Sermons on Forgiveness

When I served as pastor of a church in North Alabama during the early 1980s, there was an usher in our church named John. He was a sweet man who was always present in his regular spot to greet people and hand out bulletins, but John was a very troubled man. On several occasions, I met with him, and he began to weep as he told me that during World War II he had done something he thought was so evil that he was certain he had committed the unforgivable sin.

My plea today is for our Lord's sake—and for our own sakes—that we stop fuming and start forgiving. In our heads, we know forgiveness is healthy.

Noble Doss dropped the ball. One ball. One pass. One mistake. In 1941 he let one fall. And it's haunted him ever since.

How can we have justice and forgiveness at the same time?

You and I save things. Favorite photos, interesting articles — we all save things. Homer and Langley Collyer hoarded things. Everything. Newspapers, letters, clothing — you name it, they kept it...

For God's sake, your sake and the witness of the church, don't be dragging every petty concern, every squabble before the civil courts.

Psalm 133; Ephesians 2:11-22; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Michael Christopher’s play The Black Angel haunts everyone who struggles for reconciliation. It involves Herman Engel, a former German army general who is trying to make a new beginning for himself and his wife outside a little French village. He has spent the last thirty years in prison, having been sentenced by

Genesis 50:15-21; Philippians 3:8-10 One second. One mistake. One firing of the missile in the midst of the war. The missile cannot come back. The weapon is now headed for you. And the one who fired it is on your side. It is war. Hit by friendly fire. And this is not Baghdad or the...

Luke 24:45-47 Know What You Believe — A series based on The Apostles' Creed — Part 11

Luke 13:10-17