Sermons

According To Luke: Going Public Opening Illustration: Last Saturday, I performed a wedding in Mobile. It was a beautiful venue. The weather was perfect. Crystal blue skies. There was a small pond where the ceremony was delivered. The pond was in the background and there was a beautiful barn in the foreground. Everyone came dressed to the nines, smiles on their faces. Finally, at 4 p.m. the weddings started. It was a small wedding party, just one best man and one bridesmaid. Everyone was seated properly and the father walked his daughter down the aisle. Who gives this woman to be married to this man in holy matrimony?  I have done a lot of weddings over the years. Weddings are great because it gives the bride and groom and opportunity to express their love, expose their feelings, and exercise that connection publicly. Oddly this one was slightly different than all the others. Normally I conduct the service and deliver the vows to have them repeated one to the other....

Communion September 15, 2019 Introduction: Today we are taking part in Holy Communion.  This is one of 2 ordinances in our church.  The first is baptism by immersion and the second is Communion.  We practice open Communion here at ESBC which means that we invite all brothers and sisters who have committed to following Christ in their hearts to participate no matter their denomination.  We welcome you to fellowship with us this morning.   Don't Take Communion, Allow Communion to Take You! This is a Time of… Reflection Adoration Confession This is an open communion which means that all believers are welcome to participate.  However, Paul gives a warning not to do so flippantly.   I Corinthians 11:27-29 (NIV) 27  So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28  Everyone ought to examine themselves before they ea...

According to Luke: Ain’t Skeered  Opening Illustration: I am a native to Alabama. How many of you were born and raised in Alabama? Wow, a bunch of you. Well being born and raised in Alabama, we all know that we have a particular brand of culture that some parts of the United States just don’t get. A few years ago, I had a friend from up north visiting with us here in town. He marveled at the beauty of the Eastern Shore. He loved the Bay, the weather, and the people were so hospitable. As we were driving he noticed a decal on an old Dodge truck. He looked at it for a moment and then asked his bewildering question. “Stuart, what does ‘aint skeered’ mean?”  Do you know what it means? If you are a southerner, you probably get it. It means “I’m not scared”. Us Alabamians infuse that statement with a touch of redneck and it comes out “aint skeered”.  I am not sure when this slogan took off but I do know that it is taken from the popular “No Fear” slogan ...