The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost

This past Sunday was the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost.  The Collect for the Sunday, according to John Wesley's version of the Book of Common Prayer (aka, The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America) is as follows:

Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and love; and that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.That's a good prayer to pray!

During worship, I preached from the Gospel lesson for the day, Matthew 18:21-35.  The title of the sermon was, "Better Than Optima Tax Relief."  -  A special acknowledgement goes out to one of our General Superintendents, Bishop David Graves, for an adaptation of one of the illustrations that he gave out our recent District Pastors' Life Long Learning Retreat.  -  An audio recording of the sermon can be found on the Heartland website at this location.

I would also like to take this opportunity to point out Heartland's YouTube channel, where we have posted a number of videos of my preaching, along with other guest preachers.  Check back at the YouTube channel for periodic updates.

Ancient Paths Sermon Series

While thinking about including a link to the recording of my sermons each week (i.e., introducing each one, since they will all be found at the same link), I thought that I should mention a sermon series that I preached last Summer. 

It is incredibly unique that I would leave off the lectionary during morning worship in order to preach a sermon series.  However, during the Summer of 2016, I did that very thing.  It was a sermon series that, in many ways, expresses the guiding theology and philosophy of ministry for me.  It paints the picture of the kind of Church that I believe God desires.

Another unique aspect of this series (for me) is that it uses one particular verse of Scripture as a kind of launching pad for the entire series.  That verse is one of two verses that I see as "life verses" for me and the ministry to which I believe God has called me.  It is Jeremiah 6:16a, "Thus says the LORD: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls."  (Unfortunately, in one way or another, my experience is that many people respond in the very way recorded in part "b" of that verse.  "But they said, 'We ill not walk in it.'")

In any case, if anyone would want to listen to this seven-part sermon series, you can find them, here.  -  You will find them on the second page, from 26 June - 7 August 2016.

I pray that anyone who chooses to listen to the series may be drawn to travel into the future by way of the ancient paths!