Five reasons to submit to government

Submission isn’t easy. It isn’t easy for children to submit to parents. Or students to teachers. Or slaves to masters (or employees to employers). Or wives to husbands. Or church members to elders. And it’s not easy for citizens to submit to governing authorities. In 2021, it seems especially true that it is hard for […]

Sermon: You and the Government, Pt. 3

You and the Government, Pt. 3 Romans 13:1-7 March 21, 2021 While there are probably as many different political opinions in this room as there are people, we can all agree that we live in complex and difficult days politically and socially. While there have always been debated issues on the political and social spectrum, […]

Sermon: You and the Government, Pt. 2

You and the Government, Pt. 2 Romans 13:1-7 March 14, 2021 Romans 13-2 Pt 2 ser Someone told me this week (and I have forgotten the details) that the first word spoken by their grandchild (I think that’s who it was) was — “thank you.” That’s not the expected answer. Commonly, the first word of […]

Sermon: You and the Government

You and the Government, Pt. 1 Romans 13:1-7 March 7, 2021 If you are a baseball fan, you know this face — one of the most successful managers in baseball history. If you are not a baseball fan, you might still recognize his name: Casey Stengel. Casey had an ability to say the right thing […]

The Government and You — Some Resources

As I have been preparing for preaching on Romans 13 and the role of government, I have read a number of books, articles, and pamphlets that have helped me think through how to faithfully interpret and apply that passage — and to be aware of how other passages on the topic of government complete our […]

Sermon: The Government and You, Pt 2

The Government and You, Pt. 2 Romans 13:1-7 February 28, 2021 For those of you who have been to my office, you might have noticed a bank of file cabinets outside my office. Those are my resource files — Bible books and topics. And I also have a large digital file on my computer. One […]

Sermon: The Government and You

The Government and You Romans 13:1-7 (Pt. 1) February 14, 2021 A number of years ago, U.S. Rep. Jack Metcalf (WA), revealed that the US Forestry Service and a Washington State agency planned to spend $18,000 to dye rocks gray and brown along a scenic highway in the Cascade mountains, because the rocks in question […]

Sermon: Essential Actions After the Election, Pt 2

“Essential Actions After the Election” Pt. 2 2 Timothy 4 November 6, 2016 This Sunday we conclude the brief sermon series, “Election Essentials,” where we have considered a number of topics related to the coming election. During this series we have examined: The role and responsibility of government — what should governments do and what […]

Expect persecution

In America, we feel entitled. We have a constitutional right to life, liberty, and happiness, we believe. The constitution actually says, “the pursuit of happiness,” but in this day, we believe that to mean that we should have happiness (and ease) without having to labor for it. We should not have trials, difficulty, suffering, or […]

Sermon: Essential Actions After the Election

“Essential Actions After the Election” Pt. 1 2 Timothy 3 October 30, 2016 I have done more than one fix-it project at my home where just past the point of no return something has happened that made me think, “Now what am I going to do???” Most of those happened with the water turned off […]

Sermon: The Essential Issue in the Election

“The Essential Issue in the Election” Daniel 4:17-35 October 23, 2016 My sermon title this morning is, “The Essential Issue in the Presidential Election.” Pull up an editorial or blog post about the election and you will have someone’s opinion about what the most critical issue in the election is. Opinions abound: The makeup of […]

Remember your final end

I was born in Canada, straight north of Granbury about 1300 miles. Though I spent most of my childhood years in the Unites States, and primarily Texas, I remained a Canadian citizen until 2003, when I became a naturalized American. My citizenship changed. I had always considered the United States and Texas my home, but […]

Sermon: Essential Attitudes Prior to the Election, Pt 2

“Essential Attitudes Prior to the Election” Pt. 2 Selected Scriptures October 16, 2016 The Scriptures are unflinching in their willingness to speak about subjects that are difficult for us. The Bible speaks clearly and unashamedly about sex and sexuality (consider the Song of Solomon). The Bible is unafraid to address gender roles in marriage. (I […]

Do Christians Have to Vote?

In every election cycle there are always news reports about the number of individuals who do not vote. Often the reason for not voting is apathy — the individual is unconcerned about the issues in the election, believes his vote is inconsequential, or just doesn’t want to be bothered to learn the issues and get […]

Sermon: Essential Attitudes Prior to the Election

“Essential Attitudes Prior to the Election” Selected Scriptures October 9, 2016 Wednesday afternoon I was flying home from the ACBC conference in Indianapolis. As I was going through security, the officer at the x-ray machine saw a newspaper with a headline about the previous night’s vice-presidential debate poking out of my computer bag. “Did you […]