Joy in Serving Christ

“Joy in Serving Christ”Luke 10:17-24May 24, 2026 What gives you joy? What stimulates you to be happy? When the children and grandchildren come over for the weekend. Enough rain and not too much sun (heat) in August to keep your yard alive. All green lights on 377 on your morning commute. One more diet coke […]

Sent with the Gospel

“Sent with the Gospel”Luke 10:1-16May 17, 2026 In 1786 a man named William was ordained for the pastorate and sent to a small church in the town of Moulton, England. Both he and the church were very poor, and it took three jobs for William to support his family: pastor, cobbler, and village teacher. In […]

Because Christ is Resurrected…

Passover is finished. The crowds are gone from Jerusalem. The Roman soldiers are relaxing. The disciples and their friends and family are returning to their daily duties and a few added priorities. There is still some buzz in the city and among the disciples, but Easter is over. Or is it? What happens after the […]

The Training of the Twelve, Pt. 2

“The Training of the Twelve” Pt. 2Luke 9:12-17December 21, 2025 Christmas brings anticipation of many good and encouraging things. We anticipate worship (Christmas Eve), and music (the Messiah!), and fellowship, and reconnection with friends who have moved away, and time with family. And yet there is also the conundrum of the gifts. What do we […]

The Training of the Twelve, Pt. 1

“The Training of the Twelve” Pt. 1Luke 9:1-11December 14, 2025 It’s Christmas season. And there is a common question being asked these days: “Do we have enough?” E.g., Do we have enough food? Do we have enough cookies? Do we have enough gifts? Do we have enough decorations (lights on the house, tinsel on […]

How is Your Hearing?

“How is Your Hearing?”Luke 8:4-15October 12, 2025 One of the phrases a parent uses most often is “listen to me…” Parents use that phrase with distracted three-year-olds and impatient 17-year-olds. They use it when they are teaching, when they are correcting, when they are encouraging, and when they are warning. It’s a useful, and well-used, […]

Remarkable Ordinariness

Scripture is filled with examples of God using ordinary means and ordinary people to accomplish His purposes. When He chose a man to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt, He chose a reluctant man with a stammering tongue (Ex. 4:10). When Jesus chose the 12, he chose a group of uneducated and overlooked […]

The Kinds of People the Son of Man Saves and Uses

“The Kinds of People the Son of Man Saves and Uses”Luke 8:1-3September 28, 2025 One of my favorite sections in the Bible is Deuteronomy 7:7-8 — “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of […]

Thankful for 35 Years of Ministry

After 35 years and a most gracious celebration this past Sunday of the privilege we have had to be a part of the ministry of Grace Bible Church, our family is grateful. So grateful. I have often said about our time at GBC, quoting the psalmist, “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant […]

God’s Commitment to Unity

God is committed to unity. God’s priority of unity is emphasized throughout Scripture. Unity is inferred on the very first pages of Scripture, when a unified God acts to create the world and all things in it and beyond it. When God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and […]

Preserving Unity

Preserving Unity — Ministry Focus for 2025Ephesians 4:1-3January 19, 2025 For several years, we have had a theme for the year — a biblical truth that would help orient us and guide us as we serve Christ. Often those themes come from circumstances that we see in the culture (both secular and church) that […]

The Best books I read in 2024

I enjoy books. I like bookstores — new bookstores, old bookstores, used book stores, and digital (online) bookstores. I spend a significant amount of time and money in bookstores each year. And I read, too (though not as much as I’d like, typically). Several years ago, I began keeping track of what I read each […]

After the election, will anything be the same?

There are many who are lamenting the changes of our culture and the degradation of morality. We understand that grief. We weep for those who are enslaved by sinful desires, and who at the same time assert that they are free. It’s a trap (as all sin is, see Prov. 7:21-27 for a particularly sobering […]

Counseling Like the Good Shepherd

Counseling Like the Good Shepherd: Leading Counselees to Rest in JesusJohn 10 A few years ago I was running some errands one afternoon when I noticed that one car tire was almost completely flat. I slowly made my way to a tire store. There was a long line and wait. Finally, I spoke to […]

Be Steadfast in Fighting Sin

Be Steadfast in Fighting SinRomans 6:12-14February 4, 2024 On a very limited number of occasions — once, maybe twice — I have felt like I had reached the limits of my physical ability. My arms and legs trembling with weariness, I was near the end of my body’s strength. On a few of occasions I’ve […]