Every Monday morning Jay and I meet at a coffee shop to pray, review the previous week and plan for what is ahead. Several months ago we decided that we would meet at the same coffee shop each week and get to know the regulars and the staff. Our hope is to utilize that time [...]
The key elements of Scarlet City Church are Gospel, Community, Mission, Life Transformation & City Renewal. We believe that these elements of our faith transcend time and culture. And when we think about mission we think both locally and globally. Even as we are preparing to start a new church in Columbus we are simultaneously [...]
Ephesians 4:11-16 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the [...]
Listen to Jay’s recent sermon from Mosaic Church Ann Arbor on discipleship.
Every so often I have the joy of discussing whether a Christian drinking alcohol is a good idea. Abstentionists (those who feel we should abstain from drinking) will usually point to Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 saying drinking alcohol can cause someone to stumble. Does Paul encourage us to look after the weaker brother? [...]
I’ve mentioned before that my old mentor, Andy Kerr, leads a church plant in Erie, PA. Although it’s been years since we were meeting weekly over coffee in “The Bagel Shop,” Andy still has a great deal of influence in my life and ministry. Recently, there was a write-up on a local news site about [...]
Yesterday I introduced the implications of sin and the stench it creates, as well as unpacking the first part of the statement, “When we catch a whiff of ourselves we’re inclined to take one of two routes: 1) we may try to turn something rotten into something good; or 2) trying to cover up the [...]
By definition a stench is an “offensive odor.” Even as I utter the word stench I find my shoulders getting tense and I sense my brain sending signals to my nostrils to watch out and be extra sensitive in order to guard my olfactory nerve from some disgusting stink. A stench can clear a room. [...]
Some observations on Glenn Beck, American Christianity, and the Christian gospel after this pass weekends hoopla: – Numerous leaders of “Christian” churches willingly gave the mantel of returning America back to God to Glenn Beck who is a mormon. – On the anniversary and location of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech [...]
Gabe and I had the opportunity to preach at Mosaic Church of Ann Arbor over the past few weeks. Some of you have requested our sermons so here they are. Gabe deGarmeaux – “God’s Providence” Ruth 2 Jay O’Brien – “God’s Redemption” Ruth 4