Category Archives: sermon podcasts

PODCAST: The Audacity of Sin…

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Tiger Woods was talented, clean-cut, charismatic, and generally well-liked. He broke records in the world of golf. His marriage to Elin Nordegren seemed like a fairy tale — two beautiful people with beautiful children. Then, according to the media, Tiger made some bad decisions. Lots of bad decisions involving adultery. One news outlet reported in April that his numerous affairs have cost him about $1 million per mistress. It’s cost him more than that. His game is off. He’s no longer the golden-boy of golf. His popularity is in the basement. And he’s lost Elin. Recently a news headline read, “Tiger says being a father is hard since his divorce.” It’s a classic case of a superstar thinking that the rules didn’t apply to him. It was nothing more, nothing less than, audacity.

Recently, three college students crossed a safety barricade at the top of Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park so they could have their photo taken. The result was not pretty. The swift-moving water of the falls caught them and dragged all three over the 317 foot cliff. It was a classic case of intelligent people thinking that they knew better than the experts. Sad to say, it was pure and simple audacity. It cost them their lives.

In 2009, a 54-year-old mountain climbing guide, was leading come climbers up a snow-capped mountain in his native New Zealand. Although the spot he was climbing had melting snow and ice and he, being a seasoned climber, did not take the normal precautions of belaying himself. You know what happened, right? It was a classic case of a seasoned veteran thinking he was smart enough to break the rules. It is pure and simple audacity.

All three of these stories connect with the podcast here — a message about a man who thought he knew better than anyone else, even better than Jesus.

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PODCAST: Back to School Sermon on Wisdom

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I think we have all had good and bad experiences in school. That’s why Alice Cooper’s School’s Out and Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall will always be popular.

One of the most important things you can take with you to school is wisdom.school lockersSolomon, the wisest who ever lived, tells us to get wisdom.

But what does that mean? What is the wisdom of which he speaks? Don’t worry — Solomon unfolds that wisdom throughout Proverbs 4.

This podcast looks at Solomon’s wisdom and applies it to us all — especially to those who are going back to school.

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The Struggle Religious People Have with Jesus

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I read the New Testament through for the first time when I was in college. My favorite sections were the parts with Jesus in them. Don’t get me wrong — I loved the writings of Paul. I enjoyed the Revelation. Hebrews was great. I enjoyed Peter, James, and John. But my favorite parts were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — the books that told the story of Jesus.

What I liked best was how Jesus spoke. He told it like it was — cutting through the fat, addressing issues with clarity. He silenced his critics. No one could stand up to him.

When I graduated and went into pastoral ministry, I couldn’t wait to preach on the life of Jesus. But through the years, I’ve noticed that preachers don’t do that a lot.

There are many reasons for this, but one is that Jesus is tough. Jesus says tough things. He is offensive. The most troubles I’ve had in ministry have been times I have been telling the people what Jesus says. Jesus speaks of something that lives deep inside our hearts. Something called sin. And religious people hate to be told about their sin.

This podcast explains some reasons that people resist Jesus and practical counsel on how to avoid doing so.

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