Can you imagine living in a country that has been enduring a civil war? Most people in the world cannot understand what that must be like. In my own country, the American Civil War in the 1860s was horrific. Reading the history and visiting places like the battlefields of Gettysburg, PA, I am astounded andContinue reading “The world’s longest civil war – Current Events November 2021, Part 3”
Tag Archives: gospel of luke
What happened when we decided to rent out our church – Current Events Week November 2021, Part 2
Earlier this year, Faith Church made some new neighbors. Just before the Covid pandemic began in March 2020, I received a phone call from a pastoral colleague at one of Faith Church’s sister churches. He was reaching out because another pastor (not from a sister church) had been visiting his church, looking to rent space.Continue reading “What happened when we decided to rent out our church – Current Events Week November 2021, Part 2”
Telling your story is more important than you think
Hey Christian, you are witnesses of these things! Last week on the sermon intro blog post, I suggested that one bit of Christian lingo, the word “witness,” might not mean what you think it means. So what does “witness” mean? Jesus says in Luke 24:36-53, that his disciples are all witnesses. They watched his lifeContinue reading “Telling your story is more important than you think”
He is risen? Really? So what?
“He is risen! He is risen indeed!” This is the call and response that we use on Easter Sunday. But this Sunday is not Easter Sunday. That was two months ago. This Sunday we’re revisiting Easter again. Why? In the book of Acts we learn that the earliest Christians decided to meet on Sundays becauseContinue reading “He is risen? Really? So what?”
Should we wear crosses or crucifixes?
The cross. Almost every Sunday we sing about the cross. We have crosses in our church building, and we have a cross outside our building. How many of you are wearing a cross around your neck? The cross is very common. My task this coming Sunday is to talk about the cross. Once each monthContinue reading “Should we wear crosses or crucifixes?”
Have you ever been falsely accused?
Have you ever been wrongfully mistreated or accused? Have you ever been blamed for something that you didn’t do? It is a horrible feeling. You know that deep down inside you have done nothing wrong. So what do you do? Remember a few years ago when some members of the Duke University men’s lacrosse teamContinue reading “Have you ever been falsely accused?”
How God wants to restore you
Betrayal and denial. Jesus experienced both, from two of his closest followers, in a matter of no more than one hour. That had to hurt deeply. You can read the story in Luke 22:47-62. Yesterday at Faith Church we talked about what it feels like when we have been betrayed or denied. We also talkedContinue reading “How God wants to restore you”
What to do when you don’t want to do what God is asking you to do
Jesus did not want to do what God wanted him to do. Does that surprise you? After 33 years of life and ministry, Jesus is on the cusp of the crowning achievement of his mission. He was going to be named “King”, but the crown wasn’t going to be so glorious. In fact, the actualContinue reading “What to do when you don’t want to do what God is asking you to do”
Why our worship will be silent this Sunday at Faith Church – May 8, 2016
A few years ago we started holding Silent Sunday around the time the Christian Church world-wide observes Jesus’ Ascension. We’re told in the earliest historical account of the first followers of Jesus, the Book of Acts, in chapter 1, that after Jesus ascended to heaven, the very first act his followers decided to do wasContinue reading “Why our worship will be silent this Sunday at Faith Church – May 8, 2016”
How to identify if you are good or bad leader
As we have seen in Luke, Jesus is pretty good at throwing rocks in the still pond of people’s lives, creating waves. He does it again at his final meal with his disciples, the Passover meal in the Upper Room, the meal we commonly call The Last Supper. Jesus gets a bit ominous, telling hisContinue reading “How to identify if you are good or bad leader”
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