Overcoming Evil | Romans 12:??
This message was preached at Sherwood Community Friends Church on Sunday, June 13, 2021. You can watch the video in full by clicking below.
Manuscript coming soon
Today’s passage might be right up there with John 3:16 and Psalm 23 as recognized and quoted scriptures, even by those who would not claim Christianity as their own. But as we know with Scripture, we cannot take only one isolated verse or section of verses and dismiss the rest of the context.
I have been of a Protestant tradition of one kind or another for my whole life. What this means in terms of fasting is that I have not had any regularity or liturgical significance for this. But that does not excuse me from this vital spiritual discipline. Fasting is not optional.
Abraham’s story is told time and again in sermons and illustrations. But often overlooked is the life of Sarah. Sarah’s life mimics that of our own. When we peel back the layers of her story, we see a woman who endured hardships, struggled with her flesh, and was extended grace in her humanity. Ultimately, she was used in a powerful and miraculous way by God to birth a nation.
This message explores the story of Palm Sunday through the lens of a mirror and challenges us not to assume we are "good soil." It invites us to hold up a mirror as we examine the four characters of the familiar Palm Sunday passage and see where we find ourselves.

Living more like Jesus in our vocations, churches, and communities.