Leader || Preacher || Teacher
Halloween is approaching and I was told a by someone recently at a dinner party that when they were a kid they remembered that one of the former Broncos players would give away VHS movies to kids who came to his home trick-or-treating. That sounds like an awesome gift in 1990. Now you can digitally download and stream movies in 4K/UHD. It’s safe to say that VHS cassettes and players are obsolete. You can still give them away for Halloween, but I
When we consider why our faith may be waning it could be that we have placed it in a savior who in our heart and mind does not match His supremacy that is described in the book of Hebrews. Jesus says that your faith needs to only be the size of a mustard seed to be great. To have a greater faith you don’t focus on describing your faith but in describing the object of our faith, Jesus. A greater faith is found in believing in the One who is greater.
Continue reading “Greater Faith: Greater Minister”
Listen up! I’ve got a word for you. That might get your attention and you may draw in even more if I told the word was from your forefathers. You might be very intrigued if I said I had word from an angel. You might think that what you would hear would be one of the greatest messages you may ever hear. But the word I’ve got doesn’t come solely from any of those sources. What if I told you there was a Greater Word?
Continue reading “Greater Faith: Greater Word”
I arrived late to class and noticed that the mood in the room was anxious and tense. The students and teacher were speculating about an event that was happening in New York. I was confused and wasn’t following the conversation. “What happened? What are you talking about?” It was Tuesday, September 11, 2001
“We eat, we drink, the next day we die,” and that’s all there is to it. But don’t fool yourselves. Don’t let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk. “Bad company ruins good manners.” – 1 Cor 15:32-33 (MSG Bible). I believe these words are fitting for our society’s current state as we are surrounded by bad news, fake news, moral outrage, hot topics, and hot takes. Our hearts are pulled into perpetual fear anticipating the next big failure, with a limited view of possible solutions. It is no wonder politics (based on fear, doomsday rhetoric, and outrage) are our religion and those in office are our saviors.
Continue reading “Good News: Believe It”
With all the many things that we read in the news and all the troubling things happening around us
Confession time. I do not love Mondays. When I first dreamed of preaching a series on work and faith, I dreamed of writing and preaching something from a place of consolation. In reality, this sermon series is from a place of desolation. “Loving Monday” is more for me than it is for you. I guess you (the congregation I serve, the online listener/reader) are just listening in.
Continue reading “Loving Monday: A Confession”
Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount are narrowed in their focus. He desires that his followers be changed from the inside out. Inner transformation leads to external obedience. Jesus chooses to focus on your heart. He also chooses to end his sermon with an appeal to wise faith.
When we sold our house in Dothan, AL we began packing up our belongings and had multiple garage sales. After the final garage sale, we decided that whatever was left in the garage would be donated to the Rescue Mission. There was some really good stuff in that garage that was difficult to part with. The problem was that all our household possessions needed to fit in a single storage unit and even though we didn’t know where we would be moving, we knew that a moving company would charge us by weight. We had to part with things that at one time we thought we never would. Treasured items found a new home. Continue reading “The Good Place: Treasure Tomorrow”
“I love you to the moon and back!” This is what our girls say to Ana and I when we tuck them into bed at night. It’s our way of saying, “I love you a lot.” It’s not accompanied by doubt in need of a promise. Our girls do not respond, “Do you promise that you love me?” To promise that you love someone does not expand the sentiment, it restricts it. Those words fall flat. To think that my girls would require one of me means that I have not given my love freely and unconditionally.