Brian's Sermons

You Think You’ve Got Enemies When I think of enemies, I think of the big ones. I think of Stalin’s Soviet Bear. I think of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. Today we have Al Qaeda and Islamic Fundamentalists. There are also pretend enemies, like the Boogieman – as a kid, I was scared of some guy named Mr. Freebish, who my dad threatened would come in and eat my vegetables if I didn’t eat them (I didn’t mind so much if he ate them; I was just scared of this stranger who would presumably break into the house to eat my food). Then there are characters from fiction, like Darth Vader. And over the course of our lives, there are times when we make other enemies, too. Like the bully down the street. Or the rival for your beloved’s attention. Or the person at work who always seems to at you. Most of us probably don’t have enemies who threaten to physically harm us, though if we have school-aged children or grandchildren, they might. Three weeks ago, we looked at Saul’s conversion to...

Nehemiah 1 Just before Easter, we were celebrating the Seder meal, and it was such a fantastic reminder of how important the Exodus from Egyptian slavery still is to the Jewish people. God stepped down into the world and showed his power through mighty plagues and empowered Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. When they needed Him most, God showed up in power and might. And this happens again and again throughout the history of God’s people. But unfortunately, soon after God shows His power and love, His people stray. They begin to follow their own ways and stray from God’s will. As this happens over and over, God gives His people words of warning. He raises up judges to minister to and lead His people. He sends prophets to preach truth, to point His people in the right direction. If they refuse to listen, God’s enemies overrun His people. How many of us have had to hit rock bottom before we stop and return to God? To get to Nehemiah, you’ve got to go back a bit. Over one h...

Mark 6:6b-13 I am convinced that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Today is the 4 th Sunday of Lent, and we are in our fourth message in the series: Convinced. Last week we talked about the freedom that is possible in Jesus Christ. Know this: God’s plan for all of his people is freedom. Freedom from bondage, from sin, from guilt, from sin, from death. Did anyone experience any freedom between last week and this week? Chances are, some of you felt great when you left this place, only to fall flat on your face a little later in the week. Two years ago, I preached a whole series on The Emotionally Healthy Church , a book by Peter Scazzero, and one of the points that was brought out in that book and sermon series was the fact that whatever we see is only the tip of the iceberg. Only 10% of an iceberg shows above the waterline, while 90% lies underneath. Many of us have an “underneath” that we’ve never touched. Honestly, that “underneath” has be...

Mark 3:20-30 Last week we started a new sermon series on Spiritual Warfare in the book of Mark – but we’re looking at it through the lens of God’s love. I am convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We were reminded that before Jesus started his earthly ministry, God spoke in an audible voice, saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Before Jesus went into ministry, His identity was already sealed – as God’s beloved Son. So when Jesus faced forty days of temptation, he was able to withstand it, because love overcomes. Today as we begin, I have a question: Did anyone here used to be a LeBron James fan? Anyone a fan of the Miami Heat? For anyone here who isn’t a basketball fan, LeBron James is possibly the best basketball player in the world right now, and he won quite a few games with the Cleveland Cavaliers before he decided to “take his talents to South Beach.” He moved to Miami to team up with Dwayne Wade, another of th...

Today we start a new series, just in time for Lent. It’s a collaboration between me and my pastor cluster. We decided to call the series “Convinced” and focus on this truth: I am convinced that there is nothing that can separate me from the love of God. Let’s get started! We are a people at war, and there are casualties all around us. Almost everyone has been affected in some way or another. We are in the midst of a terrible battle, yet some don’t even realize we are at war. This is because the war isn’t one that is merely held in the physical plane; it is a spiritual battle. All you need to do to see the effects of this spiritual battle is look around you. Our country is a mess – politically, financially, and morally. And we’re the good part. It seems like a day can’t go by without a new suicide attack somewhere, usually with religion as its stated rationale. Sex crimes are reported all the time, and the perpetrators are priests, pastors, family, and other trusted members of society....