Guerrilla Christianity

Sermon #241

The common thread throughout the reading today is "Let love be genuine."  By this we will examine all the exhortations of Paul to the church in Rome.  What does genuine love look like?  In order to avoid the counterfeit, we must first know what the genuine looks like, and Paul gives us a glimpse into genuine love through his teaching today.

Romans 12:9-21

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 3, 2017 (Originally published October 3, 2017)

S.D.G.

Sermon #72

What is it that marks us as Christians?  What is it that sets us apart?  In today's message, the apostle Paul gives us in his letter to the Roman church a list of marks that define the Christian ethos.  But more than a set of instructions, or a new group of commandments, the common theme in all these is God's divine love.  So grab your Bible, turn it to Romans chapter 12, and join us as we take a closer look at the heart of the matter.

Romans 12:9-21

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 31, 2014 (Originally published September 11, 2014)

S.D.G.

Sermon #568

This week we are beginning a new series that examines what it means to be Methodist.  From its inception in the 18th Century, the Methodist movement has been one that is meant to bring people into closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Its founder, John Wesley, himself an Anglican priest, described what the people called Methodist were like in a letter to a colleague who was wondering what this movement might be about.  Today as we look at the text from Romans 12, we compare Paul's words to the words of John Wesley as he describes this burgeoning Spirit-filled movement within the Church of England, and we see that the first mark of a Methodist - indeed, any true Christian - is that of genuine love, not hypocritical or fake but from the heart where God's Spirit resides.

Romans 12:9-21

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on September 3, 2023

Watch on YouTube

S.D.G.

Sermon #75

At Hudson (in 2014), we started a Wednesday night contemporary worship service.  In this message, the first preached at the Wednesday night service, we look at what forgiveness is, and how it heals, not just the forgiven, but the forgiver as well.  It's been said that holding on to anger is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.  When we offer forgiveness, we free ourselves from the shackles of anger and resentment.  So grab your Bible, turn it to Matthew chapter 18, and join us as we look at freedom in forgiveness.  

Matthew 18:21-35

Recorded at Hudson UMC on September 17, 2014 (Originally published October 9, 2014)

S.D.G.

September 3, 2023

Old Testament: Exodus 3:1-15

Psalter: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c

Epistle Lesson: Romans 12:9-21

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 16:21-28

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

Sermon #240

Paul exhorts the church in Rome to not be conformed to the ways of the world (in contrast to the ways of God), but to be transformed (completely remade in God's image) by the renewing of our minds.

Romans 12:1-8

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 27, 2017 (Originally published October 2, 2017)

S.D.G.

Sermon #71

In this, the eleventh part of our "Theology for Ministry" series, we look at how we can become part of the body of Christ.  Paul uses the illustration of the human body with its many parts, and just as the many parts of the human body work in concert with each other, so we as the body of Christ work together to build the Kingdom of God here on earth, and we each have a part.  So grab your Bible, turn it to Romans chapter 12, and join us as we look at Conforming to the Body of Christ.

Romans 12:1-8

Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 24, 2014 (Originally published August 24, 2014)

S.D.G.

Sermon #567

We conclude our series looking at the life, ministry, and miracles of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of the Apostle Matthew with what may be considered the greatest confession of faith recorded in the New Testament.  Jesus asks two questions of his disciples at Caesarea Philippi: Who do the people say that I am?  And who do YOU say that I am?  We look at both of these questions in the post-modern era and we look at seven conflicting beliefs of who Jesus is according to the world.  Then we look at who the disciples of Jesus (including Christians today) believe him to be, and how we can know it through the reading of the inspired scripture and through the direct revelation of God through the Holy Spirit.  What we confess about Jesus Christ absolutely defines us as Christians.

Matthew 16:13-20

Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 27, 2023

Watch on YouTube

S.D.G.

Sermon #406

In our current climate (2020) it seems like we have no reason to rejoice.  But for the people of God in Jesus Christ, we have an eternal anchor for our soul to which we can look for joy.  Paul exhorts the church in Philippi, and us as well, to rejoice in the Lord always, and that is the key.  When we try to find joy in our circumstances, we can find temporary happiness, but lasting joy comes from an eternal source - God himself.  

Philippians 4:2-9

Recorded at HUdson UMC on August 23, 2020 (Originally published August 24, 2020)

S.D.G.

August 27, 2023

Old Testament: Exodus 1:8-2:10

Psalter: Psalm 124

Epistle Lesson: Romans 12:1-8

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 16:13-20

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.