Brian's Sermons

Luke 1:1-4 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning. It seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Who likes to read? I love to read. In fact, last Sunday I went to the library and picked up three books – by Tuesday evening I was halfway finished with the 3rd book. I have always loved reading. Are there any other bibliophiles out there? Today we’re looking at a prolific author. In fact, Dr. Luke wrote almost half of the New Testament. If you’re scratching your head, flipping through the book of Luke, wondering how I can say that, you have to know that Luke is only volume 1. Most scholars, in fact, don’t just refer to Luke, but t...

( 2 Chronicles 25:1-16 ) One thing I’ve heard pretty frequently from people who don’t fully understand what it means to be a Christian is that they are trying to live a life in balance: they just want to make sure that their good deeds outweigh their bad. I know many people think this way, but there is a term coined specifically for this way of thinking: ridiculous. Seriously. All this mentality does is determine what is the minimum effort one can give in order to be “OK.” Many of us find ourselves doing this. I can remember working a 9-5 salaried job right after college; our boss joked cynically about nailing things down so they didn’t get swept away by the great gust of wind at exactly 5:00 every afternoon (as all of us rushed to get out). We didn’t have any vested interest in staying beyond 5. I know many of us have given less than our all, but have you ever been given the bare minimum? Maybe you’re a boss, and you’ve seen your employees just barely do enough to merit a paychec...

John 4:4-30; 39-42 What do you think of when you hear the word “evangelism?” Perhaps some of you think of the sandwich board wearing “the end is near” shouting kind of street corner Christian. Maybe you think of someone well-versed in scripture, someone like Rudy who is always prepared to give an answer to anyone who has a question or objection to matters of faith. Maybe you simply think of someone who shares God’s love. Unfortunately, to many people, evangelism has a bad connotation. Because instead of being euangelion , which means “Good News” evangelism has instead become the art of “Bad Newsing.” Which is good news: “you’re going to Hell!” or “You can go to heaven”? Which is good news: “you’re a hopeless sinner!” or “You can be forgiven”? If I asked you to name a good evangelist, you might come up with a name like Billy Graham, one of the most influential and well-known Christians of our time. Everyone respects Rev. Graham, and he has a fantastic platform from which to share ...