Sermon Summary – Third Sunday of Advent
Mary: The Simple Girl at the Center of Everything
Luke 1:26–38

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
 Galatians 5:22–23

She burst out of the Chestnut Quick Mart, hurling expletives into the universe, most of them landing squarely on the clerk she had just confronted. I stood beside my car, genuinely stunned. Others glanced her way as she smacked the gas pump, her car door, and anything else within reach. A minute earlier, I had been at that same counter, chatting with the cashier about how to join their rewards club. Then she flew in, a young woman who, by outward appearances, looked put together, but carried a storm cloud of hostility that filled the room.

 “‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”
Matthew 1:23  

There is perhaps no more disparaging feeling than the feeling of loneliness—the feeling of being alone. I’m not talking about being bored or simply missing those we love; that happens to all of us now and then and can usually be eased by a phone call or a movie. The loneliness I’m referring to is the aching lack of understanding and commitment surrounding us and supporting us.

Sermon Summary
December 7, 2025—
Second Sunday in Advent
“Silence that Prepares Us for Peace”
Luke 1:57–66

Sermon Summary
November 30, 2025—
First Sunday in Advent
“Joseph: Righteous in the Waiting”
Matthew 1:18–25

Article Commentary and Links 2023

*Please note that all quotes (“") are from the linked articles unless otherwise referenced.

Article Commentary and Links 2021

*Please note that all quotes (" ") are from the linked articles unless otherwise referenced.

Christmas Eve Message
“Waking Up to Wonder”
(Luke 2:1–20)

 Sermon: “Following the Star”

 (Matthew 2:1–12)

When I grew up, trust came easily. Mom would send us out for hours to play in the woods and walk the roads without worrying about us. I don’t know whether that was trust or simply naïveté. My father would watch Walter Cronkite, and whatever he said, that was the truth. Parents trusted the judgement and the word of teachers. Neighbors looked out for each other.

Podcast Link: 

Transcript:

Welcome.
I’m glad you’re here.

This is Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton, using the Project Gutenberg edition—
red slowly, aloud, and in company.

The Family Tree of Grace

Matthew 1:1–17

Big Idea: Jesus’ family tree shows that God’s grace reaches both the broken outsider, and the fallen insider, and only Christ, the true King can redeem us all.

Title:  "Yielding the Spotlight"
Date:  January 18, 2026
Scripture:  John 1:29-42

John 1:29-42 tells the story of John the Baptist pointing to Jesus with the words, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” His ministry of baptism and repentance had drawn great crowds, yet his true mission was not about himself. He baptized faithfully, waiting for the one person God would reveal as the Messiah. When Jesus appeared, John recognized him and gladly stepped aside so that Christ might increase.

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”

1 Timothy 4:7

 Football coach Tom Landry is often quoted as saying that the task of a coach is to help people do what they would rather avoid in order to become what they ultimately hope to be. The same truth applies to the Christian life. Following Christ means intentionally practicing habits that do not always come naturally, such as prayer, Scripture, worship, and acts of service, so that over time we are shaped into lives marked by godliness. As Scripture reminds us, we are to discipline ourselves for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7).

Podcast Link: 

Transcript:

Welcome.
I’m glad you’re here.

This is Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton, using the Project Gutenberg edition—read slowly, aloud, and in company.

These readings aren’t lectures, and they aren’t explanations. They’re an invitation: to listen carefully, to follow an argument that wanders on purpose, and to allow surprise to do some of the work. So let’s take our time—and begin where Chesterton leads us today.

 Bulletin Sermon Summary
January 25, 2026
“Catch and Release”
(Matthew 4:12–23)

 When Jesus called the first disciples beside the Sea of Galilee, he invited them into something far larger than a career change. He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” It was an invitation to transformation, to learn the patient, artful work of presenting the gospel in the living currents of the world.

When the Waters Rise
Joshua 3:7-17
February 1, 2026

When life’s floodwaters rise, when obstacles seem impassable, and when fears threaten to pull us under, our instinct is to rely on ourselves. We build our own defenses: plans, barriers, and strategies to keep our feet dry. Yet the story of Israel at the Jordan reminds us that salvation never begins with human strength but with divine presence.

In this episode of Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton turns modern confidence upside down, suggesting that absolute belief in oneself may be less a virtue than a symptom. Reading from Orthodoxy, we explore the strange connection between sanity, doubt, and conviction—and why faith that can admit uncertainty may be more alive than certainty that cannot be questioned.

Transcript:

“Then Your Light Will Break Forth”
A Summary February 8, 2026
Isaiah 58:1–12

All of us have known seasons when we pray and wonder whether God is listening. When life becomes heavy, we often slip into spiritual troubleshooting—praying more, reading more, searching our hearts for anything out of alignment. Israel once did the same. They had returned from exile with hope, rebuilt their worship life, and resumed faithful practices. Yet the world around them still seemed stuck. Fields failed, spirits sagged, and disappointment grew. Their question became ours: “God, why aren’t You answering?”

Chesterton begins his “philosophy of sanity,” arguing that the madman has not lost reason, but everything except reason. Along the way, we reflect on productivity, Sabbath, and the difference between a tidy mind and a whole soul.

Transcript:

Greetings! In Psalm 34:8, the psalmist says:
“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Sometimes I like to check out the one-star reviews on Amazon when I’m buying a book or product. Recently, I purchased Your Designed Body by Steve Laufmann and Howard Glicksman. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the one-star reviews. As expected, they were negative, but something more telling quickly became apparent: none of the one-star reviewers had actually purchased the book. None mentioned having read it.