Sermons I’ve preached, primarily at Beavercreek Church of the Nazarene.
It seems like everyone’s in a competition to “Do Christmas Well” these days. From party after party to non-stop shopping for all those perfect gifts to endless feasts, we don’t feel like we can stop. But Advent teaches us that to do Christmas well, we have to learn to wait. And waiting is not something we are very good at. Learning to wait well is the key to doing Christmas well. And it’s very good news! In this series, we’ll learn that waiting brings back the thrill of hope
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No matter how much we enjoy the weekend worship experience, sooner or later, we stop growing. That’s because we need more than great music and an engaging message. We need to connect with other people who are on the same journey as us. Learning we’re not alone as we try to follow Jesus changes everything, and that’s what Branches is all about. In a Branches group, you’ll find people who’ve been where you are, who know the joys and pains of building relationships, work and figuring out your calling, raising a family, leaving a lasting legacy. They’re people you can join with in figuring out exactly how the new life Jesus offers us changes our whole world. If that sounds too good to be true, it’s not. Becoming part of a small group is the single best way to pursue a thriving, life-changing relationship with God. This is Branches. And big things happen in small groups.
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We prize loyalty - in sports teams, to brands and especially in relationships. According to the prophet Hosea, we are often disloyal in our faith. We look at religious rituals as signs of faithfulness, when in fact what God desires is transformation. Rituals are never meant to be ends in themselves, but pathways to a new life.
We live in turbulent times - from endless war to a slowly recovering economy to a looming educational crisis and ineffective government. While we take care of our lives one day at a time, we can't help but sense a storm gathering on the horizon. In this, we are much like the Jewish people who lived at the time of the prophets. Surrounded by forces outside their control, God called them to remain faithful in their daily life, to trust him to handle the big stuff. God spoke through prophets. Because their books are so short, we call them the Minor Prophets. But while their writings are short, their message has major implications for our lives today. Welcome to Major/Minor!
Many of us feel disappointed with God at some point or another in our lives. We experience pain, life doesn't go our way and it feels like God broke his promise to us. But Easter Sunday is the proof that God always keeps his promises. Though Jesus' death on Friday looked like God didn't come through, his resurrection on Easter proves that God's plan was bigger than we'd dare to dream. Easter is a promise to us too that God isn't finished with us, and that we can trust God to keep his promise of life!
Who is God? The answers to this most basic human question can be found in the Scriptures. Over and over, God comes to humanity, interacts with us in ways we can understand, and we learn more of who God is. Often in these interactions, the people who met God would give God a name - a way to describe how God had worked in their lives. As we explore these stories, we'll learn that God is the same God for us today. God is our provider, our shepherd, our banner, our peace, our mother and more!
The answers to this most basic human question can be found in the Scriptures. Over and over, God comes to humanity, interacts with us in ways we can understand, and we learn more of who God is. Often in these interactions, the people who met God would give God a name – a way to describe how God had worked in their lives.
We all know that hard work is a virtue. But we easily fall into the trap of turning work into a god, believing that we always need just a little bit more before we'll be content. We sacrifice our time, our energy and ultimately our families and lives to this god whose demands on us never end. Let's return to the Creator God who tells us we should do all our work in six days and spend the seventh, the Sabbath day, enjoying the life we're building. Let's remember that our worth and security come not from what we produce but from the God who created, calls and loves us.
When you think of idol, you think of a little statue. But idols can be anything that distracts or distances us from God. During Lent, we're going to look at some of the most popular idols in our culture. We'll see what they are, and how they pull us away from God. We'll also discover the better way God calls us to. Join us as we discover the identities of these American gods, and turn from them to follow the one and only true God.
When you think of idol, you think of a little statue. But idols can be anything that distracts or distances us from God. During Lent, we’re going to look at some of the most popular idols in our culture. We’ll see what they are, and how they pull us away from God. We’ll also discover the better way God calls us to. Join us as we discover the identities of these American gods, and turn from them to follow the one and only true God.
We should cultivate relationships with those who are Before, Beside and Behind us. We’ll call these intentional, life-giving relationships “mentoring relationships”. What do these relationships look like? How can we foster them in our daily lives? Welcome to The Mentorist!
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How many times have you heard about one of those spectacular events in the Old Testament and thought, “It must be nice!” If only I had seen the Red Sea part, or Elijah’s showdown on Mt. Carmel. Then it’d be so easy to trust God! But apparently that’s not true. We see again and again that the big events aren’t what transform us into God’s people. Rather, we find God in the ordinary phenomena we see every day.
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Who were the so-called "Wise Men" at the Nativity? They were Persian Astrologers, pagans who found the Good News about Jesus written in the stars. Their journey to Bethlehem reminds us that God doesn't always work inside our boxes, that everyone who seeks Truth finds Jesus.
Shepherds with their sheep. Three kings bearing gifts. A new mother, her husband and their tiny baby, resting in a manger as a star shines brightly overhead. We've all seen the nativity scene hundreds of times. But that peaceful scene hides adventure, surprise, hurt and hope. Each of those persons gathered at that manger walked a different road to get there. Join us this Advent season as we learn their journeys to the manger. Each person's story is an invitation for us to consider our own paths. What does your Road to Bethlehem look like?
As king of Israel, Herod should’ve been first in line to the manger. But instead of focusing on representing God, Herod only sought to maintain his own throne. How can his (bad) example teach us how to find the road to God?
A Theology of the Body, including Don Draper and Sir Mix-a-Lot
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BOLD Faith is choosing to live according to God's character, not based on how our lives turn out. It's faith that God brings life from death, even in the most dire of circumstances.
Let's face it: following Jesus in 21st Century America is pretty easy. Choosing to be a faithful picture of God for our friends, families and coworkers doesn't cost us much. But we have brothers and sisters all over the globe who have given up everything for Jesus - their homes, their families, even their lives. What can we learn from their bold faith? How can their stories inspire us to follow Jesus more faithfully? Join us in October and November as we ask, What's keeping me from a BOLD life?
Let’s face it: following Jesus in 21st Century America is pretty easy. Choosing to be a faithful picture of God for our friends, families and coworkers doesn’t cost us much. But we have brothers and sisters all over the globe who have given up everything for Jesus – their homes, their families, even their lives. What can we learn from their bold faith? How can their stories inspire us to follow Jesus more faithfully? Join us in October and November as we ask, What’s keeping me from a BOLD life?