Shows
New Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Lord Leads Us HomeFreedom is a fundamental American ideal. But what is freedom, truly? In the Bible we see that Jesus wants to lead us into a life of freedom.
A sermon on the baptism of Jesus.
Sermon Outline:
I. Jesus is baptized to lead the way
II. This way-leader is God Incarnate
III. The Lord Jesus is leading us to the New Creation
Scripture Text: Matthew 3:1-3, 11-17
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by...
2026-01-1828 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Son Visits His FatherStories about Jesus in his childhood are interesting to many. But the only one recorded in the Bible gives us a different picture than we would expect.
A sermon on Luke 2:41-52 – Christ among the doctors, or, the boy Jesus visits the Temple
Sermon Outline:
I. Christ is present in his Father’s house
II. Christ the Son is God incarnate
III. Christ was born to rise again
Scripture Text: Luke 2:41-52
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up acc...
2026-01-1128 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Song of SimeonJesus Christ is not like the gods of other religions. He became one of us and subjected himself to our pain and suffering that he might save us from it.
A sermon on Luke 2:21-39, Jesus’s presentation at the Temple
Sermon Outline:
I. This Christ was subject to the Fall
II. This Christ emptied himself, becoming poor
III. This Christ is a savior for all people
IV. This Christ delivers those who patiently wait for him
Quotations:
God chose to make man as he is–limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death – He [Go...
2026-01-0438 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchHeaven Breaks InWhile we are very familiar with the Christmas story, in its original context its details are quite unexpected.
A sermon on Luke 2:1-20
Sermon Outline:
I. Heaven breaks in in an unexpected time
II. Heaven breaks in in unexpected places
III. Heaven breaks in to unexpected people
Scripture Text: Luke 2:1-20
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up...
2025-12-2834 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchBenedictusZechariah and Elizabeth prayed long for a child, but had given up hope. When the miracle baby comes, the father bursts into song.
A sermon on the Song of Zechariah, Luke 1:67-80.
Sermon outline:
I. Redemption accomplished
II. Redemption applied
Scripture text: Luke 1: 67-80
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of h...
2025-12-1439 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Advent CrySong resonates with the human mind and psyche at a deep level we can only begin to understand. The Christian Bible is full of songs that express the full range of human emotion.
A sermon on Psalm 80
Sermon Outline:
I. Our problem is dire
a. Pain anywhere is our pain
b. We are at fault the the trouble
II. Only a sovereign God can fix it
a. Only he can bring us to repentance and keep us from back-sliding
b. Only an all-powerfull God can fix our mess
III. God saves on the basis of his covenant...
2025-11-3036 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchTaking Inventory of the DarknessSome things begin with great fanfare and hope, but do not deliver. The gospel knows this human reality and meets us where we are.
A sermon on Matthew 11:2-15, the doubt of John the Baptist in prison.
Scripture text: Matthew 11:2-15
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame wa...
2025-11-2332 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchStay AwakeMany people would like a message from God as proof that he’s real. But what if it is too late for us when he finally reveals himself to everyone?
A sermon on the second coming of Jesus Christ
Outline:
I. The gospel is apocalyptic
II. The apocalyptic is symbolic
III. The apocalyptic is a call to action
Scripture texts: Isaiah 2:2-5
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above th...
2025-11-0934 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchWhat Is a SaintWe typically think of saints as super holy people, heroes of the faith who never sin and do many good deeds. But the Bible speaks of saints in a different way.
A sermon for All Saints Sunday
Outline:
I.A saint is a member of the people of God
II. Saints share communion with God and all other saints
III. The saints will inherit the New Earth
IV. A saint is a sinner saved by grace
Liturgy bulletin link
Sermon transcript link
“What Is a Saint?” preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy, Sunday, Nove...
2025-11-0231 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church14. Freedom in ChristIn our search for meaning, many of us are enslaved to performance, appearance, and comparison. But Christ died to free us from all these things.
A sermon on Galatians 5:1-12
Outline:
I. Freedom from performance to run in grace
II. Freedom from appearance to abide in hope
III. Freedom from comparison to love in faith
Scripture text: Galatians 5:1-12
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no ad...
2025-10-2630 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church13. The Closing ArgumentMost people think that the Church is just for pious, upstanding, religious people. But the Gospel turns all our conceptions about Christianity on their heads.
A sermon on Galatians 4:21-31
Outline:
I. The Gospel is polarizing
II. The Gospel is surprising
III. The Gospel is convicting
Quotations:
No one can have God as his Father without the Church as his mother.
-St. Cyprian of Carthage, 3th c.
This Holy Church is the mother of us all –which is the spouse of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, and is a fig...
2025-10-1932 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church12. True Friends, Faithful LeadersMany of us have been betrayed or used by so called friends. Biblical teaching actually helps us navigate those challenging situations.
A sermon on Galatians 4:12-20
Outline:
I. True friends grow together
II. True friends bless each other
III. Faithful leaders strengthen followers
IV. Faithful leaders sacrifice themselves
Quotes:
For behold the love of God to man! We ought on every ground to have been punished at the first; in that having received the natural law, and enjoyed innumerable blessings, we have not acknowledged our Master, and have lived an unclean life. Yet He not o...
2025-10-1229 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church9. The Breaker of ChainsWe live in a very divided and disillusioned world. People are anxious, afraid, and isolated. Our souls long for something greater. What could that be?
A sermon on Galatians 3:26-29
Outline:
I. Baptism unites us to Christ
II. In Christ we are sons of God
III. In Christ we are offspring of Abraham
IV. In Christ we are one with each other
V. Baptism breaks every chain
Quotes:
Ye have all one form and one mold, even Christ’s. What can be more awesome than these words! He that was a Greek, or Jew, or bon...
2025-09-2133 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church8. The Superiority of FaithPaul says that we are saved by faith and not by the works of the Law. What then is the purpose of the Law?
Outline:
I. Faith Is Secure
II. Faith is Superior
III. Faith is Eternal
Quotes:
The Law was given to probe our wounds, that we might long for a physician.
-St. John Chrysostom, 4th c.
We are free from the law, from the prison, and from the schoolmaster; for when faith is revealed, the law terrifies us no more.
-Martin Luther, 16th c.
The Law requires from man the highest p...
2025-09-1433 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church7. The Wonderful ExchangeAttempting to find our self worth through our own performance is a fools errand. St. Paul exhorts us to a better way.
A sermon on Galatians 3:6-14
Sermon Outline:
I. Legalism is stupid; faith is smart
II. Legalism brings a curse; faith brings blessing
III. Legalism brings debt; faith brings redemption
Quotes:
Therefore, faith, not the law, makes a man just, for justice is not through the law, but through the faith of Christ. But he who casts aside his faith and pleads for that the claims of the law, bears witness that he is...
2025-09-0732 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church6. How Were You Saved?Many of us experience salvation from a realization of the unmerited grace of God. But why do we then revert to doing the Christian life through our own effort?
A sermon on Galatians 3:1-6
Outline:
I. Spirituality by faith
II. Suffering by faith
III. Salvation by faith
Quotes:
If by the Law, then not by the preaching of faith; if by the preaching of faith then not by the Law. There is no middle ground between the two. For all that is not of the Holy Spirit or the preaching of faith is...
2025-08-1729 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church5. Alive in ChristWe all attempt to secure peace, security, and even salvation through out own effort. But is that even possible? Paul argues for a better, truer way.
Sermon Outline:
I. No one can earn justification through human effort
II. Depending on human effort leads to death
III. Life comes through trust in Jesus Christ
Quotes:
A Christian is not he who has no sin, but he to whom God counts not his sin, through faith in Christ.
-Martin Luther, 16th c.
By the works of the law no mortal will obtain justification. This is the foundation...
2025-07-2735 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church4.5 Midweek Podcast: Introduction to Paul and GalatiansIn this midweek podcast we do a deep dive into Paul’s biography, the conditions for the letter to the Galatians, and discuss some of the manuscript evidence for the letter.
Links:
Papyrus 46
Papyrus 51
Papyrus 99
Oxyrhynchus Papyri
Codex Vaticanus, early 4th c. – Galatians begins on p. 1488
Codex Sinaiticus, 4th c. – for the beginning of Galatians, go to f. 278 v., or image 556
Codex Ephremi, 5th c. – you can see what a palimsest looks like. The contents are all jumbled up from when the pages were rebound.
Codex Alexandrinus, 5th – Galatians starts on f. 127 v., or you can select the book from the d...
2025-07-2545 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church4. The Anti-Celebrity GospelAmerican culture is dominated by celebrities. This is true also in the church where famous, important people are larger than life and sometimes live above the law. What does the Bible say about this?
Sermon Outline:
I. The True Gospel Brings Freedom
II. The True Gospel Brings Unity and Diversity
III. The True Gospel Is Not a Respecter of Persons
Scripture Text: Galatians 2:1-14
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who...
2025-07-2033 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church3. Paul’s Apostolic Bona FidesHow can we know that God is real? What if he sent a message directly to us? That’s what the Apostle Paul claims to have: a direct message from God.
Sermon Outline:
I. The source of the Gospel
II. The message of the Gospel
III. The encouragement of the Gospel
Quotes:
For when men have been vehement and eager on the contrary side, their conviction, if it is effected by human means, requires much time and ingenuity. It is clear therefore that he, whose conversion is sudden, and who has been sobered in the very height of...
2025-07-1331 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church2. Paul’s “Come to Jesus”What if you could issue a warning to save people from a disaster? This is exactly what Paul is doing in Galatians.
Exposition of Galatians, part 2
Outline:
I. The Source of the Gospel Message
II. The Exclusivity of the Gospel Message
III. The Urgency of the Gospel Message
Quotes:
It is the policy of Satan not to set his snares in open view; had they urged them to fall away from Christ, they would have been shunned as deceivers and corrupters, but suffering them so far to continue in the faith, and putting upon their...
2025-07-0634 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church1. Galatians: Paul’s Apostolic Proclamation of FreedomShould people freed from slavery be told it’s better to go back? Should they want to go back? Paul’s letter to the Galatians addresses that absurdity.
An introductory sermon to Paul’s letter to the Galatians.
Outline:
I. Apostolicity
II. Catholicity
III. Gospelicity
Quotations:
Thus does the apostle, being constrained to it by his adversaries, magnify his office, which shows that though men should by no means be proud of any authority they are possessed of, yet at certain times and upon certain occasions it may become needful to assert it.
-Matthew Henry, 18th c.
2025-06-2233 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchA Triune SalvationA loneliness epidemic is plaguing our society. Why is that and how do we fix it? The answer to both is found in the Triune God.
A sermon for Trinity Sunday.
OUTLINE:
I. A Triune Creation
II. A Triune Salvation
Scripture Text: Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God...
2025-06-1536 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchGod With UsEvery human person needs connection and community. What if God himself moved into your house and became a part of your family?
A Sermon for Pentecost
Outline:
I. God is with His people
II. God is with all peoples
III. God is with you
Quotes:
You have formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in You.
– St. Augustine, 5th c.
What is it then that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in man a true happiness of which there now re...
2025-06-0834 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchAd AstraHumanity has a fascination with flying to the stars. In reality, we haven’t gotten very far at all. But what if someone had reached the stars? How would we relate to that person?
A sermon on the Ascension of Jesus
Sermon Outline:
I. Jesus has ascended and therefore we have ascended.
II. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, therefore we have access to the Father.
III. In his Ascension, Jesus is victorious, therefore we are victorious.
Quotes:
But to go to Him and withdraw from us was this: to change and ma...
2025-06-0133 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchFools for ChristForty-two percent of Americans believe in God, but don’t actively follow Christ. The biggest reason is that they simply don’t feel the need to. How can Christians answer this?
A sermon on 1 Corinthians 15
Outline:
I. The Fundamental Tenet
II. The Foundational Tradition
III. The Foolishness of Faith
Quotes:
It is the death and resurrection of Jesus, the empty cross, which lies at the heart of the apostolic Christianity and is God’s good news for the world.
-Michael Green
For what else was Christ’s death, but a sacrifice for expiating our sins...
2025-05-1836 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchMid Week Podcast – Follow Up on the Thomas SermonThis is a follow-up podcast on the May 11th Sunday sermon on deconstruction and doubt. In it we go into a more systematic depth of the argument for God presented in the sermon: an argument from the size and power of the Universe.
Links:
“Is Bigger Better? C.S Lewis, Atheism, and the Argument from Size”
“Star Basics,” NASA.gov
Neil deGrasse Tyson video
NY Times on Robert Sapolsky
This midweek podcast by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy, Thursday, May 15, 2025 at New Life Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, NY. Come see the beautiful Finger L...
2025-05-1531 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchReach Out and Touch the StarsWhat are we to do with our doubts and questions regarding faith in God? Is faith in God a reasonable proposition?
A sermon on “doubting” Thomas
Outline:
I. Doubt is reasonable for the Christian
II. Jesus dignifies the doubter
III. Jesus gives the proof we ask for
Quote:
It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us. In fact, if one considers the possible constants and laws that could have emerged, the odds agai...
2025-05-1131 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchFinding JesusThe women who came to the tomb on Easter morning discover that the body of Jesus is missing. Where will they find him?
A sermon on the Road to Emmaus
Sermon Outline:
Problem: We seek the living among the dead
I. We find Jesus in the Word preached
II. We find Jesus in the Church assembled
III. We find Jesus in the Sacrament shared
Quotes:
I can write no more. All that I have written seems like straw.
-St. Thomas Aquinas, 13th c.
Scripture Text: Luke 24:13-35
That very day two of them...
2025-05-0432 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchA Reckoning with the Lord of LifeMany people accept Jesus as a good moral teacher. But the texts of the Gospels do not allow us to leave it there. The Gospel texts force us to reckon with who Jesus claimed to be.
A sermon for Palm Sunday
Sermon Outline:
1. A reckoning with the Lord of Justice
2. A reckoning with the Lord of Israel
3. A reckoning with the Lord of time
4. A reckoning with the Lord of religion
5. A reckoning with the Lord of life
Scripture Texts: Philippians 2:5-11
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though...
2025-04-1335 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchWhom Do You ServeJohn concludes his letter by boiling it down to one main point: It’s Jesus or nothing.
A sermon on 1 John 5:6-21. In this sermon we conclude our series on 1 John with John’s main and final point.
Sermon Outline:
1. No greater salvation
2. No greater attestation
3. No greater future
4. No greater calling
5. No greater belonging
Scripture text: 1 John 5:6-21
This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth...
2025-03-3036 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchSurrenderMany millions of Christians know things, do things, and show up for things, but have they truly surrendered to God and his love? Have you?
A sermon on 1 John 4:15-5:5
Sermon Outline
I. Not just knowledge, surrender to belief
II. Not just duty, surrender to love
III. Not just presence, surrender to abiding
Scripture Text 1 John 4:15-5:5
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever ab...
2025-03-2335 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchGod Is LoveWith all the competing claims to truth and moral rightness, who can we believe? John gives us a threefold test to answer the question.
A sermon on 1 John 4:1-14
Sermon Outline:
I. The Theological Test
II. The Ethical Test
III. The Trinitarian Test
Scripture text: 1 John 4:1-14
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is...
2025-03-1629 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThey Will Know Us By Our LoveMany people today believe you can be a Christian without going to church or adhering to traditional Christian values. What does the Bible say about this?
A sermon from 1 John 3:10-24
Outline:
I. Two Ways
II. True Love
III. Triune Confidence
Scripture Text: 1 John 3:10-24
By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, th...
2025-03-0937 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchA Vision to Sustain UsWe need inspiring images to help us through our lives. What if Jesus gave us the greatest inspirational image of all? Himself.
An excursus from 1 John on the topic of the Transfiguration, focusing on 1 John 3:2’s encouragement that we will see God.
Sermon Outline:
1. We need a vision to sustain us.
2. Jesus gives us a vision to sustain us now.
3. Jesus calls us from that vision to do the work of the kingdom
4. We are driven by the future hope of the Beatific Vision
5. Listen to Jesus
Scripture Texts: 1 Peter 1:16-21
For we did not fo...
2025-03-0230 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchBeloved Children of GodWhy do Christians believe and act differently from non-Christians? Christianity is a family, and it’s hard for those outside the family to understand.
Outline
1. We are God’s beloved children, therefore the world does not know us
2. Jesus died to defeat the Devil, therefore we do not sin
Quotes:
For we are not reconciled unto Him except through that love in virtue of which we are also called sons.
-St. Augustine, 5th c.
The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He l...
2025-02-2330 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchYou Got ThisWe’d all like our own personal cheerleader to affirm us and keep us confident and assured. John sets out to do this very thing with God’s word. To tell us, we got this!
A sermon on 1 John 2:7-17
Sermon Outline:
I. You know this
II. You got this
III. You don’t need that
Link: Stewart Smalley, Michael Jordan SNL Sketch
Scripture Text: 1 John 2:7-17
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the...
2025-02-0928 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchUnapproachable LightJohn makes a metaphysical claim that turns out also to be a moral claim and a relational claim: God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.
Sermon Outline:
I. God is light, and there is no darkness in God
A. God is immense in power and being
B. Good and evil exist
C. God defines what is Good.
II. The Light reveals sin
A. Sin is what is not light
B. Particular sin questions avoided, only the fact that God defines what is a sin
C. Everyone sins
III. The Light cleanses from sin
IV. The...
2025-01-2628 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Red PillFrom the movie The Matrix, “Red Pilling” is awakening to a new reality. But what if it was not a red pill but the red blood of Jesus that is redeeming and renewing this world and us with it?
Sermon Outline:
1. John asserts the authority of Apostolic eyewitness
2. John asserts the fact of the incarnation
3. John proclaims the source of life and joy
You Tube Link: the “Red Pill” scene from The Matrix
Scripture text: 1 John 1:1-5
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looke...
2025-01-1929 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchI Saw the LightFar off astronomers saw a star and followed it for thousands of miles. Why would they do this? Because they believed it would lead them to the king of the universe.
Sermon Outline
1. Only God can turn on the light
2. We must follow the light
3. The way will be hard
4. We will open up our treasure chests
Links:
Hank Williams, I Saw the Light – Video
I Saw the Light – Wikipedia
I Saw the Light – Lyrics
David Brooks: The Shock of Faith
Quotes:
A star burned in the sky more brightly than all the others; its light...
2025-01-0535 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Serpent Strikes BackJesus’ birth established a beachhead in the cosmic war between good and evil. But the Serpent will not take it lying down.
The problem of evil explored through the story of the slaughter of the innocents
Sermon Outline:
1. All evil is personal
2. All evil is cosmic
3. God restrains evil
4. Jesus is the answer to the problem of evil
Previous Sermons Referenced:
How Can a Loving God Allow Suffering? Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part 4
The Problem of Evil: Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part 4 – Sermon Follow-up Podcast
Links:
Youtube: Neil de Grasse Tyson on God and...
2024-12-2928 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchChrysostom’s Christmas HomilySt. John Chrysostom preached this sermon on the incarnation and nativity of Christ nearly 1,700 years ago. It still rings true today.
This homily was originally preached in 386 AD in Antioch by a young preacher named John. He would later be dubbed Chrysostom, Greek for “Goldenmouth” for his sermonic eloquence. After becoming the Patriarch of Constantinople, Chrysostom was an early advocate in the East for adopting December 25th as the proper day to celebrate Christmas.
Pastor Tim preaches this ancient homily for our Christmas Eve service.
Link to sermon text by St. John Chrysostom
Link...
2024-12-2409 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Unwed Teen MotherMost kings come from high stock and auspicious beginnings. But the King of Kings did not. He was born into poverty, and his mother was a pregnant teen, which put her in grave danger.
Sermon Outline:
1. Mary is a sinner saved by grace
2. Mary fulfills all the mothers of the Old Testament
3. Mary surpasses all the people of the Old Testament
Links:
A ‘shame-filled’ prison: Inside the maternity homes that forced teen moms to give away their babies
The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came – King’s College, Cambridge
Scripture texts: Luke 1:26-47
In the sixt...
2024-12-2231 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchAuntie GraceWhat kind of an impact can ordinary people make in this wide world? Without political power, money, fame, or a large social media following, what can we do?
Sermon Outline:
1. Every mother in Israel was a mother of Messiah
2. Hannah’s longing for a child is her longing for a Redeemer
3. The family of Jesus honors Hannah
Quote:
Joachim then took to wife that revered and praiseworthy woman, Anna. But just as the earlier Anna (Hannah), who was barren, bore Samuel by prayer and by promise, so also this Anna by supplication and promise from God bare th...
2024-12-1529 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchWhen He ReturnsJesus claimed that he will return again to earth. What will that return be like and why should we take his word for it?
A sermon from Luke 21 and Matthew 24 where we cover the interpretation of these prophetic texts in light of the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus Flavius. We saw that:
1. Jesus will come with great power and glory when he returns
2. He will put down the great powers suddenly when he returns
3. We are to prepare for when he returns
4. We are to find our hope and joy in when he returns
Links:
Bob Dylan...
2024-11-1038 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Elephant and Donkey in the RoomIs there a political party that Christians should be a part of? Should Christians vote for Trump? Should Christians vote for Harris? We hear answers to this important question from the Bible.
In this sermon we explore whether there is on political party that is inherently Christian, or whether Christians fit in to the two party system at all. We will see from John 18 and Matthew 22 that Jesus refuses to choose a political party, Jesus criticizes all political parties, Jesus calls us to engage politically but not put it above our devotion to God, and lastly, that Jesus gave...
2024-10-2732 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchPolitics and the ChristianWhat does the Bible say about politics? In the midst of a contentious political season it is good to ground ourselves in God’s Word. The Bible says quite a lot about politics, but maybe not in the way we think.
In this sermon we explore Jesus’ interaction with Pontius Pilate, Paul’s teaching from Romans 13, and Peter’s teaching from 1 Peter 2. These texts, along with several other teachings from the Bible confirm God’s basic message about politics which is:
1. All Governing authorities and rulers are ordained and appointed by God
2. We are to submit to, obey, honor, respect, a...
2024-10-2034 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Point of DecisionJesus concludes his sermon with some fiery rhetoric. Is he just a good teacher and insightful moral philosopher? Or is he calling us to a difficult choice to follow him?
A sermon on the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. We see that Jesus brings the sermon to a conclusion with a call to choose the way of life or the way of death. This will be a hard choice that will alienate us from many people. But it is the only way to life. What will you choose?
Link: NY Times Interview of Al Pacino
2024-10-1335 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Prayer of the LordWe think we need food, clothing and shelter and the rest will follow. Jesus’ radical teaching is that our basic need is for God, and the rest will follow.
A sermon on the Lord’s Prayer. In this sermon we see that Jesus gives us a model prayer to pray, and that this prayer turns the way we live our lives upside down. He says we should pursue God first and then the other needs of life. Our secular culture says we have to meet our basic needs first, then work on the others. Hear the radical and challenging teac...
2024-09-1532 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Three DevotionsDoes Jesus not want us to practice outward religion? Or does he want us to practice it, but in the right way?
Link buying his cowboy hat (click to view)
Link to sermon by Peter Chrysologus: https://stjohnrcc.com/2019/03/st-peter-chrysologus/
Quotes:
If God does not need to be informed of our needs, why does he expect us to tell him about them? Christian spirituality has traditionally found the answer in a concept of prayer as the expression of the relationship of trust which follows from knowing God as Father.
-R. T. France
Nor...
2024-09-0832 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchResetting Sexual PurityHas the prevailing Christian teaching on sexual morality been helpful or even accurate? We reset evangelical sexual purity teaching with the wisdom Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount.
Quote: [Jesus] substitutes for what is in principle a 100 percent achievable righteousness (the avoidance of breaking a definable set of regulations) a totally open-ended ideal (being “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”) which will always remain beyond the grasp of the most committed disciple.
– R. T. France
Link: Theology in the Raw: A Raw Conversation about Modesty and Purity Culture: Sheila Gregoire and Rebecca Lindenbach
Script...
2024-08-1828 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchVendettaOur rhetoric as a society is out of control, both outside of and within the church. Jesus calls us to a better way.
A sermon on Matthew 5: 21-26, 38-48
Quotes:
[Jesus] substitutes for what is in principle a 100 percent achievable righteousness (the avoidance of breaking a definable set of regulations) a totally open-ended ideal (being “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”) which will always remain beyond the grasp of the most committed disciple.
– R. T. France
Many have learned how to offer the other cheek, but do not know how to love him by whom t...
2024-08-1133 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe StandoutsThe Church is called to be different, and this is actually good for the world around us. Jesus says that our alternate way of life acts as salt that makes the world savory. He says that the Church is the light that the world needs to point them to God.
Links:
Covenant College women forfeit championship: https://athletics.covenant.edu/news/2016/4/17/4_17_2016_3784.aspx
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/covenant-college-womens-tennis-and-the-sabbath/
Quote:
A lit-up city that’s on top of a hill can be seen from far away, as we can see the lights of San Miguelito from very far aw...
2024-07-0738 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Ancient FaithWhy do Christians make such a big deal about the Trinity, so far as to question the faith of those who believe differently? The biblical basis for the Trinity.
A sermon for Trinity Sunday
Links: St. Patrick’s Bad Analogies
Credit to Rev. Hans Fiene, a Lutheran Pastor in St. Louis: https://www.princeofpeacecrestwood.com/pastor-and-staff
Dr. LeCroy’s Trinitarian Heresies handout
Quotes:
I didn’t need to understand the hypostatic unity of the Trinity; I just needed to turn my life over to whoever came up with redwood trees.
– Anne Lamott
If th...
2024-05-2632 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchRedeeming BabelPentecost is the undoing of Babel, and that has something to teach us about our political divides.
A sermon on the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Links: Chaos in a Congressional hearing
Scripture Text: Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled...
2024-05-1927 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Very First CreedEverybody believes in something. The first Christians articulated their belief into a simple but profound creed. What was important to them? Here we take a look at the very first Christian Creed.
A sermon on 1 Corinthians 15
Quotes:
The entire Bible pivots on one weekend in Jerusalem about two thousand years ago. Attempts to make sense of the Bible that do not give prolonged thought to integrating the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are doomed to failure, at best exercises in irrelevance.
-D.A. Carson
If Christ is not risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ...
2024-05-0535 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchPascha Nostrum: Christ Our PassoverAn ancient Christian hymn contains timeless truths from scripture that surprisingly address some of the biggest and most present issues of our day.
A sermon on the Pascha Nostrum, “Christ Our Passover,” an ancient hymn in the English tradition. The hymn is comprised of words taken directly from 1 Cor. 5:7-8; Rom. 6:9-11; and 1 Cor. 15:20-22.
*CORRECTION* In the sermon Pastor Tim refers to a pro-life demonstration that was to occur on campus this past weekend. The event was called “Relay for Life,” but was not a pro-life event, but an event to raise money for cancer research. Pastor T...
2024-04-2830 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Believing CommunityOn Easter evening the disciples huddle in fear but Thomas is absent. Later, Jesus appears to them all and reveals himself. Thomas confesses Jesus to be God.
A sermon on “Doubting” Thomas.
Links:
Atlantic Article: The True Cost of the Churchgoing Bust, By Derek Thomas
Christianity Today: Russle Moore on Richard Dawkins’ “cultural Christianity”
All you could ever want to know about eclipses, from New Life Alum, Luke Leisman
Quote:
And the Lord who could have risen again without any vestige of a wound, kept the scars, that they might be touched by...
2024-04-0730 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchI Am the GreatestWhat can Jesus do with his disciples? They keep arguing about who is the greatest, while he is trying to teach them that to be the least is the greatest.
Pastor Tim preaches on Mark 10:32-45.
Link:
Cassius Clay: I am the greatest: https://youtu.be/J9CeC3yrcG4?si=N-x4cr-voZgMrNUc
Quotes:
Fear not then, as though thine honor were put down, if thou shouldest abase thyself, for in this way is thy glory more exalted, in this way it becomes greater. This is the door of the kingdom. Let us not then go...
2024-03-1727 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Gospel of GraceAren’t we saved by a mixture of good works and God’s mercy? The Apostle Paul says, “No.” He tells us that it is all of grace and not because of anything that we do.
Pastor Tim LeCroy preaches on the topic of salvation by grace alone.
YouTube Links:
Damar Hamlin’s heart stops: https://youtu.be/2TGJQT-JgPI?si=qR_lhe9KDK32a9u1
Hamlin thanks the medical professionals who saved his life: https://youtu.be/6MguoQPhIgg?si=IB7MsbsIFE4_6LjE
Scripture Texts: Ephesians 2:1–10
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in wh...
2024-03-1031 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchNo Other GodsAfter delivering His people from Egypt, Yahweh calls them to Mt. Sinai to make covenant with them an deliver his rules, called the 10 Commandments. How should we think of these laws today?
Pastor Emeritus Steve Froehlich preaches on the 10 Commandments from Exodus 20:1-17.
Quotes:
If men will not be governed by the Ten Commandments, they shall be governed by the ten thousand commandments.
-G. K. Chesterton
In the first commandment, God means: “Since I alone am God, you shall place all your confidence, trust and faith on me alone, and on no one else.”
-Martin Luth...
2024-03-0330 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchA Primer on SinThe Fargo series is in essence an exploration of the consequences of sin. If popular culture explores the implications of sin, shouldn’t the church do so as well?
A sermon from James 1:12-18, preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy
Scripture texts: James 1:12–18
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself...
2024-02-1830 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchAsh Wednesday HomilyWhat is Ash Wednesday and Lent all about, and what does the Bible have to say about it?
Pastor Tim LeCroy gives a short homily on the texts for Ash Wednesday.
Links:
On our culture’s periods of abstinence: https://time.com/6552262/dry-january-origins-alcohol-drinking/
On the imposition of ashes: https://newlifeithaca.org/to-ash-or-not-to-ash/
On the history of Lent: https://newlifeithaca.org/the-historical-origins-of-lent/
Quotes: Blessing the Dust (for Ash Wednesday) by Jan Richardson
All those days
you felt like dust,
like dirt,
as if all you had to do
was turn your face
to...
2024-02-1414 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe True ValentineJesus takes three of his disciples to a high mountain to show them something they will never forget. Peter wants to stay there, while the Father has greater plans.
A sermon on the Transfiguration, Mark 9:2-9 preached by Senior Pastor Timothy R. LeCroy
Links:
“Love Letters,” Melissa Kirsch, The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/10/briefing/love-letters.html
“A Parish Manifesto,” Ross Byrd, Mere Orthodoxy: https://mereorthodoxy.com/a-parish-manifesto
Texts: 2 Peter 1:16-21
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesu...
2024-02-1132 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Beautiful, Beloved CommunityAfter Pentecost, the the infant Church experienced a time of blessing, joy, and growth. Luke’s description of this stage serves as a guide for all churches to discover the foundation for their ministry.
Pastor Tim preaches on the programmatic passage describing the true nature of the Church.
Quotes:
Love is creative and redemptive. Love builds up and unites; hate tears down and destroys. The aftermath of the ‘fight with fire’ method which you suggest is bitterness and chaos, the aftermath of the love method is reconciliation and creation of the beloved community. Physical force can repress, restra...
2024-01-2932 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Dawning of a New CreationJesus travels south to Judea to be baptized by his cousin John in the River Jordan. After the baptism, some pretty curious and amazing things happened. What does all this mean?
Pastor Tim LeCroy preaches on the topic of the baptism of Jesus Christ from Mark 1:9-11.
Links:
Wikipedia article on the Selma to Montgomery Marches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selma_to_Montgomery_marches
Text of “How Long, Not Long” speech: https://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-long-not-long-speech-text/
Video of the speech closing: https://youtu.be/TAYITODNvlM?si=CQfo-nXmAWgUilqE
Quotes:
But why in t...
2024-01-2229 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchFinding Hay in a HaystackStrange visitors come from far off places to rural Judea asking to see the new born king. Directed by a “star” the foreigners find the child and discover than he is far more than just an earthly king.
Pastor Tim LeCroy preaches on the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus in Matthew 2:1-12.
Links:
Why Mathematicians Can’t Find the Hay in a Haystack: https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-mathematicians-cant-find-the-hay-in-a-haystack-20180917/
Quotes:
A star burned in the sky more brightly than all the others; its light was indescribable, its newness marvelous, and all the other...
2024-01-1533 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchChristmas Is WarAfter the joyous celebration fades, we return to a harsh reality: the enemy is not going down without a fight. Returning to his ancient strategy, Satan tries to kill the infant Messiah, while Joseph quickly reacts to protect his family.
Pastor Tim LeCroy explains the meaning of the story of the slaughter of the innocents from Matthew 2:13-18.
Links:
Story about Clarksville, TN tornado miracle: https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/12/14/miracle-clarksville-school-play-rescheduling-likely-saved-hundreds-lives-tornado/
Katherine Burnham and the tragic loss of her son in the same tornado: https://weather.com/news/weather/news/2023-12-26-tennessee-tornadoes-clarksville-victims-arlan-coty
Scripture...
2023-12-3126 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchSt. Chrysostom’s Christmas HomilyThis homily was originally preached in 386 AD in Antioch by a young preacher named John. He would later be dubbed Chrysostom, Greek for “Goldenmouth” for his sermonic eloquence. After becoming the Patriarch of Constantinople, Chrysostom was an early advocate in the East for adopting December 25th as the proper day to celebrate Christmas.
Pastor Tim preaches this ancient homily for our Christmas Eve joint service with Bread of Life Anglican Church.
The intro and outro music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. Please visit her website...
2023-12-2510 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Meaning and Message of MaryWhat are we to make of Mary? Is she central to the faith or someone to be basically ignored? We explore what the Bible says abut this from Luke chapter 1.
“The Meaning of Mary,” a sermon preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy.
Links:
Pastor Tim: Just So We’re Clear, Mary did Know: https://www.semperref.org/articles/just-so-were-clear-mary-did-know
Sermon text: Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And t...
2023-12-2432 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchGod Does It TooAs the limelight fades and the crowds vanish, John finds himself rotting in jail. Will Jesus do for him what he has done for so many others?
A sermon on Matthew 11:2-11, preached by Tim LeCroy on 12/17/23 at New Life Ithaca.
Links
Snippet of Stephen Colbert interview with Anderson Cooper: https://www.instagram.com/findingyourfaith/reel/CyyMB2NrYRZ/
Full interview with Colbert: https://youtu.be/YB46h1koicQ?si=VEiRB9KLzwNTDZVz
Story about Clarksville, TN tornado miracle: https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/12/14/miracle-clarksville-school-play-rescheduling-likely-saved-hundreds-lives-tornado/
Sermon Texts: Matthew 11:2-11
Now when John heard in...
2023-12-1728 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe ForerunnerAt the darkest possible moment a messenger comes with the news that a rescuer is on the way and that we are to be preparing for his arrival. But how are we to prepare?
“The Forerunner,” a sermon by Pastor Tim LeCroy about how John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus, our Rescuer.
Links
St. Lucy’s Day – Wikipedia
Sermon Texts: Isaiah 40:1-11
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s h...
2023-12-1025 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchStay AwakeAfter visiting the beautiful and magnificent Temple, Jesus jolts his disciples back to reality. Advent is the ultimate reality check.
Pastor Tim LeCroy preaches on the meaning of Advent, how Advent is not Christmas, and why we should be into Christmas in spite of our culture’s misappropriation of the season.
Contained therein: A tribute to the late Saint Louis University Professor, Jack Marler.
Links:
Pastor Tim: A Reformed Defense of the Church Year https://www.semperref.org/articles/a-reformed-defense-of-the-church-year
Sermon texts: Isaiah 64:1–9
Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that...
2023-12-0338 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchHow can we adhere to a religion with so many problems? Hard Questions, Real Answers, part 11How can we adhere to a religion with so many problems? How much is too much? Isn’t Christianity just too problematic?
Pastor Tim LeCroy attempts an answer to this important question about the viability of the Christian Faith.
Sermon quotes:
I have also turned to Christianity because I ultimately found life without any spiritual solace unendurable — indeed very nearly self-destructive. Atheism failed to answer a simple question: what is the meaning and purpose of life?
– Ayaan Hirsi Ali
There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what t...
2023-11-1943 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchIsn’t Christianity Homophobic? Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part 10 – Sermon Follow-up PodcastIn this midweek podcast, Pastor Tim addresses some questions he received on the previous sermon, Isn’t Christianity Homophobic?
Timeline:
00:00 Update on two previous missing sermons
01:40 Missed application from the sermon regarding singleness on 1 Corinthians 7
11:06 Expansion on the fifth point on the sermon about the eternal state and the sacrifice that SSA persons make
17:00 Teaching from Matthew 19 regarding the phrase “eunuchs for the kingdom”
23:44 Addressing follow-up questions: Yeah, but isn’t Christianity sill homophobic?
25:00 Defining homophobic
27:56 Distinguishing the Civitas and the Ecclessia, the State and the Church
30:20 Theocracy vs. Religious Pluralism
34:30 Biblical teaching on homosexuality from Leviticus 18 and 20, Romans 1, 1 Corinthi...
2023-11-171h 08New Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchIsn’t Christianity Anti-Women? Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part 9Isn’t Christianity anti-women? Don’t the “marry your rapist” laws and “submission codes” of the Bible denigrate women and prop up an irredeemable patriarchal system?
Pastor Tim LeCroy attempts an answer to this important question.
Sermon quote:
Jesus’s valuing of women is unmistakable. In a culture in which women were devalued and often exploited, it underscores their equal status before God and his desire for personal relationship with them.
-Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity
Academic Article on the “marry your rapist” law
Biblical Scholar Dr. Sandra L. Richter makes a convincing case that the so called “marry y...
2023-11-0536 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchDoesn’t Science Disprove Religion? Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part 5Doesn’t science disprove religion? Further, doesn’t scientific evidence contradict the teachings of the Bible? Isn’t Christianity anti-Science?
Pastor Tim addresses these questions in this week’s sermon.
Sermon Quotes:
Crede ut intellegas
-St. Augustine, Sermon 43, 5th c.
I yearn to understand some measure of Your truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For I believe even this: that unless I believe, I shall not understand.
-St. Anselm of Canterbury, Proslogion, 11th c.
It can b...
2023-10-0832 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchHow Can a Loving God Allow Suffering? Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part 4Can’t God just stop pain if he wants to? Why does he allow suffering if he is all powerful? Doesn’t this make God unloving and unjust?
Pastor Tim takes on this important question in today’s sermon.
Stephen Fry Interview:
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/feb/01/stephen-fry-god-evil-maniac-irish-tv
Sermon Quotes:
Free will was the cause of our doing evil, and Your righteous judgment of our suffering it.
-St. Augustine, Confessions 7:3, 5th c.
Meanwhile let us remember that our ruin is attributable to our own depravity, that we may not insinuate a charge agains...
2023-10-0134 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchHow Can We Take the Bible Literally? Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part 3The Bible has some really strange and difficult things in it. How can Christians say that they take it literally? We explore this important question, delving into the Bible’s complexity as an ancient religious text.
This is part three of a new sermon series at New Life Presbyterian Church called, Hard Questions, Real Answers. Here is the schedule of our sermon series with the topics we will cover:
9/10/23
How can we say that Christianity is the one true religion?
9/17/23
How can we say that the Bible is the only true religious text?
9/24/23
How can we take the Bi...
2023-09-2533 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchHow Can We Say That the Bible is God’s Only True Word? Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part 2Doesn’t the Bible have many contradictions and errors? Wasn’t it written well after the events of Jesus’s life? How can we say that the Bible is the true religious text when there are other religious texts that claim to be true?
In this sermon Pastor Tim attempts to address this question about the exclusivity of the Christian Bible.
Sermon texts
2 Peter 1:16-21
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he rec...
2023-09-1840 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchHow Can We Say that Christianity Is the Only True Religion? Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part 1Isn’t it arrogant or disrespectful to claim that one’s own religion is the only true one? And don’t all religions have an equal claim to what is true? We tackle this and more in the first sermon in our series: Hard Questions, Real Answers
Sermon text: John 14:1-6
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I...
2023-09-1038 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Final HallelujahThe Psalter closes out with a song of praise. But there is more than meets the eye. Psalm 150 gives a rich theology of and apologetic for gathered worship.
Sermon text: Psalm 150
Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath praise the...
2023-09-0437 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchLight InaccessibleThe people of God are still suffering under evil and oppression after their return from exile. Pious people worship God in churches, but they ignore the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The Psalmist composes a Psalm to call God’s people to reject evil and serve the LORD.
A sermon on Psalm 97
Sermon Text: Psalm 97:1-12
The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! 2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 Fire goes before him and burns up his...
2023-08-2134 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchDavid’s Son Yet David’s LordSurrounded by more powerful nations, David places his hope in a higher power. He looks forward to the coming of his promised Son, who will execute justice for the oppressed and offer a way of access to the Great Power of the Universe. This Great Power sends David two messages, showing him the way.
A sermon on Psalm 110 by Pastor Tim LeCroy
Sermon Text: Psalm 110
A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in t...
2023-08-0631 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe God We Worship: A Sermon on Psalm 100What would happen if you had an encounter with the full power and majesty of God? What other reasons might persuade us to worship God? Psalm 100 gives us four reasons, increasing in intimacy and persuasive power.
Sermon Text: Psalm 100
A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his...
2023-07-3029 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchMy Shepherd: The Trusted GuideWhat starts as a calm and peaceful journey takes a turn through a very rough and dangerous stretch. But the guide knows the right path through the danger. He knows where to find food and water. He is strong and courageous to fight off enemies. He is wise enough to direct his flock and confident to correct them. And when they reach the victorious end of their journey, he prepares a feast in celebration.
Sermon text, Psalm 23:
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He...
2023-07-2330 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchKiss the SonKing David bemoans the fact that the surrounding kingdoms and even many of his own people oppose his rule. Fast forward 1,000 years, and the early Christian disciples are making the same prayer to God, crying out because they are being persecuted by the Judean leaders. In this Psalm, God responds that he has appointed his King who will one day set all things to rights.
“Kiss the Son,” a sermon preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on July 9, 2023.
Sermon Text: Psalm 2:1-12
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set...
2023-07-0931 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Gateway to the Psalter: Psalm OneHow can we be blessed? The first Psalm shows us the way to true blessing, delight, fruitfulness, and flourishing.
Psalm One is the gateway to the Psalter. It is the first Psalm of the first Book of the Psalms and was intentionally placed there to give an orientation for our approach to all the Psalms.
“The Gateway to the Psalter,” Psalm1:1-6 was preached at New Life Ithaca By Pastor Tim LeCroy on July 2, 2023
Sermon Text: Psalm 1:1-6
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way...
2023-07-0329 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchThe Ministry of the Holy SpiritTen days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples are once again gathered in the Upper Room for fellowship and prayer. As they are praying, the sound of a hurricane fills the room, flames appear over all their heads, and they begin speaking in languages they’ve never learned. Filled with courage, leave the safety of the room to spill out into the street. Hearing foreign languages being loudly spoken, a crowd gathers. Peter then delivers a message to the crowd.
Preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on Pentecost Sunday, May 28, 2023 at New Life Presbyterian Church
Sermon text: Ac...
2023-05-2832 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchFeed My SheepWeeks later, Jesus appears again to a group of his disciples who have seemingly gone back to their old way of life. They are still struggling with the trauma of his Crucifixion and the shame of their own sin against him. What will Jesus say to these straying sheep?
Preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on April 30, 2023 at New Life Ithaca.
Sermon text: John 21:1-19
After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the...
2023-04-3032 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchHearts On FireA stranger accompanies two disciples on a journey to their town. At supper, he is revealed to be the risen Christ at the exact moment he breaks bread before them. Then he vanishes. Full of wonder, the two run back to Jerusalem to tell the others.
A sermon preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on April 23, 2023.
Sermon text: Luke 24:13-35
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing...
2023-04-2432 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchBelieving ThomasOn Easter Evening Jesus appears to his disciples but Thomas is not there. When told of Jesus’ appearance, Thomas declares that he demands physical proof or he will never believe. How Jesus responds changes everything.
Preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on Sunday, April 16, 2023
Sermon text, John 20:19-31:
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his si...
2023-04-1633 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchSomeone Who Looks Like UsOn Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb to continue her mourning. But when she arrives she finds the tomb empty. Jesus meets her and asks her to share the news with his disciples.
Preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023 at New Life Ithaca.
Sermon Text:
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom...
2023-04-0924 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchRide On to Die: A Sermon for Palm SundayFor the first time in his life, Jesus openly accepts the kingship of Israel to loud cheers and waving palms. But at the end of his first day, he leaves his new capital city without claiming the throne.
Preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023 at New Life Ithaca.
Sermon Text: John 12:12-43
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the na...
2023-04-0230 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchSir, Give Us This WaterOn the run from the Pharisees, Jesus passes through Samaria and has a chance encounter with a Samaritan Woman at a well. Yet, is it really a chance encounter? Or did Jesus come here intentionally for some divine purpose?
A sermon on Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well
Jesus Seeks His Bride
Jesus Relieves the Burden of His Bride
Jesus Gives His Life for His Bride
Preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy at New Life Presbyterian Church on March 12, 2023.
Sermon Text:
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making an...
2023-03-1235 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchFresh Wind – A Sermon on John 3:16A prominent leader visits Jesus by night to prevent his support for Jesus from ruining him. Expecting a positive response by Jesus, Nicodemus is perplexed that Jesus begins going over the basics of religion with him. But it turns out that even though Nick has been a leader for years, he never really understood what God was all about.
This sermon was preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on March 5, 2023 at New Life Church in Ithaca, NY.
Sermon Text:
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to...
2023-03-0538 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchInto the WildernessAfter his baptism, Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tested. He does not eat for forty days and at the end he is hungry and tired. Then, the Devil meets him, all alone, tired, hungry, and far from home. The Devil does not have good intentions. Three times he tries to get Jesus to fall into sin. But three times Jesus resists and thus defeats the Devil.
This sermon was preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on the First Sunday in Lent, February 26, 2023, at New Life Church.
Sermon text:
Then Jesus was...
2023-02-2629 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchA Vision of Our DeliveranceForty days after the birth of Jesus, his mother and father bring him to the temple to perform the rites and sacrifices required by the Law of Moses. When they arrive, an old man named Simeon, who had been waiting for the appearance of the Messiah, takes the infant Jesus up in his arms and sings a song. An old woman named Anna then goes about telling everyone she can find about this promised child. They cannot contain their excitement, because the deliverance they have so long hoped for is here.
Preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy on February 5, 2023
2023-02-0534 minNew Life Ithaca Presbyterian ChurchSt. John Chrysostom’s Christmas HomilyThis homily was originally preached in 386 AD in Antioch by a young preacher named John. He would later be dubbed Chrysostom, Greek for “Goldenmouth” for his sermonic eloquence. After becoming the Patriarch of Constantinople, Chrysostom was an early advocate in the East for adopting December 25th as the proper day to celebrate Christmas.
Preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy at New Life Ithaca on Christmas Day, 2022.
Behold a new and wondrous mystery. My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voice in harmon...
2022-12-2608 min
I Heart PCA - the PodcastSeason 1 - Episode 32 - Rachael Denhollander & Tim LeCroyThe hosts talk to Rachael and Tim about their important work on the study committee, their stories, writings, advocacy - and HOPE. Watch Rachael's powerful speech here. No ads for White Blackbird books in this one, so visit their site here.
2021-01-2254 min