Something to read: The Crook in the Lot

Almost 20 years ago, a dear friend was diagnosed with multiple myeloma after falling and breaking his arm. It was a non-violent fall that happened when he slipped on ice while pumping gas. The doctor was curious why his arm broke in the fall. So he conducted some tests and discovered the cancer. About 2-1/2 […]

My meeting with Jay Adams

Two days ago Jay Adams departed this earth and went Home. Many have started writing their personal recollections of him. I did not know him personally and was not his friend, but I met him on two occasions — the first of which had a significant impact on my life. To the best of my […]

God’s merciful use of sin

You are aware of the saying, “You can be anything you want to be; you can do anything you want to do, if you just try hard enough.” I am intentionally working to burst bubbles and change thinking when I say, “Bologna.” That saying is just wrong. Completely wrong. And foolish. And deceiving. And hopeless […]

Sermon: What Happened???

What Happened??? Romans 11:7-10 March 8, 2020 I suppose that the most asked question in the universe is “why?” Because 2-4 year-olds ask that question so many times, no other question gets asked more often. But perhaps the next most-often asked question is, “what happened?” As in, “I just received this month’s credit card bill. […]

Sermon: What God Has Not Done (and Cannot Do)

What God Has Not Done (and Cannot Do) Romans 11:1-6 March 1, 2020 Rejection is hard. No one wants to be rejected and most people don’t like telling people, “No.” Sometimes saying, “no” is unavoidable, though. For instance, editors regularly have to tell authors “no” to book or article ideas. Here is how Brian Doyle, […]

Sermon: God is Faithful

God is Faithful Romans 9 September 29, 2019 This morning we come to the table of communion. This table is rightly called a table of remembrance. It is designed to remind us of things that we must not forget, that we cannot forget, that we dare not forget: We dare not forget our need for […]

Sermon: “Disappointed with God?”

Disappointed with God? He is Faithful Romans 9:30-33 September 22, 2019 We live in a world where there are disappointments. Big disappointments and little disappointments — they all bring a measure of sadness and grief into our lives: You had plans for a vegetable garden, and it didn’t rain, and what did grow got eaten […]

Sermon: God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt 4

God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt. 4 Romans 9:6-18 July 7, 2019 There are some things we don’t like to talk about or think about. Because we don’t like to think about our finances we don’t balance our bank statement for six months — and that tends to make us want to think about it even less! […]

How God chooses men for salvation

Romans 9 is the beginning of an extended section in Romans about the sovereignty of God in salvation — how does God bring about salvation in those who were hated by Him and who hated Him? That God is not only the author of salvation in that He accomplishes it, but He is also the […]

Sermon: God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt 3

God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt. 3 Romans 9:6-13 June 30, 2019 Starting at the end of July, we are going to spend a few weeks reflecting on God’s glory and grace to us as a church body, as we think about 40 years of ministry at GBC. We will think about a variety of ways that […]

Sermon: God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt 2

God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt. 2 Romans 9:6-13 June 23, 2019 Unless you are a devout historian, you probably don’t know the name Nicholas Winton. “Nicky” Winton died four years ago at the age of 106. That’s remarkable, but that’s not what is most remarkable about him. His life began somewhat unremarkably, a Jewish son in […]

Sermon: God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt 1

God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt. 1 Romans 9:6 June 2, 2019 Several years ago, Alexis Gould, a 15-year-old in Magna, Utah was fighting nerve cancer. The family was trying to figure out how to pay Emily’s significant and growing medical bills when an anonymous local businessman stepped up with a $40,000 donation to help pay those […]

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: All Things for Good

All Things for Good: Trusting God and Sanctification Romans 8:28-29 March 10, 2019 In his book Rise and Shine, Chuck Swindoll recounts a significant event from the past century: When the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations was opened by Queen Victoria in 1851, people flocked to Hyde Park to behold […]

He is King

God is sovereign. For God to be sovereign means that He is King. He is not merely a king, but He is the King. There is no one who rules alongside His Trinitarian deity. And there is no one who rules over Him, ordering, compelling, and dictating anything to Him. For God to be sovereign […]