Straight Talk About Y2K

May 30, 1999

A few months ago I surveyed my personal e-mail list regarding the Y2K computer bug. A quick scan of more than 100 responses revealed a fairly even split between those who think Y2K will cause little or no disruption and those who believe the potential problem will be greater than that. I heard from many people who work in t…

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999

Stumbling Toward Heaven

May 23, 1999

Over lunch, a man shared how he came to Christ just a few years ago. He said that after his conversion, someone asked him to explain what it really means to be a Christian. What difference does Jesus make once he becomes both Lord and Savior? His answer was profound: “Ive learned that I can sin but I cant enjoy it like I us…

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999

Tact: Making a Point Without Making an Enemy

May 16, 1999

“Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.” Proverbs 25:15 Someone noted that tact is like a girdle. It enables you to organize the awkward truth more attractively. A Chinese proverb says it this way: Do not use a hatchet to remove a fly from a friends forehead. Both those statements r…

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999

The Case for Christ

May 9, 1999

It isn’t often that I use this space for a book review but in this case I am happy to make an exception. Recently a friend gave me a copy of The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel, the former newspaperman who now teaches at Willowcreek Community Church. The books subtitle tells the heart of the story: “A Journalists Personal In…

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999

Could Jesus Have Sinned?

April 25, 1999

The question in the title has been warmly debated over the years. Everyone agrees that Jesus did not sin. Hebrews 4:15 says so explicitly. He was free from sin in every form: thought, word and deed. But that same verse raises a problem when it declares that Christ was tempted in every way “just as we are.” In what sense was…

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999

Worry: The Fruit of a Divided Heart

April 18, 1999

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. Psalm 94:19 The word “anxiety” comes from a root word meaning “to divide.” That’s because anxiety produces a divided mind, one which is pulled this way and that way, constantly distracted and disturbed. Here’s the point: either the Lord carries the w…

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999

Beware of False Prophets

April 4, 1999

An old adversary of mine has been much in the news lately. Although I never met him personally, I knew about the Reverend Greg Dell when he pastored the Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church in Oak Park. Our paths crossed briefly during the showdown at the Village Hall over the proposed Domestic Partnership Ordinance. That …

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999

An Evening Under the Stars

March 21, 1999

This morning someone gave me the “Preview Catalog” for the silent auction this Friday night to benefit Oak Park Christian Academy. The money raised at this gala event goes to provide tuition scholarships, to buy computers, and for other special educational programs. OPCA opened its doors four years ago with 19 students. The…

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999

No Fear

March 14, 1999

Let’s suppose that one day as you are walking down the street, you see a huge man coming toward you. Let’s suppose he’s really big – at least 42 feet tall. Let’s say he weighs in at about 1500 pounds, all muscle. And he’s bearing down on you. As you consider the situation, only one question comes into your mind: Do I know t…

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999

They Call Me Coach

March 7, 1999

I don’t believe I’ve ever mentioned my short career as a basketball coach. During the days when I served as pastor in Downey, California, our church entered a team in the Word of Life Basketball Marathon. Since the tournament was designed to be evangelistic, you were allowed to recruit players who didn’t attend your church….

Sermon Series: Ponder This - 1999