Category: Preaching
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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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A Little Embarrassed…
I’m curious what you’re reading, and if there are authors you’d recommend to diversify my reading list. Whatever you’re reading, I encourage you to diversify your reading list, as well.
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Spiritual Leadership
Somebody needs to be asking, “What is Jesus’ vision for our church? What is Jesus calling us to do and be? How is Jesus calling us to learn and grow? How does Jesus want us to spend these offerings? How does Jesus want us to use these buildings? Who does…
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Worship: Where is everybody?
Perhaps its time to expand our minds. Perhaps its time to expand our understanding of what worship is and who it’s for. Perhaps its time to expand our vision for what Church can be. Perhaps – brace yourself – it’s time for change.
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Faith in the Rear View Mirror
I doubt. I worry and fret. I get scared. The “what if?” scenarios consume my thoughts, far more than my prayers. My prayers, themselves, lack the confidence of a man whom God has blessed as much and as often as me. I possess too little faith, and far too much…
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Sermon Preparation
So, preachers, raise the standard of your preaching! How? My advice is planning and preparation. You may not like MY process. But, you do need a process. Plan as far ahead as you possibly can. Take time – big chunks of time – to study and prepare. Yes, your spiritual…
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I choose love…
Here’s what I know. The more I love God, the closer I’m drawn to him. The closer I’m drawn to God, the more I see the work still left to be done in me. But, when I feel guilty or ashamed, I tend to hide from God, hiding my sin…
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Taming Leviathan: in search of God, and an elusively acceptable explanation for suffering and evil
Though leviathan are mythical – especially tamed ones – and the real-life tragedies of this world are definitely not, this image – literal or not – reminds me that God is not defined by my simplistic definitions of good and bad, right and wrong, just and unjust, fair and unfair. …
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Being a “cracked-pot” pastor…
I still find myself wondering, almost daily, “Is this what a pastor is supposed to think, say, feel, do?” I often conclude the answer must be “no.” After almost twenty-five years of ministry, I’m still figuring out this job every day.
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