"repentance" Tagged Sermons
Homeless Lazarus | Luke 16:19-31 (the rich man and Lazarus)
I always feel conflicted when I drive up to an intersection, and someone is holding a sign asking for money. Most of the time, what do we do? We look straight ahead and try not to make eye contact. I guess I don’t know if that’s what you do, but I know I’ve done that many times. Sometimes I’ve given money, Bibles, snacks. Recently, I’ve started carrying snack packs with Bibles and pamphlets in my car. But if I hold…
Complications & Restorations | Titus 3:10-11; Galatians 6:1-2
Sam loved going to the hospital. There was just something about it. The floors were always clean. The care and attention was always lovely. And you could get room service at almost any time. So Sam devised a plan. He would move into the hospital. One day he showed up at the emergency room and said he had a lot of pain in his side. They wheeled him in for an exam and battery of tests, but they couldn’t find…
It’s Time To Get Real | Matthew 7:1-5; James 4:1-3
Hurricane Sally just hit the southeast—Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia. It toppled trees, flooded streets, and damaged houses. One news station reports, “More than 500,000 people have lost power.” Another estimates it will cause $2-$3 billion in damage. But did you know that termites do approximately $5 billion in damage to U.S. homes each year. Stephen Mansfield says, “Statistically termites do more damage in America than massive storms.” He adds, “Storms get the media. Termites quietly work away.” Apparently,…
A Posture of Listening | Acts 7:54-60 (Stephen’s Martyrdom)
Today we are finishing the story of Stephen. I had written my sermon for today’s service a couple weeks ago, but when I read it this week, it just didn’t feel right. I sensed the Lord had a different sermon for me. Today, I’m sharing what the Lord is teaching me through the lens of Stephen’s story about the issue of racial justice. I’ve felt really drained this week. I’ve felt anger and grief, sadness, despair, as I know many…
The Certain Gospel: Eat, Drink, Talk | Luke 5:27-32
The first sermon I can remember on Jesus eating and drinking with sinners was at the first church-planter’s conference I attended. In March 2013, I attended the Nineveh Project, which was the 4C’s (our denomination’s) church planting conference. It was in Revere Massachusetts and I went because Monica and I had taken a class on church planting the previous summer. I met the Conference Minister Ron Hamilton there and he told me he heard Monica and I studied Westford in…
How To Fix A Broken Relationship | Genesis 42:1-46:30
Genesis 42:1-46:30 gives us hope that any broken relationship, no matter how bad, can be made new. Joseph forgave his brothers who sold him into slavery, but he had to give them a chance to repent. Judah’s true repentance leads to deeply satisfying healing between Joseph and his family. Even the one who didn’t think any good could come out of his own hurt, Joseph’s father Jacob, experiences new life. This is a picture of the gospel and what it…