“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the name who carries out evil devices!” – Psalm 37:7 I’ve been thinking a lot about patience lately. There’s two reasons for it. First, my almost one-year-old daughter is cutting teeth. She has … Continue reading On Patience
Author: colbyhetcel
Palm Sunday, a Parody
Palm Sunday is this weekend. This is the Sunday that Christian churches all over the world remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem, a narrative that’s recorded in each of the four Gospels (Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19). This is also the Sunday that many churches in my tradition … Continue reading Palm Sunday, a Parody
Tensions Between Unity & Truth
This is the second sermon in a series that I started last week. The first one can be found here: Tensions Between Truth & Unity. But if you'd prefer to listen to this message instead of just reading it, you can find the video recording here: https://youtu.be/vdfJaM8ZkR8 Tensions Between Unity & Truth (Acts 15:19-35, 16:1-5) … Continue reading Tensions Between Unity & Truth
Dishonest Leadership Destroys Community
“If a ruler listens to lies, all his ministers will be wicked.” – Proverbs 29:12 About a decade ago, I worked a part-time job at Best Buy. I was a sales associate in the home theater department, which meant that it was my goal to sell as many high-end televisions and home-audio solutions as I … Continue reading Dishonest Leadership Destroys Community
Tensions Between Truth & Unity
Here is the sermon manuscript for a message I delivered at Word of Life Baptist church on 2/21/21. I often post these manuscripts because not everyone has been able to return to in-person services, and they are one additional way for the local body here to stay connected and engaged within the teaching of our … Continue reading Tensions Between Truth & Unity
Answering a Fool According to His Folly?
“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” – Proverbs 26:4-5 This post is a follow-up to the one released a few weeks ago: On Truthfulness. I received a lot of good comments, questions, and … Continue reading Answering a Fool According to His Folly?
On Truthfulness
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” – Proverbs 12:22 A few months into my very first ministry, the church that I was serving went through a rough split. There were a variety of factors that led to this happening. However, one of these factors was more … Continue reading On Truthfulness
Looking Backward
Here is the manuscript of a sermon I preached on January 3rd, 2021. It was also a New Year’s reflection with the goal of helping my congregation process the previous year using the worship practice of lament. If you’d like to listen to it, the video version can be found here: https://youtu.be/-iTIm_py-Bs I also provided … Continue reading Looking Backward
Top 5 Books I’ve Read in 2020
With two different orders to work from home, I’ve had a lot of extra time this year to read. That has been a huge blessing. As a pastor, I feel that it’s my duty to continually sharpen my skills in this way. But I would be lying if I said that was the only reason … Continue reading Top 5 Books I’ve Read in 2020
Trust God & Live in Fear
“Have faith not fear.” “God’s got this.” “I’m just choosing to trust God and not live in fear.” These are three examples of slogans that many believers are using in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and America’s current political climate. Not all who say these slogans are Christians. But it does seem like the vast … Continue reading Trust God & Live in Fear
