​We, like those followers of Moses from so long ago, are no less than the people of God on a journey through a foreign land to a new land, a land of promise, in which we will be truly free. The way there is hard. We come up against hard places we cannot get over or around. And we find that God is precisely there, in those hard places. youtu.be/g4V_HQj4YYw

• God summoned Abram, with his wife Sarai, to leave family and home behind so that they might be parents of a great nation and a blessing to the entire world. However, even as they left their home, they also left behind those who must have grieved their leaving and marked their separation with tears. Pursuing the vocations that God has laid out before us comes with sacrifice, even as it comes with countless, unseen, unnoticed blessings.
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​Repentance is the foundation of a healthy relationship with God and others. When Jesus preached repentance, he wanted his hearers to change their minds about their sin, their mistakes, their regrets and even the direction of their lives. He wants us to do the same. youtu.be/5QwoJ-UsxTw
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​We all have energy cycles throughout each day. Sometimes we’re up, sometimes we’re down. We may even be more susceptible to temptation during the low moments, but God’s grace and truth is much available in our downtimes as at any other point of the day. We should touch base with God at any hour, to keep our hearts in tune. youtu.be/PK2m209t8AI

​This sermon, which puts Jesus’ baptism into context, gives us an occasion for considering how we are different because of being baptized and how our baptism is expressed in daily life. youtu.be/7flnm9rN4SM

​Children born of foreigners in the United States are automatically U.S. citizens regardless of their parents’ legal status. At least, this has been the arrangement for years. But, for some time now, this position has come under fire, especially if the parents are in the country illegally. The current debate regarding birthright citizenship raises questions about who has the right to belong, who is considered a citizen and what it means to belong. If we are children of God, however, we are citizens of the kingdom of God and as such are protected by the “Bill of Rights” and “Constitution” of that kingdom and by the full force of the power of that kingdom. youtu.be/NZsgdU4nAZM

All of are in need of the Christian virtue known as patience. We are not likely to be able to engender it by positive thinking alone. Patience is a gift of the Holy Spirit. God’s calming Spirit can remove our anger, our short-temperedness, our inner stress. So, whatever afflicts us, whatever upsets us, whatever makes life miserable -- we can learn to handle by allowing the calming Spirit of God to invade us and permeate our being. youtu.be/VrwvJBN-Jhs​​

​Isaiah’s description of “the peaceful kingdom” is a beautiful picture of a world where the Messiah has entered. Peace and harmony and righteousness are in full bloom. Even the animals are at complete peace. However, we all know the work of the Messiah in our world is not yet fully realized. We are called, as God’s people, to work toward that vision of things to come. youtu.be/2wuRXSEwjm0

​For most of us, gratitude does not come easily. We look back and conjure up images of the pilgrims on that first day of Thanksgiving … images of abundance and prosperity and plenty. That was not the case. Theirs was an attitude of gratitude, not borne of things or possessions, but of the spirit of God. The truth is, gratitude is a spiritual attitude, a work the Holy Spirit of God works in our hearts as a response to the blessing of our greatest and only lasting treasure, our Lord Jesus Christ. youtu.be/rbz3xi2y074

​Although contemporary Christians rarely face outright persecution, they can confront the evil in society. If persecution caused early Christians to renounce their faith, apathy can sap the faith of today’s Christians. God’s grace enables us to endure so that our faith grows. youtu.be/883kViiXgy0