The Cost of Freedom

John 8:31-32
Description – July 3, 2005 Communion Meditation
In yesterday’s News-Sun, there was an article on page A9 entitled, “After 35 years in prison, man finds freedom frustrating.”
It was the story of Georgia resident Junior Allen. Allen was arrested, charged, and sentenced 35 years ago for stealing a black-and-white television from an elderly woman in North [...]

Show me your commitment … through trials and temptations

James 1:1-18
Description – The second of a series through the book of James
Soon after we returned from vacation last Sunday the boys were on the computer playing baseball. (The game was a father’s day gift to me and they let me play occasionally.)
One of the things that I have heard over the years about good [...]

Show Me Your Character…through everyday living

James 1:19-25
Description – The third of a series through the book of James
This past week on ‘Larry King Live’ Larry King interviewed Jessica Hahn, the woman who was part of the Jim Bakker/PTL scandal of almost 20 years ago that affected the reputation of the Christian church as a whole and turned off many people [...]

Show me your care for others… by how you relate to others

James 3:13
Description – The fourth in a series through the book of James
We have spent three of the past five Sundays walking through the book of James. The first Sunday we focused on James 2:14, (Overhead 1)
‘Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your [...]

Show Me Your Faith…By Your Spiritual Maturity

James 5:16-18
Description – The fifth and final sermon in a series through the book of James
In one of his books, James Emery White tells of the Russian-American comic, Yakov Smirnoff’s, initial response to the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores. He said, “On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk–you [...]

Seven Weeks Later

Acts 2:1
Description – A Communion Meditation for Sunday, September 4, 2005
One of the most important ways that the Bible can come alive to us is to be able to link events in the New Testament to events in the Old Testament. As we are able to do so (and a good cross-reference Bible helps) we [...]

The Importance of Community

Acts 2:43-47, Acts 4:32-35
Description – Inaugural sermon for fall 2005 series through the book of Acts
My colleague in ministry, Arnetta Bailey, writes of the fears that we all have when we enter into a new experience with a new group of people:
‘Can you remember what it was like to start a new job or walk [...]

Two Kinds of Healing

Acts 3:1-16
Description – The second in a series through the book Acts during Fall 2005
A woman who worked for a vet was to have knee surgery. She was nervous about the procedure and asked her boss if he had any advice. He replied, rather half-mindedly, ‘Just turn your worries into prayers, get plenty of rest, [...]

Death By Resurrection

Acts 7:59-60
Description – Communion meditation for October 2, 2005 and part of the fall 2005 sermon series
A month ago, we started our walk through the book of Acts with Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the remaining disciples and others gathered in the upper room. We began in Jerusalem. This morning our [...]

Power You Can’t Buy

Acts 8:4-8 (also through 25)
Description – Fifth sermon in a fall 2005 series through Acts
The coming of fall announces the arrival of football, the World Series, school, a new allergy season, and a new TV season. Many of us have waited all summer to see the outcome of our favorite TV show’s cliffhanger ending.
Returning to [...]