More Sermon Nuggets

Fred R. Zimmerman served as an active parish minister of the United Church of Christ in Ohio for sixty-two years. During the middle of his professional career, he filled a significant post on the administrative staff of Defiance College, Defiance, Ohio. He is the author of Destiny and Decision (Hamilton Books, 2013).

ABRAHAM
His Trust in God’s Promise
ADVENT SEASON
As God’s Offer of Grace
ALTAR
As Furniture of Worship Made Holy by God
ASCENSION
As Fulfillment of the Incarnation
Jesus Christ Is Now Lord in Heaven as on Earth
AUTHORITY
Of Jesus as Given, Not Proven
BAPTISM
As God’s Promise to Us of His Gospel
BIBLE
As Comfort Amidst Conflict
As Inward Confrontation
Genesis—The Book of Beginnings
Holy Spirit as Its Only True Interpreter
Speaks of God in His Sovereignty
Upfront about Human Wrongdoing
BURDEN
Of Daily Life Endured as Rest under the Yoke of Christ
Of Our Humanity Overcome by Christ
CHRISTIAN EXISTENCE
As Conflict of Flesh and Spirit
As a Fruitful Branch of the True Vine
As Growth in the Grace of Christ
As Living with Christ
As a Pilgrimage, Not a Tourist Site
As the Call to Freedom
As True in a Hidden Belonging
Exercised in Commitment
Keeping Alert to Being IN Christ
Learned in the Cradle of Forgiveness
Letting God-in-Christ Fulfill His Purpose for You
Not Defined by Human Standards
CHRISTIANITY
As Limited to the Golden Rule—St. Luke 6:31
As Merely Religious Summons
Customary Versions of
CHRIST JESUS
As Being Surprised by Him
As Guest in Our Home
As Light that Overcomes Darkness
As Our Eternal Contemporary
As Reality of God’s Word
Baptized by John the Baptist
Daily Rebirth in
Demonstrates the Wideness of God’s Love
Friendship of
His Consummate Word from the Cross
His Entry into the Dominion of Death
His Love the Basis of Family Care
In Being Beyond Our Knowing
Recognized by the Demon-Possessed
Sovereignty of
CHRISTMAS
As Both Poetry and Prose
As Experienced by the Bethlehem Shepherds
As God’s Event Announced Only by Heaven’s Angels
As God’s Gift that Requires a Wilderness Experience
As God’s Own Story
As Good News to Someone for Everyone
Celebrated in a Hymn of Invitation
CHURCH
As Community of God’s Own People
As the School for Issues of Gospel Faith
Its Worldly Disorder
Like Being with Abraham and Family
COMFORT
Worldly, in Being Self-Consolation
As That Which Abounds in the Father of Mercies
CONFIRMATION RITE
As God’s Claim on You in Christ Jesus
CONSCIENCE
As Fear and Shame before God
CONVERSION
CREATION
Of Light, as God’s First Work
CROSS of CHRIST
As God’s Righteous Judgment
DECISION
For God, as God’s Calling of Us
DISCIPLESHIP
As Being a Brother to All Persons
As Fellowship with Christ’s Death
As Following along with Christ and Doing as He Does
As a Humanly Impossible Requirement
As Laying Life’s Burdens down at the Cross of Christ
As Oneness with God-in-Christ
As Remaining Steadfast in Christ
As Summons to Implicit Obedience
As the Impossible Renunciation
As the Way of the Cross
Being Responsible to the Presence of Christ
EASTER
As Celebrated in Confusion
As God’s Own Purpose
As Living and Dying in Christ
ELISHA
His Vision of Spiritual Realities
FAITH
As a Continuing Struggle
As Focused on God’s Commanding Purpose
As Promise in God’s Power
As Tested by Discouragement and Despair
As Tested by Obedience to God
As Thoughtful, Not Mindless
Dependent on Loyalty of Devoted Love
Is Staying in the Company of Jesus
Not a Way of Proving God
FORGIVENESS
As the Fire of Divine Cleansing
GLORY
Divine, as Revealed by the Word
GOD
And Religious Patriotism
As Confronted by His Reality
As David’s Trust
As Potter of a New Humanity
As the Only Solution to One’s Loneliness
Dimensions of His Love
Glory as All His Own
His Everlasting Word
His Faithfulness
His Friendship as a Reckoning Relationship
His Hand
His Love as David’s Only Testimony
His Silence a Price in Learning to Believe
Secure under His Wings
To Whom We Are Bound to Give Account
GOD, POWER OF
As Denied by Pharaoh
Exercised in Fulfillment of His Purpose
GOD, PRESENCE OF
As a Problematical Concern
In the Birth of Jesus
Not to Be Mistaken as a “Good-Luck” Charm
To Be Sought Whether Asleep or Awake
GOD, RIGHTEOUSNESS OF
Revealed in Death as God’s Wrath
Revealed in God’s Calling of the Prophet: Isaiah 6:1-8
GOD, SOVEREIGNTY OF
As Revealed in the Cross of Christ
GOD, WORD OF
As Absolutely Trustworthy
As Challenge of the NEW in Christ
As a Joyful Imperative
As a Misunderstood Voice
As Power and Truth
As Spiritual Food
Its Fullness in Christ
GOSPEL
As Wholly Contained in Psalm 23
As God’s Holy Love, Subverted by Cultural Christianity
GRACE
As Dwelling in Community of God’s Love
Its Three-Fold Dimension of Christian Existence
GUIDANCE
As Being Alive to God
GUILT
As a Prevalent Human Condition
HEART
As Channel of Life’s Issues
As Determination of Character
HOLY COMMUNION
Its Reality Is in Being Received
Jesus Giving Himself in an Intimate Event
HOLY SPIRIT
As Power in the Name of Jesus Christ
Replaced by Evil When Withdrawn
Represents the Reality of Christ Jesus
HOPE
True as Being Grounded in God
IGNORANCE
Concerning Christ
INSECURITY
As a Clue to the Gospel’s Relevance
JACOB
As Confronted by God’s Purpose in a Vision
JESUS
As Awesome Confrontation
As Not Just Another Preacher
As Not Primarily a Healer
As Our Kingly God
As the Crucified Christ
As the Distinctive New Among the Old
As the Invisible “Light of the World”
Comes to Us as Christ the Lord
Crucified with Two Criminals
His Freedom in Mission
His Ministry Ordained through John’s Baptism
His Resurrection a FACT, Not a PRINCIPLE
His Resurrection Not Just Another Miracle
His Suffering as Eternal Sorrow
His Teaching as the Gospel Enigma
Mission and Message Misunderstood
More than a Teacher of Good
Unacceptable as Prophetic Fulfillment
JOB, BOOK OF
JOY
As Distinct from Pleasure and Happiness
Encompassed for Us in Christ
JUDGMENT
By and of Man in the Cross of Jesus
KINGDOM OF GOD
As Present in Christ Crucified
As Promise of God’s Victorious Dominion
Bears Fruit by Those Only with Ears to Hear
Discovered and Gained as a Costly Treasure
Entrance Price
Entrance Requirement
LIFE
As Barren without God
As Eternal in Its Mission
As in Christ before Death and Resurrection
As Mystery of Darkness and Light in God
As Profane When Without God
As a Spiritual Struggle
As the Light of Eternity in Christ
As Transformed by Christ
Facing Its Reality
Its Fulfillment in God
Poses the Ultimate Question to God-Fearing People
LOVE
As GOD’S Purpose for Us
As Sacrificial Giving
For Christ as Being Emptied for Others
In Christ the Lord as Prerequisite to Ministry
When Fear is Overcome by God’s Love in Christ
MARY, MOTHER OF JESUS
MINISTRY
Of God’s Word as Commitment to Pastoral Care
MIRACLES
Performed by Jesus as “Signs”
NICODEMUS
In Failing to Take Up His Cross
OBEDIENCE
As Being Bound to God, Not to the Law
As Prescribed by the Mother of Jesus
As the DOING of God’s Will
As the Ultimate Decision
Inadequate Simply as Sacrifice
OLD TESTAMENT
Reveals God’s Activity in Human Affairs
PALM SUNDAY
As a Spontaneous but Misunderstood Event
The Challenge of Jesus’ Kingship
PAUL, THE APOSTLE
As Dying with Christ and Alive to God
His Ministry to Be Judged Only by God
PEACE
As Faith Abiding in Christ
As Revealed and Given to Us in Christ Jesus [John 14:28]
PEOPLE
As Crowd Followers of Jesus
PETER, the DISCIPLE
His Confession—As Imagined
His Discipleship Transformed
His Independence
PETER, the APOSTLE
Empowered by Christ in His Healing Ministry
PHARISEES
As Justified in Their Opposition to Jesus
PRAYER
As Being Alone with God
As Deliverance from SELF
As God’s Own Invitation
As God’s Promises Fulfilled in Christ
As True in the Context of God’s Glory
As Wanting What God Determines
Necessary as Taught by Jesus
When It Requires Our Own Responsibility
PREACHING
Categories
Genuine as God’s Action through His Spirit
In the Apostolic Tradition
Requires Faithfulness to the Word of God
PRIDE
As Refusing to Let Jesus Be Our Savior
PROPHETIC HERITAGE, OUR
As Reverential Fear of God
PROVIDENCE
As God’s Care for His Own
Necessitates Human Response
PSALMS
As Expressive Guides in Our Daily Prayers
Manifest Confidence in Faithfulness of God
RECONCILIATION [See 2 Corinthians 5:19]
As the Priority of the Father’s Love for the Son
RELIGION
Its True Priority and Promise
True as Continuing Prayer
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
As Godly Fear
As God’s Own Enterprise
REPENTANCE
As Readiness for God’s Grace
Required in God’s Promise of Pardon
RESURRECTION
As General and Gospel Truth
RIGHTEOUSNESS
As Delight in God
SALVATION
As Realized in Exertion
SANCTIFICATION
Being Identified as Sinner-Saints
Requires Self-Examination
SELF-EXAMINATION
As Authentic When in Christ
As Being Beyond Introspection
SELF-UNDERSTANDING
As Process in Being Bound to Christ
SIN
As Claiming Life for Ourselves
As Illustrated by the “Prodigal Son”
As Judged in the Mirror of God’s Word
Its Reality as Faced by St. Paul
Revealed in the Shame of Disobedience
SORROW
Worldly versus Godly
SPIRITUALITY
As Confronted by Eternity
As of Man or of God
As the Secret of God’s Grace
STEWARDSHIP
As being Accountable Before the Judgment Seat of Christ
SUFFERING
As Manifest in Jesus Crucified
TEMPTATION
As a Serious Matter in Christian Existence
As Portrayed in the Story of Job
THANKSGIVING
As Abiding Only in God
As Gratitude in Christ
As Honoring God in His Holiness
As Living—Not Simply Giving—Thanks
TIME
As Enclosed by Eternity
Of Crisis and of the End
TRUTH
As Being Cruciform
As Fountain of Freedom
As the Reality of God
Manifested Only in Christ
WAITING
As Being in Readiness for God
As Sponsored by God
For God as Essential Obedience
Is a Matter of Being Patient
WISDOM
As a Misunderstood Value
As Awareness in the Heart of Knowing God
Its Source as Humanly Elusive
Its True Source
WORK
As Man’s Redemption in Christ
As Prescribed by God
WORLD
In Its Negative and Positive Determinations
WORLDLINESS
As a Matter of Possessions
WORSHIP
As Being Confronted by the Mystery and Majesty of God
As True in the One God Who Carries
In Church as Sanctuary of Place and Time
YOKE
As Our Savior’s Discipline
As Freedom in Surrender to Christ