This morning I preached the fifth and final message in a series based on Robert Schnase’s book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations (revised). Today, we focused on the practice of intentional faith development. Sermon My message, “Doing Life Together” was based on Acts 2:42. Intentional Faith Development I preached from this manuscript. You can watch a recording of the livestream here (the Scripture lesson begins at 16:22 and the sermon begins at 17:30). Excerpt Maybe Read More …
discipleship
Preaching Difficult Discipleship (#2063)
This morning I had the opportunity to preach at Eastminster Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Dallas, Texas. This was a special joy as the congregation has been a long-time supporter of White Rock Center of Hope, which is the organization I serve as Executive Director. The Sermon My message, "Difficult Discipleship," was based on two of the lectionary passages: Romans 6:1-11 and Matthew 10:24-39. A Difficult Excerpt As the Executive Director of a non-profit that is powered primarily Read More …
How’s Your Foundation? (#1979)
For the last few months, I've watched as dozens of workers have used a variety of equipment to prepare a piece of land just outside my front door for the construction of a building. In recent days all of that work has culminated in pouring a strong foundation. Jesus talked about everyday topics often, including building. In the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (found in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 7:24-27 and Sermon on the Plain: Luke 6:46-49) he compared those who hear his Read More …
Count the Costs (Even the Hidden Ones) (#1953)
Recently, I was in the market for a new vehicle. As someone who has been through this experience eight times, I felt well prepared as my search for a ninth shifted from research to dealership visits for test drives and negotiations. At my first dealership, however, I encountered a mysterious charge I'd never seen before in all of my years of vehicle shopping: AMV. I asked the salesperson to explain the AMV charge on the sticker. He shared that adding a charge called "Adjusted Market Read More …
The Hardest Part of Being a Christian (#1696)
Being a student is often a way of life. At times, it can be hard work. Some courses are especially challenging. A few days ago I asked my Facebook friends to share the most challenging and/or difficult course they had ever taken. In less than 24 hours, 60 people had named a course. The most popular challenging courses were those in science, mathematics, and languages. Science - 12 responses (top course: chemistry) Mathematics - 18 responses (top course: statistics) Read More …
Top Posts of 2015 (Jan-Jun) (#1565)
In a few days the second half of the year will begin. The most popular posts here on So What Faith so far this year (based on total number of views of posts published in 2015) are Effective Leaders Ask for Feedback, World Religions in 2050, Toward Church Renewal, From Mainline to Sideline to Oldline, and Top 10 Faith Enriching Books. Statistical Curiosities The list includes two posts from January, two from February, and one from April. Each post was tagged with a Read More …
Sermon: Growing Together (#1514)
Sermon Text: Acts 2:42 Sermon Excerpt Lifelong learning is as popular a phrase in Southwest Florida as anywhere in our country. For the last few years I taught at a University that has an active Center for Lifelong Learning and I have been on staff at a large congregation that provides numerous general education events that fit within the framework of lifelong learning. This is all well and good, but is not enough for us as those who follow the Way of Jesus. As disciples, we Read More …
It’s Time to Contribute (#1323)
Aaron Loy, founding pastor of Mosaic Lincoln (Lincoln, NE), recently blogged about some of the really bad reasons people use to justify leaving a church. In explaining his first reason, "I'm not being fed," Loy reminds readers that church should not be primarily about being a religious consumer. To leave a church because you’re not getting "enough" is a cop out. Your primary call in the church is to contribute, not just to consume. As a Christian, you shouldn’t require spoon-feeding for Read More …
Sermon: Growing Together (#1308)
Sermon Text: Acts 2:42 Sermon Excerpt I grew up in the church. More specifically, I was raised in the Presbyterian Church. As a child, I knew that there was one big hurdle between where I was and the world my parents and other adults inhabited: confirmation. In order to become a member, I had to complete a lengthy educational experience led by a rather intimidating woman: The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Johnson Pense. It didn’t seem fair to me that she taught religion to Read More …
Sermon: Authentic Discipleship (#1168)
Today I have the privilege of preaching at United Church of Marco Island. My sermon texts are Psalm 1 and Luke 14:25-33. Sermon Excerpt Which of you would plan to build a new custom home without creating a detailed budget, and ensuring you have the necessary funds to complete construction? If you do not count the cost and only partially build the home, then it will be worthless and you will be the laughing-stock of your community. Or can you imagine the leader of a powerful nation Read More …