Sermons on Mulberry:

Here Is Joy

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Dec 19, 2004

The things that rob us of joy are: 1. Living a life of isolation. 2. Living for the material world. 3. Living without Jesus.

How much money would it take to make you happy? A million dollars? Two million? Jack Whittaker, 57, won the largest undivided jackpot in U. S. History — $314.9 million — two years ago. But Jewel Whittaker, Jack’s wife, told the Charleston Gazette, “I wish all of this never would have happened. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-14

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

Healing The Blind Man

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 27, 2001

Jesus Christ rewards those who are: 1. Persistent with him. 2. Passionate about him. 3. Pursuing him.

Do you ever feel like life is passing you by? That is how Bartimaeus felt. He had been sitting on the sidelines of life. He was begging because he was blind and had no way of making a living for himself. He could not go on a trip as the people with Jesus were doing. The whole crowd was ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

Denomination: Methodist

Blindness & Light

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 23, 2007

This story addresses: 1. The question of suffering. 2. The reality of spiritual blindness. 3. The hope of a new world

A recent article reported, “The blind will be able to see the light with a new bionic eye implant which is said to be available within 2 years. The development of the bionic eye will at last restore blind people’s sight. The prototype high tech implant will be fitted to approx 50 to 75 patients, ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-11, John 9:1-26

Denomination: Methodist

What Is Faith?

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Apr 22, 2007

1. Faith is born from doubt. 2. Faith brings a reward.

A recent headline in the Sacramento Bee read: “Ignorance of the Good Book Reaches Biblical Proportions.” You can say that pun again! The other day I read about a chain of supermarkets in the U.K. which decided to lecture shoppers about Easter. In a press release sent to the London Times ...read more

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

How Can I Experience God?

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 22, 2006

1. Confession 2. Repentence 3. Conversion 4. Faith

I just spent a horrible week in the Ozarks. Two friends and I planned a canoe trip and had been preparing for months. If you followed the weather two weeks ago, you know there was a line of storms that kept sweeping through the South, one right after the other. Our campground had to be ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-17

Denomination: Methodist

The Blessed Hope

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 28, 2006

It is the "blessed hope" because: 1. God is in control. 2. There will be final justice. 3. We have hope. 4. We have the power to overcome.

I remember sitting in an auditorium listening to a woman who was supposed to be an expert on the second coming of Jesus Christ. She had charts and a very large painting of Jesus returning to the earth. She was explaining how the church (the believers and followers of Jesus) would be “raptured” ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14

Denomination: Methodist

Thoughts On Heaven

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 11, 2006

1.Heven is a place of joy. 2. Heaven is descibed as a city. 3. Heaven takes seriously the difficulties we are facing now.

I was tremendously impacted by a funeral I once had. The service was for the mother of a member of the church who was a great Christian woman. During the service, one of her former pastors stood to share his gratitude for the life of this woman. He was retired from ministry at the time, and he ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-7, Hebrews 11:13-16

Denomination: Methodist

True Manhood

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 18, 2006

True manhood is marked by: 1. Sacrifice 2. Responsibility 3. Faithfulness

The Arrow shirt company ran an ad in magazines for Father’s Day. It used an acrostic using the word FATHER. It is a takeoff on the acrostic for mother: “M is for the miracle of Being. O is for its origin in love. T is for the tenderness of seeing. H is for a home no wind can move, and so on.” ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

The Perfect Storm

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 16, 2005

1. Storms will come. 2. Jesus will be with us in the storm. 3. Jesus will calm the storm. 4. It is only in the storm that we really know who Jesus is.

It has been interesting to watch the blame game during the recent disasters which hit the southern part of our country. The mayor was to blame. No, it was the director of FEMA. No, it was the governor of the state. No, it was the people who refused to evacuate. No, it was the people who built ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41, Mark 1:21

Denomination: Methodist

The Dance Of Law And Grace

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Apr 30, 2006

There are ditortions and blessings of both law and grace. It is not one or the other, but a dance of the two.

Elizabeth Elliot, in her book The Liberty of Obedience, tells the story of a young man who said to an older Christian, “I am in earnest about forsaking ‘the world’ and following Christ. But I am puzzled about worldly things. What is it I must forsake?” The response he received was this: ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:1-12

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

Living The Life

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 15, 2006

A look at the lifestyle of the Christian

The story goes that: “A young soldier and his commanding officer got on a train together. The only available seats were across from an attractive young woman who was traveling with her grandmother. As they engaged in pleasant conversation, the soldier and the young woman kept eyeing one another; ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Denomination: Methodist