Ever notice that right before a storm is about to hit the birds go silent? All of a sudden, an eerie blanket of quiet descends all around you, and you know something ominous is going to occur. For us it could mean a storm, a hurricane, or some other natural disaster. For all of our gifts as human beings, we are the last creatures on earth it seems to sense when something momentous is coming to pass. Scientists believe that this is because animals have a better sense of sound and vibration than we do. They ...
Some years ago, my wife and I landed on the mystical island of Iona. Located off the western coast of Scotland, the small island has an abbey that traces its roots back to the sixth century. The abbey has been rebuilt over the last eighty years, and it now serves as a center for conferences and spiritual retreats. We arrived on an August afternoon in time for the evening worship service. Taking our seats in the ancient stone sanctuary, we discovered we were in the midst of a Christian youth conference. ...
"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:1, 7-14 If you are new here you have been subjected to what is called Freshman Orientation. That's when PISCES, ASDU, DCM, CAPS, and every other campus acronym tries to orient you to life at Duke, tries to put you in your place, so to speak. If you are a Freshman, you have already been subjected to long hours of sitting in auditoriums, listening to speeches, and standing in lines at receptions. I also ...
Object: mustard seeds. How many people here this morning think that they are growing up? (Check a raising of hands.) Is there anyone who is not growing? Of course not? We are all growing up and we are growing in a lot of ways. How many are growing taller? Good, you will soon be big enough to hang up your own coat and hat. How many are growing smarter? Terrific, soon you will figure out new ways to grow better spinach and brussel sprouts. Is there anyone here who is growing stronger? Tremendous! You can ...
The King Becomes a Beast-Man and Then Recovers: In terms of form, chapter 4 starts out as a letter from King Nebuchadnezzar addressed to all people everywhere. It begins in the first person with praise to God (4:1–3). Next, the king relates in his own voice the story of his dream (4:4–18). Then the account shifts to the third person for Daniel’s interpretation (4:19–27) and for the narrative of how the dream was fulfilled (4:28–33). Finally, the text reverts back to the first person as Nebuchadnezzar ...
It’s time for class to begin. You troop in with the rest of your classmates, you get out your notebook and pencil, and you look up front where your teacher stands ready to get started. “All right, class,” she says, “let’s review. What have we learned so far about Benjamin Franklin?” Remember those days? Some of us here this morning are still students, so this scenario is all too familiar. For most of us, though, being asked to review what we’ve learned is something that doesn’t happen much anymore. But ...
Ephesians 4:17--5:21, 1 Kings 3:1-15, 1 Kings 2:1-12, John 6:25-59
Sermon Aid
Russell F. Anderson
Theme: Being filled with the wisdom and Spirit of God. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 The story of David comes to an end. He reigned as king a total of forty years. Solomon rules in his father's place, offering lavish sacrifices at the high places of worship. Early in his reign, God appears to him in a dream and tells him to request whatever he desires. Solomon confesses his inadequacy for the task of being king and asks the Lord for wisdom, that he might discharge his duties justly. God ...
GIVE THEM GOOD NEWS ...It'll totally disarm them! I have always been fascinated by radio preachers: Some are profoundly helpful and extremely gifted in the art of communication. Others are delightfully entertaining. But there are others that I fear do more harm than good. Such was the case when I tuned in a certain radio preacher while driving through the mountains of Western North Carolina. He had obviously been bombarding the air waves with his "hell-fire and damnation" preaching when his broadcasting ...
Some years ago a book was written by a noted American historian entitled “When The Cheering Stopped.” It was the story of President Woodrow Wilson and the events leading up to and following WWI. When that war was over Wilson was an international hero, There was a great spirit of optimism abroad, and people actually believed that the last war had been fought and the world had been made safe for democracy. On his first visit to Paris after the war Wilson was greeted by cheering mobs. He was actually more ...
Some years ago a book was written by a noted American historian entitled “When The Cheering Stopped.” It was the story of President Woodrow Wilson and the events leading up to and following WWI. When that war was over Wilson was an international hero, There was a great spirit of optimism abroad, and people actually believed that the last war had been fought and the world had been made safe for democracy. On his first visit to Paris after the war Wilson was greeted by cheering mobs. He was actually more ...
"HE HAS RISEN" It was a solid, staid, old parish to which I was called just after the war, one that needed a bit of waking up here and there, and on our first Easter, we arranged to have the Sunrise Service begin with a fanfare by a quartet of trumpets sounding forth from the balcony. Well, the trumpeters were quite enthusiastic, and I must admit, quite loud; and, quite frankly, the innovation was not received with unanimous approval. In fact, one elderly lady in the congregation was quite vocal about it. ...
Elijah’s feet pounded on the trail. His legs stretched out to cover the miles. He outran the king’s chariot. He outran the wind blowing up the storm-clouds overhead. Strength to run like this after the day he had been through was a gift from God. God had been giving him strength like that all along; strength that had always amazed him. There had been the strength to tell King Ahab that he was a fool and a blasphemer. There had been the strength to prophesy that there would be no more rain until Israel ...
Some years ago a book was written by a noted American historian entitled “When The Cheering Stopped.” It was the story of President Woodrow Wilson and the events leading up to and following WWI. When that war was over Wilson was an international hero, There was a great spirit of optimism abroad, and people actually believed that the last war had been fought and the world had been made safe for democracy. On his first visit to Paris after the war Wilson was greeted by cheering mobs. He was actually more ...
Director's Notes: I am a perfectionist. When it comes down to it, if the service doesn't run exactly how I have pictured it, I get discouraged. The striving for perfectionism in the church is not a good thing. What God really wants are people who are available to be used. Sure, we should do everything we can to serve the Lord with excellence but we have to realize that the Holy Spirit is the one who moves hearts and turns them toward God. A perfect service will not do that. We need to continue to pray that ...
Jonah. Terrific story. One of Sunday School's most memorable hours - it is great drama. As you recall Jonah was a prophet in Israel. God came to him and said that he should leave his nation and go over to the capital of one of his country's fiercest foes...Ninevah in Assyria. Jonah did not want to go. So he went down to the seaport of Joppa and got on a boat headed for Tarshish in Spain. The direction was exactly opposite the one God wanted him to take. Jonah did not want to preach to the Ninevites. After ...
I've got two pieces of good news for you this morning. First of all, did you realize that no one in this room is the same person they were seven years ago? Approximately every seven years, we are entirely new. Every cell, every atom, in our body dies and is replaced with new ones in that period of time. There is not one atom in your body today that was there seven years ago. Someone has called this the "seven-year switch." I don't know about you, but I find that quite refreshing. The process of dying and ...
Have you ever wondered where sermons come from? I have. Especially when I first entered the ministry. I had an idea what I was going to preach about next Sunday, and a pretty good idea of what I would like to say a week from next Sunday; but I wondered: what on earth I would find to preach about five, ten, fifteen or twenty years down the road? Fortunately, thanks to the limitless resources available in the Holy Scripture, I never ran out of sermon topics in forty years of parish ministry, but the whole ...
I wonder about folks who proclaim their theology through the medium of bumper stickers. I have wondered ever since I read about the fellow who honked when he saw the bumper sticker, “Honk if you love Jesus,” only to be greeted by an obscene gesture from the driver of the other car. I suppose “Have a nice day” is harmless enough, but I recently came across one which said: “Don’t tell me what kind of a day to have!” A few years ago there was a campaign which plastered bumper stickers on cars with the caption ...
I want to call you to prayer in a focused sort of way this morning. And we need to remember as we pray, because of who we are as Christians, that word of the prophet Micah, listen to him - he shall judge between many peoples. And how shall decide for strong nations far off, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. That’s a dream of the kingdom, a kingdom that the Lord promises ...
I grew up with the myth, universally absorbed but rarely argued for except by extremists with bad manners, that whites were superior. Exceptions were acknowledged, but only as exceptions that did not change the rule. Racism was one of the unspoken beliefs of my childhood culture before the Civil Rights movement rose up to challenge the great lie with the potent rhetoric of our founding documents, as in The Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal ...
Walk onto the parking lot of any car dealership and you have entered the most hallowed ground of Status-Symbol Central. Nobody loves their cars like we do in the USA. A car symbolizes first freedom for teenagers. It's a taste we seem to crave until our final days. But obviously there is far more to an automobile that simply an independent means of transportation. Look around the car lot. Do you see any Ford Warthogs? How about a Chevy Leech? A Dodge Kudzu or Pontiac Pansy-ragwort? How about a Cadillac ...
Pastor John Jewell once counseled with an engaged couple who wanted to be married on Christmas Eve. This pair of love birds chose Christmas Eve because, as they said, their love for each other was the greatest gift they could give. So romantic, don’t you think? Then, a few days before the wedding, the love birds showed up in Pastor Jewell’s office with their feathers definitely ruffled. The young man had given his beloved an early Christmas present. “That’s a bad thing?” Pastor Jewell asked. The young man ...
The United States is known around the world as a "Christian nation." There are several reasons why one might think that is true. In America there are: 1,485 Christian radio stations 300 Christian television programs 96% of all Americans are "believers in God" 70 million born-again believers 148 million professing Christians 62% of all Americans say they have "made a commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today." Now if America is indeed a Christian nation, you would think that God ...
During one of the darkest periods of World War II, after the collapse of France and before America got involved, Winston Churchill wrote that the question in the minds of both friends and foes was this: "Will Britain surrender too?" At the time he made a speech that contained this sentence: "What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization." If you are a Christian you, too, are in ...
I asked my wife, Teresa, one time "How many great preachers in the world do you think there are?" She said, "One less than you think there is!" I want to ask you a question. What is the secret to greatness? If you went to Wall Street and asked the question, "What is the secret to greatness?" Wall Street would say, "Money and lots of it." If you were to go to Washington and ask, "What is the secret to greatness?" Washington would say, "Political clout and a lot of it." If you were to go to Hollywood and ask ...