Sermons

Storytellers: Paul and Barnabas llustration: About three years ago, my wife and I made a trip to Beijing, China.  Yes, China.  Now were were on a mission to adopt our third son Jett, so we didn’t just go over there to visit.  So, Angela and I decided to take advantage of the trip so we did some sight seeing.  One of the most interesting things we did is visit The Great Wall of China.  When I visited the Wall, I realized why they call it Great.  The Great Wall was built over several of the imperial Chinese dynasties.  The Great Wall was built to protect China from northern invaders or barbarians as we know them.  It is an impressive structure.  It is said that over 400,000 men died while building the wall and to cut the costs of burials, the men were placed right inside the wall.   The Wall is 4000 miles long.  So, just how long is 4000 miles?  4000 miles would stretch from the American East Coast to the West Coast and still have some wall to go.  It is a really r

Storytellers: Peter  Opening Illustration: Let’s be honest, there is a lot to be afraid of in this world.  Lots.  Just open up any brand of social media and you will be confronted with lots of people who are afraid.  Fear is real and fear is powerful.  Jesus spends quite a bit of time in His sermon on the mount just discussing the reality of fear and anxiety.   Perhaps one of the most famous verses in the Bible dealing with fear and our ability to overcome it comes from 2 Timothy 1:7. 2 Timothy 1:7 ERV The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control. Here is an interesting Bible fact.  Did you know that the phrase “fear not” is used 80 times in the Bible?  It’s true.  Then the phrase “do not be afraid”, “do not fear” and “be not afraid” are used more than 30 times throughout Scripture.  That’s a lot right? Fear is powerful.  Fear can do generally one or two things to us.  Fear can freeze us.  It ca

Storytellers: Mary Magdalene Opening Illustration: I was reading the other day from the online magazine www.ChrisitanPost.com.  A story caught my eye.  It was entitled Report: ISIS Fighter Who 'Enjoyed' Killing Christians Wants to Follow Jesus After Dreaming of Man in White Who Told Him 'You Are Killing My People’ .  I found the article completely compelling.  It told the story of an unnamed ISIS fighter.  This man was deeply devoted to the ISIS cause.  He was a self admitted violent killer and devout Muslim.  As an ISIS fighter, this man not only oversaw the killing of hundreds of Christians but he himself killed believers.  Not only did he kill Christians with brutality, he killed them gleefully and creatively.  He prided himself on the number of ways that he could torture and murder the people who professed Jesus.   That is until he began to go to sleep and he began to have visions of a man in white.  This man in white began to visit him nightly in his