Sermon Themes

The wisemen saw the bright star in the sky and they decided to follow the star, which illuminated much light. It is God who placed the star. That star led them to the house where Jesus was and the wisemen were overwhelmed with joy upon seeing Jesus. God led them to the place where Jesus was; the wise men followed the star. As we begin this new year, who or what are you following? How are you experiencing the love and grace of God? How are you sharing the Light of the World with others? Let us also be overwhelmed with joy as we bow down and worship Jesus.

This is the First Sunday after Epiphany and is also when we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. This is the Sunday when we see John the Baptist standing in the river calling out to the people saying, “Come on in, the water’s fine.” He wasn’t expecting Jesus to come into the river to be baptized by him. This Sunday, we will take a look at baptism and our identity in Christ and together, who we are as the body of Christ. This is about seeking the grace of God and about being present within the church community. What are you searching for? What burdens are your carrying? Come on down to the river and wash it all away to find renewal and healing.  

The Light of the World came into the world. The glory of God has been revealed through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. As followers of Jesus, we are called to reveal the glory of God to others. We are called to proclaim His love and to shine His light into the world. We are called to make a difference. Even though we may feel exhausted and weary with various situations happening in our communities and world, we are called to see how God is at work…for good, even when we may not see the good work. We are called to seek God with all that we are and all that we have and then we need to make a difference right where we are. How will you proclaim the goodness of God to others? How will you reflect the glory of God? How are you being a faithful witness to His grace and mercy as you reflect His light and glory?

The Light has come and we received the light. Now we are called to share the light with others and all the nations throughout the world. This seems easy until we realize that there are many pockets of darkness. In moments like these, we easily doubt and become fearful. However, God is on our side; God is always with us. Therefore, we don’t need to fear but instead be filled with awe, wonder, joy, and thanksgiving. In those moments when you doubt and are fearful, what should you do? How will you overcome your fear in order to have abundant joy here and now? How is the Light a part of your everyday life?

Many of us are very familiar with Micah 6: 8 when we learn what God requires of us: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. However, our Scripture passage today is rooted in the heart of worship…which should be how we live our lives. What really matters is what we do after the worship service has ended. How are you living a life filled with worship? Does your life of worship align with who God is and who God is calling you to be? What does worship mean to you?

As we are called to live a life filled with worship, we are called to confession to release our “stuff” to God so that we can seek the righteousness of God. Scripture says, “Fast…” so that we can get past ourselves and be available to live for God and to be ready to share the good news with others. This is a call to worship and then to service; this is about aligning our hearts with the heart of God. How are you sharing the good news? How are you serving others? How are you praising God and bringing Him glory?

Jesus is on the mountain where He is transfigured. This is about His glory being revealed. This is an affirmation about who He is: He is the Son of God, the Beloved. Peter, James, and John were told to listen to Him. This is an affirmation of the love of God once again being revealed through Christ Jesus – the Light of the World. Where have you seen Glory revealed? How are you listening to Jesus? What do you need to hear? What is it like for you to know that you are loved and that you, too, are God’s beloved?