Tired People Come to Me
I will be preaching on Matthew 11: 28-30 on July 9th. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We could call this the “Declaration of Rest”.
Ananias and Sapphira’s Sin
The account of Ananias and Sapphira is one of the most disturbing narratives in the New Testament. It reveals how essential unity within the church is to God, and how seriously God takes deceit that threatens that unity.
Power in the Name of Jesus
Acts chapter two is perhaps a “typical” day for Peter and John. They went to the Temple to pray as most People of the Way did, I mean, after all, they still were Jews. Then things changed. they met a lame beggar man and Peter sensed the leading of the Holy Spirit to heal this man who had been lame his whole life. Little did he know that this healing in Jesus' name would be so controversial later that day.
Pastor, I Cannot Sleep
I wrote this fictional story while I was preparing a sermon on Matthew 11:28-30. Years ago I received a call from a member of a church whose son had committed suicide. This story doesn’t reflect that conversation nor are the names of the people involved real people. Any resemblance to a real person is purely accidental. Tom, Gloria, and Jimmy are fictional characters in a story I created from similar calls in my life as a pastor. Remember this is a fictional story.
No More Death
Death is like the proverbial white elephant in the room. Nobody wants to talk about it or acknowledge we will all die someday. We have euphemisms for death like: he passed, he kicked the bucket, he is pushing up daisies, he has gone to heaven, he croaked, or my favorite, he is six feet under.