I Got a Name
The title of this sermon is taken from the Jim Croce song, "I Got a Name." This sermon discusses the story of David & Goliath, my own father, David Olson, and of course, the bagpipes.

God of Mercy, Hear Our Prayer (10/4/15)

Job 1:1, 2:1-10

This was a tough week to write a sermon. Yesterday was World Communion Sunday, and I would have preferred to write a message that tied what we do here in Houston to what Christians do all over the world. I wanted to do that, but there was yet another mass shooting in this country, this time in Oregon. Such events beg the question: Where is God in the midst of this tragedy?

I Do Not Pray for a Sandwich

This sermon is about prayer and how corporate prayer is at the center of all we do as a community. The text for this sermon is James 5:13-20. The title of this message is explained within.

When I was preparing this message, a read that at the beginning of the Reformation, Martin Luther did not want the Epistle of James to be included in Protestant editions of the Bible. Luther felt that James' statements about works and salvation ran counter to the Apostle Paul's doctrine of justification by faith. Luther would later change his mind about this epistle; in particular, Luther believed that James was entirely correct about the functions of prayer.