John
On the last Sunday of Lent, I preached from John 12:20-33. It's the story of Jesus after his entry into Jerusalem, and this passage involves three things. First, there were those who wanted to see Jesus; secondly, Jesus warned that those who loved life in this world
Culture
The more we're online as a society, the less religious we are. That's according to MIT's Technology Review which features a new study by computer scientist Allen Downey of the Olin College of Engineering. Downey concludes that “Internet use decreases the chance of religious
Culture
A Facebook friend of mine recently commented on a trip she took. “It was on our bucket list, so we decided to do it” she wrote enthusiastically. I don’t have a bucket list. Here’s why: 1. The whole thing smacks of the Addams Family. You remember The Addams
Colossians
The epistle reading for today is Colossians 1:15-23. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colossae contrasting the good news of Jesus with the claims of the first century Roman empire. In their book Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire, authors Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat contend that Colossians
Culture
My family -- the Warnocks -- are of Scots-Irish ancestry. According to family legend, we left Scotland and arrived in Ireland just in time for the Irish potato famine. Call it bad timing, I suppose, but from that difficult experience three Warnock brothers came from Ireland to America in the
administration
Our church recently installed a lift at the entrance from our educational/office building into the sanctuary. This is the entrance to the sanctuary most of our members use on Sunday mornings, especially if they attend Sunday School. Although we have a wheelchair ramp at the front entrance of the
Culture
Despite the adoption of coffee bars, powerpoint presentations, and full-stage lighting, churches are seldom on the cutting edge when it comes to addressing demographic trends. Here are six dramatic trends that are not being addressed adequately by local churches, church networks, or denominations. If we continue to ignore these trends
1 Timothy
Here's the sermon I 'm preaching tomorrow from 1 Timothy 6:6-19, titled "Wall Street and the Apostle Paul." Wall Street and The Apostle Paul 1 Timothy 6:6-19 NIV 6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and
Culture
Seth Godin asks How long before you run out of talking points? His point is that those who "live into" rather than just "talk about" (my words, not Godin's) what they espouse are the real deal. Then he says, There's a lot
Acts
Paul and Silas disturbed the city of Philippi when the power of the gospel interfered with business. Shouldn't our gospel disturb the city today? Sermon: Disturbing Our City -- Acts 16:16-34 NRSV 16:16 One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met
Journey
We often talk about spiritual decisions being either decisions of the heart or of the head, meaning those decisions are either based on feeling or thinking. But when it comes to the decision to follow Jesus, what we're really talking about is a decision of the feet. Matthew
ethics
Those called to ministry are not that special, but we do serve a God who is. Tiger Woods will return to golf at the Master's in Augusta next month. Today he did a couple of quick interviews with ESPN and the Golf Channel. Among other things Woods said