Author: HRPC Office

Acts 2:1-11

So Eva is going to Peru.  In a sense we are going to Peru as well.  We send her off.  We pray for her.  We communicate the love of God for all people through her.  She is going to hear a LOT of Spanish.  She will look for ways to cross the communication barriers.  She will find out what she and her new friends have in common, as well as what they can teach each other.   It is a Pentecost trip for Eva because it will open her eyes to a new culture, deepen her understanding of God’s people in a different part of the world and give her chance to share her love for Christ.  The whole experience is a powerful work of God. Continue reading “Sermon: Unleashing the Power of God” →

Romans 4:23-5:11

Accountants like Jackie and Joe talk about reconciling numbers, making sure that the numbers are in agreement with one another.  At times we discover that we have to simply reconcile ourselves with a situation or an idea that we don’t like, making peace with it, accepting it.  But this morning I invite you to explore with me a different kind of reconciliation.   Reconciliation that the apostle Paul describes, reconciliation which is being put into friendship with another.  He is a deep and sometimes confusing theologian, and his letter to the Romans is especially so.  He is trying to get across to a gentile community the essence of God’s grace offered in Jesus Christ.  It is a totally new concept and Paul uses many chapters to try to explain and teach about what it means to be a recipient of God’s grace. Our text for this morning is part of his argument.   Continue reading “Sermon: “True Reconciliation”” →