The parable of the sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8) explains five faith-killers:

• Affliction
• Persecution
• Worry
• Greed and money issues
• Things and the desire for them

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

My 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

Through the course of Holy Week, I addressed some “reasons behind the sacrifice” – reasons for Jesus’ shed blood and reasons for his beaten body. I summarized those then focused in today’s message on the reasons for Jesus’ resurrection.

Reasons for the Resurrection (John 20), 4/16/2017

Doug

The Transfiguration shows us glory, presence, and love – and that each of these are a gift to us.

Glory, Presence, and Love (Matt 17), 3/12/2017

Doug

Gabriel told Mary she would become pregnant without a man. It didn’t make sense, but she went with it.

An angel told Joseph that what happened was from God. It didn’t make sense, but he went with it.

Our own faith life doesn’t always make sense – particularly if you’re trying to logically analyze how things work. Don’t do that.

Faith Doesn’t Always Make Sense (Matt 1), 12/18/2016

Doug

In the parable of the widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18), we can get hung up on details that aren’t in the message:

• We see God in the role of the unjust judge
• We see ourselves in the role of the widow

Neither of these is a good reading of the parable and the lesson it contains. Listen for more…

Praying Until Something Happens (Luke 18), 10/16/2016

Doug

When Jesus’ disciples asked him to increase their faith, he told them their faith was enough. Then he launched into a parable about a servant doing what he’s told to do. We looked at what we’re telling our faith to do, and how we can put our faith to work for us.

Your Faith is Enough (Luke 17), 10/2/2016

Doug

In Luke 14, Jesus told his audience that discipleship is costly. In this message, I share some examples from my own life – both successes and failures.

Discipleship is Costly (Luke 14), 9/4/2016

Doug

I gave this message at Out to the Nations Conference in Asheville NC on April 15, 2016.

1 John 3:2 says “Beloved, now we are children of God”… but often we don’t think like it, believe it, or act like it. 1 John contains the word Father 12 times and Children 13 times.

We are first and foremost beloved children of God – we will never be less than that.

Being a Child of God (1 John 3, Luke 15, and others), 4/15/2016

Doug