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The Gospel vs. Everything Else
The Spirit-Inspired Writings of Rev. Aaron Houghton
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Changing God’s Mind
Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Matthew 5:43-48; 1 Colossians 1:15-23 Has your boss at work ever asked you to do a task that you really didn’t want to...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Jan 26, 20185 min read
Can Anything Good Come Out of Nazareth?
John 1:43-51 This week’s text comes from the lectionary. I chose the reading from John’s Gospel and sent in my sermon title long before...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Jan 15, 20185 min read
Who God Says You Are
Mark 1:4-11 At some point in your life you’ve probably questioned your existence. There are a lot of ways to do this, just take the...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Jan 8, 20183 min read
What Do We Do With the Light We’ve Been Given?
Matthew 5:14-16 As a camp counselor, I remember how excited campers were that first night to use their new flashlights that they’d just...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Dec 31, 20175 min read
Do Not Fear: Change
Isaiah 40:3-5; Luke 3:2b-14 “If you do not change direction, you might end up where you are heading.” -Lao Tzu I love this quote from Lao...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Dec 17, 20178 min read
Do Not Fear: Shalom
Exodus 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15 I meant for the sermon title to be “Do Not Fear: Sabbath.” Instead of Sabbath, I typed Shalom. Simple...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Dec 14, 20176 min read
Do Not Fear: Unless...
Matthew 2:1-12 “Do not fear, for I am with you.” These words of comfort stand out to me from the prophecy of Isaiah. They stand out...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Dec 4, 20175 min read
The Joy of Your Master
Matthew 25:14-30 It is traditional to look at the parable of the talents as a lesson about “the obligations of those who have been...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Nov 19, 20176 min read
Words to the Wise
Wisdom 6:12-20; Matthew 25:1-13 “You don’t know the day or the time.” Sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? Especially because parable...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Nov 11, 20175 min read
With All of Your Very
Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18; Matthew 22:34-40 I remember how good it felt to get back a test with a sticker on it. As a...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Oct 29, 20175 min read
Wake
Exodus 33:12-23 I was at White Bank Park yesterday, playing a round of disc golf by the river, and I heard the sound of an approaching...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Oct 22, 20176 min read
Standing in the Breach
Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106: 1-6, 19-23 Had not Moses stood in the breach… What is “the breach”? and what does it mean to stand in it?...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Oct 14, 201711 min read
Why Did It Yield Wild Grapes?
Isaiah 5:1-7; Matthew 21:33-41 “Some nights I come home fightin' mad Feel like runnin' my fist through the wall. Is it even worth it...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Oct 6, 20178 min read
Dirty, Seedy, Fruitful
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 In Mark and Luke’s version of this story, Jesus explicitly tells his disciples that “The seed is the word of God.”...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Oct 6, 20174 min read
Gospel Worthy
Phil. 1:21-30 Thursday night was rough. I was overnight in the hospital with an unhappy young man. He screamed until his voice was gone,...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Sep 26, 20176 min read
Live to the Lord
Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35 I may have already shared this tid-bit with you, but I was a tremendous fan of Dr. Seuss growing up....
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Sep 17, 20176 min read
Love Does No Wrong
Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20 So as I mentioned earlier, Jamie is back in the hospital and is starting to present with symptoms of his...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Sep 10, 20177 min read
Reunited
Genesis 45:1-15 So to make a long story not quite as long…we last left off with Joseph still in prison and the assertion of the narrator...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Sep 5, 20177 min read
Forgotten
Genesis 40 Imagine that you are hearing the Joseph story for the first time and the story teller stops at the end chapter 40, “He did not...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Aug 27, 20177 min read
“Lie” With Me
Genesis 39 One of Aesop’s fables is about two men traveling together: one man was a liar and the other man only told the truth. On their...
Rev. Aaron Houghton
Aug 20, 20176 min read
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