Sermon: Christmas Sorrows

Christmas Sorrows Matthew 2:13-23 December 23, 2018 What is your dream of the perfect Christmas? Paint the picture in your mind: who are the people who are around you? Where are you celebrating? What are you eating? What gifts are you giving and receiving? What will make the perfect Christmas day? On the first Christmas […]

Christ came for sin

In Romans 8:3, Paul identifies the reason for Christ’s advent — He came “for sin” (ESV). That is, He came for the purpose of addressing the problem of sin. He came for sin because sin was (and is) the great problem of mankind. We tend to think we have bigger problems than sin. We have […]

Sermon: “O Foolish Men”

“O Foolish Men…” Luke 24:13-35 April 1, 2018 A pastor in California tells the story of a secondhand store in California that resells wardrobes of “the stars” of Hollywood. If you have enough cash, you can buy something worn by your favorite actor and play your own role, pretending to be that star. A number […]

“I am thirsty” — a Good Friday meditation

This is the manuscript of my message from last night’s Good Friday service. You may also download a PDF version of the message here. Explanations of why you love whom you love are sometimes difficult. A baby might have been born only minutes earlier, but her new mother or father will undoubtedly be willing to […]

Our union with Christ

Our relationships will change us. If we are married, we are one with our spouses (Gen. 2:24) and through years together we increasingly become like one another — our life philosophies become unified, our desires become singular, our words and vocabularies mimic one another, and we become increasingly dependent on one another. What we were […]

The Greatest Christmas Gift

“The Greatest Christmas Gift” John 6:37, 39 December 24, 2017 This might be the most extravagant, unexpected gift given this year. Two weeks ago a man walked into the “5 & Diner” restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ for a Saturday morning breakfast. He ordered an ordinary bacon and eggs breakfast with coffee. The bill came to […]

Sermon: The Story of Jesus

“The Story of Jesus” 1 Timothy 3:16 December 17, 2017 Christmas is full of surprises. But one of the surprises about Christmas in Scripture is the brevity of the NT narrative of Christ’s first advent. For instance, the four gospels tell the story of Jesus Christ, yet two of the four gospels do not mention […]

Sermon: Solus Christus

“Solus Christus: the Center of the Reformation” Colossians 1:15-20 November 12, 2017 Rowland Taylor was a Reformer living in England who died on February 9, 1555. He was identified as a Protestant, questioned, imprisoned, and then taken from London to his hometown of Hadleigh “where to his great delight [he was] to be burned before […]

The second Adam

One of the most recognized names in the world of art is Rembrandt. Though he lived and painted more than 350 years ago, some would say the technique and emotive beauty of his works has been unsurpassed since then. As a testimony to the enduring nature of his work, two years ago, a matching pair […]

Sermon: A Tale of Two Men (Pt. 4)

“A Tale of Two Men, and the Supremacy of Christ” Pt. 4 Romans 5:18-21 October 15, 2017 There is a notion among unbelievers that Christians and the Bible don’t understand real life — that we live sheltered lives away from harsh realities and burdens. You don’t have to read far in the Bible to see […]

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 […]

Sermon: The First Thing on Your Second Wedding Day

“The First Thing on Your Second Wedding Day” Revelation 19:6-9 May 28, 2017 Weddings were always exciting in our home. So many things made weddings attractive and desirable: the wedding dress, the bridesmaid’s dresses, the flowers, the music, the food and friends after the wedding, the music and dancing, and (most of all?) the cake! […]

Shepherds’ Conference, Days 3-4

The Shepherds’ Conference is now over. In the busyness of the week I was unable to post my notes from the last two days, so I post them here, now. In the next week I’ll also post a summation of some of the best things I heard during the week. As usual, the week was […]

Why was Jesus Christ made flesh? Part 2

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity [continued from last week]. Use one: Of instruction. See here, as in a glass, the infinite love of God the Father; that when we had lost ourselves by sin, God, in […]

What Christ gained through His incarnation

What follows is a manuscript of my message at this morning’s Christmas worship service. What’s the best Christmas present you’ve ever received? When I was a child, it was a table game called, “Pro Draft.” It was a 1974 game that simulated being a general manager of a pro football team and it came with […]