Sermon Leftovers

DISCLAIMER: I have what is likely an unhealthy and irrational dislike for the idea that "churches are businesses." I've heard all the arguments (they have buildings, pay staff, take out loans, etc...) and I find them terribly un-compelling (not really a word, I know). While some elements of church-life may resemble business life, that does not mean churches are businesses. Business exists to accumlate wealth (only ineffective businesses disagree with this). The church exists to give itself away. The two ideas are mutually exclusive. That being said, I think church leaders have much they can learn from business leaders. I have learned an immense amount from friends who are extremely successful in their businesses. However, I would never try to "run a church" the way they run their businesses. Successful leadership is the ability to learn from others without copying everything they do. Shark Tank and The Profit are two business-oriented television shows hav

Today it is cold. But not as cold as it was this winter. There is snow in the air. But not as much as there was this winter. No matter how bad today is... It could always be worse. It will get warm again. You can be forgiven.

Today we are thankful for the sun after days of constant rain. We are reminded that the storms of life always end. They are replaced by the bright light of a new day spent in the Son. Though we may be drenched and cold from the trials of life,  We will be warmed and comforted by the love of our Savior.

I find it intriguing... Christians come in all different sizes, shapes, models, etc... We are from different places, we have different backgrounds, we vote differently, we dress differently, we eat differently. The one thing that unites us is that we are a people who are not defined by our past, but rather by our future. Thus, I find it intriguing... So many churches are far more concerned with preserving their past than they are with blazing their future. Perhaps this is why they lack unity? When you minimize the one thing that should hold you together, you are bound to come apart.

Thank you for the rain. Just as your falling showers soften the hardened earth  so your falling Spirit's conviction softens our calloused heart. Just as your falling showers quench thirst and enable growth so your falling Spirit's guidance refreshes us and makes us more like you. Thank you for the rain.

Mesage Of The Cross from David Rudd

Easter is right around the corner. Egg hunts are everywhere. New outfits are flying off the rack at JC Penney. We all remember how good Peeps taste and how bad they are for us. It's a good time of year. Easter, though, has more significance than eggs, clothes and sugar animals. Because of Jesus' resurrection, our lives don't have to remain the same. We can plug into His power and embrace the new life He offers. Consider these 10 reasons Easter should matter to you: Jesus' resurrection means He is the champion of new life. Jesus' resurrection means a power exists which is stronger than death. Death need not be feared, because it is not the end. If death is not the end, than there is more to life than just this life. Eternity matters. Jesus' resurrection means we can leave our past in the grave and embrace a bright future. Jesus' resurrection means that today's defeat doesn't have to destroy tomorrow's victory. Jesus