Category: Bible
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“Potential”: A sermon preached on May 17, 2020, for the First United Methodist Church of Orlando
With the help of God’s grace, whatever and whoever I will be in heaven, in some way I already am and have the potential of becoming. My future heavenly reality, is already possible in my present. Whatever growth, or perfecting, or cleansing, or healing, or forgiveness I expect will happen…
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The Bible is NOT a weapon! Quit beating people with it! (ie. Why Sodom wasn’t destroyed because of homosexuality)
To the heterosexual Christian community, at large: the Bible is not a weapon of violence! Violence, of any kind, for Christians, is 100% UNACCEPTABLE! The Bible is a book of love; the love story of God creating, losing, and winning back his beloved creation.
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“I will lift my eyes” – a Facebook Live sermon, based on Psalm 121, preached for The First United Methodist Church of Orlando, on March 29, 2020
Last Sunday morning, before worship, a First Church friend sent me a beautiful YouTube video of the University of British Columbia Choir, singing a choral arrangement of Psalm 121, called “I will lift my eyes,” that literally moved me to tears.
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Get up, and walk!
I’ll confess, I feel helpless, sometimes. I’ve felt especially helpless in these recent weeks. Beyond social distancing and washing my hands thoroughly, I feel helpless in the face of the spread of coronavirus. As a pastor, I feel VERY helpless: wishing I could do more, worrying that I’m not doing…
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“Compassionate Community” – a sermon prepared for First Church Orlando, for our series, “Christ Centered Community”
“12 Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. 13 We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we…
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“Christ Centered Community” – a sermon preached on March 8, 2020, at the First United Methodist Church of Orlando
4 Now you are coming to him as to a living stone. Even though this stone was rejected by humans, from God’s perspective it is chosen, valuable. 5 You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices…
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“I am” or “I am not”
When I’m specifically asked about my association with Jesus – by friend or foe – I want my response to be consistently faith-affirming, truth-filled, love-laced, unwavering, and invitational!
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Anticipated Restoration
I find remarkable comfort and encouragement in these stories from Holy Week. If Jesus couldn’t find twelve better disciples than these, then maybe there’s hope for me and my ministry. If Jesus, knowing the disciples would fall short when he needed them, still planned to forgive and restore them afterward,…
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SuperSoul Question #2: “What is Your Definition of God?” (Part two, of an eight-part series of posts, based on interview questions Oprah typically asks on her SuperSoul Conversations Podcast.)
My favorite word is “ineffable,” especially as it relates to understanding God. Some thing “ineffable” is beyond the capacity of words to explain, an image to convey, or the mind to comprehend. The ineffable is a mystery beyond explanation or rationalization. The ineffable is simply too far beyond a human’s…
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Kneeling Isn’t a Sin
Kneeling, during the playing of National Anthem, may be offensive to you. It may even be wrong. But, it’s not a sin.
vancerains.com 