One More Thing with Pastor Tim Burchill 8.15.2023

A Little Forgiveness Goes a Long Way

 

       I thought this week I'd just share, once again, what I used for the benediction in Sunday's worship.  I had several requests for the quote that is included within it.
      Here it is…
       There is a tendency, a kind of parody of psycho-therapy, to blame our parents for everything we don't like about ourselves.  I would be a much better person if I'd only had better parents.  I'd be a much healthier person if I'd gotten better genes.  I've fallen prey to it myself at times, and can easily devolve into a lifelong pity-party.  There is a strange comfort in in being a victim of a dysfunctional family.
       I found a quote that puts it all in perspective and I want to send you out with it this morning.

       "It's not your place to hold your parents responsible for your failings, they are as imperfect as you are.  
"It is your place to recognize that their sacrifices have allowed you the opportunity to be in this world long enough to work on and overcome those failings."

       Funny how imperfect parents often end up with imperfect children (but perfect grandchildren).  But as followers of Jesus, we know that not one of us is perfect, and yet because of His amazing grace, we most certainly are forgiven.  And many times, that's all it takes.

 

Archived Posts

Sometimes A Quote Says It All

          As I said Sunday, our new sermon series: Reversing Heart Disease, is based on a book by Pastor Andy Stanley.  He’s a great communicator and his book, The Enemies of the Heart, has his inimitable conversational style. This morning I want to share with you a few of the quotes behind Sunday’s sermon.  That way, you get a sense of the writer behind the preaching (more or less).

The Gifts of Those Who Need Our Hope

          I barely touched on a topic that is of interest to me during Sunday’s sermon.  When we think of Christian service we often think of reaching out to help make the burdens lighter for the least, the last, and the lost.  I can’t think of a better way to express the commandment of Jesus to love our neighbor as ourselves.  But what about...

Blessed People Bless People

But that Blessing Can Come with a Cost as Well

          I’ve enclosed several insights I got while I dug into the scripture from Genesis 12 last Sunday.  For you who love Bible background here’s a few thoughts to share:

Back and Forth with Chat GPT

Many of you know that I’ve found a new consultant to bounce my ideas off in regard to preaching.  My good buddy Chat GPT and I sometimes disagree—often miscommunicate—but usually come up with some fruitful illustrations. 

One More Thing About Becoming Wholly Human

I was talking Sunday about the work of Hare and Woods and their idea of ‘the survival of the friendliest.’  Essentially, they conclude that “our greatest evolutionary advantage wasn't that we could do everything ourselves. It was that we could do things together.” 

Here’s a preview of our congregation’s Core Values

In the coming weeks we will be exploring the importance of presence, prayers, gifts, service, witness, and growth in grace.  These are at the heart of what we commit to when we join a Wesleyan grace-led church like ours.  But we choose to broaden them out and state them in a new way…

The Biblical prayer we don’t know what to do with

Psalm 137 is written by people who have experienced catastrophic loss.

They have been conquered...