1 Peter 1:17-23 John 17:14-19 Potatoes, eggs or coffee beans? Which are Christians called to be? We're going to find out as we explore what it means to be “in the world but not of the world” in today's message, “Christians and Coffee Beans.” Put three pots of water on to boil. When the water begins to boil, put some potatoes in one, eggs in another pot, and coffee beans in the third point. Boil for 20 minutes The potatoes went into the pot hard. After boiling in the hot water, they are now soft, easily broken up and mashed. The eggs, with their fragile shells and soft centers, are also changed. They are now hard-boiled. The coffee beans are different. While they look the same as they did when they were put into the water, they have transformed the water. The water has taken on the smell, taste and color of the coffee Jesus was not of this world, yet he came into the world to redeem the world by his death and resurrection an...
John 2:1-11 There seems to be to be two times in a young woman's life when people go out of their way to share their personal horror stories. One is during the pregnancy of her first child, and the other is when she is planning her wedding. There seems to be no end of well wishers who are eager to share the details of a wedding ceremony or reception that went wrong. If I understand the high value put upon hospitality during biblical times, the wedding at Cana was about to turn into a social and cultural disaster. During the festivities, they ran out of wine. At that time, this was not going to be seen as a comment on the drinking habits of the guests; it was a statement on the generosity (or lack there of) of the groom. I guess it would be like the wealthiest man in town serving fish sticks, tater tots and watered down Kool-aid at his daughter's wedding reception -- cheap, stingy and inhospitable. No one wants to go through the rest of their ...
Brothers and Sisters, may I share something that's been on my mind for quite a while? Just because I'm a liberal doesn't mean I'm not a Christian, because I am. Born again and spirit-filled, it is my true identity and shapes my life, my decisions and where I fall on the spectrum. I am unafraid and unashamed to declare, "Jesus is Lord," and I pray my actions affirm my words. Just because I'm a liberal and a Christian, doesn't mean that I don't love and respect those who are different than I am, rather in religion or politics or because of country of origin or native language. I do, because my faith informs how I see others -- created in the image of God, given divine worth by our Creator. To judge a person for who and what they are and not accept them is to, in my book, to call God a liar. Just because I'm a Christian who happens to be a liberal, doesn't mean I don't love my country or care about the community where I live. God...
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