Cut To The Heart

Peter preached to the crowd at Pentecost and many people responded.  What did he preach?  What can we learn from his approach?

Born Again??

Was Jesus being fair to Nicodemus?  Nicodemus seemed friendly, but Jesus' answer doesn't seem to make sense.  Is Jesus being deliberately confusing?  And what about us?  Do we really know what Jesus means when he says, "You must be born again?"

Fixed To Death

This clock was in bad shape when I found it.  The glass was missing from the bezel.  The clock didn't run.  The chimes didn't work.  The hands were twisted and jammed.

So I fixed it.

I got it running.  I got the chimes working.  I bought replacement glass for the bezel.  I put it on a shelf in my office and enjoyed hearing it chime every quarter hour.

I was delighted!  This clock was a major victory!

But I wasn't satisfied.  Every so often I would try to tweak something or another.  I got it to keep time more accurately.  I fixed the latch in the back.

But there was still something else and I thought I needed to take the works out of the case one more time.  Unfortunately, when I was working to get the hour hand loose, I pulled too hard and some of the pins let loose in the mechanism.  Teeth were sheared from the gears!  The clock was dead for good!

NUTS!

The perils of perseveration.

Don't stand here

It is raining here, but when you get gas at Murphy's they have a big roof to keep you dry.
Almost.
I was pumping gas this morning, when I was surprised by several big fat drops of water on top of my head!
I should have noticed the puddle. Evidently it is raining hard enough that some water gets inside the structure and then finds its way out there in the middle ... a few drops at a time.

Jedi Dog's Blast Shield

As a Jedi, my dog practices his skills with a blast shield over his eyes.

In this picture he is trying to draw food from the breakfast table to himself.

 He had remarkable success.

Filled With The Holy Spirit - Part Two

What was going on when the disciples received the Holy Spirit?  Why were they speaking in different languages?  It was a sign from God - but a sign of what?

Where's The Fire?

What was Jesus like?  Can you picture Him sitting down to make a whip?  What do we learn about Jesus from His actions against the money changers at the temple?

My Dog Is A Jedi

Tiny - the Jedi Master

My dog may look like a poodle who needs a trim, but he is really a Jedi.  He knows the Jedi mind trick.

Without a word, he can make me open the door to let him out - even though he was just outside thirty minutes ago.

He communicates telepathically.  While I am cleaning up the breakfast dishes and talking to my wife, he is communicating directly with my brain.  While I am preoccupied with other things, I find myself at the door, with my hand on the doorknob, starting to open it at his bidding.  Sometimes he is out the door and off the back porch before I realize what is happening.

Occasionally, I catch myself and tell him the Jedi mind trick will not work on me.  But he knows it does.

Filled With The Holy Spirit

The disciples were gathered in the upper room.  They were waiting.  What were they waiting for?  What did they get?  Should we wait like they did?  If we do, what should we expect to receive?

What Is This To Jesus?

Jesus turned water into wine.  But why did He do that?  What were the lessons for the disciples?

Spiritual Warfare: Prayer - Our Battleground

This is the conclusion on our study of spiritual warfare.  Is prayer a weapon for our struggle, or is it actually the arena in which we fight the battle?

Sermon In A Sack: The Thermometer

Are you hot or cold - or only lukewarm?

Jesus And Jacob's Ladder

Some people say that Jesus never claimed to be God.  In John 1:50-51 Jesus makes some specific statements that should clear up any question about what he claimed for himself.

Magic

We like the idea of magic.  Give me three wishes.  Give me a magic potion, a magic wand, a magic word.

Isn't this the appeal of many advertisements?  Slice and dice your vegetables!  Lose weight!  Grow hair!  Get rid of hair!  Flatten your abs!  Cook perfect omelets!

Whatever it is, it works like magic!  Perfect results every time!  Never needs sharpening!  Takes just pennies a day!  No salesperson will call!  Visible results in just thirty days or your money back!  Call now!

Magic is so appealing that we are all at risk of this kind of thinking.  We want great results, but we don't want to do the hard work it takes.  We don't want to make a real commitment.  We don't want to feel any pain.  We don't want to sacrifice any pleasure.  We don't want to pay any significant cost.

We think there must be a pill, or a tool, or a book, or a program, or a person, or a seminar that we can purchase for just pennies a day...  Somehow - somewhere - there must be a magic answer to all of my problems.

So people are searching.  And they will keep searching... for something that will magically satisfy all of their problems and fulfill all of their dreams.