An End to Chaos
Jan. 11, 2009
Baptism of the Lord (B)
Genesis 1:1-5
Everyone knows the joke about the fellow who, when asked for directions, always answered, "You can't get there from here."
Preaching into the Darkness
Jan. 18, 2009
Second Sunday After Epiphany (B)
1 Samuel 3:1-20
If a preacher occupies the pulpit long enough, he is likely to experience just about anything. During my first pastorate, lightning struck a tree outside the wall in back of my pulpit-not 20 feet from where I stood preaching.
What God Wants More Than Anything Else
The greatest commandment is one that calls us to a love for God that permeates every aspect of our being.
Three Questions To Simplify Sermon Preparation
Preparing a sermon is hard work. Ironically, the more one reads about how to prepare a sermon often complicates the work, making a tough job even tougher. Before putting pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard), the well-read preacher with a biblical text in front of him must first decide how t
Expository Preaching That Touches The Heart
Half a century ago Andrew Blackwood lamented that "expository preachers and sermons, rightly or wrongly, have been known for tameness, sameness, and lameness."1 More recently, Christian columnist Terry Mattingly observed: "In most congregations, the word 'sermon' means a verse-by-verse explanation of...
Preaching Wisdom
A certain bumper sticker conveyed a similar sentiment with these words, "You are only young once, but you can be immature your whole life."1 In a word, what we sorely lack today is wisdom. What is...
Can I Get A Witness?
2 Peter 1:16-21
Postmodern sages would have us believe that certainty is only an illusion in the minds of fanatics and fools. Despite such aspersions, the human mind continues to seek after certainty because the human heart craves security. Certainty begets...
3 Simple Rules
Micah 6:1-8
Nobody wants to receive a summons to court, especially family court. Every family has its fair share of dirty laundry. Who doesn't cringe at the thought of having it aired in public?...
So, What’s The Good News?
Matthew 4:12-17; Isaiah 9:1-4
It was a typical news night: stories of national political corruption; wars abroad; local murders, rapes, and thefts. Four hundred years, same old news, when suddenly a prophet appeared with a late breaking report: "The kingdom of Heaven is...
The Great Communicator, 1911-2004
Only weeks removed from our next national elections, now seems the appropriate time to reflect again upon the recent passing of this generation's most popular President, Ronald Wilson Reagan. Tributes to our fallen President filled the airwaves in the hours following his death. I was especially