One on One: The Pain of Impact

Reading: Jeremiah 36:1-4, 20-32; John 15:18-27

This is the last sermon in preparation for our challenge to invite our friends and family to join us in worship on Sunday the 18th. The gospel calls us to a tension between making an eternal impact and accepting the sacrifice that often comes with faithfulness to the call.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on September 11, 2011 at PLWC.

No More Normal: Serve

Reading: John 13:31-35; Luke 10:1-24

Here we go with more meddling. Our focus this week was on the need not only for service, but also for service done with a servant's heart. In other words, do we really love our neighbors?

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon. Once again, the file is too large for the online virus scanner to work, so you'll get an error message when you first try to download it. Just click on "Download Anyway" when you get the option.

Preached on January 23, 2011 at PLWC.

Engage: Others

Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 12:20-33

Technically we're starting Lent a week late at PLWC, but we had some missionaries with us last week. Our Lent will be focused on engaging our faith with our actions if a variety of ways, and we're beginning by focusing on engaging with other people. The plan is to pray for and hopefully invite people to join us either for our week of prayer during Holy Week or for our Easter services.

Also, the sermon worked a little differently this time around. The introductory part of the sermon came earlier in the worship service than normal, so if, while you're reading, you think I was being particularly long-winded, try to think of it as 25% more sermon for free.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on March 8, 2009 at PLWC.

Life in the Family

Preached on April 13, 2008 at PLWC.

Reading: Luke 19:1-10; Acts 1:8; Revelation 7:9-12

This week's sermon is the last piece before we invite our friends and neighbors to come with us to our worship service next Sunday, and to round out our discussion of acting as witnesses, we're talking about reaching out to the last ones we want to reach out to.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Telling Stories

Preached on April 6, 2008 at PLWC.

Reading: John 18:19-27; Acts 1:8, 2:14-24

While last week was focused on prayer -- specifically prayer for those who are not yet a part of God's kingdom and for our own sensitivity to the Spirit's movement -- this week we focused on how we go about approaching someone with the good news of what God has done in Christ.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Someone Ought to Do Something

Preached on March 30, 2008 at PLWC.

Reading: Isaiah 49:1-2, 5-13; Acts 1:1-8

We began a sort of a series this last Sunday, with the goal being to prepare us for sharing with others what God has done in our lives so that we can invite people to join us for our worship on April 20. This week we began, as we should probably do more often, by focusing on prayer.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

A Stack of Invitations

Preached on January 20, 2008 at PLWC.

Reading: Psalm 40:1-11; Isaiah 49:1-7; John 1:29-42

This Sunday's lectionary reading was one of the Epiphany readings. I haven't come across many evangelical Protestant churches that have given Epiphany much air time, but the focus of Epiphany can help inform our efforts of evangelism.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.