Sermons on Culture
1 Peter 1:13-2:3
Cultural Advice for Ex-Patriots Whenever you go to a foreign country it is wise to read up on its customs and culture. A number of years ago I took a trip to Russia, unwisely in January! I discovered some very interesting things about Russian culture–some before I went and others after I arrived. Russians always remove their shoes when they come into a house or an apartment. Usually there is a basket of slippers to choose from; if not, you just walk around in your…
Acts 17:15-34
A Seedpicker Takes on the Eggheads Note: This sermon was edited considerably and preached again 13 years after the original series. It was delivered at First Free in St. Louis right after I returned from a trip to Athens in 1999. Introduction: I have decided to share a message related to the journey from which I just returned. I had a unique privilege over the past two weeks of visiting some of the amazing sites of antiquity in Greece, Turkey and Italy. Thirty-seven of…
Luke 6:17-26
The Counter-Culture of the Kingdom Introduction: Friends, if you were asked to name four categories of people whom God loves and blesses, and four categories of people whom God hates and condemns, what would your lists look like? I tried it. My list of the top four kinds of people God blesses includes: people who pray a lot, people who serve faithfully, people who demonstrate compassion to others, and people who are generous. Now if I worked at it, I could come up…