The Best Kind of Trouble-maker

 

        While working on this last week’s sermon I was looking through Phillip Yancey’s excellent book—The Jesus I Never Knew—when I came across a section that I found profound.  It didn’t quite fit my sermon, but it caught my eye enough that I copied it down.

Practical Tips To Avoid Judging Others

 

          When I research a sermon, such as Sunday’s message on judgmentalism, I always try to think through some practical steps or tips in how to implement God’s desire for our lives.  I rustled together a herd of ideas this week and I offer them to you. 

The Shepherd, the King, and the Rescuer

 

         God has got a long list of names, but some of those names are better than others.  There is a small child who thought God’s name was Harold since the Lord’s Prayer includes the phrase “Hallowed be thy name.”  When you think of all the scriptures that are most likely to be memorized you would have to include Psalm 23, The Lord’s Prayer, and John 3:16.  The danger for us is our tendency to focus on the wrong thing. 

Old Jokes Are The Best Jokes

 

Sunday morning, we took a look at Jesus’ command to make our enemies into neighbors and loving our neighbors as ourselves.  One of the obstacles to doing this is our growing sense of tribalism—whether it’s a political, socio-economic, or even theological tribe.

Archived Posts

What Jessica Really Meant to Say in Her Sermon…

          When Jessica or Rick or a guest preacher takes the pulpit it’s hard for me to write a One More Thing Blog.  I can’t share with you what didn’t make it into the sermon because I have no idea, not having written or delivered it. 

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.