SERMONS

Jesus has just told his disciples that he is going on ahead of them, preparing a place for them in his Father’s house of many mansions. He tells them to believe in him, and set their troubled hearts at rest, because God has good things in store for them—greater works than they can even imagine! And even though these words in John 14 happen right before the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, they echo what Jesus says to his disciples right before he ascends into heaven: yo

To the six confirmation candidates and to the rest of you, welcome to the starting line! You maybe thought you came to day to witness a finishing, a completion, a graduation of sorts: the final ritual in Sunday School and church membership. Except today is not a graduation, and this is not a valedictory address. It’s not a farewell talk or one last chance for me to get in some inspiring closing words before you all disappear for the summer and for the rest of high school. In

"The Emmause Disciples" Abraham Bloemaert, 1622 Several years ago in confirmation class, we were discussing the resurrection of Christ, and one student said with some exasperation, “Yeah, but how do you KNOW? How do you know for sure this is true?” Someone else looked at this student and said, “You just have to believe! Faith is the answer.” That answer, while true, caused the first student to sigh loudly and shake the head and say, “Easy for YOU to say.” Go now to the dusty