Skip to content

Sermons

Every Knee Will Bow Because of the Open-Handed Christ (Phil. 2:1-11)

The Monday after Easter, Newsweek magazine ran this headline article: “The End of Christian America.”  The article revolved around two recent findings.  First, the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled since 1990.  The number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled since 1990.  Second, the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Christians has dropped by ten percentage points since 1990.  The percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Christians has dropped by ten percentage points since 1990.  In other words, there has been a significant increase in the number of Americans who have no religious affiliation.  And there has been a significant decrease in the number of Americans who do affiliate themselves with Christianity.  It is for this reason that the article is entitled “The End of Christian American.”  The article’s point is simple: There are many people with little or no affiliation with Jesus. 

Read More »Every Knee Will Bow Because of the Open-Handed Christ (Phil. 2:1-11)

Mighty to Save: Part 1 (Ex. 15:1-20)

At the beginning of March a Chinese couple in Memphis received bad news.  It appeared that the wife had cancer.  The couple, Pu Quingwah and her husband Zhou Jingran, attend Highland.  Both are medical doctors.  Both are involved in medical research.  Both know how to interpret medical data.  And there seemed to be no mistaking this data.  Pu had lab reports and scans which led her and her husband and her doctors to suspect the worst.  One Monday night doctors operated on Pu to examine the expected cancer in her lung.  Zhou waited anxiously in the waiting area.  Then the doctor came out to speak to Zhou.  With amazement he said they couldn’t find the cancer.  The cancer which the tests appeared to indicate was nowhere to be found.  Pu and Zhou and others had been praying for this very thing.  It was indeed a miracle.

Read More »Mighty to Save: Part 1 (Ex. 15:1-20)

Good Friday’s Passion: Following a Figure Who Finished (Jn. 19:28-30)

High school graduation day is fast-approaching.  I graduated from high school twenty-three years ago.  But I still remember my graduation ceremony.  There were six of us who went from kindergarten through twelfth grade together.  On graduation night our parents lined up the six of us and took our photo.  I remember marching into our school gym with the other twenty-five seniors.  I remember listening to Melissa Smith give the Valedictorian speech and silently “booing” her because her GPA had beaten mine by one-tenth of a grade point.  I remember walking across the stage and shaking the hand of Mr. Lane, our superintendent.  And, I remember all twenty-six of us throwing our graduation caps into the air.  Do you remember your graduate day?  Let’s do a little poll: how many of you graduated from high school between 1 and 10 years ago—raise your hand?  Between 11 and 20 years?  Between 21 and 30 years?   Between 31 and 40 years?   Between 41 and 50 years?  Now, raise your hand if you’ll be graduating from high school in a few short months.  No matter how good or bad your high school experience was or is, graduation is an exciting day.  And there is an ancient Greek word which, if we spoke Greek in Memphis, we might use on graduation day.  The word is “tetelestai.”  The word means “It is finished” or simply “finished.”  Say the word out loud: tetelestai.  It’s the word you might shout when you take your graduation cap off and toss it into the air: Tetelestai!  It is finished!

Read More »Good Friday’s Passion: Following a Figure Who Finished (Jn. 19:28-30)

Easter Sunday’s Passion: Following a Man on a Mission (Lk. 24:13-49)

Easter Prayer

On Easter Sunday, God, you delivered life where there was once only death.

You sparked renewal where there was once only decay.

You authored a beginning where there was once only an end.

 

Today, God, our world still suffers death—AIDs stealing lives in Africa, extremists ending lives in Afghanistan, poverty killing infants in Memphis. 

Today, God, our world still suffers from decay—a planet feverish from pollution, immorality legislated in our governments, our own economy wobbling.

Today, God, our world still suffers from endings—marriages coming to an end, health coming to an end, dreams coming to an end.

 

Nevertheless, we still believe.  Especially on this Easter Sunday, we believe.

 

We believe you will once again deliver life where there is death.

You will spark renewal where there is decay.

You will author a beginning where we only see the end.

 

We confess our belief in you, the God of Easter.

 

In the name of the one whom you raised, your son Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Read More »Easter Sunday’s Passion: Following a Man on a Mission (Lk. 24:13-49)