Recent Sermons

Early one morning last week, I noticed that there were 44 Ranger Chat guests online at the same time. Sure wish those guys were registered, so we could get the benefit of their knowledge. For example, if they all went to church yesterday, they heard 44 different sermons. At least a few of them had to be noteworthy enough to share with the rest of us.

For example, I just got back from a trip to the mid-West. I found a little church to attend yesterday, but the pastor was out sick. In his place was a 33-year-old that looked like Jeff Foxworthy, and made us laugh more than a couple of times. His topic was: money. You know, that green stuff that none of us has quite enough of. One of his points seemed to be dead on.

For a relatively short amount of time, the seat of Christianity was right there in Jerusalem. First generation Christians got chased out, but began to spread the Word to other places. The vibrant core settled in Rome, then Europe, followed by the United States...but it's clearly leaving. Where is the move of God happening now? In Africa, and more and more, in China. Why? The speaker says that wealth has an aversion to Christianity. People get comfortable with an excess of toys, others provide more and more of their needs, and before you know it, they're not relying on the Lord anymore.

I hope the Holy Spirit isn't shaking the dust off his sandals. Food for thought...and prayer.

Has your pastor hit a home run lately? Share it.

Teaching from the book of I John, our pastor emphasized that there is no middle ground when it comes to the things of Christ. His message money line..."Gray area is darkness in disguise."

Our sermon was on Acts 11 (2nd half) Pastor did the first half of acts 11 last week

Yesterday, my pastor preached on the non-negotiables in I John. At one point, he said that we need to 'separate ourselves from what mainstream Christianity has become.' I totally agree, as even one rotten apple affects the rest.

Here's what I'm seeing out there, and it may apply to more than our spiritual health. Believing in and adhering to the non-negotiables leads to obedience, responsibility and accountability. But that's become too hard for a populace that has grown or stayed soft. As a result, people flock to the Gospel of Low Expectations. And like frogs in a pot of warming water, they are comfortable to the end (times).

Our pastor is sharing a great series on 1 John, titled "No Middle Ground." A couple of quick take-aways from today's message...

- "If it ain't in the book, don't give it a look."
- "Chasing Christ is not an insurance policy."

I'm 67 years old and today I heard the best sermon ever. Titled "Twas The Day After Christmas," you can watch the video by clicking on the FaceBook link at www.bridgehelena.com. A summary:

We must choose Christ daily. We must celebrate Christ daily. We can't slip into the steady state of normality. Because that eventually leads to complacency, apathy and death. He then specifically challenged young men and young fathers.

Funny, I felt a bit of a challenge as well, along with a little spring in my step afterwards.

Two Sundays ago, as the song service was winding down, I wrote
something that popped into my head:

Proclaim His Truth
- over fear
- over the culture
- over disinformation

In his message opener a few minutes later, our pastor repeated it. Forty-five minutes later, as the worship team was coming back up, I wrote down some thoughts on Jesus' parable about the wedding banquet (Matt ch 22). After playing a song, the worship leader then shared that parable.

When it comes to the things of God, I don't believe in coincidences. I know exactly what the parable is saying to me today. My wife and I have been frustrated at a lack of congregational interest in a planned VBS this summer. So, whether or not that changes, we will carry on with our plans, sharing the Good News with the neighborhood.

As far as the "truth" thing goes, I'm humble and content to hear from the pastor what that means. He says that it was reinforced by things the Lord gave him during the following days. And he plans a special message soon.

Part of my pastor's message yesterday has to do with our failure to communicate effectively with the unreached. We're speaking in a foreign language to each other. Well, here's my attempt at using the other side's language to get through to them.....

"Cancel Sin."

"Please appropriate my culture. Let's follow Jesus together."

"Who is your influencer? Mine is Jesus."

joecool wrote:

"Cancel Sin."

"Please appropriate my culture. Let's follow Jesus together."

"Who is your influencer? Mine is Jesus."

Love it!

"Where Have We Come To?"

Today, our pastor shared about the Israelites in Egypt, in the wilderness and the Promised Land. We all know the story. He compared their plight to what's happened to the world over the last 2 years...the pandemic. Many are still held captive by fear, and remain in Egypt. Others initially made a few steps in the right direction, but are now in a wilderness holding pattern, getting comfortable with handouts and leery of challenging the giants of the dominant culture.

Who's ready to cross the river into what's promised by the Lord God Almighty?

(Today, my pastor taught from 1 John 4:18.)

He said that we could use any negative topic as an illustration, but provided an example: Gun Violence. Many people want to try and solve it by regulating guns, banning certain accessories, and advocating for outright confiscation. But none of that ever results in improvements, and those people know it. They really don't want to "go there," which is the only way to solve the problem. "Go there" is this...

- What causes gun violence? Violent behavior.
- What causes violent behavior? Anger, hate, depression, greed, oppression.
- What causes anger, hate, depression, greed, oppression? Fear.
- What causes fear? Absence of love.
- What causes absence of love? Denial of God.

Got me to thinking about culture rot, and if the same "go there" applies. It certainly seems to. Then I sat back to ponder how we've been losing the culture war for decades. At which "go there" level do we concentrate our efforts, in order to get the biggest bang for the buck? Does the average person know enough about Jesus to go straight to the top? (Acknowledge God) Or do people know next-to-nothing, and we have to start at a much lower level?

In his sermon yesterday, my pastor included the importance of not forsaking the assembly of believers. Among the benefits of attending church is the encouragement we get from each other, and the protection that numbers provide.

It reminded me of something I saw in a field as I drove by it a week earlier. A half dozen Pronghorn (antelope-type critters) were madly running around, sometimes in circles. Eventually, they got into shorter grass and I saw what was going on. It seems that a fox had gotten too close and was now being shown the door. Whenever the Pronghorn caught up, the fox broke left or right to gain a few feet.

_______________ (Fill in your own take-away from that.)

(Does your mindset make your church) Fabricated or Family?

Yes, I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but you might know someone who really needs to hear this message. It starts in earnest at 18-00 and gets pretty heavy and real at the 40-00 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxrqVLjwMno&t=3427s

Our pastor started yesterday's message with, "This is either going to be invigorating or insulting. It depends on each of us, as we examine ourselves."

It's Time To Acts - Part 5 was a continuation of looking at the example of the early church, specifically concerning communion. It's not supposed to be ho-hum, like what happens when commonness takes the place of holiness. (Is this why the Church doesn't get the same results that it used to?)

We're supposed to be brothers and sisters to the King of Kings, not commoners. Let's act(s) like it.

Always being downstairs ministering to the kids, I have to listen to my pastor's Sunday message later on YouTube. And being the church treasurer, I sat up straight when he said that we needed to add an extra line to the budget. "What did I miss?" I thought. And he said, "For bail money."

How many of you see how things are getting worse out there? You know that pastors in England and Canada have been arrested for preaching the Word, don't you? And you know that the left yearns for America to become more and more like Europe, don't you? Can no one see the parallels to what happened there in the 1930's? Mark my words, history will repeat itself.

Yesterday, my pastor continued his series on Colossians and I found myself focusing on verse 12 of chapter 3: "...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Especially on the last word.

Overall, I tend to "Read it. Hear it. Think it. Do it." That's just how I'm wired. But to my detriment, "pray it" is sometimes rushed.

So, what should Pentecostal patience look like? "Wait on the Lord." He knows what's best, and when's best. And when it comes to making plans, I realize that I should write with a pencil. Because God uses a pen.