Transformed

(Written to go along with a sermon on Philippians 3:17-21)

Have you ever had the experience of not recognizing someone you know very well because you saw him in a place you didn’t expect to see him, or she had her hair styled differently or was dressed differently than normal? It can be embarrassing when you act toward someone as if he were a stranger only to discover that he’s a friend.

Paid In Full

(To go along with the concept Paul expresses in Philippians 4:17-18)

Without debt, society as we know it wouldn’t exist. For many of us debt is such a common part of our lives that we really don’t give it much thought. Almost all of us carry credit cards. In fact, many of us rarely use cash any more. Every time we use a credit card – we incur a debt. Very few of us paid cash for our houses. Our mortgages are simply another form of debt. Many have other forms of debt, also – such as car payments or student loans. 

Breaking Down the Wall of Hostility

(Prepared for a sermon based on Philippians 2:1-4.)

In 2007 my father and I took a trip to India. One of the things we did was visit a church in the city of Amritsar. The people there loved the Lord. They were enthusiastic and sincere in their faith. Unfortunately, they weren’t very mature spiritually and their leadership was rather weak.

It Is Finished!

(Written to go along with a sermon on Philippians 1:1-8. The thought comes from verse 6.)

Do you sometimes find it difficult to finish or complete a project? I often find it hard to do so. For example, there’s a small sailboat propped up on sawhorses in my back yard that I’ve never quite gotten around to finishing.

Recognizing The Body Of The Lord

(I wrote this meditation to go with a sermon titled “Christians Are The Body Of Christ”)

The church at Corinth had a problem. It was badly infected with the “Me First” virus. In 1st Corinthians chapters 1 through 3, Paul pointed out that the Christians were squabbling over whose conversion was the most valid or authentic. They were also fighting about who was the wisest.

In chapter 4 they were bragging about how superior they were to Paul.

He Broke Down The Wall

(I gave this talk on a day the preacher spoke about Christians being brothers.)

In our culture there is a lot of emphasis on race and ethnic origins. Even when you fill out some form which is totally unrelated, they ask you what race you belong to. All too often people use the politics of race to divide and seek power for themselves. Instead of emphasizing what we all have in common, they use race to stir up division and dissension.

Life That Is Truly Life

[Prepared for a sermon on 1 Timothy 6:17-21]

At one time or another, just about everyone asks himself what life is all about. We’d like to think that we are here for some purpose. We want to know the meaning of life. There’s an emptiness within us which longs to be filled.

Joy

[Prepared to go along with a sermon on 1 Timothy 5:17-22]

In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul devotes a lot of time to discussing church leaders. He talks about their character. He talks about their qualifications. He talks about about their work. As I read through the book one question which comes to my mind has to do with the motivation of church leaders. Why do people seek positions of leadership? What drives someone to become an evangelist or a deacon or an elder?

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