This summer I'm preaching a sermon series called The Jesus Priorities, which is inspired by a book with the same name that was written by Christopher Maricle. Today's priority was humility. Sermon My message, “Be an Imitator” was based on Philippians 2:1-11 (The Message). Humility I preached from this manuscript and, for once, tried to stick to it. You can watch a recording of the livestream here (the Epistle lesson begins at 23:34 and the sermon begins at 26:02), but please note Read More …
humility
Humility (#1947)
Humility. Being humble. Living with humility. I have lived, worked, and served alongside a number of helpful and inspiring examples of humility. And, I have come to know the value of humility most clearly in the person of Jesus. Your attitude must be the same of that of Christ Jesus: Christ, though, in the image of God, didn't deem equality with God something to be clung to - but instead became completely empty and took on the image of oppressed humankind: born into the human Read More …
Humble Leadership (#1680)
Humility is hard to talk about, and harder still to embody. Most people don't quit a job; most people quit their boss. Humble leaders are needed as much and perhaps more now than ever. Humility & Effectiveness In a recent Harvard Business Review article Margarita Mayo, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at IE Business School in Madrid, noted that humble leaders are more effective leaders. She writes Humble leaders improve the performance of a company in the Read More …
Most Popular Sermons of 2015 (#1593)
I preached around forty sermons this year at Fort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ (Fort Myers, FL). According to YouTube views, the most popular messages are That's the Book for Me – watch / read - a 16 min. message on the Bible (warning: this is the first and only sermon I have ever preached that includes singing) Titleless – watch / read – a 13 min. message on humility Surprising Salaries – watch / read – a 12 min. message on generosity Personal Read More …
Most Popular Sermons (#1570)
We are now almost two weeks into the second half of the year known as 2015. A few weeks ago I shared my most popular blog posts from the first half of the year. Today, I offer my most popular sermons from the first half of the year (based on YouTube views) in lieu of new sermon content since I am on vacation and not preaching this morning. Titleless - watch / read - a 13 min. message on humility Surprising Salaries - watch / read - a 12 min. message on the Read More …
Sermon: Titleless (#1529)
Sermon Text: Philippians 2:1-11 (The Message) Sermon Excerpt One day a lion, proud of his mastery of the animal kingdom decided to make sure all the other animals knew he was king of the jungle. He was so confident that he bypassed the smaller animals and went straight for the bear. “Who is the king of the jungle?” the lion asked. The bear replied, “Why, you are, of course.” The lion gave a mighty roar of approval. Then he asked the tiger, “Who is the king of the Read More …
Sermon: Surprised by Sainthood (#1224)
Sermon Text: Philippians 2:1-11 Sermon Excerpt I grew up in a saint-free world. While I went to church every Sunday, I don't recall any real mention of the saints. The little I knew of the saints, I learned from my Catholic friends. I assumed that saints were their domain. My childhood memories are not incorrect, but they certainly don't tell the whole story. After all, we find ourselves gathered this day in a Protestant church celebrating All Saints' Day. Is Read More …
Christians Should be Saying (#1170)
Christian Piatt is the author of multiple books, including Banned Questions About Jesus and Banned Questions About the Bible. Recently, he shared a list of ten things he feels Christians should say more often. His list includes: How can I help? I don't know. I could be wrong. So What? Our vocabulary is of great importance. As people who follow the way of Jesus, we should be agents of love who seek to help others and all of creation while admitting the Read More …
Effective Social Media Usage (#0905)
Bruce Reyes-Chow is a consultant who previously served as founding pastor of Mission Bay Community Church. His effective use of social media while serving as moderator of the General Assembly of the 2.3 million member PCUSA helped many mainline leaders appreciate the value of social media for ministry. In an October 2012 presentation to the Miami Valley Presbytery (Dayton, OH) on social media and the church, Reyes-Chow offered five tips for effective Read More …
Quotes to Ponder (#0620)
William Bole (pictured at right) is an American journalist whose "writing is situated on the borders between religion, ethics, politics, and intellectual life." Recently he wrote a blog post that included several quotes from progressive pastor William Sloane Coffin's book The Heart is a Little to the Left: Essays on Public Morality (1999), including: Socrates was mistaken. It’s not the unexamined life that is not worth living; it’s the uncommitted life. It is a Read More …