July 27th, 2010
Today pastor Johnny Diaz’s sermon is titled “God’s Story”, and his scripture comes from the Old Testament book of Ruth, chapter one.
Everyone loves a good story. Pastor Johnny says he remembers having to read the novel, “The Grapes of Wrath” when he was in high school, and he didn’t much enjoy the experience. Quoting Johnny, he says, “The reason I disliked the book was because it was just about some guy, at some farm. A nobody.”
Yet here, as we begin this story of Ruth, could it be that God is interested in writing stories about nobodies? What does that say about my story? Your story?
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
July 24th, 2010
It is very popular in some religious circles to call oneself a prophet.
Although prophecy is mentioned as one of the gifts of the new testament church…modern day prophetical use must observe the same guidelines and responsibilites that ancient prophets did. A proper understanding of the responsibilites would make modern day people at the very least, pause before calling their words “prophetic”.
We are not going to deal with prophecy in the future sense today, but in the “soverign will of God” sense. God is above all, and he sometime selects men or women to reveal something important…his soverign will.
Tags: accountable, christian, god, jesus, prophecy, prophet, scripture
Posted in steve o'brien | Comments Off
July 22nd, 2010
We have probably all been there. It’s a long car ride, and either you started it or someone did it to you, but someone began the copy-cat game. You say something, they say the same. Quickly the game gets old, and the fight begins!
In our passage today, would you believe, Paul invites us to play that very game? It’s time to copy-cat Paul!
Scriptures:
Philippians 3:12-4:1
1 Corinthians 11:1
Tags: christian, god, jesus, love, paul, role model
Posted in johnny diaz | Comments Off
July 8th, 2010
Decaying, declining, putrefying…rotting, getting worse…all words to describe something that just isn’t what it used to be. An apple is delicious when it is ripe…but when it decays it is not acceptable for consumption. A mouse may be a cute little animal…but if they lay down to die in your wall…the smell of putrefaction makes everyone know that something is wrong. If you get in your faithful old car and your shoes hit the ground like Fred Flintstone because your floor is rusted out…something needs to change.
In Romans 1 Paul describes a historical cycle of decline that happens when humanity pushes God out of their society.
Let’s see if we recognize any part of the cycle.
Tags: judgement, repentance, sin
Posted in steve o'brien | Comments Off
