Sermon podcast - Hope Reformed Church

"What Should I Believe About Baptism?"

2010-07-11T14:00:00Z

"What Should I Believe About Communion?"

2010-07-04T14:00:00Z

"Does God hate farmers?"

2010-06-27T14:00:00Z

“Prayer and Fasting”

2010-06-13T14:00:00Z

“Are You a Fundamentalist?”

2010-06-06T14:00:00Z

“Innovation or Intervention?”

2010-05-30T14:00:00Z

“Living in the Spirit”

2010-05-23T14:00:00Z

Guest pastor Rev. Kate Meyer

“Obedience of Faith”

2010-05-16T14:00:00Z

“Love”

2010-05-09T14:00:00Z

“The State”

2010-05-02T14:00:00Z

Government is God’s servant for your good. It’s probably not the most treasured of verses in most Christian circles, but there it is right in the middle of our passage this morning. Government is God’s servant for your good. Not only is it not the most treasured of verses, but it’s probably also one of the most disregarded as well. It’s one of those passages that Christians read, perhaps curl their brow at, and then move on. That’s definitely understandable.

“Repent”

2010-04-25T14:00:00Z

Hate groups are on the rise in America. A hate group is a group of people that gather around the idea that all the problems were facing are the fault of one person or one kind of people. It might be people who are gay that are the problem. It might be black people or white people. It might be Democrats or Republicans. Hate groups generally focus on one segment of society and hate them. About every month or so there is another article in another newspaper about how more and more groups like this are forming. Some say the rise in hate groups is due to the economy. Some say it’s because of our African-American President. Some say it’s because of immigration. Still others blame it on the divisive political atmosphere we face. Whatever the case, it seems that hate groups are on the rise.

“Worship”

2010-04-18T14:00:00Z

The crowd made him who he was. This last week Julie and I watched a movie called The Wrestler. The movie follows Randy through the high’s and low’s of a professional wrestler. Don’t worry, no spoiler alerts. But I will tell you that it’s about a guy named Robin who likes to be called Randy. When he’s wrestling in the ring he goes by the name, “Ram.” He’s Randy “the Ram” Robinson. Randy has bleached blond hair, a dark tan, and big muscles. He looked the part of a professional wrestler, but it was the crowd that made him who he was.

“Death is Defeated”

2010-04-04T14:00:00Z

Sharon was a prominent woman in town. No one was exactly sure where her money came from, but tit didn’t really seem to matter. Her husband ran a successful business as well. Together they were two of the most generous people around. They had even built an extra room in their house to shelter any traveler who needed a place to stay. Through the eyes of most of her neighbors, Sharon seemed to have everything. But to those who knew her best, knew that she lacked one thing, the one thing she wanted most. She wanted a son. Everyday was a little less happy than it should have been because she didn’t have a son. Sharon was old enough now not to expect to give birth anymore. So, imagine the surprise, imagine the joy, when a son finally arrived.

“The Road is Hard”

2010-03-28T14:00:00Z

For spring break this year Julie and I and the boys will be joining my parents in Arizona. One of the unique parts of Arizona trips is the hiking we get to do into the mountains. You don’t get to climb thousands of feet into the air in Michigan, at least not too many thousands. While we won’t be mountain climbing per se, we will be climbing mountains. It’s not always easy. There are very steep parts to the mountain. There are rocks that shift and paths that are slippery. And, there’s always a chance that you might see some kind of snake or critter that gives you a bit of a start. I imagine it will be hot along the way. The path is not an easy one. Yet, when you get to the top of the mountain, all the hard work is worth it. The view is expansive. The top of the mountain is serene. Not only are you literally on top of the world, but that feeling sets in as you feel lifted about all of the problems below. There is a life-giving quality to the tops of mountains. You might say that the road is hard, but it leads to life.

“The Golden Rule”

2010-03-21T14:00:00Z

Kristen Edsall moved to Boston. She packed up her things in Minneapolis, Minnesota and spent the next few days in a car with a friend making the move. She had taken a job there and was looking forward to something different for a while. Things didn’t start off very well. As she was pulling into town a large semi sped passed her and kicked up a rock that cracked the windshield of her brand new car. Then, after she picked up the keys from the agent she found that none of them would open the door to her building. She noticed a dent at the bottom of the door. She kicked it and the door swung open. The apartment no longer seemed so nice.

“Blessed Are...”

2010-02-28T15:00:00Z

There are times when it seems like Jesus doesn’t really know what he’s talking about. Perhaps that is true nowhere else than in these verses that we call the Beatitudes. They are blessings. They are about happiness. It’s just that Jesus applies them to those who we don’t normally think of as happy or blessed.

The Sermon on the Mount

2010-02-21T15:00:00Z

On February 21, Vernon Hoffman, former Hope Reformed Church pastor and current member, preached the entire Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) from memory to a congregation joined by many family and friends.

“Mercy”

2010-02-14T15:00:00Z

“Israel”

2010-01-31T15:00:00Z

Kaltxi. Nga-ru lu fpm srak? Zola’u ne fi’u swotu, ne fi’u zongtseng. Fpom tok hu aynga.

No, I’m not speaking in tongues as some might consider it. I am, however, speaking in a different language. Anyone know which one it is? It’s Na’vi. Never heard of it before? You may not have unless you’re familiar with the new movie Avatar. If you haven’t seen it, you’ve probably heard on the news about how much money the movie has made. It took a whole two weeks for the movie to raise $1 billion dollars. That’s impressive. What’s most impressive to me about the movie, though, is that someone invented a whole new language for it.

“Election”

2010-01-24T15:00:00Z