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Thursday, June 1st, 2023
“Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” Arthur Somers Roche (Quoted in Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio)
If there is one common denominator among people-believer and unbeliever alike-it is the fact that worry is so prevalent. Worry is like a barnacle that attaches itself to a boat. A barnacle is a crustacean that attaches itself to another surface (the most familiar is one that attaches itself to a boat). They need to be removed because as they build they cause a drag. Some will actually attach themselves to the inside of sea life and grow, changing its “personality,” if you will. Anxiety is like that. It attaches itself to a host (us) and causes a drag on our forward motion. As it stays, it grows, and get harder and harder to get rid of.
Worry is a giant we need to slay. That is my desire for Sunday’s message I have entitled “Bringing the Giant to its Knees.” There is no doubt we live in an “anxiety-ridden” society. Life seems to assault us from all angles. What can we do? My prayer is to answer that question this week. I look forward to seeing you in person or via live stream at 9:00 and 10:45.
Posted in Anxiety, Faith, Freedom, Health, Sermon Series/Topic | Comments Off on #GiantSlain!
Thursday, May 25th, 2023
In 1816 Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to John Adams in which he said, “There are indeed gloomy and hypochondriac minds, inhabitants of diseased bodies, disgusted with the present, and despairing of the future; always counting the worst will happen, because it may happen! To these I say how much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened!” (Quote from Unwinding Anxiety by Judson Brewer-p.12)
I’m pretty sure Thomas Jefferson had plenty to be anxious about!! 🙂
Whenever someone is going through a “down” time or depression or simply fighting their own emotions of being down, they tell themselves lies they come to believe. In his book, Attacking Anxiety, Pastor Shawn Johnson takes lessons from his own struggles with depression and anxiety and panic to gives three essentials a person must believe. I will talking about them this Sunday:
- You are not crazy
- You are not alone
- This will end.
I realize those who struggle with a chemical imbalance in their system will find some of this hard to believe. And accept. But my desire is that I can give them hope that it is not a lost cause. Primary to that is what we tell ourselves. We all need to start telling ourselves, “You are a child of God. You are a loved child of God. Like everyone else, you are a slightly broken child of God.”
Please join us this Sunday live or live stream at 9:00 and 10:45. There is hope for all of us.
Posted in Anxiety, Christian living, Compassion, Faith, Fear, Opinion, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic | 2 Responses »
Thursday, May 18th, 2023
After a one-Sunday hiatus due to Mother’s Day, I will be back this week continuing the series I’ve entitled Faith Over Fear. This will be sermon #2 in the series and as you can see by the title of this post it is called “Who Me? Worry?” My Scripture is Matthew 6:25-34.
In Googling the “Top 10 Anxieties for 2023” the most recent statistic came from December of 2022. According to Ipsos, the top vote getter was inflation. It was followed by poverty and social inequality, crime and violence, unemployment, and financial and political corruption. Climate change tied with worry about taxes. Coronavirus is still at one of the lowest levels since it was added in April 2020. That is quite a change from the list I found from 1990: AIDS, drug abuse, nuclear waste, the ozone layer, famine, homelessness, the federal deficit, air pollution, water pollution, and garbage. Added to all lists is since 9/11 global terrorism has been one of the leading causes of anxiety.
I realize a list is just that…a list. All lives are different and our stressors and stress levels are different. But we are all human and one commonality is stress and anxiety. Different levels to be sure, but it is there nonetheless. This passage in Matthew is quite a treatise on Jesus’ ideas on worry. My hope Sunday is to enlighten us all to the truth and hope Jesus gives us when it comes to worry.
I hope to see you this Sunday at 9:00 or 10:45. If not in person then via live stream.
Posted in Anxiety, Christian living, Faith, Fear, Health, hope, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | Comments Off on #WhoMe?Worry?
Thursday, May 4th, 2023
This Sunday I start a new sermon series-one I have never done before. As you can see by the title to this post, the theme for the series is “Faith Over Fear.”
A little back story might help. I began a series in January on Revelation. After preaching for the first two months and covering Revelation 1-5, I decided to concentrate on the message of Easter so I diverted to a series I called “To and From the Cross.” While preparing for that series, I began to sense God was leading me to do something else besides continue Revelation when that series was over. After praying about what I was sensing, there was little doubt in my mind that I was to do a series on Fear and Anxiety. After I announced that, I cannot even begin to tell you how many folks have said, “I can’t wait for that series!” Many of those were people whom I had no clue suffered from it.
To say I’m looking forward to preaching it would be an understatement. But I am also aware of the expectations people have and part of me says I hope I don’t disappoint. Then I realize: it is not me anyway. And it is not about me. I have to trust God will give me the words to say because, to be honest, I have never had an issue with this. I HAVE TO TRUST HIM TO GIVE ME THE WORDS TO SAY.
My sermon this Sunday is entitled “What We ALL Want.” Stay tuned this week for more information about what it is we all want. Meanwhile, I invite you to join us at 9 and 10:45, either in person or via live stream. Go here to find out how to do that. I welcome your feedback as well.
Posted in Christian living, Compassion, Faith, Fear, Freedom, Grace, hope, Opinion, Sermon Series/Topic | Comments Off on FaithOverFear#1
Thursday, April 20th, 2023
There is something curious about boasting. Despite the fact that nobody likes a braggart, everybody brags in some way. People boast about their grandchildren (Guilty); their bank accounts (not guilty); their waistlines (is that really something to brag about?); sports feats (days gone by); travel plans (will Alaska ever happen again?); and sometimes even their indiscretions. Get a bunch of pastors together on Monday morning and ask them how things are going and you will probably hear the biggest game of one-upmanship take place that you have ever heard.
In Galatians 6:14 the Apostle Paul said, “May I never boast except in the cross of Christ.” What does that mean? I want to dive into that verse and the passage which surrounds it this coming Sunday. I invite you to join me in person or via live stream at 9:00 and 10:45.
Posted in Doctrine, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, The Cross | Comments Off on #TheBoastoftheCross
Thursday, April 6th, 2023
RESURRECTION SUNDAY!
Can there be any better day? I’m inclined to think not.
Antony Flew, the atheist and professor of philosophy, once said, “If Jesus rose, you have an intellectually feasible argument that everything Jesus said could be true. If He didn’t, all of Christianity falls.” He also said, “The defining and distinguishing characteristic of true Christianity is accepting the Resurrection did literally happen.”
He is most definitely correct.
The tragedy of it all is stated well by Christian writer, Sam Allberry: “Many Christians, while believing in the resurrection and rehearsing that belief every Easter Sunday, effectively stick it back in the drawer for the rest of the year because they are at a loss of what to do with it.”
The Easter story provides what we so desperately need…HOPE. I’d like to invite you to hear about that hope we have, either in person or via live stream at 9:00 or 10:45. If you attend elsewhere, may you hear and know the Truth of the Resurrection.
Posted in Doctrine, Easter, Jesus, Resurrection, Sermon Series/Topic, Truth | Comments Off on #ALIVE!!
Thursday, March 30th, 2023
I suspect all of us from time to time have heard or even used the expression, “Famous last words.” We use them to sorta say, “Yeah. So you say.” “I’ll clean my room” or “I’ll take out the garbage” or “I’ll clean the garage.” And we say? “Yeah, yeah, yeah, famous last words. As I prepared for this message and was thinking about Jesus’ last words, I decided to do a little research, aka Google it, on famous last words. 🙂 I found some irreverent ones. I found some thoughtful ones. I found some ironic ones. And I found some sad ones. (I would encourage you to look them up yourself). I’m actually going to give some examples during the introduction part of my sermon.
Jesus’ words “It is Finished” are loaded with meaning, often misconstrued. Each of Jesus’ last words tell a story, a truth, to know and remember. My desire this Sunday is to explain what that phrase means and why it is so important for us to get it right.
I just want to say this: In His dying moments, the mind of Jesus was filled, not with hopeless despair, but with a sense of accomplishment. His imminent death was not something inflicted upon Him by others, but something He Himself had achieved! That is why He could say, “It is Finished.”
Please tune in if possible. In person or via live stream. Our services are at 9:00 and 10:45. They are live streamed on the church’s FB page and also YouTube. You can find those links at the church’s website. I’m looking forward to preaching on these last words of Jesus.
Posted in Death, Doctrine, Easter, hope, Jesus, Sermon Series/Topic, Story, The Cross | Comments Off on #ItIsFinished!
Thursday, March 16th, 2023
There are many folks who have read the narrative of the cross so often that the reality of the pain and suffering Jesus went through “goes in one ear and out the other.” It is also true that life is a mixed bag. There are moments of pure, unadulterated exhilaration combined with moments of sheer agony.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles.” (I Cor. 1:23) The Jews wanted supernatural signs and the Greeks sought wisdom. But as we look at the cross, we see more. We see a combination of both the simple and the profound. The Jews weren’t going to find their sign of the miraculous on the cross, and the Gentiles weren’t going to find their wisdom in it.Â
What I plan to bring to light are four scenes full of meaning. As I said, many who read the account of the cross sort of just take these four scenes for granted. They are filled with meaning for us.
Scene #1- The weeping women. Luke 23:26-31
Scene #2- The heartless soldiers. 23:32-34
Scene #3- The mocking bystanders. 23:35-39
Scene #4- The thief on the cross. 23:39-43
After introducing the four scenes, my primary focus will be on the latter. I will making these three points:
- No one is ever too far gone to become a Christ-follower.
- All God wants from any individual is simple faith.
- Never doubt that God accepts you.
Please join us at 9:00 and 10:45 either in person or via live stream. Check out the church’s website for the ways and means to connect.
Posted in Doctrine, Easter, Sermon Series/Topic, The Cross | Comments Off on #InsultsandParadise
Thursday, March 9th, 2023
Quick: Word association. Disciple of Jesus. Failure:
PETER
It is hard to disassociate Peter’s name from failure. But the fact remains: all of them failed. All of them ran. Peter gets notoriety because his was so public. Brash. Bold. Boisterous. Braggart.
Peter is not alone though. We all have failed. We all have made promises to be faithful and to stand tall, only to see ourselves do a face plant. History is marred with failures. So is Biblical history.
But failure is not the end. You have heard it said in some way, I’m sure: “Falling is not failure; not getting back up is.” But the great part about Peter’s failure and what he realized is that there is forgiveness in spite of failure.Â
I’m guessing that no one’s failure is more highlighted than Peter’s. I’m preaching on The Sting of Failure this Sunday. But I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of leaving Peter flapping in the breeze. Jesus didn’t and I certainly won’t. Nope…Jesus restored him and made him the leader of the ragtag band of disciple/apostles.
Please join us at 9:00 and 10:45 either in person or online as we live stream our services. I know many will be traveling this week due to Spring Break in our school system, but I hope you will join us via the live stream.
ONE MORE THING! REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD THIS SATURDAY NIGHT FOR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME.
Posted in Forgiveness, God, Grace, Opinion, Preaching, Second Chance, Sermon Series/Topic, Story, The Cross | Comments Off on #TheStingofFailure
Thursday, March 2nd, 2023
Communion has been part of the church’s experience since shortly after Jesus’ meal with the disciples in the Upper Room. Down through the years there have been different ways to celebrate it:
- There have been arguments and debates over its frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly, twice a year).
- There have been arguments over who can partake.
- There have been arguments over the elements themselves (wine or grape juice for example). During the pandemic I had one person tell me they had crackers and pop as a substitute.
- There have been different names give to it (Lord’s Supper, Last Supper, Holy Communion, or Eucharist).
If you are looking for a doctrinal treatise from me on those arguments you have come to the wrong place. My focus in this Sunday’s sermon is on the meal itself and why we have been told, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Long story short: me must not forget to remember.
This Sunday starts a two-month series on To and From the Cross. I’m taking this break from my series on Revelation to focus on the season of the Cross and the Resurrection. I plan to resume the Revelation series the first Sunday of May. Please join us in person or via live stream at 9:00 and 10:45.
Posted in Church, Doctrine, Preaching, Salvation, Sermon Series/Topic, The Cross | 2 Responses »
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