The Rule of Two September 22, 2015 Year B Ecclesiastes 4:9-16 In the Star Wars movies, the evil Sith have a rule: there can only be two rulers at a time – a leader and an apprentice. It is actually a very good rule. You can train the younger person to learn how to lead and when the other is old, the younger one can take over. But taking over is the problem. As the younger one gets older, he... Read more
How to Live a Life of Integrity How to Live a Life of Integrity is a sermon from Psallm 101:1-8 on the importance of Christian integrity. Our moral compass which we follow is God. Annually, the president of the United States brings his State of the Union address before a joint session of the Congress. Here the nation’s leader outlines his domestic policies for the coming legislative year. At the same time, he also raises foreign policy issues and gives... Read more
1 Corinthians 11:27-34 Taking a Spiritual Self-Exam For the past couple of weeks, we have rejoiced as we have seen make their commitments to Christ real in their life by being baptized. Some came to the altar recognizing their need. Others came realizing that although they had an experience, they were not committed to Christ. Today, we had a family come to show their commitment to Christ. Baptism happens once for the Christian. It is a commandment that Jesus gave.... Read more
Building My Relationship with Jesus Christ Building My Relationship with Jesus is a sermon from John 15:1-8 about the importance of my relationship with Jesus Christ. Pet Sitters International began sponsoring a “Take your Dog to Work Day” in 1999. The purpose of the day is to promote pet adoptions “in a positive and proactive way.” Take your dog to work day! I thought about it, and then decided my dog’s day was better than mine. So instead of bringing... Read more
The Sixth Sense (1999) MOVIE SUMMARY: A boy who communicates with spirits that don’t know they’re dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist. MOVIE THEMES: The Nature of Death The film explores this theme throughout. In this unusual thriller, some people are able to see dead people. One young boy has the ability to see and communicate with dead people. The film presents the idea that “dead people” sometimes don’t yet know that they are dead. They... Read more
Jesus Grieved September 14, 2015 “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35, HCSB) When Jesus came to a family he cared about, his friend Lazarus died. Jesus came late to the funeral. When Jesus heard the pain of his friends who were mourning over Lazarus, Jesus was grieved. Grief happens on the inside. Mourning happens on the outside. So when Jesus saw his friends mourning over the loss of their friend, He was grieved on the inside. He showed that grief by weeping.... Read more
Real Evangelism by Bailey E. SmithReal Evangelism by Baily E. Smith is a book about evangelism. At the outset, I was encouraged to read this book by a fellow evangelist Sam Moore. Baily Smith is an authority in revival evangelism. The book includes information about the use of evangelism in the church. There are many stories and illustrations to help the pastor understand the importance of evangelism. Having said that, I was disappointed in the book for several reasons. First,... Read more
How a Father Disciples His Children September 8, 2015 Year B Hebrews 12:3-13 Do you remember how your father disciplined you? Was it out of love? Did it feel loving? I can remember that my father taught me (instructed me as good discipline) and then corrected me (painful discipline). His role was to teach me how to be a better contributing person in society. The same is true with God. He wants to take me from being a sinner to... Read more
GPS-23 by Johnny A. Palmer, Jr.GPS-23 by Johnny A. Palmer, Jr. stands for God’s Pathway for Survival Psalm 23. Johnny Palmer, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Bentonville, Arkansas provides sound interpretation of each verse in this important psalm. The book was published by Redemption Press and the foreword was written by Sam Moore. Palmer has written this with a purpose in mind: to help guide the reader through this psalm – which he says is a guide for all... Read more
The Good Lie (2014) MOVIE SUMMARY: This is the story of one family who were part of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Orphaned by the brutal Civil war in Sudan that began in 1983, these young victims traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys and girls to America. MOVIE THEMES: Having faith during difficult times As the tattered group makes the difficult... Read more
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