The Power of Personal Testimony

Earlier this fall, I received a call from Courtney, asking me to baptize her husband, Brad. I was at once, surprised and delighted. I had known Brad for sometime as a very pleasant young man but was unaware of his spiritual interest levels. I was surprised as it dawned on me that God is always at work. He speaks to people and draws them to Himself, all by Himself. This, of course, is a facetious statement. It should be more of a surprise that God uses us as He does, often when we are unaware that our lives mean anything to others at all at a spiritual level. This is a recording of our Sunday morning conversation, as we talk through Brad’s spiritual journey. There are interactions that have been removed because they were not audible without a microphone. I hope that you hear what you most need to hear as you listen. 

Karl

Rationale for a Changed Life

Transformation is vastly different than behavior modification. Behaviour is a natural outgrowth of transformation. So much of religion insisists on observable change and rejects people until they are sufficiently spiritually encultured. At CLC we walk with the wounded as we all are made whole.

This is the sermon from November 19, 2023.

Praise The Lord!

To come and sit in a Sunday service, when all is well, and listen to a well-manicured service and sermon, is no real test. It is in the ragged and rugged experinces of life that we discover what really inhabits our hearts. Praise that comes from the prison is more powerful than anything that can ever come from a platform in a church. The story of God’s people is one of the coexistence of joy-filled praise and an adversity filled life. This is where faith gets real. 

Dealing With Controversy

A former mentor used the term, “Spit-in-your-face” culture in in reference to a time when Facebook and rampant conspiracy theories were not a thing. Today they are and the damage done by our inability or unwillingness to understand one another, is inestimable. This is a sermon on dealing with controversy. 

Settling Short of God’s Promise

Some people are never satisfied.  Achievements and acquisitions fail to meet aspirations and fuel that insatiable desire for more.  The problem is that more is never enough. Others are too easily satisfied and lack motivation. The middle ground may be the best. The sermon today references the story of Abraham’s calling and traces his faith to his own father, a man who dared to move forward without a clear picture of what lay before him. Abraham, in answering God’s call, finished a journey that his father had begun. For all of us, God’s story continues to be written.  It is bigger than any one of us, individually. Today, perhaps more than ever, it is important that we don’t stop short of what God has for us.