2021 April

A Prayer for Grace

A Prayer for Grace

Imagine two Christian “superstars” meeting for the first time (they were “superstars” in their day and, for many, they still retain that title even today—but of course, they would never accept that title to describe themselves). I am talking about the American evangelist, DL Moody (1837-1899), and the great British preacher, Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892). What would their first meeting look like? Now, both Moody and Spurgeon had admired each other from across the pond for decades. Moody, in fact, considered Spurgeon a type of mentor when it came to preaching. Every week, Spurgeon’s Sunday sermon was printed in the newspaper; and Moody studied each issue carefully. But, although they corresponded with each other, they never had the opportunity to meet. But Moody wanted to change that (one of the items on his bucket list was to go to the Metropolitan Tabernacle and hear Spurgeon preach). And so, one day, he

When in Romans, Grasp the Gift of Grace

When in Romans, Grasp the Gift of Grace

This sermon is based on Romans 5:12-21. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: A few months ago, I let my dark secret slip: Romans is close to being my least favorite book in the Bible (Nahum may be less appealing, but just barely). People were mortified when they heard this. Worse, they were bewitched, bothered and bewildered. I could have said I was a member of the Communist Party and received less questions (and less prayers for my salvation). After all, how could anyone NOT love Romans? Its theological argument flows so logically. It was the book that led Luther to rediscover salvation by grace alone. The “Roman Road” has led many seekers to Christ. And Romans is not only Paul’s gospel, but it may be the best articulation of the

A Prayer of Self-Dedication

A Prayer of Self-Dedication

Dedication, some people have it; some don’t. Olympic athletes are often lauded for their extreme dedication to their sports. The amount of time, physical endurance, and mental toughness required to prepare oneself to compete for a medal on a global stage is staggering. But pick your athlete, any athlete; when it comes to giving it their all for Olympic glory, they don’t hold a candle compared to Arrhichion of Phigalia. Arrhichion was the champion of the Pankration event in the 564 BC Olympic games. The Pankration was similar to our MMA, being a combination of boxing, wrestling, kicking, joint-locks, and lots of pain infliction. To make things even more exciting, there was no referee to end a bout when someone was being beaten to a pulp. No sir! The end of the fight only came when one of the contestants said, “Theios!” (that’s “uncle” in Greek) and gave up. In

When in Romans, Don’t Judge One Another

When in Romans, Don’t Judge One Another

This sermon is based on Romans 2:1-11. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: A few months ago, I let my dark secret slip: Romans is close to being my least favorite book in the Bible (Nahum may be less appealing, but just barely). People were mortified when they heard this. Worse, they were bewitched, bothered and bewildered. I could have said I was a member of the Communist Party and received less questions (and less prayers for my salvation). After all, how could anyone NOT love Romans? Its theological argument flows so logically. It was the book that led Luther to rediscover salvation by grace alone. The “Roman Road” has led many seekers to Christ. And Romans is not only Paul’s gospel, but it may be the best articulation of the

A Prayer of Thanks

A Prayer of Thanks

Here’s the life principle: “Always be yourself, unless you can be Batman. Then, always be Batman.” Why? Because Batman is great. Now, it has been suggested that Batman’s greatness can be summarized in one of the following bat quotes: “I have one power. I never give up.” “All men have limits. They learn what they are and learn not to exceed them. I ignore mine.” “I’m whatever Gotham needs me to be.” “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” But none of those quotes really isolate what makes Batman truly great. Here’s THE bat quote that we should focus on when discussing what makes Batman extraordinary. The Caped Crusader said: “The true crimefighter always carries everything he needs in his utility belt.” In this series, I am suggesting that you put ten prayers in your utility belt so that no matter what you encounter in

When in Romans, Don’t Trip Over Christ (After all, He is the goal.)

When in Romans, Don’t Trip Over Christ (After all, He is the goal.)

This sermon is based on Romans 9:30-33; 10:1-4. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: A few months ago, I let my dark secret slip: Romans is close to being my least favorite book in the Bible (Nahum may be less appealing, but just barely). People were mortified when they heard this. Worse, they were bewitched, bothered and bewildered. I could have said I was a member of the Communist Party and received less questions (and less prayers for my salvation). After all, how could anyone NOT love Romans? Its theological argument flows so logically. It was the book that led Luther to rediscover salvation by grace alone. The “Roman Road” has led many seekers to Christ. And Romans is not only Paul’s gospel, but it may be the best articulation of

Words Matter

Words Matter

There’s an old joke about three prisoners preparing to face a firing squad. In a flash, the first prisoner comes up with a plan for escape. The sergeant takes him and stands him against the wall and then returns to the firing squad. He begins his countdown, “Ready, aim. . . .” At this point, the first prisoner screams out, “Earthquake! Earthquake!” The firing squad immediately drop their rifles and run off to find shelter. In the chaos, the prisoner escapes. The sergeant is not pleased. He brings the second prisoner before the firing squad. He beings his countdown, “Ready, aim. . . .” At this point, the second prisoner screams out, “Flood! Flood! Run for your lives.” The firing squad immediately drop their rifles and run for higher ground. During the chaos, the prisoner escapes. The sergeant is really mad now. He brings the third prisoner to the firing

When in Romans, Remember, Jesus Is the Victor

When in Romans, Remember, Jesus Is the Victor

This Resurrection Sunday sermon is based on Romans 1:1-7. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: A few months ago, I let my dark secret slip: Romans is close to being my least favorite book in the Bible (Nahum may be less appealing, but just barely). People were mortified when they heard this. Worse, they were bewitched, bothered and bewildered. I could have said I was a member of the Communist Party and received less questions (and less prayers for my salvation). After all, how could anyone NOT love Romans? Its theological argument flows so logically. It was the book that led Luther to rediscover salvation by grace alone. The “Roman Road” has led many seekers to Christ. And Romans is not only Paul’s gospel, but it may be the best articulation

Lengthening Lent

Lengthening Lent

There are a lot of weird words out there; and apparently, I don’t know how to define them. How about you? Take your shot at defining these six words: Borborygmus Gobemouche Entomophagy Hoddy-noddy Rawky Sternutator See how you did: Borborygmus: This is a rumbling or gurgling noise in the intestines (Who knew it had a name and that the name was worse than the actual sound?) Gobemouche: A gullible or credulous listener (All it would take is to be called a gobemouche once, and I would never be a gullible or credulous listener again!) Entomophagy: The eating of insects, especially by people (I bet entomophagy causes borborygmus!) Hoddy-noddy: A foolish person (not to be confused with hotsy-totsy or hoity-toity!) Rawky: Foggy, damp and cold (It sounds awful because it is!) Sternutator: Something that causes sneezing (I think the Sternutator was in the last Terminator movie I saw). Here’s what brought