Category: Sermon

Christian Leadership, Sermon

A Look at The Upper Room

So much can happen in one day.

Over the course of 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, and thousands more seconds, we can conquer challenges, deal with the responsibilities of life, and experience new opportunities before us. Truly, a lot can happen in one day.

One day can change everything. The course of our lives can change based upon the decisions and actions we take in a given day. Human history can be forever altered based upon certain events that take place in one 24-hour period. One day can be a powerful time where so much can happen.

During this season of Lent, we will take a look at one particular day that did change everything. We are going to look at the final 24 hours of Jesus’ earthly life. Continue reading “A Look at The Upper Room”

Christianity, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

We Cannot Stay on the Mountaintop

It was a big moment.

After some time spent together and witnessing amazing acts of healing and teaching, Jesus’ disciples are having an important conversation with Jesus. This wasn’t the usual conversation. Jesus asks his disciples a very direct and personal question: “Who do you say that I am?”

The question came after Jesus asked them about what the people saw in him. It was Peter who would speak for the entire group, as was the case many times in their three-year journey with Jesus. He announced that Jesus is, in fact, the long-awaited Messiah. The One who would redeem the people and establish God’s kingdom.

This was a big moment for the disciples and Peter. It signified that they were beginning to understand Jesus’ identity and the work he came to do, even if they didn’t understand fully what this meant. Jesus celebrates Peter’s affirmation by saying he would build his church upon his confession. He also takes the opportunity to further explain what his Lordship meant. Jesus said he must go to Jerusalem, be rejected, crucified, and raised to life three days later. Peter refused to hear this, which led to Jesus’ rebuke of Peter standing in the way of Jesus’ movement towards the cross.

Fast forward now six days later. That conversation and moment may still be fresh on the disciples’ minds as they approach Mount Tabor. This is the traditional setting for what Matthew describes for us in Matthew 17:1-9. What takes place is a high moment in Jesus’ ministry, and one that would leave his disciples amazed. Continue reading “We Cannot Stay on the Mountaintop”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

Fan or Follower: Followers Love All People

We live in difficult and challenging times. Everyday we are bombarded with images and news stories that remind us that the world that we live in has become unfamiliar to so many of us. We live in a time that is filled with disagreement, frustrations, violence, and pain. Much of these things we have experienced, not only on a personal level, but also on a societal and cultural level.

Part of the reason for this is that what we so often focus on are our differences. We live in a time of political polarization that, for more than 25 years, has created deep divisions within our culture based upon the ideas we hold dear. We live in a time in which racial, cultural, economic, and geographical differences continue to be boundaries that prevent true relationships. Even within our churches, our theological perspectives, worship traditions, and other practices sometimes prevent us from working together as one body in Christ’s love. We live in challenging times that are unlike any that we have known in our lifetimes. Continue reading “Fan or Follower: Followers Love All People”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Devotion, Faith, Life, Sermon

Fan or Follower: Followers Forgive Others

One of the most fascinating subgroups in American culture might be the Amish communities that can be found in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. The Amish are a group of Christians that come out of the Mennonite and Anabaptist traditions. Led by Jakob Ammann, the Amish formed in the late 17th Century with the belief that their fellow Mennonites and Annbaptists had fallen short of the teachings of Menno Simmons, who founded the Mennonite tradition.

The Amish eventually immigrated to America in the 18th Century and settled in Pennsylvania. They soon moved to other parts of the young nation and established communities that have a unique ethos and practices. Some we are familiar with. For instance, we might know that the Amish are known for their literal interpretation of Scripture, their resistance to technology, their agricultural lifestyle, or even that each community establishes their own practices.

There is one other aspect of Amish communities that, I believe, is characteristic of their tradition. That is that the Amish, as a people, are known for the grace they extend to others, whether they are people within their communities or not. The Amish are forgiving people. Continue reading “Fan or Follower: Followers Forgive Others”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

Fan or Follower: Followers Share Light and Hear God’s Word

In our modern world, we are accustomed to the availability of light. A simple flip of a light switch can overcome any amount of darkness and will instantly bring light into our lives.

Of course, it hasn’t always been this way. For the longest time, darkness was an overwhelming part of life. Once the sun went down darkness would consume our lives. As a result, families, businesses, and others would use any means they could to provide a bit of light into a dark world. We have used fire pits, candlelight, and kerosene lamps with the attempt of providing some amount light. None of these options, unfortunately, provided any amount of long-lasting light.

By the late 1800s, several inventors sought to find a way out of darkness. They wanted to find a permanent solution that would offer a permanent light source. Projects would come and fail until Thomas Edison arrived in the late 1870s with his attempt at creating a light bulb.

Edison’s attempt at the light bulb project would be the one that would stand the test of time. In 1879, Edison successfully tested a carbon filament bulb that glowed for 13 hours when used. The test inaugurated a new era and led to a revolutionary change in the world. Darkness would no longer be an obstacle. A simple flip of the switch would provide a light in every room. Light now drowns out the darkness. Continue reading “Fan or Follower: Followers Share Light and Hear God’s Word”