Category: Sermon Notes

Cherry Trees

Posted on by Alan

A VISION for Our Church

Over a month ago I shared my VISION for the Antrim Church of Christ, followed a week later by a sermon on the "V" in VISION…which stood for "value"…as in, "My vision for the Antrim Church of Christ is that we will only get our values from the Bible and that we will value heavenly things more than earthly ones."

I also promised that we'd go through the rest of the letters in VISION one per month…and this month it means we are on the letter I…as in, "My vision for the Antrim Church of Christ is that we will always have integrity."

What is Integrity?

When you think of integrity, who comes to mind?

Somebody at work? Somebody from church? Somebody from history?

For me, it's George Washington. Not because I have any proof that our first president had more integrity than anyone else…but because of a story involving him and a cherry tree…one that didn't work out so well for the tree…but did show that young George Washington had integrity. Remember the punch-line?

"I cannot tell a lie, I chopped down the cherry tree."

I'm sure those aren't the exact words…but when confronted with a situation where telling the truth likely meant punishment, Washington's integrity…at least during childhood…meant he had to tell the truth.

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Verboten at 30,000 Feet

Posted on by Alan

Famous Last Words

When someone is going to leave for a very long time…especially when that "long time" is death itself…we have a habit of putting great weight on their last words.

  • With some, perhaps it is an attempt at reconciliation before there is no more chance to right the wrong.
  • With others, perhaps it is an opportunity to impart some comfort before the guaranteed pain of separation.
  • Or maybe it's just one more occasion to let those you are leaving behind know just how much you love them.
  • Sometimes…however…it is the opportune time to share your last wishes…what you want those beholden to you to do after you go away…a dying man's request of sorts…

Great Commission

From Acts we know that Jesus spent 40 days appearing to his disciples "and speaking about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). We are going to look at His final words as recorded by Matthew. They may not be part of what He said just prior to his ascension, but they definitely seem like they might…and, regardless, the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to include them as the very end of his Gospel—which implies significance. Let's take a look at Matthew 28:16-20 together:

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Celestial Potluck

Posted on by Alan

Terrestrial Potluck

Now…we were supposed to have a potluck at Gregg Lake today, but it we are delaying it because quite a few of us are spread all over the country…and beyond. For instance, Tracy, John, and their family are Alaska-way…Winslow is with his wife in Puerto Rico…and I'd have to leave the cook-out early because I have to catch a flight to San Francisco about 4PM this afternoon.

However, since I had already settled on preaching about potlucks…you are stuck with the subject. 🙂

Good news is that I also intended to keep it short so we could get to Gregg Lake early…

You keep the subject and the timing! 🙂

Favorite Potluck Food

When you think of potlucks, do you mentally lick your chops? I've been to some pretty good ones…and some not-so-good ones. For a while we attended a Chinese church in Sydney…

No, we don't speak a Chinese dialect…they always translated the sermon into whichever language the speaker didn't preach in…

But after every service that had an awesome potluck…something else you can confirm with my wife!

You would think they were Italian, however, in that they were like an Italian mother who is always trying to get you to eat more. Mikey wasn't old enough for him to be likely remember how great it was…but I bet you Michelle is mentally saying, "Mmmm" with me as I talk about this.

How about you? Have you experienced good and bad potlucks? What is your favorite potluck food?

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The Gospel According to the 2006 Harley Sportster Manual

Posted on by Alan

Owners Manuals

With weather like we’ve had the past week, a motorcycle-based sermon seems apropos, doesn’t it? Since I am one who plans for the worst and prefers to keep his skin on his arms and legs, I wear a coat and jeans whenever I ride (along with a helmet). This means that temps in the 90s aren’t actually very comfortable on a motorcycle, although they are bearable as long as you aren’t stuck at a light or in traffic.

My ride is a Harley, and in my hand I have its Sportster® Models 2006 Harley-Davidson Owner’s Manual.

How many here actually read the manuals that come with things like cameras, cell phones, or, in this case, a motorcycle? Even if you play with it first…do you take the time to read about you new toy’s features?

I do. If you don’t believe me, ask my beautiful wife. 🙂

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A Faith of Equal Standing

Posted on by Alan

Clubs

Anyone here a member of a club or other special organization?

Maybe a service club like the Lions or the Kiwanis or the Rotary?

Or one where your age, plus yearly dues, gets you in…like the AARP?

Or perhaps because of a hobby or a cause or a passion…like the NRA or PETA?

Or maybe one that you are implicitly a member of because of an experience or accomplishment in your life…like an Olympic athlete…especially one that has received a gold medal? Or a veteran? A veteran with purple heart?

Harley Davidson

Sometimes just buying something makes you a member of a "club." The week before last I purchased a 2006 Harley Sportster Classic because having one vehicle was becoming problematic…and although he may not have specifically used the word club…John at RC Cycles in Hillsborough told me that I'd entered a new world.

Now, I told Michelle as part of becoming a Harley owner that meant I needed either to grow a beard, shave my head, or get a tattoo…which one did she want?

Sadly, instead of choosing one of those options she suggested a fourth one…selling the Sportster. 🙂

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“I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.”

Posted on by Alan

VISION

Last week I shared my VISION for the Antrim Church of Christ..and this week we’ll be looking at the “V”. Before that, let’s quickly review the entire V-I-S-I-O-N acronym…or introduce it to anyone who wasn’t here:

  • V — Values — My vision for the Antrim Church of Christ is that we will only get our values from the Bible and that we will value heavenly things more than earthly ones.
  • I — Integrity — My vision for the Antrim Church of Christ is that we will always have integrity.
  • S — Seriousness — My vision for the Antrim Church of Christ is that we will take our calling seriously.
  • I — Intimacy — My vision for the Antrim Church of Christ is that we will have greater intimacy.
  • O — One — My vision for the Antrim Church of Christ is that we will be one.
  • N — Nucleus — My vision for the Antrim Church of Christ is that Jesus will be our nucleus.

Everyone seemed to agree on that VISION last week…how about now? Do you see those as a good (and firm) foundation for our church going forward?

Values

Heading back to the “V”…

My vision for the Antrim Church of Christ is that we will only get our values from the Bible and that we will value heavenly things more than earthly ones.

Where do you get your values?

Continue reading ““I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.””

A VISION for Our Church

Posted on by Alan

Chapel Hill

Last week at 6PM on Saturday, not long after I finished preparing for the sermon, a tweet came through from Chapel Hill in Douglasville, Georgia saying, "Our Worship Experience begins now! Join us online" (and giving regular and mobile web addresses to do so).

I was in the middle of something that would have me on the computer for a bit, so I figured, "Why not?"…clicked on the URL…adjusted windows so I could watch the service on the side…and got back to whatever had me chained to my Mac (while at the same time trying to keep an eye on a chat room filled with others who were watching the service too).

I can't remember a ton of the sermon…I was busy with something else…and the nature of the talk meant much of it was specific to the local congregation, but it was basically Pastor Dave Divine speaking of his vision for Chapel Hill—everything from a focus on people to tearing down a structure to make way for something else.

Pastor Dave Divine's Vision for his church.

Treading Water

And without a vision things can become pretty stagnate, can't they? When you don't have goals ahead of you you have no reason to even get out of bed…and you don't have anything to measure success…or failure…against.

Instead of swimming across a sea of potential you stay near the shore just treading water.

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“Because I said so.” “Really?!”

Posted on by Alan

Mmm…good

Yesterday we had our monthly men’s breakfast and meeting…and…thanks to Rick…the food was especially yummy. One of the advantages to my low-carb diet is that it is an excuse to be carnivorous, and within his multiple options were breakfast sausage patties and an omelet-like concoction that included spicy italian sausage.

Have I ever mentioned that sausage is one of my favorite foods when I’m not maintaining my vegetarian vows? 🙂

Breakfast wrapped up and Rick, Scott, Jim, Gerry, Warren, Winslow, and I got around to the “business of the church” and…near the end…Winslow asked if we should be having more sermons about fellowship and family…a theme we had decided to focus on this year.

This sermon is a yes. 🙂

Top Ten Reasons to Attend Church

Having grown up with David Letterman (does anyone remember when he had a short-lived daytime show?)…a top ten list seems a viable approach for an approach…so today’s talk is:

“Top Ten Reasons to Attend Church”

You may have noted that’s not the title in the bulletin, but I think you’ll understand its connection shortly.

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Indubitably

Posted on by Alan

Power outage

I don’t know if anyone noticed, but last week’s sermon was shorter than normal. Good news for those of you who prefer briefer talks…this one will likely be too.

The kids are probably praying it becomes the norm. 🙂

Either way, assuming you all were in the area this past Thursday, what did you think of the lightning storm we had? Michelle got a great picture of the menacing clouds that she posted on the Monadnock Region – NH Facebook page…and if you check out my Facebook page, you’ll see a short video of how the winds were mercilessly whipping the trees just before the rain became heavy. Talking to our neighbors, we actually had what seemed a bit of tornado-like activity…trees behind our house were being blown one way, trees behind his the other. To give you an idea of just how wild it was, a large piece of metal that covered the front edge of our home just below the roof was ripped off and was deposited in the dog pen on the other side of the house. That either means up-and-over or…tornado-like…around.

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Donne on the Brain

Posted on by Alan

May 21

A couple of recent events…on national, one local…are the genesis of this sermon. Well, I should probably say one non-event, and one tragic event…birthed these words. Perhaps the incidents will cause you to consider some of the same things I did.

First, the national non-event. As most of you are probably aware, non-believers (and quite a few Christians) had a field-day as May 21 approached because an aging preacher, Harold Camping, was predicting the Rapture on that Saturday. As the complete lack of an increase in missing persons reports attests, Mr. Camping was mistaken…something he even admits. However, he is convinced his error was only in thinking something physical was going to happen that day…instead it was a spiritual Judgment Day…

But he is sticking by his prediction that the world completely ends on October 21.

Boy, I can’t wait for the ridicule to be repeated weeks leading up to that Friday…as we Christian believers are often lumped in with that false prophet, even if it is only implicitly…

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“Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what shall we do?'”

Posted on by Alan

Holiday Sermons

I’ve noted before that I’m not a big fan of holiday sermons. Perhaps it’s the rebellious part of my nature that takes umbrage at the command implicit in expectations for an appropriately-themed talk.

Or maybe it’s because it’s because attending those services is often like watching the same TV episode too close to the first time I saw it—often great portions of the sermons are what we hear every year when that given holiday comes around. For example, I’ve noted before how I find it interesting how Mother’s Day sermons always talk about how great moms are and…and Father’s Day sermons are always about how dads should be more responsible. 🙂

However, as I was thinking about what to speak about this week, I didn’t experience my normal aversion to the idea of a holiday-themed talk when the notion of doing a Memorial Day sermon popped into my mind. Additionally, I immediately knew which Scripture I wanted to use as a jumping-off point…

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We Are Comfortable in Our Misery

Posted on by Alan

Why? Why? Why?

Abuse in relationships…

We’ve all heard the horror stories of a woman whose husband abuses her physically and emotionally…yet she never leaves. No matter how many times she has to wear glasses to hide a black eye…no matter how many excuses she has to make for a bruise or a break…

She stays with her tormentor.

Even worse, sometimes when the police finally get enough evidence to intervene, the woman actually physically defends the man who has been assaulting her.

As a quick, but important caveat, in no way is this meant to blame the victim…

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Running on Empty

Posted on by Alan

Last week I mentioned the sermon's title, "And Then There Were None," was unintentionally the same as a book by Agatha Christie. This week, I chose "Running on Empty" fully well knowing that there was a song and record by Jackson Browne with the same name. Now, that's not my favorite Jackson Browne song—if I had to choose one it would be the combo of "The Load Out" and "Stay" on the same record…although if I was going to choose my favorite song about touring, nothing beats the live version of "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band.

Although I'm sure you all wish we could keep talking about 70's music, just like last week's talk didn't parallel the Christie novel, this one really has no connection to the Jackson Browne song. I just like the title. 🙂

And Then There Were None

Last week's sermon wrapped-up like a television show's season finale. It ended with Jesus "yielding up his spirit" (Matthew 27:50)…but that really wasn't the worst of it. Instead, before His end…

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And Then There Were None

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Agatha Christie & Martin Niemöller

Little did I know when I chose the title, “And Then There Were None,” for this sermon that Agatha Christie actually wrote a book by that name. It is a mystery where ten unpunished murderers are invited to an island where, one-by-one, they are knocked off. I can’t really say it’s original title in a public setting, but it was “Ten Little” N-word after a nursery poem of the same name (the deaths in her plot paralleled those in the poem). It was also published and filmed under the title “Ten Little Indians.”

I do not know how it turns out since I haven’t read the book; whether anyone actually survives (and who the murderer is…or I suppose…who the murderers are)…but let me assure you that the novel does not parallel my sermon…not to mention that those of you sitting before me won’t suddenly meet some terrible doom, one-by-one. 🙂

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The Demons Shudder

Posted on by Alan

The belief of demons

This sermon is going to be both normal and abnormal. Normal in that we'll return to looking up a good number of scriptures together—abnormal in that we'll spend quite a bit time talking about demons. As a whole I don't think it's good to focus on the Devil and his angels. They are plenty interesting…but that's the problem…they can be too interesting, and they can pull our eyes off the One we really should fix our gaze upon.

The One who, when compared to the entire evil host, is light a beach compared to a single grain of sand—and that's still exaggerating their significance.

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