Sermon: A Tale of Two Men (Pt. 3)

“A Tale of Two Men, and the Supremacy of Christ” Pt. 3 Romans 5:15-17 October 1, 2017 I suppose that I was 10 or 11 when my 4- or 5-year-old brother introduced me to the following lyrics: One of these things is not like the others One of these things just doesn’t belong Can you […]

Some sins are worse than others

Every sin is worthy of the infinite wrath of God. The appropriate, rightly deserved consequence of all sin (and every sin) is God’s judgment and condemnation (Rom. 6:23). Every sin is worthy of God’s wrath because every sin is an affront to the glory of God and fails to achieve the glory of God (Rom. […]

Sermon: A Tale of Two Men (Pt. 2)

“A Tale of Two Men, and the Long History of Sin” Pt. 2 Romans 5:13-14 September 17, 2017 How long? Don’t you wonder sometimes how long it will take to get something completed? How long will it take to finish the road work on 377 through Benbrook? How many more years can a nine-month pregnancy […]

And then came death

Martin Luther’s consciousness of his sin is well-chronicled. While he was serving in a Roman Catholic monastery he at times would feel confident of his self-righteousness that claimed, “I have done nothing wrong today.” And then almost as quickly he would become plagued with questions like, “Have you fasted enough? Are you poor enough?” His […]

Sermon: A Tale of Two Men (Pt. 1)

“A Tale of Two Men, and the Sad Story of Sin’s Origin” Pt. 1 Romans 5:12 September 10, 2017 If you read the news most days, you will find many stories that are filled with tragedy and senselessness that inevitably leads us to ask, “why?” Why does a man drink alcohol and then get behind […]

Worship God

When a high school student considers her options for college, her fundamental question is, “which school will be best for me so that I can achieve my goals?” When a job applicant interviews with a prospective employer, he will ask about the compensation package — “what benefits will I receive for giving you 40-50 hours […]

Sermon: The Blessings of Justification, Pt 4

“The Blessings of Justification” Pt. 4 Romans 5:9-11 August 27, 2017 One pastor decided to take his family, including his four children on vacation — “We’re going to Junction City, Kansas,” he said. “It’s where my dad used to pastor a church, and we can have lots of fun there — they have playgrounds, and […]

The outpouring of God’s love

The love of God may be one of the most misunderstood attributes of God’s character. Talk to an unbeliever about the wrath of God and the consequences of sin and you are likely to hear a comment something like, “My God is not like that. I don’t believe in a God who is angry; my […]

The fruit of suffering and trials

Trials start on page three of my Bible. On that page, the Serpent approaches Eve with the temptation to rebel against God, and in that moment, she and her faith are on trial. And because she and Adam chose to disobey, suffering enters their lives on page four. Pain in childbirth, conflict in marriage and […]

Sermon: The Blessings of Justification, Pt 2

“The Blessings of Justification” Pt. 2 Romans 5:3-5 August 13, 2017 Four years ago, Ryan Boomershine, a principle of a Christian school in Nashville, wrote this account: Last Wednesday, the third day of this year, I was working at my desk at school when Christie called me on my cell. She said a jumble of […]

We have the grace we need

Someone reminded me this week that an oft-quoted cliché among Christians is, “God gives us grace for whatever we need.” But, my friend asked, what does that really mean? How does God give us grace? What does that grace practically look like? Paul addresses a similar idea in Romans 5:2 when he identifies one of […]

Sermon: The Blessings of Justification, Pt 1

“The Blessings of Justification” Pt. 1 Romans 5:1-2 August 6, 2017 Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the Lord.” So the day that Raye Jeanne and I got married, I knew I was a blessed man. Only a little more than a year before we […]

Sermon: Delivered and Resurrected for Us

“The Message of Justification: Delivered and Resurrected for Us” Romans 4:23-25 July 23, 2017 In Geneva, Switzerland, there is a park near the church where John Calvin preached and conducted his ministry. In that park there is a memorial wall containing the statues of 10 of the leading men of the 16th Century Reformation. The […]

How important is Sola Fide?

For 1-1/2 chapters at the beginning of Romans, Paul repeatedly emphasizes the doctrine of justification by grace alone (3:24) through faith alone (3:25, 28). Justification is not received through any kind of good works (4:1-8), though circumcision or physical heritage (4:9-12), or through obedience to the Law (4:13-16). It is by grace alone and through […]

Sermon: By Faith Alone, Part 2

“By Faith Alone” Part 2 Romans 4:17-22 July 16, 2017 This week I read this statement by John MacArthur in Justification by Faith Alone: “No doctrine is more important to evangelical theology than the doctrine of justification by faith alone.” That’s a strong statement. J. I. Packer affirmed that statement when he wrote, “Martin Luther […]