Grace Anglican Church Gastonia, NC

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Virgins Who Live by Faith, Matthew 25.1-13 How do we react when we hear about the wise and foolish virgins? Are we shocked at the wise being the ones who wouldn’t share? Are we surprised that the foolish weren’t around when the bridegroom showed up? How are we to be like the wise and not the foolish? Are we prone to go back and forth in our lives?Image: William Blake, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Christ for All the Saints, Revelation 7, Ephesians 1, Matthew 5 Download When we think of All Saints’ Day, do we think of all the unknown saints who have died, trusting in Jesus? Do we think of how God has worked through all these saints to enable us to become believers? Do we know how saints come to be saints? Do we know how saints live? Do we know that we are saints in communion with the saints in heaven? All of this is covered in Fr. Jeremiah’s sermon and we are encouraged to now walk faithfully in light of the good work that the Father has accomplished through Jesus Christ by the indwelling of the Spirit in all the saints.Image: Andrea di Bonaiuto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran How Do We Love God and Neighbor? Matthew 22.34-46 Image: Love God and Your Neighbor as Yourself, photo taken by Lawrence OP, licensed under: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (no changes made). Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/15630997815/in/photostream/

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Are You a Wicked Guest? Matthew 22.1-14 The wedding feast of the king’s son is ready! All who were invited are to come! Yet, they rejected the final invitation and the king destroyed them and brought in others to celebrate. Amongst them was one without proper wedding attire and he was cast out. What does this all mean? It reminds us that we are to make ourselves ready in light of the invitation of the King to the final wedding feast of the bridegroom, when all is made right and we are renewed. We know that it is coming and we are to be making preparations for that final call, depending upon the Father’s work in us through the Holy Spirit. Image: Brunswick Monogrammist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran The Rejected Tenants, Matthew 21.33-44, Isaiah 5 Image: Jean-François Millet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Which Son are You_ Matthew 21.28-32, Ezekiel 18, Philippians 2.1-13 What is the difference between the two sons in Jesus’ parable? The way each responds to his father’s will reveals the difference. It also reminds us that even though one eventually responds, we need another perfect Son to make a way for mercy to be received for our failure to act, whether we said no and went or said yes and didn’t go. Image: Parable of the Two Sons, Andrei Mironov, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Do You Do Well to be Angry_ Jonah 4, Matthew 20.1-16 When the early workers saw that the Master of the vineyard was paying them the same as the last hour workers, they were angry and jealous of the Master. When Jonah saw that God would relent because of the repentance of the Ninevites, he was angry. In both cases, anger was expressed because of generosity and mercy. Does your anger get the better of you when you see others get grace and mercy? Do you realize that if God didn’t extend grace and mercy to others, he would not extend it to you? Father Jeremiah explains this today and encourages us all to be thankful and rejoice at God’s grace and mercy in Jesus Christ for us all.Image: Jonah Under His Gourd, Maarten van Heemskerck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Forgiving through Receiving Forgivness, Matthew 18.21-35 When St. Peter asked Jesus how much he should forgive his brother who sins against him, Jesus told him that forgiveness must be unlimited because we have been forgiven more by the Father in heaven than any amount of sin that can be done against us by our brother.Image: The Unmerciful Servant, John Everett Millais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Reconciled to Reconcile, Matthew 18.15-20 When Jesus teaches the one must go to a brother who has sinned against him, we must realized what underlies such a command. The purpose of such going is to bring about reconciliation and the reason one would seek reconciliation with another is because Jesus has reconciled his people to himself and the Father. We don’t confront another to lord over them, but out of a heart of brotherly love seeking the other’s repentance not merely to us, but before God himself.Image: The Embrace of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Harvard Art Museums, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Jesus' Cross, My Cross, Matthew 16.21-27 Though St. Peter confessed rightly that Jesus is the Messiah, when Jesus begins teaching what the Messiah must do, St. Peter takes him aside and rebukes him. Why does he do this? How do we do this in our own lives? And what must we do to avoid doing this in our lives always?Image: Take Up Your Cross, picture by LawrenceOP, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (no changes made). Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/50285634921/in/photostream/