Becoming Christ-like

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church Hebrews 12:1-2 August 25, 2019              Why do we exist? What is our purpose in life? The Westminster Confession says we’re to enjoy and glorify God. That’s succinct. In Rick Warren’s … Continue reading

True Freedom

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church July 7, 2019 John 8:31-36 With pomp and circumstance, along with fireworks, hot dogs, watermelons, sunburns, and thunderstorms, we celebrated our Nation’s birthday on Thursday, Independence Day. But what does freedom mean? What are … Continue reading

Pentecost Sermon

Jeff Garrison  Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church John 14:8-17 June 9, 2019   Today is Pentecost, the birthday of the church, a day to wear red in remembrance of those tongues that appeared as flames announcing the arrival of the Spirit. … Continue reading

A Light to the World

Jeff Garrison  Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church  Matthew 5:14-16 May 19, 2019   Over the past year, Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church has invested a lot of money along with both volunteer and staff time to help our congregation improve its technology. … Continue reading

The Resurrection, Part 3

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 May 12, 2019   I have been reading Chimamanda Adichie’s novel, Purple Hibiscus. Set in Nigeria during a politically unstable time, it’s the story of Kambili, a fifteen year old girl … Continue reading

The Resurrection

Jeff Garrison  Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church Easter Sunday, 2019 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Resurrection Day! The most holy day in the Christian calendar as we celebrate the risen Christ! And what a glorious day we’re enjoying. Today I begin a series … Continue reading

Give It a Rest

Jeff Garrison  Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church  Mark 2:21-28 April 14, 2019 We’re coming to the last Sunday in our series, “Busy: Reconnecting with an Unhurried God.” I hope you have discovered a freedom to enjoy life and God and not … Continue reading

The Right Tempo

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church March 10, 2019 Matthew 11:28-30   Jig Pendleton is crazy on religion. He’s a character in Nathan Coulter, a Wendell Berry’s novel. Jig lives alone in a shanty overlooking the Kentucky River. Like some … Continue reading

Christmas Eve Homily 2018

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church Christmas Eve 2018 John 1:1-14 Throughout Advent, we’ve been reading traditional seasonal passages about the coming and birth of Christ using the various Christian traditions outlined by Richard Foster in Streams of Living Water … Continue reading

Be Generous

Jeff Garrison  Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church  2 Corinthians 8:1-15 November 18, 2018  Today, I want us to look at Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth. The Corinthian letters show us that conflict within a Christian community isn’t something … Continue reading

God will be with us

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church Acts 22:30-23:11 August 5, 2018   How do we sustain ourselves when we feel compiled to stand up for the truth when others around disagree? Our passage today answers this question. Paul is about … Continue reading

Nicodemus visits at night

Jeff Garrison   Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church May 27, 2018 John 3:1-17               In the liturgical calendar, today is Trinity Sunday. The Trinity, like God, cannot be fully understood by those of us who are mere mortals. It’s a mystery. … Continue reading

Pentecost 2018

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church Ezekiel 37:1-14 May 20, 2018 I pretty much thought I had the sermon all together Friday. Then, after the wonderful preschool graduation, I came home and learned about the latest school shooting. These have … Continue reading

Two Roads

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church May 13, 2018 Psalm 1   We’re exploring the very first Psalm today. Before we get to the Scripture, I want talk a bit about Psalms. Whenever I’ve preached from the Psalms, I’ve tried … Continue reading

Kirkin 2018

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church Psalm 85 April 15, 2018   On this Sunday in which we celebrate our Scottish heritage, let me speak a bit about the Reformation in Scotland. Unlike the Swiss, German and English Reformations that … Continue reading

Christ the King

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church  November 26, 2017 Ezekiel 34:11-24[1]   Today is Christ the King Sunday. That may not mean much to those of us who grew up in non-liturgical churches. After all, Christ should be our king … Continue reading

Scripture Alone

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church October 22, 2017 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5   Over the past couple of decades there have been debates over the visible presence of the Ten Commandments in public places like courthouses. This has brought out … Continue reading

James 5:7-20

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church James 5:7-20 July 23, 2017   It’s always bittersweet coming to an end. This is my last sermon from the Epistle of James, at least for a while.  We’ve covered this Epistle thoroughly.  At … Continue reading

Satisfied: Identity Shift

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church October 30, 2016 Ephesians 1:3-14          Our topic this week, in our all-church study of Jeff Manion’s book, Satisfied: Discovering Contentment in a World of Consumption, is identity shift.  When we are adopted into … Continue reading

Satisfied: Comparison

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church October 23, 2016 Matthew 20:1-16     This is our second week of looking at topics found in the book Satisfied: Discovering Contentment in a World of Consumption.  Last week we talked about enrolling … Continue reading

Pentecost 2016

  Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church  Genesis 11:1-9 May 15, 2016   I attended a 6 AM worship service when I was in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2011.   Between Easter and Pentecost, this congregation hosted predawn worship services every morning, … Continue reading

Worshiping Jesus

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church  John 12:1-8 March 13, 2016   There is a Peanut’s comic strip where Charlie Brown approaches Lucy about the problem of world hunger.  Lucy shrugs her shoulder in implied indifference.  Charlie Brown then goes … Continue reading

The Stars are the Limit

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church February 21, 2016 Genesis 15   Friday evening and Saturday was the Presbytery’s “Leadership Development” Conference.  This year’s keynote speaker was Michael Jenkin’s, the president of Louisville Theological Seminary.  After one of his lectures, … Continue reading

Acts 2:37-47

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church Acts 2:37-47 May 31, 2015   On the church calendar, today is Trinity Sunday.  I’m not really preaching on the mystery of the Trinity except that in our story we see all three persons … Continue reading

Pentecost 2015

Jeff Garrison Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church May 24, 2015 Pentecost Sunday:  Acts 2:1-16     When I was in seminary, Ken, a fellow student from Japan, found America’s “alternative newspapers” worthy of his attention.  I am speaking of the papers … Continue reading