Practice What You Preach
You have heard the saying. Practice what you preach! We say it to someone we are judging as hypocritical. Someone who is telling people to behave a certain way, even though the person doing the…
The Easter Message I Didn’t Preach
Last Sunday I was scheduled to preach, so I prepared a short Resurrection Sunday message. But then I became ill and was unable to preach that sermon. So, I thought, I may as well share what…
Book Review: The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis
Pope Francis has made his mark as a man of compassion and mercy, spending time with prisoners, outcasts, and those who may have unfortunately been considered enemies of the Christian church. In his short book,…
Why We Bought a House in Bergen
That’s right. We bought a house. We are as surprised as you are, but only because it seemed so far from possible. In another sense, though, we are not surprised at all. It has been…
Review of Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance
There are only a few people throughout recent history that we can honestly say have had a profound and lasting impact on our everyday life. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Howard Hughes are…
Book Review: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Who can imagine a catastrophic event causing worldwide devastation spanning thousands of years, causing humanity to pursue previously unthinkable survival strategies? In a profoundly complex and unpredictable way, Neal Stephenson does just that, while combining…
Resolutions for 2016
NOTE: This is an edited manuscript from a sermon I preached last Sunday. For many of us, this time of year marks a time of reflection and anticipation. We reflect on the past year and…
Permission to Forget My Last Sermon
A question many pastors ponder is how to preach in a way that sticks in the minds of the hearers. Preachers have shortened their messages, made them more memorable through illustrations and multi-media, and increased…
Book Review: A Life with Words by Richard B. Wright
A question that weighs on the minds of many is that of the difference between reading a story and watching a visual presentation of the same story. Anyone who reads a book before watching the…
How Great is God?
How you answer this question will determine how you live. Read the words of Mary, the mother of Jesus, upon discovering the news that she was carrying the Son of God in her womb. My…
Awaken and Take Hold of the Lord
There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our…
The Resurrection Part 2 – John 20:19-31
The following is a sermon manuscript from November 27, 2015. As we enter the season of Advent, I just wanted to mention briefly the meaning of the word “Advent,” and why the church started this…