Download Life Guides >Sermon Text: Romans 3:19-28 “You get 25 years of maintenance-free living.” These words of wisdom were shared with me when I was about 25, after dinner at a member’s home from my vicar congregation, Beautiful Savior, near Columbus, OH. Watching me politely eat – at his behest! – entirely too much, including…
Download Life Guides >Sermon Text: Matthew 18:21-35 Why does Jesus tell this parable? Because we need to hear it! Jesus tells this parable the way he does, with intense situations and outcomes, because the point of the parable, the point of the chapter is of major importance and we need direct guidance from Jesus. This…
Sermon Text: Ephesians 2:13-22 Can you imagine living in Berlin when, all of a sudden, a tall wall was built through the middle of town? This didn’t produce a comforting feeling like being within the cozy walls of your home on a cold day. This wall wasn’t built to reduce interstate noise in the neighborhood…
Download Life Guides/Closer Look >Sermon Text: Ephesians 6:1-4 I don’t think of myself as a scary person. I’m not intimidating. As a coach, I shouldn’t even try to be because it’s not me. My #5 Clifton’s strength, if you’re familiar, is Developer. I like to help and watch people stick to things and make progress.…
Download Life Guides >Sermon Text: II Corinthians 13:11-14 What do you do when things break? When you, your optimism, relationships, your confidence in God breaks. What do you when things don’t turn out at all as you thought but seem to be blowing up in your face and you’re pretty sure you had a hand…
Download Life Guides >Sermon Text: Acts 17:22-31 It can take time for people to process new information that redefines how life is to viewed and understood. You can’t drop a mountain of new information on people and expect it to be absorbed and appreciated immediately. Ideally, yes. Realistically, no. Learning isn’t purely intellectual; there’s a…
Download Life Guides >Sermon Text: John 20:19-31 Nicknames are fun. Where do they come from? Why do people get them? People get nicknames based on where they’re from, distinguishing characteristics, or something they said or did that ends up encapsulating them. Alexander the Great and Vlad the Impaler. You got the Sultan of Swat and…
Download Life Guides >Sermon Text: Isaiah 42:14-21 Running at full speed through a totally dark and overgrown forest because you are trying to escape danger would be terrifying. Put yourself in that mental space. Something terrible is behind you. Unfamiliar and threatening sounds pop up here and there, some much too close for comfort. You…
Download Life Guides >Sermon Text: Romans 5:12-19 There was a time in my life when I thought that if I died in the middle of committing a sin, I’d go to hell because I didn’t have a chance to repent and be forgiven. I’d imagine saying or thinking something bad and – wham – t-boned.…
Download Life Guides >Sermon Text: John 1:29-41 John the Baptist doesn’t have much of an ego when it comes to Jesus, does he? Not at all, which is good because ego kills love. How? Because ego justifies all manner of selfish actions and decisions without much concern for how others are affected, how hurtful those…