Sermons by Bruce Pratt
Good Tidings of Great Joy
Sermon text: Luke 2:10-14 Most people, even those who only have a passing knowledge of Scripture, know Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. It’s a moving and powerful recounting of our Savior’s entry into this world as a baby. Within this passage, we see the announcement of the birth to shepherds abiding in the fields. The proclamation made to them by the angel and then the angelic host is worthy of a deeper reflection.
Qualities of the King
Sermon text: Isaiah 9:6-7 Over seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah prophesied about Him coming to earth. In the midst of his prophetic announcement, Isaiah gives three descriptions and four titles for the coming Messiah. The descriptions tell us about His humanity and His servanthood. The titles give us a picture of His divinity. Together they speak of the One who is fully God and fully man, who came to save the world from sin.
Simple Truths: Joseph Edition
Sermon text: Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph of Nazareth was at a crossroads. He was engaged to Mary, but she was with child. Imagine the emotional turmoil he must have been going through! As he was planning what to do about this, he saw an angel in a dream. The angel told him the reality of who this unborn child was, and how Mary came to be pregnant. Within this well-known passage are some important truths for us. If you would like…
More Than a Light Show
Sermon text: 2 Corinthians 4:6 On the first day of creation God created light. Light dispels darkness. But light and darkness are also used in Scripture to describe good and evil. This means that light is regularly linked with Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul connects all of this in the focal passage. The same creative power God used to bring light into being is at work when someone comes to saving faith in Jesus.
Why We’re Thankful
Sermon text: Psalm 107:1 We all can find much for which we should be thankful. But if you cook it down, the psalmists give us the main reasons to be thankful. We serve Yahweh God, for whom nothing is impossible. Not only that, He’s given us an avenue to have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Yahweh is good, in that He is able to supply our needs. But His goodness also means that He is holy, sinless, and…
Sowing and Reaping: Another Look
Sermon text: Galatians 6:7-9 We’re told to not grow weary in doing good. Why? We are promised to reap a harvest if we don’t get frustrated and give up. The thing is, sometimes the pathway to the harvest can get rough. Setbacks come and we can begin to question the strategy. This can cause us to try to take things into our own hands. And that’s when the whole sowing and reaping dynamic can get muddied.
Just Love Jesus
Sermon text: Philippians 1:21 We love Jesus because He first loved us. But does that love inform all that we do in serving Him? It’s easy to get caught up in doing kingdom work in our own power. While that doesn’t seem so bad at first blush, it’s not what Jesus wants. The church at Ephesus was guilty of this and Jesus told them they needed to repent. He doesn’t want people driven by duty and religion. He wants followers…
Our Two-Minute Warning
Sermon text: Romans 13:11-14 Jesus could return anytime. Believers generally understand this and even accept it as truth. But what are we actually doing about it? God in His great mercy has held back His judgment so that more people can accept His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. But to a large extent the church is using this grace period for anything but being about the Lord’s business. Time is short. We must act now.
Time for a Change
Sermon text: Genesis 12:1-4 Change is something we all have to face at times. Abram’s call gives us some clear principles on how to recognize and respond to a legitimate godly directive for change.
Let’s Take the Bible Seriously
Sermon text: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Paul would be dead soon. Timothy was next man up to head the early evangelism efforts of the church. Paul knew it would be a difficult time of transition, but he also knew that God would lead Timothy every step of the way. When the challenges came, Paul knew that Timothy could depend on the teachings of Scripture to carry him through. We are confronted with difficult situations today. Those same teachings are there to…