A heart for hope Advent Candle Reading Number One The land was devastated. The prophet Jeremiah imprisoned. Through tears Jeremiah preached of a coming hope. The Lord will rebuild. The Lord will restore. The Lord will cleanse. The Lord will heal. The Lord is our hope. Call to the Lord! Our God will answer! […]
Sorting our mail that rarest of treasures slides to the top: a handwritten envelope in familiar script. My eyes dart to the return address for a clue as to the card’s contents. As part of Youth Group our seventeen year-old Lewis wrote his grandmother. Sitting at the kitchen table Mom slowly opens the envelope. She […]
A Heart for Hope Sunday, we begin our journey towards Hope with the Prophecies of Jeremiah (Jer. 33). Jeremiah wrote from prison as the nation literally collapsed around him. This Weeping Prophet foresaw God rebuilding, restoring, and healing even as the Babylonians sacked the Temple. Join us Sunday as we prepare our hearts and turn […]
About a month ago, we spent a Saturday at Neyland Staduim. It kind of reminded me of church. There was a processional, the band leading us down the Vol Walk. There were pilgrims from all over sharing food and drink. People donned specialized orange clothing demonstrating their devotion. We sang special anthems like our hymnal […]
What is greatness? Who is great? What makes for a great life? In Luke 22 the disciples begin to argue about who is the greatest. Funny, they argue about greatness in the presence of Jesus. We may be too sophisticated to openly argue about our personal power and our significance. The disciples might have subtly […]
Almighty God, Giver of Life We give you thanks for all the saints Who worshiped you in spirit and truth Who sang your praises Whose hearts beat in harmony with you We praise you for sharing their lives with us. Oh, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord We give you thanks for all the […]
A Course In Christ-like Family Studies (FMS): From FMS 101 Spiritual Awareness, up to FMS 911 Flee, and finally graduate level studies in FMS 777 Forgive. Friends, I did not preach this sermon. I wrote it and even placed in the racks for people to take home, but decided to lay it aside after hearing news of the […]
“Three Great Words for Families” Friday, October 23, 2015 Pastor Paul Purdue’s Friday’s Rough Draft We offer this draft to assist those with difficulty hearing. On Sunday, we ask God to perfect this sermon in our hearing! Today, we wrap up our series on the family. I thought we might think about three Great words […]
This morning I awoke ill at ease. I had this dis-quiet in my spirit. I picked up my coffee and sat down for my Sunday ritual of prayer and a final sermon edit. Oregon sat heavy on my heart. I felt my prepared sermon was sufficient for the day. As I drove to church for […]
Last week, a friend right after church noted that after asserting that Jesus did not say “spare the rod, spoil the child,” I failed to offer any specific parental advice. Well, hear the bad news, this week may not offer specific techniques! Last week, I did share how Christian discipleship begins with Jesus welcoming children […]
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