Sermons by Darryl G. Klassen

 The Questions Series Fasting, according to the Bible, means to stop eating food for a specific time and purpose. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that not many of us practice fasting. We know that the Bible mentions fasting in relation to prayer, and we know that it’s a good practice in general. Then why don’t we do it?             The simple reality is that we just never get around to putting our forks down. We live in a society where food is so plentiful that we don’t need to fast. And the harder truth to admit is that we don’t want to fast. Everywhere we go food is put before us. Whenever Christians gather for fellowship, there must be coffee and something to eat. It’s what we do. You would think that the Greek word for fellowship was “coffee.” (it’s koinonia, which if you stretch it, it sounds like caffeine).             When Jesus preached his sermon on the mount, he addressed three fundamental aspects of religion. In Matthew 6 we read about giving, praying, and fasting. T

The Question Series    When we are suffering, our natural tendency is to think we did something wrong. You may be experiencing something physically painful or debilitating; you may have had a setback in business; or it may be that your relationships are in turmoil. If the source of your trouble is not immediately obvious, you may slip into the default, “I must have sinned.” This mindset leads into the next phase that wonders why God allowed this trial to happen to you. From there, we begin to question God’s goodness in allowing this trial.             Are trials punishment for sin? This is a very good question because we all suffer, and we all find our faith challenged in times of pain. We make assumptions about pain and suffering that border on the superstitious, on presumptions about God and his dealings with us, but what does the Bible say about trials?   A Great Misunderstanding about Suffering   This question is at the heart of the book of Job. While Job is in agony over the loss

     We have all heard many sermons on this classic parable. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most well-known parables in Jesus’ repertoire. Jesus’ original intent in telling this story was to teach the self-righteous Pharisees to show mercy to sinners who repent.               What I would like to do this morning is to take this parable and focus primarily on the father. In conjunction with Father’s Day, I want to both honor and encourage fathers to be like the father in the parable.               I am honestly impressed by the young fathers I see these days. Many of them dote on their toddlers, are involved in feeding and caring for them, and take an active role in parenting. I wish I had your example when I was a young father.               However, it’s when the toddlers grow up that they begin to challenge that love and care. After you have done everything to provide a loving, nurturing, faith-based home that teaches the life of Jesus, some children will stray from th

Have you ever heard of Charles Atlas? He’s an American legend. If you have ever picked up a comic book, you will know why.             Atlas was born Angelo Siciliano and emigrated to the United States in 1903 at the age of ten. As a teenager in Brooklyn, Angelo was weak, slight, and small for his age, and the other kids picked on him. You can understand why he wanted to transform himself.             Apparently, he was inspired by two of his favorite sights in Brooklyn: a statue of Hercules at the Brooklyn Museum, and a lion at the zoo. Angelo was watching the lion stretch his bulging muscles one day. He noted that the lion was muscular without the use of barbells. Instead, the lion pitted his muscles against one another. In other words, Angelo accidentally discovered isometric and isotonic exercises – weight training measures where muscles are held still or tight while tense. An example would be like holding a push-up in the up position as long as possible or standing in a doorway an

On the day of Pentecost, the audience who witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit were perplexed. When Peter explained what had happened and how Jesus Christ, whom they had crucified, was in fact the Lord and Messiah, they were convicted. Perplexed and convicted. What do you do with that mixture of feelings?             Among humankind’s greatest needs is the need to have God’s forgiveness. We carry a ton of guilt, even if we don’t always know its source. In the heart of every person is a sense of falling short, not measuring up, failing to be who they are supposed to be for themselves and others. They don’t know it, but the reason for this discomfort is the absence of relationship with God. Typically, individuals would not identify their need as God’s forgiveness, but that confession would heal the torn soul.              Telling someone that God forgives them may earn you a quizzical look. Sharing with them that Jesus died for the sins of the world will garner admiration. But rev