The end of the Book of Acts is a cliffhanger, leaving us wondering, “What happens next?” Acts 28:16-31 Well school has started, and many of our kids are heading back to the classroom. I’ve been talking with some parents who have also just sent their first child off to college, something we’ll be doing next …
A lot of my clergy colleagues have been asking for an outline of the disciple-making process we are using at Tri-Lakes United Methodist Church and I thought I’d pass along a description for those who are interested in seeing how it works. We’re seeing great success with this process as about 130 people from our …
The Blueprint for Discipleship at Tri-Lakes United Methodist Church Continue Reading »
The “first importance” of Christian faith is hope in the resurrection of the dead. Acts 23:1-11 We’ve been at this series in the Book of Acts for a whole summer now, and by now I hope you’ve begun to see some common threads about being the church. We’ve talked about the community of the church, …
Testifying to Hope: Resurrection and the Defeat of Death Continue Reading »
Before you can hear the gospel, your idols need to be challenged. Acts 19:23-41 One of the things you might notice as you read through the Book of Acts is that Paul, in his preaching, is always challenging the idols of a particular town or culture. In Acts 14, the people of Lystra think Paul …
I got up this morning completely focused on working on my sermon for this Sunday. Preachers who read this blog will know what it’s like to have that kind of mid-week tunnel vision that is so focused on Sunday that every thought and idea tends to relate to the text for the week. In this …
I am back in the office today after taking two weeks off for vacation. A lot of people have been asking, “Where did you go?” and the answer is, well, nowhere. There are a couple of reasons for that, most notably an early June trip to take my daughter on college visits back east (including …
Just received a newly published collection of The Sermons of John Wesley edited by Ken Collins and Jason Vickers. This collection is unique from the ones I’ve collected over the years (including an 1847 two-volume set I got from a retired pastor when I started in ministry) in that it’s not ordered chronologically, as most volumes …
The church is messy because the church contains people. How can the church deal with conflict in healthy ways? Acts 15; Galatians 2:1-14 It’s no secret that we live in a contentious, polarized world. Nasty arguments and conflicts permeate our media, and it seems like everyone is quick to voice their opinion about this or …
Constructive Church Conflict: Lessons from Acts 15 Continue Reading »
Acts 11:1-18 Used to be that when you’d get the family together for a long road trip one of the parents (usually Dad, who refused to ask anyone for directions) loaded up the glove box of the family truckster with those fold-out paper maps — you know, the kind that featured an oil company logo …
The enemy of faith isn’t doubt or reason. Sometimes, it’s certainty. Ezekiel 1:15-28 Acts 9:1-9 As a kid growing up in the church we often went to youth rallies and crusades where we heard testimonies of people who had come from horrific circumstances or terrible sins, found Jesus, and turned their lives around. Some …
Blinded by the Light: The Conversion of Saul Continue Reading »
Sharing the Gospel is a simple matter of learning your ABCs Acts 8:26-40 I was called up to annual conference last week, taking a brief break in the midst of the work around the Black Forest Fire, to receive the Harry Denman Evangelism Award. The award is named for the founder of The Foundation for …
Isaiah 43:1-5, 18-21 Normally, I begin each service by welcoming everyone and saying something like, “It’s good to be in God’s house today.” I think on this particular Sunday we can all say that with greater conviction than usual. This has been a week that none of us will forget—a week where it is good …
Players “in the zone” do some amazing things on the field. A church “in the zone” can do even more. Isaiah 6:1-8, Acts 2:37-47 Well, it’s Memorial Day weekend and I have to say that this is one of my most favorite times of the year. Winter has faded (though this year it did not go …
First installment of our summer sermon series on the Book of Acts Acts 2:1-13 There’s a lot of talk these days about wind power, especially out here in the West where the wide open spaces are increasingly being dotted with wind farms. Of course, those big wind turbines have become pretty controversial. Not only can …
Catching the Wind: Pentecost and Being the Church Continue Reading »
Rocky Mountain UMC Pre-Annual Conference Event Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 8:00am to 4:00pm at Parker UMC, Parker, CO (only 20 minutes from the site of the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference) Noted author and professor of evangelism Dr. George Hunter III will present a special pre-conference workshop for clergy and laity titled “Perspectives on a Local …
Perspectives on a Local Church Game Plan – Workshop with Dr. George Hunter Continue Reading »