New Wineskins
Here is the full sermon responding to the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states (preached 6.28.15). https://vimeo.com/132209602 Read more
Here is the full sermon responding to the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states (preached 6.28.15). https://vimeo.com/132209602 Read more
Hey gang, First I want to say ‘thanks’ to all of you who read and interact with my blog. It’s amazing how through technology we can build the community we’ve built. I’ve loved blogging and will continue to do so, but am going to take a sabbatical for the month of July to pause long enough to catch my breath. I might post occasionally if something big comes up, and I’ll continue to post my Sunday sermons on here, but... Read more
Edward knows first hand what it means to grow up without a father. At the age of 5 years old, Edward’s father left him and his 6 other siblings to their mother. Without his father’s support and guidance, his family fell on very hard times. Despite his family situation, Edward was fortunate to meet caring individuals throughout his young life which helped to steer him in the right direction. Edward had the talent to play football. Because of his determination... Read more
Gay marriage is here. Rather than long for the past or fear the future, how can the church redeem the present? How can we turn this tragedy into an opportunity to advance the gospel? Here are 7 steps forward. 1. Rejoice. Wait what? Absolutely! Rejoice. What does the Bible say in Philippians 4:4? Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! How can we rejoice? What can we rejoice in? God is still on his throne, Jesus still died for our... Read more
Here is the fourth sermon in our summer series through the book of Acts: https://vimeo.com/131655477 Read more
Gay marriage is here. Originally posted: April 10, 2013 I believe that gay marriage is coming, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not. Rather than another conservative evangelical diatribe on the rights and wrongs of the issue, these next two posts will be suggestions on how we should respond once gay marriage becomes legal nationwide. (Although I doubt it will happen with these Supreme Court cases currently pending, I do think the time is... Read more
Originally posted: April 12, 2013 In my last post, I began to share twelve thoughts on our response to the coming reality of gay marriage. By the sheer number of clicks on that post, it’s obvious that this is a topic that many are working through. So, for what it’s worth, here are six more thoughts on the subject. Would love your comments below. 7. Jesus showed grace to notorious “sinners.” If you look at Jesus and the woman at... Read more
Even a light read through the book of Acts reveals a church that’s markedly different from many churches today. They were united, passionate, and they changed their world. And above all, they were bold. You see that word time and time again when you read their story. So how can we as the church today begin to recover the boldness of the early church? Here are five steps: 1. Put the resurrection in the forefront – The more we dwell and... Read more
Last night Mt Vernon finished MTV on Location, a four week break from our normal Wednesday schedule. For MTV on Location, we took church outside of our four walls to different local parks in the community. No worship services. We just ate and played together. Reflecting on the month, here are four great things that happened: 1. Change of pace. It’s summer. People are ready for a change of pace during the summer. Many are traveling. Numbers are going to fluctuate naturally. Changing... Read more
Curse words are common place in the world today, but there are a few mutually agreed upon places where curse words are frowned upon, including: kids’ birthdays, weddings, and most definitely church services. Well, Shannon* broke one of those rules Sunday. Shannon only recently started coming to church in the past few months. Before that, nothing. No church experience whatsoever. All of this is new to her. I’m not sure if she even considers herself a believer yet. But she’s... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In