SERMONS

After Easter Sunday Sermon

1st Sunday by Rev B. Robert

3rd Sunday by Rev B. Robert

Lent Sermon

2nd Sunday in Lent Sermon by Rev B. Robert

4th Sunday in Lent Sermon by Rev B. Robert

Dearly Beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ

I bring you greetings from our Lord Jesus Christ of whom we worship and honor in our lives and at this church.

Christmas is indeed a blessed time for all those who love Jesus and who acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior.

Christmas is the day on which Jesus was born over 2,000 years ago. The shepherds at that time went about their way of life without any expectation of that great and mighty love coming down from heaven as man.

I am always in awe when I think of how great God’s love is for me, and you, and all mankind, to come in the form of a man; a little babe to be exact on that fateful Christmas night. Yes, He was God; yet He chose to come in the form of man for all of us to identify with Him as He with us. How amazing is God’s love for you and me, my dear brothers and sisters, that God should send His only begotten Son, Jesus into the world, in flesh, to die on the cross for our sins, as John chapter 3 verse 16 proclaims; so that we can be forgiven and accepted as His precious children and look forward to our rightful place in heaven one day, soon.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, let us be found waiting for our Lord Jesus to be born in our lives too. Let us be willing and ready to give Him our very best as His forgiven and beloved children. Have a Blessed Christmas with the love and joy of Jesus in your hearts and souls.



God bless you

Rev Yesuratnam Devarapalli

Parish pastor

Examples of Young People with Great Responsibility

Joseph the son of Jacob was made overseer in the house of the Captain of the Guard in Egypt when he was just 17

Genesis 37:2; 39:1-4 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father … Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

Ruth was a young widow when she chose to dwell with her mother-in-law to be a blessing to her

Ruth 1:16-18 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

David was only a boy when he killed a giant

1 Samuel 17:42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance.

Jehoash was 7 years old when he became King of Judah

2 Kings 11:21 Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign.

Josiah was 8 years old when he became King in Jerusalem

2 Chronicles 34:1-2 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Mary of Nazareth was a young virgin when she conceived the Savior, Jesus

Luke 1:26-33 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Timothy was a young man whom Paul was training for the ministry

1 Timothy 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

God Expects The Best From You

Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you…”

Proverbs 1:8-9 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Proverbs 21:23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

1 Peter 5:5-9 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 6:1-2 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise)

Never Forget Who You are Following

Psalms 25:5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Psalms 27:11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Psalms 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”

Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

And so the Word became flesh and took a place among us for a time; and we saw his glory - such glory as is given to an only son by his father - saw it to be true and full of grace. (John 1:14, Bible in Basic English)

Do you have your Christmas shopping done? As we draw closer to Christmas, shopping for gifts for family and friends is something that becomes a part of life for most of us. There are some people who are so organized that they get their shopping done long before the Christmas season arrives. However, for most of us shopping doesn’t get done until Christmas is upon us.

Then there is the question of what to buy. When a gift is chosen and given to a person, the desire of the giver is to bring blessing to the recipient. This involves choosing a gift that the person has need of and/or would like. Easy to accomplish? Not always—in fact, it is the very reason that shopping may take several hours. Then the issue of affordability enters the picture. When the “perfect” gift is found, is it something that you can afford to buy?

For your consideration this Christmas of 2014 let me suggest some gifts that you may give to others that will outlast material gifts and will keep on giving long after Christmas is past. These are gifts that everyone can give and are suitable for every age and for every type of person.

First, is the gift of forgiveness. There may be people in our lives who have wronged us, said or done hurtful things to us in the past. We may have been approached by someone who is wanting our forgiveness. Withholding forgiveness leaves others in a state of unresolved feelings which may be painful so it is a gift of grace to forgive them. In fact, it is God’s will that we give this gift. In Eph. 4:32 it is written “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Second, is the gift of encouragement. We all need encouragement from time to time. We may find ourselves being “down” for a variety of reasons—whether responsibilities at work, family situations we’re dealing with, finances or other issues. So, when someone comes along and encourages us we are greatly blessed and uplifted. Again, it is God’s will that we give this gift. In Hebrews 10:25 it is written “…let us encourage one another….”

Third, is the gift of truth. We live in a world that is filled with deceptive messages even about Christmas. As the well-worn but ever true phrase states: Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Sharing the truth about why Jesus came to this earth as the Son of God is giving to others the gift of truth—the truth about God, the truth about Jesus, the truth about the salvation that God offers to all of us through His One and only Son!! Christmas is not about lights, presents, and parties—these are not at the heart of Christmas—they are lovely and a blessing—but the central truth is Jesus Christ! What greater gift could we give than the truth about Him!!

Fourth, is the gift of love. Jesus came as God’s gift of love to every one of us! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” John 3:16. God loves us and He wants to have us share His love with all around us. “Love one another…” (John 13:34). God’s love is unconditional and when we give the gift of unconditional love we bring immeasurable blessing to them. We are to be channels of God’s love to others.

Obviously, there are many more such gifts that we, as believers, can give to others. These gifts are priceless and will keep on giving blessing upon blessing through the years. At the end of life these are the gifts that will be remembered more than any others! I wish you all a Happy Christmas of 2014 & Happy New Year 2015!

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Devarapalli Yesuratnam