Brian's Sermons

Matthew 6:1-18 Have you ever heard of the humblebrag? Listen to this explanation, courtesy Tim Challies, pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario. “Of all the words coined in response to the realities of this digital world, of all the words recently added to the dictionary, humblebrag must be among the best. According to the Macmillan dictionary, a humblebrag is “a statement in which you pretend to be modest but which you are really using as a way of telling people about your success or achievements.” It is bragging in the guise of humility, putting a thin veneer of humble over a clear expression of proud. And it seems to be an integral part of an effective social media presence.” http://www.challies.com/articles/the-art-and-science-of-the-humblebrag Here are some excellent methods of humblebragging: Tell others what you own . “When I bought this Ferrari no one warned me I’d get pulled over all the time.” Make sure they know who you know. “Bump...

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...

What’s New? Isaiah 43:18-21 In September 2004, I went to Phoenix, Arizona for a youth ministry conference. I had never been to Arizona before that, but when I was there, every day the temperature was over 100°. We would walk on one side of the street on the way from the hotel to the conference center and on the other side on the way back, just so we could stay in the shade. The comedian Jeff Allen talked about the heat how people say, “It’s a dry heat – it doesn’t feel 118°. Now, it feels 290°! Run for it, kids, God has abandoned this place!” There’s a reason the Bible continually references the desert as the place where God isn’t. At best, it is the place in between. At worst, it’s a place of testing. Perhaps the defining moment in Jewish history is the Exodus – God delivering his people from slavery in Egypt. Sometimes memories can be a little deceiving; when the Israelites looked back at the Exodus, they focused on God’s power and deliverance. By day the LORD went a...

*see below for a note on source James 4:7-10 There is an economic cloud hovering over us these days, yet there is a silver lining to this cloud: economic challenges cause us to re-examine our financial priorities and practices and rebalance our life investments.  If we’re willing, hard times can help us figure out what is really important in all of life and how to invest more wisely in our relationships, careers, and purpose, as well as our finances. Godly wisdom from the Proverbs indicates that God cares about financial matters.  Proverbs 28:19: He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. Proverbs 22:26-27 Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you. Psalm 37:21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,...

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”   2 Chronicles 7:13-14 I’ll admit that I get a little queasy whenever I hear the phrase “act of God” when related to natural disasters.  I know that insurance companies like to be able to protect themselves against unforeseen circumstances, but “acts of God”? Really?  When was the last time you heard good weather referred to as an “act of God?”   “Due to an act of God, crops are great this season.” But whenever there’s a flood, hurricane, earthquake, tornado, you’ve got someone calling it an act of God, and often blaming the victims.  I remember immediately after Hurricane Katrina, most of our country was disappointed and upset a...