Sermon: For the Sake of the Gospel

Submitted by dean on Fri, 2012-02-10 10:37

Text: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

Today we're going to be looking at Paul's letter to the Corinthians.

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Resolutions 2012 Part V: Ministries

Submitted by dean on Fri, 2012-01-13 11:39

We're almost done, I promise.

Because the resolutions of three of my friends,Bryan, Meg and Robert, were so thought-provoking I have written out my own resolutions for 2012. I have categorized them in "Life Accounts" according to the Life Plan model that Michael Hyatt teaches in is free resources and will be highlighting a different "Life Account" each day. Today we're looking at Ministries.

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Resolutions 2012 Part I: The God Ones

Submitted by dean on Thu, 2012-01-05 08:00

Yesterday I talked up my mind shift about resolutions and as promised, will begin to share my resolutions today.

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Serving Others

Submitted by dean on Wed, 2011-12-28 15:42

"Serving others" is a concept that is prominent this time of year. In the chaos of the consumer-driven holidays we are implored to think of others. That idea is often marketed as the "true spirit of Christmas."

Until recently I often viewed service in this way. Hold a door here, give up a parking spot there, and you are really making a difference in someone's life. But how do we know? And what is the point of service anyway?

I finally had a run-in with what service really looks like. In December my wife had wrist surgery, a relatively simple procedure to remove a 14-year old cyst. We were at the hospital less than four hours and were home before lunch time.

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Dwelling Places

Submitted by dean on Sun, 2011-12-18 01:00

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Canticle 15
Romans 16: 25-27
Luke 1: 26-38

When General Eisenhower became president in 1953 he brought a vision for interstates all over the country. Designed to move large amounts of people and things quickly, there was little consideration for how they would impact the cities of America. By the 1970s, many American cities were filled with road repairs, accidents and massive congestion on raised highways through the neighborhoods and historic area.

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Christ the King Sunday

Submitted by dean on Sun, 2011-11-20 00:00

A sermon I shared at St Jude's Anglican Mission recently, looking at rejoicing and praying as a community. Based on the epistle text from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we talk about hope, radical joy, and how these things create our identity as Christians.

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The Wedding Feast

Submitted by dean on Sun, 2011-10-09 00:00

Exodus 32:1-14
Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23
Philippians 4:1-9
Matthew 22:1-14

We have all been to weddings. Many of us have played a part in one, whether our own or someone else’s. I remember the tedious process of deciding who would and would not be invited to our own wedding, knowing full well that some who were invited would not attend and others who would go uninvited would be upset and feel slighted. It’s not really a fun process.

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Living Examples

Submitted by dean on Sat, 2010-11-13 10:00

I shared this sermon at Christ the King Anglican Church in Dewitt, Michigan (near Lansing). We looked at the texts approaching Christ the King Sunday, specifically the words of the prophet Malachi. We also explored some of the early motivations of St. Jude's Anglican Mission, our new church mission in Detroit.

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Annointing the Living Christ

Submitted by dean on Sun, 2010-10-17 00:00

John 12:1-11
Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalm 36:5-10

As a teenager, I loved to read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. I remember how excited my aunt was when she found out that I liked the books: she has read them once a year since sometime in the 1980s. While I was never that dedicated, I loved the stories and was thrilled when, in high school, we learned there would be modern film adaptations. I remember sitting around for hours with friends, imagining how Peter Jackson’s interpretation of the sights, sounds and characters of the books would parallel, or differ, from my own.