Sermons on Mulberry Trees:

Someone's Knocking

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Sep 8, 2002

When we read Rev. 3:20 we need to ask: 1. To whom is he speaking? 2. What is his purpose? 3. What should be our response?

I recently finished reading Dallas Willard’s book The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. Willard is the kind of writer that leaves you saying, "That makes so much sense." But I was struck by an illustration he used toward the end of the book regarding William Holman ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22

Denomination: Methodist

Creation Or Accident Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 5, 2002

Christianity answers three basic questions: 1. What is the origin of life? 2. What is the meaning of life? 3. What is the value of life?

On March 5, the Ohio House of Representatives began hearings on two controversial bills which are attempting to allow students to be taught alternative views of biological origins. House Bill 481 would call for “origins science” classes to be “taught objectively and without religious, ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:16-20

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

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

Desperate Housewives And Their Spouses

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 15, 2006

Successful marriages are built on: 1. Self-giving, rather than self-fulfillment. 2. Building each other up, rather than tearing each other down. 3. Continual growth, rather than taking the relationship for granted.

Henry David Thoreau, the writer and naturalist, once said, “Most men lead quiet lives of desperation.” If you believe television, most housewives do as well. In the show, Desperate Housewives, Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo , Bree Van De Kamp, Gabrielle Solis and Edie Britt lead us through a ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:1-12

Denomination: Methodist

A New Attitude For A New Year

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 6, 2007

1. Be authentic. 2. Be of good cheer. 3. Be aware of God.

Charles Swindoll says, “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important: than facts, than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do, than appearances, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-5

Denomination: Methodist

The Bread

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 27, 2006

Do you want bread, or The Bread? Are you willing to live a life of abandon for Christ?

Plato’s Cave is an allegory told by the ancient Greek philosopher. In the allegory he tells of people who live in a cave who have been chained there since childhood. Their limbs have atrophied and their heads are fixed so that they can only look at one wall in the cave. Behind them is a fire. ...read more

Scripture: John 6:53-69

Denomination: Methodist

Easter's Surprises

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 1, 2001

What God does is eternal -- We are surprised by significance. What God does is impossible -- We are surprised by power. What God does is unexpected -- We are surprised by joy.

I will never forget walking into the funeral home several years ago to meet with the family who had just lost a 40-year-old son and husband. He was not dressed in a typical suit, but a pair of bib overhauls and a dirty ball cap. He had died of a heart attack, but in the pocket of his ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:1-4

Denomination: Methodist

The Glory Of Israel Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 9, 2012

The Bible tells us that the Gospel was preached first to the Jews. Why would they get first crack at salvation? And what can this mean to us?

OPEN BY READING from Luke 2:8-15 "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:25-32

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Waiting For Godot

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Dec 22, 2001

How do we wait for God? 1. We wait patiently. 2. We wait expectantly. 3. We wait faithfully.

Samuel Beckett’s play, entitled Waiting for Godot, is a satire on the human condition. As Beckett sees it, humanity is waiting for Godot, or God, to come and save them, but he never shows up. Their waiting is in vain, for although they have been repeatedly told that God is coming, he never has, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:35-40, Luke 12:32-40, Luke 12:7-14

Denomination: Methodist

Deep Restoration

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 17, 2004

1. God meets us in our brokenness. 2. God continues to heal us in our brokenness. 3. God will deliver us from our brokenness.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3

Denomination: Methodist

The Word Made Flesh

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Dec 2, 2001

God’s coming to earth in person: 1. Reveals the heart of God. 2. Reveals the need of people. 3. Reveals the mystery of God’s plan.

There is an amazing piece of art done by a Korean artist named Elder Rhee which is unique. It took him two years to complete the scroll. The artist meticulously drew the picture by hand with a very fine tipped pen. It is not a painting, but a picture created by writing thousands of words with ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Denomination: Methodist

God's Rx For Discouragement

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 1, 2001

Discouragement comes when we focus on the problem rather than God, on the wonders of God rather than the Word of God, on our inadequacies rather than God’s resources.

We find ourselves at an interesting time of history. Perhaps, more than any other time, we find ourselves polarized as a people. During the world wars the country seemed to come together in patriotic unity, but with the absence of war, and the influx of prosperity, we seemed to have lost ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-15

Denomination: Methodist

An Extreme Makeover

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 19, 2003

We must realize the truth that 1. We all begin as ugly people. 2. We have the beauty of God stamped on our souls. 3. God offers to make us new people.

Her nose was pretty big, but I didn’t think it looked all that bad. However, Lori claimed she was so ugly that people called her names and teased her children at school about her looks. To me she was average and even pleasant in appearance, but she decided to have her nose diminished, her chin ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 8:8-12

Denomination: Methodist

Tigers And Trainers

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 26, 2003

1. Never underestimate the power of sin. 2. Never underestimate the power of God. 3. Determine to live in freedom.

Earlier this month, the Siegfried & Roy show in Las Vegas was brought to a dramatic close when a seven-year-old, white Bengal tiger attacked Roy and drug him off the stage before an audience of 1500 people. It was Roy’s 59th birthday, and shortly after introducing the Tiger, it bit Roy on the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:12-15

Denomination: Methodist