2021 July

Knowing God’s Will for You

Knowing God’s Will for You

Ask any military expert: knowing when to attack is of vital importance. The ancient Romans knew this; and that is why, before any battle, they inquired of the chickens. You read that right. To discern whether or not they should execute their battle plan, the Romans asked . . . some chickens. But not just some ordinary chickens. They asked the sacred chickens. According to Roman religious practices, the will of the gods regarding an upcoming battle could be discerned by simply offering grain to a handful of sacred chickens. If the chickens ate the grain, it was a sign from the gods that conditions were favorable and that victory was nearly assured. However, if the chickens refused to eat, it was a warning that they should postpone fighting to another day. On the morning of the Battle of Drepana (that’s right, the one in 249 BC), the Roman naval

The Fire Goes to Court

The Fire Goes to Court

This sermon is based on Jeremiah 2:1-13. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Why a series on Jeremiah? Why not a series on Isaiah? Or Obadiah? Or Zephaniah or Zechariah or any of the “iah’s”? They are all good! And that doesn’t even include the non-prophets, people like Josiah, Jeconiah, Nehemiah, Uriah and last, but not least, Zedekiah. All great “iah” names. But although they have “iah” in common, Jeremiah stands head and shoulders above them all because (work with me here) there was a fire in Jeremiah! Join us for a summer series that will make you say, “iah”! Or maybe, “Hey, look it’s a… Jeremiah!” Or even “YIAH, Jeremiah!” Whatever your response, from Ohio to the Bayou (“Jambalaya, me-ah-my-a, Jeremiah?”), you’re going to find this series something that will inspire because there’s a Fire in Jeremiah.

I Wouldn’t Want That Job

I Wouldn’t Want That Job

Stacker.com has a list of the 50 worst jobs in America. To prove that their list is scientifically accurate and not just a list of jobs they personally would hate to have, they developed the “Misery Score.” The Misery Score combines four factors: job meaning, median income, job satisfaction and projected job growth. For some unknown reason, they believe that a job with no existential meaning, low pay, no satisfaction and low hope of advancement equals misery. As a result, they rank the worst five jobs as the following: #5 – Lathe and turning machine tool setters (I’m not sure this is accurate. I’ve known many immigrants from Ireland who love this job and are perfectly content in it. After all, have you ever met an unhappy Irish Setter?) #4 – Dry Cleaning (I’m not sure what would cause this job to be so high on the misery scale unless it

The Spark

The Spark

This sermon is based on Jeremiah 1:1-12, 17-19. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Why a series on Jeremiah? Why not a series on Isaiah? Or Obadiah? Or Zephaniah or Zechariah or any of the “iah’s”? They are all good! And that doesn’t even include the non-prophets, people like Josiah, Jeconiah, Nehemiah, Uriah and last, but not least, Zedekiah. All great “iah” names. But although they have “iah” in common, Jeremiah stands head and shoulders above them all because (work with me here) there was a fire in Jeremiah! Join us for a summer series that will make you say, “iah”! Or maybe, “Hey, look it’s a… Jeremiah!” Or even “YIAH, Jeremiah!” Whatever your response, from Ohio to the Bayou (“Jambalaya, me-ah-my-a, Jeremiah?”), you’re going to find this series something that will inspire because there’s a Fire in Jeremiah.

The Price of Secrecy

The Price of Secrecy

On April 28, 1944, an armada of US warships were approaching Slapton Sands (Slapton Sands is a beautiful beach area off the southwest coast of England). These ships were part of a dress rehearsal for the upcoming D-Day invasion of Normandy. And it was a serious rehearsal. 300 ships were involved and over 30,000 men. Previous mock invasions on these very shores had been utter failures, and so it was crucial for this training exercise to go off without a hitch. But that was not going to happen. Shortly after 2 am, while the ships were awaiting the signal to “invade,” a German torpedo-boat squadron stumbled upon the flotilla and opened fire. Three of our ships were hit and sunk almost immediately. Oil and gas spilled out into the water and erupted in flames. Survivors jumped into the icy water and were forced to swim around or under the oil

Painting a Portrait of Authenticity

Painting a Portrait of Authenticity

A man has to do what a man has to do; and when a man finds an Alfred Hitchcock marathon on TCM, a man has to watch every single movie. If you don’t understand that, I can’t help you. It’s a man thing. You’ll need to check your copy of Wild at Heart to see exactly how, but it is. And so, because it was my manly duty to invest myself in these movies, I did. I watched Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, Psycho, Dial M for Murder, Rope and many others. You ask me how I watched so many movies, and I will tell you. Hitchcock is a genius. Why do I say that? Because Hitchcock believed, “The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.” See, all things are possible to them who relieve. (OK, truth is, I actually DVR’ed

A Fiery Fourth

A Fiery Fourth

This sermon introduces our new series and is based on Jeremiah 7:1-15. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Why a series on Jeremiah? Why not a series on Isaiah? Or Obadiah? Or Zephaniah or Zechariah or any of the “iah’s”? They are all good! And that doesn’t even include the non-prophets, people like Josiah, Jeconiah, Nehemiah, Uriah and last, but not least, Zedekiah. All great “iah” names. But although they have “iah” in common, Jeremiah stands head and shoulders above them all because (work with me here) there was a fire in Jeremiah! Join us for a summer series that will make you say, “iah”! Or maybe, “Hey, look it’s a… Jeremiah!” Or even “YIAH, Jeremiah!” Whatever your response, from Ohio to the Bayou (“Jambalaya, me-ah-my-a, Jeremiah?”), you’re going to find this series something that will inspire because there’s a Fire

One Last Prayer (or Two)

One Last Prayer (or Two)

How do you enlist people to pray? Simple: You make them a great offer. For instance, you tell people, “Short prayers are better than long prayers.” Now, that is a great offer. But often, great offers don’t turn out too great. After the Romans were defeated by Hannibal’s army at Cannae (216 BC, but I’m sure you already knew that), Roman army recruiters found it difficult to enlist potential soldiers. Apparently, men were hesitant to join a losing army. And so, the marketing division of the Roman army put their heads together and came up with an innovative plan. They promised any slave who enlisted in the army and then, in battle, brought back the head of an enemy soldier would be granted their freedom. It was a great incentive, and it worked like a charm. Thousands of slaves joined the cause for a chance at emancipation. But while the