Sermon Series

My wife and I the other day were looking around some interesting ‘youtube’ documentaries, and we came across one that was titled “The Holiest Places on Earth.”  It peaked my interest and we watched about an hour of it. Top on the list of holiest places was a monastery on an island in Greece.  It was built centuries ago; was constructed multi-stories high on a crazy rock (to this day engineers are amazed how they did it a few hundred…

Paul the Apostle is arguably one of the most influential people for the Christian faith (obviously after Christ!) He had a momentous conversion. He was planting numerous churches. He gave bold witness to individuals, communities, and governments! In short, he was a powerful instrument in the hands of God. But where did this power come from? Do you remember what God said to Ananias regarding Paul’s faith and ministry?  “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry…

This coming Sunday I will bring to us a very famous passage of Scripture that are part of the “Christology Hymns” of the New Testament; that is. “Christology Hymns” of the New Testament describe theologically who Jesus really is and what He has done. Last week we studied Colossians 1:15-23.  I am asking you to read ahead before Sunday and meditate carefully on this week’s passage, Philippians 2:6-11. For a larger context, once you read this part, read the whole…

Have you ever given much thought to how the ancient societies seemed to have so many gods?  If you are a student in any way, even just a casual student of ancient times you will know of some of the names in the past of ‘gods’ that societies had.  Just for fun, let me remind you of some: This coming Sunday I am beginning to lay out the first of four in what is often referred to as “Christology hymns”…

“Hell is unfair!” “There is no way a loving God can morally send a person to Hell for eternity.” “If the God of the Bible allows Hell, I would rather be away from him forever.” The outrage against Hell is real. The truth of Hell is one of the most challenging topics in Christianity. It is one of the most common obstacles for the skeptic. But not only for the skeptic, for the sincere Christian, too. Even if a Christian…

Last week we heard about Heaven being that future world of love where God is. This week we will be learning about the present kingdom of heaven here and now. So, we might say that last week, we focused on heaven as the place where God dwells. This week, we will focus on heaven as the space that God fills. In our understanding of “kingdom” in human terms, we tend to see it as a physical empire, a government, or…

I am eagerly longing to gather with you all again to worship our loving God. I have heard it said that “heaven is where God is.” But God is everywhere, isn’t he? God is omnipresent. He is then “present” in your home, the workplace, the mountains where you hike, the grocery store, the highways where you drive, your schools, sports teams, and sleepovers… But to say God is everywhere, it doesn’t mean he is present in the same way everywhere.…

If you have heard me preach and ‘tell stories’ (which I commonly do) you have learned some things about me. And one of those things is My wife and I enjoy on a day off or relaxing afternoon stopping at a garage sale. The one remarkable thing about garage sales is that of course you find lots and lots of American junk we are famous for that in our culture of collecting far more than we would ever need. But,…

At a youth Christmas party that we were at the other day I played a bit of a game with the teens… ‘name all the characters that you remember in the Christmas story.  I wonder if you could do that? Then… not only name them, but tell where they are found in the Scripture, and what their significance is.  This might be a good Christmas party game for you as well. Let me get you started: But did you on…

Often in my time in Turkey I was asked a single set of questions by many Turks (mostly taxi drivers). “Where are you from?” To which I would answer, “I am Korean. My father and mother emigrated from Korean to the States in the 80s.” Without fail, the next question was. “North or South?” Some would also then ask, “Do you know Kim Jong Un?” On my best days, I engaged with humor. When cultural stressors were higher, I used…

We are moving into the third week of Advent this Sunday. The theme is on joy. What is joy? Joy is a deep and very good emotion. So, we read in many places in the Bible: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found a covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Mt. 13:44) “And you will have joy and gladness, and…

Hello beloved LifeWay family, Happy Advent to you all! Why is the sermon theme this Advent season on Sin and the Fall? What a damper on a joyous and happy season…Why not just happy carols, frosted cookies, and joyful choruses? Christ has come! But is life really like that? I was told once by a friend overseas that when Western missionaries leave the homes of indigenous peoples/groups/tribes, these once smiling people return to their lament and sadness. The Western presence…

When the time change happens in November and the daylight grows shorter in our northern hemisphere, it is extremely noticeable. It actually might drive me crazy if it were not for the Christmas season.  But the long days of darkness become joyful for me when the Christmas lights go up.  I’m kind of a sucker for Christmas lights — not quite as bad as Clark Griswald (of the Christmas Vacation movie) but I do love them. The gorgeous lights of…

This coming Sunday, November 23, at 10am, the LifeWay Church family will be coming together for a worship time totally dedicated to “Giving Thanks!”  We did this last year and it was so meaningful. This simple article is to strongly encourage you to get ready so that YOU and I — all of us can truly participate in the most meaningful of ways. Here is what to expect at the worship service: Your assignment is to identify one or more…

What is the happiest place that you can think of? If you had a choice, what would be your happy place? I love to play a group game with people (many of you have been part of this in the past). I give people four different locations of places they could go to for their “happy place!”  (1)  A mountain chalet in the Austrian Alps; (2) A white sandy beach in the Virgin Islands surrounded by blue water and palm…

“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. “Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.” “I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern, who was only eight. “Well,” said her mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.” “Do…

What is God like? There are many good answers to this question. God is holy. God is love. God is just. God is joy. These are all true. Actually, these are our sermon topics for the next 3-4 weeks. This Sunday, we will center on the love of God. Christ said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Furthermore, John writes in his first letter, “God is love.” What a marvelous reality!…

When I was a very young boy, I like many young boys, would get into little playful arguments with my friends about how strong my dad was.  I actually remember this. Now, I had a very good, strong, caring dad, and I never doubted how much dad cared for my brothers and me. We had a great upbringing actually. But it was kind of normal to have 6 year old boys brag to other boys how strong my dad was.…

There’s a guy I have known for several years, and I can say that he is my friend. When we hang out, I always enjoy the time. He’s been a blessing to me, and hopefully I have been one to him. He’s really a good guy. But there’s one thing I have noticed about him that I’ve learned to ignore (I’m sure he has a list of things he ignores about me too). He tends to exaggerate. I’ve heard him…

Have you ever been through a job interview? Most of us have. The questions that are asked are usually similar no matter what specific job you are interviewing for: The interviewer will look for insights into you life as you give responses:   I’m sure there are many more questions, but you get the picture. Many of you have been through this. This Sunday is the Sunday before our LifeWay GIC week (Global Impact Celebration) – our beloved and important…

“I don’t worship. You Christians and religious people worship. I love nature. I believe in science. I only accept that which can be proved.” We all have heard this or some form of this. But is it true that the non-believer, the atheist, or the naturalist does not worship?  The truth of the matter is that we all worship. The question is not if we worship, but who or what we worship? Worship comes from the Old English words “worth” and “ship.” Whatever or whomever we give…

It’s GIC Season!!! This is one of my favorite times of the year because we get to meet amazing people doing God’s work around the world, and we get to re-focus on the core things that are most important to us as a church and as followers of Jesus. This week we are beginning to prepare our hearts and minds for the GIC with a series called, “Made For This.”  In this series, we wanted to focus on that foundational…

Recently I was watching a comedy show on TV and one of the talented comedians that I find very clever was doing a comedy skit from some Bible stories. Now let me be clear, this guy is clever and fast on his feet, and I find him most of the time pretty funny. But I just I’ve read some about his life and heard specifics out of his mouth that lead me to believe that he is not likely a…

For the past five years, we at Lifeway Church have spent the majority of our academic school year preaching sermons on Sunday morning with a major theme. And we’ve been using some very specific places in scripture that guide us to understanding and applying the Word of God. Five years ago as we began this journey, I told you that we had a five-year plan at that time. We have now completed the five years, but we are now adding…

Christians fail. Christians sin. Christians doubt. Christians suffer. This is a reality. But how do we respond in the face of it all? Oftentimes, as humans we are prone to wander. We are inclined to passivity. Some are inclined to self-confident effort. We are all tempted to be prayerless. But how does Christ respond to us when we are overwhelmed and overcome by the trials and tribulations of the world? Thank God, we know. Christ’s words have been written down…