Jewel Lake Parish Sermon Podcast

Have you ever gone from the frying pan into the fire? What happens when we leave one situation and it looks like the new situation is just as bad, or even worse? When they finally got free from Egypt, this was the situation that Israel found itself in. Pastor Luke teaches from Exodus 15:22-16:20 in "Fleshpots and Angel Food," part 6 of his 7-part series, "The Road Out."

We've been learning how God's nature is to help people get out of difficult situations. That's great to know. But then what? It's not like getting out of trouble means there will never be any more trouble in the future. What then? Pastor Luke looks at Exodus 13:17-14:31 in "Division," part 5 of his 7-part series, "The Road Out."

An unimaginable catastrophe is described in Exodus 12. How can we make sense of it? What does it tell us about God? What does it say about how God relates to us? Pastor Luke looks at Exodus 12:1-32 in "Muscle Memory," part 4 of his 7-part series, "The Road Out."

What happens when God's mercy toward one person means other people suffer? How can that be right? Does it even make sense? Pastor Luke teaches from Exodus 4:21 in "Bricks Without Straw," part 3 of his 7-part series, "The Road Out."

What's the difference between a job and a vocation? And does it make any difference? Pastor Luke looks at Exodus 3:11-4:20 in "Mission Statement," part 2 of his 7-part series, "The Road Out."

Have you ever wanted to get out of a bad place but didn't know when or if you'd be able to leave? We're starting a new series of messages about the time when God's people found the Road Out ... the road out of Egypt. Pastor Luke teaches from Exodus 2:23-3:10 in "The Road Out," the first message in a new series, "The Road Out."

The account of Easter that Peter tells Cornelius in Acts 10 lacks many of the details we are familiar with from other tellings. Even so, this story may speak most clearly to a modern audience wondering how something that happened 2000 years ago could it means we can trust all his other promises. Pastor Luke preaches from Acts 10:34-43 in "Universal."

What is the best way, in light of what God has done for us in Christ, for us to live now? Are we supposed to straighten up and fly right? Does it even matter, if we live under grace? John suggests a third option in his telling of the Palm Sunday story. Pastor Luke teaches from John 12:1-17 in "Caution to the Wind."

We've been talking about false testimony. But sometimes testimony might be true, and still unacceptable? What should we do when the truth is simply insufferable? Pastor Luke looks at Acts 26:24-32 in "Viewpoint Diversity," the concluding message in his series, "Loose Lips."

The baseball player Dizzy Dean said, "It ain't braggin' if you can do it." Maybe not. But bragging (by whatever name) can still be false testimony, even if you *can* do it. Pastor Luke preaches from 2 Corinthians 11:30-33 in "Blessed," part 4 of his 5-part series, "Loose Lips."

We've been studying the commandment against testifying falsely, and we've learned we don’t have to be in a courtroom setting to do it. But it's possible to testify falsely without saying a single word. Pastor Luke teaches from Acts 15:36-39 in "Spin Control," part 3 of his 5-part series, "Loose Lips."

When is it okay to lie? Not in a courtroom, certainly, but how about outside? When is it acceptable to make false statements? Are there circumstances when it's wrong to tell the truth? These questions can be tricky, but fortunately, there is a simple principle Christians can be guided by. Pastor Luke teaches from Romans 12:9-21 in "Scuttlebutt," part 2 of his 5-part series, "Loose Lips."

During the season of Lent, we make an effort at repentance, at rethinking things related to God. We are focusing this year on the ten commandments, and particularly on the prohibition against giving false testimony. This might be the commandment most in peril in today's culture. Why is that? Pastor Luke teaches from 1 Kings 21:1-13 in "Loose Lips Can Sink Ships," the first message in a new series, "Loose Lips."

The Covid-19 pandemic created new puzzles for us to solve, but most people already had plenty of things to be uncertain about, things that made it hard to be decisive. When Jesus was transfigured, his disciples were puzzled about its significance. But they also learned something to help them when life gets perplexing. Pastor Luke preaches from Mark 9:2-9 in "Perplexity."

Religions usually say that people have certain oblgations before their god or gods. And people who are religious know how hard it can be to fulfill those obligations. But what if, somehow, we *could* over-fulfill them? Or what if someone else could fulfill them on our behalf? Pastor Luke preaches from Hebrews 8:6-7 in "New Covenant," the concluding message in his series, "Bigger."

Sometimes, there are circumstances in our life that make us feel alienated from God. But God has provided priests to be the solution, and Jesus is the ultimate high priest. Pastor Luke preaches from Hebrews 4:14-5:4 in "Priest," part 4 of his 5-part series, "Bigger."

Christians believe that when Jesus returns he will establish his Kingdom on earth in a glorious new age free from pain and every form of oppression. But we don't have to wait for that, because Jesus taught that his kingdom is already present in this world. Pastor Luke looks at Hebrews 3:1-19 in "Heaven in the Real World," part 3 of his 5-part series, "Bigger."

In this world, people have all kinds of problems. We get sick, we get tired, we feel pain, we die. Is there a solution to these problems? Some say no, all you can do is roll with the punches. Others say yes, we can escape the material world. What does Christianity say? Pastor Luke looks at Hebrews 2:5-18 in "Angels," part 2 of his 5-part series, "Bigger."

How do you deal with problems? Big, complex, long-lasting problems? What help does God offer to people who are facing big problems? Pastor Luke teaches from Hebrews 1:1-4 in "Bigger," the first message in a new series, "Bigger."

Most people make New Year's Resolutions, but most resolutions don't produce the desired changes. What about people of faith? Does God help people produce change in their lives? For at least one category of activity, the answer is a resounding "yes!" Pastor Luke looks at Romans 6:1-11 in "Newness of Life."