Sermons

One thing I learned in my language studies at seminary is that, when it comes to understanding the Bible, a good translation is very important. We were RIGHTLY taught that to RIGHTLY divide the Word of Truth—we must first be able to understand exactly what it says. To do this we have to get an […]

Feeling footloose and frisky…a featherbrained freshman from Fargo named Fred forced his father to fork over the family fortune. Feeling free…Fred flew far to fancy foreign fields—finding foolish frivolities, frequent fornication, and fabulous feasting with faithless friends. Fred frittered away his father’s fortune—fleeced by his “friends” in folly. Finally, fully fatigued and facing famine, Fred […]

This week I read a story about three sisters—ages 92, 94, and 96.  These elderly siblings had never married and had lived together their entire LONG lives. One night, the 96-year-old sister drew a bath for herself. She put one foot into the water, then paused and called out to her sisters asking,  “Was I […]

This morning I want us to begin by playing a game that we will call, “Name That Neighbor.” Here’s how it works. I’m going to show you a picture of a well-known INDIVIDUAL and I want you to call out the name of their well-known NEIGHBOR. Here we go: Mr. Wilson—Dennis the Menace George Jefferson—Archie […]

When I was growing up our annual family vacations always included a visit to my dad’s side of the family. Dad was raised on a farm located at the end of a mile long GRAVEL drive-way in Tomnolen, Mississippi—which means my grandparents never had surprise company! You could always hear people coming a long time […]

When I was about six or seven years old I told my parents all I wanted for Christmas that year was something I had seen in the display window of the neighborhood toy store. It was a space station set with dozens of little plastic space men in space suits. Included in the set was […]

As most of you know, our “nest” is now pretty much empty—Sarah and Becca are away at college and our son Daniel is married to the world’s greatest daughter-in-law, Ashley. Once our kids began to leave the nest and head off to college I adopted the custom of writing them regularly.  And I keep that […]

Doing something CORRECTLY almost always requires PREPARATION. Take SURGERY for example. An amazing amount of prep work takes place long before the patient is actually wheeled into the operating room: The operating area itself is cleaned and disinfected thoroughly. All the surgical instruments and bandages that will be required are put into place for easy […]

Back in the ‘80’s Bruce Feirstein wrote a best-selling book entitled, Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche—A Guidebook to All That is Truly Masculine. Anyone old enough to remember that book? Well, if you are then you may also remember that not long after that in response to Feirstein’s book Joyce Jillson wrote a similar book […]

(NOTE: This sermon is based on a Bible Study Bill Hybels led at Willow Creek Community Church’s believer service in 1988) Have you ever thought about the effect that the SIGHT of the finish line has on a marathon runner? Early on in the race the marathoner establishes a pace—sometimes 10MPH or more and I, […]