“Teach Us the Gospel”Selected ScripturesJanuary 18, 2026 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 Gilbert recounts […]
Read More Teach Us the Gospel“Teach Us to Pray”Selected Scriptures in LukeJanuary 11, 2026 After quoting Luke 18:1, J. C. Ryle writes — I have a question to offer you. It is contained in three words, DO YOU PRAY? The question is one that none but you can answer. Whether you attend public worship or not, your minister knows. Whether […]
Read More Teach Us to PrayRobert and Betty Fooks simply wanted more headroom for their bathroom in their farmhouse in West Dorsett, England. So one evening five years ago, as Robert was digging in the bathroom to deepen their floor, his pickax hit a pottery bowl. When the bowl broke open, it revealed about 100 coins that dated back to […]
Read More It’s a Chest Filled with Treasure“The accent in the church today is not on devotion, but on commotion” one writer said a generation ago. The temptation in the church (and most of life) is to fill schedules with activities, to let expectations of others become personal demands, and to base a sense worthiness on the extent of busyness. So Matt […]
Read More When You Are Busy…God’s Grace for Troubled People, Pt. 2Zechariah 8:9-17March 19, 2023 I suppose everyone likes a surprise (happy) ending to a story. The Bible is filled with stories of unexpected endings — tragedies and loss that are unexpectedly transformed (what one writer calls “redemptive reversals”). These stories begin appearing in the Bible almost on the first […]
Read More God’s Grace for troubled People, Pt. 2God’s Grace for Troubled People, Pt. 1Zechariah 8:1-8March 5, 2023 Thaddeus Williams writes about the fastest-growing religion in the world, self-worship: …84 percent of Americans believe that “enjoying yourself is the highest goal of life.” Further, 86 percent believe that to enjoy yourself you must “pursue the things you desire most.” And 91 percent affirm […]
Read More God’s Grace for troubled People, Pt. 1Spiritual disciplines. The phrase provokes thoughts of Bible reading — and Bible study, meditation, and memorization — and prayer. And some might think of corporate worship and biblical fellowship. And evangelism. But that is the extent of what most of us think about when the practices that lead us to fellowship and joy with Christ […]
Read More Fasting and the BibleFasting, God’s Word, and RighteousnessZechariah 7:8-14February 12, 2023 A few years ago, Richard Patterson was told by a Muslim friend that in Islam there is a tradition of writing out the Koran by hand among more devoted followers. Richard thought it was a good idea, and because he wasn’t Muslim, he found some appropriate pens […]
Read More Sermon: Fasting, God’s Word, and RighteousnessA Question for the LordZechariah 7:1-7February 5, 2023 For many years now, at the beginning of every year, I have preached a series of two sermons on essential spiritual disciplines: Bible and prayer. Then a few years ago I started also preaching a sermon on evangelism and the gospel. We need these yearly reminders of […]
Read More Sermon: A Question for the LordIn the last week of December (or the first week of January), many believers made renewed commitments to read their Bibles in the coming year. They found a reading plan that they thought would serve their needs and began to read according to the schedule. Perhaps you are one of those people. Now we are […]
Read More Two questions for your Bible readingEncourage One Another 1 Thessalonians 5:11 July 24, 2021 I love the story told by Larry Olsen in Outdoor Survival Skills: A guy has been lost in the desert for days. He’s out of food and water. His lips are parched, his tongue swollen. His legs are bruised and bleeding from crawling, his skin is […]
Read More Sermon: Encourage One AnotherThe Righteous God’s Righteous Word Psalm 119:137-144 July 11, 2021 Puritan John Rogers, who died as a martyr under Queen Mary in 1555, was a lover of the Word of God. One Sunday, he petitioned his people to adhere to the Bible by warning them what God might say about their neglect of the Scriptures: […]
Read More Sermon: The Righteous God’s Righteous WordThe 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 […]
Read More Sermon: The Government and YouPreserving Unity, Building the Body Ephesians 4:11-13 February 7, 2021 Ted was discouraged. He had written what he thought was a pretty entertaining children’s book. But it had been rejected by multiple publishers — 27, in fact. He had just decided to go home and burn the manuscript to the book when he ran into […]
Read More Sermon: Preserving Unity, Building the BodyJesus Prays John 17:20-26 January 3, 2021 Few things reveal the nature and condition of our hearts like prayer (when we are genuine and truthful). That is true as well of the heart of Christ, which makes the Lord’s prayer in John 17 a particularly rich and stimulating passage of Scripture. Of this passage, Melanchthon […]
Read More Sermon: Jesus Prays
Words of Grace 