Brian's Sermons

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 What do you think of when you hear the word "meek?" One picture generally comes to my mind and that is a mouse or a mousy person. Meek doesn’t seem like a positive word – people generally don’t want to be described as meek. It carries the connotation of being weak or being a push-over. You can probably think of someone who you might describe as “meek” – and it’s probably not a good thing. Meekness seems to present a contrast with strength. The Greek word that has been translated "meek" or "humble" or "gentle" is πραος pra-os . Praos can also be used three interesting ways: it describes a soothing medicine; it is used by sailors to describe a gentle breeze; and is used by farmers to describe a broken colt. If you think about it this way, medicine can be soothing, but too large of a dose can be devastating. Sailors love a gentle breeze, but a gentle breeze can turn into a...

I’ve been giving a lot of attention to our UMC mission statement: making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world , because it is important. It is important to remember that transformation is what God’s all about. I want you to think about yourself for a moment. Could God use you for transformation? If you’re like me, you can probably find lots of excuses as to why God wouldn’t or couldn’t use you for radical transformation. This morning, we’re going to look at a nobody. But first, some background. It was the days of the judges who led Israel. But Israel had stopped obeying God, and the Midianites had overrun Israel, so badly that the Israelites were hiding in caves in the mountains. Whenever they planted crops, the Midianites would invade, ruining the crops and fields. Finally Israel cried out to the Lord for help. Judges 6:11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wh...