(This post is Part II of a teaching sermon on the Holy Spirit preached on Pentecost 2010 at Lebanon UMC in Mebane, NC.)

(This teaching sermon on the Holy Spirit was preached on Pentecost 2010 at Lebanon UMC in Mebane, North Carolina.)

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” –Acts 2: 1-4/

(A sermon for Palm Sunday, posted at the request of my great Course of Study 513 students.)

The following sermon was preached on March 7th, 2010, at Duke University Chapel.

"They asked him, 'Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?’ And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them. . . . ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.'” -Luke 21: 7-8, 20-36

We human beings are not too good at reading the signs.

“Nathaniel,” Philip says, “we’ve found him, we’ve found the one, the one about whom Moses and the prophets wrote, the Savior, and, are you ready for this, it’s Jesus, son of Joseph from . . . Nazareth.”

And Nathaniel looks at Philip as if Philip has just told him that really, the Chicago Cubs are really, actually going to win the World Series this year.

“Nazareth? Can anything good come out of Nazareth, much less the Savior of the world?”

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Come and see.