Sermons

Humbled to Be Exalted

Humbled to Be Exalted

….We thank God for our blessings, recognizing that they are entirely undeserved. "But by the grace of God," we say when we see someone less fortunate, and yet even this statement of praise and thanksgiving exposes our pride. Are we more fortunate because God gave us more grace than the person who finds themselves in a worse situation? You see the dilemma. Even in our gratitude we somehow start to feel like God's favorites.

It is said that even those who learn to be humble will become proud of their humility. How do we get out of this trap?…

Authentic to Be Accepted

Authentic to Be Accepted

Believing in Jesus is easy. Even the demons believed he was the Son of God. What sets us apart? What makes us "Christian?"

Being a Christian is not merely about "believing", but actually imitating Christ. James writes, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22). Some are quick to object that this sounds like "works righteousness," as if somehow we must be "good enough" to get into heaven. The truth is that this is not about being "good enough" or about "getting into heaven." It is about living out of our identity…

Empty to Be Filled

Empty to Be Filled

I remember a classic Andy Griffith episode when Andy was invited to multiple dinners in the same night, and being the gracious friend he is, he could not say no. All three hosts served spaghetti, and every one used their "secret ingredient", oregano. Needless to say Andy did not enjoy his third spaghetti dinner nearly as much as his first.

We too are invited to plenty of dinners…

Broken to Be Whole

Broken to Be Whole

Simon, the pharisee, disrespects Jesus in every possible way. No formal sign of welcome, no customary foot washing available, no anointing. He doesn't simply forget about such ceremonial practices. Surely he would not forget for any other honored guest. Rather he is demonstrating that in his eyes, Jesus is not an "honored" guest.

This sinful woman, on the other hand, goes over and above to honor Jesus far beyond what ceremony and tradition would expect…

The Barrier of Perception

The Barrier of Perception

Our problem is not with sight.  With today's advancements in eye-care technology, most of us can see.

Our problem is not with vision.  We've all got a "vision", a dream, a goal of what we think things ought to look like.

Our problem is perception.  We see, but we do not perceive.  We have vision, but our dreams are far too small.

Like the blind man in Bethsaida, we have been touched by Jesus, we have the faith to see, but the people still look like trees…

The Barrier of Insufficiency

The Barrier of Insufficiency

In Mark 6, we read that Jesus sent out the Twelve.  In Luke's 10, we find 72.  Yet no matter how many disciples Jesus sends out on any given occasion, the outcome is the same.  How is it that they can go into the villages with nothing but walking sticks and the clothes on their backs and return with declarations of incredible spiritual victory. "Lord, even the demons submit themselves to us in your name" (Luke 10:17).

"The early church had no building, no money, and no political influence. And they turned the world upside-down"

J.D. Greear …

The Barrier of Distraction

The Barrier of Distraction

While Jesus was still speaking with her, messengers came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying to Jairus, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher any longer?

Mark 5:35

I don't know about you, but I must confess, I get frustrated when other people are late.  When I am waiting on someone else to complete their portion of a project so that I can do my part, I get very anxious because I want to do my part on my timeline, not theirs.  I tend to run life ahead of schedule to alleviate stress, but working with procrastinators sometimes forces me to delay the schedule I have set up for myself.

There are two key scenes in the gospels where Jesus is "running late" and on both occasions, his delay is literally a matter of life and death…

The Barrier of Inconvenience

The Barrier of Inconvenience

Then they pleaded with Jesus to leave their region.

Mark 5:17

We know about Jesus calming the storm.  We know how Jesus healed the demoniac and sent the demons fleeing into the pigs.  But what do these two stories have to do with each other?

After crossing the sea on that stormy night, Jesus finds himself in a position to minister to the 10 Gentile cities of the Decapolis.  Of course there were mixed feelings among the disciples about the Gentiles in general, but either way, there is significant potential here for spreading the Good News of the Kingdom among countless people who have not heard.  What strikes me is how quickly Jesus gets back in the boat to go home…

The Barrier of Reputation

The Barrier of Reputation

Those whom we call “sinners”, God calls “beloved.” Those whom we call “tax collectors”, Jesus calls “friend.”

I find it striking that Jesus never refers to people as “sinners.” This does not mean that people do not sin, nor does it excuse their sin. What it does imply is that people are not ultimately identified or defined by their sin. As Jesus said, let the one who is without sin cast the first stone…

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