Fellowship Dallas Weekly Sermons

Good morning everyone and welcome to Fellowship Dallas. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only three weeks away. Personally, I love this time of year. The cooler weather along with all of the traditions brings a flood of memories from Christmases past.

That scene from the movie The Perfect Storm provides a good summary of the last week of Jesus’ life. A malevolent storm of growing hostility has been brewing in Jerusalem…vv. 1-2. The hatred shown toward Jesus is matched only by the treachery and betrayal of one of Jesus’ disciples…vv. 10-11. In between these verses is a tender story that serves as the eye of the storm. In Mark 14 the sun breaks t...

A couple of months ago I was traveling with a group in Israel. After a long day we checked into a hotel late at night. I shuffled into my dimly lit room, put my bags down and when I turned around I came face to face with a large man standing there looking right at me! I froze. My heart raced, chills went up and down my spine…until I realized that I was standing in front of a full length mirror! Th...

Many years ago I was talking to a medical missionary working in the jungles of Peru. She said her missions agency had recently made contact with a remote tribe of people who had never heard the gospel. Through the patient persistence of some faithful missionaries the chief of the village sat down and received the Good News. He listened carefully, thought for a while and then stood up and walked aw...

Few things are sadder than the vandalism of the sacred. When a meaningful expression of our faith gets trashed, it’s hard to take. For example, it is heart breaking to hear about a church that is targeted by arsonists or a cemetery desecrated by some calloused thrill seekers. Such atrocious behavior is so repugnant that it often makes the 6 o’clock news.

A few years ago eight workers at a Nebraska meat packing plant hit the jackpot. They split the largest lottery prize in history, 365 million dollars. It was front-page news. Their responses to questions at a press conference were priceless. One of the winners, Quang Dao, a Vietnamese immigrant said, “This is a great country.” Mike Terpstra, a 47-year-old single man is a little more philosophical....

I don’t believe in the Bible. I believe the Bible but I don’t believe IN the Bible. Words on paper have no power to save. The Bible is the message of salvation but not the means of salvation. This is not a magical book. You can put the Bible under your pillow at night but it cannot protect you. You can clutch the Bible close but it has no power to heal your broken heart. The Holy Bible is “holy” n...

In our Explore God series we are considering some of the ultimate questions in life. They are broad questions that provoke all sorts of opinions and stimulate meaningful conversation. Today we come to the most penetrating question of all. It is a question that provides the center of gravity for the Christian faith. One day Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” The angels held their breath...

Let’s begin with a test. I have one cookie and two children. If I give the cookie to one of the children the other will say, “That’s not ______.” So, to avoid this insult, I divide the cookie. When the cookie breaks, one piece is larger than the other. The one who gets the smaller piece will complain, “That’s not ______.” You passed. Children come equipped with a profound sense of fairness that se...

My friend Tom became one of the first elders at a church we planted in California many years ago. We have stayed in touch very sporadically. Last week, after he saw a picture that Jana posted on Facebook in light of our 38th anniversary, he sent me a note. Here is what it said…

What you have just experienced is a powerful argument for the existence of God. Today we take up the second of seven important questions in our Explore God series, “Is There A God?” What we have just experienced together is one of many arguments for the existence of God. When we feel wonder or joy or even longing - where does that come from? Does a poodle ponder a sunset or a snail write a symphon...

Trapper John is exploring God. For the next seven weeks I want to invite you to explore God too. Some of you, maybe most of you, have already discovered God. But many people you know are troubled by questions such as: “If God exists, why is He so shy? He seems to be playing hide and seek.” “If God exists, why doesn’t He do something about this mess on planet earth?” “If God exists, is He (or She)...

Good morning everyone and welcome to Fellowship Dallas. We’re glad you are here. My name is Randy and I’m one of the Associate Pastors here at the church. If you are new here, then you may not know that next Sunday is a big day for us. We, along with hundreds of other churches across the Metroplex, are launching into a two-month series called Explore God. We are really excited about what we sense...

There is a popular series of commercials that has been out for several years now. In the commercials, a narrator with a bold and dramatic voice lists characteristics about a certain person who happens to be very unique. The narrator tells us things like: He can speak Russian… in French He has won the lifetime achievement award… twice On every continent in the world, there is a sandwich named after...

We have come to the end of Mark 10 and I have decided to push “pause” in our series in order to apply some of what we have learned. For the next couple of months we are going to make an effort to engage our friends and neighbors in redemptive conversations about Jesus. We are going to do that by participating in Explore God with over 300 other churches in the metroplex. Explore God is a way to tal...

Several years ago I was talking with a missionary who told me how hard it was to communicate with people from a vastly different culture. The example he used was unforgettable. He was working with a primitive tribe that knew very little about hygiene. In fact, they knew nothing about the concept of a toilet. This posed an obvious danger to the health of the tribe so he tried to explain to them the...

Mk. 10:1-12…I doubt there is anyone here who has not been directly affected by divorce. This subject stirs up a lot of feelings. If you are divorced you may live with a low-grade guilt about this subject. Whenever you hear the “D” word they get a sinking feeling. You may even feel judged because no one understands your situation. Those who have never been through a divorce can become judgmental. “...

On March 3, 1978, Karl Wallenda stepped out onto a cable suspended 120’ above the street stretching between two high-rise hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The walk was routine for 73 yr. old who had been wire-walking for 57 years. No handstands, bicycles, 7 man pyramids…just Karl and his 23-ft. 36 lb. balancing pole. As he inched across the wire it began to “dance.” Wallenda crouched and cried out...

I was listening to a speaker last week that is involved in the Explore God initiative that Gary and Caleb introduced last Sunday. He marveled at how often people go online to look for information on Jesus. So I was curious. How often do people go on Google to get help in answering the question “Who is Jesus?” Apparently Google keeps track of that stuff and BoneZ helped me out. I discovered that th...

Christianity is increasingly unwelcome in our pluralistic public square. It’s OK to believe in God but Jesus is an awkward topic. If movies provide a window into the soul of our culture you might think there aren’t many Jesus followers. But Mark Joseph, a Hollywood producer, referring to an ABC poll that reported 83 percent of those surveyed self-identified as Christians, asks, “If half of all Ame...

Good morning everyone and welcome to Fellowship Dallas. We’re glad you are here. My name is Randy and I’m one of the Associate Pastors here at the church. Happy Independence Day Weekend – I know that July 4th was yesterday, but we can still celebrate today can’t we? Especially since the US women’s soccer team is playing tonight in the World Cup Final. I’m feeling especially patriotic today.

Good morning everyone and welcome to Fellowship Dallas. We’re glad you are here. My name is Randy and I’m one of the Associate Pastors here at the church. We’re heading into the middle of summer and with the opportunity for vacations and other activities, sometimes it’s difficult to make it to church on Sunday, so we’re really glad you could make it here today Dallas. But for those of you who are...

Good morning everyone and welcome to Fellowship Dallas. Let me begin by wishing all the dads out there a Happy Father’s Day. I know this is a special day for many of you – especially those first-time dads out there. I also know that today can be a struggle for some – whether it’s guys who are still praying for kids, those of you who have a difficult relationship with your father, or even for those...