Luke 14: 25-33
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

When I was younger, my dad decided that it was time for him to build a second home. He wanted a vacation place on a lake that we could go to on the weekends and relax. So, he and my mother would start talking about what they could afford. They examined their financial situation to see if they had enough money to buy some land and build a home. They looked over all their options and finally they decided that they could do it, but with some compromises. The main compromise was that we would hire people to build the house, put in the electrical and plumbing systems, but we would do all the sheetrock, floating and taping and painting. So, after the house was constructed, we spent every weekend for an entire summer measuring and cutting sheetrock, installing it into the walls, cutting out holes for the electrical receptacles and light fixtures, floating the seams and sanding it all down – and then painting everything. Eventually, we had a wonderful second home to go to during the summers and weekends, and the work was well worth it. (more…)

Luke 14: 1, 7-14
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

I went to a concert not to long ago of one of my favorite performers and I was pretty excited about it because I had never seen him perform before and he is getting kinda old, so I was worried I might never get to see him. So he was coming to town, so I got tickets and I went to the show. We had pretty good seats too, so I was happy when I got to the theater and saw how close we were to the stage. In the row in front of us, a couple of guys were sitting and chatting and having a good time. But before the show began, someone came up to them, flashed them their tickets, and they had to leave. They were sitting in seats that they hadn’t bought. So, off they went. (more…)

Luke 12: 49-56
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

These are without a doubt the toughest words Jesus says in all of the gospels. They are hard to make sense of because they seem so different from the rest of what Jesus teaches and preaches. And yet, I have been thinking in recent months that these are exactly the words of Jesus that we in the church need to hear. (more…)

Luke 12: 32-40
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

As you all know, one of the things I like to do with my sermons is relive past athletic glories. So I apologize for another sports illustration, in which I am much more impressive than I ever actually was. But I used to play football, as many young boys do in their high school days. One thing about football is that you have pay attention to what is going on. If you don’t you will be sorry. Few people are more dressed for action than football players. There are 22 guys on the field, and 11 of them are likely to hit you. And all of them are moving as quickly as possible through a series of fairly orchestrated maneuvers. You have to keep your eyes open and you have to pay attention to all that is going on. (more…)

Luke 12: 13-21
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

What is your life worth?

We are a culture that likes to put a price tag on everything. Yesterday, Chelsea Clinton got married and the news kept reporting how much money they spent on her wedding. The CEO of British Petroleum stepped down and the news kept reporting how much money he made and how much money BP lost. But what is the value of the stuff that really matters? Like true and lasting love? Or the fragile ecosystems of the earth? (more…)

Luke 11: 1-13
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

When someone becomes a Christian, what is the first thing they ought to do? When someone is considering exploring their faith, what is the primary mechanism for doing that spiritual searching? When someone is trying to deepen their understanding of God and of God’s intentions for their life, how should they do it? When someone is struggling with a challenge in their life, what tool do we have to give them? (more…)

Luke 10: 38-42
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

One of my favorite television shows is the Office. I like the Office because the show depicts real life for millions of us who get up in the morning and go to work, put in our time, even try to do a good job, and all the while know that our work is a bit of a joke. The television show reminds me of my own real work experiences, which often have flirted with the ridiculous. (more…)

Luke 10: 25-37
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

When I was a kid, I used to pick on my brother. And this used to really annoy my parents. At first you think your parents are upset with you because they don’t want you to pick on your brother, but at some point you realize that they just want some peace and quiet. So, my parents began to construct all kinds of rules that they would enforce in order to keep the peace in the house. I remember one time when they were frustrated with me they told me, “do not so much as touch your brother.” (more…)

Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

Today, as a nation, we celebrate our independence. This is a day marked with fireworks and fanfare, BBQ and beers, red, white and blue streamers and patriotic overtures. I used to look forward to the fourth because we would travel up to rural Oklahoma where my extended family lived and where fireworks regulations were lax. As a kid, I got to blow up all kinds of things, and I’m lucky I didn’t lose a finger or two along the way. The fireworks were for me the ultimate symbol of personal freedom. I got to set things on fire, which things explode in colorful magic, and generally run around like a lunatic and eat a bunch of hotdogs. (more…)

Luke 9: 51-62
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

In most churches, it would seem that the message of the day boils down to one simple thing: follow Jesus. If you think about most sermons you hear, including the ones I deliver from this pulpit, the basic message is really that: follow Jesus. And you would think from all of these sermons that following Jesus was a fairly straight-forward matter. Just look at the example that Jesus gives, and go and do likewise. Is Jesus kind? Go be kind. Does Jesus heal people? Go heal people. Is Jesus faithful? Go be faithful. (more…)