Sermons on 1 John
Sin
In this message, Pastor T. C. reflects upon 1 John 1.8-9 and Dr. Howard Thurman’s devotional on these verses in “40-Day Journey with Howard Thurman.” Pastor T. C. challenges the sin-as-law-breaking ‘mental model’ and contrasts it with sin-as-virus and forgiveness-as-healing.
Love Your Neighbor
Jesus said the two-fold greatest commandment is to Love God and Love Your Neighbor as Yourself. Paul, writing before the Gospel traditions were written down, summarized this command with just Love Your Neighbor. First John helps us understand why: we can’t love God if we hate human beings made in God’s image. Paul also shows us through his life and ministry that he held Roman officials to account by their own laws. This is what Bonhoeffer meant when he said,…
ReFind The Jesus Way
Jesus compared his Way to a wise person building their home on a rock. However, there are many Christian belief systems and structures that have been built on top of the Jesus Way which should be rightfully deconstructed—they are foundations of sinking sand. Belief systems and structures that are built on fear, cultural assimilation, and relativism are sinking sand and should be deconstructed. But the Jesus Way is the Rock of which Jesus spoke. His Way is a way of…
Worship & Justice
The name of the Love in Public series comes from a quote by Dr. Cornel West: “Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.” In the first message of the series, Pastor T. C. teaches on the “transitive property” of love. When we passionately love God, we develop love for those whom God loves. Therefore, worship cannot be divorced from justice. God is deeply concerned for the well-being of the most vulnerable members of society. This is…