An admirer once asked orchestra conductor Leonard Bernstein which instrument was the hardest to play. He quipped, “Second fiddle. He said, “I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm is quite a problem.” A posture of humility is something we are expected to embrace. Let us hear what Peter says, turn to 1 Peter 5:5b-11. Paradoxically speaking, Peter is saying, the way up is down. Again, we are addressin

Please read John 14:15-21. Jesus begins the conversation saying, “If you love me, keep my commands.” At first, we might think, if, what do you mean if? Our response is, of course they loved Him and of course we love Jesus! Love is more challenging than we sometimes consider it to be. I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 13. Love means serving with humility, putting aside our egos, helping unconditionally, and honoring equality in all. Loving Jesus means following in H

Please read John 14:1-14. In this farewell discourse Jesus is exposing glimpses of his future. He is preparing the disciples and in doing so we sense tension. They have just heard that Jesus will be betrayed. And Jesus responds, “Don’t be unnerved, trust me.” Amid the uncertainty they hear Jesus confidently tell them about a secure future. This is a lesson of let go and let God! Jesus begins saying, “Don’t be troubled, a place is prepared for you.” Church, Heaven far exc

Please read Psalm 23 and 1 Peter 2:19-25. Following God as we travel through the mire of life is our charge; we need help. David’s dependency on God sets the tone for how we are to trust in God. When we are baptized, we are called to a new way of life as Christ’s disciples. In baptism, God claims us as his children and members of the church, cleansing us from sin as we renounce the power of evil and seek God’s will and way. We are in a sense, branded; set apart

Please read Luke 24:13-35. Has there ever been something you didn’t understand and figured out later? This encounter on the road to Emmaus focuses on that light bulb moment. As two men walked and talked, digesting the events that took place…they unpacked a lot. This walk-and-talk idea can be helpful to us too. While the dust kicked up and the sun shifted, Jesus came from behind, eventually walking along with them. We know that they were also kept from recognizing him. Wh

Please read John 20:19-31. When we think about the disciples certain ones come to mind as do their traits, Thomas was the doubter. He struggled to believe. It seems to me that almost every big thought embraces some doubt. Yes, Thomas doubted, but is that such a bad thing? He wanted physical proof. We know all too well the expression, “Seeing is believing” and maybe there’s something good in that. As we know, every word of Scripture is meaningful, so this doubt had a pur

Before we dig into Matthew 28:1-10 I want to address two recent questions. Concerned, someone asked me, why are there differences in the gospels? I responded because each is being reported by a different person. I posit that their training, education, audience and background impacted their perspective, and ultimately their narrative. If each account were verbatim, I would wonder why? It would seem practiced. Friends, the differences do not negate what happened that re

Please read Matthew 21:1-11. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The people were counting on His leadership to deliver them from the Roman Empire’s domination. They were eager – full of anticipation, seeking freedom from oppression. As prophesized, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a young donkey (see Zechariah 9:9). Here we find Jesus, King of kings, full of humility, walking alongside the crowds, making the humblest of entries. The huge ne

To trust God, we need to believe in the reliability, truth, ability and strength of God. When life goes well, trust is easy; when it’s hard we are challenged. Reading John 11, we learn that Lazarus was sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, send an urgent message for Jesus’ help. Jesus arrived four days after Lazarus passed away. When He finally showed up, we hear pain--there is a little blame, some disappointment, and a lot of grief and…then…a tremendous amount of faith. C

Please read 1 Samuel 16:1-13. Samuel was the last judge and first prophet of Israel. Like other nations, Israel wanted a king. So directed by God, Samuel appointed Saul the first king. Beginning with promise, Saul came to exhibit persistent disobedience to God’s commands. Saul appeared to be the whole package, but he looked to people for affirmation instead of God and eventually lost the kingdom. What some failed to acknowledge, God was, is and will always be in contr

Please turn to John 4:5-30; 39-42. Did you noticed that verse 4, reads Jesus had to go to Samaria? This was uncommon as most choose to avoid Samaritans. Jesus needed to go to the well and have this interaction with an unnamed, marginalized, outcast. Who, other than Jesus, would have expected her to become a difference maker? We, each of us, are created for a purpose and on purpose. We need to be aware of the opportunities presented and trust God’s plan for our lives.

Please read John 3:1-17. There was a law in Rome (which at the time of Jesus consumed three continents) that read, no person could hold meetings at night. Dark streets were a perfect environment for criminals and gangs to conduct suspicious activities. It was by night, educated, influential Nicodemus sought time with Jesus. Nicodemus, one who strictly followed the Torah and was trained to prepare for the coming of the Messiah, professed to know that Jesus was a teacher who

Please read Matthew 4:1-11. Satan is an excellent fisherman. He is knowledgeable – intuitively aware of the prey he is planning to lure in. He is incredibly patient – waiting for the precise time to pounce. He is super adaptable –to ensure the optimum experience; he is watching, with hyperfocus, the conditions to make very calculated decisions. Satan invests time in fishing for men and women – studying our characters, looking for weaknesses, searching for areas to penetra

Please read Matthew 17:1-9. Climbing high up the mountain Jesus took his inner circle, Peter, James and John. The three seemed to be his best friends or maybe they needed the most supervision…we know that Peter needed polishing and of course, James and John were called the Sons of Thunder for a reason. To bring everyone would have been risky, and finally, scripture tells us, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them," Hence, two

Please read Matthew 5:12-20. Who are you? Some may respond with a name, others a profession or maybe their relationship to a loved one. For most, our list of titles and descriptors would grow quite lengthy before we responded salt. Today we hear Jesus proclaim, “You are the salt of the earth.” Despite weaknesses and imperfections disciples are the salt–why? Because they and us have been chosen to be a witness to God’s grace and extend God’s love. As you know, sa

Please turn to Matthew 5:1-12. The Beatitudes appeared to turned the world of the disciples’ upside down. What they thought--was contradicted as Jesus taught. God’s view of life is different than ours. Pastor Charles Swindell said, “life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” In this sermon Jesus is explaining how we are expected to live and how the behaviors we adopt lead to happiness. These are the attitudes that should “be” the goals for Christ

Please read Matthew 4:12-24. Jesus was an itinerant minister. A great light, our Savior, was delivered to those living in darkness. He says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” The gospel message of Jesus began with repentance. We have sinned and we need to acknowledge our sin. Repentance includes changing from our hurtful ways but also means to turn around. It is a change of heart. Our God, not waiting to punish us, yearns to stand by us, craves a re

Please read John 1:29-42. We need a spark and then a flame to fan a fire. Like a wildfire, good news spreads quickly. We post it, text it, and put signs on our front lawns. When good news is in our hearts, we are eager to share it. Right? John announces, “ Look, here’s the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world!” There’s a confidence in his voice as he takes the stage to offer his testimony. In one sentence, John summarizes the gospel story. He is giving

Please turn to Matthew 3:13-17. Quite often Christians are baptized as infants. On that day, we were welcomed into the church, which marks the beginning of our faith journeys. We did not know the significance of the day then, nor understand the promises made on our behalf, but over time, I am hopeful we have. John, baptized with water and explained that Christ will baptize with the Holy Spirit. Our receiving of the Holy Spirit is rooted in Christ’s own receiving o

Please read Matthew 2:1-12. The wise men ended up in the bustling city of Jerusalem about six mile south of Bethlehem looking for the Jesus. Their arrival caused anxiety. Possibly it was the presence of the large caravan that caused alarm, or aware of Herod’s erratic behavior the people did not know what the visit could transpire. In any case, it was not a joyful beginning. Calling a clandestine meeting, Herod instructed the magi to find the child and then report bac