December Sermons: Hope

My sermons in December will be about HOPE. We often talk about hope at this season. The first candle on the Advent wreath is the candle of hope. But after 10 months of a pandemic it is hard to keep your spirits up. The people in the Bible endured one disappointment after another, and the Bible talks a lot about hope - how easy it is to lose your hope and how to find it again. I “hope” you find these messages lift your soul and bring some of the Bible’s wisdom to

the challenges we face today.

December 6 - Second Sunday in Advent Mark 1:1-8 “Is There Hope in Unrest?” We are all so used to John the Baptist that we don’t see him the way he was viewed 2000 years ago. John was edgy and his message called people to question the values of their time. His story reminds us that prophets then and now are often harbingers of hope. Their impatience for change is a sign of hope and a reminder that we can build a better world, if we really want to.

December 13 - Third Sunday in Advent Luke 2:25-28, 36-38 “How to Keep Hoping: Hope for the Long Haul.” The Bible has this great story about two people in their 80’s who had been searching for a Messiah all their lives. They were so hopeful that they took up residence in Jerusalem and went to the Temple every day. They had this intuition that they’d see a sign, and one day they did. How do you hope again like Simeon and Anna? We could use a lesson in their persistent hope today.

December 20 - Fourth Sunday in Advent Luke 1:26-38 “What Can I Do to Be a Sign of Hope?” Mary never expected to be a symbol of hope. She didn’t expect to be a symbol of anything. But when the opportunity came to become the bearer of God’s good news she was ready. How do we stand ready to allow God to use us to bring good news?

December 27 First Sunday After Christmas Luke 2:8-20 “Hope That Overwhelms Us.” The Shepherds were overwhelmed by a choir that brought them the news that God’s gift had been given to the world. How in the world did these humble folks see the signs of God’s grace first? What was it about these unlikely messengers that made them perfect for this?