Pastor Craig's ConSpiritu Blog

Sermon, December 11, 2011, Advent 3 Rev. Dr. Craig Strobel LUKE 3:7-18 3:7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 3:8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 3:9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." 3:10 And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" 3:11 In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." 3:12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" 3:13 He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." 3:14 Soldiers also asked him, ...

Sermon, November 27, 2011 Advent 1 Rev. Dr. Craig S. Strobel Luke 1:68-79 Luke 3:1-6 Luke 1:68-79   67John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:       68"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,          because he has come and has redeemed his people.       69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us          in the house of his servant David       70(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),       71salvation from our enemies          and from the hand of all who hate us--       72to show mercy to our fathers          and to remember his holy covenant,       73the oath he swore to our father Abraham:       74to rescue us from the ha...

Sermon November 20, 2011 Consecration Sunday Rev. Dr. Craig Strobel Isaiah 6:1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’ 
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’  Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin ...