Brian's Sermons

Throughout Advent, as we have been preparing for Christmas and for Christ’s return, we have been focusing on the four words of the Advent candles: Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. Today, as we celebrate Christmas Eve, we lit the most important candle, the Christ candle. And as we light the Christ candle, it is only fitting that we would focus on Christ and his place within this wreath. Jesus Christ is not only the center candle for his obvious central role in the Christmas story, but his spot in the center of the wreath is because he is the fulfillment of all of the candles. We began Advent with hope. Fitting, that Hope Church would focus on hope. For a people caught in the “in between” times, Micah’s prophecy includes these words of hope: But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7) In the Old Testament, when you find the word “hope” it is almost always characterized not simply as “hope” b...

Have you ever followed a leader? Follow the Leader is a simple children’s game where everyone lines up behind one leader and then they try to mimic the leader’s actions. The leader is usually happy to get to lead and does simple things, like waving arms, jumping, or walking in zigzag patterns. If you don’t follow the leader more or less exactly, the consequence is you’re out of the game. Until the next round, that is. There are other times, however, when following a leader exactly is more important. For example, if you are walking through a minefield, it’s important to walk directly in the footsteps of the one leading you through. If a guide is leading you along a cliff, chances are that the guide knows where the footing is solid and where it isn’t. Most of us have probably found ourselves in a situation where we think we know more than the one who is leading us. That phenomenon is nowhere more obvious than the Monday Morning Quarterback, where everyone at home knows better t...

(*Note: This is my first sermon at Wellston Hope UMC) Romans 5:1-5 It’s been quite a journey for me and my family, and I imagine you are in some ways right in the same boat as we are. Except that most of you don’t have all of your earthly possessions in boxes all over the place. But you are definitely in the “who is going to be our new pastor?” mode, and being in that mode for the last four months hasn’t been all that fun, has it? I invite you to take the time to get to know us. What I know definitively about Wellston Hope UMC, I can sum up in a few statements. I know that the West Ohio Conference and the Shawnee Valley District believe in this church. Word has spread about your generosity in the midst of a difficult economic landscape. You have been pegged as having the potential to be a hub of ministry, a vibrant disciple-making station for hope in a city that has been described to me as having no hope. I have been sent here because there is hope. I have sp...

Have you ever had to wait and wait and wait? Can you remember when you were a little child, when it seemed like Christmas morning would never get here? The wait was endless. Or maybe you’ve had to wait for something more recently, like waiting for the doctor to come out to the waiting room to tell you that the surgery was successful… or waiting for a soldier to come home… or waiting for the call that says you’ve got the job. Then there are other kinds of waits. Is there anyone who doesn’t check to see which checkout lane is shortest? And that doesn’t mean just by numbers – you have to look at how stuffed the carts are.  Same thing with lines at tollbooths or even stop signs. And some of us will drive 40 miles out of our way to avoid a 10 minute traffic jam. We don’t like to wait. Why is it that we don’t like to wait? Part of it is that we just aren’t patient by nature, but another part is that we are often fearful about the results. It’s like why men don’t go to the d...