Pictures to Use During Holy Week

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:38:00 GMT

Under the Resources section, I've uploaded several pictures that may be helpful for preachers and teachers to use during Holy Week.

Jesus Heals The Man Born Blind at the Pool of Siloam

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:31:00 GMT

Last February I was in the Holy Land filming the video for The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus. I filmed a segment at the Poo...

Pictures to Use With The Way

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:11:00 GMT

Under the Resources section, I've uploaded several pictures that may be helpful for preachers and teachers focusing on Jesus' minist...

The Baptism of Jesus

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:17:00 GMT

Many of you are studying The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus, this Lenten season. I thought I would include in today's post ...

Remembering Your Baptism in the Shower

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Seven years ago I preached a sermon on baptism and invited the congregation at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection to remember their baptism every morning when they step into the shower. As a way of helping them do this I wrote a littl...

Ashes and Fasting: Lent Has Begun

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:12:00 GMT

The Season of Lent began yesterday with Ash Wednesday. The ashes that begin the season point us towards the ultimate end of the season. Lent will end with Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The ashes point to our sin and mort...

A Letter From the President

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:01:00 GMT

I received the note above from the President this morning thanking me for

Sermon Video of 2013 Inaugural National Prayer Service

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:16:00 GMT

I know many of you are interested in watching the video of the sermon I delivered on Tuesday during the Inaugural National Prayer Service at the National Cathedral.

The video below is an edited version of the complete sermon from various camera ...

Lessons from Moses: 2013 Inaugural Prayer Service Sermon

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:28:00 GMT

Today I was honored to deliver the sermon at the National Prayer Service following yesterday's Inauguration. I'll write more later about my entire experience—from yesterday's swearing-in ceremony and the Inaugural ball to today's service—but...

Preaching for the President's Inauguration

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:01:00 GMT

I received a call a couple of weeks ago from a White House staffer inviting me to preach the National Prayer Service that is a part of the presidential inauguration festivities. The National Prayer Service is held on Tuesday morning following the inaugu...

Put God Back in Public Schools?

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:09:00 GMT

One reaction to the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School has been a call to &...

No, Everything Doesn't Happen for a Reason

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:30:00 GMT

“Everything happens for a reason,” he said as he reflected upon the terrible events that had occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. I suppose these words were meant to be comforting. Implicit in them is the idea that there is a grand ...

The Price of Ending the Charitable Deduction

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:56:00 GMT

I’ve been following with interest the conversations in Washington about the fiscal cliff and the debate about how to raise revenue while cutting government expenditures. Some are proposing raising the tax rates on the top 2%...

Room in the Inn?

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 12:41:00 GMT

Merry Christmas!

Today, we end our journey retracing Mary and Joseph’s steps with the long-awaited arrival of the Christ Child.

After Mary and Joseph reached Bethlehem, the time came for her delivery, though Scripture ...

The Journey: From Nazareth to Bethlehem

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 14:07:00 GMT

In my trip to the Holy Land to research my book, The Journey, we traveled by car, by van, and on foot as we sought to follow the jour...

The World Ending at 5:00 p.m. Today?

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:24:00 GMT

So thousands of people around the world believe that today is the day the world ends. I’m guessing not many of you reading this page actually believes the world will end at 5:00 p.m. today, but let’s not waste the hype. What if it were...

How Mary Found Her Joy

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:10:00 GMT

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” —Luke 1:46-47

For nine or ten days Mary had carried in her heart the most astounding secret: She was pregnant, and the chil...

It Is Time for a National Database of United Methodist Clergy

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:13:00 GMT

Every year I receive phone calls from District Superintendents in different parts of the country asking for suggestions for pastors who might have the experience and gifts to serve churches in their annual conference. Usually the superintendent is...

Counsel and Comfort

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:15:00 GMT

Having considered Joseph's story, let’s look at Mary’s story in Luke 1. After Mary received...

Herod and Joseph: A Contrast in Character

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:19:00 GMT

Assuming Joseph was a young man when Jesus was conceived, one king had ruled over Judea during Joseph’s entire life: Herod “the Great.” Herod ruled Judea, with the blessing and help of the Romans, for thirty-three years, from 37 B.C. t...

The Meaning of Nazareth

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 01:30:00 GMT

The name of this tiny village of Nazareth tells us something about the people living there and offers a clue to the identity of the child Mary would bear. Nazareth may come from the Hebrew netzer, which means “branch” or “shoo...

You’re Invited on a Journey

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 01:00:00 GMT

It’s the week before Thanksgiving here in the United States. Although some of us have not even bou...

Righteousness that Surpasses the Pharisees

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 18:00:00 GMT

I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:20

The Sermon on the Mount seems, at so many points, impossible to live. It must h...

A Christian Vision Moving Forward

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 10:00:00 GMT

In 1630, as the Arbella was sailing to the New World with a ship full of Puritans who would settle the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Governor John Winthrop preached one of the most famous sermons ever given called, the Huffington Post about Congressman Paul Broun's recent commen...

One Pastor Who Changed My Life

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:24:00 GMT

I became a follower of Jesus in a small Assembly of God church when I was 14 years old. My pastor was a man named Phil Hollis. His passionate faith was infectious. But it was the personal interest he took in me that had an impact on my life....

Who Is the Greatest?

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:37:00 GMT

An argument broke out among the disciples over which one of them should be regarded as the greatest.

But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles rule over their subjects, and those in authority over them are called &lsq...

Is Papyrus Fragment Suggesting Jesus Had a Wife Authentic?

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 18:15:00 GMT

Earlier this week, the news media reported the discovery of a papyrus fragment (an ancie...

Remembering Jesus

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 01:49:00 GMT

¹⁴When the time came, Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles joined him. ¹⁵He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ I...

The Importance of Being a Servant

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 10:00:00 GMT

⁷The Day of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover had to be sacrificed. ⁸Jesus sent Peter and John with this task: “Go and prepare for us to eat the Passover meal.”

<...

Politics and Religion

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:00:00 GMT

This week the Democrats will be holding their national convention in Charlotte. In my last post, I talked about giving to God, specifically, giving a tithe to the Church.

From the early days of the Old Testament, God’s people observed the practice of giving some portion of the best of what they had to God. In the beginning, the practice was to burn these offerings completely, saving no portion...

Emergency Appendectomy

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:25:00 GMT

An update from the editors at AdamHamilton.org:

Adam underwent an emergency appendectomy Tuesday night and is now recovering in the hospital. He posted these comments on we’re ...

Provoking One Another to Love and Good Deeds

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

In my last post, I talked about the importance of being a member of a team. We looked at how teammates encour...

The Power of the Team

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

&nb...

The Two Dimensions of Forgiveness

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

How often do you find yourself in need of asking for, or extending forgiveness? It happens in my life on a weekly, and often daily, basis.

Today, Abingdon Press Can you help me?

I'm preparing a series of sermons for late August and September entitled, Wrestling with the Bible.<...

Everything Belongs to God

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

In a previous post, I wrote about cultivating spiritual growth, and subseq...

Running God's Race

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

You can’t turn on the television or surf the Web right now without seeing, hearing, or reading all about the Olympic games.

In my last two posts, we have compared the Christian life to an Olympic race. The Christian life is In my last post, we focused on our lives as being like a long Olympic race. We pursue our “prize” — a heavenly, imp...

Go For the "Gold"

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Olympic fever is about to strike the world! The summer games are set to begin in a few days in London with opening ceremonies to be held July 27.

You may be surprised to know that Olympics were a pretty big deal when the apostles were aliv...

RAP in Action

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

How's it been going with RAP practice? (No; I'm not referring to the musical genre!)

In a post earlier this month, I told you about the...

How to Have a Good Death

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Have you ever thought about how you hope to face your own death when the time comes? What witness do you hope to make as you approach death, and subsequently at your funeral? We've each got a lifetime to prepare for our own death, but few of us take the...

More Questions About the Afterlife

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The recent sermon series, ...

Will Fido and Fluffy Be in Heaven?

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Last week, the ABC television show, 20/20, aired a special program hosted by Barbara Walters called “Heaven.” You ...

Created to Give, Tempted to Keep

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

God created each of us with the willingness to give—to God and to others. We’re hard-wired to be givers; we need to be generous. Yet there are two “voices” that war against our God-given impulse toward generosity, tempting us to ...

Let It Go

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

A driver lays on her horn when you absent-mindedly pull in front of her in traffic.

You feel the disapproving and judgmental glares of others as you wheel your tantrum-throwing toddler through the grocery store.

The gang at work &...

Six Words

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Forgiveness is essential to our lives.

Without forgiveness, no marriage can survive, no family can stay together, and no society can be sustained. It is a necessary part of lasting friendships and work relationships. The reason lies in an in...

The Power of Forgiveness

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 17:15:00 GMT

During Memorial Day weekend, among the moving stories of men and women in service, CBS Sunday Morning interviewed 95-year o...

On the Church and Forgiveness

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:43:00 GMT

It’s amazing how frequently we must deal with the question of forgiveness.

Late this spring, I attended the

God and Suffering

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:49:00 GMT

I believe that the present suffering is nothing compared to the coming glory that is going to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

Suffering, unanswered prayers, and the unfairness of life naturally lead us to question God’s go...

Adam Hamilton

The Power of an Apology

What Is Your Defining Story?

A Mirror and a Self-Portrait

Maundy Thursday

A Recovering Pharisee?

Who Do You Belong To?

Pictures to Use During Holy Week

Jesus Heals The Man Born Blind at the Pool of Siloam

Pictures to Use With The Way

The Baptism of Jesus

Remembering Your Baptism in the Shower

Ashes and Fasting: Lent Has Begun

A Letter From the President

Sermon Video of 2013 Inaugural National Prayer Service

Lessons from Moses: 2013 Inaugural Prayer Service Sermon

Preaching for the President's Inauguration

Put God Back in Public Schools?

No, Everything Doesn't Happen for a Reason

The Price of Ending the Charitable Deduction

Room in the Inn?

The Journey: From Nazareth to Bethlehem

The World Ending at 5:00 p.m. Today?

How Mary Found Her Joy

It Is Time for a National Database of United Methodist Clergy

Counsel and Comfort

Herod and Joseph: A Contrast in Character

The Meaning of Nazareth

You’re Invited on a Journey

Righteousness that Surpasses the Pharisees

A Christian Vision Moving Forward

One Pastor Who Changed My Life

Who Is the Greatest?

Is Papyrus Fragment Suggesting Jesus Had a Wife Authentic?

Remembering Jesus

The Importance of Being a Servant

Politics and Religion

Emergency Appendectomy

Provoking One Another to Love and Good Deeds

The Power of the Team

The Two Dimensions of Forgiveness

Everything Belongs to God

Running God's Race

Go For the "Gold"

RAP in Action

How to Have a Good Death

More Questions About the Afterlife

Will Fido and Fluffy Be in Heaven?

Created to Give, Tempted to Keep

Let It Go

Six Words

The Power of Forgiveness

On the Church and Forgiveness

God and Suffering