You’ve heard the number many times before – 666. It’s an ominous, spooky number that Revelation 13 warns we should avoid at all costs. But what does the number mean? This sermon explores four leading interpretations, and in the process reveals some surprisingly practical insights for everyday life.
Author Archives: Jeff Miner
Lightning and Thunderbolts
To many of us, God is a fearsome punisher. So we keep a safe distance. But is that how we should see God? This sermon explores whether God punishes and, if so, when and how. We look at one of the scariest visions in the book of Revelation – and in the process discover wonderful […]
The Rising
Have you ever wondered how many times in your life, when you experienced bitter defeat, God wanted to raise you up again, but you just laid there dead as a doornail, not knowing how to participate in your resurrection? This sermon explores the specific things that Jesus did that allowed him to tap into the […]
Wounded Healer
This Sunday we’ll mark the beginning of Holy Week by looking at the meaning of the cross through the lens of an extraordinary vision experienced by the Apostle John in the book of Revelation. In John’s vision, Jesus appears in a surprising form that will help us understand, at a very practical level, the power […]
Will You Be One Of The 144,000?
In the book of Revelation, there is a mysterious reference to 144,000 individuals who will be “sealed” by God for special protection. Who are they? Will you be among them? Should you even care? As we unravel this mystery, we’ll discover a powerful, practical lesson for everyday living.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
For many of us, the book of Revelation is strangest and scariest in the Bible. Some preachers love to use it to stoke fear. But that wasn’t God’s intent! The book was deliberately written in coded language to protect its original readers during a dangerous time in the Roman Empire. Its purpose was (and is) […]
A Cup of Cold Water
Does it bother you to hear about the magnitude of suffering in this world, knowing that there’s so little any one of us can do to make a difference? If that’s how you feel, this sermon is for you. We’ll look at Jesus’ prescription for healing the world. You’ll be relieved to know that what […]
On Earth, As In Heaven
Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Let’s make earth more like Heaven! But then comes the hard part: to make earth more like Heaven, you and I have to be prepared to boldly reach across lines that divide people — and that’s not easy. Watch this sermon for an honest conversation about fear and prejudice, and what […]
Like a Child
Every year, for one Sunday in February, we pause to assess the progress of our work together as a church and to ponder what God has in our future. That’s what we’ll do this Sunday – coupled with an announcement about an exciting new initiative! For our “regular” folks, this is a great Sunday to […]
Poor Me!
When negative circumstances loom large, it’s easy to fall into despair! Then others come along — you know the type, relentlessly positive people — and they claim “happiness is a choice.” Should we buy that? What does it even mean to say “happiness is a choice”?
Uprooted
We live in a highly-mobile consumer-oriented culture that teaches us to travel light and make few binding ties. Friends become fungible, like consumer goods. But that way of being comes at a heavy cost. We miss the benefits of enduring, life-long relationships. This sermon wrestles with all that, considering the role friendships should play in […]
Stuffing It All Inside
We all have a tendency to do it. Often it’s easier to stuff our feelings inside and present a false front to the world. We say what we think people want to hear instead of what we really feel — and little by little the gap between our ‘true self’ and our ‘public self’ grows, […]
Work ’til You Drop
People from around the globe say we Americans are over-the top in our obsession with work. Are we? Am I? Do I have a healthy work/life balance?