My family and I are two years out from one of the most terrifying episodes of our lives. My wife, Martha, and I began to notice evidence that we weren’t the only ones who had been in our house. And the more we looked, the more evidence we saw. On the second night after noticing this I had to get up and go to the kitchen, and when I walked into our living room my worst fears were realized. There, on our fireplace, stood the biggest, nastiest, hairiest…rat I’ve ever seen. We had a four-second staring contest and then it scampered away. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep that night. My mind ran wild as I though of all the things that thing might be doing, and I was convinced it was about to sneak in my room, jump into my bed and make my life miserable. I don’t know why I was scared. I outweighed it by about 230 lbs and could probably take it in a fistfight. But I was creeped out as I pictured it creeping around my house.
Mary Did You Know
December 20, 2015 • Dr. Gary Brandenburg
What DID Mary know? Did she know that she held her Creator in her arms? When she looked down at her baby at her breast did she know that she was feeding the Son of God? Did she know that her son would heal the sick, walk on water and make the blind to see? Did she know He would be hated and that she would live to see Him die in his early thirties? Did Mary know that the Son she delivered would one day deliver her? The birth of Jesus reads like this…Lk. 2:1-7.
Following From A Safe Distance
December 13, 2015 • Dr. Gary Brandenburg
What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? This is a classic philosophical paradox meant to show that there are some dilemmas that cannot be resolved. However, the paradox is a flawed since if there exists an irresistible force then no object is immovable.
Always Faithful
December 6, 2015
Good morning everyone and welcome to Fellowship Dallas. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only three weeks away. Personally, I love this time of year. The cooler weather along with all of the traditions brings a flood of memories from Christmases past.
Fully Devoted
November 29, 2015 • Dr. Gary Brandenburg
That scene from the movie The Perfect Storm provides a good summary of the last week of Jesus’ life. A malevolent storm of growing hostility has been brewing in Jerusalem…vv. 1-2. The hatred shown toward Jesus is matched only by the treachery and betrayal of one of Jesus’ disciples…vv. 10-11. In between these verses is a tender story that serves as the eye of the storm. In Mark 14 the sun breaks through the storm clouds and makes a brief appearance as we witness one of the most extravagant acts of love recorded in the pages of scripture. In fact Jesus declared that wherever the Gospel is preached this story will be told as a memorial to Mary’s selfless expression of love. What did she do to earn such praise and admiration from Jesus? What do we need to learn from her? How can we make a favorable impression on Jesus?
Deception, Tribulation and Steadfastness
November 22, 2015
In God We Trust?
November 15, 2015 • Dr. Gary Brandenburg
A couple of months ago I was traveling with a group in Israel. After a long day we checked into a hotel late at night. I shuffled into my dimly lit room, put my bags down and when I turned around I came face to face with a large man standing there looking right at me! I froze. My heart raced, chills went up and down my spine…until I realized that I was standing in front of a full length mirror! That was a scary looking man! I did not expect to come face to face with ME when I walked into that room.
Who’s The Boss?
November 8, 2015 • Dr. Gary Brandenburg
Many years ago I was talking to a medical missionary working in the jungles of Peru. She said her missions agency had recently made contact with a remote tribe of people who had never heard the gospel. Through the patient persistence of some faithful missionaries the chief of the village sat down and received the Good News. He listened carefully, thought for a while and then stood up and walked away. The missionaries interpreted this as rejection. So they were very surprised when the chief made contact with them and asked to speak to them again. At their next meeting the chief said very simply, “I have spoken with my people and we want Jesus to be our owner.”
A Real House of Prayer
November 1, 2015 • Dr. Gary Brandenburg
Few things are sadder than the vandalism of the sacred. When a meaningful expression of our faith gets trashed, it’s hard to take. For example, it is heart breaking to hear about a church that is targeted by arsonists or a cemetery desecrated by some calloused thrill seekers. Such atrocious behavior is so repugnant that it often makes the 6 o’clock news.
