Thriving Sherpa: Helping You on Your Spiritual Journey
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Creator or Created
Sermon for May 10, 2026, Sixth Sunday of Easter, preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Acts 17:16-34. Today’s lesson finds Paul in Athens, first in the agora and then on trial before the Areopagus. Let’s broaden our view just a bit to get into the story. Saul of Tarsus was a persecutor…
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The Bible Says It
“The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it.” Perhaps you have encountered people with this attitude. Perhaps you are one of them. Perhaps you believe that every word in the Bible is divinely inspired—after all, Paul says that scripture is God-breathed and effectual for teaching. The thing is, the Bible is a thick…
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Repent and Be Saved
Preached on April 19, 2026, Third Sunday of Easter, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Acts 2:14a, 36-41. This year, I’m making an effort to preach texts other than the Gospel selection in the lectionary. During the season of Easter, the Gospel selections are largely the same every year. Last week was the…
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Not Of This World
Preached on March 29, 2026, Palm/Passion Sunday, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Matthew 27:11-54. Today and this week, we reflect on the most political events of Jesus’s life. Jesus was, above all, a political figure. He was the Christ, the Messiah, the One Anointed to lead the nation of Israel. This was…
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Kingdom of No Shame
Preached on the Third Sunday in Lent, March 8, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on John 4:5-42. Let’s review where we are in the story of Israel, and the story of Jesus. Under David and Solomon, the northern and southern kingdoms were united. They split, and then the northern kingdom was conquered…
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The Mountain and the Valley
Sermon preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on February 15, 2026, Transfiguration Sunday. Based on Matthew 17:1-9, with references to Exodus 24:12-18. Let me situate today’s readings in the story arc. First, the Exodus passage. The Israelites had escaped from Egypt and started wandering in the desert. They got to Sinai, God delivered the…
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On God’s Side
Preached on February 8, 2026, Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Based on Isaiah 58:1-12. We’re in Isaiah again today, but a different section of it. Isaiah’s 66 chapters can be broken down into three parts, chapters 1-39, 40-55, and 56-66. There is some dispute about the division, but there is…
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The Light of the World
Preached on the Third Sunday After Epiphany, January 25, 2026, to First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. We worshipped on Zoom due to inclement weather. Based on Isaiah 9:1-7. It has been a little while, so let me remind you that I’m planning to march through the Old Testament lessons this year. I was talking to…
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Prayer in the Aftermath of Renee Nicole Good’s Murder
Renee Good was shot in Minneapolis, MN, on January 7, 2026, by an ICE officer. In response, on January 9, Abide in Love organized a prayer vigil, held at First United Methodist Church of Rolla. I offered the prayer below. Gracious and loving God, We come together this evening to mourn, to remember lives lost…
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Behold, I Make All Things New!
An edited version of this appeared in the Phelps County Focus on January 2, 2026. After submission, I realized that the “A” in “SMART” should be “attainable,” not “actionable.” I don’t think that changes the thrust of the argument or the message. My short-term goals are both actionable and attainable, whereas my life goal is…
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