That’s how hope works— It doesn’t make an appointment. You can’t plan on it. You don’t know the day or the hour when God will break in and give you hope – but God will surprise us with hope in the mean time.

Our assignment this Advent as we remember Jesus’ coming the first time and look forward to his coming again is to be bearers of hope in the mean time.

When I was little, I thought Thanksgiving was for what I had. But now I understand Thanksgiving is for Who has us.

Paul writes, “We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled. Be ambassadors of reconciliation.” “We entreat you.” Some translations have “We beseech you.” The RDSV translation – Revised David Shirey Version – has “I beg you.” With all due respect to The Temptations, St. Paul “ain’t too proud to beg, baby, baby” for us all to be reconciled. St. Paul is begging St. Paul Church to be ambassadors of reconciliation.

“Who am I?” and “What am I doing here?” Those are the foundational questions of life. The first is a question of our IDENTITY and the second is a question concerning our PURPOSE. If you can figure out those two things, you’re on your way to discerning the Meaning of Life, which is what the author of Ecclesiastes (traditionally thought of as Solomon) was doing. He wrote, “I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven.”  (Eccl 1:12, 13). Hear that?  Who am I?  Why am I here?

St. Paul says, “to all God’s beloved who are called to be saints.” All means all. That means you and me. According to Paul, we’re all called to be saints. Now, I don’t think of myself as the saintly-type. No halo on my head. If you see an aura around my head it’s the sheen of too much hairspray. It’s no halo. I’m no saint.

But Paul is serious – We are all called to be saints.

So what’s it take to be a saint?

I thought about doing a special promotion for today. It would have been interesting to run an ad in the Coloradoan and on our Facebook and Instagram pages reading: Free dynamite! Persons attending worship this Sunday at Heart of the Rockies Christian Church will be handed free sticks of dynamite. Children and youth are especially encouraged to attend and receive a stick to take home with them.

View the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 28:23.

Is there any belief more central to the Christian faith than the belief that God loves each and every one of us unconditionally – that we are each beloved in God's eyes? Augustine said, "God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love." Or as someone else said, “If God has a refrigerator, your picture is on it.” Graduates, if you remember only one thing you’ve heard growing up at Heart of the Rockies, remember that you’re beloved.

View the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 30:13

I thought of Jeff Foxworthy this week as I pondered the identifying characteristics of the larger church family into which Heart of the Rockies was born 32 years ago. Just as children grow up with a resemblance to their parents, Heart of the Rockies grew up with the distinguishing characteristics of our parent denomination. So, I thought I’d name the characteristics of Disciples of Christ in Jeff Foxworthy fashion by saying, “You might be a Disciple if…”

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Sermon begins at 28:10

John wrote and I quote: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” Got that? It all ends with heaven coming down to earth. We often speak of “going to heaven,”  departing from “down here” and going to a better place “up there.”  But John sees the end and sees “the Holy City... coming down out of heaven from God.” “Up there” is coming “down here.”

Watch the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 29:12.

My imagination got the best of me as I read each church’s guardian angel deliver their Christ-sent compliments. I wondered what compliment the angel of Heart of the Rockies might speak to you. To borrow Revelation language, I think the angel of HRCC might say on behalf of the risen Lord, “I know your works. You are a Great Commandment congregation, always seeking to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and might and your neighbors as yourselves.”

Watch the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 23:37

We’re going to spend the next few weeks in the book of Revelation, but don’t be afraid. To many, Revelation is the pit bull of the Bible—chained at the back of the biblical yard, growling and barking hellfire at anyone who comes near. Or else it’s the haunted house on the hill—a spooky book to be avoided. Or it’s an unfathomable mystery filled with bizarre symbols and weird images, a daunting question mark that requires a code to decipher.

In fact, it’s none of the above. The book of Revelation wasn’t written to bite, scare, or confound. It has proven to be difficult to understand, however.

Watch the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 26:50.

How about you? Do you believe the women’s testimony? The court of law in Jesus’ day ruled it inadmissable. My Grandpa Shirey ruled it unacceptable. The first apostles were leery. So I ask you: is the women’s testimony nonsense or Godsense?

View the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 35:46.

Jesus borrowed everything, I tell you. And here's the bottom line:  He'd like to borrow you. He'd like to borrow your life for the rest of your life. If I might borrow the words Jesus used on that first Palm Sunday: "If anyone asks you 'Why?', tell them the Lord has need of it." The Lord has need of your life.

Watch the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 29:26.

In this season of Lent, we focus on the cross of Christ. I look through the eyes of faith at Jesus’ arms outstretched and I see the wideness of God's mercy, wide enough to hold in one arm the elder sibling and in the other, the younger. So let me ask you: could you spend eternity in the right arm of God if God's left arm is embracing people you despise? If the grace of God is that wide, do you still want in on it?  

View the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 25:12.

Here’s my question: Do you really believe God is the vineyard owner? What does the vineyard owner say? “For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting soil?” Is that your perception of God? Chomping at the bit to cut down any fig tree folks who don’t produce? Better get busy or else – BUZZZZZZ – you’ll be a stump for eternity. God the barren fig tree chainsaw massacre-er.

View the video of this sermon. Semron begins at 26:05

The Greek word translated tempted can also be translated tested. How do you feel about taking tests? You and I may not like taking tests, whether for fourth grade spelling, high school algebra, or down at the DMV for a driver’s license, but we have to admit that were it not for tests now and then most of us wouldn’t be motivated to study. Tests prompt and measure growth and just as our brains benefit from periodic testing, so do our souls benefit from some testing to spur our growing stronger in our faith.  Let’s call this morning’s passage “The Test.” There are three questions.

View the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 25:22

Years from now, will anyone have a memory of the way we looked after we had been in the presence of God?  Just as the moon shines with the reflected light of the sun, do our countenances radiate the light of God? 

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Sermon begins at 24:16

The Bible holds the dubious distinction of being “the least-read bestseller of all time.” I understand why. It was written over many years out of many cultures, each with its own languages. The Bible is not an easy read. So it’s no wonder we pastors receive requests periodically for an introductory, Keep It Simple Stupid overview of the Bible. I’ll give it a go. The Bible in twenty minutes.

View the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 29:45.

Note this: the love Paul commends in this chapter to the members of Heart of Corinth Christian Church is something you do, not something you feel. If I understand love as a feeling, then how I treat others will change according to how I feel about them on any given day. If, however, I understand love as Thomas Aquinas defined it as “willing the good of another,” then no matter how I feel about someone, I will strive, God help me, to love them – intend the best for them – no matter what. Biblically speaking, we choose to love ... or not.

View the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 34:10.

Say what? You’re going to say everything there is to be said about Jesus in twenty minutes? I don’t think so.

So, I’ll tell you what I did. I called for help. I have a few friends older and wiser than I who have done this kind of thing already. Each of them has tried (and succeeded!) in depicting the significance of Jesus in an economy of words. So, I called each of them, told them my dilemma (Something about Jesus in twenty minutes, please), and asked them for their advice.

Watch the video of this sermon. Sermon begins at 27:27.