Christ Our Hope Sermons

In Matthew 22:15-22, the Pharisees pose a loaded question to Jesus: "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” Jesus replies with the well-known adage, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” As Jesus often did when answering these sorts of insincere questions, He answers in a way that gets at the heart of the matter. In doing so, He gives us an important principle for how believers are to engage their governing authorities and political systems. In this message, delivered at a time of considerable division in American politics especially, Fr. Jeromie Rand leads us into Jesus' deeper meaning in a text sometimes misconstrued. The realms of Caesar's and God's authority are overlapping, not separate. The Kingdom of God is breaking into the kingdom of this world.  By giving us a direction that's not quite so clean and neat as in other places in the Scriptures, Jesus invites us to the greatest act of faith in a ruling author

Primary Scripture for this message - Philippians 4:4-13In chapter 4 of his letter to the Philippians, Paul exhorts: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." Taken apart from the rest of the chapter, this instruction might seem less like an invitation to joy and more of a task or worse - a burden. After all, if we mistakenly interpret this to mean that being a Christian requires constant and ceaseless rejoicing, there is little room for the times when we are in pain, when the world is suffering, or when rejoicing feels impossible. Fr. Jeromie Rand delivers this message to the Christ Our Hope congregation gathered and online: Paul's words are meant to be an invitation to us rather than an obligation. Further, they enable us to hold a posture of joyful hope even in times of trial, because we know "the Lord is near."  Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

In Philippians 3:14, the apostle Paul spoke of "pressing on toward the goal, to win the prize for which God has called [him] heavenward in Christ Jesus." Improperly interpreted, we may mistakenly think this means our salvation is dependent on our own striving. But "try harder" is not the message of the Gospel. Bishop Ken Ross focuses on this chapter of Paul's letter to remind us that the "goal" is not attaining our own salvation, but rather to live into what we have already attained - our life as a new creation in Christ Jesus. "You've been made a new creation. Now live into that truth." Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

Obedience - especially in a Biblical context - means more than just following a set of rules. This idea runs counter to much of our modern understanding and use of the term, where there's at least an implicit message that to "obey" means to align oneself with a certain standard of behavior. So how can we ensure that when we talk about "obeying" God, we're doing so with the right heart posture?In this message, Fr. Jeromie Rand works from Jesus' Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32) to explain how God's call to obedience is a call to listen, trust, and submit to His Word more than simply following a set of rules.  Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

Jesus' parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard [Matthew 20:1-16] is just as perplexing to us today as it was to the disciples: a landowner sends laborers into his vineyard to work, but at the end of the work day pays them all a day's wages, whether they worked a full day or only one hour. From a business sense, this would be a baffling decision on the part of the landowner. But as an illustration of God's grace, it is perfectly accurate. In this sermon, Fr. Jeromie Rand delves into this parable and its implications for "an economy based on grace," an economy of abundance, and what it means to be laborers in the economy of God. Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

A well-known parable of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 18:21-35, that of the unforgiving servant; despite having received unconditional forgiveness for an impossible debt he owed his master, a servant immediately - perhaps even cruelly - calls in a much smaller debt owed him by a fellow servant. Jesus uses this parable to contrast the behavior we ought to exhibit to one another - forgiving one another because we have been forgiven. In this message, Fr. Jeromie Rand outlines the real work it takes to engage in Biblical forgiveness, reminding the congregation and listeners that "our choice to forgive is a marker of the salvation that has already been given to us free of charge." Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

In a community as diverse as the global Church - people of varied life experiences, economic backgrounds, political stances, and ethnicities - what are the qualities that remain constant, both in our day-to-day life and in our gatherings of worship? What are the truths that are applicable to all believers, let alone all people? In his first sermon to the congregation of Christ Our Hope, Fr. Jeromie Rand draws from Romans 12:9-21; in addition to being instructions on how we are to live as the Church, they are also reminders of the most significant constant of who we are - a people who have received the mercy of God, a people called to "let love be genuine."  Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

Relationships between believers are a significant component of Scripture, particularly in the growth of the early Church. The apostles - with their various strengths and giftings - helped to create the environment for the Gospel to take root, grow, and thrive through their relationships with individuals and communities. To some, the apostles were mentors. To others, they were friends and peers. But all of these shared a connection with fellow members of the body as a first step to build each other up in Christ.In his last sermon as interim pastor of Christ Our Hope, Fr. Al Janssen unpacks selections from St. Paul's last known epistle in 2nd Timothy chapters 2 and 4. At once specifically directed to the Christ Our Hope congregation yet relevant to all seeking to walk in love and charity with one another, Fr. Al extrapolates ways believers of all kinds - the soldiers, the athletes, and the farmers alike - can embody the church to one another and the world at large.Support the show (https://cohac.churchcent

In 2nd Timothy 3, Paul warns Timothy of hard times ahead, reminding him of certain difficulty for those seeking to live a life in Christ Jesus. But when we seek context for our life and circumstances in Scripture, we see that regularly seeking to embed God's Word deep in our hearts is our best preparation for whatever life may bring - good or ill. In this second of a 3-part series from 2nd Timothy, interim pastor Fr. Al Janssen highlights three ways we can "read, learn, and inwardly digest" God's Word, providing context for why this practice is so central to the Christian life - especially in times of uncertainty and hardship.    Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

The characteristics of a healthy church - especially in the Western world - are often reduced to a set of metrics. What's your average Sunday attendance? How many programs does your church offer? Does your building use the most modern technology? Yet in Paul's second letter to Timothy - presumably the final letter he would write in his life - we are shown a rather different set of characteristics for how to evaluate the health of a church. Fr. Al Janssen begins a series on 2 Timothy to bring us to the end of his season as interim rector of Christ Our Hope, offering three introductory characteristics of a healthy church to encourage and prepare the congregation to welcome a new pastor. Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

There are many kinds of storms we can experience in the life of faith. This message is especially prevalent in 2020, when political unrest, a global pandemic, and numerous other worries and fears besiege our weary hearts. Simon Peter and Jonah experienced two literal storms on the open ocean. Though their circumstances were different, their common response was a cry to God for help. In this sermon, interim rector Fr. Al Janssen compares and contrasts the two scenarios from the book of Jonah and the Gospel of Matthew, examining characteristics of the prayers of God's children in distress.  Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

"The kingdom of God is not about showing off how great we are. It's about demonstrating how great our King Jesus is." Scripture provides countless examples of God's people totally outmatched by their assignments from God; Noah's construction of the ark, Moses' confrontation of Pharaoh, Gideon's small clan taking on the Midianite army, David and Goliath, and Jonah's charge to preach repentance to a hostile nation are all instances of God giving His people tasks that would be doomed to failure without His intervention. Jesus' miracle of feeding the five thousand embodies the reality of how God reveals Himself when we are not suited for the task in front of us. Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen unpacks this story in a sermon applicable to the everyday believer and to mark the special occasion of commissioning a sister at Christ Our Hope to serve in the mission field.  Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

"If God is love, why is there suffering?" One of the Christian's persistent struggles, and a common argument of the non-Christian, is bound up in the term theodicy, literally meaning "justifying God." This points to our human need to reconcile our belief in a loving God with the countless examples of suffering in the world. We can neither ignore or reason away this "problem of pain." But this is is exactly what Jesus addresses in the parable of the wheat and the weeds in Matthew 13:24-30. In today's message, interim rector Fr. Al Janssen walks through the entire parable to show the layers of Christ's message and His answers to questions about this age and the age to come.   Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

"The Kingdom of heaven is like..." Why did Jesus choose to speak in parables so often? In Isaiah 55, we are reminded that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are far beyond human comprehension. Yet in Jesus' parables, simple illustrations in our own human language, we are given ways to begin to understand the thoughts of God. Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen begins a new series with Jesus' first parable, the Parable of the Sower, recorded in Matthew 13. Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

In Matthew 10:34-42, Jesus states that our priorities as His followers should begin with love for Him - even if it comes at a cost. But we surrender our own dreams and plans entrusting them to God's care and His direction. At a time when so many of our dreams and plans have been disrupted by forces outside our control, may we remember that God invites us to not fear these temporary losses or even the ultimate loss - death. Instead, may we see them as gifts showing us who we really are and were created to be.Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

What does it mean to "come to Jesus," and what does that simple phrase imply for the life of discipleship? Jesus didn't disperse His first disciples right away, telling them to go preach His name. Instead, He invited them to follow Him, to learn His ways and of His love, before going to invite others into relationship with Him. Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches on these themes from Matthew 11, inviting us to let Jesus give us His rest.    Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves." So begin Christ's words to His disciples in Matthew 10:16. Yet they were also told that even if they were met by a world of open hostility, they need not fear things "[that] can kill the body but cannot kill the soul."Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches from this passage and selections from Jeremiah,  reminding us that though we hear much in the news today of things that can kill the body, our hope remains in the saving name of Christ, just like always. Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

"Remember...if you pray for workers to go into the Lord's harvest, you might be asked to be part of the answer to your own prayer." How does God use our unique gifts, qualities, and circumstances to advance His kingdom? What - if anything - do we have in common with the disciples whom Jesus told to "go ... to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?"  For the first Sunday in the season after Pentecost (or "Ordinary Time"), interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches from the Gospel of Matthew 9:35-10:15. Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

Trinity Sunday Against a backdrop of racial violence and social unrest in June 2020, interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches a timely message on the Great Commission from the Gospel of Matthew 28:16-20. Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)

Sunday of the Ascension Fr. Steve Hoskins delivers his final sermon to the Christ Our Hope congregation, preaching on the story of the servant woman from the gospel of Luke chapter 7.Support the show (https://cohac.churchcenter.com/giving)