Text: Acts 2:1-21.
no		6/5 2011	Witnesses. (Part 7 of Easter.) Before he left, Jesus gave his disciples two assurances: they would receive power, and they would be his witnesses. How do they relate, and how to they relate to us today? Pastor Luke looks at these questions in his message ‘Witnesses,’ the conclusion of our Easter sermon series. Text: Acts 1:4-11.
no		5/29 2011	Helper. (Part 6 of Easter.) A lot of people admire Jesus, but before he left, Jesus gave some instructions to people who go beyond admiration and love him. What are those instructions, and how can we apply them in our lives? What help does Jesus provide us in doing so? Pastor Luke looks at the answers to these questions in his message ‘Helper,’ as we near the end of our Easter journey. Text: John 14:15-21.
no		5/22 2011	The Way. (Part 5 of Easter.) Every religion offers instructions about how to get connected with God. How is Christianity different from the others? Text: John 14:1-14.
no		5/15 2011	Endure. (Part 4 of Easter.) It’s not always easy to live holy lives. Sometimes it seems almost impossible. The Apostle Peter wrote a letter to people who knew that from first hand experience. What can we learn from it? Pastor Luke addresses that question in ‘Endure,’ his second message from 1 Peter. Text: 1 Peter 2:18-25.
no		5/8 2011	Holy, Like God. (Part 3 of Easter.) What are disciples of Christ supposed to do while we wait for his return? The letter 1 Peter addresses itself to that question, and Peter says we should be holy. But how do you do that? And, for that matter, what does ‘holy’ mean, anyway? Listen to Pastor Luke’s message ‘Holy, Like God.’ Text: 1 Peter 1:13-23.
no		5/1 2011	Signs. (Part 2 of Easter.) The evening of Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to his disciples, and convinced them he had been raised. Then he blessed the church and sent it into the world. How are we supposed to know what to do there … and where … and how? Listen to Pastor Luke’s message ‘Signs’. Text: John 20:19-31.
no		4/24 2011	Rumor Mongers. (Part 1 of Easter.) The women who went to the grave on Easter morning didn’t find Jesus where they left him. What did they find instead? Listen to Pastor Luke’s Easter message ‘Rumor Mongers’. Text: Matthew 28:1-10.
no		4/10 2011	Dead Men Tell No Tales. (Part 5 of Colossal Failures.) We never hear from Lazarus after Jesus raises him. He doesn’t tell us what it’s like to be dead, if he saw a light at the end of the tunnel, or anything else we might be curious about. So what can we learn from the Dead Man who Told No Tales? Text: John 11:1-46.
no		3/13 2011	Colossal Failures. (Part 1 of Colossal Failures.) The Bible is full of people who became famous, but most of them, when we look closely, have flaws and failures in their past. What does that say about them — and more important, what does it say about God? This series begins with Adam and Eve, who may be the most colossal failures in the whole Bible. What can we learn from their story? Text: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7.
no		3/6 2011	Three R’s and an R. (Part 1 of Transfiguration of the Lord.) The transfiguration revealed Jesus as he really is. But is that just a curious fact that the people who went with Jesus up that mountain got to observe? Or does it matter to us today, and if it does, then how? Text: Matthew 17:1-9.
no		2/20 2011	Jude. (Part 3 of Mini-Series.) There are any number of false teachers out there, who claim to be Christians but whose doctrines aren’t true to what the Bible teaches. What can we do about them? The letter of Jude was written in a similar situation, and it says that’s the wrong question. Rather than trying to stop false teaching, Jude says we need to contend for our faith. How do we do that? Text: Jude.
no		2/13 2011	Orthodoxy. (Part 2 of Mini-Series.) If you’re putting up a building, you want the walls plumb and true so it won’t fall over. But what if the thing you’re trying to build is a life? Is there something you can lean your life against to make sure it won’t collapse under stress? Text: 2 John.
no		2/6 2011	Liberator. (Part 1 of Mini-Series.) The Bible says that Jesus came so we could have a new life. What does it look like when that New Life picks up in the middle of our old lives? A man named Philemon got a letter from the Apostle Paul because Paul believed the New Life was changing how Philemon treated people. What did Paul see in Philemon, and what does it teach us today? Text: Philemon.
no		1/30 2011	You Also Have a Master. (Part 4 of Colossians.) The 2nd half of ‘Colossians’ talks about how Christians’ New Life affects our relationships. Last week we focused on relations with other believers. But what about the non-believers in our lives? What does the New Life do in our other relationships — especially the ones with people who have less, or more, authority than we do? Text: Colossians 3:18-4:6.
no		1/23 2011	Dress-Up. (Part 3 of Colossians.) The Bible says that Christians have ‘new life’ in Christ. If that’s true, what does it look like? Can we see any difference resulting from our new life? Can other people tell that we have new life, and if so, how? Text: Colossians 3:1-18.
no		1/16 2011	New Life. (Part 2 of Colossians.) Scripture says that followers of Jesus have ‘new life.’ Where does it come from? What are some errors it protects us from? And, most importantly, is this just flowery talk, or is there some concrete evidence of what Paul meant? Text: Colossians 2:6-15.
no		1/9 2011	Icon. (Part 1 of Colossians.) What does it mean that Jesus is the ‘image’ of God? And if it’s true, what do we see when we look at Jesus? Text: Colossians 1:15-23.
no		12/5 2010	Fruit of Repentance. (Part 2 of Advent.) John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees they needed to bear ‘fruit of repentance.’ Why? If he said the same thing to us, what would he mean? How would we do it? Text: Matthew 3:1-12.
no		11/28 2010	Keep Awake. (Part 1 of Advent.) Jesus warns his disciples that nobody knows when he he will return, so they must ‘keep awake.’ What does it mean to us that we can’t predict when Jesus will return? What should we do to prepare for his coming? Text: Matthew 24:36-44.
no		11/14 2010	White Fields. (Part 6 of Church 101.) Jesus told his disciples they would fish for people. But hardly anyone seems to think they’re any good at evangelism. Did Jesus change his mind? In this concluding message in our series about the church, Pastor Luke looks at one story in the Bible that might challenge our understanding of evangelism. It may even help us to become betters evangelists. Text: John 4:1-42.
no		11/7 2010	Hospitality. (Part 5 of Church 101.) We continue our series of talks about the role and nature of the church. This week, Pastor Luke discusses ‘Hospitality.’ Why should a church try to be hospitable, and if it does, how can it tell if its efforts are successful? Text: Romans 14:10-15:7.
no		10/31 2010	Gifts. (Part 4 of Church 101.) Pastor Luke continues looking at aspects of the church. In this message, he discusses how God supplies the church with gifts — the capabilities it needs to carry out its role in God’s saving purposes. Text: 1 Corinthians 12:4-31.
no		10/24 2010	Community. (Part 3 of Church 101.) What is the church for? How does the church relate to the purpose of God we’ve discussed over the last several weeks? Pastor Luke continues our series on the church, looking at Community, the first of four key aspects of the church. Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:6-22.
no		10/17 2010	Helpless. (Part 2 of Church 101.) In Part 1 of this series, we saw that even when we’ve made a mess of things, God still loves us. This week, we’ll discover how God acts to repair the damage. Join Pastor Luke as he looks at what it actually was that Jesus achieved. Text: Romans 5.
no		10/10 2010	Plot. (Part 1 of Church 101.) What does God do when you mess up? Are there things that are so bad that God can’t (or won’t) forgive them? How do we know? The Bible answers these questions, but the answers may surprise you. Join us as Pastor Luke looks at the story of the first sin, from Genesis 3, to see what it tells us about our own sins. Text: Genesis 3.
no		10/3 2010	What About…?. (Part 4 of Life After Death.) The number-one frequently-asked question during this series was: what about people who don’t trust Jesus as savior? What happens to them, and is that fair? Text: John 6:53-55.
no		9/26 2010	Resurrection. (Part 3 of Life After Death.) How is resurrection different from being revived, reincarnated, or reanimated? What does the Bible say about the Resurrection, and how does it matter? Text: 1 Corinthians 15.
no		9/19 2010	Heaven. (Part 2 of Life After Death.) In popular culture, heaven is all about clouds, bathrobes, harps, and halos. At funerals, you hear people say heaven is our “eternal destination.” Are those perspectives accurate? What does the Bible say about heaven, and why? Text: Luke 16:19-25.
no		9/12 2010	Hell. (Part 1 of Life After Death.) Popular culture is full of images of hell: bat-winged demons with pitchforks populating caverns of unhappy people. But what does the Bible say about Hell? And if Hell is anything like its portrayal, how could a good God put people there for eternity? Text: 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10.
no		9/5 2010	The Letter of the Law. Is the gospel about Grace, or the Law? Jesus says “yes.” Text: Matthew 5:17-20.
no		8/15 2010	Light. (Part 2 of Salt and Light.) What does it mean when Jesus tells his disciples they’re “the light of the world?” Text: Matthew 5:13-16.
no		8/8 2010	Salt. (Part 1 of Salt and Light.) Jesus tells his disciples they’re the “salt of the earth.” What does he mean? Text: Matthew 5:13-16.
		7/25 2010	Children of God. (video) (Part 7 of Beatitudes.) Peacemakers: the world says they’re chumps. Jesus says they’re children of God. Text: Matthew 5:1-12.
no		7/11 2010	Merciful. (Part 5 of Beatitudes.) The world says mercy is for the weak. Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful.” Who’s right? Text: Matthew 5:1-12.
no		7/4 2010	Righteousness. (Part 4 of Beatitudes.) Jesus says those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. What does he mean? Text: Matthew 5:1-2,6.
		6/27 2010	Meek. (video) (Part 3 of Beatitudes.) The world says you have to achieve success. Jesus says different. Text: Matthew 5:1-2,5.
no		6/20 2010	Upset. (Part 2 of Beatitudes.) “Blessed” means “happy.” How can mourners be happy? Text: Matthew 5:1-2,4.
		6/13 2010	Poor in Spirit. (video) (Part 1 of Beatitudes.) Does God only bless those who are Rich in Spirit? Jesus says no. Text: Matthew 5:1-3.
		6/6 2010	Doctor, Doctor. (video) Jesus goes up the mountain to teach. What does he say? Text: Matthew 4:23-5:2.
no		4/4 2010	Crack in the Dam. What really happened at the Tomb that first Easter morning? Jesus was raised, but did anything else change? Join us as we discuss what the first Easter means for us today. Text: John 20:1-18.
no		3/21 2010	Lamentations 5. (Part 5 of Lamentations for Lent.) We conclude our Lenten study of the book of Lamentations to learn the answer to its question: has God “rejected us utterly?” Text: Lamentations 5.