05/19/2026
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.” That’s a brilliant line/idea. People often distrust grace because it seems too accessible.
We think:
“Surely it can’t be this simple.”
“Surely God requires something bigger.”
“Surely transformation must be more dramatic.”
But grace continually comes through small obediences.
John Wesley talked about God’s primary means of grace—baptism and communion. But he would also add holy scripture or the gathered body of Christ. Think it through with me…
Baptism is just water…
until grace meets us there.
Communion is just bread and cup…
until grace meets us there.
Scripture is just ink on paper…
until grace meets us there.
Worship is just people singing in a room…
until grace meets us there.
We are probably more like Naaman than his servants until we are captured by the grace of small things—the divine mixed with the ordinary stuff of life. We don’t need to climb a mountain, swim the sea, or run the marathon in order to receive what God wants to give us. We only have to listen to God’s word and follow the simple directions he offers. Directions like: ‘get out of the boat and walk on the water,’ ‘love one another,’ or ‘follow me.’
Archived Posts
Gandhi and the Sugar
I wasn’t preaching Sunday, Reverend Jackie Chandler was. And she talked about the power of influence you get when you practice what you preach. This famous illustration came to mind. It fits Jackie’s points quite well. Enjoy!
Not Just for Parents
Our current sermon series is about How To Talk Parent, but it doesn’t require any of us to be parents to appreciate the bits of wisdom OUR parents shared with us growing up.
If Not Higher
Here’s a story I wanted to use when talking about ‘what you do when no one is looking’ yesterday. It’s a wonderful illustration of what Jesus was saying in Matthew 6:1-6—do what you do because of who you want to be, not so that others will take notice and praise you.
The Perfect Church
There is an old joke about the perfect church. We talked just a little about the perfect pastor, but turnabout is fair play. It goes like this:
The Clothes You Wear
Sunday I talked about Joshua the High Priest having his filthy clothing replaced by a cleaned and beautiful garments. I also used the illustration of a boy becomes a dragon—who ‘wears’ dragon scales—and is stripped of those scales in order to be restored to a boy. In fact, I could have done the whole sermon around all the clothing imagery in scripture.
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.”
One of the Longest Benedictions I Ran Out of Time to Share
Maybe you know the story of how Joseph and Mary accidentally left Jesus at the gas station on their way home from Jerusalem. Well, not the gas station bathroom in Jesus’ case. Joe and Mary are far down the road before they realize Jesus isn’t with them...