God's Correspondent

This sermon kicks off the Advent Season with hope and a challenge. Today we encounter Mary in a new way. We begin to see her through the judgmental and accusing eyes of her own community.
Can you imagine what it meant to say yes to something that would mean everyone would treat you like an outcast? Mary did. She had her whole life in front of her and she gave it up to serve God. Can we have the courage of a 14 year old girl?

Spirit Gifts

Everyone has gifts. But not all gifts are the same. This sermon is a look at the giftedness of God's people. It forces us to realize that not every person is gifted to do ministry the same way. In fact, it is our diversity that makes us able to do so much ministry in so many ways. Instead of criticizing the gifts of others and the way they use them, we should celebrate those differences and empower people to use their gifts fully.

L/Earned Gifts

This sermon is without a doubt a very hard to hear and direct sermon on stewardship. It says it as it is and I am sure could be offensive to many. It is preached with a clear understanding that stealing is a sin, and so is stealing the Tithe from God.
I begin the message with a disclaimer, so if you if you find yourself uncomfortable talking about money, or the fact that we are called to tithe, you might as well find another sermon that will make you feel good.
For those of you who do take time to listen, I hope it will challenge you and bless you. I hope that God will open the windows of heaven with an abundance of blessing for you.

Emergency Brake

This is the final sermon in the Hitchhiker series. Today we encounter an arrogant, stubborn, and dense Prophet. Jonah determined that the city of Nineveh should be destroyed and he was confounded when God decided to grant them mercy. Actually he was angry that God didn't give them what they deserved.

Jonah needed to learn an important lesson about God's forgiveness. Jonah needed to be reminded that God was in charge.

We need to learn the same thing. That even though someone really hurt us and we want to see God bring the wrath down on them, that we are not called to judge, but to forgive, just as He has forgiven us!

If there is someone who you still hold animosity against, make today your day to forgive them.

Switching Drivers

This is the third week in the Hitchhiker series and in it we encounter the evil city of Nineveh for the first time. By their behavior they were running away from God just like Jonah. But, when God told them to repent, they did.

This message acknowledges that every person is sinful, and begs the question, will we respond like Jonah who ran and hid, or will we immediately repent and turn to God for forgiveness.

In the same venue as the other hitchhiker sermons, the analogy is related to driving a car the wrong direction. Today it is realizing that sometimes our lives are spinning out of control. This message closes with a song by Carrie Underwood - Jesus take the Wheel.

The closing challenge is to surrender control of those areas in our life that are spinning out of control.

Lost

This sermon is #2 in the Hitchhiker Series. This week we look at chapter two of Jonah when the prophet prays from the depths of "Sheol".

In this message we learn that God never abandons us. God is there to hold us fast in the most difficult of situations. Not only that, but we also learn that God "controls", or "designates" such seasons in our life as times for us to grow, and for us to learn to trust in God.

Silent Stranger

This sermon series takes a look at the life of Jonah, the run-away prophet. Are we trying to run the opposite direction that God wants us to go in life? Are we living in fear of some of the obstacles in front of us? How can we learn to face those situations with faith rather than fear.

Harry Emerson Fosdick said it very well, "Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable - and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God."