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Revolution: The Scandal of Love (Jn. 7:53-8:11)

Time magazine and CNN collaborated recently to create a list of the “Top Ten Scandals” from 2008.[1]  Here are five of them:

1.      New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigns after his infidelity is discovered.

2.      AIG leaders receive an $85 billion bailout then take a lavish $400,000 retreat.

3.      Former senator Bob Edwards cheats on his wife of 31 years. 

4.      Seventeen Gloucester High School students get pregnant as the result of a pact.

5.      Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick resigns after his affair with a former aide is discovered.

Every year notable people make scandalous moral and spiritual choices.

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The Offering: What Happened When God Offered All (Rom. 12:1-2)

Steve Prothero is a Boston University professor and author of the book Religious Literacy.[1]  When Prothero began teaching twenty years ago he found that few students could name the authors of the Christian Gospels.  Fewer could name a single Hindu Scripture.  Almost none could name the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.  This concerned Prothero.  He believes that many political conflicts in world history have had religious roots.  Thus he feels it imperative for students to know something about the religions of the world.  Most of his Boston University students, however, knew nothing.  Thus, this non-Christian professor proposes in his book that students should be required take a course in Bible and World Religions before graduating from high school.

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The Yes That Makes Possible the No (Mk. 1:21-39)

Ron Wade is one of the shepherds at Highland.  About fifteen years ago when a campus minister asked Ron if he would start a ministry to Asians in Memphis, he said “Yes.”  About four years ago when the Highland church asked if he would serve as a shepherd, Ron said “Yes.”  About two years ago when we needed to restructure our leadership so elders had more time for shepherding and were less involved in administration, we asked Ron to outline a plan.  He said “Yes.”  About a year ago leaders at HopeWorks asked if Ron would become their new director.  Ron said “Yes.”  But several months ago, Ron told me he needed to learn how to say “No.”  He was too busy.  He had too many demands on his time.  And so half-jokingly and half-seriously, when I would see Ron in the hallway at church services I would mouth the word “No.”  Each time we saw each other, I would mouth the word “No.”  It’s still a struggle, but he’s learning.  When I emailed him earlier last week to ask if I could have his permission to tell this story about him this morning, he replied “No.”  But he explained he was just kidding.

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Dreams from The Holy: A Dream Born (Is. 9:2-7)

Darkness is my closest friend (Ps. 88:18 TNIV).  This line comes from the most painful poem in the Bible.  It is written by someone who feels he is in the presence of the absence of God.  “Day and night” the poet cries out to God.  But day and night heaven is silent.  So, the poet laments: Darkness is my closest friend.  When the authors of the Bible describe what it’s like to experience the presence of the absence of God, they use the metaphor of darkness.

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