Sermons @ Shepherd

There is no other book of the Bible quite as confusing as Revelation. There are creatures with multiple horns and heads, colored horses, plagues and wars. What if John's "revelation" is about fighting the beasts of corruption and destruction? Who can fight against that! Our choices are to have "power over" - the way of the beast, or loving resistance - the Way of Christ. Revelation 13:1-4.

There are many odd parts of the Bible: handling poisonous snakes and not being harmed, even a talking donkey. And then there's the difficult bits, where God seems to be condoning genocide, or worse! Instead of skipping over those sections, we wrestle with them, knowing that when we want to know God, we simply seek to know Jesus. Joshua 13:34-35.

Biblical stories are not all rainbows and unicorns. There's killings, genocide, and other atrocities - and often the people claim God as the one who condones it all! For us, we have another model: God in Jesus, a story of a God who chose death before resorting to violence. Joshua 6:15-21.

Origin stories provide context and relationship between the subject and the listener. Like other stories in the Bible, this inspired text is a place to begin a divine conversation with God. What it tells us more than anything is that God created, and it was good. Genesis 1: 24-31.

The Biblical story (or stories) of creation are not to be read as scientific explanations of planetary motion or the rise of life on earth. Rather, they seek to show a God who creates and then says, "It is good!" Genesis 1: 24-31.

The Bible was written over a timespan of 1,500 years by over 40 authors comprising 66 books that were canonized 1700 years ago. And yet we are still inspired by this book today. What does Paul mean when he says that "all scripture is inspired?" Listen to find out in this 1st sermon based on the Rachel Held Evans book "Inspired." 1 Timothy 3:14-17.

"All scripture is inspired by God..." No other six words have had more of an impact on how we read and understand the Bible. The word "inspired" literally means "God-breathed," not inerrant or dictated. As Methodists, we call on tradition, reason, and experience to help us wrestle with these ancient texts. 1 Timothy 3:14-17.

God’s grace is not just present but overflowing, overflowing for everybody. The Bible is full of moments of grace, from the woman at the well to Peter’s denial of Jesus. We often fail to recognize grace because we get so stuck on our own selfie. This amazing grace is with us always - God reaching down to us and telling us we are beloved.

John Newton, the slave-trader-turned-evangelist and author of "Amazing Grace" understood the transforming power of Christ. If we know Jesus, we know grace, a grace beyond our theologies, dogmas, and understanding. John 1:14-18.

Joy is often part of the selfie; after all, who posts pictures of themselves bored, angry, or sad. True joy comes from God - it is one of the fruits of the Spirit. The seed of joy is hope, which much be nurtured and cared for to flourish. How will you nurture joy in your life, even amid difficult times? Colossians 1.