When we start something new, such as a new marriage or a new job or even a new church, there is typically a "honeymoon" phase. The honeymoon phase is when we're excited about new opportunities and optimistic about the future. Everything seems perfect. Then the honeymoon ends. We find out that we're all sinners. Our relationships with others don't have to grow very deep be...

Well, Pastor Mike recently finished a sermon series from the book of Ecclesiastes, and while he's on vacation, I'm planning to preach on a couple of passages from the book of Jeremiah. These books have reputation for being the most depressing parts of the Bible, (along with Lamentations, of course). Ecclesiastes points to the futility of life apart from God, and Jeremiah p...

Ah, summertime! Besides hot, humid weather, summer means vacation. It means a break from the routine. And this week, it means fireworks. The 4th of July is coming up as I write this. So, all of these factors are figuring into what I have to say this week. We just finished our sermon series on Ecclesiastes, so it seems logical to promote the new series at this time. But I'm...