“You Have Heard It Said . . . You Shall Not Murder . . . But I Say to You”

April 11, 2018September 25, 2019 BigSpringscapital punishment, Isaiah 53, manslaughter, Matthew 5, murder, premeditated, sanctuary cities, thou shalt not kill, unintentional killing

Isaiah 53:7-9; Matthew 5:21-26 (text); Romans 7:12 April 8, 2018 • Download this sermon (PDF) Dear Congregation of Christ: As I sat in the Siskiyou County Courthouse last Friday for six hours, I couldn’t help but think about today’s sermon. You see, the criminal case for which I was summoned to be a prospective juror included four counts, the most serious of which is premeditated murder. Murder is a very serious charge, so in 31 states, the death penalty is the maximum penalty when a defendant is found guilty.…

“Sanctuary Cities”

September 11, 2017September 25, 2019 BigSpringscities of refuge, DACA, Hebrews 6, Hurricane Irma, illegal immigrants, Joshua 20, Psalm 46, sanctuary cities

Joshua 20:1-9; Hebrews 6:17-20 September 10, 2017 ● Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: Do you know what Machiavellianism is? The word comes from the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, born in 1469, who wrote the popular book The Prince. In this book, Machiavelli proposed that all actions, whether good or evil, the state exercises to achieve and preserve its power are justified. In time, his proposition was summarized as, “the end justifies the means.” Individually, one can deceive, lie, steal, even commit murder, to achieve…