"Stumbling Into Grace;" Sermon for January 29th, 2017 by: Rev. Nicole A.M. Collins

¹If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from Love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy…. Why then, can’t we make God’s Joy complete? Luther said that the Beatitudes are more or less an impossible ideal for our humanity to spiritually incorporate God’s Grace, yet alone, share in the manner that it radically calls us to do! It radically calls us to acceptance, compassion, forgiveness, love, kindness, etc.! But then, all those virtues, ideals, blessings to be heard through the ears of the heart, are perhaps looked upon as foolishness to our crumbling civility and self-righteous “wisdom…”

Leading a cross-shaped life in the loving, transformative shadow of the cross with its treatise upon humanity to grow and go with the Gospel, takes building that foundation of faith through the heart’s reception of Grace.  The heart is that first church—again, even there, Martin Luther agreed with what I saw before I even read his view about the Sermon on the Mount… We should evaluate things on the basis of the heart.  Here, is where the Holy Spirit stirs our learning and growth as disciples of Jesus to ‘Kingdom-thinking,’ righteousness.  The purity of heart created from allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us gives us, blesses us with that divine humility that lays that foundation our faith is to truly grow from.

As you heard in the beginning of this sermon, I quoted the very first line from Philippians 2.  Every single time I have preached and pondered upon the Beatitudes, my heart hears, actually, most of that chapter in Philippians 2, detailing Christ’s example and humility which was that spark to an amazing Grace, a boundless grace— we still have yet to fully understand. Perhaps one of the best suggestions out of my studying this past week said, that perhaps, the most ideal way to look at the Beatitudes would be to simply, and in an unencumbered manner, read them, taking them in, on first reception to what they are saying.  I would say that you need to do that as well as look at them through the many lens humanity has sought to come to understand God… The most important lens to look through however, must be, beyond the self.

The pure promise of the Gospel is that New Nature waiting within the walls of our heart planted by the Grace of Christ to be reaped!  It sure won’t be reaped by narcissism, “tolerance,” animosity, indifference, greed and self-righteousness. That was the one thing that was a sad realization as I read the Beatitudes again and in that first simple reading as that one commentator suggested…  For every Beatitude I read, I saw little vignettes of where we are as a society, culture, in the world news, national news and local news, I saw the darkness, the graceless attitude, sin—revealed.  For nearly every Beatitude, we are living into a reality that is quite the opposite of where God is hoping for us to be.  We are neither “happy” nor blessed to be a blessing to others.  We are divisive and judgmental ready to persecute and condemn our neighbor.

We are certainly not spiritually humble but are more or less, intellectually arrogant and self-righteous about nearly every facet of our daily lives! A life lived curved inward cannot bear the fruit of the Gospel Jesus called us to do! What we are “poor” in is, spiritually, in regards to our faith.  We are poverty stricken in developing the heart to incorporate God’s grace and live into it through our faith! Humility is a blessing, not a curse, for we see even, our Lord Jesus, in that beautiful letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, give an example of a “perfect” humility.

Perfection has been distorted by the ego—when the ego is stripped bare, however, and crucified to that cross with Christ—we see the pure wisdom of God: GRACE.  At least, if not, a glimpse of it!  Perfection as far as the Gospel is concerned, is our first stumbling into, or perhaps over, Grace. What you’re hearing proclaimed from my lips are the notes, the silvering to that mirror of the Law set before us to expose and convict us of our sins much like the literal voice of God complaining to His people in the “courtroom-like” setting in today’s Old Testament lesson from Micah.  Christ as the end of the law reveals His Gospel of transformation as a radical internal change of heart through Grace to give voice, hands and feet to love.  Believe—receive, incorporate and share! 

The pastor I studied under, interned and helped to plant 2 churches alongside, taught that beautiful spiritual understanding of the process of growing, learning through faith.  First you must believe, receiving God’s Grace fully into your heart—incorporating that further by turning, transforming your heart to God and reaping that New Creation within you planted by Christ ,to fully love Him and neighbor, by bearing gracious fruit: Love, Kindness, Mercy, Compassion, acceptance, patience, etc.  The Beatitudes are not a Christian ethics class, neither are they to be simplified into being the New Testament commandments; they are blessedness to grow towards, period.

Can you imagine sitting on that mount or plain, as mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, and hearing this teaching sermon from Jesus?  What would go through your mind at the hearing of each verse we now, know all too well as classic Christianity? Jesus continues in saying: “⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Who are the meek and mild?  What does that even mean to us today in this “overly-arrived” mindset? Well, it certainly doesn’t mean the status quo.  It certainly doesn’t mean anarchy, ambivalence or malice and “tolerance.”  It is a spiritual discipline designed to curb the heart to adopting a gracious attitude.  This “attitude of gratitude” is a prayerful, faith-filled response to the turbulence—trials this worldly life throws at us daily….

I think of that beautiful passage from Isaiah 50, when I think of this beatitude: “⁴The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning He wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. ⁵The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. ⁶I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. ⁷The Lord God helps me…”  This speaks towards the suffering aspect of the disciple’s journey as well to how Jesus’ finishes His ordination address to the disciples within the Beatitudes.  For it is faith that is shaped by our willingness, our fortitude—more or less our “attitude of gratitude”—Be(ing)-the-Attitude (of Grace)!

Now here’s a Beatitude we are surely stumbling over currently… “⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Just what kind of righteousness is Jesus talking about here? The Old Nature perspective of the world and our “wisdom,” always has us go into some form of self-righteousness and or works righteousness.  We just can’t seem to go beyond the self when wondering, trying to act through our understanding of righteousness! We are more often, than not, hungering and thirsting to cater to ill will and violence against neighbor.  We are more willing to pack up and leave, disconnect with the rest of the world into our own self-righteous (graceless) wilderness!

To come to the table of true righteousness, that only God can reveal and we grow from, takes these next two Beatitudes as a faith-filled incorporation of Grace: “⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Mercy is compassion and forgiveness and are the fruit of a heart that is obedient to washing away any temptations Satan plugs in there that appeal to our “wisdom” and discernment over and above God’s. Greed and indifference I have come to understand through my own spiritual formation journey, are the two greatest systemic sins to which a lot of ugly, withering fruit of the world is born. These are everything from narcissism, idolatry, bigotry, racism, politicking and all forms of divisive judgments and pronouncements, we levee against one another in the “guise” of “Justice.”

The closing Beatitudes of Jesus speak about peace—living it, making it and dealing with persecution.  He said these not just for the disciples gathered on that mount, but He reveals a profound truth, reality to what we can expect the Kingdom of God to truly be, once we take His teachings here, seriously.  This profound truth is a heart, soul and landscape in harmony with God and the whole of creation—an unfathomable peace! This peace follows that wonderful meme: Know Jesus, Know Peace.  For as we know—when we live unto ourselves—curved inward in a self-justifying reality—there is No Jesus and No real peace.  There is death, destruction, anarchy, divisiveness, politicking and a myriad of other evils Satan is using to tear down the foundation of the Kingdom!

Being a Christian in this day and age is going to put you into those shoes of Isaiah 50.  Being a Christian who truly believes, receives, incorporates and shares—living and blessed to be a blessing to others will have other pull at you, labeling you with their politics, and other “tolerant” judgments… Being a Christian today, takes a brave but gentle heart—built by LOVE!  At the very beginning of my journey was a pastor who truly lived into kindness and more or less harbored a beautiful attitude.  It had nothing to do with beauty as we understand it, but where his faith shined literally through everything he did and said.  As a brother in Christ, I could actually say that I loved him for his attitude alone.  Isn’t this, what it’s all supposed to be about?

Let Us Pray,

Ever Gracious Teacher are You, Lord Jesus

You continue to encourage and love us

Even when we act through our foolish wisdom

Your Beatitudes are a challenge for us

But we must be ready and willing to grow

If not out of Love for You, Love and compassion for one another

To KNOW YOU and KNOW PEACE!

To Thine always be the Grace and Glory—AMEN

January 29th 2017; Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany; Year A; SOLA Lectionary

Sermon By: Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Psalm 15; Micah 6:1-8;  1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12

Below is the link to this sermon's delivery at the Grace Hub's 8am service:
https://youtu.be/LyYd7Alv32o

"Flipping the Switch;" Sermon for Sunday January 22nd, 2017 by: Rev. Nicole A.M. Collins

I don’t know if you have mischievous children or pets who once you’ve flipped the light switch on to see what’s going on, they scurry and hide?  This is the lightest way to begin thinking about something profoundly dark—FEAR.  And Fear can be pretty dark—it is basically, the “mood lighting” to the landscape of that graceless wilderness.  This is the one humanity chooses to do battle in, either for what is truly righteous, or more often, to wallow in for what is best for the self.  We’re not listening to the hope and challenge the Psalmist’s prayer is illumining for us, hear!  He says: “¹The Lord is my light and my salvation; WHOM shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Well brothers and sisters, what are we really afraid of? Discipleship isn’t easy stuff and it IS ‘beyond’ us—but in a good way! Remember the world doesn’t revolve around us, neither does the Son!  We, are called by Christ Jesus, to go out into the world—into its ebb and flow, with our ego shredded and left as fertilizer, for that New Natured humility to be reaped and to reign over our hearts—guiding the fruits of our hands and feet! Taking on the “office” of ministry is the varied role within the priesthood of all believers.  It isn’t a 9 to 5 “job” either—it is a life-time’s journey, one, where the suffering will be great, but the Joy and Grace of its promise—are revealing, and glorious to God.

I remembered an ironic cartoon parody of mission and accountability, in of all things, a “Family Guy” Christmas episode.  Basically Stewie and Brian go off to find the North Pole to have it out with Santa….  When they get there, they find the North Pole in shambles, Santa at death’s door, mutant-overworked elves and killer reindeer. The overall message behind the sarcasm and clever quips is that here was a person who gave everything they could to accomplish their goals but just couldn’t make it.  They weren’t making it because of the selfishness and indifference of those they were seeking to serve. Whom he was seeking to serve essentially chose not to step up to task and assist.  They just wanted, what they wanted, when they wanted it—there was no reasoning or call to unity to work together for a greater purpose at all.

The ending of the episode, of course, had a happy ending where everyone around the world agreed to ask for only one Christmas gift…  Pure fantasy and wishful thinking, but when you think about where the world has been these days—there, is a message of hope through compromise, through a heart seeking the light—the light of peace and encouragement.  There will be many moments on the road to discipleship, where out of fear and darkness; we choose to go to war.  This can be a war of words, or a physical altercation that does not bear any New Nature fruits whatsoever—only destruction.  It bears the fruits of hate under the guise of “resistance” and condemnation under the guise of “justice.”  All of what I’ve just said is coming from a global and a national point of view.  What about on an individual level—a spiritual level?

The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways to reveal how the Word needs to be incorporated and shared in preaching…  For all week long, my heart has been seeing and feeling the fear fed by the polarizing perspectives of one group versus the other and so on and so forth.  People setting cars on fire, breaking windows, looting, shooting and trampling upon one another—utterly divided by a dark passion—FEAR.  Fear being fueled by the evil one to not sit down, come to the table in peace and work for the common good of all!  Jesus starts His ministry in this week’s Gospel text by not only offering—come and follow me but declaring: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

The reality of the Kingdom of God, as Jesus preaches it here, is in essence to mean: It is already and not yet a complete reality…  It is a combination of Hope and challenges upon the human spirit—meaning something we are to gear up our hearts to work for, to willingly and selflessly strive for—transformation.  The yoke of oppression we placed upon ourselves comes from the “gospel of the self”—our fear of losing control and power over others.  The substructure to this fear is a complete lack of trust—not necessarily coming from a humble place, but a place that has not seen the light of love and the beauty of what poor St. Paul was trying to teach the wayward Corinthians to see and become. He reaches out to them saying:  “¹⁰Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.”

He continues to say those powerfully beautiful and profound Words—“¹⁸For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the very power of God.” FEAR as we have been witnessing in the world and in this country as I speak—is the burden, oppressive yoke of lacking faith, period! Perhaps to those who can’t understand or want to live beyond the self—faith, like the Cross of Christ is folly and idealism that doesn’t work within their perception or perspective of “real” life.  The problem is though, that tolerance is not an acceptable Band-Aid to acceptance. Resistance does not incorporate humility and certainly does not seek to reach out and come to the table of peace in conversation and compromise. Compromise is not an “either or” reality it is finding a middle road, a starting point of bearing hope—LIGHT together! Again, let us hear that faithful plea: Be United in the same mind and purpose.  This same mind and purpose is lived faithfully, beyond the self, for and through, the Love of God and neighbor. This IS the reality of ministry for the disciple of Jesus, period.

One commentary I read this past week said that an ideal is never yours until it comes out of your being—mouth, hands and feet. This is taking on the task of discipleship—living faith as a prayerful action centered in peace—the light of Christ.  It is never a self-righteous action neither is it a works righteous movement as an individual or within the Body for a goal, purpose. In many ways it is like flipping on the switch to turn towards the real and true light of living a life grounded and entrusted to Christ.  It is hearing the voice of God calling you to not only come and see but to follow the mission of the Gospel—to bring all people from all nations under the light of peace—a reconciling Hope towards the Kingdom to come.

Coming from the “day in the life” of discipleship, sometimes I wonder if we give ourselves enough time with God?  That one on one time with God is critically important and this goes beyond prayer and meditation.  It is even more important to humanity to come and see, come to join together in worship or service as the Body.  This past week had a wonderful blessing as a part of my Visiting Angels service of spiritual care; I was afforded the pleasure to bring an elderly man to his daily mass at a monastery and nursing home called: Little Sisters of the Poor. 

As a “Protestant,” sitting in a Roman Catholic service can make you feel perhaps like you have a giant bullseye around you—in essence labeling you subconsciously as an outsider.  I fought those feelings especially when the nuns began to sing and the peace of Christ did truly flow in the air.  By the end of the week, I saw those services or masses as a kind of spiritual formation vitamin that not only this man needed, but that I needed as well and it was hope-filled in a universal way. The moment when I started to lay my fears aside and began to trust in a greater purpose… is when that light switch got flipped for me and I knew unity, I knew peace.  God IS with us and I no longer fear…  My heart did say come and seek His face.  Teach me O Lord Your way!

Yes, Teach me O Lord Your ways.  Lead me with that glorious light to break down fear.  Help me to turn those moments of darkness into fertilizer for Your New Nature treatise upon our hearts to transform to.  There is a vast sea out there of many minds and bodies, the task and the cost of being Your disciple is great upon me, but I must always remember how You saved me and gave my life, New Purpose!  Your Gospel is the thread to my New life in You for Your sake and glory and for the love of neighbor.  If we truly aspire to come near to the Kingdom, it cannot be found or realized in the darkness.  We cannot create “real” progress making any nation great again through war, dissent, violence and self-righteous hatred.

Let us pray,

Gracious and Loving God

We often place ourselves in times of trial

We do this when the darkness of Fear implanted by the temptation of the Evil One

Rules over our frail humanity

Peace, then, only is born through violence

This is our broken promise to You

To live as faithful disciples guided by Your light—trusting in Your light

We need to reconcile, turn on that switch

And live as the unified children of grace and promise

Our purpose is to live towards the Kingdom to come.

AMEN

January 22nd, 2017; Third Sunday after the Epiphany; Year A; SOLA Lectionary

Sermon By: Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Psalm 27:1-14; Isaiah 9:1- 4; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-25

The link below is to this sermon's delivery at the Grace Hub's 8am service:
https://youtu.be/Z-RWCx8va5Y

"Empowered Purpose;" Sermon for January 15th, 2017 by: Rev. Nicole A.M. Collins

What we choose to do with the story of our lives, paints the window of influence for others, some of whom we may never get a chance to meet. The world often, for the disciple, doesn't offer any comfort or encouragement yet alone definition... The Truth is however, that we need direction. We need to hear, crave to hear, that voice calling out to our soul... where to next, God? Where do you truly need me to be? More often the world clouds out that inner light: What should we do, will it really matter? It takes opening that pulled down shade that is covering our hopefulness, shielding our hearts, to let the light of Christ paint over the grey of those dismal clouded skies, that bleak outlook and restore, renew it with a boundless blue.....

A couple of years back, there was a great TV series on called Smallville. If anyone recalls it, it featured this song with the person singing out: "Somebody save me!" We all need someone and God truly, is the one who does the saving, though we often find ourselves lost in coming to see, realize God's work right under our very noses! I’m sorry, but Peter was hardly a rock and hardly someone we should have put on any kind of leadership pedestal to carry on the mission of the Gospel.  In my book, St. Paul is the one who has truly proved to be that underdog "super hero" of the early church.... His whole self, experienced God's call from his Old Natured role into his New Nature reality!

The Apostle Paul was the first church planter.  That’s something that perhaps we haven’t spent enough time grasping the magnitude of his evangelical accomplishments in that role.  Church planting is tough work.  People have a hard time taking you seriously. Some will say: “Oh, it’s a personal enterprise or your own business…” Try dealing with those horrible online job applications… They make it near impossible to “explain” your efforts…  It may not be said right to your face, but that’s what a lot of people think.  This goes back though, to the chicken or the egg theory.  How can you have an established community if it was never initially planted in the first place?  Ok, let your jaw drop to the floor.  That little church down around the corner was started a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far way… NO not really, but it had to begin somewhere?!

We have lost touch on appreciating the past yet alone encouraging the efforts in this “post-modern” evangelical landscape those who need to learn and experience planting a real, actual “church!”  I’ve experienced church planting 3 times so far, but how often is that appreciated yet alone for the fact of my being a woman?  Sadly, we’re supposed to be in the early years of the 21^st century, but, truth be told, there isn’t even any funding available to a church planter, who is a woman… Trust me, I looked… I sometimes wonder, if I put on a fake mustache and lower my voice… how would that “enhance” and specialize or “legitimize” my ministry efforts?!  This is just one reality of stumbling blocks faced for those seeking to serve within the communal Body—Christ church.

All of today’s lessons weave a beautiful message of reminder and encouragement that we are ALL called—internally and externally to serve. Christ Jesus Himself, taught us that the path to true leadership is service to others.  John the Baptist, perhaps one of my favorite “voices” to preparing our path to ‘coming to see’ the Lord said—“it wasn’t about him that drove me to do what I needed to—it was God’s call upon me, period.”  In essence He felt in his heart that God indeed planted objective and purpose in his soul for the mission to evangelize…  This gave his life true meaning and purpose!

Speaking of meaning and purpose; Jesus saw potential in us.  This was because He could truly see inside someone’s heart—that 1^st church and how active and faithful it is!  That’s why those around Him at the time as well as many of us today marvel that He renamed and encouraged Peter to be and become the “rock” to His church. Let’s just say that, Peter was not necessarily “ideal material” to become an evangelist yet alone as our Roman brothers and sisters have honored him with—the 1^st head of the church in the world for the Gospel!  His three-time denial alone, would’ve gotten him crossed off the short list…  Could you just imagine today, if any of the disciples had to fill out one of those online application forms? I think most of them would’ve gotten the algorithm’s ax! But this proves the magnificent love of God to give everyone the chance and capacity to become a light to the nations—out into that graceless wilderness of hostility and misunderstanding!  A graceless wilderness that is in spiritual exile from daring to “blurt out” the Truth—we need someone to save us!

We need someone to save us from ourselves—from our politicking, grand-standing, violence and anger over a world we cannot control… What we think we want to do, more often, is wrapped around the self, and carries no true light outward into the world for a purpose God is seeking for us to realize—one that is, beyond the self!  I was delighted the other day to be serving once again at the Blessing Bench Pantry. I haven’t been able to engage in that ministry for quite a while.  It was nice seeing friendly faces and catch up on conversations.  It was most importantly empowering for me to be reminded about this 12 year plus journey of answering God’s call. What was it that made me listen—to come and see; live into a New Life Christ had planned for me? Was it because I didn’t feel planted?  My heart wasn’t fully grounded in where I was before—I was lost, in that wilderness…  Seeking someone to save me and give my life New Meaning—LIGHT!

One of the joys I have had from my church planting experiences is building those ministries.  I would love to create many opportunities for people to serve outside of that “Sunday-only-mentality…”  I would love to have a food pantry in the next place God leads me to serve in. Not having a building is a stumbling block BUT having the faith to move that seeming mountain of challenges you need to work from and above—makes a world of difference!  That chicken before the egg theory perplexes us here.  How can you plant a church if there is no “ground?”  That’s not true at all—there IS definitely ground there and the most important one, as far as God is concerned: that ground is the heart!

Ministry can happen anywhere~ scary thought huh?  Are we doing that? Have we been encouraged to?  Probably not too much… Facing the facts of where the world is these days, things have to change, period.  Human nature or the Old Nature hates change, it’s unstable, insecure… let’s protest it instead.  Let’s harbor judgment and anger towards our neighbor instead of sitting down and working together—doing, accomplishing the ministry of a life we were CALLED to lead!  Sometimes I don’t think we understand the whole purpose of community or “church” at all.  It is a place of sanctuary, or sometimes seen as a place of “entertainment and feel-good activities…”  It may been even seen as a ship passing in the night, while we’re on the shores missing most of its message and motivation upon us to BE and DO things together for a greater goal!

My friend and colleague in Finland amazes me, he, like I, is engaged in the near full time ministry of “planting.”  He unlike me, has the barrier of learning Finnish to ground his missionary ministries over there.  Speaking for myself, I want to take what I have learned from creating, planting ministries (without the chicken or the egg) and renew, restore churches abroad.  Just like John the Baptist though, the voice must never stop—gotta keep on preachin’ and teachin’ till all come and see the magnificence the Gospel has in store for each and everyone of us, indiscriminately—internally and externally! God gave each and everyone of us spiritual gifts to tap into—USE them!  Incorporate them with that light needing to break into your heart to empower you to serve! Here’s the “Epiphany” of this week’s Gospel—the genesis of your New life is changing and challenging you to grow and GO with the Good News.

I’ll leave you with one last reflection upon this past week—where the Living Word reveals “little” but grand things to you…  I was subbing for another spiritual caregiver through Visiting Angels, the other day, who has shingles in her eyes…. Yikes!  Anyway, the elderly man I was to watch over, I came to find out, really just needs someone to help him come to church every morning.  He is a devout Roman Catholic. Even before I was helping him to get ready to go, his daughter had a tablet set up on the kitchen table for him to watch and listen to a church choir, while he has his breakfast.  In fact, throughout their home, I was amazed how incorporated their lives were with their faith.  Beyond pictures of Jesus on nearly every wall, there were books, videos and even lay ministry materials to be found just about every surface you looked.  For this family, every day was incorporated with the Gospel!  The more I came to know the family and their grandfather, this was internal as well.

Not everyone has those same kind of markers that a pastor dreams of seeing as the “fruits of their evangelism” to come and see—follow Jesus… But when we truly begin to take those steps in coming to see, learn and grow from Jesus, it’s a grand beginning.  Even if it seems just a very small step. What we do otherwise however, often places measures, barriers, and judgments upon others. This is not how God sees the world to transform in becoming.  It is not how God has called us.  He has called us to be His children of Grace and Promise, which is a two way street for our response—our incorporation of His gifts into our everyday lives, which live into our promise, through gracious behavior and ministry to our neighbor.

Let us Pray,

Loving and Gracious God

Help us to become lights of the Gospel’s truth to the world

Save us from ourselves—our self-concerned objectives and purposes

Help us to reap our spiritual gifts to bear gracious fruit

Where we realize Your calling upon our hearts

And answer, finding genuine meaning—peace and Joy

For Your love and glory

AMEN

January 15th, 2017; Second Sunday after the Epiphany; Year A; SOLA Lectionary

Sermon by: Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Psalm 40:1-11; Isaiah 49:1-7; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42

Below is the link to this sermon's delivery at the 8am Grace Hub's service
https://youtu.be/KPa-VlqdxVM