Rev. Zach

Acts 7:55-60 ; 1 Peter 2:2-10 ; John 14:1-14 If I were to describe our texts today in one word I would say they are confrontational. Another word I might use is prophetic. Still, another might be to say that they are encouraging. That last word is a word I try to hold onto as the purpose of the gospel, and I’ve borrowed it from Robert Johnston, the Pastor of Louisiana Ave. United Methodist Church. Every time I’ve heard him preach or pray he says, “I want somebody to be encouraged today, and I know there’s somebody out there that needs it!” I want you to be encouraged today. I want you to be encouraged because so much of the world is discouraging. So much of our news is bad news. So much of our political crisis is bent around discouragement and profiting from our despair. So, I want you to be encouraged today. I want you to know of God’s love and be held by it like a babe in her mother’s arms. I want you to be encouraged like a child whose father is running alongside their bicycle, who ...