FPCLG Sermon Blog

Jesus said divorce is bad & kids are good. Job said, good or bad, God's there!

What we love betrays our faithfulness

Wisdom cries out, she wants our ear but we don't listen

Phillies fan Doug Cogan offers a baseball analogy for spirituaity, something Pastor Krogh would never do. But it works... mostly.

James wanted us to use the law as a mirror, not a projector

Paul suggests we arm ourselves for peace.

Paul said the opposite of debauchery is singing, the opposite of evil days are wise days filled with psalms and song. Join a choir.

Jesus fed the 5,000, Moses brought manna, neither crowd understood the source, or learned a thing.

Feed of the 5,000 was a lot like Elisha feeding the 100, in 2 Kings 4. It went well because one person was generous and lots of people cooperated.

Clobbered by anxiety we are softened to be sold. Safe sheep, contented sheep, quiet sheep, are not easily unraveled

If the wall is leaning, don't blame the messenger!

Mid-century American Christianity was dominated by the Positive thinking movement. That worked well if you were upper middle class, white, male and moderately educated. As for everybody else>

Paul was trying to get money out of the Corinthian congregation to cover the extreme want of the Jerusalem church. He suggested they needed the needs of others in order for them to be filled.

We like the past because we know we survived it. The present seems confusing and the future alien. David was the future, Saul's bad attitude sped up the transition and ruined Saul's legacy. Perhaps moving on is the most faithful thing to do.

The apostle Paul was accused of being a trouble making whack job. Paul aggreed that was true, but he said he was crazy for God in order to be sane for others.

Adam and Eve received knolwedge of good and evil and their first reaction was shame. God didn't change, their perceptions of themselves changed and so they could not stand before God without blame; they could not see what was unseen. God invites us to see the unseeable.

The Pharisees criticized Jesus for doing stuff, even good stuff, on the Sabbath. Rest doesn't mean more work, and it's not rest if you have to work at it.

Isaiah couldn't speak in God's Presence because he knew what his mouth had said about others. God forgives and we can pray.

Two trees in the garden of Eden, one we ate the other we didn't because God didn't want our hostilities to last forever..

Peter and the others knew the Gentiles were possessed by the Spirit of God not because of the language but because of its content.

We've split eschatology from ethics so now Christians think it's okay to hate just as long as they're going to heaven. That's not what the Gospel says

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep better than anyone could imagine or guess.

Peter was a denier, but 60 days later, he's a preacher. Two lame men arrive at Acts 3, both heald beyond their imagniations.

God's forgiveness was enough, the Cross only made it ours.

Many Christians are angry because they were taught they would be winners, clearly they didn't read the stuff about Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.

Jesus was a priest in the order of Melchizedek, one who's name was Righteiusness is my King. What would a righteous king look like today?

Unlovely as we were God still loved us and granted us grace through the depth of mercy

Jesus didn't like the doves crapping on the temple floor so he whipped some ass.

Jesus said take up your cross and follow? That cross is serving others

We Listen and Hear

James and John knew enough to be quiet. Sometimes awe should not be interpreted, interpreted awe is propoganda.

When Emo Gets over 200 Million views just asking, "How is Everybody Doing?" Imagine the response to a real listening person.

The Apostle Paul said if you think you know something, that illustrates you don't know much.

The Bible's message gets attention through the fantasitc, but the world is changed by the mundane.

The Magi were dilligent, Herod was slothful. How did that work out for each of them?

Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple, and some old folks were waiting for him. The family had no idea how they appeared as answered prayer.

Traditional carols, wonderful music!

Traditional story, amazing kiids

Isaiah and John the Baptitst preached mortality which makes our politics seem pretty trivial.

How should we behave in the meantime, not the end time.

When the Sheep and Goats are sorted, the division is between those who did real good for people, and those who didn't even notice people in need.

The master returned and celebrated with tow slaves, and had the other one cast out. He's gnashing his teeth becuase he didn't trust the master.

Jesus spoke of wise and foolish bridesmaids, our job is to help them not run out of oil.

jesus and Michah criticized hypocritical leaders, is that about them or is it about us?

Moses died and it seems unfair. But that's our problem, not his, he understood his part and the promise was to a people, not a person.

Currency has value only as we agree. Asked about taxes Jesus says Ceaser has clearly lost his coin, give it back.. But God gazes at us, so we have eternal value.

Moses was going 5 1/2 weeks and Arron threw him under the camel and started his own religion

The Chief Priests and Elders were quick to side with the landlord, that was until they figured out they were the tenants. Where are we in the story? What makes us think we own anything?

By what authority? Asked the Chief Priests and elders. Jesus answered with a question they wouldn't answer. Better to be a faithful sinner than a lying leader.

Both the laborers in the vineyard and Jonah had a problem with a boss who rewarded the "undeserving."

Joseph told his brother he was not God so he had to forgive them.

Troubled when there's a lack of guidance, leaning into love is always the best choice. Elder Christ Hein takes the pulpit in Pastor Krogh's absence.

Jesus said gaining life is in losing life. We're born to love, not to BE loved.

Paul assumed the members of his churches knew their gifts, something we don't do very well. What do you do well? That's the gift you bring!

Jesus cleared the temple because the money changers gave non-Jews no place to pray.

TUXIS youth group served with many other youth two weeks ago in Michigan. They came back full of Joy!

Jesus told stories about passionate people, those obsessed with excellence, growth, hope, best outcomes, These are the characteristics of God's passion for us.

Jesus told a parable about not looking to purify everything at the expense of the farm.

When the sower went out to sow, the seeds hit all kinds of ground, the sower was only responsible for the seed, not the response.

Jesus said the people were fickle, but they had their explanations and excuses.

When Paul wrote about giving ourselves to unrighteousness rather than righteousness, he was referring to way more than just moral stuff, he was also talking about how we waist our time on little things of no consequence.

We're tempted to argue and prove others wrong. Jesus suggested we seek peace and love others right.

With the death of Daniel Ellsberg this past week, Pastor Krogh got to thinking about how bad things were and how hopeful we can be,

Whenever Hosea complained to God about his wife, God responded, "Tell me about it..."

Graduate Sunday/Trinity Sunday, Clearly beliefs don't fix things

Apologies for poor audio qualify this week!

Six young people, five new members, one baptism dozens of assistance, and abundance of love.

We spend a great deal of energy on the cataphatic expression of our theology, but it is the apophatic which God grants to us. Faith seeks understanding not the other way around.

Pastor Krogh loves funerals, but working with the living is sometimes okay too.

Jesus was the good shepherd, his flock is generous

Our love for the world begins with God's listing to us and our, by association, listing to our neighbors.

Thomas is our twin, our double who stands on our behalf to discover the awkwardness of a living Messiah

Easter for Unitarians?

If you only knew the message of the 2 Sundays, you would presume everything about Jesus was popular., and by association we wouldn't be saved.

Mary and Martha were angry with Jesus because he didn't come right away. Jesus says nothing about their anger, he only cries along side them.

Jesus healed a blind man and all others could see were problems.

The woman at the well affirmed that Jesus was the Messiah when she shared the news of his presence.

Nicodemus was completely confused because he believed God loved him and his people, Jesus said God loved the world. Hard message.

Lent begins with reminders of mortality but ends in a way that makes that mortality a blessing.

Service from the Sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church of La Grange

Peter spoke offering his ideas on a project he didn't understand. If God hadn't interrupted, he may have missed the point.

Why confession at the top of the service and not the end? We believe acknowledging our common condition makes hearing possible. Christ came not to accuse the holy, but to receive the convicted.

Isaiah did not like the way the returning exiles treated the locals... their own kin. Blessings came from return AND reconciliation.

Jesus and Micha told us the kinds of people God calls blessed., Our eyes and categories do a poor job of recognizing their attributes.

John the Baptist was arrested by Herod the king. Jesus preached a bigger kingdom.

Our world is fragmenting experience into privately curated bubbles of single serving happenings. Worship is corporate, worship is inconvenient, worship is worth it.

Jesus was baptized, and so are we. With so may variations of tradition and interpretation, how do we know we're getting it right?

The Author of the Hebrews and the Prophet Isaiah agree, angels are not the same as God abiding with us. Our resolve comes from God's presence, not the messenger but the source.

Music Director, Jason Fahrenbach and Organist, Tyler Kivel combine their gifts to transform our congregation's music and worship experience.

Our children and youth combined forces to provide this wonderful program for the 4th Sunday in Advent!

John's followers faded away when John stopped being entertaining. But Jesus said John was the real deal.

Isaiah spoke of a peaceable kingdom, but getting there required some fear, rods and bad breath. Listen to what that means...

Our emotions may arise from experience not hard-wired reality. Why are so many of our reactions militaristic, why not peaceful? Advent is a chance to review and rewire our response to the world.

We live in cycles, days, weeks, seasons, years, generations - they keep us ordered but also hem us in. Jesus came to break the cycle... forgiveness and companionship makes all things new... even at the end.