Guerrilla Christianity

Sermon #540

What separates the Catholic church from protestant churches is the doctrine of justification.  Catholics believe that they are justified by faith and works, while protestants believe that we are justified by faith alone, and not by works.  As we continue to examine what it means to be reconciled to God, we take a deeper dive into this critical doctrine from Paul's perspective.  After having just argued that justification is by faith alone, he then uses the example of Abraham to show that he was counted righteous by his faith before the institution of the sign of circumcision, and long before the law was given to Moses.  This doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone builds upon the doctrine of Salvation by Grace Alone, and sets a sure foundation for the Reformation principles that would be erected upon them.

Romans 4:1-17

Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 5, 2023

S.D.G.

Sermon #215

In Psalm 91 we see a beautiful picture of God's protection over us, in the image of a mother bird who spreads her wings over her chicks to keep them from harm. We see strength coupled with tenderness - the strength of the mother bird against danger, and the tenderness under her wings. We think of God's protection for us in the same way. But thinking that God will never let anything bad happen to those who trust him completely comes with inherent danger. First, when trouble does come, we think either that God does not keep his promises, or we think that somehow we did not have enough faith. But what Psalm 91 promises is not temporal safety in this life, but eternal protection for our very souls in God's abundant love.

This sermon was prepared and never preached in 2017. Because its message is so pertinent to what is going on today amid the news of coronavirus spreading [written in 2020], I thought it would be good to record the message and release it as part of the sermon series "A Journey Through Lent" from 2017.

Psalm 91 (Listen to Psalm 91 performed by Mark Swayze Band)

Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 17, 2020 (originally published March 18, 2020)

Buy the companion DVD and other resources for A Journey Through Lent

S.D.G.

March 12, 2023

Old Testament: Exodus 17:1-7

Psalter: Psalm 95

Epistle Lesson: Romans 5:1-11

Gospel Lesson: John 4:5-42

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

Sermon #382

A song of ascents, or a song of degrees - these are common in the book of Psalms, but what are they? Just as we would have the radio on as we took a road trip to a faraway place, the Jewish pilgrims would sing these songs as they would journey upward toward Jerusalem, situated on Mount Moriah. These songs were meant to give them encouragement as they made the arduous journey, and to help them focus on the destination - the temple of God. During this season of Lent, sometimes we can lose focus, lose sight of the destination - the cross, and the empty tomb. Psalm 121 helps assure us that God is always with us, helping us along the way.

Psalm 121

Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 8, 2020 (Originally published March 9, 2020)

S.D.G.

Sermon #47

Over the years there has been a great deal of confusion over what it means to be "Born Again," and it started with the first person to hear it. This Pharisee named Nicodemus didn't get it at first, but as we look at his life we see how God has worked in him to bring about a radical transformation. So grab your Bible, turn it to John chapter 3, and join us as we look at what it means to "Be Born Again."

John 3:1-17

Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 16, 2014 (First published March 13, 2020)

S.D.G.

Sermon #214

Lent is a time when we reflect upon our own sin which separated us from God. But why did Jesus have to go to the cross? Why was it necessary for the Son of God to be our perfect sacrifice in order to reconcile us to God? We look at Psalms 42 and 43 today for our answer. Our soul thirsts for the living God as a deer pants for streams of fresh water. There is a yearning within us for God that cannot be satisfied until we find our satisfaction in a relationship with God, and for that to happen we need to have our debt paid. It was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross, but God's love. These Psalms collectively describe our condition, they diagnose the causes, and then they prescribe a cure - and the cure is the cross.

Another note about the audio - during the recording of this sermon at Ebenezer UMC, my then-3 year-old son (Isaac) was running around the sanctuary doing what 3 year-old children do. So when you hear odd noises in the recording, it was probably Isaac playing with something. I have always believed in kids expressing themselves in the worship space. "Suffer the little children to come to me," Christ said, "For to such is the kingdom of God." If you have children in your worship that you think are "disruptive," try looking at them as God does.

Psalms 42-43

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 12, 2017 (First published March 11, 2020)

S.D.G.

March 5, 2023

Old Testament: Genesis 12:1-4a

Psalter: Psalm 121

Epistle Lesson: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

Gospel Lesson: John 3:1-17

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

Sermon #381

During the season of Lent we humble ourselves, confess any unrepented sin, and turn back to God. It is a season of renewal. What we find is that the forgiveness we find in God's grace offers us blessing or happiness that is not offered to others who do not confess and repent. David learned this lesson the hard way when he committed the sins of adultery and murder, but confession and repentance is like dropping a burden that is weighing us down - a burden of our own making.

Psalm 32

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 1, 2020 (Originally published March 2, 2020)

S.D.G.

Sermon #539

When someone offers you a gift, what do you do?  You thank them and hopefully appreciate the gift and the thought behind it.  What if it is an extravagant gift, one that is extremely valuable?  Sometimes the temptation is there to say, "What do I owe you for this?"  But if the gift is given in love, there is no obligation, no strings attached.  That is how God's gift of grace in Jesus Christ is described in the Bible.  In fact, it is called a "free gift" for a reason - it is offered without price, although it cost a great deal, and it is given in love with no obligation, and all we need to do is to receive it.  In the Epistle to the Romans today, we see how the curse of sin, brought into the world by one man (Adam), was reversed by a single act of righteousness by one man, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:12-21

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on February 26, 2023

S.D.G.

Sermon #46

Renounce. It's not a word we use very often. It means to give up or put aside voluntarily. Today as we look at the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, we reflect on what it means to renounce worldly things for a relationship with God. So grab your Bible, open it to Matthew chapter 4, and join us as we look at how God calls us to "Renounce."

Matthew 4:1-11

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 9, 2014 (Originally published May 8, 2014)

S.D.G.