Sermons by “Rev. John R. Larson”

A Man After God’s Own Heart

God’s own heart has to be our heart. We want our children and grandchildren and every generation to come to trust in Jesus for their forgiveness and eternal salvation. We want them to be certain of the love of God that brings them the joy of heaven. We want them to follow God in the strength of His Spirit and in the guidance of God’s Word.

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A Divided House

I started this sermon talking about the divisions that existed that day between Jesus and His family. I spoke about the division that existed when He was accused of being in bed with the devil, as well as the divisions that exist in our own soul due to our choices. But Christ brings unity with God through His blood. He unifies our broken relationship by His mighty work. He brings peace to us.

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Duties Next Step

Do you know what duties next step is? It is delight. Delight. We have so many “have to’s” and “ought-to’s” and “must’s” in life, even in relation to what God is asking of us. But what if we can combine the “have to’s” with a “want to” and a yearning to do something good and right?

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One Odd Prayer

But why would a prayer be made on a wedding day that includes tears and hurts and failure? Why would that be your prayer on this big day? Well, I use it on a wedding day because I think it is the right prayer for that great day. And today I pray that prayer for you because it is the right thing to ask of God for you. “Lord, give them enough tears to keep them tender, enough hurts to keep them humane and enough failure to keep their hands clenched tightly in Thine.” That odd prayer is my prayer for you.

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Protected By Truth

Got it? Quality time. Self. Being Connected. Now I hope my dear wife, a mother of three and grandma of 10 gets that new driver that she has been thinking about for a long time, but maybe she wants something more. Maybe all of you, mom’s, dad’s, kids, those who are single all want the same thing – that close connection to others, their time, their heart.

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What About The Ascension?

The Ascension is about Him, as it should be. But, quite amazingly, He turns it back to us. He spoke about His leaving quite often. Of course, when His followers heard Him talk of leaving it made them sad.

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Reasons Not To Believe

Don’t believe in false teachings – it messes with your soul. And don’t let faith be trapped in the heart – it must be expressed in life. John speaks about a true faith and then about a true love. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love…Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (I John 4:7-8, 11-12)

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Strike 3! You’re Safe

It is a marvel seeing God bringing His times of refreshing to us. It is His work and He is intent on bringing that to us. Christ dies for sin and rises again and we are forgiven, we are refreshed through this gift. Three strikes? You’re still safe.

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Getting It Right

I know that you already know all about Easter and I can’t tell you any more – but this is what I think Easter is all about. It is about us living with God’s love confidently and securely. Easter is about living life knowing that when we die we will live the life God always wanted us to have. Easter is this: It is a matter of first importance: Christ died for our sins, He was buried and on the third day He came back to life.

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The Right Place

It is easier to be in the wrong place. The wrong place doesn’t take any courage. You can let others lead you. You can go along with what the latest change of culture and values are. The wrong place usually means that we got our way, we stepped in and made sure our needs were met.

But the right place, that is the best place. The right place is the place of faith and trust. The right place puts all needs now, and in the future, into God’s hands.

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