The Shepherd King | Micah 5
King Hezekiah faced some serious obstacles in his lifetime. During his lifetime the Assyrian army, a military force known for their brutality and strength, ransacked Judah and gathered right outside Jerusalem’s walls. The king of Assyria, Sennacherib, sent his messenger to mock Hezekiah and the God of Israel (Isa 36:1-2). We see this in verse 1. Micah 5:1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek…
A Day of Justice & Peace | Micah 4
I want you to imagine a single day of perfect justice and peace. What would that be like? All the wars around the world would cease. All the jails and prisons would empty. It would be a boring day on Wall Street. Washington DC would be quiet and Hollywood would be clothed. All the abortion clinics would offer care for pregnant moms without offering abortions. The homeless would be fed and clothed and have a warm bed to sleep in. …
Just Power | Micah 3
When you think of “power” what do you think of? The pink energizer bunny? Your local power station? Powerade? Maybe you think of superheroes and villains each have a power they can wield to either help or hurt humanity. Maybe you think of your boss or the President. Each one has power. What is power? Is power the strongest person in the room? Is power violence? Power can mean a lot of things but when I say power today I’m…
Justice Served | Micah 2
What is the greatest commandment in the Bible? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matt 22:37) What is the second greatest commandment? “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39) So the greatest commandments are “love God” and “love others.” What is idolatry? Idolatry is when we break the first and greatest commandment. It’s when we love anything more than God. Our sermon series is God of Justice.…
Why Micah? | Micah 1
Did you know? “When the Library of Congress in Washington DC was rebuilt in the late nineteenth century, prominent religious leaders, after considering notable quotes from all known religious literature, chose Micah 6:8 as the motto for the alcove of religion.” The inscription reads, “What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” Chances are that most of us have heard verses from Micah, such as this promise…
The Armor of God | Ephesians 6:10-24
Today we are at the end of our series in Ephesians. This has been an exciting study. This letter transformed the early church and hopefully it will transform our church, As well as our homes and our society. This was Paul’s prayer and it is my prayer. Paul’s prayer and my prayer is not that you will be inspired but that you will be transformed. Today’s section of scripture begins with Paul trying to prepare us for the battles that…
A New Society | Ephesians 6:1-9
Have you ever received a letter from someone that was 4 or 5 pages? What do you do? You read it right? Most of us would read the whole letter. We would never just read one paragraph each week for 12 weeks. The book of Ephesians is a letter. The problem is that we have taken many weeks to study it and sometimes we get lost in the details and lose track of the main point. So, today, before…
Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols Explaining Christmas Hymns
Christmas Eve Lesson #1 Do we worship baby Jesus? Welcome to our lessons and carols Christmas Eve service. My name is Jonathan Romig and I am the Pastor of this church. We’ve just opened our time by singing O Come, All Ye Faithful. I think this is a great Christmas carol to open with because it’s invitation to us to come and worship Christ Jesus. But who is the Jesus we’ve come to worship? I once saw a scene in…
Marriage Part 2: Husbands | Ephesians 5:25-33
Today we are finishing our two-part series on marriage. Last week I spoke to the wives and this week I’m speaking to the husbands. If you missed last week, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to it because tonight’s sermon is half the story. Even if you’re not a wife, it’s helpful to understand the wife’s role, or if you’re not married how you can encourage your married friends or prepare for marriage. Husbands, I’d encourage you to…
Marriage Part 1: Wives | Ephesians 5:21-24
Today’s sermon is the first part of a two part-series out of Ephesians on marriage. This week I’m talking to wives and next week I’m talking to husbands. All I have to say to wives is that you’re awesome. The end… I’m just kidding, but when I told my plan to several Cornerstone women about preaching on wives one week and husbands the next I could tell it made them each a little nervous. But if you think you’re nervous.…
Immorality. Darkness. Thanksgiving. | Ephesians 5:1-20
My sister-in-law recently poked fun at me by posting this meme on my Facebook page. It pictures a rather stiff looking aristocrat at a sporting event clapping and saying, “I say, what a rather robust group of fellows. Which color are we rooting for?” She knows I don’t really do sports. I don’t watch football or basketball or baseball or golf except for when I’m with friends or family. But I still want to try and start today’s sermon with…
Think Differently | Ephesians 4:17-32
Have you ever met your doppelgänger? A doppelgänger is someone who looks like you but isn’t related to you. This is an example of a doppelgänger. A wedding photographer met his doppelgänger flying from Ireland to Scotland. I met my doppelgänger when I lived in Falls Church VA. We attended the same church and people would walk up to him and say, “Hi Jonathan.” His name is Russell. In Ephesians Paul calls the church the body of Christ (Eph 4:15-16).…