Sermons by Jeff Cottone (Page 35)

Sermons by Jeff Cottone (Page 35)

Jesus & His Own – John 1:1-18

[The beginning of this sermon was not recorded] This text is John’s famous prologue, which tells us 3 things about Jesus: 1) Who he is – the eternal, fully divine, Son of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us; 2) Why he came  – to bring light into darkness and life into death; and 3) How the world responded – ultimately, there are only 2 responses to Jesus: acceptance or rejection. Though he came to “his own” who should have recognized him,…

A Downcast Spirit – Psalm 42

The Psalmist shows us what it looks like to have, and struggle through, a downcast spirit. The Psalmist 1) thirsts, 2) listens to himself, and 3) talks to himself. He recognizes that God is the only thing that satisfies his spiritual thirst, but nevertheless feels distant from him. He lets his emotions speak, but doesn’t let them have the last word – instead, he speaks God’s truth back into how he feels and resolves to continue to hope in and praise…

The God who Never Slumbers – Psalm 121

This Psalm teaches us of 1) our need for divine help, and 2) the nature of divine help. We are completely needy and dependent upon God our creator. And, He “never slumbers nor sleeps” in his watching over of his people, but is fully engaged and attentive to them and their needs. He is never absent, even in the dark times of life, and we can be assured that he is always bringing about our ultimate good, and keeping us from ultimate…

When the Ungodly Prosper – Psalm 73

Have you ever wondered if following Jesus is worth it? In Psalm 73, the Psalmist observes around him ungodly people who prosper in life, and he is tempted to envy them: they have it better, easier, and happier. He looks at his own life, and wonders if he he has been faithful to God in vain. The Psalmist moves from a certain conviction (v1), to a (seeming) conflicting reality (2-15), to a changed perspective (16-28).

Redemption & Restoration – Ruth 4

In this chapter we see Boaz initiating and securing Naomi & Ruth’s redemption, at great cost to himself. We also see Naomi’s restoration, who went from full to empty, back to full again. These, though, are just dim shadows in comparison to the redemption and restoration we find in Jesus. Finally, we see the resulting family tree of King David, who himself points ahead to King Jesus. In Matthew chapter 1, we see Jesus’ family tree, which includes outsiders and…

An Outsider’s Welcome – Ruth 2

Henri Nouwen wrote that loneliness is one of the most widespread diseases of our time. There are many who are looking for a home, a family, a place to belong, yet often this evades us in our world. In Ruth 2, Ruth enters onto the scene of Israelite society – in every way an outsider, yet Boaz notices her, welcomes her, meets her needs, and shows great kindness to her. The church should be a community of Boaz’s to a world of Ruth’s.…

Full to Empty – Ruth 1

In the opening verses of the book of Ruth, Naomi experiences great tragedy and loss. She is a sufferer, who is struggling to hold on to any hope. And, though she sees God’s hand in her tragedy, she has concluded that God is against her and that she has returned “empty” – even though Ruth returns with her in a great display of devotion and faithfulness. Suffering can have the effect of impairing our vision – just like Naomi, it can lead us to idealize the past…

Jonah’s Complaint…God’s Compassion – Jonah 4

In chapter 4 we see the height of Jonah’s self-righteousness and hypocrisy. Though he is glad for his own salvation, he is angry about Nineveh’s. Though he is angry about a plant’s perishing, he is unconcerned about a city’s perishing. Though he is concerned for the life of the plant, he charges God with wrongdoing for being concerned with a whole city of lost people. Jonah chapter 4 teaches us that God is a God of compassion, whose compassion is bestowed…

God Calls Again…Jonah Goes – Jonah 3

God’s second call to Jonah shows us that, despite Jonah’s resistance, God is still committed to reaching the lost. It also shows us that God’s patience and willingness to use failures. Nineveh’s genuine repentance is a surprising contrasts to Jonah’s – which only appears to be skin-deep.

Jonah Sinks…God Saves – Jonah 1:17 – 2:10

We sometimes think that salvation is about us doing what we can and God meeting us halfway. But Jonah’s rescue from the depths of the sea is a picture of how we are rescued from sin & death: Jonah’s contribution is to sink in utter helplessness with nothing of his own to offer … God’s contribution is to graciously and powerfully accomplish his salvation. Jonah’s prayer in chapter 2 expresses his thankfulness for God’s gracious salvation. But, read in light of…

God Calls … Jonah Flees – Jonah 1:1-16

When God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh, he tries to flee. Though God is full of compassion, even for his enemies, Jonah lacks compassion and so wants no part of God’s mission. But God graciously pursues rebels like Jonah and like us.