02/15/2023
Starting this Sunday, I’m going to add a blog to our church web page each week. Though it’s not a novel idea, it is something that’s been tickling my brain for some time now.
There more than a few Sundays when I sit back and look over the week’s sermon and think, “That’s way too long, I’ve got to cut it back.” And because I’ve prayed through, studied, and word-smithed what’s on the page, it’s a lot harder than it should be to give up a scripture, illustration, or an application of God’s word. If you’ve heard me preach, you know that sometimes those things end up being used in the benediction. (I’ve had a few folks say that I have the longest benedictions that they’ve ever heard.) But even then, there’s bound to be something useful that ends up on the study room floor.
This blog is designed to catch those ‘outtakes’ and transform them into a way to follow up on Sunday’s sermon. You’ve heard me talk the talk, but the more relevant question is whether or not we are going to walk the walk. Another way to say it is: How do I go about applying the teaching or preaching I hear each Sunday to my own life and relationships? James says in the first chapter of his letter, verse 22, “Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Or as it is traditionally translated, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
I could have named the blog something like, If You Want To Take It One Step Further, or Here’s What You Can Do About it, or Never Forget Pastor Appreciation Sunday, but I settled on One More Thing… In the end, that’s what I’d like to offer my flock—one more idea, one more illustration, one more application that will make it easier for you to live out your faith in a confusing and sometimes hostile world. If it does that, then it will be well worth the effort.
May God bless you now with faith, wrapped in hope, and motivated by love—the kind of love we have been given in Christ Jesus.
Archived Posts
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
There are several powerful and evocative artworks that depict the scene from Mark 9:14–29, where Jesus heals a boy possessed by an unclean spirit... Some of the following have internet links, the others are worth googling. Enjoy!
The Gift of Ourselves As A Gift of Love
The more the giving of myself costs me something, the greater the power of the gift. You know I love quotes, so after a little research, let me share a few of my favorites on this very subject:
The Loss of a Great Christian Leader
The death today of Pope Francis was particularly poignant, falling as it did on the day after Easter. As Protestant Christians we have a once removed interest in the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Yet the pope is the authoritative leader of 1.4 billion women and men around the world. It is worth our time to pause and consider what kind of man and what kind of legacy Pope Francis left behind.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Judas Iscariot
(Drawn from online sources)
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.