Sermon Blog

It’s Memorial Day Weekend.   While summer is still technically still 26 days away, for many folks this weekend is the kickoff of the summer season.   It is the weekend where many may make their first venture of the year to the Island.   It is the weekend where many families may take the first swim in their pool for the year or fire up the grill for the first time.   It is a weekend of fun in the sun for so many.   Yet, for others it is not.   It is a weekend that for some families is a time of remembering and grief.   It is a weekend where children, spouses, parents, and friends remember those who have lost their lives in the line of service to their country.   We paused earlier in our service this morning to remember those who gave their lives in military conflict—why? Because they put their lives on the line for family, friends, and nation. Yet, a person doesn’t have to be in service in order to give their lives for someone else.   Last September, during the mass shooting a

He said, I AM… I am the Bread of Life…you can only find truly satisfying nourishment that will quench all thirst and satisfy all hunger in me… I am the Light of the World…I bring order to the chaos of your life…I shine light into the darkness of your sin and reveal your true intentions…not to condemn you, but in order that you might be saved…I give you life…I gather you with others around Me. I am the Gate…It is only through Me that you will find truly abundant and eternal life. I am the Good Shepherd…Hear My call…know My voice…Respond, and I will lead you through myself into the pastures that will allow you rest. I am the Resurrection and the Life…I am the source of life…don’t look to places of death for living, but look to Me, come to Me, take your eyes off the things of this world and let Me give you new life. My friends, I am so directionally challenged, as I’ve told you before, and as many of you know, that often times a GPS doesn’t even help.  When I met Lee Davis a yea

“This. Changes. Everything.”   As I began reflecting on the intersection of our Women of Faith series and Pentecost Sunday that quote kept ringing through my head.   Exactly why that came to mind I will have to attribute to the Spirit because it is not a Scriptural quote…nor is words of some famous woman of the faith.   It is actually a quote from one of Joshua’s television shows, “How to Train Your Dragon: Race to the Edge.”   The more I thought about it, though, the more appropriate I thought those words were for today.   Why?   Because Pentecost was a day that changed everything. Jesus had been resurrected.   He had ascended to Heaven.   The disciples, on the other hand, remained in Jerusalem.   In many ways they were at a loss as to what to do next.   Jesus had told them to go back into Jerusalem and wait for God to empower them to take on local, national, and global missions, but they had no idea what to expect.   Each day, we presume, they gathered together to break brea

Have you ever had one of those moments where you were so deeply disturbed because of a person’s words or actions, that you want to scream, weep, or just pull your hair out?  Maybe it is with a child, trying to get them ready to go out of the house on a cold morning?  Maybe the conversation goes a little something like this: “Put on your coat, It’s time to go.” “I don’t like my coat, I want to wear my grey jacket.” “It’s too cold for your jacket, put on your coat.” “I don’t want to wear my coat, I want to wear my jacket.” “Look, it is really cold outside, it is cold enough to snow.” “Snow?   It’s snowing outside.   I want to see the snow.” “No, It’s not snowing, it is just that cold.   It is too cold to wear your jacket, you need to put on your coat.   Understand?” “Yes sir.   Can I go see the snow now?” “There’s no snow, we need to go now, let’s get your coat on.” “Okay.” And he picks up his jacket to put it on. “Not your jacket, your coat.” “But I do

I have to confess that when it comes to watching television, Anita and I are crime show junkies.   We used to watch CSI—all the variations of them—but after they stopped, we had to decide what to watch.   With Netflix on hand, we settled on trying Criminal Minds—and that has continued to be one of our primary weekly shows.   The fourteenth episode of the first season was probably the clincher for me.   It was called “Riding the Lightning.”   In this episode, the Behavior Analysis Unit is sent to interview a husband and wife who are on death row for the murder of 12 girls and their son, whose body has never been found.   The husband has confessed to the murder of the girls (the number of which, during the show goes from 12 to 13 to 14 to 18), the wife has only confessed to killing the son after being directed to by her husband, but is on death row, considered an accomplice of her husband.   As the show moves forward, it becomes evident that the husband had succumbed fully to the l

A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of the dust cloud toward him.   The driver, a young man in a Broni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses, and YSL tie leaned out the window and asked the shepherd, “If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?” The shepherd looks at the man, then looks at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers, “Sure.” The young man parks his car, whips out his notebook and connects it to a cellphone, then he surfs to a NASA page on the Internet where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system, scans the area, and opens up a database and Excel spreadsheets with complex formulas.   He sends and email on this Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.   Finally, he prints out a 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized printer, then turns to the shepherd and says, “You have exactly 1,586 sheep.” “That is correct, take one of the sh