Sermons from St. John’s Episcopal Church

1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31 Fr. Houk defines the meaning of "steward" and preaches on St. Paul's words to Timothy in 1 Tim 6:6-19. 

From the propers this week, Father Harris takes us into Jesus’ stark reminder: “You cannot serve God and wealth.” Behind that simple phrase lies a deep battle between two cosmic realities: the God who gives life, and Mammon, the whispering force that breeds fear, control, and endless craving. The parable of the shrewd manager, a bewildering story shrouded in confusion, reveals the unsettling weight of wealth, and Christ’s call to seek the true riches of friendship and hospitality.

Philippians 2:5-11; John 12:31-36a. The cross tells us everything we need to know about who God is and what our lives are about.

Jeremiah 1:4-10. Every Christian is called to be part of Jesus’s ministering community.

From the propers this week, Father Harris offers a meditation on the nature of our Christian vocation - what exactly does God want us to do? The images from the Gospel of Luke seem daunting: fire, division, hypocrisy. Yet, taken as a whole, the meaning of that fire, of that division, may be surprising.

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20. The prophet Isaiah forces us with a serious question: How is your worship working out in your life?

Luke 12:13-21. Jesus’s parable of the rich fool challenges us to reflect on what life is supposed to be about.

Luke 11:1-13. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he didn’t tell them to pray better. Rather, he challenged them to think better of God.

Isaiah 40:1–5, Acts 13:14b–26, John 1:19–28. On St. John’s 79th birthday as a parish, Fr. Houk preaches on why it is great to be a church named after John the Baptist.

1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a. The most important part of the story of Elijah at Mt. Horeb seems to be a secret.