Sermon: What Will You Do with God’s Word?

What Will You Do with God’s Word? Psalm 119:41-48 January 11, 2015 In one of our early years of marriage, Raye Jeanne was trying to be creative with her cooking and trying to come up with some healthier options that tasted similar to some of our favorite meals. And so one night she put a […]

Sermon: The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown

The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: A Short History of Jesus 1 Timothy 1:15-17 December 14, 2014 If you didn’t know better, it would be pretty easy to be confused about what Christmas is about. When you listen to Christmas music you might think that the heroes of Christmas are: Frosty the snowman Rudolph […]

Sermon: What Believers Do When Suffering

What Believers Do When Suffering 1 Peter 4:12-19 December 7, 2014 Over the past couple of months Keith and I have been preaching about some basics of church ministry — church membership, corrective discipleship (church discipline), the roles of elders, deacons, and members, and then last Sunday the nature of marriage and gender. There are […]

Sermon: What Members Do

What Members Do 1 Peter 4:7-11 November 23, 2014 One hundred and two years ago, the Titanic sank quickly and unexpectedly in the Atlantic Ocean. But it took about nine decades to determine the reason why the Titanic sank: Recent in-depth research into the sinking of the Titanic has discovered that faulty rivets may have […]

Sermon: A Biblical Perspective on Church Membership

A Biblical Perspective on Church Membership Selected Scriptures October 19, 2014 A few days ago, I went though a file in one of my cabinets and I found an old copy of the “Grace Bible Church Membership Qualification Examination.” As I read it, I thought, “maybe this is why some people have delayed joining GBC…” […]

Sermon: A Theology of Ministry

A Theology of Ministry — Thirteen Core Values that Undergird GBC’s Ministry Selected Scriptures October 12, 2014 Over the next six weeks, we want to think with you about what church ministry looks like. There are two motives behind this: It is good to regularly remind ourselves of the purpose and foundation of ministry — […]

Sermon: Hospitality, truth, love, and missions, Pt. 2

Hospitality, Truth, Love, and Missions, Pt. 2 3 John 7-14 October 5, 2014 Years ago, when then-speaker of the house Sam Rayburn discovered he had terminal cancer, he shocked everyone when he announced that he was going back to his small hometown of Bonham, Texas. He was often asked, “They have the finest facilities in […]

Sermon: Hospitality, truth, love, and missions

Hospitality, Truth, Love, and Missions, Pt. 1 3 John 1-6 September 21, 2014 One thing we speak of frequently at GBC is the shape of our church ministry: what will we do and how will we do it? There are so many competing ideas of what a church is and how it should function that […]

Sermon: Restrictions to Fellowship

Restrictions to Fellowship 2 John 7-13 September 14, 2014 The first time I remember a Mormon coming by our house when I was a child was when we were living in Minnesota. I think it was January. My Dad answered the door, saw who they were, stepped outside, closed the door, and shared the gospel […]

Sermon: The Basis of Fellowship

The Basis of Fellowship 2 John 1-6 September 7, 2014 Satan is the ruler of the world (1 Jn. 5:19). That makes the world a wicked and awful place. And despite our discouragement about what we find in the world, we’ve come to expect what we find in the world and from the world. But […]

Sermon: Are You Sure You’re Secure?

Are You Sure You’re Secure? A Summary of 1 John August 31, 2014 There are many reasons why people might not be sure of their salvation — Spiritual laziness Satanic attacks Trials or harsh circumstances (even having several young children at home so that the affection the mother had prior to children is replaced by […]

Sermon: We Know

We Know… 1 John 5:18-21 August 24, 2014 We don’t often like to admit it, but most of us are pretty ignorant most of the time about most things. We don’t know nearly as much as we’d like to convince people we do know. Our children ask us questions about the way things operate — […]

Sermon: Sin and Death…and Grace

Sin and Death…and Grace 1 John 5:16-17 August 17, 2014 I was listening to a couple of interviews of some pastors and counselors recently and the interviewer asked two different panels a question that I have asked others a great many times: “what do you think is the greatest need or problem in the church […]

Sermon: Pray with Confidence

Pray with Confidence 1 John 5:14-15 August 10, 2014 When a new college graduate takes his first job, one of his concerns will be, “what kind of benefit package do you have?” He wants to know what added privileges there are for working in this job — is there health care and a retirement package […]

Sermon: That You May Know Assurance

That You May Know Assurance 1 John 5:13 July 27, 2014 Everyone wants a sure thing. Bettors at a horse track are (vainly) searching for certainty. Couples standing at the altar of marriage would like a guarantee of a successful union. Parents would like a guarantee that the training they are giving their children will […]