Speaking the Truth in Love: The Sermons of John L. Farthing
An Online Archive of Sermons Delivered over the Course of a Lengthy and Poignant Career as a Methodist Minister
Photo by Diane Helentjaris on Unsplash
On this page lives a collection of archived sermons from Dr. John Farthing, Methodist minister and professor emeritus of religion and classical languages at Hendrix College.
Click on the title of any sermon to be redirected to the full Word document, which can be read in your web browser or saved to your computer for later reference.
Click on the title of any sermon to be redirected to the full Word document, which can be read in your web browser or saved to your computer for later reference.
A Tale of Two Parades | Psalm 31.9-16, Hebrews 2.1-11, Luke 19:28-40 (Palm Sunday, 2010)
A Time to Decide | Joshua 24:1-15, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 13:34-35
And Then What? | Hosea 11:1-11, Philippians 2: 1-11, Luke 12:13-21
Asleep for my Baptism? | Leviticus 12.1-3, Acts 16.22-34, Matthew 18.1-6
Beware the Sugar-Coated Jesus | Isaiah 5.1-7, Hebrews 11.20-12.2, Luke12.49-56
Covenant with Creation | Genesis 9.8-17, Psalm 24.1-2, Romans 8.18-23, Luke 12.22-30
Effervescent | Exodus 34.29-35, Luke 9.28-36, II Corinthians 3.12-18
From Babel to Bethel | Genesis 11:1-9, 28:10-22
Go to Hell! | Psalm 139.1-12, I Peter 3.8-22, Luke 5.12-16
GOD and the L-WORD | Psalm 36:5-12, Ephesians 2.1-9, John 15:9-17
Gone to the Dogs | Psalm 124.1-8, James 2.1-7, 14-17, Mark 7.24-30
He Descended into Hell | Psalm 139.1-12, Ephesians 4.1-10, Matthew 28.16-20 (Trinity Sunday, 2004)
Honest to God | John 20:24-31
How Often? | I Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 22:14-18
I Mean… REALLY! | Micah 6:1-8, I Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12
If… | II Chronicles 7:11-22, Matthew 16.24-28, I John 1:1-10, Revelation 3.14-22
In Praise of God the Mother | Isaiah 49.8-15, Matthew 23.37-39, Galatians 3.26-29
Is Anyone Else Up There? | Genesis 15.1-6, Hebrews 11.8-11, Matthew 21.18-22
It’s Me… | Zechariah 13:1-6, Matthew 26.20-30 (Maundy Thursday, 2013)
It’s Not My Fault! | Isaiah 53:4-6, I John 1:5-10, II Corinthians 5:14-21
Jesus and an Uppity Woman | A Celebration of the Life and Faith of Suzanne Carolyn Baker Blackburn (September 26, 2020)
Keep Him Dead! | Psalm 16:1-11, Colossians 3.1-17, Matthew 28.1-10
King for a Day | Zechariah 9.9-17, Matthew 21.1-11 (Palm Sunday Meditation)
Like Mother, Like Son! | Isaiah 7.10-16, Luke 1.26-38, 46-56 (Christmas Eve, 2007)
Love My Enemies? Really? | Psalm 86:1-5, Ephesians 4: 21-32, Matthew 5:43-45
Meaning in the Meltdown | Matthew 25:1-25, Revelation 6:1-17, Revelation 7:9-17
My God, Why? | Job 14:1-15, I Corinthians 15. 1-8, 51-58, Matthew: 27.45-46, 28.1-10 (Easter, 2003)
Running on Empty | Philippians 2.1-11, Matthew 16:21-27
The Difference Prayer Makes | Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-19, Matthew 6.5-15, Luke 22.41-46
The End of the Game | Isaiah 6:1-6, Revelation 3:14-22, Mark 10:17-22, 12:28-34
The Gospel According to Tuffy | Numbers 22.21-35, Romans 8.18-25, I John 4:1-12
The Rest of the Story | Jeremiah 17.5-10, Deuteronomy 30.19, I Corinthians 15.15-20, Luke 6.17-26, 13-1-5
The Tower and the Ladder (From Babel to Bethel v2) | Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-12, John 16:1-13
The Whereabouts of God | Ephesians 4:1-16, I Kings 19.9-13, Matthew 25.31-46
What’s Grace Got to Do With It? | Ephesians 2:1-10, John 15:1-17
Wrestling with God | Genesis 32:22-31, Romans 9:1-5, Luke 22:39-46
A Time to Decide | Joshua 24:1-15, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 13:34-35
And Then What? | Hosea 11:1-11, Philippians 2: 1-11, Luke 12:13-21
Asleep for my Baptism? | Leviticus 12.1-3, Acts 16.22-34, Matthew 18.1-6
Beware the Sugar-Coated Jesus | Isaiah 5.1-7, Hebrews 11.20-12.2, Luke12.49-56
Covenant with Creation | Genesis 9.8-17, Psalm 24.1-2, Romans 8.18-23, Luke 12.22-30
Effervescent | Exodus 34.29-35, Luke 9.28-36, II Corinthians 3.12-18
From Babel to Bethel | Genesis 11:1-9, 28:10-22
Go to Hell! | Psalm 139.1-12, I Peter 3.8-22, Luke 5.12-16
GOD and the L-WORD | Psalm 36:5-12, Ephesians 2.1-9, John 15:9-17
Gone to the Dogs | Psalm 124.1-8, James 2.1-7, 14-17, Mark 7.24-30
He Descended into Hell | Psalm 139.1-12, Ephesians 4.1-10, Matthew 28.16-20 (Trinity Sunday, 2004)
Honest to God | John 20:24-31
How Often? | I Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 22:14-18
I Mean… REALLY! | Micah 6:1-8, I Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12
If… | II Chronicles 7:11-22, Matthew 16.24-28, I John 1:1-10, Revelation 3.14-22
In Praise of God the Mother | Isaiah 49.8-15, Matthew 23.37-39, Galatians 3.26-29
Is Anyone Else Up There? | Genesis 15.1-6, Hebrews 11.8-11, Matthew 21.18-22
It’s Me… | Zechariah 13:1-6, Matthew 26.20-30 (Maundy Thursday, 2013)
It’s Not My Fault! | Isaiah 53:4-6, I John 1:5-10, II Corinthians 5:14-21
Jesus and an Uppity Woman | A Celebration of the Life and Faith of Suzanne Carolyn Baker Blackburn (September 26, 2020)
Keep Him Dead! | Psalm 16:1-11, Colossians 3.1-17, Matthew 28.1-10
King for a Day | Zechariah 9.9-17, Matthew 21.1-11 (Palm Sunday Meditation)
Like Mother, Like Son! | Isaiah 7.10-16, Luke 1.26-38, 46-56 (Christmas Eve, 2007)
Love My Enemies? Really? | Psalm 86:1-5, Ephesians 4: 21-32, Matthew 5:43-45
Meaning in the Meltdown | Matthew 25:1-25, Revelation 6:1-17, Revelation 7:9-17
My God, Why? | Job 14:1-15, I Corinthians 15. 1-8, 51-58, Matthew: 27.45-46, 28.1-10 (Easter, 2003)
Running on Empty | Philippians 2.1-11, Matthew 16:21-27
The Difference Prayer Makes | Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-19, Matthew 6.5-15, Luke 22.41-46
The End of the Game | Isaiah 6:1-6, Revelation 3:14-22, Mark 10:17-22, 12:28-34
The Gospel According to Tuffy | Numbers 22.21-35, Romans 8.18-25, I John 4:1-12
The Rest of the Story | Jeremiah 17.5-10, Deuteronomy 30.19, I Corinthians 15.15-20, Luke 6.17-26, 13-1-5
The Tower and the Ladder (From Babel to Bethel v2) | Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-12, John 16:1-13
The Whereabouts of God | Ephesians 4:1-16, I Kings 19.9-13, Matthew 25.31-46
What’s Grace Got to Do With It? | Ephesians 2:1-10, John 15:1-17
Wrestling with God | Genesis 32:22-31, Romans 9:1-5, Luke 22:39-46
John L. Farthing (B.A., the University of Tulsa; M.Div. & Ph.D, Duke Divinity School), served on the faculty at Hendrix College from 1978 until 2009, teaching Latin, Greek, and a variety of courses in the Department of Religion. During most of those years, he also served as pastor to United Methodist congregations in Plumerville, Mayflower, Redfield, and Greenbrier, AR. He now lives with his beloved wife, Norma, on the shores of Beaver Lake in Northwest Arkansas, having a ball being Poppy to Landon and Layton.