Sermons on J Vernon Mcgee:

The Coming King

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Dec 3, 2002

This parable of Jesus tells us to: 1. Be Alert. 2. Be Prepared. 3. Be Filled.

I can still remember the excitement and confusion in the 1980’s which surrounded the publication of a booklet by Edgar Whisenant, a former NASA engineer, entitled 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. He sent his book out free to people all over the United States. There must have been ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13

Denomination: Methodist

Looking For Pennies

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Nov 19, 2001

Looking for Pennies (story from Annie Dillard) is important because: 1. The created world is a window into the heart of God. 2. The created world provides opportunities to praise the goodness of God. 3. The created world is a source of joy for thankful

Annie Dillard, in her wonderful Pulitzer Prize winning book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, tells a story about pennies. It was in her chapter entitled “Seeing” that I read her wonderful childhood story. I will let her tell it in her own words: “When I was six or seven years old, growing up in ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:15-17

Denomination: Methodist

Mary's Song

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Dec 9, 2001

Mary’s Song talks about: 1. Forgiveness 2. Victory and 3. Covenant

Many people have been waiting since last January for the mystery to be revealed. The Internet has been abuzz about it. Variously called “Ginger” or just plain “It,” entrepreneur Dean Kamen, a college dropout, has been claiming that his invention, the Segway Human Transporter, will transform the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:39-55

Denomination: Methodist

The Best Of Times In The Worst Of Times

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Dec 16, 2001

In a bad-news, good-news world, we need to remember that God’s good news 1. Is greater than the world’s bad news. 2. Transforms the world’s bad news. 3. Will do away with the world’s bad news.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7

Denomination: Methodist

The Driving Force Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 6, 2004

1. Without the resurrection, the story of Christ would be just a beautiful story with a bad ending. 2. Without the resurrection, it would have meant that Evil had won. 3. The resurrection is the prelude to the second coming.

Former NFL player Pat Tillman’s name has been in the news a lot lately. He played football for Arizona State University and then the Arizona Cardinals. But he had voluntarily enlisted with the Army Rangers following the terrorist attacks on September 11; turning down a $3.6 million contract with ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:22-33

Denomination: Methodist

What Does It Take To Be A Church? Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 11, 2004

The early Christians devoted themselves to: 1. The Apostle’s teaching - learning. 2. The Fellowship - worship. 3. Breaking Bread - friendship. 4. Prayer

This description of the early church is truly amazing. Something had happened to these otherwise ordinary people. The people who were a part of this church no longer thought of themselves — their own rights and possessions — their whole identity was a group identity. They found their meaning ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Denomination: Methodist

New Wineskins

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 15, 2005

1. Wineskins were made to be filled with wine. 2. New wine calls for new wineskins. 3. Wineskins were made for pouring.

Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician and philosopher. In his writings, which were entitled Pensees, he traces the logical progression of his thought on many subjects. But something happened to Pascal which was beyond logic and rational thought. After his death, his servant found a piece of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-13

Denomination: Methodist

Broadway Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 29, 2005

Why is the narrow way the road less traveled? Because 1. It is difficult. 2. It is against the majority. 3. It includes persecution.

Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). (A spontneous skit can be done here. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Denomination: Methodist

Blessed Are The Hurting Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 19, 2005

A look at the Beatitudes and how an understanding of the Kingdom of God, present and future, helps us to face the difficulties of life.

Mary Lewis tells this story: “Alexander M. Sanders, Jr., is the Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. When his daughter Zoe graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1992, he told this story that happened when she was just three years old. Sanders came home from work one ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:20-23, Luke 6:27-31

Denomination: Methodist

Unbelieving Believers

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 18, 2004

We need to make three commitments: 1. Reading the Word of God. 2. Believing the Word of God. 3. Applying the Word of God.

On July 28, 1982, Keith Green, a Christian songwriter, was killed at the age of 28 in a small plane crash. Two of his children were with him and also died in the crash. Keith Green was from a Jewish background, but grew up reading the New Testament. He walked with Christ for seven years, and ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

The Second Coming Of Christ And The Last Battle Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Feb 17, 2002

At the second coming: 1. Christ will return with great power. 2. Christ will return with great glory. 3. Christ will return with great people.

Ray Bakke tells a story which happened during World War II: “I knew an old Glasgow professor named MacDonald who, along with a Scottish chaplain, had bailed out of an airplane behind German lines. They were put in a prison camp. A high wire fence separated the Americans from the British, and the ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 19:11-21

Denomination: Methodist

A New Heaven And A New Earth: The Way It Was Meant To Be Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Mar 3, 2002

Heaven is: 1. Real 2. Right 3. Relational 4. Rewarding 5. Residence of God

The Bible is full of wonderful promises, but perhaps the most wonderful of all is this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). There are many things we do not know about what heaven will be like, because it is ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-14

Denomination: Methodist

Christ, Our Hope

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Apr 11, 2004

A look at the arrest, trial, torture and resurrection of Christ

The images of Mel Gibson’s film are still fresh in my mind. I can see him being arrested in the Garden. I can see his trial and the brutal beating. I can see the crucifixion. And I can see the final scene as Jesus walked triumphantly from the tomb. It was a movie that has profoundly impacted ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:16-22

Denomination: Methodist

Things Are Not What They Seem

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 16, 2004

If we are to understand what is happening around us, we need: 1. New eyes to see. 2. New ears to hear. 3. A new heart to believe.

We have just read about a man named Jacob who checked into what some have called “The Hard Rock Hotel.” He had a vision which turned his ordinary world into the extraordinary. He saw something that he had not seen before, but which was there all the time. He would never have believed it in his ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 28:10-17

Denomination: Methodist

Learning To Worship

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 14, 2001

We learn to worship when we have a vision of who God is, understand who we are in relation to him, and learn to love him.

I once read the story of Fritz Kreisler, the master violinist, who discovered that an Englishman had acquired a rare Stradivarius violin. After a long search for the man, he traveled to his home and offered to buy the instrument. However, the Englishman told Kreisler that the instrument ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 5:11-14

Denomination: Methodist