Rev. Brent L. White

Scripture: Exodus 17:1-7

You may recall that in chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation, Jesus himself sends letters to seven churches—one is the church at Ephesus. He first commends the church for its faithfulness before saying, in chapter 2, verse 4, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first”—or literally, your “first love,” by which he means, “your love for Jesus Christ.”

What I want for us in this sermon, what I want for us in this season of Lent, indeed, what I want for us all the time… is that we could return to or renew or deepen our love for Christ. This sermon talks about four ways we can do that. First, by remembering God’s grace toward us in the past. Second, by remembering God’s power in the present. Third, by remembering God’s promise in the future. And fourth, by remembering the cross of God’s Son Jesus.

Scripture: Genesis 11:27-12:9

If you turned on the radio in 1997, chances are you heard a song called “MmmBop,” by a band of three brothers who called themselves “Hanson.” “MmmBop” was a number one song in America and around the world—the biggest song of the year, one of the biggest songs of the decade! The band has made a lot of music since then, but they are by far most remembered for “MmmBop.”

Last month, to the surprise of many, the drummer of Hanson—Zac Hanson, who’s married with five kids—got ordained as a deacon in an Eastern Orthodox Church. 

To say the least, it is a long journey from pop superstardom and life at the top of the charts to answering God’s call into ordained ministry.

Scripture: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-15

In Luke chapter 24, two disciples of Jesus are returning from Jerusalem to their hometown of Emmaus, about eight miles away. It’s Easter Sunday. Although some of their fellow disciples told them that they found the tomb of Jesus empty, they don’t know what to make of it. As of yet, along with most of their fellow disciples, they don’t believe that their Lord has been resurrected. So they head for home, discouraged and confused.

Then the resurrected Lord meets them on the road, but, as Luke tells us, “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” At Jesus’ prompting, they tell him about the events of Good Friday as well as the reports of the empty tomb.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:10-23

My sermon is about pride and a promise. It has three points. Point Number One: Lent and the problem of pride. Point Number Two: the problem of pride in Corinth and in us. Point Number Three: the promise that kills our pride.

Point Number One: Lent and the problem of pride…

I didn’t grow up Methodist; I grew up Baptist—we didn’t observe the season of Lent. 

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21; Joel 2:1-2; 12-17

Britannia est parva insula. That is the sum total of my knowledge of Latin, which I took for one year in high school. It means, “Britain is a small island.”

I was taught Latin by a notoriously grouchy, deeply sarcastic yankee from Boston called Coach Hogan. If you’re from Boston, or Massachusetts—Ben Menard—I promise I’m not assuming that you’re anything like Coach Hogan. He was a piece of work… A brilliant man—rumored around the school to have gotten a perfect score on the SAT. He was asked about it one time. He replied, “If I did, do you really think I would be stuck here, teaching morons like you”—although I think that was his way of being humble. 

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:9

I want to make three points in today’s sermon: Point Number One, the Holy Spirit really changes us. Point Number Two, the change may happen slowly, and here’s why. And Point Number Three, How does the Holy Spirit change us? What is going on inside of us that makes us want to change?

But first, the Holy Spirit really does change us…

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:30-2:12

In today’s sermon, I’m talking, first, about the problem of fear in general. Second, about Paul’s problem with fear. And, third, what God wants to do about it.

First, the problem of fear…

I shared this story a couple of years ago, but it perfectly illustrates an important point I need to make, so I’m sharing it again. Like it or not… Suffer through it! Back in 2012, a friend from seminary, an ordained deacon—I’ll call her Laura—called me out of the blue to tell me about an upcoming mission trip that she was going on with her church. Her church was paying for her to go to Kenya, in East Africa, to teach a group of highly effective, very enthusiastic, Bible-believing, Jesus-loving, Spirit-filled indigenous United Methodist pastors. She was teaching them crash courses in church history, in United Methodist theology and doctrine, and in liturgy. In fact, she was going to teach them the same curriculum that we teach local lay pastors here in the States. Going to seminary is financially out of reach for most of these men and women, so this would be the next best thing.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

I know there’s been some controversy in the past few weeks surrounding former UGA quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, but I’m not talking about that this morning… The fact is, as much as it pains a Yellow Jacket like me to admit, Stetson Bennett deserves all the accolades that come his way because of what he accomplished on the football field.

His story is simply remarkable… and incredibly unlikely. Bennett grew up a huge UGA fan, and got to realize his dream of playing quarterback for the Bulldogs his freshman year in 2017—well, at least he had a shot at playing quarterback. Bennett didn’t receive a coveted scholarship offer, but he made the team as a walk-on. I mean, he’s 5’11”—a little undersized to be a starting quarterback in the SEC.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

I’m going to answer three main questions in today’s sermon. First: What is the Corinthians’ biggest problem and how does it relate to us. Second: Why are they quarreling… and what can we learn from their experience? Third: What’s the solution?

Any of you remember this classic jingle? [sings]“Reach out, reach out and touch someone/ Reach out, call up and just say hi…” That was, of course, a famous jingle from AT&T in the late-’70s and ’80s. Basically, they were trying to encourage us Americans to make long-distance phone calls. Because back then, very few Americans would would “call up and just say hi” to anyone who lived far away. Why? Because you’d have to pay long distance charges! Long-distance was for emergencies only—or for sharing really important information. 

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians—which I’m going to be preaching on starting today and running through the First Sunday of Lent—is relevant for us Christians living in Toccoa, Georgia, in the twenty-first century. So what does today’s scripture teach us about being a Christian here and now? I’m going to focus on two things… Your bulletin says three, but I only have time for two… So good news: You’re going to beat the Baptists to the Mexican place! Just kidding. You know me better than that! The sermon is just as long as usual!