Avoiding Temptation
Matthew 6:7-13
I Peter 5:8-11
If you were only 8 years old and saw a commercial advertising a delicious Big Mac how far would you go to get your hands on one of those famous cheeseburgers? A boy from East Palestine, Ohio was not going to be deterred from getting one. While his parents slept, he
Overture to Temptation
Today as we open a Biblical inquiry into the subject of ‘temptation, ’I begin with an ‘overture.’ That is I’d like to talk about temptation in very general terms, while at the same time giving a preview of where we are headed in this series. With that in mind, let’s turn to the Bible as our foundation.
Genesis 3:1-6
Psalm 25:1-5
James 1:12-16
Four priests were on a spiritual retreat weekend and on […]
A Broken Orchestra
Acts 6:1-7
I Thessalonians 5:12-13
Reader’s Digest Life in These United States: A week after a father applied to enroll his son in a private school, he received a questionnaire. One of the questions was: “Is your son a leader or a follower?” He thought about it and then indicated his son was a follower. A couple weeks later, he was […]
Beautiful Feet
Matthew 28:18-20
Romans 10:1-15
As a young couple’s wedding day neared, both grew increasingly nervous over secret problems they had never shared with anyone. Privately, the groom-to-be approached his minister. “I have really smelly feet—and am afraid my fiancée won’t be able to take it.” “Look,” his pastor said, “Wash your feet twice a day and wear socks all the time.”
Meanwhile, the nervous […]
I Believe
John 20:24-31
Romans 10:8-15
Formal statements of beliefs like ours, what are formally known as creeds have been part and parcel of the faith we hold dear for over 3,000 years.
Yes, that means they appear in the Bible. Twelve centuries before Christ, the first Hebrew creed, known as The Shema, appears in Deuteronomy:
Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, […]
How Can I Be Sure?
Mark 8:27-38
I John 5:1-13
In 1967, I went with high school buddies to the historic Akron Civic Theater to my first rock concert to see one of my favorite American bands, The Young Rascals. The band was famous for Good Lovin which appeared on their first album in ‘66. That summer they released their second album Groovin’ that contained two singles Groovin’ and […]
Who Do You Say I am?
Mark 8:27-31
Isaiah 53 (selected)
Romans 5:6-17
I have another question for you this morning. I call it the question of the ages. For in my mind, there’s no more important question that can be asked of any living human being residing on the face of this planet. For the answer to this question will forever shape the future of the one who accepts […]
Raising the Bar
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Matthew 5:21-30
I Thessalonians 4:1-10
Talk about raising the bar, I found this true story online where the author says: “Last weekend, a group of my friends were waiting in line for a concert in the city. My girlfriend excitedly started pointing at a hotel a few blocks away; ‘Look at the top of that building! I think that’s an indoor pool on the top […]
Strengthen What Remains
Ephesians 1:15-23
Revelation 3:1-6
In the old days, about the only method used to bring about what we today call ‘church revitalization’ was the old fashioned revival.
In one town, three churches sponsored a joint revival. After it was over, the three pastors met for coffee to discuss the results.
The Methodist pastor said, “The revival worked out great for us! We gained four new […]
I Beg to Differ
Isaiah 9:2, 6
Matthew 1:18-23
A lady named Mary Northrup reports that she was in labor for 23 hours for the birth of her first child. 23 hours of labor is not that unusual. I am sure that some of you gals sitting here could top that. What made Mary’s circumstance noteworthy was that Mary’s husband, Mark, presented her with a 2-foot tall trophy inscribed with the words, “For a championship delivery; thank you. Love, Mark.”
I doubt that Joseph could afford a trophy for his betrothed wife, Mary, but he gave […]
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Isaiah 9:1-7
Matthew 2:1-16
The familiar Christmas carol God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is one of the oldest that exists, going back to at least the 16th century, if not earlier. Five hundred years of changing language use
Many people today miss the meaning of the first line because they misplace the comma, thinking the title should […]
Meekness and Majesty
John 1:1-18
Philippians 2:5-11
I recall many years ago, packing the kids in the car and setting out for Lima, Ohio where my Nana was still living in her home at 654 Ewing Avenue. When we got to Findlay, we stopped at Burger King for a Whopper. After we chowed down on those flame-broiled delights, we hit the road heading […]