The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2005

by Mosser, David N.

• ISBN13: 9780687001712
• ISBN10: 0687001714
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-03-01
• Publisher: Abingdon Pr

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION	13	(6)
SERMON SERIES-Facial Expressions: Facing the Gospel in Life
Facing Our Fears (Exod. 20:18-21)	19	(4)
Facing Our Enemies (Eph. 6:10-17)	23	(4)
Facing Our Successes (Ps. 118:24-25)	27	(4)
REFLECTIONS
Introduction to the Monthly Meditations	31	(4)
JANUARY
REFLECTIONS	35	(4)
JANUARY 2 New Year	39	(6)
The Seasons of Life (Eccles. 3:1-13)
What Do You See? (Rev. 21:1-6a)
How Will You Measure Your Year? (Matt. 25:31-46)
JANUARY 9 Baptism of the Lord	45	(6)
Template of a Servant (Isa. 42:1-9)
Excluded Anyone Lately? (Acts 10:34-43)
Hearing a Voice (Matt. 3:13-17)
JANUARY 16 Second Sunday After the Epiphany	51	(7)
In the Shadow of His Hand (Isa. 49:1-7)
That Pile of Holiday Greeting Cards Is Waiting (1 Cor. 1:1-9)
The Breath of Passion (John 1:29-42)
JANUARY 23 Third Sunday After the Epiphany	58	(6)
Less Than Ideal Conditions (Isa. 9:1-4)
The Big Picture (1 Cor. 1:10-18)
Fishing in the Kingdom (Matt. 4:12-23)
JANUARY 30 Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany	64	(7)
The Eternal Dance with God (Mic. 6:1-8)
Simple Means (1 Cor. 1:18-31)
Goals and Graces (Matt. 5:1-12)
FEBRUARY
REFLECTIONS	71	(3)
FEBRUARY 6 Transfiguration Sunday	74	(6)
God's Future Is Our Future (Exod. 24:12-18)
Discerning the Truth (2 Pet. 1:16-21)
Hear Ye Hirn! (Matt. 17:1-9)
FEBRUARY 13 First Sunday in Lent	80	(6)
Unscrambling an Egg (Gen. 2:15-17; 3:1-7)
Where Does Life Begin? (Rom. 5:12-19)
Proving It! (Matt. 4:1-11)
FEBRUARY 20 Second Sunday in Lent	86	(6)
A Mighty Slender Thread (Gen. 12:1-4a)
Family Resemblance (Rom. 4:1-5, 13-17)
I Found It! (John 3:1-17)
FEBRUARY 27 Third Sunday in Lent	92	(6)
The Cure for Complaining (Exod. 17:1-7)
The Joy of Christianity (Rom. 5:1-11)
Forget the Jar; Get the Water (John 4:5-42)
MARCH
REFLECTIONS	98	(4)
MARCH 6 Fourth Sunday in Lent	102	(6)
How God's Grace Transforms the Ordinary into the Extraordinary (1 Sam. 16:1-13)
Living in the Light (Eph. 5:8-14)
What Are You Worth? (John 9:1-41)
MARCH 13 Fifth Sunday in Lent	108	(7)
The Glorious Impossible (Ezek. 37:1-14)
The Corporate Character of the Body of Christ (Rom. 8:6-11)
Has Anyone Been Listening? (John 11:1-45)
MARCH 20 Passion/Palm Sunday	115	(7)
When God Whispers in Your Ear (Isa. 50:4-9a)
One Name: Jesus, the Name Above All Names! (Phil. 2:5-11)
Not I, Lord! (Matt. 26:14-27:66)
MARCH 27 Easter Sunday	122	(7)
Making His Story Our Story (Acts 10:34-43)
Real Freedom (C)l. 3:1-4)
Unexpected Glory (John 20:1-18)
APRIL
REFLECTIONS	129	(4)
APRIL 3 Second Sunday of Easter	133	(6)
What Do You Really Believe? (Acts 2:14e, 22-32)
A Glorious Hope (1 Pet. 1:3-9)
Peace, Love, and Understanding (John 20:19-31)
APRIL 10 Third Sunday of Easter	139	(7)
Does Your Faith Change You? (Acts 2:14a, 36-41)
Living Under God (1 Pet. 1:17-23)
Christ Known in the Bread (Luke 24:13-35)
APRIL 17 Fourth Sunday of Easter	146	(6)
Living Now Like We Claim We'll Live Then (Acts 2:42-47)
The Challenge to Follow Christ (1 Pet. 2:19-25)
The Gate (John 10:1-10)
APRIL 24 Fifth Sunday of Easter	152	(7)
Dying to Live (Acts 7:55-60)
Finding Grace in East Texas (1 Pet. 2:2-10)
More Than Just Good-bye (John 14:1-14)
MAY
REFLECTIONS	159	(4)
MAY 1 Sixth Sunday of Easter	163	(7)
Will the Real God Please Stand Up? (Acts 17:22-31)
Constructive Revenge (1 Pet. 3:13-22)
More Than a Memory (John 14:15-21)
MAY 8 Seventh Sunday of Easter	170	(6)
Plug into the Power (Acts 1:6-14)
You've Already Been Blessed (1 Pet. 4:12-14; 5:6-11)
Prayer for Bright Lights (John 17:1-11)
MAY 15 Day of Pentecost	176	(7)
t's Pentecost! But What Difference Does It Make? (Acts 2:1-21)
The Gifted! (1 Cor. 12:3b-13)
The Great Day (John 7:37-39)
MAY 22 Trinity Sunday	183	(7)
Goats-on-a-Rope (Gen. 1:1-2:4a)
One God, One People (2 Cor. 13:11-13)
A Promise Fulfilled (Matt. 28:16-20)
MAY 29 Second Sunday After Pentecost	190	(7)
A Terrifying Children's Story (Gen. 6:11-22; 7:24; 8:14-19)
Bold but Not Arrogant Religion (Rom. 1:16-17; 3:22b-28 [29-31])
Location, Location, Location (Matt. 7:21-29)
JUNE
REFLECTIONS	197	(4)
JUNE 5 Third Sunday After Pentecost	201	(7)
The Courage to Act (Gen. 12:1-9)
The Seed of Promise (Rom. 4:13-25)
Naming and Claiming (Matt. 9:9-13, 18-26)
JUNE 12 Fourth Sunday After Pentecost	208	(7)
When God Comes to Dinner (Gen. 18:1-15)
Are You at Peace with God? (Rom. 5:1-8)
The Imitation of Christ (Matt. 9:35-10:8 [9-23])
JUNE 19 Fifth Sunday After Pentecost	215	(7)
No Joint Custody (Gen. 21:8-21)
The Logic of Baptism (Rom. 6:10-11)
God Phobia? (Matt. 10:24-39)
JUNE 26 Sixth Sunday After Pentecost	222	(7)
What God Requires, God Provides (Gen. 22:1-14)
In Search of a Master (Rom. 6:12-23)
Start Small (Matt. 10:40-42)
JULY
REFLECTIONS	229	(4)
JULY 3 Seventh Sunday After Pentecost	233	(7)
The Dynamics of Promise Keeping (Gen. 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Rom. 7:15-25e)
An Antidote for Exhaustion (Matt. 11:16-19, 25-30)
JULY 10 Eighth Sunday After Pentecost	240	(6)
When Faith Has No More Value Than a Happy Meal (Gen. 25:19-34)
A Matter of Life or Death (Rom. 8:1-11)
Field of Dreams (Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23)
JULY 17 Ninth Sunday After Pentecost	246	(6)
A Universal Promise (Gen. 28:10-19e)
A Cosmic Christian Faith (Rom. 8:12-25)
Weed Control (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43)
JULY 24 Tenth Sunday After Pentecost	252	(6)
When Tricks Become Treats (Gen. 29:15-28)
A Christian Vision of Life (Rom. 8:26-39)
The Surprising Likeness of the Kingdom (Matt. 13:31-33, 44-52)
JULY 31 Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost	258	(7)
A Wrestling Relationship (Gen. 32:22-31)
A Family of the Covenants (Rom. 9:1-5)
Doggie Bags for Disciples (Matt. 14:13-21)
AUGUST
REFLECTIONS	265	(4)
AUGUST 7 Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost	269	(8)
Men Behaving Badly (Gen. 37:1-4, 12-28)
Lasting Renewal (Rom. 10:5-15)
It's 3:00 in the Morning (Matt. 14:22-33)
AUGUST 14 Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost	277	(7)
The Gospel According to Genesis (Gen. 45:1-15)
Never Forsaken (Rom. 11:1-2a, 29-32)
The Day the Foreign Lady Got the Best of Jesus (Matt. 15:[10-20] 21-28)
AUGUST 21 Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost	284	(7)
Creating Bridges (Exod. 1:8-2:10)
Holy Living: The Good Life (Rom. 12:1-8)
The Keys of the Kingdom (Matt. 16:13-20)
AUGUST 28 Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost	291	(7)
Surprised by God (Exod. 3:1-15)
Guidelines for Life (Rom. 12:9-21)
Redefining Messiahship (Matt. 16:21-28)
SEPTEMBER
REFLECTIONS	298	(4)
SEPTEMBER 4 Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost	302	(7)
Let's Make a Deal (Exod. 12:1-14)
Are There Any Requirements? (Rom. 13:8-14)
Asking, Agreeing, and Getting (Matt. 18:15-20)
SEPTEMBER 11 Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost	309	(7)
Storytelling as Faith Sustaining (Exod. 14:19-31)
Taking a Seat with Mistaken Identity (Rom. 14:1-12)
Accounts Unpayable (Matt. 18:21-35)
SEPTEMBER 18 Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost	316	(6)
Experimental Theology (Exod. 16:2-15)
Living or Dying, We Win! (Phil. 1:21-30)
Thanks for God's Eternal Unfairness (Matt. 20:1-16)
SEPTEMBER 25 Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost	322	(6)
Imagine the Best (Exod. 17:1-7)
You're Better Than Me! (Phil. 2:1-13)
Under Authority (Matt. 21:23-32)
OCTOBER
REFLECTIONS	328	(4)
OCTOBER 2 Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost	332	(6)
Grow Up (Exod. 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20)
Finding the Best Bargain (Phil. 3:4b-14)
Warning (Matt. 21:33-46)
OCTOBER 9 Twenty first Sunday After Pentecost	338	(6)
What Shape Is an Idol? (Exod. 32:1-14)
At Peace in a Restless World (Phil. 4:1-9)
Getting Between Us and God (Matt. 22:1-14)
OCTOBER 16 Twenty-second Sunday After Pentecost	344	(6)
A Glimpse of Glory (Exod. 33:12-23)
A Church That Matters (1 Thess. 1:1-10)
Of Wisdom and Money (Matt. 22:15-22)
OCTOBER 23 Twenty-third Sunday After Pentecost	350	(7)
Leadership Secret of Moses (Deut. 34:1-12)
A Ministry of Integrity (1 Thess. 2:1-8)
Of Love and Wisdom (Matt. 22:34-46)
OCTOBER 30 Twenty fourth Sunday After Pentecost	357	(7)
Crossing Over (Josh. 3:7-17)
A Minister of Integrity (1 Thess. 2:9-13)
Humble Living in a Proud World (Matt. 23:1-12)
NOVEMBER
REFLECTIONS	364	(4)
NOVEMBER 6 Twenty fifth Sunday After Pentecost	368	(6)
Witnesses Against Ourselves (Josh. 24:1-3a, 14-25)
The Gathering (1 Thess. 4:13-18)
Carrying the Light (Matt. 25:1-13)
NOVEMBER 13 Twenty-sixth Sunday After Pentecost	374	(6)
Something to Be Said for Pragmatism (Judg. 4:1-7)
What We're Saved For (1 Thess. 5:1-11)
Great Power, Great Responsibility (Matt. 25:14-30)
NOVEMBER 20 Christ the King/Reign of Christ	380	(7)
The Pastor and the People (Ezek. 34:11-16, 20-24)
Praying with Power (Eph. 1:15-23)
What Kind of King Is This? (Matt. 25:31-46)
NOVEMBER 27 First Sunday of Advent	387	(7)
Dear God, Where Are I'm? (Isa. 64:1-9)
Hurry Up and Wait (1 Cor. 1:3-9)
God's Time (Mark 13:24-37)
DECEMBER
REFLECTIONS	394	(4)
DECEMBER 4 Second Sunday of Advent	398	(7)
Overhearing the Heavenly Host (Isa. 40:1-11)
Hold Everything! (2 Pet. 3:8-15a)
Your Voice in the Wilderness (Mark 1:1-8)
DECEMBER 11 Third Sunday of Advent	405	(7)
Who Deserves God's Blessings and Our Help? (Isa. 61:1-4, 8-11)
What We Don't Have to Do (1 Thess. 5:16-24)
Are We a Sign or a Destination? (John 1:6-8, 19-28)
DECEMBER 18 Fourth Sunday of Advent	412	(6)
Pound Those Nails! (2 Sam. 7:1-11, 16)
What Is Paul Trying to Tell Us? (Rom. 16:25-27)
Mission: Impossible (Luke 1:26-38)
DECEMBER 25 Christmas Day	418	(7)
Good News for Everybody (Isa. 52:7-10)
Fragments and Fashions! (Heb. 1:1-4 [5-12])
Love with Skin on It (John 1:1-14)
BENEDICTIONS	425	(4)
LECTIONARY LISTINGS	429	(3)
CONTRIBUTORS	432	(3)
INDEX	435