Sermon: Bridging the Great Divide

I believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ demands that we love one another as He has loved us. I believe that it is not politics but the church that should be paving the way for racial reconciliation in our country. I believe that pc (political correctness) tells us to tolerate each other but JC (Jesus the Christ) calls us to love each other. Although America has come a long way, we have not come far enough in bridging the great divide. I believe it will be the multi-ethnic church that radically transforms society. When those outside of the church see black, white, brown and yellow Christ-followers loving each other like family the world will sit up, take notice and say "wow, Christ has the power to do anything, even bringing together those who have been taught to hate each other." I used Paul's words from Ephesians 2:11-20 to highlight how what Christ did on the cross removed the barrier between people who have placed their lives in his nail-pierced hands. Here is the sermon I preached:
http://www.stroudsburgwesleyan.org/index.php?page=audio_sermons2&audio_id=37

There was also a Q and A time with a panel of people from our church on the issue of racial reconciliation. Here is the link to the very interesting Q and A: http://www.stroudsburgwesleyan.org/index.php?page=audio_sermons2&audio_id=38

Sermon: Clean & Fill Series- Refill

This sermon was unusual for me because I didn't stick with one passage but incorporated many verses from the book of Proverbs. I was trying to emphasize from Scripture that our relationships are one of the ways God seeks to refill and recharge our lives. Yet, our relationships are often the most neglected component of our lives, usually second to career. Click on the following link to listen to the message. As always, let me know your thoughts. http://www.stroudsburgwesleyan.org/index.php?page=audio_sermons2&audio_id=35

Sermon: Clean & Fill Series- Fill

If we really appreciate what Christ, the scapegoat for our sins, has done for us we will want to fill our lives with more of Him. This message was designed to encourage and assist those who really want more of Christ but are going backwards and not pressing on in their relationship with Christ. The bible text I used was Philippians 3:4b-16, where the Apostle Paul describes his desire to know Christ and then his willingness to press on toward that desire with action. As we head into a new year, many of us want not only forgiveness for our past but life-change in the future. Paul highlights how life-change results when desire leads to action. Click on the following link to listen to the message and, as always, you are encouraged to post your comments or questions by clicking on the word "comment" below. Here is the sermon link: http://www.stroudsburgwesleyan.org/index.php?page=audio_sermons2&audio_id=34

Sermon: Clean & Fill Series- Clean

I was extremely excited to preach this sermon based on the first ever Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) recorded in Leviticus 16. It's not that I often get real excited about preaching from the book of Leviticus, but it was a joy for me to proclaim Christ as the ultimate scapegoat who carries away our sins. I preached this sermon as a gift to those among us, myself included, who need to enter into a new year forgiven and cleansed from the regrets and sins of 2008. I was hoping, through his message, to also bridge the gap between the Old Testament Jewish world and the New Testament Christian world which culminates in the passion of Christ. Please click on the following link to the sermon and feel free to add your thoughts, questions and reflections on the message: http://www.stroudsburgwesleyan.org/index.php?page=audio_sermons2&audio_id=33