Who Is Great?

Proper 20 (B) September 21, 2003 Who is Great? Mark 9:30-37 On the journey to Capernaum, the disciples had been discussing greatness. Nothing really unusual about that. The conversation had been on which of them was the greatest. Nothing really wrong with that. Not really. There is a

Make Your Choice

Proper 19 (B), Sept. 14, 2003 Make Your Choice Mark 8:27-38 I understand heart bypass surgery is classified as elective surgery. Elective? The cardiologist says you need bypass surgery. If you elect not to have surgery you will suffer a heart attack, possibly death. Surgery could bring y

Preaching

In the classic comic strip, Hi and Lois, Chip is eating at the table with his family when he announces, "I discovered something new in school today." His mother smiles and says, "Oh, really! What was that?" Chip replies, "A level of boredom I never knew existed." While we hope that is not

Playing Favorites?

Proper 18 (B), September 7, 2003 Playing Favorites? James 2:1-10 I don't know if you saw it but there was a program on PBS called The Manner House. The idea of the project was to have a group of people live in an English manner house as though it were 1906, the waning years of the gilded age.

Evangelism

In a recent article in USA Today, Rita Rubin wrote an article concerning the communication gap between physicians and patients. She writes of Barry Weiss, a professor of clinical and community medicine at the University of Arizona, who remembered a time when he consulted with a colleague ab

Cross

A church in Boca Raton Florida has cut a deal to put a 99-foot phone tower inside the cross of their building. Some church members opposed the plan and thought it sacrilegious. Others thought it good business and stewardship. The cross will be carrying messages around the world. Regardless

The Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat

Hebrews 11 reminds us that faith can have two very different outcomes in our lives: Faith has enabled God's people to experience great victories. It has also enabled God's people to endure bitter defeats. This sermon on faith challenges us to believe that keeping our faith in our defeats is how we experience our ultimate victories.