Two of the four Gospels begin with long genealogies tracing the ancestral roots of Jesus. Why? Who cares if Jesus’ great, great, great, great grandfather was Manasseh or Enoch or Bo Diddley? This Sunday kicks off a study of the life of Christ by tracing Jesus’ roots — asking what we can learn about him […]
Author Archives: Jeff Miner
Kvetching
It’s everywhere, all around us, everywhere we go — even inside us. Negative words come so naturally, especially in the workplace. But when we say negative things, are our words simply descriptive or actually creative? Do our words simply reflect a reality that already exists, or do they actually create and reinforce reality? The Bible […]
Selling Out or Stepping Up
Suppose you had the chance to win a million dollars by telling one little white lie. Would you? And if you did, would it really matter? Would God care? Should you care? This sermon resumes our series Thriving at Work by asking what integrity looks like and why it matters.
Pleasing Mom
When you were growing up, what did you Mother want you to be? How about your Father? Moms and Dads have enormous power to shape our internal definition of success. Sometimes that’s good; sometimes it’s not. This sermon explores how we define career success.
Work to Live (or) Live to Work
Some people have a tendency to hide in their work, while others have a tendency to hide from work. Which is more likely to snare you? Exactly how does a person find the right work/life balance?
Get Real!
Last week we talked about the importance of showing grace (i.e., undeserved kindness) in the workplace. Sounds great, right? Who doesn’t like a heartwarming story about kindness triumphing? But is the world really that simple? What about accountability when someone misbehaves? What about justice when someone exploits? Where should we draw the line between grace […]
Kung Fu Fighting
When you’re at work and someone “up the chain” treats you unfairly, how do you respond? Given the power differential, most of us can only grin and bear it — which creates enormous stress and frustration. This sermon explores an alternative strategy — one that is recommended by the Bible — that gives great power […]
Thank God It’s Monday!
The truth is, you can’t be happy in life if you’re not happy at work, because work consumes so much of our lives. Join us as we look at practical spiritual principles than can help us navigate the treacherous terrain of the work place. This sermon is the first in a new series, Thriving At […]
Dead Man Walking
Warning! If you’re looking for an Easter sermon that rhapsodizes about Jesus’ resurrection, but fails to connect it to anything relevant to everyday life, you’ll be disappointed by this sermon! But if you’re hungry for some practical insights that can help you connect the power of Jesus’ resurrection to your everyday life, we encourage you […]
Generational Bondage
How does your family’s past affect you today? That’s a huge question — scary even! For most of us, it’s a mixed bag. We carry both blessings and wounds from our upbringing. As we wrap up our sermon series on “The Inferior Kings of Israel and Judah”, we’ll take a look at how dysfunctions accumulated […]
Why Bother?
Remember when you were growing up and your mother would say, “I work so hard to keep this house clean, but then you kids just come along and mess it up. I don’t know why I bother!” Every one of us has experienced that same feeling. We work really hard to build something, only for […]
Reduced To Tears
At some point, it happens to us all, or someone we love — that time when the doctor sighs and says, “I’m sorry, but. . . .” When that time comes, when our health begins to fail, when some chronic disease is diagnosed, how should we respond? Next week (really, we mean it this time!) […]
Front Porch
Whatever happened to the front porch in American culture? Front porches used to be everywhere –- an open invitation for friends and neighbors to have a seat and share a bit of life. Now the emphasis has shifted to patios and decks on the back of our homes –- invitation only –- for those rare […]