An Attitude of Generosity

An Attitude of Generosity

2 Cor. 9:6-15; 2 Chron. 1:7-12

 This morning we continue on our journey on the Gratitude Path, the path Jesus during his lifetime on earth. The path begins – and our journey last week began – with an Attitude of Gratitude. In our attitude of gratitude, we remember to pause and give thanks to God. Throughout the...

An Attitude of Gratitude

An Attitude of Gratitude

Luke 17:11-19

 The Lady Elgin was a steamboat built in 1851 to serve as a cargo and passenger ship on the Great Lakes, making trips from Chicago to Superior, Wisconsin and back. When the steamboat departed from Chicago’s LaSalle Street dock around 11 p.m. on Sept. 7, 1860, it was the start of a routine trip up the coast of Lake Michig...

What Does This Mean??? The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

What Does This Mean? The Parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

This morning we conclude our sermon series on the parables of Jesus with Luke’s account of the rich man and Lazarus. Before we jump into the parable, however, we need to take a look at the context. Jesus has been instructing in a series of parables, talking about lost sheep, a lost coin, ...

What Does This Mean??? The Parable of the Widow and Judge

The Parable of the Widow and the Judge

Luke 18:1-8

So, there’s supposedly this true story (it was on the internet, so it must be true) of a country woman who was the last in the county to get wired for electricity. Finally, years behind everyone else, she calls the electric company, pays the fees, and they come out and power is installed in her home. However, afte...

What Does This Mean??? The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard

What Does This Mean: The Laborers in the Vineyard

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16 & Philippians 1:21-30

          We  continue on in our series of What Does This Mean as we look at the parable of The Laborers in the Vineyard. The parable goes like this, 

          &...

What Does This Mean??? The Kingdom of God is Like....

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-53

Have you ever taken one of these tests at school where you were given a list of four or five different words and asked to identify the one least like the others? For example, say you are given ocean, river, sea, lake, and desert. That one was pretty easy. Sesame Street once gave its audience ...

What Does This Mean??? The Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat

"Don’t Be a Weed"

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

          Are you a gardener? There are many days that I wish I was. I have many family members who are amazing gardeners. I have watched them over the years, taken notes and have asked them questions. However, every time I have tried to grow a garden it never works out. I...

What Does This Mean??? The Parable of the Sower

“The Parable of the Sower”

Luke 8:4-15

Have you ever had someone talk to you and you knew they were speaking in English but you couldn’t understand what they were trying to tell you? While I was still working at the Attorney General’s Office it was decided that our office would upgrade our computer case tracking system and datab...

Sermon Notes from September 6: The Bible Meets Broadway

The Bible Meets Broadway: The Music Man

Romans 7:14-25a; 1 Tim. 1:15

The Music Man premiered on Broadway in 1957 and introduced us to a charming con man as its main character by the name of Harold Hill. It ran for 1,375 performances and won five Tony awards. The play became famous in 1962 when the movie was released starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, and a young Ro...

Sermon Notes from August 30: The Bible Meets Broadway

The Bible Meets Broadway: Mary Poppins

Luke 12:13-23, 34; Mark 12:41-44

I wasn’t very old when I first saw the Disney movie, “Mary Poppins.” There was singing, dancing, magic, and laughter. Who among us wouldn’t want a practically perfect nanny with a bottomless carpet bag filled with furniture and clothes and games and books and...

Sermon Notes from August 23: The Bible Meets Broadway

The Bible Meets Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof

Matt. 15:1-9; 2 Thess. 2:13-15; 1 Cor. 10:31-11:1

 This Sunday’s musical Fiddler on the Roof wrestles with the struggle between tradition and traditionalism in Judaism and in a Jewish community. Fiddler on the Roof is based upon a collection of Yiddish stories about Tevye the Dairyman. The musica...

Sermon Notes from August 16: The Bible Meets Broadway

The Bible Meets Broadway: Mame

Matthew 1:18-23; Matthew 28:16-20

When I began thinking about Broadway musicals to use in a sermon series, Mame came to mind because of one song. “We Need a Little Christmas” was written for the musical starring Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur which opened on Broadway on May 24, 1966. It tells the story of a wealthy eccentric wo...

Sermons Notes from August 9: The Bible Meets Broadway

The Bible Meets Broadway: The Sound of Music

Gen. 13:1-13; Prov. 3:5-6

“The Sound of Music” opened on Broadway in November of 1959. It ran for 1,443 performances, winning eight Tony awards. In 1965, it was made into a movie starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The movie won five Academy awards, including best picture. Most people who have seen the...

Sermon Notes from August 2

Singing Our Faith: A Transformed Life

Rom. 12:2; Col. 1:9-20

In Romans 2:12 the Apostle Paul wrote: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Today we conclude our sermon series, Singing Our Faith, as we think about wh...

Sermon Notes from July 26

Singing Our Faith: The Gaithers

Matthew 9:18-26; Romans 3:21-27

There are few people in this world who are identifiable by only one name. In the gospel music field, the past had Watts and Wesley and Crosby; the present has the name, Gaither. Bill and Gloria Gaither are songwriters, but they are also much more than that. The Gaither Homecoming concerts feature everything...