Guerrilla Christianity

Sermon #243

In the prayer that we often call "The Lord's Prayer," we say "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."  But think about it.  If God forgives us the way we forgive others, does that make us feel good?  Or are we lacking in our forgiveness, according to God's standard of forgiveness?

Matthew 18:21-35

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 17, 2017 (Originally published October 9, 2017)

S.D.G...

Sermon #74

We conclude our sermon series in Romans, "Theology for Ministry," by looking at how we as a body are to welcome new believers.  A common criticism of the modern church is that the many different denominations and different interpretations indicates that we are not a unified body.  But today we will look at how, even in our differences, we have Christ in common, and that is what unites us into, as the Nicene Creed states,...

Sermon #408

Over the next several weeks we will be in a new series based on the Old Testament texts in Exodus and Deuteronomy, called "The Attributes of God."  We will be looking at who God is by what He has done as recorded in the pages of the Bible, and we begin by looking at his awesome power as demonstrated in the parting of the Red Sea, and in the destruction of the Egyptian army.  Sometimes we in the 21st Century attempt to e...

Sermon #569

When 18th Century Anglican Christians began to gather in what were called Methodist Societies, John Wesley initially stated that the only requirement for joining such was "a desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved from their sins."  Simple, right?  Yet how can a person demonstrate such desire?  Wesley gave them three rules to live by - to do no harm, to do good, and to attend to all the ordinances of God....

Sermon #407

When we receive the blessings of God, do we give thanks?  As Christians, giving thanks ought to be like muscle memory, an automatic response to all that God has given us.  And as Christians, we believe that all good things come from God.  Yet few of us are quick to give thanks to God.  In the conclusion to our series, Paul demonstrates his quick willingness to give thanks to God and acknowledging all that God has done f...

Sermon #241

The common thread throughout the reading today is "Let love be genuine."  By this we will examine all the exhortations of Paul to the church in Rome.  What does genuine love look like?  In order to avoid the counterfeit, we must first know what the genuine looks like, and Paul gives us a glimpse into genuine love through his teaching today.

Romans 12:9-21

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 3, 2017 (Originally publish...

Sermon #72

What is it that marks us as Christians?  What is it that sets us apart?  In today's message, the apostle Paul gives us in his letter to the Roman church a list of marks that define the Christian ethos.  But more than a set of instructions, or a new group of commandments, the common theme in all these is God's divine love.  So grab your Bible, turn it to Romans chapter 12, and join us as we take a closer look at the heart...

Sermon #568

This week we are beginning a new series that examines what it means to be Methodist.  From its inception in the 18th Century, the Methodist movement has been one that is meant to bring people into closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Its founder, John Wesley, himself an Anglican priest, described what the people called Methodist were like in a letter to a colleague who was wondering what this movement m...

Sermon #75

At Hudson (in 2014), we started a Wednesday night contemporary worship service.  In this message, the first preached at the Wednesday night service, we look at what forgiveness is, and how it heals, not just the forgiven, but the forgiver as well.  It's been said that holding on to anger is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.  When we offer forgiveness, we free ourselves from the shackles of anger...

Sermon #71

In this, the eleventh part of our "Theology for Ministry" series, we look at how we can become part of the body of Christ.  Paul uses the illustration of the human body with its many parts, and just as the many parts of the human body work in concert with each other, so we as the body of Christ work together to build the Kingdom of God here on earth, and we each have a part.  So grab your Bible, turn it to Romans chapter...

Sermon #567

We conclude our series looking at the life, ministry, and miracles of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of the Apostle Matthew with what may be considered the greatest confession of faith recorded in the New Testament.  Jesus asks two questions of his disciples at Caesarea Philippi: Who do the people say that I am?  And who do YOU say that I am?  We look at both of these questions in the post-modern era and we look ...

Sermon #406

In our current climate (2020) it seems like we have no reason to rejoice.  But for the people of God in Jesus Christ, we have an eternal anchor for our soul to which we can look for joy.  Paul exhorts the church in Philippi, and us as well, to rejoice in the Lord always, and that is the key.  When we try to find joy in our circumstances, we can find temporary happiness, but lasting joy comes from an eternal source - God...