I’m The Problem

Read Jonah 1:1-12 and Genesis 3:1-13 to start.

American comedian Flip Wilson was known as the first black TV superstar, he was a frequent guest on variety shows, did a number of comedy albums, and hosted his own show for four seasons. There was a catchphrase he popularized in the early 1970s, “The devil made me do it.” You’ve probably heard someone say this, or maybe you’ve said it yourself. The same phrase was used as the title of a song by Dutch rock band Golden Earring, and in that song of course it’s about someone not willing to accept responsibility for their illegal actions, specifically the theft of a fur coat and a BMW.

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Seeing Jesus

Read Luke 19: 1-10 to start.

In the spring of 1985, Canadian paralympian Rick Hansen set out on a world tour in his wheelchair to raise money for spinal cord research. He travelled 40,000 kilometres, across 34 countries, taking 26 months to complete his trek. It was called the Man in Motion tour, and it was an absolute success, raising 26 million dollars, and certainly increasing awareness of those living with spinal injury and how they could do things that no one expected of them. While he didn’t get much attention at the start, by the time he some months along he was making international news and folks took notice.

He met a lot of people on that tour, and no doubt shook a lot of hands. One of those hands was mine, because when he rolled into Charlottetown in the fall of 1986, I heard that he was going to be at the parking lot for the Ellis Brothers’ Shopping Center, which was only a five minute walk from my house, so I went down there to see him. There were a couple of hundred other people with the same idea, so there was quite a crowd, but ten year old Marko was pushy and persistent, and I made my way to the front. I wanted to see him, and I did. I don’t remember if I said anything, but I remember that I shook his hand.

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Age and Youth

Read Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8 to start.

Sometimes I like to start a sermon with a story or a personal anecdote. But today there wasn’t one that came to mind, although this is a very personal topic, and I think a very personal sermon. This morning, I’m speaking to the younger folks in particular, but I hope that there is something here for everyone, regardless of your age. Because this is a topic that affects each and every one of us, and that is the subject of getting older.

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Foundations, and Building Thereupon

Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-15 to start.

Before we get started, let’s take a short trip down memory lane. Back in October, I preached a sermon that I titled Work In Progress, and I started by talking about Sarah Winchester and the Winchester Mystery House. For that sermon, I read most of this same passage from 1 Corinthians. In that sermon I talked about how God is working on every believer, and how we are His handiwork, His workmanship as it says in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. The comparison of a building under construction is certainly a very apt one for this concept, because putting up a house or a barn or a tower or some other large project takes time, takes effort, and requires a design and a plan in order for it to come to a successful outcome. If we allow God to work on us and in us, if we are obedient and willing to let Him work, then that is what the result will be, even if it’s not at all what we first expect.

Every building, every construction project, needs the things we just mentioned in some measure, there needs to be effort, time, a plan, and of course some sort of input, some materials. But every building also needs something more than that if it is to be a lasting structure of any sort. It needs a foundation.

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The Manger and the Cross

Read Luke 2:1-18 and Matthew 2:1-13

to start.

At this time of year millions of people pay attention to the account we just read. The account in Luke chapter 2 is no less popular, because at this season we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, the likelihood that He was born on December 25 is about one in 365 at best, or even this month is about a one in twelve chance, but His birth is significant, and should be celebrated.

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Work in Progress

Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-10 to start.

In 1885, Sarah Winchester moved to San Francisco, California. She had been widowed a few years previous, and her husband had left her a considerable fortune, including a number of shares in his company, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, best known for making Winchester rifles. This allowed her to buy a nice piece of property, a 45 acre ranch, in nearby San Jose. The ranch had an eight-room, two story farmhouse. Having plenty of budget and an interest in architecture, she decided to renovate. And renovate she did. But her plans kept changing. She hired architects and fired them, she took advice from various carpenters, and eventually took over the project lead herself. The house existed for years in a state of flux, constantly under construction. It grew and grew, and alternated between different styles of architecture, from Victorian to Gothic and Romanesque. After the 1906 earthquake a considerable part of the house was destroyed, including a 7 story tall tower. Some of it was rebuilt, some was not, and construction continued until her death in 1922.

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What’s In A Name?

Read Proverbs 22:1-2 to start.

1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.  2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. 

I know most of the people here this morning, some of you better than others. Some of you I know quite well, some of you barely at all. And likewise, you might know me well, or maybe not so well. But if you were paying attention at all during the announcements, then there is at least one thing that you know about me, and that is my name.

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Stuff My Kids* Have Said, Volume Two

Last summer I posted a list of verbatim quotes, all things that my children have said. These vary from outlandish to brilliant, with a heavy dose of amusing. But that wasn’t the full list. And it’s not like the kids have stopped talking.

So once again, apologies in advance, kiddos.

*This time there’s even something that I said (well, sort of), because it was deserving of the same treatment.

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Sink or Swim

Read Ezekiel 33:1-9 to start.

We all know what today is, which is Father’s Day. Do you know what tomorrow is, though? Anyone have a guess? It’s the last day of spring. Which means Tuesday is the first day of summer. Now, we’ve already had some days that feel like full on summer, because the start and end of the season on the calendar is based on the position of sun in the sky, and the weather may not exactly reflect that. In any case, summer is basically here. And summer, in my mind, includes going to the beach. I’m not a big beach person myself, but if I don’t get to the beach at least a time or three in the summer then it wasn’t really summer so far as I’m concerned.

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What Holds You Back?

Read Acts 8:26-38 to start.

When I was in school, back in 1980s and 90s, we had semesters and school years. One thing that took place at the end of every semester, at in particular at the end of the year, apart from the finishing of exams and deadlines for papers, there were report cards.

I assume that in public school they still do this same sort of thing, although it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s not all digital now, rather than the folded cardstock we used to have to take home and sign. I did well in school, it was never much of a concern for me when report cards came out. But there were other students who did not do as well. Some of them may have been very good in certain subjects, but did poorly in others. And some just didn’t do so well in school at all. If your report card came back with too many low numbers or poor letter grades, then you might end up failing the school year and have to repeat the grade. Not something that anyone would look forward to, not the teacher, not the student, and not the parents.

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