Witnessing With Those Who’ve Made It

Luke 19:1-10 Let's face it. There are a lot of folks around who have made it big financially. According to Forbes.com, in 2005 there were 691 billionaires on planet Earth, with a collective worth of more than $2 trillion. Just so you'll know: none of them is a member of our church!

Thanksgiving Comes Early This Year

As an introduction to a series on Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, this Thanksgiving sermon focuses on the importance of giving thanks in our lives. First, we are privileged to give thanks for the way God has called us into relationship with himself and with each other. Second, we are privileged to give thanks for five specific God-given gifts.

Surviving Depression

I Kings 19:1-16 Once upon a time, there was a traveling preacher on the American frontier. Hungry and tired, he arrived at the home of Christian people to stay the night. Before he went to bed he entered this optimistic note in his journal: "Arrived at the home of Brother Brown late

Here Comes The Sun

Psalm 130 I want to take you on a journey this morning to an island somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean during World War II. The island is a strategic location for the United States Navy as they fight their way toward Japan, and as a part of that effort the navy is off-loading bombs a

The Narrow Way

Matthew 7:13-14 Someone put up a sign along one of the muddy roads in rural Iowa during the rainy season. It read: "Choose your ruts carefully; you'll be in them for the next ten miles." That sign may invoke a smile, but actually it offers sound advice. When roads are slippery, it's for your

This Matter Of Sex

1 Corinthians 7:1-9 Today we take up the topic of sex, and we do so for a variety of reasons. One is that sex is everywhere, or at least it seems to be. It is at the heart of movies and literature, and is a central feature in just about every sitcom and every commercial. It seems you do not ha

Prelude To Passion

Luke 19:28-44 On the day we call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey. He came to celebrate the ancient Passover with his fellow Jews. This was a dangerous move. In Jerusalem were powerful people who hated Jesus and wanted Him dead. Imagine Condoleeza Rice riding into Baghda

Lassie, A Llama, And A Leech

Galatians 6:1-5 I'll never forget my first day of tenth grade. I was starting at a new school after moving from another state. It was a day of loneliness and disconnection for me as I walked the halls alone, sat at lunch alone, and rode the bus sitting in a seat by myself. It hurts to be

Singularly Important

Someone from our church dies nearly every week. If that happened in most churches in America, complaints would be made to the local health department. Fifty-two funerals a year would cause most churches to close their doors forever. But if a church is large enough (and ours qualifies), a funera