Everything – Jesus = Nothing
This past Sunday I had the privilege of preaching at the New Mount Olive Baptist Church in my hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mount Olive is a large, historic African American church which has been faithfully serving the greater Fort Lauderdale area since its founding in 1918.
It was the first time I had spoken in Fort Lauderdale since I resigned from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in 2015. It was also the first time since 2015 that my Mom, one of my brothers, and two of my three children heard me speak publically. It was an emotional morning for me. In the sermon below, I talk openly about my journey over the last three years, and the work of God in my life since I crashed and burned.
Huge thanks to Dr. Marcus Davidson for the kind invitation and for the warm and hospitable reception that my family and I received, from this remarkable church that he leads.
Philippians 3:4–9
“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” (ESV)