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Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.…

Last week we discussed the truth that we are all addicted to something. And we need to admit that we are powerless, that in our own power our lives are unmanageable. Until we admit this, we will keep living broken, miserable lives. As Paul wrote: For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that…

Last week, I explained what I am doing. This is the second of two weeks of Thanksgiving. Last week, I talked about how I am thankful that the church is a family. We talked about what it means and how we should live because of it. If you were not able to be here, I encourage you to go back and watch or…

We truly worship in a beautiful building. We are blessed. I appreciate all the work that Judy puts in to decorate for each of the seasons. I appreciate all the signs that she hangs to remind us of important spiritual truths. I appreciate all the things that have been donated to push our eyes up to the…

So, I was getting to know a pastor once. We had lunch, talked about life and ministry. Then I invited him to jump in my car and drive around his town to pray for his ministry and for people’s hearts to change, for revival and repentance in the community. I started the car, started driving down the main…

When I was in high school, we lived on two acres in the middle of the woods in Northern Indiana. Now, I say “woods” very loosely. It is true that the land around us was wooded. However, across the street was a swamp. So, we didn’t go there. And the majority of our two acres was what we termed a “waste…

One body, many parts Many parts are needed for the church to function as God intended. Tonight we will look at areas of service that the parts can do collectively for the whole. First, a few reminders in case you missed a part of this series of things we covered. Body of Christ, has many members to make…

God's good plan cannot be destroyed by our rebellious choices. Paradise is offered to any who submit to Him.

I assume that everyone here has been around little kids at Christmas time. I know, we just went through easter, so we really shouldn’t be talking about Christmas. However, it fits, just go with me. All those presents are under the Christmas tree. The kids have been itching to open them. Finally, the…

As you know, I completed my requirements for my doctor of ministry degree this week. I’m feeling pretty good. The last thing I had to do was an exit interview with my primary reader and the head of the doctoral department of Dallas Theological Seminary. This exit interview was conducted over Zoom. Now,…

Have you ever laid in your bed, either at night or in the morning, and wondered about your purpose for life? If you haven’t don’t worry about it. With our stage of life, I normally fall asleep right away and then wake up running. However, some people take time to think about their purpose for life. Many…

My favorite movie of all time is “Amazing Grace.” It tells the story, in the distorted way that Hollywood does, about William Wilberforce the British statesmen, who spent his life trying to end the slavery in the British Empire. While the movie does major on Wilberforce’s solid faith in Jesus Christ,…

Have you ever wondered what to give someone for Father’s Day? If you think about Mother’s Day, the classic gifts are: flowers, fancy tea, a card, or a framed piece of kid art. You know, Mother’s Day gifts make sense. Except when someone completely throws convention to the wind and gives a tent peg. What…

We are talking about love. Last week, we discussed that love should be the basis of everything a Christian does. But, what truly is love? Paul wrote that without love, we are nothing. But, what is love? Let’s read what Paul wrote: If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I…

We are just finishing up our birthday season. We have Christmas, then Nancy and Grace’s birthdays are in January, and David’s and mine are in February. That makes for a lot of gifts being given in two months. The kids have been thrilled. I am looking at the house, wondering what we are going to do with…

Why do we come to church? Some of us come because it socially accepted to come to church. Others come because they feel guilty if they don’t come to church. Still others come because they gain something by coming. Still others come because they want to share something. I come to church because you pay…

Have you ever lost focus on a project, and everything got messed up? It seems that every week, I struggle with my focus during sermons. Maggie and I had a heart to heart a few weeks ago, trying to understand the pressures that each other face. And I told Maggie that many times writing sermons is like…

Maggie and I travel differently, especially when it comes to GPS. We both plug the address into our phones, so that we have the map and the directions in front of us. We have a phone holder that attaches to the vent in the dash so that the phone is held up for us. But, here is where the difference lies.…

We are surviving birthday season at our house. Jan 30th was Grace’s birthday. This past Monday was David’s birthday. This week is Valentine’s Day. The following week is my birthday. Crazy season. It’s a time of celebrating what God has done in each person’s life and remembering the journey to this point.…

I was 21 years old. I was working in the receiving department for my college’s dining services. Part of my job was to drive a golf cart to deliver food between the warehouse, our cafeterias, and the day care that was on the campus. I loved to drive that golf cart. It was a electric and they were miserably…

Mirrors are interesting things. There is a saying that “mirrors don’t lie.” What one sees in a mirror is what actually is. I can look in a mirror and say: what lovely blond hair I have. However, that would be me disregarding what the mirror was showing me. The mirror is actually showing me that I am…

I am so glad to live in America. We are blessed in this country. We have the ability to vote for the people we want to vote for. We have the ability to run for office ourselves. We can go to work, earn money, keep a lot of it, and make a life for ourselves. We are truly blessed. We stand on the shoulders…

Kelly Clarkson came out with a song in 2021 called: Christmas come early. It goes like this: Candles burning out at both ends I don't miss the crowd, just my friends Seems like everybody needs a little bit of cheer Christmas, won't you please come early this year? I don't need the snow, I'm already cold…

He is risen! He is risen indeed! I love that greeting that has been passed down through the centuries. It shows the longevity of our faith. We are not just following a belief system that was invented a few years ago by religious quack. No, we have a faith that has stayed the same for two thousand years.…

He is risen! Our entire faith rests on the fact that Jesus is alive. If he never came back to life, our faith is worthless, because there is no hope. We know that Jesus is who he said he is because he came back to life. Each of the Gospels records the amazing story of Jesus’ resurrection, well at least…