Sermon: Sing the Song of Security

Sing the Song of Security Romans 8:31-33 March 24, 2019 Most of us probably don’t feel as secure as we did a few years (or decades) ago. When I was 8-years-old my family lived just north of downtown Dallas (not a good neighborhood now, or then), and on a Saturday morning, I would tell my […]

Don’t I have a part in my salvation?

Several years ago when I began a sermon on the early part of Ephesians chapter one, I said something like, “This morning we want to talk about God’s work in salvation, specifically His election of sinners to salvation. And as I said the word ‘election,’ some of you instinctively bowed up and already feel resistant […]

Sermon: God’s Golden Chain of Salvation

God’s Golden Chain of Salvation Romans 8:29-30 March 17, 2019 D.A. Carson [The God Who is There] has noted that all men need salvation: We need to be reconciled to God We need to be morally transformed or we will continue to rebel against God again and again We need the effect of sin to […]

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 […]

How great the Father’s love

In what almost seems to be a passing comment at first, Paul tells the Romans that if they are mortifying sins by the power of the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:13), it indicates that they are being led (controlled and indwelt) by the Spirit and since the Spirit only indwells believers, then they “are sons […]

Meditate on the small number to be saved

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Christian on the Mount. Meditate upon the small number of those who shall be saved. “But few are chosen” (Matthew 20: 16). Among the millions in Rome there are but few senators; and […]

Sermon: Who Can Be Justified?

“Who Can Be Justified?” Romans 4:9-12 April 30, 2017 Put this in the category of unexpected blessings. When Kushikatsu Tanaka was a young girl, her father developed a particular recipe for deep-fried fried meat on a stick. Though he was a real estate agent, he spent many of his leisure hours perfecting the craft of […]

Sermon: The Old, Old Story, Pt. 2

“The Old, Old Story” Pt. 2 Romans 4:1-8 April 23, 2017 When I was in seminary, the church Raye Jeanne and I were part of trained its members in evangelism with the Evangelism Explosion materials. I went through the program and eventually also became a trainer for EE. One semester, one of my trainees was […]

Sermon: The Old, Old Story

“The Old, Old Story” Romans 4:1-8 April 2, 2017 Every child loves a good story. It was not uncommon that when the girls were still living at home — even when they were in high school — they would ask at the dinner table, “Daddy, tell us a story.” And with a little prompting about […]

Sermon: The Christian and the Law

“The Christian and the Law” Romans 3:31 March 19, 2017 If you’ve ever been frustrated with other drivers on the road — people going to fast or too slow or weaving too much or not getting out of the way, here are some traffic laws that are sure to frustrate you even more! These are […]

Sermon: God’s Righteousness Questioned (Pt. 2)

“God’s Righteousness Questioned” (Pt. 2) Romans 3:29-31 March 12, 2017 We have been talking much about justification by faith. Are we over-emphasizing this doctrine? So does justification still matter? The answer must be a resounding yes. Nothing matters more than justification by Christ alone through faith alone.… Many attempts have been made to move the […]

Sermon: God’s Righteousness Questioned (Pt. 1)

“God’s Righteousness Questioned” (Pt. 1) Romans 3:27-28 March 5, 2017 This week several of us attended the Shepherds’ Conference. Over four days, we listened to 16-18 sermons. And all the sermons were around the theme, “We Preach Christ.” It might seem remarkable to listen to so many sermons on that one theme. How can you […]

Sermon: God’s Righteousness Revealed (Pt. 4)

“God’s Righteousness Revealed” (Pt. 4) Romans 3:25-26 February 12, 2017 It doesn’t take much for even a believer in Christ to become aware of his past sins and the shame and guilt associated with those sins. Though the sin might have been confessed both to the Lord and the one we sinned against, too often […]

Can we talk too much about justification?

For several weeks we have considered the passage in Romans that one writer has called “the most important paragraph ever written.” It is Romans 3:21-26 and it is perhaps the most concise explanation of the doctrine of justification — how unrighteous men are declared to be righteous before God. Taking four weeks to look at […]