Easter Sermon: Running on Empty (John 20:1-31)

April 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

Running on Empty 2_t

Jesus’ empty tomb sends people running on that first Easter Sunday. Everyone is dashing through the cemetery, but why? They’re running to find answers to their questions and help with their confusion. They don’t know why Jesus’ body is not where they had put it the day before.

If I were to go to the gravesite of my parents at the Berks County Memorial Gardens in Reading, Pennsylvania, and I saw nothing but a big hole in the ground with no vaults or caskets, I’d be asking questions, too.

So the disciples are running around confused. And most of them are slow to believe in the resurrection—despite the fact that Jesus had said repeatedly it would happen. But here’s the good news: every time the risen Christ meets people after the resurrection, he helps them to believe in him.

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The Most Important Week

February 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Folks in the Fleetwood-Blandon-Kutztown-Reading area:

Our 2013 Lenten series begins on Sunday, February 17 at FBC. We’ll be looking at John 18-19 in a study called, “Crossing God: The Passion of Christ in the Gospel of John.”

Let’s ponder together the most important week in human history.

1.  Who’s Arresting Whom? (John 18:1-11)

2.  Who’s Really on Trial? (John 18:12-14, 19-24)

3.  Who’s the Real Enemy? (John 18:15-18, 25-27)

4.  Who’s Really in Charge? (John 18:28-19:16)

5.  Who Is This Dying King? (John 19:17-30)

6.  Who’s Really Dead? (John 19:31-42)

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Radiate, Part 6: Crossing Borders (Mark 7:24-37)

February 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Christians have never been called to be hostile or obnoxious in society. We’ve been called to be a people of hope, filled with a sweetness of spirit and a gentleness of demeanor. As it says in Titus 2:10: we are to “make the teachings of Christ our Savior attractive.”

Or, to put it another way, the church of Jesus Christ was never meant to be a cranky little subculture, but a dynamic and joy-filled counterculture—one in which the surprising grace and spontaneous love of God is made known to our neighbors in real and tangible ways.

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Radiate, Part 5: Hospitality & Grace (Hebrews 13:1-14)

February 15, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Genuine hospitality is one of the tools in our gospel neighboring toolbox. Unfortunately, when we hear the word “hospitality,” we often think of Martha Stewart, the Cake Boss, or Better Homes & Garden. But those things are distortions of what the New Testament means by hospitality.

The command to show hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2) literally means to show love to people who are different from you. Sadly, in our culture, many people sit around mocking people who are different from them. But that is not to be the case among the followers of Christ. Quite the opposite.

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Radiate, Part 4: The Man at the Well (John 4:1-42)

February 7, 2013 — Leave a comment

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We’ve seen in this series that messaging the gospel without neighboring the gospel undercuts the credibility of the gospel. In the famous story of “The Woman at the Well” (John 4:1-42), Jesus does both—messaging and neighboring—and the results are eternally significant, both for this woman and for many in her hometown.

By looking at Jesus—the man at the well—believers can learn what messaging the gospel and neighboring the gospel look like in action. For starters, Jesus overcomes a racial barrier, a gender barrier, and a moral barrier.

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The Briefing for Thursday 2/7/2013

February 7, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Appenzeller Sennenhund, courtesy of longlivepuppies.com

Today’s Scripture

“Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:1-4)

Notable Quotables

“Even God can’t steer a parked car.” (Anonymous)

“Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.” (Robert Schuller)

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” (Will Rogers)

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The Briefing for Monday 2/4/2013

February 4, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie, courtesy of mysmelly.com

Today’s Scripture

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, tough the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3)

Notable Quotables

“Genius is eternal patience.” (Michelangelo)

“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” (Thomas A. Edison)

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” (Albert Einstein)

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The Briefing for Thursday 1/31/2013

January 31, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Anatolian Shepherd, courtesy of dogbehavioronline.com

Today’s Scripture

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:20-23)

Notable Quotables

“You can’t turn back the clock. But you can wind it up again.” (Bonnie Prudden)

“Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.” (Margaret B. Runbeck)

“To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” (Arthur Ashe)

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The Briefing for Wednesday 1/30/2013

January 30, 2013 — 1 Comment

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American Water Spaniel, courtesy of popular-pets.blogspot.com

Today’s Scripture

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14)

Notable Quotables

“Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere.” (G. K. Chesterton)

“The man who does not set himself under the law of God sets himself above it.” (John Blanchard)

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that we aim too high and we miss it, but we aim too low and reach it.” (Michelangelo)

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Radiate, Part 3: My Neighbor, the Weakest Among Us (Micah 6:6-8)

January 28, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Jesus tells us in the Great Commandment that next to loving God, loving our neighbor is the greatest thing we can do (Matt 22:37-40). 

Unfortunately, people today still try to find loopholes in that mandate, raising the cynical question, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). 

In this message, Pastor Tim argues from Scripture that the orphans and the unborn are our neighbors, too. They are therefore worthy of the believer’s protection and care—even in an age of throw-away children and abortion-on-demand.

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