Recent Sermons

Second Sunday after Pentecost - June 23, 2019 Scriptures: Psalm 22:19–28 Luke 8:26–39 Galatians 3:26-4:7 W. Paul Jones tells the story of a woman who suffered from polio during her childhood. Some of us have never seen a young person crippled by polio — confined to a wheelchair, or crutches — or even worse, an iron lung. Thank God and Jonas Salk that we haven’t. It’s a terrible thing to...
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Trinity Sunday - June 16, 2019 Scripture readings: Romans 5:1-5 John 16:12-15 Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 In a scientific age it’s not strange to ask what causes people at church to speak about the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit? Is there really such a thing? Another question that could be asked, is whether there really is such a thing as the Trinity? Where does this idea come from? Thre...
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Pentecost Sunday - June 9, 2019 Scriptures: Romans 8:14-17 Acts 2:1-21 Ephesians 4:11-16 What an amazing and marvelous time of the year this is! It is Pentecost. Pentecost is about in, up and out. This is what Dayspring has always been about; for 50 years already. Dayspring continues to be about these three short words: In, up and out. The Spirit draws us IN to each other, and equips...
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Ascension Sunday – June 2, 2019 Scriptures: John 17:20-26 Psalm 97 Acts 16:16-34 On a February day in 1925, Floyd Collins climbed into Sand Cave in search of fortune. Suddenly, his lantern failed. Crawling through the darkness, Collin's foot hit a seven-ton boulder. It fell on his leg, trapping him in the coffin-like narrowness of a dark, subterranean straitjacket. For days Collins was ...
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Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 26, 2019 Scriptures: John 14:23–29 Psalm 67 Acts 16:9–15 The well-known American preacher and professor of preaching, Fred Craddock told a story about a time when he was a young preacher fresh out of seminary, he pastored a small church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. At that time, Oak Ridge was growing fast. Many of the newcomers lived in a mobile home park locate...
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Fifth Sunday of Easter - May 19, 2019 Scriptures: Revelation 21:1–6 (CEV) Psalm 148 (MSG) John 13:31–35 (MSG) Acts 11:1–18 (CEV) What a wild dream Peter had! A huge sheet was coming down on him while he was in a deep sleep. How many of you have had wild dreams? Peter’s bizarre dream involved some instruction from God. Isn’t it wonderful to receive some brand-new insights in a dream? ...
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Fourth Sunday of Easter, May 12, 2019 Scriptures: John 10:22-30 Psalm 23 Acts 9:36-43 For lots of years, and especially the last number of months, there was a scary feeling that started creeping up on me, more and more. It felt like I was pursuing “fluff” in a certain sense. Yes, when we look at the word, “fluff”, it might conjure up something worthless or merely nonsensical and sta...
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Third Sunday of Easter - May 5, 2019 Scriptures: Revelation 5:11–14 (NRSV)        Psalm 30 (CEV) Acts 9:1–6 (NRSV) We just heard about a villain struck down by a flash of light. Jesus’ disembodied voice was calling him out as Saul, better known to us as Paul, on the road to Damascus. Don’t we tend to assume that Saul is the bad guy in the story? However, coming to think of it—is he ...
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Second Sunday of Easter Scripture Texts Isaiah 65:17-25 (CEV) Revelation 1:4-9 (CEV) John 20:1-18 “Doubting Thomas” - this is the label often given to the disciple who was not present to see Jesus when he first appeared ALIVE to the other disciples in a locked room.  And when Thomas heard his friends say, “Jesus is alive!”  - he had questions! He wanted answers! “Doubting Thomas”...
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Good Friday, April 19, 2019 Scriptures: Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 10:15-25 There’s a type of disconnect that some people who go on a trip to Israel, to see the Holy Land, discover. They want it to be the real experience of walking where Jesus and his disciples trod.  Several say they want it to feel worshipful. However, visiting a Byzantine or medieval church building just isn’t worshipfu...
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