Sermon: What is the Gospel?

What is the Gospel? Selected Scriptures January 12, 2020 Ask the question, “What is the gospel?” (even in the church) and you will get almost as many answers to that question as there are people. There just does not seem to be much consensus on that question. In his book, What is the Gospel? Greg […]

God’s shocking grace

In Romans 10:20, as Paul recounts the revelation of the gospel to the Israelites, he notes that Isaiah is “very bold” when he writes what he does in Isaiah 65:1ff. The word “very bold” has the sense of words that are daring, astounding, and even shocking. What God says through Isaiah is unanticipated and unexpected. […]

Sermon: Why People Don’t Believe in Christ

Why People Don’t Believe in Christ (And the Shocking Grace of God) Romans 10:16-21 December 1, 2019 The turkey is (probably) finished. There might still be a little leftover cranberry sauce. I know the pecan pie has been gone for at least two days. Thanksgiving is over. I hope it was an encouraging and reflective […]

Sermon: The Message of Faith, Pt. 2

The Message of Faith, Pt. 2 Romans 10:9-13 November 10, 2019 In Romans 10, Paul is making an appeal to his readers of the significance of the gospel and the importance and responsibility to believe the gospel. In verse 8, he says the word of the gospel has come near (in the person of Christ). […]

The gospel of forgiveness and transformation

Since the time of the early church, there has been a debate about the role of works in salvation. Are there works that should be done for our salvation? Should believers be circumcised for their salvation? (That was the question in Acts 15.) Or is there a kind of work that is necessary as an […]

Sermon: The Message of Faith

The Message of Faith Romans 10:9-10 November 3, 2019 This week there has been significant conversation on the internet and elsewhere about October 31. No, not chocolate and Halloween, but Reformation Day. The discussion about the Reformation has been a good reminder about the gospel and its significance. As someone has said, “The gospel is […]

Sermon: No Excuses

No Excuses: The Message of Faith Romans 10:5-8 October 20, 2019 According to a UPI news item, MetLife has received some unusual excuses for accidents from its automobile policyholders over the years. The following are just few: “An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished.” “The other car collided with mine […]

Sermon: Gospel Longings

Gospel Longings Romans 9:1-5 May 26, 2019 What makes you sad? What makes your heart ache? What are your greatest sorrows? We likely have similar kinds of lists of sad things: Illness of a loved family member Cancer and terminal diseases in children (I was often profoundly sad walking halls of Cooks Hosp) Broken and […]

Sermon: God’s Great Gospel

God’s Great Gospel Romans 1-8 May 19, 2019 Today we close the book on Romans 8. That means we are halfway through this great letter. It means that we are transitioning to the fourth major section in the book — the sovereignty of God (chs. 9-11). It means that we are leaving one of the […]

Sermon: God’s Gospel

God’s Gospel Ephesians 2:8-10 February 24, 2019 If I were to ask you to complete this sentence, how would you finish it? The most well-known verse in the Bible is… My guess is the first thing you’d say is, “John 3:16.” Then you might suggest, Genesis 1:1. Or Psalm 23. Or Romans 3:23 (“all have […]

The power of the cross, exemplified

We have noted that the cross is powerful. We need to be convinced of its relevance, power, and wisdom. That’s Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. But just how powerful is the cross? In 1838, Robert Murray M’Cheyne preached a sermon, “God Let None of His Words Fall to the Ground.” To demonstrate the power […]

Some ways to increase your evangelism in 2018

Most believers affirm the difficulty in communicating the gospel. Telling the gospel is hard. But telling the gospel is also a privileged joy. The Lord has entrusted the communication of his salvation plan to — us! We are the vessels (ordinary, weak, cracked, and broken) into which God has placed the eternal and infinitely rich […]

Sermon: Prayer and the Gospel

“Prayer and the Gospel” Ephesians 6:18-20 January 7, 2018 One of my annual goals is to read at least one book each year on evangelism. So this week I read Rico Tice’s book, Honest Evangelism: How to Talk About Jesus When It’s Tough. In his introduction he writes: I find evangelism hard. The problem with […]

The Reformation isn’t over

The fire of the Reformation was lit by the match of Luther’s 95 theses in 1517, even though the kindling of change had been established centuries before through the ministries of men like Augustine, Anselm, Wycliffe, and Hus. Some might think that following the separation of the Protestants from the Catholic Church that the Reformation […]

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 […]