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First Presbyterian Church Orlando

Reflections on the Preacher’s Call #1: Take This Job and Love it!

Reflections on the Preacher's Call - Take This Job and Love it! Reflections on the Preacher's Craft - 1400 Sermons Later Reflections on the Preacher's Call: Take This Job and Love it! Calvin Theological Seminary LectureWhat a profound honor it is for me to stand in...

From My Heart to Yours: Postscript To A Pastorate

From My Heart to Yours: Postscript To A Pastorate Philippians 1:3-11Personal word, please. Yesterday, we had a wedding here. And as Trish and I returned back to our home from that wedding, we discovered, to our overwhelming emotion, that the children and the young...

Christmas 2002 Message (6 P.M.)

Christmas 2002 Message (6 P.M.)Christmas is a time for telling stories. Tonight, I want to tell you the best Christmas story of them all. Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Mary and a young man named Joseph. We know so little about them. Just a tiny,...

Christmas 2002 (Noon Message)

Christmas 2002 (Noon Message)Let us pray.  Lord, nothing in my hands I bring. Simply to Thy cross I cling. Amen. No one loves Christmas more than I do. And yet, I feel constrained to remind us today that the word Christmas never once appears in the Bible. Nowhere in...

A Prayer for Christmas #5: Obedience Of Mary And Joseph

Joy Of The Angels Eagerness Of The Shepherds Perseverance Of The Wise Men The Peace Of The Christ Child Obedience Of Mary And Joseph A Prayer for Christmas: Obedience Of Mary And Joseph Luke 2:1-14Once upon a time… There lived in a little town called Nazareth, a young...

A Prayer for Christmas #4: The Peace Of The Christ Child

Joy Of The Angels Eagerness Of The Shepherds Perseverance Of The Wise Men The Peace Of The Christ Child Obedience Of Mary And Joseph A Prayer for Christmas: The Peace Of The Christ Child Luke 2:1-14Nobody loves Christmas more than I do. However, I do feel constrained...

A Prayer for Christmas #3: Perserverance Of The Wise Men

Joy Of The Angels Eagerness Of The Shepherds Perseverance Of The Wise Men The Peace Of The Christ Child Obedience Of Mary And Joseph A Prayer for Christmas: Perseverance Of The Wise Men Matthew 2:1-12I suppose that we all get sucked into the frantic rush that is...

A Prayer for Christmas #2: Eagerness Of The Shepherds

Joy Of The Angels Eagerness Of The Shepherds Perseverance Of The Wise Men The Peace Of The Christ Child Obedience Of Mary And Joseph A Prayer for Christmas: Eagerness Of The Shepherds  Luke 2:15-20It has always seemed to me that God has a special relationship with...

A Prayer for Christmas #1: Joy Of The Angels

Joy Of The Angels Eagerness Of The Shepherds Perseverance Of The Wise Men The Peace Of The Christ Child Obedience Of Mary And Joseph LUKE 1:26-38Last Christmas, at Westminster Abbey in London, the worshipers gathered there prayed this prayer, May the joy of the...

A Provocative Church #8: Courageous At All Costs

Embracing In Spirit Focused On The Truth Teaching With Boldness Holding Fast To Hope Centered On The Savior Undaunted By Difficulty Saved By Grace Courageous At All Costs A Provocative Church: Courageous At All Costs Acts 6:12-15, 7:54-8:1When we think of the names of...

A Provocative Church #7: Saved By Grace

Embracing In Spirit Focused On The Truth Teaching With Boldness Holding Fast To Hope Centered On The Savior Undaunted By Difficulty Saved By Grace Courageous At All Costs A Provocative Church: Saved By Grace Acts 16:25-34The Bible is a treasure chest of great stories....

A Provocative Church #6: Undaunted By Difficulty

Embracing In Spirit Focused On The Truth Teaching With Boldness Holding Fast To Hope Centered On The Savior Undaunted By Difficulty Saved By Grace Courageous At All Costs A Provocative Church: Undaunted By Difficulty II Corinthians 12:1-10On this Veteran’s Day...

A Provocative Church #5: Centered On The Savior

Embracing In Spirit Focused On The Truth Teaching With Boldness Holding Fast To Hope Centered On The Savior Undaunted By Difficulty Saved By Grace Courageous At All Costs A Provocative Church: Centered On The Savior Acts 4:1-12I suspect that most of the people who...

A Provocative Church #4: Holding Fast To Hope

Embracing In Spirit Focused On The Truth Teaching With Boldness Holding Fast To Hope Centered On The Savior Undaunted By Difficulty Saved By Grace Courageous At All Costs A Provocative Church: Holding Fast To Hope Revelation 2:18-29The book of Revelation contains...

A Provocative Church #3: Teaching With Boldness

Embracing In Spirit Focused On The Truth Teaching With Boldness Holding Fast To Hope Centered On The Savior Undaunted By Difficulty Saved By Grace Courageous At All Costs A Provocative Church: Teaching With Boldness Acts 28:23-31(I believe that we are called to become...

A Provocative Church #2: Focused On The Truth

Embracing In Spirit Focused On The Truth Teaching With Boldness Holding Fast To Hope Centered On The Savior Undaunted By Difficulty Saved By Grace Courageous At All Costs A Provocative Church: Focused On The Truth Revelation 2:12-17(Graham Tomlin, in his book, The...

A Provocative Church #1: Embracing In Spirit

Embracing In Spirit Focused On The Truth Teaching With Boldness Holding Fast To Hope Centered On The Savior Undaunted By Difficulty Saved By Grace Courageous At All Costs A Provocative Church: Embracing In Spirit Acts 9:10-22(Oxford University Professor Graham Tomlin...

September 11, 2002 Service

September 11, 2002 Service September 11, 2002 | First Presbyterian Church OrlandoThis is the third time today this sanctuary has been crowded with people coming to claim remembrance and hope. It began at 8:30 this morning with a service here for all of the children...

A Composite Portrait Of A Remarkable Man

A Composite Portrait Of A Remarkable Man II Timothy 4:11, Colossians 4:14, Psalm 1:24If I were to ask you to name for me the one person who wrote more of the material in the New Testament than any other single writer, my guess is that you would answer Paul or,...

Faces About the Cross #5: The Disciple Thomas

Simon Of Cyrene The Dying Thief The Mother Of Jesus The People Of Jerusalem The Disciple Thomas Faces About the Cross: The Disciple Thomas John 20:19-38It’s a terrible name to give to a man. Yet for 2000 years now people have called him “Doubting Thomas”. But is that...

Faces About the Cross #4: The People Of Jerusalem

Simon Of Cyrene The Dying Thief The Mother Of Jesus The People Of Jerusalem The Disciple Thomas Faces About the Cross: The People Of Jerusalem Luke 19:29-44It’s a story I never tire of telling and I never tire of hearing. The Passover holiday crowds were gathering in...

Faces About the Cross #3: The Mother Of Jesus

Simon Of Cyrene The Dying Thief The Mother Of Jesus The People Of Jerusalem The Disciple Thomas Faces About the Cross: The Mother Of Jesus John 19:25-27I wish to read from the 19th chapter of the Gospel according to John. This is the word of God. “Near the cross of...

Faces About the Cross #2: The Dying Thief

Simon Of Cyrene The Dying Thief The Mother Of Jesus The People Of Jerusalem The Disciple Thomas Faces About the Cross: The Dying Thief Luke 23:32-43Two thieves were crucified with Jesus. One thief cursed and ridiculed Christ; the other called and reached out to...

Faces About the Cross #1: Simon Of Cyrene

Simon Of Cyrene The Dying Thief The Mother Of Jesus The People Of Jerusalem The Disciple Thomas Faces About the Cross: Simon Of Cyrene Mark 15:21-24Reading from the Gospel according to Mark. This is the Word of God. “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of...

Confessing Church #3: A Holy Life

Jesus Christ The Bible A Holy Life Confessing Church: A Holy Life A Holy LifeLook with me at what happened on the Monday before the crucifixion of Jesus... Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem, and what He saw there caused Him to explode in anger. He was angered by...

Confessing Church #2: The Bible

Jesus Christ The Bible A Holy Life Confessing Church: The Bible II Kings 22:8-13Whenever I stand to read the Scripture, I always say as firmly and as categorically as I can: “This is the Word of God.” Notice that I do not say: “Listen for the Word of God.” I do not...

Confessing Church #1: Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ The Bible A Holy Life Confessing Church: Jesus Christ John 14:1-7When I first heard it, I was rather shocked… A Presbyterian minister speaking at a Presbyterian peacemaking conference, uttered words which have set off a firestorm in the Presbyterian...

The Third Day Comes: The 911 War

The Third Day Comes: The 911 War Isaiah 2:1-4 On September the 11th, America was attacked with a grievous loss of life. War was declared—war, which in the words of our President, would be like no other war ever fought. Because of that, no one seems to know what to...

What Then Shall We Say To These Things?

What Then Shall We Say To These Things? September 16, 2001 | First Presbyterian Church Orlando | Romans 8:31-39Whenever I get into trouble or whenever the world gets into trouble, I always turn to Romans 8. We are in trouble. On September the 11th, evil pierced not...

Short Memories Make For Shallow Souls

Short Memories Make For Shallow Souls John 5:1-9 Someone has wisely said that “short memories make for shallow souls”. I believe that to be true, and so I want to spend some time today deepening my own soul. For what I have to share with you is essentially by way of...

How To Get Up When Life Gets You Down

How To Get Up When Life Gets You Down Psalm 42We all know what depression is—in fact, we could probably write the book on it. Sometimes we call it “the blues” or “the blahs” or “feeling down and out”. Bunyan called it “the slough of despond”. St. John of the Cross...

Matthew’s Messiah #6: His Resurrection

His Designation His Coronation His Confrontation His Isolation His Humiliation His Resurrection Matthew's Messiah: His Resurrection Matthew 28:1-10Few of us who ever sat at the feet of Dr. Kenneth Phifer, my professor of preaching at seminary, will ever forget the...

Matthew’s Messiah #5: His Humiliation

His Designation His Coronation His Confrontation His Isolation His Humiliation His Resurrection Matthew's Messiah: His Humiliation Matthew 27:27-31It is a rare thing for a preacher to spend much time describing the pains and the privations which Jesus was made to...

Our Father Who Art In Hell

Our Father Who Art In Hell Psalm 22Tonight we are just days away from our observance of Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified. Tonight, as has been our habit during these Wednesday evenings together this year, I want us to focus on a Psalm. Tonight, Psalm 22, and I...

Matthew’s Messiah #4: His Isolation

His Designation His Coronation His Confrontation His Isolation His Humiliation His Resurrection Matthew's Messiah: His Isolation Matthew 28:36-46It is said that when Michelangelo was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he kept fastened to the visor of his cap...

Matthew’s Messiah #3: His Confrontation

His Designation His Coronation His Confrontation His Isolation His Humiliation His Resurrection Matthew's Messiah: His Confrontation Matthew 19:16-22 You know how it is, don’t you, that sometimes brief, apparently insignificant incidents in life turn out, upon deeper...

Matthew’s Messiah #2: His Coronation

His Designation His Coronation His Confrontation His Isolation His Humiliation His Resurrection Matthew's Messiah: His Coronation Matthew 16:13-20It is, I believe, the single most important question in all of the Bible… I refer to the question Jesus put to His...

Matthew’s Messiah #1: His Designation

His Designation His Coronation His Confrontation His Isolation His Humiliation His Resurrection Matthew's Messiah: His Designation Matthew 3:13-17The words seem so simple, so straight-forward, so matter-of-fact: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to...

What In The World Is God Doing?

What In The World Is God Doing? Psalm 10As I start tonight, I want to read you some words written by a syndicated columnist. I want to read the words and then I want to tell you when the words were written: “What interests me is not whether God exists—I assume He...

Homesickness For God

Homesickness For God Psalm 42:1-6Have you heard the story about the very boring, negative, extremely judgmental preacher who had been invited to preach at Yale University’s chapel? In his sermon, he took the word “YALE” as his outline and let each letter Y-A-L-E serve...

The MTC Club

The MTC Club Psalm 118:19-24Tonight I want to tell you the story of Orville Kelly. Orville Kelly was a newspaper man up in the state of Iowa. When he was 43 years of age, he was diagnosed with an unusual and incurable form of lymphatic cancer. Like many cancer...

On Not Making The Northwestern Mistake

On Not Making The Northwestern Mistake Matthew 6:1-6Anyone listening to me now who has a connection to the city of Chicago will know the name of Marshall Field, the department store magnate whose business and generosity exercised such a shaping influence on that great...

The Faces and Places of Christmas #4: Jerusalem And The Jealous King

Israel And The Family Tree Nazareth And The Holy Parents Bethlehem And The Wise Men Jerusalem And The Jealous King The Faces and Places of Christmas: Jerusalem And The Jealous King December 24, 2000 | First Presbyterian Church Orlando | Matthew 2:13-23It has always...

The Faces and Places of Christmas #3: Bethlehem And The Wise Men

Israel And The Family Tree Nazareth And The Holy Parents Bethlehem And The Wise Men Jerusalem And The Jealous King THE FACES AND PLACES OF CHRISTMAS: Bethlehem And The Wise Men Matthew 2:4-12Why were the Wise Men wise? Good question. The Wise Men have both fascinated...

The Faces and Places of Christmas #2: Nazareth and the Holy Parents

Israel And The Family Tree Nazareth And The Holy Parents Bethlehem And The Wise Men Jerusalem And The Jealous King THE FACES AND PLACES OF CHRISTMAS: Nazareth And The Holy Parents Matthew 1:18-25Nazareth was not much of a place. It is not mentioned a single time in...

The Faces and Places of Christmas #1: Israel And The Family Tree

Israel And The Family Tree Nazareth And The Holy Parents Bethlehem And The Wise Men Jerusalem And The Jealous King THE FACES AND PLACES OF CHRISTMAS: Israel And The Family Tree Matthew 1:1-17Call them “skeletons in God’s closet”. I am referring to that long list of...

Only One Came Back

Only One Came Back Luke 17:11-19 As I thought about what to say to you on this Thanksgiving Day, one of the things that I did was to dig back into my old history books to remind myself of the story of the first Thanksgiving. The story began well over a year before the...

Philippians: The Hardest Goal to Achieve

Philippians: The Hardest Goal To Achieve Philippians 4:8-10I have to confess to you that of all the words written by the great Apostle Paul, the words which are the most difficult for me to grasp are these words: “I have learned to be content with whatever I have.”...

Relationship Rescue-Jesus Style #7: A House Is Not A Home

Make Your Home Work By Doing Your Homework Some Encouraging Words For Parents And Their Children A Letter To My Grandsons Faith May Color Our Lives But Faith Chooses The Colors Sex, Lies And The Christian Faith What Went Wrong? - Wrecking A Relationship A House Is Not...

Relationship Rescue-Jesus Style #3: A Letter To My Grandsons

Make Your Home Work By Doing Your Homework Some Encouraging Words For Parents And Their Children A Letter To My Grandsons Faith May Color Our Lives But Faith Chooses The Colors Sex, Lies And The Christian Faith What Went Wrong? - Wrecking A Relationship A House Is Not...

Miraculous Moments in Mark #7: Kangaroo Court: Before The Sanhedrin

Let Down By Friends: Paralytic On A Pallet Boat-Huggers And Wave-Riders: Storm At Sea Woman In The Crowd: A Bloody Shame A Dog's Life: Canaanite Woman Saved By A Semi-Colon: Epileptic Boy Eye-Opening Experience: Blind Bartimaeus Kangaroo Court: Before The Sanhedrin...

Miraculous Moments in Mark #5: Saved By A Semi-Colon: Epileptic Boy

Let Down By Friends: Paralytic On A Pallet Boat-Huggers And Wave-Riders: Storm At Sea Woman In The Crowd: A Bloody Shame A Dog's Life: Canaanite Woman Saved By A Semi-Colon: Epileptic Boy Eye-Opening Experience: Blind Bartimaeus Kangaroo Court: Before The Sanhedrin...

Miraculous Moments in Mark #4: A Dog’s Life: Canaanite Woman

Let Down By Friends: Paralytic On A Pallet Boat-Huggers And Wave-Riders: Storm At Sea Woman In The Crowd: A Bloody Shame A Dog's Life: Canaanite Woman Saved By A Semi-Colon: Epileptic Boy Eye-Opening Experience: Blind Bartimaeus Kangaroo Court: Before The Sanhedrin...

Miraculous Moments in Mark #3: Woman In The Crowd: A Bloody Shame

Let Down By Friends: Paralytic On A Pallet Boat-Huggers And Wave-Riders: Storm At Sea Woman In The Crowd: A Bloody Shame A Dog's Life: Canaanite Woman Saved By A Semi-Colon: Epileptic Boy Eye-Opening Experience: Blind Bartimaeus Kangaroo Court: Before The Sanhedrin...

Don’t Quit Too Quickly

Don't Quit Too Quickly I Samuel 31:1-10Two stories, both of them true... Story number one: Back during the Second World War, a young man names Butch O’Hare was a fighter pilot assigned to an aircraft carrier in the south Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent...

When You Have To Go To Plan B

When You Have To Go To Plan B January 30, 2000 | First Presbyterian Church Orlando | II Corinthians 12:1-10I love that “Peanuts” cartoon where Charlie Brown and Lucy are engaged in conversation. Lucy says: “You know, Charlie Brown, life is like a deck chair. Some...

Some Of The Best Days Of Your Life Haven’t Happened Yet!

Some Of The Best Days Of Your Life Haven’t Happened Yet! II Peter 3:1-13“Isn’t it reassuring to know that some of the best days of your life haven’t happened yet?” That line did not come from the Bible—it came from an ad for a cruise line. However, it could have come...

The Christmas Story (Candlelight)

The Christmas Story (Candlelight) Luke 2:1-11Since I am not so used to speaking in front of people, I must tell you this will be a little hard for me. I'm actually a man who is known more for my brawn than for my brain. Not to say that I'm not intelligent. It's just...

Craving What We Already Have

Craving What We Already Have Psalm 121I love this Book. I love everything in and about this Book. But I hold a corner of my heart reserved there for a special love for the book in this Book known as the book of the Psalms. I love the Psalms. So many of them are quite...

The Good News And The Great News!

The Good News And The Great News! Matthew 4:12-25Just the other day I received a new list of bloopers which have actually appeared in church bulletins. When the bulletins were printed they didn’t quite get the messages right. Listen: Please note that the cost of...

Any Connection Between Sunday Worship And Monday Work?

Any Connection Between Sunday Worship And Monday Work? Matthew 25:14-30As Adam and Eve were being driven out of the Garden of Eden, God said to them: “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you have returned to the ground.” Right there began the view that...

If You Have No Time For God, Time Is Your God!

If You Have No Time For God, Time Is Your God! Isaiah 30:12-18It goes without saying, I suppose, that we are living in tense, trying, highly pressurized times. If I were to choose a word or two to try to describe the state of so many people’s minds and hearts these...

For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free🎧📺

For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free Galatians 5:1-14Of all the spectacular exhibits at Disney World’s Epcot, the one I love the best is the “American Adventure.” I never experience that stunning portrayal of our American ideals without rejoicing all over again that I...

Witnessing Is Back In Style!

Witnessing Is Back In Style! Colossians 4:2-6Do you remember the nursery rhyme that goes like this? Little Bo Peep, has lost her sheep And doesn’t know where to find them. Leave them alone and they’ll come home Wagging their tails behind them. Well, there has been a...

It Doesn’t Take A Great Hero To Be A Great Father!

It Doesn't Take A Great Hero To Be A Great Father! Luke 8:40-42, 49-56It Doesn’t Take a Hero. That’s the title of a wonderful autobiography written by General Norman Schwarzkoff. One of the most powerful passages in the book is the text of a letter General Schwarzkoff...

I’m Dying And You’re Asking Me Riddles!

I'm Dying And You're Asking Me Riddles! May 30, 1999 | First Presbyterian Church Orlando | II Corinthians 13:11-13There is a wonderful story about the late Cardinal Cushing of Boston who was walking through a Boston department store one day. The manager of the store...

Finishing The Unfinished Symphony

Finishing The Unfinished Symphony Acts 2:43-47Giacomo Puccini is widely regarded as one of the great music masters of all time. He wrote “Madame Butterfly”, “La Boheme”, and “Tosca”—all incredible operas with fluent melodies and dramatic harmonies. In 1922, Puccini...

Vision For The New Millennium #6: Concentrating On The Content

Our Vision For The New Millennium Civilizing The City Confronting The Culture Celebrating The Church Capturing The Children Concentrating On The Content Vision For The New Millenium: Concentrating On The Content Psalm 119:105-112A new pastor moved into town and went...

Vision For The New Millennium #5: Capturing The Children

Our Vision For The New Millennium Civilizing The City Confronting The Culture Celebrating The Church Capturing The Children Concentrating On The Content Vision For The New Millenium: Capturing The Children Mark 10:13-16Just recently I came across a fascinating list...

Vision For The New Millennium #4: Celebrating The Church

Our Vision For The New Millennium Civilizing The City Confronting The Culture Celebrating The Church Capturing The Children Concentrating On The Content Vision For The New Millenium: Celebrating The Church Hebrews 10:19-25They say that timing is everything. Sam...

Vision For The New Millennium #3: Confronting The Culture

Our Vision For The New Millennium Civilizing The City Confronting The Culture Celebrating The Church Capturing The Children Concentrating On The Content Vision For The New Millenium: Confronting The Culture Joshua 4:1-8, 19-24Out walking one day, Alfred Lord Tennyson,...

Vision For The New Millennium #2: Civilizing The City

Our Vision For The New Millennium Civilizing The City Confronting The Culture Celebrating The Church Capturing The Children Concentrating On The Content Vision For The New Millenium: Civilizing The City Nehemiah 2:11-20Some years ago now, my wife gave me this Bible....

A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend #5: His Power

His Person His Purpose His Peace His Position His Power A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend: His Power John 20:1-18Easter is a lot like Christmas. It is not a time for learned discourses or complex theology. Rather, it is a time to tell a story—a story that...

A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend #4: His Position

His Person His Purpose His Peace His Position His Power A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend: His Position John 18:33-38When Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, because of the way He entered the city and because of the response...

A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend #3: His Peace

His Person His Purpose His Peace His Position His Power A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend: His Peace John 14:15-27My great friend, Leonard Sweet, shared a collection of headlines which have actually appeared in newspapers in recent years. The headline...

A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend #2: His Purpose

His Person His Purpose His Peace His Position His Power A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend: His Purpose John 10:14-18It is said that there are two great beginnings in life: the day when we were born and the day when we discover why we were born. Not long...

A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend #1: His Person

His Person His Purpose His Peace His Position His Power A Portrait of Jesus Painted By His Best Friend: His Person John 1:1-5To be perfectly frank, I could hardly believe what I was reading. A prominent minister stood before his congregation of several thousand people...

A Valentine’s Day Love Story

A Valentine's Day Love Story Genesis 29:15-20 This past Thursday, I scanned down the USA Today list of best-selling books. I noticed that the vast majority of the titles on that list are novels of love and romance. How ironic, then, that the Bible, the biggest selling...

Sometimes Things Are Not What They Seem

Sometimes Things Are Not What They Seem Philippians 4:10-13 Sometimes in life things are not what they seem. Perhaps you have had the experience—I know I have. Sometimes we think we have accomplished some great victory or achieved some great goal and then it turns out...

In Today’s Religious Marketplace, Let The Buyer Beware

In Today's Religious Marketplace, Let The Buyer Beware Matthew 17:1-8One year ago, almost to the day, I stood in this pulpit and declared to you that in the coming months and even couple of years that we as a nation would become enmeshed in what I chose to call...

The State Of Our Union: What This Country Really Needs

The State Of Our Union: What This Country Really Needs Luke 10:25-28Once upon a time, there was a little boy who had a terrible temper and losing his temper landed him in frequent trouble. His father became concerned about his behavior and decided to try to teach him...

How To Be Up On Down Days

How To Be Up On Down Days Acts 3:1-10One of our Florida highway patrolmen spotted a potentially dangerous situation on the interstate highway up in Volusia County. A small black car was driving down the highway at such a slow rate of speed that other cars were...

A Carpenter’s Christmas

A Carpenter's Christmas December 1998 | First Presbyterian Church OrlandoScene 1: Joseph in the workshop This is very awkward for me because I’m not accustomed to standing in front of people and speaking. I am a man who has been known more for my brawn than for my...

Christ Was Born For This

Christ Was Born For This Luke 2:1-20In the Golden Days of the settling of the American West, an old prospector was exploring new territory looking for gold. As he pulled his mule along behind him, he trudged over a rise and suddenly came to an abrupt halt at the very...

Walking With Us In Love

Walking With Us In Love Luke 2:1-7 Familiarity breeds complacency. When William O’Dwyer was serving as the mayor of New York City, he frequently welcomed distinguished visitors to that place. On one occasion he greeted two dignitaries from South America. He asked them...

Anticipating The Joy

Anticipating The Joy Luke 2:8-20It snows in Bethlehem. I know that we do not often think of that as being true; but last year, for example, at just this time of the year they had a seven-inch snowfall in Bethlehem. Because that region stands some 2,000 feet above sea...

Waiting In Hope

Waiting In Hope Luke 21:35-36There is a wonderful story that comes out of Swedish folklore about a country doctor who went out to a farmhouse one night where a woman was about to give birth. As the woman went into labor, the doctor asked her husband to assist him by...