As you have read in my previous posts, my father was a pivotal person in my life. His alcoholism and his subsequent sobriety still has a profound impact on my life. On January 14, 2014, my father had an aneurysm and went to be with Jesus. Here is the Eulogy I gave for him at …
Testimony Part 2
Testimony Part 2 God is Good So much has happened since the Spring of 1995, which is where I left off in Part 1. From 1995 to 2000, I continued to work at CAB Health and Recovery Services as a detox nurse. Eventually, I wound up being the admissions coordinator. Lots of challenges! Our …
Sometimes Daddies Fall – Testimony Part 1
Sometimes Daddies Fall I remember the look on Karry’s face as we walked along the beach back in the summer of 1995. It was a look of hurt and betrayal. What was most disturbing was knowing that I had been the one to cause that look on her face. Our little boy, Ian, …
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The Names of God 3 – Abba
The Names of God 3 - Abba In the second installment of this series, we discussed the holiest name for God – YHWH. This installment will look at the most intimate name for God. This word is not a Hebrew or Greek name but an Aramaic name. Aramaic was the common language of Israel and …
The Awesome Power of Worship
The Awesome Power of Worship As some of you know, my favorite band is the band Kansas. You know Carry on Wayward Son and Dust in the Wind. I was introduced to Kansas by my cousin, who played for me their live album. I was transfixed. I knew of them through their albums, but it …
“Who, me?” Self-doubt when hearing the call of God Exodus 4:10-12
"Who, me?" Self-doubt when hearing the call of God Exodus 4:10-12 Have you ever been called to a task or position you felt utterly inadequate for? Well, so did Moses. Sometimes –when we think about it, most times – when God calls us to a task, he is calling us to a place of …
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Three Unexpected Evangelists #3: The Healed Blind Man John 9
Here is a sermon I presented to two small UMC churches in upstate SC. Three Unexpected Evangelists #3: The Healed Blind Man John 9 Good morning church! It is an honor and a blessing to fill in for Rev Stacy. It is not lost on me the trust she has put in me to deliver …
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Quick Thoughts on God’s calling
How God calls a person to ministry is a very personal call. What Scripture provides us are brief sketches of how individuals heard and responded to God's calling. While they are not exhaustive passages relaying precisely what transpired between the individual and God, they do offer a glimpse into how our heroes of Scripture reacted …
Quick Thoughts on the UMC Split
I have been following developments in the UMC for four years. To be transparent, I have been a member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) and plan on joining the Global Methodist Church (GMC) church once the Protocol is passed. I joined WCA three years ago when I was an ordained teaching pastor in …
Quick thoughts on Works vs. Faith
The balance between grace and discipline – or justification by faith and works – is a New Testament tension. Usually, those who emphasize grace point to Paul’s letters. Paul emphasized grace through faith over works-based salvation. This fact is evident especially in Galatians and Romans because there was pressure from some Jewish groups to adhere …
Quick Thoughts on Soteriology
The theological arena of soteriology (the theology of salvation) is a subject I have thought long and hard about. I love the hymn "Maker, In Whom We Live" as it lends a soundtrack to the soteriological discussion. Having once been a Calvinist, I have come to reject TULIP Calvinism as a misreading of scripture and …
Sermon Video: The Awesome Power of Worship
This is a video of the sermon I gave 02/12/2022. There was an outbreak of COVID at Grace Community United Methodist Church, so we closed church for the day, and I made this video for the congregation. https://youtu.be/xTVNfYFDOk0
Quick Thoughts on Church Division
The Christian Church has suffered many different schisms over the past two millennia. This fact is because the Church is made up of, well, humans! Humans have been dividing since the fall. As humans, we want to be unified, but usually only with those who look, think, and believe like us. Denominationalism is a …
The Awesome Power of Worship
Church February 12, 2022. The church closed for a week due to an outbreak of COVID so I rushed this video out to the congregation. It is a reworking of a sermon I gave several years ago.
The Names of God 2 – YHWH / Jehovah
The Names of God 2 – YHWH / Jehovah Last month, we started talking about the names the Bible uses for God. Last month we looked at Elohim. This month we will look at the holiest name for God – YHWH or Jehovah. This name is the most used name for God in the …
Sermon Video: The Power of one small word – Hesed -Psalm 136
Here is a video of the sermon I delivered 10/31/2021
The Names of God 1 – Elohim
The Names of God #1 Elohim My series for 2022 will be talking about the different names of God in the Bible. Why would this be important? First, think about how a name identifies someone. When I hear my friend Rocky's name, I think of the man I ride motorcycles with who loves God and …
The Power of one small word – Hesed -Psalm 136
This essay is a transcript of a sermon I delivered at Grace Community United Methodist Church October 31, 2021. If you want one of the bookmarks mentioned, please send me a message and I will get one to you. I invite you to read Psalm 136 with some other people to experience the power of this small word.
Exegesis of John 9 Part 3
Exegesis of John 9 Part 3 Critical Discussion John 9 takes the theological concepts of darkness and light and presents an object lesson to illustrate what that looks like with ordinary people. The duality between light and dark is not unique to this chapter. This theme is carried through the rest of his work. Starting …
Exegesis of John 9 Part 2
Exegesis of John 9 Part 2 Exegesis In chapter 8, Jesus has just given the Pharisees teaching on light and that Jesus is the light of the world (vs. 12). Further, he includes knowing Jesus is to know the Father (vs. 19). After this, Jesus cryptically predicts his death (vss. 28-29) and declares that those …
Exegesis of John 9 Part 1
Exegesis of John 9 Part 1 Introduction In John chapter 9, Jesus performs a stunning miracle. However, John adds a “Paul Harvey” rest of the story narrative to drive home a point on who is blind and who is not. This story gives just a couple of verses to the actual miracle. More important is …
Exegetical Comments on 3 John 5-12
Exegetical Comments on 3 John 5-12 The letter of 3 John is the most letter-like of the three epistles. John identifies himself as the elder (πρεσβύτερος) and identifies the recipient of the letter as Gaius. The identity of Gaius could be related to the figure of 1 Corinthians 1:14 and Romans 16:23, or it could …
Exegetical Comments on 2 John 4-11
Exegetical Comments on 2 John 4-11 The brief letter of 2 John has the theme of warning against false teachers and heresies. John begins this portion of his letter by commending those who have remained faithful to the gospel (vs. 4). John continues in vs. 5 by using the same address to his audience in …
Exegetical Comments on 1 John 2:3-11
Exegetical Comments on 1 John 2:3-11 During Jesus’ ministry, his adversaries were very concerned about keeping God’s commands in the Torah. So Jesus reduced the 613 laws of the Torah to two – love God completely and love others as you love yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). The passage at hand speaks to the commandments of God …
Exegetical Comments on Revelation 1:12-16
Exegetical Comments on Revelation 1:12-16 The context of the passage it is in the beginning introduction of John's apocalyptic message. He will deliver specific messages to seven churches after this passage; the purpose of vss.12-20 is to introduce the message. Specifically, 12-16 introduces the figure of Jesus using apocalyptic language. John has introduced himself …
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Exegetical Comments on John 4:19-30
Exegetical Comments on John 4:19-30 The passage at hand falls after the prologue, within the Book of Signs in John’s gospel after the Cana cycle of chapters 2 and 3. Here, Jesus breaks two essential first-century Jewish taboos: he was a man talking with a woman, and the woman was a Samaritan. As the …
Evangelism Part 7 – Three Unexpected Evangelists #3: The Healed Blind Man
Evangelism Part 7 Three Unexpected Evangelists #3: The Healed Blind Man Continuing our discussion on evangelism, I turn now to the third unexpected evangelist in the gospels. Like the woman at the well in John 4 and the formerly demonized man in Mark 5, the man born blind in John 9 has a fantastic encounter …
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A Reflection on 2 John
2 John This word starts with the author identifying himself as the elder (πρεσβύτερος), and this has been traditionally assigned to the apostle John (Jobes, 440). Having the form of a letter instead of a sermon (which is more appropriate for 1 John), 2 John starts with John offering a greeting to his audience. He …
The Biker's Wave 