God's Generosity

This sermon, given on November 17, 2019, is based on Isaiah 65:17-25. Here we consider God's great generosity to humanity and our response toward God's church, our community, and creation. This is a stewardship sermon dealing with the establishment of a new Jerusalem in people's hearts, where it spreads from person to person, and generosity along with it, right around the globe. Come and watch. If you find yourself near Lansdowne Baptist Church on a Sunday morning, drop in at 11 a.m. to worship with us (10 a.m. in the summer).

True Sacrifice

Sermon based on Isaiah 1:16-20, in which the priest Isaiah ben Amoz provides difficult news from God concerning their straying from the ways of justice and faith in action God expects. This has direct application for the church today. Come and watch. Sunday morning, come and join us at Lansdowne Baptist Church.

ABCUSA — Life Is About Choices

Become a Creation Justice Congregation. Watch this moving short video, and act.

God's Double Portion

The sermon for Sunday, June 16, 2019, Father's Day, was based on 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14. This is the story of Elijah and Elisha, two faithful prophets of God in the 9th century BC. Elijah will pass the mantle of authority on to Elisha, to continue God's work in the world. We are called to work faithfully as well in God's service. Doing so, we receive from God a double portion of spiritual blessings to enable us to continue our work as faithfully as Elijah and Elisha. Come, watch, and see.

Stewardship with Dirt Under Our Nails

Sunday sermon following Earth Day, based on Genesis 2:15 & Leviticus 19:9-10. We look at the creation story to see what is intended in our relationship between God and humanity. Leviticus helps us with our relations between each other. The menorah was lit in solidarity with the synagogue congregants in San Diego who were attacked, and with all who have suffered violence in their sacred spaces. Watch and see what is to be discovered through this riveting tale.

Out of Her Poverty

Sermon for Sunday, November 11, 2018, based on Mark 12:38-44. Jesus discusses giving, generosity, and how easy it is to go astray when your society is fixated on status. That fixation easily impacts people of all levels of society. Jesus focuses on the Temple Scribes, the wealthy congregants, and one poor widow. He is particularly interested in that widow, and so will we be in this sermon on good stewardship. You are invited to listen. You are also invited to join us at Lansdowne Baptist in Lansdowne, PA, any time you are in town.

Sunday, November 11, 2018, Sermon: Out of Her Poverty

Join us this Sunday when we will explore the meaning of the widow giving her two coins in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was all she had. Why was this significant to Jesus? Why is it significant to us? What does it have to tell us about living generous lives? Come and see. Sunday, November 11, 2018, at 11 a.m. in the Lansdowne Baptist Church sanctuary. You will be welcome!

To see the sermon: https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2018/11/out-of-her-poverty.html

Fair Balance: Stewardship

Sermon from October 29, 2017, based on 2 Corinthians 8:7-15. Paul guides the Corinthian church and us in how to live generous, joyful lives, creating fair balance and having a positive impact. Following Paul's advice for living is character changing. To succeed, however, requires a lot of trust.

Stewardship Challenges

Sermon based on 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 and Malachi 3:10, dealing with stewardship in its broadest sense. Dealing with issues of justice in our community through our faithful stewardship of our God-given talents and gifts. The broad reach of stewardship performed faithfully might surprise you.

Making Changes to be Good Stewards

In the middle of April, Lansdowne Baptist Church's Property and Finance Commission contracted to have three trees removed from our property. Two hardwood trees along Lansdowne and East LaCrosse Avenues were dead or very nearly so. These two trees were a potential danger to our community, with many heavy limbs extending over the sidewalk and the avenues. The third tree was a fir outside the office wing, a tree that was leaning steeply toward the adjacent sanctuary roof. A portion of this leaning pine’s root ball was lifting out of the ground, raising serious concerns about how long it would remain standing. As a result of good stewardship, there is now significantly greater light in the office wing and heightened safety for both our church family and the community we serve. Thanks to the Property and Finance team for their efforts. God expects us to be good stewards of what we have been given, and the members of Property and Finance followed through admirably. 

More Than We Think

Sermon based on Matthew 14:13-21. Jesus, in the feeding of the five thousand (plus), shows us there is a better way to live than in fear that there will not be enough for each of us in this world. That fear is currently killing people. Listen for a different way, the way of God's kingdom, and be liberated.

Who Will You Serve

Stewardship sermon based on Joshua 24:14-25. It was a challenging question for the people of Israel back in Joshua's day and remains just as challenging for us. The "little g gods" may have changed, but the importance of the challenge and the response of each of us remains the same. God bless you as you ponder the question.

For a creative little piece on stewardship by a friend and fellow pastor, see: http://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2014/10/daily-vlog-299-made-to-give-60ssss.html

Daily Vlog #299 Made to Give (60sSSS)

My friend a fellow pastor John Inverso explains generous giving in this stewardship season in his sixty second sermon summary. Perfect, just perfect.

2014 World Mission Offering

During September and October, American Baptist Churches USA receives the World Mission Offering, an essential source of support for the entire work of International Ministries, including support for current global personnel and  the recruitment of new missionaries. Your gifts to the offering can be directed for the support of particular missionaries, like Sue Hegarty, who are doing Christ-like ministry and changing lives in more than 70 countries around the world. We invite you to participate in the offering this year and to give generously.

You can give here at Lansdowne Baptist Church in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. We will be glad to have you join us and support these missionaries. You can also follow the link here and give to the ABC-USA missionary of your choice: http://www.internationalministries.org/give 

To read about the work of missionary Sue Hegarty, see: http://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2014/09/missionary-sue-hegarty-reflects-on.html

Webinar: How to Lead in Stewardship - Raise More Money with Less Stress

There is a lot to learn here about stewardship for pastors and stewardship teams. Have a blessed, calm, stewardship season and year.

Philadelphia Baptist Association's Baby Manna Project

Lansdowne Baptist Church is a member church of the Philadelphia Baptist Association. Associations exist to allow individual churches to join together to do more than they could alone. The Philadelphia Baptist Association is the oldest in the United States, predating the country's founding, and having just celebrated its 307 year of active service. For more on the PBA and what it has done, see: http://philadelphiabaptist.info/?page_id=184

One of the many mission projects undertaken by the PBA is the Baby Manna project. This is an important mission designed to bring much needed formula and other baby products to those babies living in poverty in the Delaware Valley. Currently, there are over 12,000 babies born into poverty in the Delaware Valley every year. Most of these children are bottle fed as they must be cared for by someone other than their mothers. Costs for infant formula is high and rising. Impoverished caregivers have been forced to give hungry infants sugar water or watered down formula, which of course are poor substitutes for proper nutrition. Infant malnutrition leads to lasting and devastating impacts on children's lives.

One hundred percent of donations to the Baby Manna program are used by Philabundance to purchase infant formula and baby products made available to Philabundance's member agencies and the people they serve.

Have a positive impact on the lives of those who struggle to nurture their infants while struggling under the crushing impact of poverty in our region by donating to this worthy program.

You may contact the Philadelphia Baptist Association to find out how to contribute at:

8711 Ridge Avenue

Philadelphia, PA  19128

www.philadelphiabaptist.org

Or you may go directly to Philabundance at this address: http://www.philabundance.org/programs-2/baby-manna/