Traitors for Christ
I am no longer going to update this post. Instead please see the Beliefs page to read the most up-to-date list of what I believe. AKA, "What I Believe" I had an interesting conversation with a Twitter friend, and after he agreed to an uncomfortable implication of his belief system I commended him on being…
Canadian Bands Those of you who made it to church last Sunday know that for my sermons this month I am using secular (that is, non-Christian) songs as fodder for sermons. This week we look to our neighbors up north, Canada, for inspiration. How many here can name a Canadian band our musical artist? Other…
I continue to slowly read through the Bible in one year. Although there are some days it does seem like a burden (due to my humanity, not Scripture itself), being “forced” to spend time in God’s Word daily has been a great blessing. I’ve never really been big on poetry (I abhorred it in high…
AKA "Slash's Advice for Christian Living" Messages from Secular Songs If any of you have spent time on-line looking at (or listening to) my sermons before arriving here in Pleasanton, you'll notice a good number that are based on songs by secular groups. For instance "What You Need" was based on Aloe Blacc's "Little Miss…
Captain Francesco Schettino Has anyone here heard of Captain Franscesco Schettino? Why he is famous…or rather…why he is infamous? It is because he was captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship that sank of the Tuscan coast this past January…a captain who decided to save his own scalp and hop into a lifeboat instead of…
Quick Review Three sermons have led up to this final talk in my "What" series: "What Went Wrong" — Where we learned that what originally went wrong up in heaven and was tragically repeated down here on earth by its original human inhabitants wasn't some arbitrary rule being broken. Instead, there was a breakdown of…
What Finally Worked Quick Review Before I begin the third talk in my four-part "What" Sunday-evening series, I figure it makes sense to quickly review the first two sermons… #1 was "What Went Wrong"…where we learned that sin didn't start here on earth and that what originally went wrong up in heaven (and then went…
Okay, I'll be up front…I have never even met Penn Jillette…so the title of this article might be considered a wee bit of an exaggeration. 🙂 No, he isn't a close personal friend, but I have had a couple times where Penn has responded to me on Twitter…and considering he's got over 1.7 million followers,…
As I type this I am listening to the greatest negative my apartment has—the constant, fairly loud sound of traffic (often very heavy traffic). I've basically gotten use to it, but I still notice it…especially at places in my abode that have reduced sound proofing (for example, the huge door to the outdoors just before…
Sermon Topics On Wednesday I still hadn't settled on a subject for this week's sermon, and since I was hitting up Barry Duke for a potential ride to our 7:15 activities, I also figured I'd ask him if he had any suggestions for a sermon topic. Somehow in the text messages he thought I had…
In my last sermon I mentioned how social media options like Twitter and Facebook are great places to get topics for talks and articles, but there is one thing that definitely beats both hands-down… The utterances and actions of a 4 year-old. 🙂 A couple weeks back I had a bunch of stuff to bring…
The Palazzo Las Vegas If you preach quite a bit or write bulletin articles, one of the best inspirations for topics are things posted by those you have friended or have followed. I'm not saying that they are a better source of wisdom than the Bible itself—quite the opposite. However, it's amazing how a quick…
Have you ever seen a football game where the guy gets the ball and promptly runs to the wrong end zone? Or a basketball game where a player gets disoriented and sinks one in the opposition's basket? Although in some ways it's funny (as long as it wasn't an athlete on your team that made…
Introductions Before I begin my first sermon here at the Pleasant View Church of Christ, I figure it would be good to provide a quick introduction. I imagine most of you either have met me or are aware of me, but I am a recent transplant from New Hampshire…sent out ahead of my family, half…
I'm not entirely sure, but the first time I heard Europe's "Wish I Could Believe" was while listening to the Internet radio station XERS earlier this year. Having an ear for songs that speak to spiritual topics, this portion of the chorus caught my attention: Cause I, wish I could believe in God So I…