The Son of Man, announced

The Son of Man, AnnouncedLuke 1:26-38July 14, 2024 The promise of the Messiah who would redeem Israel and serve as her King was no secret; it had been declared throughout Israel’s history, beginning with Moses: “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise […]

The Forerunner of the Son of Man

The Forerunner of the Son of ManLuke 1:13-17July 7, 2024 Every child wants to believe his dad is a hero; but John Cromwell Jr.’s father really was a hero. A Navy Captain, John, Sr. died in 1943 in his submarine off the Gilbert Islands in the south Pacific. His submarine was one several that was […]

“This is the way the Lord has dealt with me”

“This is the Way the Lord has Dealt with Me”Luke 1:5-25June 30, 2024 In A View from the Zoo, Gary Richmond describes the birth of a giraffe: The first thing to emerge are the baby giraffe’s front hooves and head. A few minutes later the plucky newborn calf is hurled forth, falls ten feet, and […]

How Luke told the story of Jesus

The gospels are not just a succession of stories — they are one story of one Man — the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Yet each of the gospel writers tells the story of Jesus in different ways with different emphases. As we begin a study of the Gospel of Luke — the story of the Son […]

The Story of the Son of Man

The Story of the Son of ManLuke 1:1-4June 23, 2024 Everyone likes a good story: Perhaps this evening you will turn to the guide on your TV and scroll for a good movie to watch. Maybe this week you will finish that blockbuster novel you’ve been reading; it’s not really great literature, but it’s a […]

Praise God for your salvation

When suffering, it can be hard to give praise. It can be hard to worship. It can be hard to be thankful. The pull of our hearts towards disappointment, complaint, discouragement, lament, and even despondency can preclude the desire to honor the Lord with our praise. How might we stimulate praise when we are in […]

The Song of God’s Glory

The Song of God’s GloryRomans 11:33-36June 9, 2024 On more than one road trip, Raye Jeanne and I have lamented the countryside we would miss while driving before dawn or after dusk. The night sky was going to obscure the waving grasslands, or the rolling hills, the mountain peaks, or the waves on the seaside. […]

God is a Missionary God

Israel was called to do missions and the church does missions because God does missions. We love missions because God loves missions. We sacrifice in giving and going and we go to risky places because God sacrificed and gave and went to a “risky” place (Jn. 1:10-11). We long to see sinners saved by the […]

William Carey: an influencer of modern missions, Pt. 3

This is the third of a three-part series on the life of William Carey and his commitment to missions and his influence on the modern missions movement. (Part 1, Part 2) Two final lessons from Carey’s life may be particularly appropriate for the contemporary American church. The first is this: God uses “small people” from […]

God’s Love for MIssions

God’s Love for MissionsSelected ScripturesJune 2, 2024 John Paton was a missionary to the Hebrides (19th C.). Late in life he recounted the 40-mile walk he took when in his early 20s to go from his home to the train station where he would find transportation to go to seminary to prepare him for the […]

William Carey: an influencer of modern missions, Pt. 2

This is the second of a three-part series on the life of William Carey and his commitment to missions and his influence on the modern missions movement. Biblical principles that guided Carey’s life To gain encouragement and wisdom from the life of this man, the question “What were the truths that sustained Carey in pursuing […]

One Thing…

One Thing…Psalm 27May 26, 2024 I have read that in Deadwood, SD there is a sign in a museum that had been left by a beleaguered prospector in the area: “I lost my gun. I lost my horse. I am out of food. The Indians are after me. But I’ve got all the gold I […]

William Carey: an influencer of modern missions

This is the first of a three-part series on the life of William Carey and his commitment to missions and his influence on the modern missions movement. It has been well-noted by a historian that “The history of Christian missions is the story of God employing individual believers to spread the Gospel message around the […]

The Persistent Care of the Great Shepherd

It is undoubtedly the most well-known song in the world. If asked, “what follows these words, ‘the Lord is my…’” even most unbelievers could quote, “…shepherd, I shall not want.” The song, penned by David and placed in the psalter as the 23rd song, has served as a comfort to mothers cradling ill children, husbands […]

Singing the Shepherd Song

Singing the Shepherd SongPsalm 23May 12, 2024 Where do you go or what do you do when you are uncomfortable — when you are discouraged, sad, hurting, uncertain about the future (or even today)? You could go to the internet for some suggestions: Comforting Smells — Scents from lavender to rose, cinnamon to vanilla, delivered […]