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  • Sermon
    Love Serves – Part III of a 5-week sermon series called, “We Love First,” preached on May 14, 2017, at First Church Coral Springs

    Love Serves – Part III of a 5-week sermon series called, “We Love First,” preached on May 14, 2017, at First Church Coral Springs

                   Today, I’m talking about the intersection of love and service.  Though this is not, technically, a Mother’s Day message, I can’t think of any better examples of love-motivated service than mothers.  No offense intended toward the Dads!  But, let’s be honest – Moms, for the most part, put…

    May 15, 2017
  • Sermon Spirituality
    Love Grows – Part II of a 5 week sermon series called “We Love First,” delivered at First Church Coral Springs on Sunday, May 7, 2017

    Love Grows – Part II of a 5 week sermon series called “We Love First,” delivered at First Church Coral Springs on Sunday, May 7, 2017

     Either Growing, or…             Now that the weather is warmer, and the rains have started, everything has started growing again – rapidly.  I’m enjoying my bonsai trees – as they are sprouting new growth and blooming.  But, I’m also daily weeding and trimming, just to keep everything under control. Growth…

    May 7, 2017
  • Guatemala
    Utz a patik

    Utz a patik

    I received a Facebook message this week from my friend, Francisco, who is Mayan and lives in a small mountain village in Guatemala, called Chontala.  Yes – they have Facebook. Chontala is a second home for me.  Actually, maybe, in many ways, Chontala is home for me.  I’ve been going…

    May 6, 2017
  • Sermon Vision
    We Love First – Part 1 of a 5-week Sermon Series called “We Love First” – preached at First Church Coral Springs on April 30, 2017.

    We Love First – Part 1 of a 5-week Sermon Series called “We Love First” – preached at First Church Coral Springs on April 30, 2017.

     What’s the Vision? Almost as soon as I arrived last summer, as your new pastor, some of you were asking, “What’s your vision for First Church?”  What’s my vision?  Are you kidding?  At that point I was still trying to find the grocery store, the movie theater, a new dentist! …

    April 30, 2017
  • Ministry United Methodist
    Cogs, Machines, People and Pastors

    Cogs, Machines, People and Pastors

    I’m a United Methodist Pastor.  At ordination, I submitted to the authority of a bishop, to go where I am sent to serve.  In some denominations, pastors decide for themselves whether or not to accept a “call” to serve a particular church or to live in a particular locale.  Not so…

    April 27, 2017
  • Blogging Lent Life
    Reflections on Forty Days of Blogging

    Reflections on Forty Days of Blogging

    For Lent, I committed to write a blog, everyday, for forty days, plus Sundays.  I did it!  But, now Lent is over… What now? I don’t plan to continue blogging daily – I think we would all get a little sick of that.  Instead, I’m thinking that I will continue…

    April 18, 2017
  • Easter Sermon Uncategorized
    Restored – A message preached on Easter Sunday, 2017, at First Church of Coral Springs, to conclude a Lent series called “Restoration.”

    Restored – A message preached on Easter Sunday, 2017, at First Church of Coral Springs, to conclude a Lent series called “Restoration.”

    During the season of Lent, our theme has been “Restoration,” as in when someone takes something that is old and broken-down – an old house, an old car, an old piece of furniture – and takes the time to restore it into something new.  Similarly, we have said that is…

    April 17, 2017
  • Jesus Lent
    A Strange Saturday…

    A Strange Saturday…

    I woke up this morning, feeling relieved.  It has been a busy, hectic Holy Week.  My church had three different services – one on Maundy Thursday, and two on Good Friday – each requiring a different sermon.  Beyond the sermons, there were also numerous other details of the worship services…

    April 15, 2017
  • Jesus Lent Sermon
    “Mountains of Books” – a Second Good Friday Sermon, Preached on April 14th, 2017, in the Evening at First Church of Coral Springs

    “Mountains of Books” – a Second Good Friday Sermon, Preached on April 14th, 2017, in the Evening at First Church of Coral Springs

    Revelation 20 says that there are books in heaven that contain the records of everything that every human has ever said or done.  Imagine that.  A book that contains every sin you have ever committed.  Every evil thought.  Every unkind word.  Every selfishness.  Every disobedience.  Every unfaithfulness.  Every missed opportunity…

    April 15, 2017
  • Jesus Lent
    “Into your hands I commit my spirit” – A Good Friday Sermon Preached on April 14, 2017 at First Church of Coral Springs

    “Into your hands I commit my spirit” – A Good Friday Sermon Preached on April 14, 2017 at First Church of Coral Springs

    Undeniably, the ordeal Jesus endured was horrific.  Starting with an arrest; then a long night without sleep – full of hate, ugliness, condemnation and abuse; dragged from the Temple to Pilate, to Herod, and then back to Pilate; abuse and mockery at the hands of cruel Roman soldiers; rejection from…

    April 15, 2017
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