Sermons from January 2018
My God…I Seek You
Psalm 63 Hear God’s word, Psalm 63. Oh God, you are my transcendent God. As day dawns, I seek you. My soul is thirsty for you. My flesh faints for you in a land of drought and fainting without water. Just as I have gazed on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory, just so your committed love is better than life and my lips will acclaim you. Just so, I will bless you during my…
A Little Help, Please!
Titus 1:5-9 Turn in your copy of the New Testament to the book of Titus. Our reading today is Titus chapter one. We’re reading verses five through nine as we make our way through this Little letter of the Apostle Paul. We need to be reminded that it’s one of his pastoral letters at the end of his life. He wrote three letters to two men. Timothy got two letters and Titus got one. These are young men who came…
Welcome to Covenant Presbyterian Church
Hi, my name is Brian Kratz. I’m the minister here at First Associate Reform Presbyterian Church. I’ve been a minister here for three years. I’ve been in the ordained gospel ministry for 15 years, and it’s my privilege to serve here. We’re a church that loves to be together. We love to be together as a community, as a family. We eat together, we sing together, we laugh together, we have fun together. But we also serve one another. We’re…
In God Alone I Trust
Psalm 62 Let’s hear from God’s word together. This is Psalm 62, and the title says, to the choir master, according to Jeduthun, a Psalm of David. For God alone, my soul waits in silence. From him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him? like a leaning wall, a tottering fence, the only plan to thrust…
A Model of Good Works
Let’s hear from God’s word together. This is Titus chapter two, verse 14. Speaking of our God and savior, Jesus Christ, he gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Amen. Pray with me. Our Lord and God, we thank you for your word. We thank you that it is our foundation. It is our foundation for all truth. It is…
A Long Way From God
Psalm 61 Reading from Psalm 61, the title or the address says to the choir master with stringed instruments. And then it simply says of David. This psalm has no historical marker or context. And David says, hear my cry, O God. Listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth, I call to you. When my heart is faint, lead me to the rock. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been…
Strengthening the Church
Titus 1:4-5 Please turn in your copy of the New Testament to the book of Titus. Our reading today, our sermon is from Titus chapter one, verses four through five. Remember that over the last couple of weeks and over the next many weeks in the book of Titus, we will learn from the apostle Paul as he speaks, to Timothy, a young minister on the island of Crete. This is one of Paul’s pastoral letters. We’ll learn what it…
With God We Shall Do Valiantly
Psalm 60 Let’s read together from Psalm 60. It has a rather lengthy title that in the Hebrew Bible is verses one and two, but for us in the English Bible, it’s just a little addition. It says, to the choir master, according to Shushan Edith, a Mictam of David, for instruction when he strove with Aram Naharim and with Aram Zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down 12,000 of Edom in the Valley of Salt. Notice the…
What is a Godly Life?
Titus 1:1 Please turn in your copy of the scriptures to the book of Titus. Our reading is Titus chapter one, verse one. And some of you may note as someone did, who wrote me this week asking, aren’t you going backwards? We are going back to verse one. Last week we did cover verses one, one to three. But today I want us to take a little side trip into a little phrase in chapter one, verse one. and…