My daughter texted me this morning. “GUESS WHAT?” “I don’t know. What?” HAPPY OPENING DAY!!! ⚾️ That sentiment made me wonder (as a life-long-suffering Texas Ranger fan), “will this year be better…?” After more than 50 years of watching the Rangers the skeptic (realist?) in me says, “probably not.” […]
Read More What’s Coming?From Fasting to FeastingZechariah 8:18-23March 26, 2023 Raye Jeanne and I enjoy watching home restoration shows. We like seeing something dilapidated and unusable made beautiful and functional. It’s inspiring how skilled and creative some restorers are. But not all restorers are equally effective. Consider the experience of the Church of St. Michael in Estella, Spain. […]
Read More From Fasting to FeastingGod’s Grace for Troubled People, Pt. 2Zechariah 8:9-17March 19, 2023 I suppose everyone likes a surprise (happy) ending to a story. The Bible is filled with stories of unexpected endings — tragedies and loss that are unexpectedly transformed (what one writer calls “redemptive reversals”). These stories begin appearing in the Bible almost on the first […]
Read More God’s Grace for troubled People, Pt. 2God’s Grace for Troubled People, Pt. 1Zechariah 8:1-8March 5, 2023 Thaddeus Williams writes about the fastest-growing religion in the world, self-worship: …84 percent of Americans believe that “enjoying yourself is the highest goal of life.” Further, 86 percent believe that to enjoy yourself you must “pursue the things you desire most.” And 91 percent affirm […]
Read More God’s Grace for troubled People, Pt. 1Spiritual disciplines. The phrase provokes thoughts of Bible reading — and Bible study, meditation, and memorization — and prayer. And some might think of corporate worship and biblical fellowship. And evangelism. But that is the extent of what most of us think about when the practices that lead us to fellowship and joy with Christ […]
Read More Fasting and the BibleFasting, God’s Word, and RighteousnessZechariah 7:8-14February 12, 2023 A few years ago, Richard Patterson was told by a Muslim friend that in Islam there is a tradition of writing out the Koran by hand among more devoted followers. Richard thought it was a good idea, and because he wasn’t Muslim, he found some appropriate pens […]
Read More Sermon: Fasting, God’s Word, and RighteousnessA Question for the LordZechariah 7:1-7February 5, 2023 For many years now, at the beginning of every year, I have preached a series of two sermons on essential spiritual disciplines: Bible and prayer. Then a few years ago I started also preaching a sermon on evangelism and the gospel. We need these yearly reminders of […]
Read More Sermon: A Question for the LordIn Colossians 2:8 Paul warns about the dangers of the base and elementary philosophy of the world. What are those principles? He is non-specific, but the most basic philosophy of the world is this — anything must be made supreme so that God and Christ will be minimized. The base philosophy of the world it […]
Read More Jesus is the answerWhy Evangelism?Colossians 2January 29, 2023 All Steve wanted to do was clean his fish tank. He had no idea of the problems that would create for him. Here’s a report of the incident: [He] was trying to get rid of a colony of zoanthids — a relative of corals and sea anemones — that was […]
Read More Sermon: Why the Gospel?Sin is not the final word. Sin is not (necessarily) the end of the story. Charles Spurgeon rightly notes the power and blessing of repentance: Reader, has sin pulled you down? Have you become like a ruin? Has the hand of the Lord gone out against you, so that in estate you are impoverished, and […]
Read More The blessing of repentanceEvery year before every sports league resumes its games, all the players for all the teams gather for training camp. Fundamentals are practiced. Plans and plays are designed, learned, and practiced — repeatedly. Only after several weeks of preparation are the teams declared fit for beginning the season and “the games that count.” Whenever a […]
Read More Prepared to ServeEquipping the SaintsEphesians 4:11-13January 22, 2023 In 1851 Queen Victoria of Great Britain, through the influence of her husband, Albert, opened the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations. The event was held in Hyde Park in London, and people streamed to the exhibit from England and from around the world. […]
Read More Sermon: Equip the SaintsPray for God’s GloryJohn 17:1-5January 15, 2023 Relationships are hard work. Communication is hard work. Listening carefully, thinking rightly, talking, and talking graciously are all hard work. There are times it seems like it might just be easier or better to be silent. (It’s not better.) Unfortunately, we sometimes consider the hard work of […]
Read More Sermon: Pray for God’s GloryIn the last week of December (or the first week of January), many believers made renewed commitments to read their Bibles in the coming year. They found a reading plan that they thought would serve their needs and began to read according to the schedule. Perhaps you are one of those people. Now we are […]
Read More Two questions for your Bible readingA Heart for the WordPsalm 119:161-168January 8, 2023 This morning, at the beginning of the new year, we want to remind ourselves about the importance of the Bible. What do you know about the Bible? There are 66 books in the Bible (39 in the OT, 27 in the NT). There are 1189 chapters […]
Read More Sermon: A Heart for the Word
Words of Grace 