Hope for Suicidal Teens and for All of Us

Clinging to God's Word for Hope

This sermon comes in two versions: One for adults and one for children. 

A recent article in the NYT said that the suicide rate for teens has jumped by 56% from 2007-2017. That is a significant jump, and there are probably many causes. The author, a psychiatrist, urges psychotherapies and medicine. I know those can be good and can be gifts from God. But there is something else we need for the healing of body, mind and soul. We need the truth of God's word and His love for us. Condemnation is a big problem for all of us. Some of it comes from others. Sometimes we condemn ourselves. But the Bible says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8.1).

Follow God's word in this new year and always. You won't be disappointed. 

Faith and Science and Epiphany

I recently wrote a sermon for Epiphany titled:  Faith and Science  Audio

In it I asked, what do you see in this:  GODISNOWHERE?

Some might see "God is now here." Others might see "God is nowhere."

Not much more than 150 years ago the greatest scientists saw complete harmony between science and theology. Isaac Newton firmly believed in an elegant, mathematical universe.. He wrote more about the Bible than he did about science (See, The Clockwork Universe, Edward Dolnick)! But then some scientists began looking at the natural world apart from God. They consider the universe to be an elegant accident! But their theories are running into trouble, especially with the math. To make an accidental universe work, they are realizing they need infinite multi-verses and parallel universes. That is more fantastical than an elegantly created universe. And there is no natural evidence of such things (See, Our Mathematical Universe, Max Tegmark). 

The wisemen followed nature (the star) and God's word to Bethlehem to see Jesus. Faith and science are in complete harmony.