Sermons

Good Good God: God’s Guidance   Opening Statement: There have been many times in my life where I have sought out God’s plan for my life.  In several of those cases, God guided me down a path that I would have chosen for myself.  Have you ever asked God for a clear sign, a clear destination?  I have.  To many times instead of getting clarity, I am greeted by more confusion.  I have sat down with countless people who earnestly prayed for God’s will or direction and seemingly God did not answer.  Let’s be honest, God’s guidance over and through our lives can seem very confusing.   Is God’s Guidance C lear or Co nfusing ? Background: Today we will examine the story of Philip and his witness to the Ethiopian eunuch.  We first hear Philip’s name mentioned in Acts 6.  Philip was elected as a deacon to the church in Jerusalem.   Scripture tells us that Philip was “spirit filled”.   We also know that he was well liked by the congregation.   We also know that Philip

Good Good God: God’s Grace Opening Illustration: Bono is the lead singer in U2, one of the world’s biggest selling rock bands. He grew up in Northern Ireland, the son of one Catholic and one Protestant parent. Throughout his childhood and adult years he was a constant witness to the hatreds fueled by “Christian” belief. It left Bono less than enthusiastic about the Church. Nevertheless Bono embraced Christian faith and maintains his embrace, not he says, because of the Church but because of grace. It is the one thing that makes him want to be a Christian. In a speech to a Harvard University graduating class in 2000 he declared he was a believer in grace over karma, karma being the notion that we get what we deserve. In a song entitled Grace (found on U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind album released in 2000) Bono pictures grace as a beautiful, vibrantly attractive woman. Here we find a wonderful description of grace as it comes to us from God and one another.