Sermons About Violence
Personal Wisdom part 1
In this series we are taking a quick walk through the book of Proverbs. In this sermon the preacher is calling this group of topics personal wisdom, it will take more than one sermon to cover this topic. We will look at; alcohol, anger, violence, wrath, health, peace, humility and pride. Wisdom is taking what we know (particularly about God's law) and putting it into practice. Anyone who lives according to the instruction of the Bible will be better off. God's Word is always a perfect guide.
0 Amens
What To Do With Our Anger
We are continuing our series of discussions that are intended to help us take a closer look at our emotional life. How do we handle anger? The beauty of Psalm 137, as graphic as it is, is that it shows us that by pouring out our emotional life before God in prayer, by being honest with how we’re really feeling, by not stuffing our emotions down, our anger can be kept from turning into an unrighteous outburst.
0 Amens
A Disproportionate Response
There's a giant elephant in the room of Joshua 7 that few like to talk about. A man has been stoned and burned along with his family, his livestock, and his possessions for the crime of stealing. And... God is pleased. Either God has responded with unwarrented force, or there is more to this crime than meets the eye.
0 Amens
God's Amazing Patience and Forgiveness
In Jonah we see our need for grace not just once but everyday of our lives. Why is Jonah so angry? Why are we so angry? Do we have a right to be angry? Consider God's amazing patience and love not only to Nineveh but to Jonah as well.
0 Amens
Real World: War
Though the world is wrought with war, justifiable and otherwise, God always calls the church to continual promotion of peace.
0 Amens
Love, Mercy, Justice Part 9 - a message on giving
One of the lessons that should be learned from the economic crisis of 2008 is that the line between those in financial need and those that are not is pretty blurry. As home after home are foreclosed on, it is time to be honest with ourselves. Just because a person can afford to live in $300,000 home, does not mean that they are either doing well financially or that they have made good financial decisions. In fact, the person living in a $500 a month apartment struggling to make ends meet might actually be better off financially than many in upscale suburban neighborhoods. The main difference is that the folks in the nice communities get to walk the fine line of financial ruin in nicer accommodations. Unfortunately, it is easy to dismiss folks who file for bankruptcy or are mired in credit card debt because the temptation is to think they are just getting what they deserved. The thought, "If they had made smart decisions with their money, they wouldn't be in this mess," is easy to think. There is a sense of justice in many people's thoughts and speech that says, "Well, that's what you get if you aren't smart with your money." Now, our temptation if we are no where close to losing our house and if we don't have any credit card debt (or if we are even some where in between) is to look down on folks who make poor financial decisions. And I would say if that is the case, we need to be very careful of falling into the sin of self-righteousness. Yes, we need to obey and be fiscally responsible, but God always judges us on the heart behind our obedience. So, even though we are doing fine financially, we need to ask the question, "What is the heart motive?" Are you financially conservative and responsible because you want to be generous towards God and His kingdom or is financial conservatism just the smartest way to live the lifestyle that you want to live and the added bonus is getting to feel spiritually AND financially superior?
0 Amens
A Middle Way
The Kingdom of the World offers only two opions in dealing with evil and injustice; pacificism or violence. Jesus, however, offers us a middle way.
0 Amens
Chaos & Comfort
Our TV screens continue to assault us with the horrifying events at Virginia Tech. While we grieve for the families and friends of victims, we can't help but feel vulnerable from the violence ourselbes. How could this happen?
0 Amens
