Sermons
Challenged by God
The question regarding the authority of Jesus has as much to do with the answer as it does with the reasons to ask the question. His authority comes from heaven, this is clear to us as modern readers and it was clear to the chief priests and elders even if they didn't...
God’s Grace for All
The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard is one that is often difficult to swallow. There is an inherent sense of unfairness to the parable that we have difficulty dealing with. North American society and culture is one which prides itself on hard work to earn a...
Forgiveness is Second Nature for Christians
In his memorable sermon “The Gospel as Hyperbole,” Fred Craddock points out that Jesus most assuredly had a way with words and with exaggeration as a way to get his points across. When it comes to conveying the sheer size of the gospel and of faith, Jesus refused to...
Bind and Loose
Text: Matthew 18: 15-20 Growing up I was a fan of the TV show Law & Order. I enjoyed the format of the show, spending the first half with the detectives who investigate crimes and then the second half with the lawyers who prosecute the criminals. As I...
Let Love be Genuine
Let love be genuine is how Paul opens this section of Romans. Hold fast to what is good. He completes this section by encouraging us to overcome evil with good. In a culture that is enthralled with violence who do we accomplish this? How do we demonstrate love...
True Worship
Worship can take a variety of forms. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul writes about worship that is pleasing to God. His dialogue expands to include a discussion about what makes a community of faith distinct from the culture surrounding it. This passage...
One Love
What could one woman teach Jesus about love? The answer might surprise us. Perhaps we should also ask what could one woman teach us about love or racial identity or segregation or discrimination? The story of the Canaanite Woman is powerful. It demonstrates the depth...
Pull the Oar
Today's passage is simple enough. It isn't about pointing a finger at Peter and telling him to have a deeper faith. It isn't about us having a deeper or stronger faith than Peter demonstrates. Our passage this morning is about having the faith to keep going. To...
A Funeral Celebration
The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, the Feeding of the Five Thousand is a well known gospel story. So well known that we often get stuck on the loaves and fishes and the miracle that they represent. While we should not ignore this aspect of the reading or the...
A Different Beat
Text: Matthew 10: 24-39 Let’s address the elephant in the room. When I first read the gospel lesson this morning I didn’t want to preach it and when you heard Suzanne read it this morning you were probably hoping I’d preach on the psalm. I have to admit I...
The Job Description
Text: Matthew 9:35 - 10:8 The other day I was surfing the Internet and I came across the following job posting. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere, but the job posting went as follows: Seeking individual to engage with community in important revitalization work. This...
The Commission of Love
There is no transcript for this Sermon. While delivering the sermon I wandered from the recording device and so you may need to adjust the volume as you listen. Text: Matthew 28: 16-20
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
St. Andrew’s Cobourg is part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Our congregation was first established in 1833, and continues to serve the community in Cobourg and beyond.