Kicked off a brand new series this Sunday and let me tell you: I AM PUMPED!!! I’ve been waiting for this series since the start of the year and it’s finally here!
It's called FINDING YOUR FLAVOR and the premise is this: there may be One Way to God (that is Jesus Christ), but there are many ways to the Way.
In other words, your way of drawing near to God doesn’t have to look exactly like mine. There’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to the spiritual life. The ways of drawing near to God could be as varied as we are unique.
Trust me. This one could be a lifelong game-changer.
Every Wedding is a Mission (Impossible) - Crowns of Glory Part 3
It's the week 3 finale of the CROWNS OF GLORY: Lessons from an Orthodox Wedding Ceremony and this week we looked at the most controversial and most misrepresented portion of the ceremony - the instructions to the bride and groom.
TO THE GROOM: Do all that is good for her. Have compassion on her and always hasten to do that which will gladden her heart. Take care of her as her parents did in love and in humility… Remember that if you fulfill the divine commandments which urge you to look after your wife, the Lord will bless you in all you do…
TO THE BRIDE: You must honor and respect him, do not disagree with him but increase your obedience to him over what was commanded many times… Receive him with joy and cheer, do not frown in his face, observe all your obligations to him, and fear God in all you do… so the Lord will support you and provide for your livelihood and blessing will descend upon your house.
Wondering what all that means? Check out the video above and see for yourself.
Every Wedding is a New Birth – CROWNS OF GLORY Part 2
Marriage isn’t something we shouldn’t undo.
It’s something we CAN’T undo.
Week 2 in our series CROWNS OF GLORY: Lessons from an Orthodox Wedding Ceremony. This week we saw that in addition to being a funeral, every wedding is also a NEW BIRTH – that is the beginning of a new person that didn’t exist beforehand.
That new person is not born out of an agreement between two people, but rather out of a mystical union of two people. And once that union is formed, WATCH OUT! Because what God has joined together, let NOT man separate.
Check out the video above to see how this lesson is given to us in the Orthodox wedding ceremony. Enjoy!
Jesus Dwells in Me – That’s My Selfie
A young lady once asked if she could take a selfie with me. After agreeing and getting ready for the picture, I noticed she was uncomfortable. I asked if she is ok and she replied “Can we swap sides because this is not my good side?” At first I thought she was joking, but quickly realized she wasn’t!
Read MoreEvery Wedding is a Funeral – CROWNS OF GLORY Part 1
Kicked off an exciting new series at The Well yesterday, CROWNS OF GLORY: Lessons from an Orthodox Wedding Ceremony. In this series, we’ll take a look at the rites and rituals of an Orthodox wedding and see what lessons the Church is trying to teach us through them.
Lesson #1: Every wedding is actually a funeral.
That’s not a typo, nor is it a joke. It’s the truth. If you aren’t ready to die then you aren’t ready to be married.
What does that mean? Check out the video above and see for yourself.
The Mind of the Martyrs
I may not be able to bring light to THE world;
but I can certainly bring light to MY world.
Yesterday we celebrated the start of a new year according the calendar of the Coptic Orthodox church. And during this yearly celebration, we always remember the martyrs who died for the sake of the Christian faith.
But what can we learn from those martyrs today? Do we just honor them for dying and that’s it? Or is there more?
That was our topic in The Well yesterday – as we looked at the mindset which the martyrs had and how we need to acquire a similar one. We also looked at a modern day example of someone who has that same mindset and is getting ready to display it in an AMAZING way.
Be sure to watch till the end so you see for yourself. Trust me; it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime” kind of thing.
Orthodox Afterlife: How One Afterlife Experience Changed My Life
One afterlife experience by a contemporary Egyptian Christian monk altered my life and allowed me to regain an eternal perspective on living. Formerly, as I busied myself satisfying my sinful desires, I knew God existed, but He was not relevant. Yet, as I heard my mom read to me the monk’s afterlife experience (translating it from Arabic to English), I imagined myself in his place having to face the repercussions of my decisions in life. It was then that my heart and mind flooded with the feeling expressed by the wise Solomon: “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed,all is vanity and grasping for the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
Read MoreHOW ARE WE SAVED? Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 5
“Are you saved?” A simple question with a relatively simple answer that has unfortunately become a lot more complicated in today’s world. Is it because we (Orthodox Christians) don’t know if we’re saved? Or is it because maybe our definition of salvation isn’t the same as everyone else’s?
That’s the final topic in the Ancient Faith in a Modern World series where we talk about what salvation really means and what the Church’s view is towards it. You might be surprised to discover that the definition of “saved” has changed quite a bit over the years. It might not mean what you think it means.
THE TRUTH ABOUT MARY – Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 4
The great evangelist Billy Graham once famously said, “We evangelical Christians do not give Mary her proper due.”
What is the role of St. Mary in the church today? What should it be? Should I pray to her? Is that even allowed? Or is she no different than anyone else – just a historical figure who played an important role 2000 years ago, but that’s pretty much it. What is the Virgin Mary’s “proper due”?
That’s the topic for the latest installment in the Ancient Faith in a Modern World series. I did my best to answer those questions and a few more, but I must confess: I had a little help from a special guest who joined us for a special cameo appearance at The Well – his first appearance there but probably not his last.
WHY WE WORSHIP THE WAY WE DO – Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 3
Why is Liturgy so boring? Why does it have to be so long and with so much standing up? Does it even really matter how we worship God? What matters is the heart right???
If you’ve ever wondered about why Orthodox worship looks the way it does, be sure to check out the message above. In it, I talk about how liturgical worship helps us to achieve EXACTLY what we need – more than enjoyment, more than entertainment, more than a nice inspiring message. Liturgical worship is where we exchange our life for the life of Jesus.
And that’s what we really need.
When You Fall Over
Have you ever felt like you ran ahead of God and then made a “big” mistake?
Like a small child when learning to run in the momentary joys of running with the wind, inevitably trips and stumbles over his own feet and falls grazing his hands and knees. This pain inflicted causes him to cry out with many tears for his daddy to help him.
This is the very picture of us.
Read MoreFaith Before Politics
We took a break from our Ancient Faith in a Modern World series this past Sunday to talk about a topic that is everyone’s mind these days…ELECTION INFECTION!
What’s that? That’s the infection that’s running rampant in America these days and no one is exempt from it. So as we celebrate the independence of our country on the 4th of July, I thought it would be fitting to talk about how we – as followers of Jesus Christ – should be approaching this coming election – the most volatile and emotionally charged election in U.S. history.
So if you’re looking for a conversation starter at the BBQ today, check out this message – titled FAITH BEFORE POLITICS – and you’ll have plenty of material!
Happy 4th of July everyone!
What’s harder: loving your ENEMIES or your FRIENDS?
This past week I preached about the importance of watching what we say. Why? “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37)
Ouch! That’s a tough verse to swallow if we really take it seriously. In light of that, I remembered this post that I wrote originally three years ago which gets to the core of why watching our words is so difficult to do. Hope you enjoy!
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What’s harder: loving your enemies or loving your friends?
I know the question sounds like a no-brainer. It’s such a dumb question that it’s not even worth answering. “Of course it’s easier to love your friends than it is to love your enemies,” you’d say. How could anyone think otherwise?
Now before I get too deep into this post, let me say that I fully realize that my world isn’t the same as everyone else’s. I don’t live in a world where I’m persecuted for my faith. I don’t live in a world where I have to deal with prejudice because of the color of my skin. I don’t live in a world where I can easily identify one person or one group of people as “my enemy” (Cowboys fans excluded 🙂 )
Read MoreTHE ‘T’ WORD – Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 2
The ‘t’ word. It’s a word that can instantly divide Christians into two groups: pro vs con. Some hate it and believe that it is the cause of all the problems in church history. Others love it and believe that we’d be lost without it.
What is the ‘t’ word? TRADITION.
In this week’s message, we take a look an objective look at tradition and see where it came and what our view towards it should be. Does the Bible ever speak negatively about tradition? Does it ever speak positively of it? Is all tradition a good thing? Is there a time where tradition can be bad?
What is tradition and what would our lives/churches look like without it?
My weakness, His strength
Ever had one of “those mornings”? Where you can just tell it’s going to be a tough day?
You know the drill: your alarm rings, and you realize that you haven’t really slept all night because you were thinking about the pile of things you have to do. As you drag yourself out of bed, you feel the heaviness of your exhausted body weighing you down. You get ready in a hurry, hopeful that you can avoid the morning rush – which, of course, you cannot.
Now you’re stuck in traffic, and you haven’t moved for the past ten minutes. Now you’re going to be late, your shoulders are aching, you forgot to pack your lunch, your head is pounding because you didn’t get a chance to stop for coffee, and your phone is constantly ringing with reminders for you to check. This day cannot possibly get more stressful…
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Why Do We Feel So Bad about Feeling Good?
“If it looks good, feels good, tastes good, or smells good, STAY AWAY FROM IT! It’s probably sinful and from the devil.” ~ something Jesus never said
You may never have heard it said exactly that way before, but if you grew up in church, you’re probably familiar with that type of thinking. It’s the thinking that says you can either a) love God and hate everything in the world, or b) enjoy the world in sinful defiance of God… but you can’t do both!
“If it feels good, it’s sinful. If it makes you happy, it’s not God’s will for your life. God wants you to have self-control and not to fulfill your desires with earthly things. If you love Jesus, then He should be enough to fulfill you and anything more is idolatrous and sinful.”
Well apparently Gary Thomas, the author of several best-sellers such as Sacred Marriage and A Lifelong Love, disagrees with that idea (and I do too!).
Read MoreWHAT IS THE CHURCH? – Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 1
BRINGING AN ANCIENT FAITH TO A MODERN WORLD
That’s our slogan at STSA and that’s also the name of our latest series. In it, we’re exploring Orthodox Christianity to see whether or not it is what it claims to be – “the original Christian church established by Jesus Christ Himself upon the foundation of the apostles.”
Is that true or just something we say because it sounds nice? Is there truly a link between the Orthodox church of today and the church which started in Jerusalem 2000 years ago? Is the church that Jesus started still alive and has it been alive for all these years? Or did it die somewhere along the way?
I hope you’ll join me for this 5 part series and discover these answers (and more) for yourself.
Friends & Family Day at STSA
If you’re in the DC metro area and have always wanted to come for a visit to STSA Church, this is the weekend to do it! It’s Friends & Family Day and we’re kicking off a new series titled “ANCIENT FAITH IN A MODERN WORLD” and YOU are invited!
Check out our website to help plan your visit.
What Happened in Orlando?
By now, everyone is fully aware of the horrific events that took place in Orlando, FL last weekend where a man opened fire at a nightclub, killing 49 people. The attack was “the deadliest mass shooting in the United States and the nation’s worst terror attack since 9/11” according to this CNN article.
When things like this happen, I find myself needing to process the event internally and find an answer “what happened here?”
Read MoreIT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU BELIEVE - Things Jesus Never Said Part 5
"It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you're sincere." Right??? WRONG!
We wrapped up the Things Jesus Never Said series yesterday and we talked about how sincerity isn't enough when it comes to belief. We need more than sincerity; we need TRUTH! Why? Because it isn’t enough to believe if what I "believe in" isn’t the truth.
And that's exactly what Jesus came to reveal to us. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
Hope you've enjoyed this series as much as I have. Stay tuned for more fun next week as start a new series titled "BRINGING AN ANCIENT TO A MODERN WORLD". Stay tuned for more...