Zions Stone UCC

Pastor Mike preaches on the Hymn to Christ found in Philippians 2:5-13. Palm/Passion Sunday: Philippians 2:5-13; Matthew 26:26-27:66; Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Pastor Mike preaches on Samuel's traveling to Bethlehem to anoint David as king and the importance of obedience to God. 4th Sunday in Lent: I Samuel 16:1-13; Ephesians 5:1-14; John 9:1-13, 28-41

Pastor Mike preaches on how humanity, in spite of God's good gifts and disclosure of himself in those gifts, denied him and as St. Paul said, "Exchanged the truth for a lie." 3rd Sunday in Lent. Year A: Exodus 17:1-7; Romans 1:16-32; John 4:5-26, 39-42

Pastor Mike preaches on how the transfiguration teaches us about the goodness of spiritual sight, holiness of place, and our own call to ascend the mountain into the consuming fire of God's presence. Year A: Exodus 24:12-18; Philippians 3:7-17; Matthew 17:1-9 Photo taken by Pastor Mike in the monastery at Jarrow,

Pastor Mike preaches on the story of King Josiah's discovery of the Torah during the repair of the temple, his reaction to its being reead to him, and how his repentance is a model for our own as we move closer to Lent. 5th Sunday of Lent, Year A: II Kings 22:8-20; I Corinthians 2; Matthew 5:13-20

Pastor Mike preaches on the need for humility when interacting with the political world, how the Scriptures cannot be mapped on to any political ideology, and how the Beatitudes call us to live. 4th Sunday After Epiphany, Year A: Micah 6:1-8; I Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12

Pastor Mike preaches on the baptism of Jesus, why he was baptized, what it shows us about who God is, and what it does for us. Theophany, Year A: Isaiah 42:1-9; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:3-17

Pastor Mike preaches on how the light of Christ beautifies all that will receive him. Epiphany, Year A: Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-14; Luke 2:41-52

Pastor Mike offers a reflection on the story of Herod's killing of the children of Bethlehem, how it fits into the Christmas season, and how we can feel threatened by Christ due to the change he brings.

Pastor Mike preaches on Isaiah's prophecy of the coming of Christ and its immediate context, and how Matthew interprets that prophecy, and what God coming among us accomplishes. 4th Sunday of Advent, Year A: Isaiah 7:10-17; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

Pastor Mike preaches on patient anticipation as we travel what the prophet Isaiah called the way of holiness . 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year A: Isaiah 35; James 5:7-20; Matthew 11:2-19

Pastor Mike preaches on what it means to be obligated to help the weak, the encouragement of Scripture that helps us endure, and the glory of God that is revealed to all that calls all to repentance in Christ. 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:1-13; Matthew 3:1-12

Pastor Mike preaches on how we put on Christ: through baptism, mortification, and faithfulness. 1st Sunday of Advent, Year A: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 24:29-44

Christ the King, Year A: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:35-46 Pastor Mike touches on what Christ being King is not before moving into what it means for Christ to be our King and Lord: As king he gathers the people to himself, he unites all things in himself, and judges over all.

Pastor Mike preaches on those who who say it is worthless to serve God, those who remain faithful, and the warning to not grow weary in doing good. 23rd Sunday After Pentecost, Year A: Malachi 3:13-4:6; II Thessalonians 3:6-16; Luke 21:5-19

Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus' words that as the sons of the resurrection we will be equal to the angels and how the promise of the resurrection comforts us and gives us true hope. 22nd Sunday After Pentecost, Year A: Job 19:23-27; II Thessalonians 2:13-3:5; Luke 20:27-38

Pastor Mike preaches on how salvation belongs to God, how we are sealed with the Spirit for the resurrection, and how we are blessed when we struggle for Christ. All Saints Year A: Revelation 7:9-17, Ephesians 1:11-23; Lukee 6:20-26

Pastor Mike preaches on the lessons learned from the story of Rutth and what inclusion into God's people looks like and what it asks us to give up. 18th Sunday After Pentecost, Year A: Ruth 1:1-19; II Timothy 2:1-15; Luke 17:11-19

17th Sunday After Pentecost, Year A; Habbabuk 1:1-13,2:1-4; II Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10 Pastor Mike preaches on living by faith and how faith is not mere belief but confidence and trust.

Pastor Mike preaches on the war in heaven in Revelation 12 as being descriptive of the triumph of Jesus Christ over satan and evil through his death and resurrection . Michael & All Angels, Year A: Genesis 28:10-17; Revelation 12:7-12; John 1:47-51

Pastor Mike preaches on the Christian duty to offer prayers on behalf of all people, from those seen as the bottom of the ladder to those who rule or exercise authority at the top, as God is seeking the salvation of all. 15th Sunday After Pentecost, Year A: Amos 8:4-12; I Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13

Pastor Mike preaches on how when Jesus is elevated on the cross he will draw all people to him and how that helps focus us and turn us from the aimlessness of sin. Holy Cross Year A: Isaiah 45:21-25; Philippians 2:5-11; John 12:31-36a

Pastor Mike preaches from the Epistle to Philemon focusing on Paul's description of himself as a prisoner of Christ, what that means for Philemon, and how that changes relationships in the church modeled on Chrosts own self giving. 13th Sunday After Pentecost, Year A:Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Philemon 1-25; Luke 14:25-33 Image by Raul Lucus from Pixabay

Pastor Mike preaches on how we are to live in the coming kingdom of God: Remembering to love one another, being content in Christ, and honoring our marriages. 12th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A: Psalm 112; Hebrews 13:1-8; Luke 14:1,7-14

Pastor Mike preaches on the necessary role of guides and fathers in the Christian life. 11th Sunday After Pentecost, Year A: Deuteronomy 18:15-18; I Corinthians 4:9-16; Luke 22:24-30

Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus' words on how his casting fire on the earth brings division and what sets it apart from the way that we divide one another up along political, personal, and spititual lines 10th Sunday After Pentecost, Year A: Jeremiah 23:23-29; Hebrews 12:1-14; Luke 12:49-56

Pastor Mike preaches on the pattern of faith and faithfulness set by Abraham, and the heroes of the Old Testament, and how the promises they never saw fully realized are fulfilled in Christ. 9th Sunday of Pentecost, Year A: Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-16; Luke 12:32-40

Pastor Mike preaches on God's holiness, his actions, our response, and how the Transfiguration of Jesus shows us not only his divinity and humanity but also what he has promised us in the resurrection. Transfiguration, Year A: Psalm 99; Luke 9:28-36 Image by falco from Pixabay

Pastor Mike preaches on Abraham's intercession for Lot after God announced that Lot's city would be destroyed. Tied in with Jesus' instructions on prayer we learn that we can pray boldly, with specificity, and with expectation. 6th Sunday After Pentecost, Year A: Genesis 18:20-33; Colossians 2:6-15; Luke 11:1-13

2nd Sunday After Pentecost: Zechariah 12:8-10, 13:1, Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 9:18-24 Pastor Mike preaches on how unhelpful theological trends has influenced how many Christians read and interpret the Old Testament, particularly prophetic passages relating to Israel, and how all of the Old Testament is summed up in Jesus Christ and the Church.

On Trinity Sunday Pastor Mike preaches on Isaiah and John's vision of the throne of God. Our encounter with his holiness makes us aware of our sinfulness, how Jesus has purified us, and how God is both utterly transcendent yet also knowable.

Pastor Mike preaches on how the unity of love that the Father and the Son (and the Spirit) share is given to us to unite us with God.

Pastor Mike preaches on Sts. Paul & Barnabas healing of the crippled man, the reaction of the people in Lystra to the healing, their response to the people's reaction, and how Jesus is the one whom their stories of divine visitation point towards. 6th Sunday in Easter, Year C: Acts 14:8-18; Revelation 21:1-4, 22-27, 22:1-5; John 14:21-29

Pastor Mike preaches on Saul's encounter with Jesus and the helaing of the eyes of his soul and how our vision of Jesus heals ours too. 3rd Sunday in Easter: Acts 9:1-19a, Revelation 5:6-14; John 21:1-14 Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Pastor Mike preaches on being partners with one another in tribulation, the kingdom of God, and patient endurance as we await his appearing and our life in the age to come.

Pastor Mike preaches on the non partiality of the hope of the resurrection, how the gospel is for all people, and the power inherent in the proclamation of the risen Christ before concluding that Christ's bodily resurrection is so essential to our faith that to deny it is to deny our faith and cuts us off from its power.

Pastor Mike preaches on the various reactions of the perpetrators and onlookers of Jesus' crucifixion and how their responses are paralleled today.

Pastor Mike preaches on the link between the lambs slain and eaten at the first Passover and Christ's institution of the Eucharist.

Pastor Mike preaches on the story of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem contrasting that with a Roman triumph culminating with Jesus' enthronement on the cross. Palm Sunday, Year C: Luke 19:29-40; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 23:1-49 Photo by Silas Barr Photography

Pastor Mike preaches on how in spite of St. Paul's many accomplishments, he considered all of them to be nothing in the light of knowing Jesus and necessity of growth in Jesus as we live with the resurrection as the goal to which we are striving towards. 5th Sunday in Lent, Year C: Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:7-16; Luke 20:9-19

Pastor Mike preaches on God speaking to Moses through the burning bush and how God uses things to grab our attention to draw us back to Christ. 3rd Sunday in Lent, Year C: Exodus 3:1-15; I Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-17

Pastor Mike preaches on being an enemy or friend of the cross and how that shows what we've patterned our lives after. 2nd Sunday in Lent, Year C: Genesis 15:1-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:22-35

Pastor Mike preaches on Jesus being tested in the wilderness, how we are tested when the devil thinks we are weakest, and how he tries to manipulate us from serving God and focusing on ourselves. 1st Sunday in Lent, Year C: Deuteronomy 26:5-11; Romans 10:4-13; Luke 4:1-13