Sermon: God’s Day of Wrath

“God’s Day of Wrath” Romans 2:5 March 6, 2016 We like to celebrate special days and holidays. So each week we remember the work of Christ for us on Sunday. And of course in a few weeks there is Easter and we just finished Christmas. And we also like a few lesser known holidays, like […]

Sermon: The Reality of God’s Judgment

“The Reality of God’s Judgment” Romans 2:1-4 February 28, 2016 Just about the only time people enjoy hearing about the judgment of God is when it is spoken against. The world mocks and hates the judgment of God because it cannot bear the thought of it being real. And many believers don’t like to talk […]

Sermon: The Judgment of God and Self-Righteousness

“The Judgment of God and Self-Righteousness” Romans 2:1-4 February 21, 2016 Sir Robert Watson Watt was instrumental in the creation of radio detection and ranging (what is commonly called “radar”). As early as 1915, Watson Watt was using radio technology to provide warnings to British pilots in the First World War. But it was 20 […]

Sermon: Cultivating Ministry

“Cultivating Ministry” Ephesians 4:11-12 January 17, 2016 We live in an entertainment culture. We go to the gym to exercise, step on a treadmill and have a TV screen facing us to watch. But most don’t watch – they have their own private entertainment in their own headphones. Or perhaps you prefer an aerobics class […]

Sermon: Cultivating Community

“Cultivating Community” Ephesians 4:1-3 January 10, 2016 Tom Pennington tells the story recounted in the book Great Church Fights by Leslie Flynn. The tale recounts a feud in a Welsh church looking for a new pastor. The newspaper article read this way — Yesterday the two opposition groups both sent ministers to the pulpit. Both […]

Sermon: Pray for One Another

“Pray for One Another” Ephesians 3:14-21 January 3, 2016 In my freshman year in college, I began to grow significantly in my spiritual life. One part of that growth was that I began attending a Wednesday evening Bible study — and part of that study was a prayer time with other men in the church […]

Sermon: The Comforting Word

“The Comforting Word” Psalm 119:49-56 December 27, 2015 I’m not sure who did the research, but someone came up with a list of “America’s Top 99 Problems.” A few samplings from the list (in increasing order of importance): Terrorism Peeling paint Snakebites Ugly clothes Nothing good to watch on TV Light pollution Airline delays Orbiting […]

Sermon: Christmas Dreams

“Christmas Dreams” Matthew 1:18-25 December 20, 2015 Christmas captivates us like no other holiday on our calendar. When we are young, birthdays are anticipated and exciting, but the older we become birthdays are associated with less anticipation and with more dread. We like July 4 and Thanksgiving in America, but those days pass quickly and […]

Sermon: Rejoice Always

“Rejoice Always” Philippians 4:4-7 November 29, 2015 Tuesday afternoon I went to get a haircut. And while I was in the chair, the discussion inevitably turned to Thanksgiving and the meal ahead. “What kind of trimmings are you having with your turkey?” I asked. “Mom asked if I wanted pecan or chocolate pie…I told her, […]

Sermon: One Grateful Man

“One Grateful Man” Luke 17:11-19 November 22, 2015 It’s one of my (several) favorite Peanuts cartoons: Linus is shown sitting at a table, pencil in hand. In the second panel the paper he was writing on is crumpled with his expected exclamation, “Rats!” In the third panel we see a trash can surrounded by numerous […]

Sermon: God’s Revelation, Man’s Rejection, Part 6

“God’s Revelation; Man’s Rejection” Part 6 Romans 1:28-32 November 15, 2015 How many times in the past few months have you observed something culturally and asked a question something like, “How can that possibly be…what are they/is he thinking?…” I said that when I read some of the opinions that were espoused by our Supreme […]

Sermon: God’s Revelation, Man’s Rejection, Part 5

“God’s Revelation; Man’s Rejection” Part 5 Romans 1:26-27 November 1, 2015 For many years I have been maintaining a filing system with articles and information on hundreds of different topics (it currently fills 27 file drawers in my office and a substantial portion of my hard drive on my computer). In one of those drawers […]

Sermon: Redemption

“The Message of the Cross: Redemption” Ephesians 1:7-8 October 25, 2015 Sometimes communion feels like an afterthought to a worship service: “it’s our monthly duty and we just squeeze it into an already full morning of worship.” But because the work of Christ is central to our salvation, communion should never feel like an after […]

Sermon: The Bible and Homosexuality

“The Bible and Homosexuality” Selected Scriptures October 18, 2015 Twenty-five years ago, my best friend from high school wrote me a letter. Finally on the bottom of page three, he finally said what I’m sure was the reason behind his writing. Let me read it to you: “I’m gay, Terry. I’ve been so my whole […]

Sermon: The Bible and Sexuality

“The Bible and Sexuality” Selected Scriptures October 11, 2015 Years ago I preached a series of sermons on marriage and family issues. Near the end of the series, I preached a sermon on a biblical perspective of sexuality from 1 Corinthians 7. And I talked pretty plainly about the topic. When we got home from […]