Sermons on Mulberry:

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

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

Entering The Harvest Field

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 12, 2005

Jesus: 1. Saw the crowds. 2. Had compassion. 3. Called to his disciples.

The story goes that Mark Twain loved to go fishing, but he hated to catch fish. The problem was he went fishing to relax, and catching fish ruined his relaxation, since he had to take the fish off the hook and do something with it. When he wanted to relax by doing nothing, people thought he was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-38

Denomination: Methodist

The Added Dimension

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Nov 13, 2006

The Holy Spirit 1. Inwardly transforms us. 2. Spiritually empowers us. 3. Liberates us from the bondage of sin.

Earlier this month one of the country’s leading evangelical pastors finally admitted to using drugs and being involved in homosexual relationships. The irony was not only that Ted Haggard was a pastor of a 14,000 member church and president of the National Association of Evangelicals, but that he ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:4-8

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

What Does It Mean To Be The Family Of God?

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 13, 2006

What does it mean to be the family of God? What does it look like for us to live in community? 1. A commitment to the hard work of relationships. 2. Having compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 3. Risk

Max Lucado, in his book In the Grip of Grace tells the story of the family of God in the form of a parable. He writes, “God has enlisted us in his navy and placed us on his ship. The boat has one purpose — to carry us safely to the other shore. This is no cruise ship. . . . We aren’t called to ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17

Denomination: Methodist

Worldviews

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 20, 2006

A look at the religious groups of Jesus day and how they were affected by their culture (as might be): 1. Zealots 2.Phariasees 3. Saduccees 4. Scribes 5. Herodians 6. Essenes

How would you like it if someone spit on you? In our cultural setting it would be a sign of disrespect, an attempt to shame and humiliate a person. But for some cultures, it has an entirely different meaning. I am reading a wonderful book entitled Christianity Rediscovered. It is written by a ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:18-34

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

I Believe In The Resurrection Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 20, 2003

1. The resurrection of Christ is more than a story. 2. It is the core doctrine of the Christian faith. 3. It is the distinguishing mark of Christianity.

In one of the great novels by George MacDonald, a Scottish writer from the 1800’s, an agnostic questions a young clergyman and asks, “Tell me honestly, do you really believe one word of all that? Did you ever notice how these Christian people, who profess to believe that their great man has ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-20

Denomination: Methodist

Making Disciples: The Gift Of Teaching Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 5, 2003

1. Teaching imparts truth. 2. Truth brings about maturity. 3. Maturity brings about usefulness.

We are emphasizing spiritual gifts in our church because we believe that every Christian’s life should be used by God for kingdom purposes. God’s plan is that his people, first of all, take on his character and likeness, and then be a part of the divine conspiracy — the transformation of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Denomination: Methodist

The Gift Of Faith Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 18, 2003

In order to grow in faith you need to have the right concept of 1. God 2. The World 3. Yourself.

There were many dramatic answers to prayer in the recent war with Iraq. The short duration of the conflict, the relatively few lives lost, the recovery of many of our POW’s, and many more things of which we are not even aware. I watched the interview with two helicopter pilots who were shot down ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-6, 1 Corinthians 12:9-10, Acts 3:1-10

Denomination: Methodist

Redemptive Relationships: Our Relationship With God Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 13, 2003

If we are to enjoy our relationship with God, we must realize 1. God is for us. 2. You have to want it. 3. You have to enter into it completely.

Ferdinand Magellan was the Spanish explorer who led the first expedition to sail around the world. As he approached the tip of Argentina, in the year 1520, he came to the region he named Tierra del Fuego (land of fire), because there were natives on the shore tending several large fires. But as ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:24-28

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