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Pastor Sermons
Holy BibleSermons are recorded each Sunday and are available on CD or can be downloaded by clicking below. Pick the month and the Sunday, then click on the sermon title you wish to hear.
Sermon CDs can be picked up a few minutes after each service in the narthex of the sanctuary or check in at the office during office hours (8AM-2PM) week days.
 
The "Prayers of the People" have been included at the end of the sermon recording
  •  May 2013
    • In May we will begin a new sermon series "Conversations with God". We will begin with a macro view of the entire bible, both the old and the new testament, and discuss some of the most important dialogs that God has with human beings, teaching us who God is and who we are.
     
  •  April 2013
    • In April we will continue with the sermon series "God and the Art of Happiness". We continue to explore the biblical vision of happiness in the Psalms, the Gospel of Luke, and the Gospel of John, clearly showing how the Bible encourages the happiness that accompanies obedience to the Creator.
     
  •  March 2013
    • In March we will continue with the sermon series "God and the Art of Happiness". I hope that you will wrestle with the question of what it means to live a life of wisdom, obedience, goodness, and love - as we fulfill God's purpose for human life until Jesus comes again.
     
  •  February 2013
    • In February we will begin with a new sermon series "God and the Art of Happiness". What is happiness? Where does it come from? Is God interested in our happiness? What is the difference between happiness and joy? Come and explore these and many other important questions about the spiritual life. While we won’t be focusing on one specific book from the Bible, Psalms and Proverbs will figure heavily into our explorations.
     
  •  January 2013
    • In January we will begin with the manifestation of Christ to the Magi and King Herod's reaction. We then return to the sermon series "The Sermon on the Mount, A Different Kind of Kingdom", with our focus on Matthew: Chapter 7 - Jesus teaching about the two gates to heaven, and adding a caution about false prophets.
     
  •  December 2012
    • So many of our beloved Christmas songs are connected to the theme of home. Some Christmas songs have "home" right in their titles as in "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "There's No Place Like Home for the Holiday's". So this year at Advent we will take up the theme of longing for home in worship. We will look at the promises of God in Jeremiah 31 as a key to what home looks like and what needs to happen for us to truly 'come home'. So as you prepare for the Christmas holiday, make sure that your heart is prepared for the ultimate homecoming that is promised to us in Jesus Christ the Lord. He made His home with us so that we can have a home with Him in eternity.
     
  •  November 2012
    • In November we will continue with the sermon series "The Sermon on the Mount, A Different Kind of Kingdom", found in the Gospel of Matthew. We will focus on Matthew: Chapter 7, with Jesus teaching about judging and discernment, returning to the subject of prayer, and adding a caution about false prophets.
     
  •  October 2012
    • In October we will continue with the sermon series "The Sermon on the Mount, A Different Kind of Kingdom", found in the Gospel of Matthew. We will talk about what it means to store up treasure in heaven and the issues of priorities and trust. (Matthew 6:19-34).
     
  •  September 2012
    • In September we will continue with the sermon series "The Sermon on the Mount, A Different Kind of Kingdom", found in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus gives his followers a simple command, which can often be viewed as the basis of Christianity: the Golden Rule. "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12).
     
  •  August 2012
    • In August we will continue with the sermon series "The Sermon on the Mount, A Different Kind of Kingdom", found in the Gospel of Matthew. The Sermon contains the central tenets of Christian discipleship and emphasizes humility, obedience, love of one’s neighbor, prayer and trust in God.
     
  •  July 2012
    • In July we begin a new sermon series with an in depth study of the Sermon on the Mount found in chapters 5 to 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. The Sermon on the Mount contains several of the most important teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, including the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer and the Golden Rule.
     
  •  June 2012
    • We conclude our sermon series on the Old Testament book of 'Judges' with the story of Samson, the strongest man in the Bible, who judged Israel for 20 years as the 15th Judge . He pushed out the pillars of the Philistine house of Dgaon, killing those there and himself. Samson represents one of the saddest figures in the Old Testament, a person, favored by God, who started with great potential, but squandered it on self-indulgence and sinful living.
    In June, Pastor Jim will continue the sermon mini series, "The Gift of Worship - the greatest gift we can give our Lord is worship.
     
  • May 2012
    • In May we begin a new sermon series based on the Old Testament book 'Judges'. We begin with the death of Joshua and review the days and deeds of six notable judges: Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson. The series describes why the Israelites were for many generations denied the complete possession of the Promised Land which had been assured to them. They disobeyed God, lapsed into the debased religion of the idolatrous Canaanites, and forgot their Creator. God punished them by foreign invasion, civil war, and attacks of the Canaanites. The recurring theme is the Apostasy of man and the Faithfulness of God.
     
  • April 2012
    • Easter is a glorious time of the year for the followers of Jesus Christ. It is the tme each year that we focus on the key eventss in the life of Jesus Christ - his death for our sins. (Good Friday, April 6) and his resurrection (Easter Sunday, April 8) This year we will be blessed with a choir musical on Palm Sunday (April 1) titled Remember that will speak of the importance of God coming to be with us in Jesus Christ the Lord. We will have a full orchestra to accompany our chancel choir - and we also will welcome many additional singers from the region who will bless us with their vocal talents. Make sure to celebrate this important season of the Christian calendar by making space for God on these important days.
    During the Month of April, following Easter, we will begin a new sermon mini series, titled "The Gift of Worship". The heart of worship is giving to God, not receiving from Him, and the greatest gift we can give our Lord is worship.
     
  • March 2012
    • During the month of March, we continue our sermon series Galatians: Journey Into Freedom culminating on 1 April with the Palm Sunday Westminster Chancel Choir and Orchestra presentation of REMEMBER, where the Past Ends and Forever Begins.
    The haunting words reach to us from antiquity.
    "The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same way, after supper, He took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' For whenever you eat this bread or drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes."
    1 Corinthians 11:23-26
     
  • February 2012
    • We will continue our series of sermons "Journey into Freedom" a study of the book of Galatians, and what freedom meant for the early followers of Jesus and for Paul the Apostle as he wrote this important letter to the early church. The series will continue through Ash Wednesday and the first part of Lent.
     
  • January 2012
    • We will begin a new series of sermons called "Journey into Freedom" which will be a study of the book of Galatians. Galatians is often referred to as the manual for Christian FREEDOM. We live in a nation that refers to itself as "the land of the free and the home of the brave" but few of us have a good grasp on the meaning of freedom in our day to day lives. We will look at the theme of what freedom meant for the early followers of Jesus and for Paul the Apostle as he wrote this important letter to the early church. On our journey into freedom we will look at what freedom means to us and why it is an important part of Christian theology. The series will run approximately 9 weeks.
     
  • December 2011
    • We continue our Advent sermon series with the focus on the stories of the birth of Christ.
     
  • November 2011
    • In November we will conclude our sermon series on Stories That Shape Us and begin a new series on Advent which focuses on the characters and stories about the birth of the Messiah.
     
  • October 2011
    • In October we will continue our sermon series on Stories That Shape Us, focusing on the main stories and theme of the entire Bible.
     
  • September 2011
    • We continue our preaching through the main stories and themes of the entire Bible. During September we'll look at important parables of Jesus the Master Storyteller.
     
  • August 2011
    • We continue our preaching through the main stories and themes of the entire Bible. During the summer we are looking at these important facets of our 'spiritual geography'. The list below covers some of the places that God's people spend time on their spiritual journey. Perhaps you find yourself in one of these places too:
    • Captivity(Israelites in slavery in Egypt): times when you feel trapped or in bondage to someone or something that makes life miserable.
    • Wilderness: times when life is uncomfortable, challenging, dangerous, unsettled. You don't feel 'at home'.
    • Promised Land:times when you are comfortable, well-fed, safe, secure, needs are met."life is good" (sitting overlooking Lake Superior with our friends - talking - laughing so hard our sides ached) (we'll talk more about this next week).
    • Exile: times you have lost the good life you had.
    Keep in mind as we study these dimensions of spiritual geography, that in the approximate 4000 year history of God's people, they spent very little time in the Promised Land - and most of their history in Exile, Captivity, and the Wilderness. God's grace is available to us in each of these places in different ways. Let us continue to look to Him for grace and strength for each moment of our lives.
     
  • July 2011
    • In July, we will continue our preaching series on the main stories of the Bible and how they give shape to our lives.
     
  • June 2011
    • Lots going on in June. June 12 will be a special recognition of our Sunday school students and teachers - and also presentation of Bibles to our many 3rd grade Sunday school students. June 19 will be the commissioning of our youth mission trip participants. June 26 will be ordination of new officers, receiving new members, and Taco Sunday in support of our YWAM mission trip to Mexico. We will continue our preaching series on the main stories of the Bible and how they give shape to our lives.
     
  • May 2011
    • We continue our Easter series with the story of the ascension of Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is a joyful reality that prepares us to live with hope, joy, peace and comfort. We then begin a new series with a survey of the whole Bible focused on stories that shape us.
     
  • April 2011
    • We will finish the Season of Lent with the Heart of a Servant series. Palm Sunday will be our choir/orchestra musical, and on Easter Sunday the sermon will be on Thomas and his encounter with the risen Jesus as we are all invited to check the evidence and ask the mportant questions about who Jesus is and what he did for us.
     
  • March 2011
    • We will conclude the sermon series on Close Encounters with Jesus based on the personal encounters Jesus has with people in the gospel of John, and begin our Lenten sermon series defining the Heart of a Servant.
     
  • February 2011
    • We will continue a series of sermons on Close Encounters with Jesus based on the personal encounters Jesus has with people in the gospel of John. We will conclude the series before the First Sunday in Lent (March 13).
     
  • January 2011
    • We will return to an unfinished preaching this month. In August, we began a series of sermons titled Close Encounters with Jesus based on the personal encounters Jesus has with people in the gospel of John. We will return to this series during the months of January and February and conclude it before the first Sunday in Lent (March 23).
     
  • December 2010
    • This year the Christmas Advent preaching is based on some of the great carols of Christmas, focusing on the Bible passages that inspired them along with the stories behind the songs. I encourage you to be listening often to all of your Christmas carols at home during this important time of the year - let us celebrate together in songs and in worship the birth of the newborn king.
     
  • November 2010
    • This month we conclude our sermon series on Living Generously with Jesus' teaching on forgiveness using the parable of the king settling accounts with his servant by cancelling the debt. The second lesson focuses on Jesus' rejection by those who knew him from his youth. We conclude the month with the start of the new sermon series on Advent.
     
  • October 2010
    • This month we continue our semon series on Living Generously - a season of meditation on the generosity of our God and his invitation to us to a generous lifestyle. Our theme is Psalm 145:1-7
     
  • September 2010
    • This month our congregation will enter into a season of meditation on the generosity of our God and his invitation to us to a generous lifestyle.  Our theme is Psalm 145:1-7.  We invite each of you to read this entire psalm many times during the next two months as we seek God’s provision for our lives and for our ministry needs at Westminster.
     
  • August 2010
    • During the month of August we begin a new series" Close Encounters with Jesus-A Study in the Gospel of John". The gospel narrative contains a series of &quaot; signs"--the gospel's word for the wondrous deeds of Jesus including the story of Nicodemus challenged to be born again; the woman at the well, invited to drink living water; the invalid by the pool invited to be healed and transformed; and a woman caught in adultry is forgiven and then invited to live a different future.
     
  • July 2010
    • We will conclude our sermon series on the Book of Colossians-Connected to Christ. Please read and try to memorize this short letter from Paul. As Colossians unfolds we will see God's word helping a diverse community of peop1e to understand both the supremacy of Christ and the centrality of Christ for all humankind (all creation) in all aspects of life.
     
  • June 2010
    • During the month of June we continue our series Connected to Christ, a study of the book of Colossians. This short letter from the New Testament focuses on the sufficiency, supremacy, and centrality of Jesus Christ for all of creation. Being connected to Christ is the ultimate hope for humanity.
     
  • May 2010
    • During the month of May we continue our series Connected to Christ, a study of the book of Colossians. This short letter from the New Testament focuses on the sufficiency, supremacy, and centrality of Jesus Christ for all of creation. Being connected to Christ is the ultimate hope for humanity.
     
  • April 2010
    • After Easter Sunday we will begin a new series on the book of Colossians. The series will be titled Connected to Christ, since Christ is the main focus of the book of Colossians. I encourage you to read thia short book of the Bible and be prepared to learn more about it on Sunday mornings during the next several weeks as we grow in what it means to be connected to Christ.
     
  • March 2010
    • This month we continue our series on Knowing Why You Believe based upon Scripture and a wonderful new book by Tim Keller called The Reason for God.
     
  • February 2010
    • This month we continue the series Knowing Why You Believe. The series will be based upon Scripture yet will also draw extensively on a wonderful new book by Tim Keller called The Reason for God. The book is by a Presbyterian minister who serves New York City and so he writes for his multicultural and religiously diverse community in that region.
     
  • January 2010
    • We start a new series this month. The new series is called Knowing Why You Believe. The series will be based upon Scripture yet will also draw extensively on a wonderful new book by Tim Keller called The Reason for God. The book is by a Presbyterian minister who serves New York City and so he writes for his multicultural and religiously diverse community in that region. I hope that everyone will get this book and read it during the first few months of 2010 as it will increase your faith and equip you to thoughtfully respond to objections that people raise concerning the Christian faith. Hard back sales of the book were so strong that it has now been released in paperback. Go get it!
     
  • December 2009
    • Jesus is the shoot that grows out of the stump of the tree of David. He is the sign of hope in a troubled world. – a sign of God’s faithfulness to his promises.
    John the Baptist preaches repentance to the religious people in order to prepare them for the messiah. 
    Mary’s song is a sign that the messiah will turn the world’s values upside down.
    Three Gifts to consider: the gift of God’s son born in a manger, the gift of forgiveness of sins & hope of resurrection through Christ’s death, and the importance of giving our heart to God in gratitude for what he has done.
     
  • November 2009
    • To be fully human and fully alive means seeing all of life as belonging to God – all that we have is on loan to us by our Creator. God places us in families, tribes, nations, and churches. We are citizens of heaven, but also of earthly communities.
     
  • October 2009
    • It is not good for one to be alone – God created both genders and both genders reflect God’s image. God also established marriage as a foundation for the human community. Whether married or single, we seek to affirm the gift of marriage. (sermon ideas: MHAJ Scott Moore)
     
  • September 2009
    • To be fully human and fully alive is to understand our responsibility to love and care for other people. Man is a moral being and the commandments are a sign to us that by God’s grace we have the capacity to do good and do right. Work is given as a gift to humankind, however due to the fall, work has become distorted from its original design and it contains elements of the curse. In Christ, the power of the fall & curse is being overcome, and we can participate in this new reality as we engage in whatever work God calls us to perform.