Gossip

      I’d preached on the Ten Commandments or the Ten Words before (I know, who would have guessed).  In that sermon I focused a bit more on off shoots of false witness such as hypocrisy and gossip.  Here’s one of my favorite illustrations regarding spreading falsehoods about others.

Thankfulness is the Mother of Nearly All Good Things

          Of all places, I came across a quote from the Roman Senator, Cicero, on the business website, Forbes.com.  He said, back in Julius Caesar’s time, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”  That was the gist of what Bishop Trimble said to us from the pulpit.  ‘Thank you’ is not only a beautiful prayer, it is the well spring from which love, grace, and Christian living flow. 

God’s Top 10 Life Hacks

     This coming Sunday we will start a new sermon series, God’s Top 10 Life Hacks. We are going to look at the most important rules for living in Western history—The Ten Commandments. Rather than thinking of them as onerous commands, we will try and understand these instructions from God’s perspective.

Archived Posts

Jesus Keeps On Ruining Funerals!

       I didn’t have anything this last week that didn’t end up in the sermon.  No catchy illustrations that didn’t make the cut.  No theological insights that slowed down the main point.  No one can ruin a funeral like Jesus. Told as I saw it and that was it.  So I did some quick research and I thought I’d share just a reminder of what Easter is all about.

When I Don’t Get To Give My Benediction

          Yesterday’s sermon talked about how we are in the thrall of self-centeredness—caught in a system that rewards those who climb to the top, even when you have to climb on the back of others.  I talked about a famous sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King, ....

Some Good Quotes that I Didn’t Get To Last Sunday

          I have been working out of Adam Hamilton’s excellent book, Why Did Jesus Have to Die?  And when I find something that says what I want to say more succinctly and expressively than I can, I like to quote it... 

Good Stuff that Didn’t Make the Cut

          I liked what I’d put together below, but ran out of time to share in Sunday’s sermon.  Remember we were talking about the Old Adam and the New Adam, Jesus. 

One More Piece of Unsolicited Advice

     I had one too many examples yesterday.  Here’s the "Ask Pastor Tim" scenario that didn’t make the cut for Sunday’s sermon: (read more)