Preacher of Habit

Pray Hard- The Persistence Quotient July 15/16      1 Kings 18: 41-46, Luke 18: 1-5             Today we continue to dream big and pray boldly through this exciting sermon series called the “Circle Maker.” Throughout the month of July, we’re asking God to deepen our faith and explode our prayer lives like never before. And today we’re going to learn that our big, bold prayers and dreams are not something we just dream once and let it go, but something we continue to pursuit until we feel confident that we have broken through into the heart of God. And it’s possible to do that.             History books tells us that October of 1879 was a monumental moment for famous American inventor Thomas Edison, and really, for the world. That’s the month he watched a carbon-based filament successfully burn for 13.5 hours. That pivotal moment gave birth to t...

Becoming A Circle Maker        July 1 and 2, 2017 Scripture: Mark 10: 46-52 Today we begin a new journey called The Circle Maker. This is a 4 week series on prayer, but even more than that, it’s a 4 week series that stretches our walk with Christ and invites us into a deep and bold faith. (You can check out more of this awesome book/sermon series here: www.thecirclemaker.com . You can also join us for a 4-week small group experience beginning Tuesday, July 11th at 6:30 at the Koffee Shoppe.) There’s a story of an old Israelite sage named Honi that’s been passed down from generation to generation. Honi, who lived several hundred years before Jesus, was famous for his prayerful heart but especially for his prayers for rain. And that served him well during an extremely dry season in Jerusalem. It was a time of drought, the type of drought that leaves behind a wake of devastation. Animals were dying; people were suffering; the wells were all dried ...

Proclaim!        June 17/18, 2017 Matthew 9: 35-10:8 Today we are continuing our “Move” sermon series. We’re looking at the different ways Jesus calls us to put our faith into action and considering how the Holy Spirit helps us in that regard. This is one of those texts that, with a bid of meditation, causes two visceral reactions inside of me: intrigue and intimidation. I’m intrigued by these words because they’re a reminder of the awesome power of God and the power God has granted us. Who can argue that such power isn’t a necessity today? Cast out demons? Heal? This is the Kingdom of God. When I read this, especially after hearing about last week’s shootings and the constant battles against evil and hatred, I find myself saying, “Amen! Let’s do this.” But then I have a second reaction, one of intimidation. Again, these words are a reminder of the power God has granted us… and sometimes we don’t want the responsibility of using that powe...

Pentecost 2017         Empowered Scripture: Acts 2: 1-16 Growing up I never heard much about the Holy Spirit or this day we call Pentecost. I’m sure my pastors didn’t blatantly ignore this forgotten God, as Francis Chan likes to call the Spirit, but I just don’t recall our church ever spending too much time thinking about the Spirit. The Father was easy to talk about and Jesus was the focal point of every Sunday morning because we all wanted to be saved. But the Spirit? That’s another story. Maybe it was because we were jaded by stories of old-time revivals and people doing crazy things that we couldn’t quite explain. Maybe it was because we felt the term “Pentecostal” had been usurped by the certain groups of Christians and wasn’t relevant to our old Methodist style. Maybe the Holy Spirit just seemed too dangerous, too unsafe or maybe too scary? And in all honesty, the Holy Spirit ’s activity is a bit unsettling. And unse...