Re:Sermon – Page 9

Beware of Big Bad Wolves

2010-05-03T16:34:31+00:00By Sam Ford|Church Plant Lessons 101, Random Thoughts, Re:Sermon|

In Paul's final meeting with the elders of the church at Ephesus, he warned them about wolves that would rise up FROM WITHIN the church to destroy it. Shortly after he left, wolves did come and, eventually, Timothy was sent to deal with them. In the first 11 verses of the first letter to a young pastor, we learn a lot about finding and dealing with the wolves that ARE all around us: What are wolves? A wolf is a hungry "animal" that is looking for sheep to eat. Unlike a sheep, he doesn't trust the shepherd, won't follow the shepherd, and all around dislikes the shepherd. The disdain a wolf has for a Shepherd isn't a hidden thing because wolves never stop talking, especially about how much they feel the shepherd is in fact harming the sheep. They fill their mind, the air, and the internet with lies and [...]

CHARGE #1: Fight for your First Church

2010-04-26T14:11:42+00:00By Sam Ford|Note to Self...and Others, Random Thoughts, Re:Sermon|

I preached the introduction to 1st Timothy yesterday. Written to a young pastor, this letter holds a lot of meaning for me, as it does for anyone who pastors. Unfortunately, the "Pastoral letters" to Timothy and Titus can be a tough sell to those who don't consider themselves "Professional Christians". The letters lend themselves easily to those who wish to use them as a tool to examine whether a, our, or THE church is healthy or sick. In truth, this is what they are intended for and ALL churches should regularly visit these three letters for encouragement, correction, and guidance. I believe that the letters can also be used to pastor our First Church--our home. Just like Ephesus, false truths, demonic "wisdom", and sinful behavior rises up from within. If we don't fight, fight for the wrong things, or allow others to fight in our stead, our first churches will [...]

Peter the Paradox -“Good Friday”

2010-04-03T22:26:23+00:00By Sam Ford|Random Thoughts, Re:Sermon|

Yesterday evening, Damascus Road Church gathered to meditate on the death of Jesus. In our time, we journeyed through the life of Peter. Peter is a walking paradox. He is the only one who right identifies Jesus as the Son of God. A few verses later, he is the only one quietly rebuking Jesus for saying he would die, and he is the only one Jesus calls Satan. Peter is the only one with faith enough to walk on water, and he is the only one to sink when he takes his eyes off of Jesus. Peter is the only one stands up to defend Jesus when he is arrested, and he is the only one who follows Jesus all the way to the court. Though all of the disciples flee and hide, Peter is the only one who denies Jesus verbally-three times. Last night, as we watched Peter fall [...]

The “House Broken God”

2021-07-04T18:13:59+00:00By Sam Ford|Re:Sermon, Theology 101|

The title of this post comes from a quote I heard today from a sermon preached at Damascus Road. The text was John 12.12ff, and it focused on the expectations that the Pharisees and even Jesus' disciples had as he rode, like a King, into Jerusalem on the first day of passover (Palm Sunday). Within four days, the "King" hadn't wiped out Rome in some grand political coupe, rather, he spent most of his time during the week challenging the Pharisees as he flipped tables in the temple. He wasn't the King they expected. The sermon challenged our notions of who God is (house broken) in contrast to who he has revealed himself to be (wild). We want a "House Broken God" that fits into our boxes, one that makes me comfortable, one that is predictable, one that I can control, one that I can cuddle with when he does [...]

Godly Grief vs. Worldly Grief

2021-07-04T18:15:28+00:00By Sam Ford|Note to Self...and Others, Re:Sermon, Theology 101|

Are you repentant? Paul describes the nature of true repentance in his 2nd letter to the Corinthian church, chapter 7.5-13. In it, Paul all but apologizes for the previous letter that he wrote. Scholars differ on whether this letter is 1Corithans, whether 1Corinthians is in fact two letters, or if we have it all. Whatever the case, Paul's words were HARD and they were received like a punch on the nose. But Paul does not regret sending the letter, rather, he rejoices over the effect--repentance. In writing this, Paul distinguishes between two kinds of grief, godly and worldly. In other words, tears are not enough.He writes, "For godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what EARNESTNESS this godly grief has produced in you, but also what EAGERNESS to clear yourself, what INDIGNATION, what FEAR, what LONGING, what ZEAL, what PUNISHMENT! [...]

What men mean for harm, God means for His Glory

2021-07-04T18:15:58+00:00By Sam Ford|Re:Sermon, Theology 101|

You'd have to be a mole trapped in a hole to have not heard of Hamas. Hamas is the leading militant Palestinian 'political' group, classsief as a terrorist organization by the United States, an acronym Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamat al-Islāmiyyah, meaning "Islamic Resistance Movement". As I have been studying Habakkuk, I came across the Hebrew Word for Violence "HAMAS", meaning ”malicious conduct intended to injure another. This word appears a number of times in Habakkuk's prayer as a description of what he sees AND of the powerful Babylonians who are rising. You can probably understand what I was moved by an article today in the Wall Street Journal, detailing the Chrsitian conversion of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founder and leader of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Church Planting Lesson #13: It’s not hard to kill a church

2021-07-04T18:15:15+00:00By Sam Ford|Church Plant Lessons 101, Note to Self...and Others, Re:Sermon, Theology 101|

LESSON #13: IT'S NOT HARD TO KILL A CHURCHThis lesson is very sobering, not mine to write, and hopefully to never experience. Originally posted by Ray Ortlund's Christ is Deeper Still blog 'How to wreck your church in three weeks'Week One: Walk into church today and think about how long you’ve been a member, how much you’ve sacrificed, how under-appreciated you are. Take note of every way you’re dissatisfied with your church now. Take note of every person who displeases you.Meet for coffee this week with another member and “share your heart.” Discuss how your church is changing, how you are being left out. Ask your friend who else in the church has “concerns.” Agree together that you must “pray about it.”Week Two: Send an email to a few other “concerned” members. Inform them that a groundswell of grievance is surfacing in your church. Problems have gone unaddressed for too [...]