Sermon for July 6, 2014. Summer Saling Sermon Series. Week 1 -- "A Different Tack"

This past Sunday I began a 4 part sermon series with a sermon entitled, "A Different Tack." The text for the sermon was Acts 27:1-8.

When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for. Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. After we had sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

Here is a link to the audio file.

Gospel Text and Sermon "A Different Tack"

Morning Worship May 4 2014 (Star Wars Day)

This is the sermon for Sunday, May 4, 2014. The text is I Peter 1:17-25

Sermon for May 4 2014

Sermons for March 2 & 9, 2014

These are the sermons for March 2 & 9. March 9 is the First Sunday of Lent, Year A.

Sermon 3 2 2014

Sermon 3 9 2014

Sermon for February 23, 2014

This sermon is about approaching difficult texts in scripture and how we handle them.

Here is the link to the sermon from February 23, 2014
Sermon for 2 23 2014

Sermon for February 16, 2014

This is the link to the sermon for February 16, 2014.

Sermon for February 16, 2014

Sermon for February 9, 2014

This is the sermon from Sunday, February 9, 2014 as we continue through Cycle A of the Lectionary with the Gospel of Matthew. Also, I am in the beginning stages of leading the church through a process of focusing ministry, money and mission and that is reflected in the message. 

Peace and Love,
Jerry

P.S.-- Thanks to Shauna Michelle Stucker Smith for pushing me to post the sermons.

Sermon for February 9, 2014

Scarcity and Abundance

The rain came today to central KY. In this area the prediction is for about 3" over the weekend. Much needed, it goes without saying. At the same time the rain began to fall I read an article that 1,000 counties are in a drought emergency across the country; 1,000 counties.

That climate change is upon us seems self-evident. Of course the earth has gone through many cycles of truly significant climate change what with ice ages and all. Are we on the threshold of a significant change? Who can say at the moment? What is the role of humanity in the rate of climate change? There can be no serious doubt that urbanization has led to surface changes that have an effect on the weather, but how much?

In the meantime there are these cycles of scarcity and abundance. They don't have too profound an effect on those of us who have a decent income and a home, but surely the economic impact of scarcity and abundance effects millions of people and it's all interrelated. When something is scarce it has potential to bring abundance to those who profit from scarcity and when something is abundant the one who depends upon its provision receives less in profit.

It isn't a perfected world, nor system. Even as we have industrialized and urbanized we are still dependent on the earth and are subject to scarcity and abundance.