In an era where digital technology permeates every aspect of our lives, the church must adapt and embrace the opportunities presented by the digital age. Digital ministry, the use of technology to share the Gospel, build communities, and minister to people, has become increasingly crucial in fostering spiritual growth and connecting with the world. Let’s…
Tag: religion
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…
Random Thoughts and Ramblings on Being a Moderate in the UMC and The Way Forward
“You need to pick a side.” “Don’t you believe in scripture?” “If you don’t pick a side, your opinion doesn’t matter.” These are actual statements made by various people in response to my right-center position within the United Methodist Church. I have had everything form my fitness for ministry to my very faith called into…
It’s Time For Some Tough Love
Friends, it’s time for a dose of reality and some tough love. First of all, I am sick and tired of all the bruhaha over NFL players kneeling, standing, not standing, staying in the tunnel, staying in the locker room, or whatever they choose to do. My social media feeds have been filled with nothing…
Patriotism in Church
There was a time when I was a volunteer firefighter. Sometime after I joined with Stonewall Fire and Rescue, I was having a conversation with the chief, at the time it was a man named Jimmy Andrews, and he told me something that I have continued to remember even since I have moved on from…
Worship is Active Work, Not Passive Consumption
One time I overheard a conversation between two people who were discussing their churches. From what I could pick up, one went to a church within the mainline denominations and the other went to a non-denominational church. The topic of their worship services came up and the man who worshiped in the mainline congregation was…
Cultural Christians
During my first break from class today, I found an article published by The Babylon Bee that, while a parody, also had a ton of truth to it. If you’re not familiar with the Bee, this is a blog that lampoons the most cliche aspects of Christianity, particularly to the culture of Christianity. In this instance, the…
Sermon: Half Truths – “God Said It, I Believe It, That Settles It”
This is the fourth in a five week series based on Adam Hamilton’s book Half Truths. I particularly enjoyed researching this saying. I hope you will enjoy this sermon. As always, please feel free to share any feedback you may have! – Jonathan Half Truths: God Said It, I Believe It, That Settles It A Sermon…
Sermon – Half Truths: God Won’t Give You More than You Can Handle
Continuing the series based on Adam Hamilton’s Half Truths, today I talked about the popular platitude that suggests that God will shield us from more life drama than we can handle. Anyone who has ever had a nervous breakdown knows that this isn’t true. While I didn’t outright address it in the course of the sermon,…
Sermon – Half Truths: “God Helps Those who Help Themselves”
Here is part two in the Half Truths series. Yesterday we looked at this popular saying, which many people are convinced is in the Bible. Spoiler alert: It isn’t! But, this does not mean that it doesn’t have an element of truth. As you will see, we are called to take some responsibility for our…