“So then, putting away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with your neighbor, for we are members of one another.” Ephesians 4:25 (NRSV) Recently, I was reviewing the gifts of the Spirit that Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians. He included such gifts as healing, prophecy, discernment, and several others. However, there were…
Tag: Jesus
Sermon: The Guardian of the Soul
More or less, here’s the sermon I delivered at Salem UMC and Pleasant Hill UMC on April 30, 2023. 1 PETER 2:19-25 (NLT) For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But…
Real Revival
Revival (/rəˈvīv(ə)l/), Noun: An improvement in the condition or strength of something; a reawakening of religious fervor, especially by means of a series of evangelistic meetings; Google dictionary I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the…
A TL, DR Sermon: The Lost Sheep
Matthew 15:21-28Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 Going into my final year at Asbury Seminary, I did an internship where I worked with some of the homeless population in Lexington, Kentucky. The experience was a profound eye-opener that had a major impact on my life and my ministry. Among the lessons I learned was that much of what…
A TL, DR Sermon: “YOU Give Them Something
(I’m at new appointment – more on that another time – and we have not been meeting in-person for nearly a month due to COVID-19. For people in my midst who don’t have reliable internet access and are unable to watch our worship service recordings, I’ve been including condensed versions of my sermons for the…
Sermon: Real Talk about Racism
More or less, what follows is the sermon I gave this morning at Druid Hills UMC in Meridian, MS (Lost Gap had a different sermon because they were voting on closure today). I’m sharing this here because I believe this is a message that we all need a reminder of right now. The recent racial…
Racism and Conspiracy Theories are Incompatible with Christianity
As I scroll through social media, I’m disturbed by much of what I see. What we’re seeing is an unprecedented time in world history where information is so easily shared and, at least for the most part, this is a good thing. Unfortunately, this also means that the ease of sharing false and misleading information…
We're Not Called to be Selfish
Yesterday, I ran across an account of a priest in Italy who was stricken with COVID-19 and on a ventilator. USA Today ran an article about him and his sacrifice. Don Giuseppe Berardelli, 72, was the archpriest of Casnigo, a town in northern Italy about 50 miles northeast of Milan. According to Italian news site Prima Bergamo, Berardelli died…
It’s Time to Return to Jesus
“When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, ‘You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means…
Jesus and Swords
Earlier today I was involved in a discussion about gun policy and then it happened: Someone said, “Jesus would be in favor of guns, he told his followers to buy a sword! SEE! LOOK!” They then quoted Luke 22:36: “‘But now,’ he said, ‘take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t…