At the transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw what Jesus was really like.
They didn’t realize that one day they would be like him.
Now, we have this treasure in jars of clay (2 Cor 4:7NIV2011, KJV says “earthen vessels”), but one day we will see Him as He is, and be like Him (1 John 3:2).
Looking like Jesus (Matt 17), 8/6/2017
Doug
In Matthew’s telling of the Parable of the Sower, he tells of two men – one man found a buried treasure, the other man found a pearl of great price.
This message is about finding something desirable and committing to it, and how that applies to the Kingdom of God.
Pearl of Great Price (Matt 13), 7/30/2017
Doug
The parable of the sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8) explains five faith-killers:
The first two attack your persistence; the remaining three attack your focus. All five of them are intended to prevent the promise you’re standing on from being effective.
At the beginning of the message, I noted that I was returning to the previous week’s reading (Mark’s version) rather than today’s reading. I felt this message was important enough to go off-schedule.
Five Faith-Killers (Mark 4), 7/23/2017
Doug
favoriteMy message on Fear and Faith that I gave at Jesus People Church of Asheville on 7/9/2017.
(For All Saints people – this is a slightly expanded version of the message I gave at All Saints on 6/25).
My notes are posted in the comments.
Fear and Faith (Matt 10), 7/9/2017
Doug
favoriteI had the pleasure of preaching on healing at New Covenant Church of Atlanta on 7/7/2017 and at Jesus People Church of Asheville on 7/8/2017. I gave the same message (an expanded version of my message from 3/26 from the Lectionary) at both churches, but my audio came out better for this service. In both services, Jesus healed people.
I’m posting my notes in the comments.
Doug
favorite, healingIn the beginning of Matthew 10, Jesus commissioned the disciples to go and do what he had done – preach the Good News of the Kingdom, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons.
But as part of that same commission, he told them not everyone would like their message. He instructed them to not fear but to recognize God was with them. Instead of fear, they were to stay in faith.
The Spirit caught me in this message and it went well beyond my notes. This was one of my favorite messages!
Fear and Faith (Matt 10), 6/25/2017
Doug
Two Sundays after Pentecost, our church – along with other churches – celebrates Corpus Christi, a celebration of the body and blood of Christ. Maundy Thursday is usually seen as a solemn event, Corpus Christi is a celebration.
In this message I connected our reading in John 6, the last supper in Matthew 26, and Isaiah 53.
Body and Blood (John 6), 6/18/2017
Doug
As I’ve noted before, John 3:16 is one of the most-loved verses in the Bible (although The Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm come close).
This message touches on the background (Numbers 21) and then talks about how God and Jesus demonstrated their love for us.
Doug
Not just the apostles, but “ordinary people” – like Stephen, Phillip, and others – made a big difference in the Kingdom.
Ordinary people still do. We don’t have to have an ordination, and we don’t have to be perfect.
Ordinary People (Acts 8), 5/21/2017
Doug
In the beginning of John 14, Jesus tells us
A Place for Us (John 14), 5/14/2017
Doug