Daily Devotional Dip - September 21, 2023
Let King David teach us the path to confession, repentance, and restoration as we dip into 2 Samuel 11 and 12, and Psalm 59. Then you will understand why David is called a man after God's own heart.
Christmas Eve - Lessons and Carols Service 2023
“Our hearts are forever restless until they find their rest in God." A brilliant, articulate university professor, St. Augustine of Hippo, made that statement more than 1,600 years ago. A cover story in Newsweek magazine on September 5, 2005, entitled “Spirituality in America"- I know it is a little dated but think the conclusion they came to is still true. Their conclusion was “There is a hunger in the human heart for a transcendent experience of God."
First Sunday of Advent
This sermon comes from Mark 13 and this chapter is called the Olivet Discourse. The Olivet Discourse is in all three of the Synoptic Gospels – Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. You may remember I preached a couple of weeks ago Matthew 25:1-13 - the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids, and remember it is a part of the Olivet Discourse. What was the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids about? Being prepared for Christ’s return and keeping awake. The parable in our scripture for today, Mark 13:32-37 is about watching (being on guard) and keeping awake for Christ’s return.
Johnny Died Well
I can remember as a child my nightly prayer was this: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my Soul to keep; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my Soul to take. Frankly, that is a scary prayer my parents taught me to pray! There were some nights I did not want to go to sleep!
Get out of Neutral!
I recently had the unique privilege of teaching my grandson how to drive a stick shift. And I mean that in all sincerity and hilarity. His mom was not available and I was ... so he was stuck with "Grandma" as his instructor.