Sermons

12/11/22 The Blessing of Believing

The Blessing of Believing by Rev. L. John GableDecember 11, 2022             What would you say is the benefit of believing?  I asked that rather open ended question to the group gathered for Bible Study this past Wednesday morning.  What is the benefit or blessing...

12/4/22 From Silence to Singing

From Silence to Singing by Rev. L. John GableDecember 4, 2022             I imagine many of you don’t know my story; even I wasn’t able to tell it for many months.  My name is Zechariah.  I am a priest in the order of Abijah, and a descendant of the High Priest...

11/27/22 Speaking for God–Christ the Priest

Speaking for God--Christ the Priest by Rev. L. John GableNovember 27, 2022             If you were to look for an answer to the question we’ve been asking recently, “Who is Jesus Christ and what did He come to do?” my guess is you would begin by looking in the New...

11/20/22 Speaking for God–Christ the King

Speaking for God--Christ the King by Rev. L. John GableNovember 20, 2022             There is a scene in Lloyd Douglas’ book, The Robe, in which a slave character named Demetrius pushes through a crowd in Jerusalem to see who is at the center of attention.  Suddenly,...

11/13/22 Speaking for God–Christ the Prophet

Speaking for God--Christ the Prophet by Rev. L. John GableNovember 13, 2022             The Gospels give us curious insight into numerous conversations which Jesus had with His disciples.  One day at Caesarea Philippi, He asked them, “Who do people say that I am? ...

10/23/22 Hearing and Doing

Hearing and Doing by Rev. L. John GableOctober 23, 2022             Every good public speaker knows that beginnings and endings are very important.  Beginnings need to reach out and grab the listeners in order to bring them, as quickly as possible, from where they are...

10/16/22 Decisions, Decisions

Decisions, Decisions by Rev. L. John GableOctober 16, 2022             As brilliant as he was, Albert Einstein was also known to be terribly absent-minded.  Perhaps it is urban legend, but supposedly one day he called the operator in Princeton, New Jersey, asking...

10/9/22 Don’ts and Dos

Dont's and Do's by Rev. L. John GableOctober 9, 2022 In our Sermon on the Mount lesson this morning Jesus’ teaching gets very practical.  He gives us two “don’ts” and two “dos”. His first “don’t” has to do with our judging of others and in a word He says, “Don’t”. ...

9/25/22 Treasures

Treasures by Rev. L. John GableSeptember 25, 2022             “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where rust and moth consume and where thieves break in and steal.”  While many of Jesus’ teachings can seem to be a bit esoteric and difficult to...

9/18/22 Tab’s Creation Story

The Tab Creation Story by Rev. L. John GableSeptember 18, 2022             In his book, The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, Steven Sample, former president of the University of Southern California, suggests that every organization or institution has what he calls a...

9/11/22 The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord's Prayer by Rev. L. John GableSeptember 11, 2022             Very early in my ministry I was asked by a man in our church to visit his sister-in-law who had become critically ill while visiting from out of town and had to be hospitalized.  He explained that...

9/4/22 The Pitfalls of Piety

The Pitfalls of Piety by Rev. L. John GableSeptember 4, 2022             This morning we come to a turning point in Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.  Having spoken about the “what” of the blessing of the Beatitudes, the call to be salt and light and His...

8/28/22 You Have Heard it Said

You Have Heard it Said by Rev. L. John GableAugust 28, 2022 We commonly refer to this story as being The Parable of the Prodigal Son (prodigal meaning reckless, spendthrift, spend until there’s nothing left), but is it really?  Is this boy really the focal point of...

8/14/22 Setting the Bar

Setting the Bar by Rev. L. John GableAugust 14, 2022             Have you ever found yourself thinking that you like the Jesus of the New Testament more than you do the God of the Old Testament?  That Jesus is the kind and gentle and approachable One while God comes...

7/17/22 O, the Joy of Being Down and Out

O, the Joy of Being Down and Out by Rev. L. John GableJuly 17, 2022 As we launch in to the adventure of our study of the Sermon on the Mount (and I heard your auditory gasp last week when I said we were going to take 16 weeks to walk through this most essential...

7/10/22 O, the Joy of Being Destitute

O, the Joy of Being Destitute by Rev. L. John GableJuly 10, 2022             Little more than two weeks ago I stood with our group of Tab travelers on what is called the Mount of the Beatitudes, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and recited this teaching of our Lord...

7/3/22 Gleanings…So Far (Part 2)

Gleanings...So Far (Part 2) by Rev. L. John GableJuly 3, 2022             Those of you who were with us in worship last week will remember that I began sharing with you gleanings that I have gathered about life and ministry over the first 40 years of my ministry.  I...

6/26/22 Gleanings…So Far (Part 1)

Gleanings...So Far (Part 1) by Rev. L. John GableJune 26, 2022             Forty years ago this month, on June 20, 1982, I was ordained to the Gospel ministry at my home church in St. Louis.  Since graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary that year, Kris and I...

6/12/22 Life in the Spirit

Life in the Spirit by Rev. L. John GableJune 12, 2022             Perhaps you are aware that the Church operates on a different calendar than does the rest of society.  Rather than our following a calendar that goes from January 1 to December 31, the Church follows a...

6/5/22 Born of the Spirit

Born of the Spirit by Rev. L. John GableJune 5, 2022 One doesn’t have to be around us Presbyterians very long to discover that we like to be in control.  We like to be in control of our lives and our environments and our emotions.  We like to plan our work and work...

5/29/22 The Work We Do in the Meantime

The Work We Do in the Meantime by Rev. L. John GableMay 29, 2022 I wish I could say I was intentional in planning it this way, but I will confess that I was not.  Last Sunday we finished our nearly six month study of John’s Gospel and next Sunday is Pentecost, the day...

5/22/22 What About Him?

What About Him? by Rev. L. John GableMay 22, 2022             Have you ever had the occasion of spending an evening with family or friends during which you sat around the table talking and telling stories, some new, others well-known and well-worn, only to find...