Mount Carmelcast

This week, Pr. John uses the reading from Mark 10 to help us recognize the ways we are spiritually blind. 

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This week, Pastor John points out all of the acts of healing that Jesus performed in the book or Mark, and what those acts mean to us. 

In his sermon this week, Pastor John asks us to be more aware of those who are "unclean" in our eyes, and points out that God through Jesus works to help them, just as we should.

In this week's sermon, Pr. John reminds us that while rules and laws are practical, it is God's grace that brings us life, and we should be grateful for that. 

This Sunday's sermon was delivered by guest preacher Rev. Brice Eichlersmith. 

This week we begin the season of Advent with a prophecy from Jeremiah during a very dark time in Judah’s history.The prophecy is about a branch from the family tree of David that will one day execute justice and righteousness. This is interpreted by Christians to point to Jesus.The need for a savior, for the promise that justice and righteousness will win in this discouraging world is the good news we await at Christmas!

This week, Pr. John tells us the story of the confrontation on Mount Carmel between the prophets of Baal and Elijah to help us understand why it matters what god you believe in. 

This week, Pr. John reminds us of the importance of putting God at the center of our lives, and that when He is at the center, his purposes and agendas are at the center and command our attention. 

This week, Pastor John tells us that stories like Ruth's serve to remind us that God wants us to broaden our definition of family and see everyone as our family.

This week, Pr. John reminds us that the Ten Commandments, like all scripture, is meant to transform us to help us find our own story. 

This week, Pr. John asks how often you ask for help from God to use your voice, and tells us how Moses asked God to help him use his. 

In his sermon this week, Pr. John shows us how in Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles a with a mystery man--God--to a draw, but God's message was that how we treat our brother, sister, or neighbors is important and is God's business. 

In today's reading from Genesis, Sarah laughs to herself when God promises she and Abraham a son. Pr. John points out that their cynicism about their future is misplaced because "for God all things are possible."

This week, Pr. John helps explain how community, making a difference, and experiencing a relationship with a higher power are the cornerstones of the story in Genesis 2. 

This week, our Director of Faith Formation, Nick Ralston, preaches on Luke 12:49-56, which is a challenging passage because of the fire Jesus tells his disciples he brought to the earth. Is the fire literal, figurative, or something else?

In this week's reading from Luke 12, a successful farmer is declared a fool by Jesus because he lives only for himself. This, Pr. John points out, is functional atheism, and we need to fight it in our own lives. 

Most of us feel ill-equipped to pray, but Jesus gave us a prayer to use, and that also shows us a framework to use for our prayers. 

We are called by God to be neighbors and love those around us, instead of just having neighbors. 

This week, guest preacher Rev. Craig Pederson tells us that in the story of Mary and Martha, we learn that Jesus will always be with us.